For nearly a decade, the gang at Paddy’s Pub have produced some of the funniest television we’ve ever had the honor of watching. There is no denying how many hilarious episodes the gang has given us. We watched every episode numerous times in order to give you this: the 25 funniest episodes of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
25. The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore
Season 7 Episode 2
Out of all the Fat Mac episodes, this was my favorite. We also get a fantastic montage of Dennis and Dee going on an inadvertent angel dust crime spree. Meanwhile, Charlie finally gets a romantic night with The Waitress only to later discover that she had popped a molly and had no recollection of the evening.
24. Chardee MacDennis: The Game of Games
Season 7 Episode 7
Most people say their favorite part of the show is when the gang just sits around the bar and talks about absurd topics. This episode is nothing but that, as we get to watch Dee and Dennis take on Mac, Charlie, and Frank in one of the most idiotic board games ever concocted.
23. Mac is a Serial Killer
Season 3 Episode 10
Charlie takes his obsession with being a freelance attorney to a whole new level as he begins collecting evidence in a fictitious case defending Mac against charges of murder. Also, Dee and Dennis try to figure out how to be the perfect serial killer by hunting The Waitress. It all comes to a perfect conclusion in the apartment of Dee’s neighbor who turns out to actually be a serial killer.
22. Mac and Charlie: White Trash
Season 6 Episode 5
Occasionally the show will get away from the group as a whole and explore the lives of Charlie and Mac vs Dee and Dennis’ lives. This episode personifies their social separations, while proving that no amount of wealth or upbringing can change you from what you really are: white trash. Rest in peace, Jamie Nelson.
21. Who Got Dee Pregnant?
Season 6 Episode 7
Dee ruins the guy’s plans to spend the night in a museum by saying that one of them is the father of her unborn child. The guys scramble around town putting together a drunken night at their Halloween party to determine who impregnated Dee. It’s hilarious and well written from top to bottom.
20. Mac and Charlie Die (Part 1)
Season 4 Episode 5
While part 2 of this episode isn’t the payoff we had expected, the first part is fantastic. Between Charlie’s teeth constantly falling out and Mac’s head trauma as a result of his hilarious car accident, you barely have a chance to catch your breath between laughs. There’s also the discovery of a glory hole in the bar, although we have no idea who would be using it since there are never any patrons at Paddy’s.
19. The Gang Gets Invincible
Season 3 Episode 2
Not only do we get the first glimpse of Green Man, and Dee posing as a bizarre looking man named Cole Armstrong, we also get to hang out with the entire McPoyle family as Mac, Dennis, and Dee try out for the Philadelphia Eagles. The motivational speech by “Donovan McNabb” is one of my favorite moments on the show.
18. The Gang Solves the North Korean Situation
Season 3 Episode 6
Sweet Dee has some of her greatest drunk moments including an attempt to infiltrate a rival Korean bar in order to steal their microbrew’s secret formula. Everything else pales in comparison to Charlie’s outrage at a door marked PIRATE. Turns out it’s not actually labeled pirate, it’s just Charlie’s illiteracy leaving him baffled by the word PRIVATE.
17. Paddy’s Pub: Home of the Original Kitten Mittens
Season 5 Episode 8
There may not be a more quotable episode than this one. Charlie’s infomercial for his “Kitten Mittons” invention is only rivaled by the presentation video the other guys make that includes Paddy’s Tequila Shotgun, nudie pens, and, of course eggs.
16. The Waitress is Getting Married
Season 5 Episode 5
This episode contains Charlie’s most hilarious scene by far. After finding out The Waitress is getting married, Dennis and Mac set Charlie up on Match.com. His questionnaire answers are absolutely perfect as he describes his love of magnets and his passion for a good, quality milk steak.
15. The Gang Buys a Boat
Season 6 Episode 3
The guys get a little money and decide to invest it in the most lucrative venture they can think of: a boat. Charlie and Frank attempt to turn it into a shrimping vessel, Mac and Dennis want it to be the height of luxury to attract women, and Dee just wants to dance. Of course, it all goes wrong and the boat eventually burns into ash.
14. Charlie Wants an Abortion
Season 1 Episode 2
Mac and Dennis each take a side of the abortion debate and try to use each of them to have sex with women. In the meantime, Charlie thinks he has a son, which he, of course, uses as a pawn to get the attention of The Waitress. Unfortunately his “son” ends up getting drunk and The Waitress remains disgusted with him. Every episode of the first season was pure gold.
