It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia returned last night for an eleventh season and, as you might expect from a show over a decade old, there’s a willingness to delve back into old material, to stick with what works and in 'Chardee MacDennis 2: Electric Boogaloo' there’s fan service galore.
Having met an executive for the Mattel toy company at the bar, the gang decide to pitch him their home-made game Chardee MacDennis. The first appearance of Chardee MacDennis in season seven was Always Sunny at its best, displaying the wonderfully anarchic sensibility of the show in a bottle episode of random gaming, yelling and drinking. The setup is immediately typical Always Sunny; from the unwavering confidence in such a dumb game to the game’s woefully narcissistic name itself.
Last time Frank was the newcomer to the game, initially sceptical but eventually diving head first into the madness. This time it’s an outsider, a suited-up executive named Andy, the type of authority figure that is easy prey for the gang.
The pitch begins with a terrible video, the kind seen in earlier seasons with Charlie’s pitch for Kitten Mittens. Of course, the video (still using VHS, of course) is that incoherent to someone unfamiliar with the gang’s exploits that Andy just wants to play the game for himself and see what it’s like and the gang reluctantly agree while agreeing between themselves to tone it down and be less competitive than they normally are.
As the game commences we get reminders of just why these characters are so beloved. Team flags and sculpting games reveal all those familiar character traits like Dennis’ sociopathic tendencies and Mac’s phallic obsession while Frank’s swastika team flag is the icing on the cake (he thought it was four F’s). All of this is mixed with a pre-round IV drip to maintain alcohol levels meaning the competitiveness rises and things get weird.
Things really begin to escalate in level three as a scheming Frank spikes everyone in a game of 'S***s and ladders’, taking them to a new level four of the game: horror. A ridiculous turn finds a Saw-meets-Operation parody as the gang and Andy wake up chained in a basement. Everyone quits but Andy seems especially revolted, revealing in the process that he doesn't really work for Mattel and was hired by Frank to help finally win Chardee MacDennis. It adds another layer to a game where anyone will screw anyone over and reminds that nobody in this show could care less for anyone but themselves.
At this point most shows would focus on Frank’s betrayal and the fallout that comes with it but Always Sunny certainly isn't most shows. Realising the game is now no longer a pitch and a victory is still up for grabs the gang resume play like nothing has happened. It shows that these characters are legitimately insane yet it speaks to the convincing character development done in earlier seasons that the audience would buy this reaction. As the waitress is brought in to berate Charlie in the pain round, it becomes too much and he passes out. Dennis and Dee win again; nothing really changes but the confidence of this episode to just slightly develop what’s already proven successful suggests we’re in good hands for the eleventh season.
8/10 - A refreshingly casual season premiere; while most shows would tend to catch up the viewers and show the current state of all the characters, Always Sunny throws you straight back into the madness. It’s more effective this way, making you feel like they've never been gone.
