In a departure from the usual shenanigans in which Paddy's gang always find themselves, "Frank's Brother" was all about Frank. And it gave us a glimpse into what made the little greedy troll we've all come to love, well... Frank.

He enthralled the gang with his tale of the bitter feud with his long lost brother, Gino, along with Gino's stealing the love of Frank's life, Shadynasty.

In flashbacks we found out Frank worked at a black jazz club when he was 19. The hilarious part was that everyone kept claiming that he looked 12. Um... no. He looked like a decrepit Danny Devito wearing a Beatles moppet-style wig.

It was killing me that every time they showed Frank skulking about the club he was chomping on short ribs. Which suspiciously looked like had been grabbed from the garbage. It is Frank after all.

Frank then fell for Shadynasty, one of the backup singers at the establishment. Eventually he and Gino opened their own club and stole Shadynasty away from Reggie, the owner of the original jazz club. Of course, there'd be hell to pay for doing that but this being Sunny Reggie never picked a fight. Instead, being the black man that he was, he paid the ultimate price: Getting sent to jail.

Frank had to run off to Columbia for shooting Reggie when he came around again as Black Panther Makim Mohammed, which led to Gino "taking care" of Shadynasty. Secretly in love with her, Gino introduced her to the '70s world of disco and decadence. Which innocent Shadynasty took to like a pig wallowing in mud.

I really could have survived without seeing Frank festering down in Columbia. Johnny Depp in Blow he was not. But that's what made the '70s-inspired scenes so ridiculous. Grossly overweight and throwing up, Frank came back to reclaim his woman only to find out Shadynasty was now with Gino. He had drugs. Enough said.

Flash forward to the present, a bunch of mysterious love letters and the discovery that Frank and Gino still held a torch for Shadynasty. Only not so much when they raced to the airport and saw how fat she'd gotten. And how really distorted their memories of her had been. It was Reggie who was really the love of her life.

And it was Reggie that ended up getting arrested again. That running gag was probably the best part.

And thus what had seemed like a mesmerizing tale to the Gang turned into an exercise in futility. Because in true Paddy's style, the Gang's attention span became that of a dehydrated fly buzzing around a drain.

Follow all that? If not, relive the memories with our Sunny quotes.

After taking a detour into Frankville last week, the Gang was back in full effect in "Storm of the Century."

With a Category 5 storm making its way towards Philly, Charlie, Mac, Dennis and Dee were freaking out. Only for completely different reasons. And all warped per usual.

Charlie eagerly searched for a Mayan in his quest to ask questions about their original end of days prediction for 2012. How could you not love a guy in a fishing vest, carrying a hatchet and roaming the aisles of a home center?

Dennis and Charlie figured they could use mega-boobed reporter Jackie Denardo's assets as buoys and ride out the storm in Dee's Y2K bunker by creating the perfect big-breasted race with her. Well, at least, Dennis did, if he hadn't turned into a total dork. Dennis' expressions always kill me and watching him listen to Charlie's repopulation plan was hilarious. What he did with his snarky lip curl and raised eyebrow was genius.

Mac just used the storm as another excuse to go on a food quest in order to gather enough to survive the impending end of the world. Supposedly having evacuated to the Poconos, to see him gorging himself in the bunker while ogling boobies in 3D was classic.

Dee completely wigged out and needed to restock the bunker because she couldn't face the Robopocalyspe without gathering more pickled eggs, among other things.

I never loved Dee more than when she showed up dressed like the killer from I Know What You Did Last Summer in her yellow rain slicker and ran around boarding up the bar from the "hordes of maniacs." Between her reaching a fever pitch with Cricket and then completely becoming unhinged at the All American Home Center, "kill the machines!" will forever be the rallying cry of looters everywhere.

Meanwhile, Frank refused to give into all the media hype and compared all the hoopla reporters were stirring up to the Y2K hysteria from over a decade ago. Gotta say I totally agreed with him. It was hyped to death to the point where everyone was frothing at the mouth and then nothing.

And leave it to Frank to remember the LA riots with fond memories. Storms and riots mean looting... which means Frank scored a great pair of skis. Good times!

I was wondering when Rickety Cricket was going to weasel his way back into Sunny and he certainly didn't disappoint. I've always loved the freakish bitter chemistry between him and Dee, and this time around the hysteria they shared reached new heights.

Busted scavenging in the bunker and shot in the hand by Frank, when Dee and Cricket started arguing with Frank over why Cricket shouldn't be taken to the hospital, I lost it. Especially when Cricket screamed out he was being marched to the ovens. I don't know what it is about Cricket but, like Artemis, when he shows up on screen, I know I'll need to watch that episode again.

In the end the Gang was right where they belonged. Whipped up into a frenzy and in pandemonium. Survive the end of days a little while longer with some Sunny quotes.

Experts at playing mind games with each other, the Gang truly got down to playing games on this week's "Chardee Macdennis," which was one of the weakest episodes so far this season.

There just wasn't much positive to say about the group and its rainy day solution to boredom.

A mash-up of classic games like Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary and Hungry Hungry Hippo (thanks, Charlie!), it was hard to keep track of what was what. It also didn't help that the ludicrous amount of rules kept in a dilapidated binder were changed at the whim of the team in control.

Consisting of levels of nonsense such as Trivia, Mind & Artistry and Physical Challenge, Pain & Endurance, the main objective was basically to get blasted drunk. And that they did. Dee and Dennis (aka The Golden Geese) intimidated Mac, Charlie and Frank with their supposed genius when, in reality, they were as stupid as the other team.

While I did enjoy Dennis' strained look of anguish while Mac, Charlie and Frank tried to peg his hand in that bizarre game of hand dart, and laughed at Frank locked up in the dog kennel, there seemed to be something missing.

