The Gang Gets Romantic

Last updated
"The Gang Gets Romantic"
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode
Episode no.Season 14
Episode 1
Directed by Glenn Howerton
Written by
Cinematography byJohn Tanzer
Editing byJosh Drisko
Production codeXIP14001
Original air dateSeptember 25, 2019 (2019-09-25)
Running time25 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Mac Finds His Pride"		Next →
"Thunder Gun 4: Maximum Cool"
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 14
List of episodes

"The Gang Gets Romantic" is the first episode of the fourteenth season of the American sitcom television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia . It is the 145th overall episode of the series and was written by series developers, executive producers and lead actors Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day, and directed by Glenn Howerton. It originally aired on FXX on September 25, 2019.

Contents

The series follows "The Gang", a group of five misfit friends: twins Dennis and Deandra "(Sweet) Dee" Reynolds, their friends Charlie Kelly and Ronald "Mac" McDonald, and Frank Reynolds, Dennis' and Dee's legal father. The Gang runs the fictional Paddy's Pub, an unsuccessful Irish bar in South Philadelphia. In the episode, Mac and Dennis house a couple whose marriage may be on the skids through an Airbnb ad, while Charlie and Frank use an ad to invite European girls to their apartment.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.481 million household viewers and gained a 0.28 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who praised the humor, although some expressed disappointment at the weak follow-up to the previous season's ending.

Plot

Mac (Rob McElhenney) and Dennis (Glenn Howerton) begin working on a new scheme; they will use Dennis' apartment as an Airbnb for women, which Mac deems "meet-cute". At the same time, Charlie (Charlie Day) and Frank (Danny DeVito) are also posting ads across the city, hoping to meet young European female backpackers to crash at their house.

Mac and Dennis welcome the new guest, Lisa (Britt Lower), but are disappointed to learn that she is bringing her husband, Greg (Timm Sharp). Overhearing arguing over a person named "Teddy", Mac starts developing a "romantic comedy" solution to the problem, by having Greg get together with Dee (Kaitlin Olson), but it backfires. Frank and Charlie are delighted upon learning that two Austrians, Alexi (Alexander Leeb) and Nikki (David Agranov), have agreed to meet at their apartment. However, they are disappointed to learn that they are actually men. Although initially disgusted, they get to appreciate the men as they help them with their problems. When two girls ask to book the apartment, however, Charlie and Frank decide to kick Alexi and Nikki out.

Suspecting that Greg cheated on Lisa with Teddy, Mac decides to flirt with Greg. However, Greg and Lisa reveal that Teddy was their son, who died of leukemia. They leave in disgust, disappointing Mac that he didn't get his "romantic comedy ending." While Charlie and Frank have sex with the girls, they are not delighted over their drug addicted lives and their personalities. Receiving a "meat cube" gift from Alexi and Nikki, they decide to catch them at the bus station before they leave. While Alexi and Nikki miss them, they say they must return to Austria, but promise to come back exactly one year from now.

Production

Development

In August 2019, it was reported that the first episode of the season would be titled "The Gang Gets Romantic", and was to be written by series developers, executive producers and lead actors Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day, and directed by Glenn Howerton. [1] This was McElhenney's 52nd writing credit, Day's 58th writing credit, and Howerton's first directing credit. [2]

Filming

Filming for the episode and the season started on June 13, 2019. [3]

Reception

Viewers

In its original American broadcast, "The Gang Gets Romantic" was seen by an estimated 0.481 million household viewers and gained a 0.28 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research. This means that 0.28 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. [4] This was a 34% increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.357 million viewers with a 0.20 in the 18-49 demographics. [5]

Critical reviews

"The Gang Gets Romantic" received positive reviews from critics. Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a "great" 8.4 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "Always Sunny kicks off Season 14 strong, examining all the ways a rom-com can go dreadfully wrong. And as long as The Gang continues to be wrong about everything, and also willing to argue their invalid points ad nauseam, the show will always have legs." [6]

Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B–" grade and wrote, "After ending its 13th season with a development so stunningly heartfelt and seemingly show-breaking as to throw our expectations for its record-tying 14th season entirely into the realm of the unknown, 'The Gang Gets Romantic' surprises us by not doing anything especially surprising at all. Which would be less of an issue if the old groove the show settles back into as it comes out of the gate weren't so well-worn." [7]

Chris Longo of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Where comedies of a certain age routinely fail to recapture the magic of their early years, “The Gang Gets Romantic” is a prime example of how Always Sunny can still hit all the same notes as some of their greatest hits." [8] Andrew Bloom of Consequence wrote, "In “The Gang Gets Romantic”, the meld of romcom tropes and the particular brand of psychopathy that takes hold in Paddy's Pub becomes truly hilarious, and even oddly sweet, in the juxtaposition." [9]

Ray Flook of Bleeding Cool wrote, "The episode didn't miss a beat – nothing about it felt as if there had been any delay between seasons, yet each of them were placed in situations that reminded us of the core traits." [10] Kevin Yeoman of Screen Rant wrote, "Most shows that are this long in the tooth have long since lost their edge, and while It's Always Sunny may no longer be at the peak of its comedic potential, it still offers a winning comedy for anyone who can find FXX on their cable subscription." [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia</i> American sitcom

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed with Glenn Howerton for FX. It premiered on August 4, 2005, and was moved to FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Charlie Day, Howerton, McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito. The series follows the exploits of "The Gang", a group of narcissistic and sociopathic friends who run the Irish dive bar Paddy's Pub in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but spend most of their free time drinking, scheming, arguing among themselves, and plotting elaborate cons against others, and at times each other, for personal benefit, financial gain, revenge, or simply due to boredom or inebriation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob McElhenney</span> American actor (born 1977)

Robert McElhenney III is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ronald "Mac" McDonald on the FX/FXX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005–present), a show he co-created with Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton and on which he continues to serve as an executive producer and writer. He is also known for playing Ian Grimm on the Apple TV+ comedy series Mythic Quest (2020–present), which he co-created with Day and Megan Ganz as executive producers.

"Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare" is the third episode of the second season of the American television sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the tenth overall episode of the series, and was written by series creator Rob McElhenney, from a story by executive producers Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton and McElhenney. It was directed by executive producer Dan Attias, and originally aired on FX on July 6, 2006 back-to-back with the following episode, "Mac Bangs Dennis' Mom".

<i>Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of the American television sitcom series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia premiered on FX on June 29, 2006. The season contains 10 episodes and concluded airing on August 17, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Nightman Cometh</span> 13th episode of the 4th season of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia

"The Nightman Cometh" is the thirteenth and final episode of the fourth season of the American sitcom television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 45th overall episode of the series and was written by co-creators Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Rob McElhenney and directed by Matt Shakman. It originally aired on FX on November 20, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Work</span> 4th episode of the 10th season of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia

"Charlie Work" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the American television sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 108th overall episode of the series, and was written by Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and series creator Rob McElhenney, and directed by Matt Shakman. It originally aired on FXX on February 4, 2015.

<i>Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia</i> season 13 Season of television series

The thirteenth season of the American comedy television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia premiered on FXX on September 5, 2018. The season consists of 10 episodes and concluded on November 7, 2018.

"The Gang Solves The Gas Crisis" is the second episode in the fourth season of the American television sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 34th overall episode of the series, and was written by executive producer Charlie Day and Sonny Lee and Patrick Walsh, and directed by executive producer Matt Shakman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac and Charlie Die</span> 5th and 6th episodes of the 4th season of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia

"Mac and Charlie Die " are the fifth and sixth episodes of the fourth season of the FX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The two-part episode was written by Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and series creator Rob McElhenney, and directed by Fred Savage and Matt Shakman. They are the 37th and 38th overall episodes of the series. Both parts originally aired back-to-back on FX on October 2, 2008.

"2020: A Year In Review" is the first episode of the fifteenth season of the American sitcom television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 155th overall episode of the series and was written by series developers, executive producers and lead actors Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton and directed by Todd Biermann. It originally aired on FXX on December 1, 2021, airing back-to-back with the following episode, "The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7".

