The Gang Inflates
Episode 1 of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia Season 16 begins in Paddy’s Bar (no surprise there) with Mac, Dennis and Frank talking about the cost of inflation after Frank informs them the sofa they have been renting for years has cost them nearly $20,000. Typically, Mac and Dennis don’t know what inflation means so Frank explains the concept to them. Charlie tries to offer his advice too but the others shut him down because they think he’s clueless about money.
The ‘money talk’ continues in the bar while the phone continually rings behind them. We cut to the source of the phone call, Dee, who is unable to get into her apartment as she has been evicted.
Later, Dennis and Mac are in their apartment talking about cutting down on their personal spending. Dennis suggests Mac should cut down on the Dwayne Johnson energy drinks that are filling up the refrigerator. Mac tells Dennis he is “basically living on them now.”
Mac encourages Dennis to sit next to him, which he does. Dennis is surprised to discover he is sitting on Mac’s new inflatable couch. Mac then reveals his large box of ‘Fancy Nuts’ and tells Dennis they were cheap. They could live on them for weeks, Mac suggests, but Dennis has no interest in his “economy” nuts.
We cut to Frank and Charlie in their apartment where Frank has come home with a new (old) lamp. This is one of many junk purchases he has made, the rest of which are stacked up in the storage closet. Underneath all of his ‘finds,’ Frank realizes there is a toilet in there that has been buried beneath all the stuff. Charlie knew the toilet was in there, which causes Frank to question him on why he didn’t tell him about it earlier. Charlie didn’t like the noise of the toilet, apparently, so kept it hidden. As a consequence, he and Frank have been using cans to pee into all these years.
Frank also discovers a spare room that Charlie hadn’t told him about. This means the two of them could have had a room each instead of sharing a bed in one cramped room. There is a knock at the door, which aggravates Charlie as now he has to “walk a mile” to answer it, due to him having to walk from the spare room.
Dee is at the door, needing a place to stay. She is thrilled to see the room Frank has just discovered. There is another knock at the door. It’s Mac and Dennis who are amazed at the room that Charlie had kept hidden.
Later, we see Frank enjoying the inflatable sofa. Dennis has a business proposition for him involving the bouncy furniture.
That night, when Frank and Charlie are still staying in the same bed, Frank tells Charlie that he is investing in the business idea because he “doesn’t” believe in the guys’ plan. He thinks he will make money off the guys that they will be paying him for years.
Cut to Dennis and Mac together. The latter’s lips have inflated due to his allergy to the nuts. He is also wheezing, which is also evidence of the allergy. Moments later, Charlie bursts into their apartment wanting to stay the night. Dennis and Mac aren’t enthused about the idea but when Mac sees he has bought a bag of nuts with him, he is more welcoming. Are they “fancy nuts” he asks.
Charlie wants the guys to cut him in on their operation. He also tells them Frank is trying to take advantage of them. This gives Dennis an idea. Frank may be trying to rip them off but he has an idea to rip off other people – by renting them inflatable furniture.
We cut to the apartment Frank shares with Charlie. Dee has stayed the night and for some reason (presumably, so she doesn’t get kicked out), she has glued herself to the door. In the next scene, they are at an apartment that Frank rents out to another guy. He and Dee enter the apartment with the intention of taking the guy’s stuff. When they are confronted by the tenant, Frank tells him he is taking his belongings because he hasn’t been paying his rent.
It’s revealed that Frank is a “slumlord” who throws out his tenants if they don’t pay. It turns out that Frank was also Dee’s landlord and ordered her eviction, much to her surprise. He raised the rent that she couldn’t pay because of “inflation.” The tenant arrives with a gun and opens fire on them. Dee and Frank flee.
The next day, Mac and Dennis set up the inflatable furniture on the street. The gang try to rent somebody one of the couches but then a gust of wind blows one of the items into the path of an oncoming vehicle. The chair is immediately obliterated!
Later, we are back at Dennis’s and Mac’s apartment where Mac is looking the worse for wear because of the nuts. Dee is in the room with her hand glued to the wall. This is her ploy to stay in the apartment with the guys but we don’t hear any more about this as the conversation turns to an investment idea Charlie wants them to pool their money into. He is surprisingly fluent when talking about finances and he tells the others it’s because he has picked up a few things from Frank.
Back at the bar, Dennis is alarmed to discover he gave all of his money to Charlie for a box full of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pies. They’re from 1991 – “the original ones” according to Charlie – and are super rare. Before they sell them Charlie suggests they eat one or two, which Dennis, still aggrieved after losing his money, is completely against.
Frank arrives at the bar and shows an interest in buying the pies. Charlie agrees to give them to him if he boards up the new room and the “noisy toilet.” He also wants him to forgive Dennis’s loan and give Dee her apartment back. Frank tells him it’s too big an ask but Charlie tells him it’s inflation! Charlie then proceeds to eat one of the pies which understandably causes him to retch.
Over in the corner of the bar sits Mac who is holding his now empty tin of ‘fancy nuts.’ His face has ballooned into a deformed state. Instead of going to the hospital, he wants to go to Costco to get more nuts! Dennis wisely suggests the hospital as a better alternative.
The Episode Review
The gang are back in an episode that passes the time but that doesn’t stand as one of the best of the series so far. The characters clearly haven’t evolved – Mac and Dennis have another brainless ‘get rich quick’ idea, Dee is still underappreciated by most of the guys, and Frank is still finding ways to rip people off, even members of his own family.
But familiarity doesn’t necessarily breed contempt as there are still a few laughs to be had in this episode. Most of these revolve around Mac’s nut obsession, which gives new meaning to the word ‘inflation’ after the initial ‘money talk’ that started the episode. Also funny is the reveal that Charlie had a spare room that he hadn’t told Frank about, as well as a toilet that he kept hidden. The comedy comes from the fact that the two have been sharing a bed and peeing into containers because of Charlie’s anxieties about the room and toilet.
Hopefully, the subsequent episodes will bring in more laughs than this one did. Episode 1 was fine but at this point in the series, we expect more in terms of comedy and the show’s trademark dark humour.
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| You can read our full Season 16 review of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia here | |
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Episode Rating
(2.5)