The Season 7 Episode Of It's Always Sunny That Got A 'Resounding Rejection' From Fans
The longer a television series runs, the higher the chance that there's a bad episode or two, and that's even the case with the incredible FX comedy series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Fans of the series will tell you that even the worst episode of "Always Sunny" is better than the best episodes of most other comedies, but there are still some weaker entries that just don't stand up to the "Sunny" standard.
There are a handful of episodes that are less beloved by fans than the rest, but there's one in particular that seems to be universally reviled. In an interview with Deadline in 2018, "It's Always Sunny" star and creator Rob McElhenney shared his feelings about the series' most unpopular episode, and it turns out that he's actually a pretty big fan! Sometimes what's funny to one person isn't to another, and apparently McElhenney finds the episode fiercely funny, as do co-writers, producers, and stars Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton.
Though the episode isn't exactly my favorite, it's also not the worst episode of "It's Always Sunny" in my opinion (that dishonor goes to the season 8 episode "Charlie and Dee Find Love"). But hey, to each their own!
The folly of 'Frank's Brother'
There are a couple of "misses" in the "Sunny" catalogue, and when the interview steers towards "The Gang Broke the Liberty Bell," an episode that many fans hate (and I love), McElhenney shared that the most reviled episode seems to be the season 7 flashback episode, "Frank's Brother":
"There was an episode in Season 6 about Frank's brother, and it went back in time and tracked Frank's relationship with his brother. That one got a resounding rejection. At least it did at the time. Charlie and Glenn and I, when we talk about that season, that to us is one of our funniest episodes. Some people say they've gone back and watched it a second time years later and appreciate it so much more."
"Frank's Brother" is actually in season 7, but McElhenney has made enough episodes of "Sunny" now that it's forgivable for him to forget which season a specific episode is in, especially with those earlier seasons. "Frank's Brother" follows a love triangle between Frank and his brother Gino (Jon Polito) and Shadynasty (Naturi Nauton), the lounge singer at the club they run together with Reggie (Lance Reddick). Many of the funniest moments in the episode come purely from DeVito playing Frank as a younger man, complete with a full head of hair that's clearly just a bad wig, but some of the jabs about how bad civil rights were in the 1960s and 70s don't totally land. It's not a terrible episode, just not as great as the rest of the season.
The best part of the episode
There is one major highlight of "Frank's Brother," however, and that's guest star Lance Reddick. The late actor was best known for playing dramatic roles in shows like "The Wire" and movies like the "John Wick" franchise, but he brings incredible comedy chops to his "It's Always Sunny" role. Reggie is based in some of the silliest stereotypes of Black people in pop culture in the 1960s and 1970s (because Frank and Gino are deeply problematic human beings), but Reddick makes those moments feel more appropriate somehow. Whether he's dressed as a Black Panther or a pimp, he cuts a striking figure compared to the schlubby brothers, and he gets the last laugh in the end.
Fans who really hated "Frank's Brother" should give it another chance, mostly for Reddick 's acting and DeVito's wigs — because even the "worst" episode of "It's Always Sunny" is full of hilarity.