"The Gang Goes to Ireland" is the fifth episode of the fifteenth season of the American sitcom television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 159th overall episode of the series and was written by main cast members Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton and directed by executive producer Megan Ganz. It originally aired on FXX on December 15, 2021, airing back-to-back with the follow-up episode, "The Gang's Still in Ireland".

"The Gang's Still in Ireland" is the sixth episode of the fifteenth season of the American sitcom television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 160th overall episode of the series and was written by main cast members Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton and directed by executive producer Megan Ganz. It originally aired on FXX on December 15, 2021, airing back-to-back with the previous episode, "The Gang Goes to Ireland".

"The D.E.N.N.I.S. System" is the tenth episode of the fifth season of the American television sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 55th overall episode of the series, and was written by executive producer Glenn Howerton and series creator Rob McElhenney, and directed by series producer Randall Einhorn. It originally aired on FX on November 19, 2009. The episode features Howerton's real life wife, Jill Latiano, as the subject of the titular system.

"Hero or Hate Crime?" is the sixth episode of the twelfth season of the American television sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 130th overall episode of the series, and was written by Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and series creator Rob McElhenney, and directed by Jamie Babbit. It originally aired on FXX on February 8, 2017.

"The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award" is the third episode of the ninth season of the American television sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 97th overall episode of the series, and was written by executive producer David Hornsby, and directed by Richie Keen. It originally aired on FXX on September 18, 2013. The episode is a commentary on how the series had not yet received a single Emmy nomination as of its initial airing, and features many meta references and parodies of other sitcoms.

"Reynolds vs. Reynolds: The Cereal Defense" is the tenth and final episode of the eighth season of the American television sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 94th overall episode of the series, and was written by Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and series creator Rob McElhenney, and directed by Richie Keen. It originally aired on FX on December 20, 2012, and was the last episode of the series to be aired on the network before it was moved to FXX the next year.

"The Gang Buys a Boat" is the third episode of the sixth season of the American television sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 22nd overall episode of the series, and was written by executive producer Charlie Day and series creator Rob McElhenney, and directed by producer Randall Einhorn. It originally aired on FX on September 30, 2010.

"The Gang Inflates" is the first episode of the sixteenth season of the American sitcom television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 163rd overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Nina Pedrad and directed by co-executive producer Heath Cullens. It originally aired on FXX on June 7, 2023, airing back-to-back with the follow-up episode, "Frank Shoots Every Member of the Gang".

"Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab" is the fifth episode of the sixteenth season of the American sitcom television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 167th overall episode of the series and was written by series developers Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton, and directed by executive producer Megan Ganz. It originally aired on FXX on June 28, 2023.

"The Gang Goes Bowling" is the seventh episode of the sixteenth season of the American sitcom television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It is the 169th overall episode of the series and was written by series creators and main actors Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton, and directed by executive producer Megan Ganz. It originally aired on FXX on July 12, 2023.

References

  1. ↑ "(#1401) "The Gang Gets Romantic"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  2. ↑ "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West . Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ Yates, Cydney (June 13, 2019). "It's Always Sunny star Glenn Howerton shares photo back on set making season 14 directing debut". Metro . Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  4. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (September 26, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.25.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  5. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (November 8, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.7.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  6. ↑ Fowler, Matt (September 25, 2019). "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 14, Episode 1 Review". IGN . Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  7. ↑ Perkins, Dennis (September 25, 2019). "Mac's sweaty rom-com plotting exhausts It's Always Sunny's underwhelming season 14 premiere". The A.V. Club . Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  8. ↑ Longo, Chris (September 26, 2019). "Always Sunny Season 14 Episode 1 Review: The Gang Gets Romantic". Den of Geek . Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  9. ↑ Bloom, Andrew (September 25, 2019). "TV Review: It's Always Sunny Keeps Us Guessing In Its Record-Tying New Season". Consequence . Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  10. ↑ Flook, Ray (September 25, 2019). ""It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Season 14 "The Gang Gets Romantic" Should Definitely Play in Middle America [SPOILER REVIEW]". Bleeding Cool . Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  11. ↑ Yeoman, Kevin (September 26, 2019). "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Season 14 Review: A Rom-Com Spoof With Meat Cubes". Screen Rant . Retrieved August 26, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.