It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is in its sixteenth season and continues to count, holding the record for the longest live sitcom of all time. In that decade and a half, the FX series has succeeded by providing viewers with a show that looks like a traditional sitcom, only for its characters to go berserk with the craziest shenanigans imaginable. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia thrives on being offensive and over the top, but still gets away with it because all the horrible things the gang does always come back to bite them.
The gang has been doing some very dangerous things over the past few decades, but one episode at the start of the series tops them all when sibling Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Di (Caitlin Olson), come up with what they think is the most brilliant way to cash in on the federal government.
The history of the most dangerous moments of the gang in the series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia didn’t start off by hand and then risk their storylines over time. Oh no, the show has gone down the drain with every offensive storyline they could come up with from the start. Gang of Dennis, Dee, Maka (Rob McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day) and Frank (Danny DeVito) are not shy about putting themselves or others in physical danger if it means they get something out of it.
You name it and they made it. In one episode, Frank set fire to Dee - not once, but twice - while Charlie recorded it, trying to get famous. When in one of the episodes, friends found a baby in a trash can, they decided to keep it for themselves and make a model out of it. They once kidnapped a restaurant critic to give Paddy’s Pub a rave review. Dee faked the child’s death to avoid scrutiny. They even broke into the family’s home and took them prisoner, demolishing their home in an attempt to become home repair specialists. However, all this pales in comparison to the time when Dee and Dennis came up with the brilliant idea to start using crack cocaine to get their Social Security money.
Dee and Dennis decide to live on welfare
The episode in question is the third entry in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiasecond season. In this episode, Frank is now in charge of Paddy’s Pub, and since Dee and Dennis are tired of being in charge, they decide to leave. As they leave, one of those lovely title cards pops up on the screen: “Dee and Dennis Go to Charity.” They decide to get unemployment, at least for now, while they find time to live their dream. They will work hard! Dennis is going to be a veterinarian and Dee is going to be a Broadway actress. Dee then finds out that she will be getting free $400 a week from the government for doing nothing. “That’s more than we make at the bar.” Denis says in shock. “Okay, new plan. We’re going to get out of unemployment.”
The next time we see siblings, they stand on the porch and listen Biz Stamps”Just a Friend” on the tape recorder while drinking alcohol from a brown paper bag and enjoying the jobless life. Some racial implications are hinted at here, something It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been known to do and will do many times in this episode. Mac sees them, and he becomes the voice of reason for all people, telling them that they cannot live like this because unemployment is drying up. Dennis is not worried. When this happens, they will simply go on welfare. “You guys can’t go on welfare!” Mac screams. “It’s reserved for people who need it, you know, like poor people who need help.” (Look at you, Mac, you’re acting like an adult.) Dee and Dennis sing along to the music, completely ignoring him.
Dee and Dennis go to the unemployment office, where we see stereotypes of an obese guy and a black man sleeping in a chair. Mac and Charlie are working on their own scheme, thinking they can pick up the people who hang out there and make them work at the pub for free for tax breaks. Mac lashes out again at Dee and Dennis, telling them they can’t get the allowance because it’s for people who need it, like drug addicts and the mentally handicapped. “Mac, we did it,” says Dennis. Dee then pulls out a bicycle helmet and puts it on backwards. The siblings confidently walk to the counter, where Dennis unashamedly says to the woman, “Hi, I’m a recovering addict, and this is my retarded sister I’m taking care of. Please, I need help.” What can go wrong?
Dee and Dennis accidentally addicted to drugs
To no one’s surprise, the woman from the welfare office doesn’t buy into it. She tells Dennis that they will need documents from a doctor to prove Dee’s disability and a blood test to prove Dennis’ crack addiction. Leaving the office, Dee gets angry. Wealth is her key to getting on Broadway. Dennis doesn’t know what to do. Dee does. “If they want to play rough, we can play rough. Let’s go buy some crack.”
Dennis then drives them to a rugged neighborhood where they park and discuss Dee’s scheduled doctor’s appointment. When a large black man approaches Dennis’s window, they jump in shock and mutter, “You scared us. Oh, not because you’re black. We are not racists.” The man at the window is a drug dealer. When he asks Dennis to roll down the window, Dennis rolls down just a little. Dennis tells him “One, please” before continuing that they have never used crack before and don’t know how much to get. The dealer tells them that he will give them two for the price of one for only $200, apparently swindling them out of their money.
Dennis and Dee next wake up in their apartment at 4:00 pm the next day. They got so high they slept for more than a day and missed Dee’s doctor’s appointment. Both look terrible, their skin is pale, their eyes are sunken, their bodies are shaking. Dennis curled up on the couch and Dee in the chair. “I think I may have peed in my pants,” she admits. Since they need cocaine in their system, they decide to get high again before their next meeting. They go back to the dealer and get two more on one special deal. This leads to them hanging out in a seedy alley with a mangy stray dog, Dee shaking and talking very fast, and Dennis can barely stay conscious. He says he’ll buy more crack when he gets his welfare money. He may be miserable and look like he’s dying, but he’s addicted. Then Charlie and Mac pull up in a limousine in top hats with beautiful women in their arms (don’t ask). Dee and Dennis ask them for money, but their friends just laugh at them, roll up the window, and drive off. It’s not hard to see the message pictured here.
The last time we see Dee and Dennis, they are walking down the alley back to Paddy, both exhausted and shuffling around like zombies. All energy goes into speaking. Dee says they should get back to work. Dennis kind of agrees: “Not for long, until we have enough money to buy some more crack.” They plan how to get benefits and become a veterinarian and a Broadway star. Dee suggests thinking about rehab as well. Her brother agrees. “Soon. Not now. In a couple of days,” Dee tells him.
Seeing that Dee and Dennis are alive in the next episode, we know that they will survive. However, they almost kill themselves with their cocaine addiction, all just to earn some free money. It’s dangerous, but clever is the way such an outlandish story was told. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia looked at race issues, class, poverty, welfare and drug addiction, making you laugh. The gang may be the dumbest people in the world, but they live on one of the smartest shows.
Source: Collider
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