13. Underage Drinking: A National Concern
Season 1 Episode 3
Paddy’s accidentally becomes a hot spot for underage teens to drink since no one checks IDs. The gang starts getting way too involved in the lives of the bar’s patrons and become centerpieces in high school and prom drama. It’s hilarious seeing a group of adults so desperate for the approval of kids.
12. The Gang Wrestles for the Troops
Season 5 Episode 7
Roddy Piper provides one of the best guest appearances the show has ever had, as he joins the guys in a wrestling event for the troops. If that doesn’t sell you on it, Frank also presents a pair of jean shorts to a soldier in a wheelchair while playing Kissed by a Rose on a boombox.
11. Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth
Season 6 Episode 9
This is the Lethal Weapon 5 episode. If you’ve seen it, then I really don’t have to say anything else to justify its spot this high on the list. If you need further convincing, Dave Foley is in this episode!
10. The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis
Season 4 Episode 2
After attempting to invest in gasoline by buying a bunch of it and storing it in the basement, the guys accidentally torture a random man who they incorrectly believed to be the recipient of their family fortune. Charlie’s wildcard label is the thing novelty t-shirts dream of.
9. The Gang Gets Racist
Season 1 Episode 1
The first episode of It’s Always Sunny set the pace perfectly for everything that was to come. The gang attempts to get business for the bar, but unintentionally becomes a gay hot spot while constantly making subtle racist remarks to their new promoter. The ending is a thing of beauty.
8. Charlie Gets Crippled
Season 2 Episode 1
After Charlie gets hit by a car and put into a wheelchair, Frank notices how sympathetic strippers are to him, so he decides to get in on the action. The two go back and forth trying to “out handicap” each other until it comes to a hilarious climax. This was one of the best season premiere’s the show has ever had.
7. The Gang Gives Back
Season 2 Episode 6
As a part of their court ordered community service, the gang gets a Mighty Ducks sentence and is ordered to coach a kid’s basketball team. Of course it all goes to hell and ends with everyone in a bloody, revolting mess. Sweet Dee dressed as a women’s basketball coach is one of the best wardrobe jokes ever on the show.
6. The Gang Hits the Road
Season 5 Episode 2
Frank decides he wants to see the Grand Canyon, which results in the guys hooking up a U-Haul to the back of Dee’s tiny car and hitting the road. One of my favorite moments on any episode happens here, when Dee carelessly tosses a jar of pee out the window. Unfortunately for Mac, his window is down and he’s soaked in her urine. Every character has such great moments, it’s a nice episode to introduce someone to the show for the first time.
5. Sweet Dee’s Dating a Retarded Person
Season 3 Episode 9
After Dee starts dating Lil Kev, Dennis convinces her that he’s mentally challenged. The evidence for and against his mental capacity is done so well that we almost don’t feel bad for laughing. On top of that, we also get the first glimpse of the Night Man, as Charlie creates his hilarious song while huffing spray paint. It’s so good.
4. The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention
Season 5 Episode 4
Frank’s journey into complete insanity reaches its pinnacle when he starts getting romantically involved with his non-blood related niece, Gail the Snail. The episode ends with what was supposed to be an intervention, but turns into the group arguing and just using the word “intervention” in every incorrect way possible.
3. Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare
Season 2 Episode 3
After being fired from the bar, Dennis and Dee go on welfare and get addicted to crack. The slow demise of the siblings paired with the gradual social climb of Mac and Charlie as they steal Frank’s money is so fun to watch. Of course they all blow it and end up back working at the bar.
2. Mac and Dennis Break Up
Season 5 Episode 9
This is, without a doubt, the most beautifully directed episode the series has seen, thanks to a marvelous job by Fred Savage. After Dee accuses Mac and Dennis of being codependent, they have an amazing break-up wrapped around “Predator” and “Transporter 2.” The subtleties of that scene are absolutely brilliant. Did I also mention that Dee gets a cat stuck in the walls of her apartment?
1. The Nightman Cometh
Season 4 Episode 13
This was more than just an episode, it was a production. The Charlie Kelly-written musical featured songs that have become a permanent part of pop culture with lyrics such as “You gotta pay the troll toll if you want to get into this boy’s soul.” Unfortunately, Frank pronounced it as “boy’s hole.” There isn’t a moment wasted in the season 4 finale, as every moment is just perfect.