Dee and Dennis sticking their tongues out at Mac, Charlie and Frank and whooping it up like banshees fell flat. As did the hoity-toity wine and cheese midway breaks. Although I must admit Dee and Dennis' Ken and Barbie game pieces were pretty funny in comparison to Mac and Charlie's burnt-up husks of discombobulated rubber.  And can Mac get any fatter?

When the dreaded never-drawn-before black card was actually drawn, all it turned out to be was "flip a coin." I was just as disappointed as the Gang. And would have smashed the game pieces in exactly the same way.

I could only imagine what playing Twister with these people would have been like. Still, keep the games going with some Sunny quotes. There's always a hoot.

One of the reasons I've always loved Dennis, Dee, Mac, Charlie and Frank is because not only can they barely stand each other, but they also usually hate anyone around them. And in "The Anti-Social Network" that behavior boiled over with hilarious results.

Antagonized beyond reason because of the trendiness of secret no-name bars that only serve gin drinks and display bad shushing behavior, the Gang decided to take matters into its own hands.

Dee and Mac thought creating an online presence on Facebook could drum up much-needed business for Paddy's. Clueless Frank misunderstood and created a "virus" video while Dennis and Charlie began a mad search for the douchebag who shushed them at the bar.

Charlie's obsession at the thought of a human being being able to blow a sign off a building was complete lunacy. As was Dennis's and Charlie's versions of Dennis being supposedly raped by the Shusher.

But it was the caricature drawing of the Shusher that Dennis started posting everywhere, along with his cell number, that really killed me. A beanie cap? A dune buggy? The doofus buckteeth and expression. Where can I get a copy of that flyer?

The harassing shushing calls that Dennis started to receive made me lose it. So did Dee and Mac's discovery that Dylan Toback was really a lonely, fat, old, black lady who had created countless online personalities for kicks. And for a box of Dee's hair apparently!

The piece de resistance, however, was Dr. Mantis Toboggan, MD (aka Frank) and his "virus" video. Filmed with an ancient video camera held together by duct tape, let's face it. If you ever had seen that video on any Facebook link, you'd be looking for that bar (Paddy's) too. Motley Crue, donkey shows and cake? Sign me up!

And it worked because the infamous Shusher, Dylan Toback, came a-calling. And gave Dennis the satisfaction he so richly deserved. How great was that grin?

Ridiculously funny, craftily-written and the best social commentary yet on the isolating worlds Facebook and Twitter have unwittingly created, Sunny successfully zinged social media in its uniquely warped style.

Now enjoy some Sunny quotes before you tell me to shush the hell up!

Dennis, Dee, Charlie, Mac and Frank headed out of Paddy's bar and into a closet this week, as "The Gang Gets Trapped" found the group literally trapped in a situation they couldn't get out of.

Having read about an "artifact" (what appeared to be a dollar store imitation of a Ming vase) that some family had stolen, the Gang decided to set things right by stealing it back. Basing their lame plan on a mishmash of Indiana Jones movies, it was a disaster from the get-go.

Dennis, Dee and Frank were the extraction team, while Charlie and Mac hid in a surveillance van parked outside the house. Taking the Indiana Jones angle a little too far, Mac wore a wide-brimmed fedora hat while chowing down on chips. Charlie just played with the walkie-talkie and wrestled with Mac over the chips.
 
Mac's major conniption over not wanting to share said snack with Charlie was funny to watch, but given the fact that he also ran off in the middle of the case to order burgers, a total fat man move.

Dennis becoming increasingly unhinged at not being able to abort the home invasion plan had me gasping for air. Considering that Dee's the one usually flipping out, seeing Dennis in histrionics was the best. I thought I'd lose it when Mac threw it in Dennis's face how Dennis had insisted that breaking and entering was a piece of cake for him because he'd be "in and out like a demon's whisper." What?!? Beyond.

And it was perfect that the music was ridiculously Die Hard intense.

Frank, as usual, was cool as a cucumber and simply reveled in being able to destroy anything that came across his path. Charlie didn't know what a diversion was so he just ran directly into the house trying to get away from Mac.

The whole white trash riff was hysterical. Hearing the homeowners talking, the Gang immediately assumed they were done for and would soon be strung up like Leatherface's chainsaw victims. In the end, I was just as surprised to see that the Southern clan the clique had been imagining was a simple Asian family. And with that, our crazy friends simply strode out the door.

An odd little episode with a whole lotta laughs. Stay trapped in Philly a little longer and enjoy these Sunny quotes.

We finally learned "How Mac Got Fat" when the Gang tipped the scales with their ridiculous antics this week. Apparently it's true that you should never go into business with your friends because not only will your friendship be ruined but your waistline as well. At least that's how Mac explained away his expanding girth.

Paddy's became ridiculously successful. The reason? Who knew?!? Frank put it best when he said "What the shit is going on around here?" We never did find out what exactly made Paddy's all of a sudden "the place to be" but it created monsters out of everyone.

Dennis literally became a monster. With his jet-black dyed Superman hair, peeling face and gigantic ego, his quest to maintain his supposed "perfection" before the eyes of the Gang caused him to end up sniffing turpentine and watching Charlie do a herky-jerky dance in the back office. Can we just have a scene like that in every episode please?

The way Dennis looked at Charlie was beyond hilarious. His mesmerized look while Charlie did his robotic dance (just what the hell was that?!?) made me spit out my drink. And let's not even get into Charlie's obsession with the crevice.

The rest of the Gang got drunk on their success. Charlie became the one in charge at the bar and nearly poisoned the customers. Dee just annoyed the customers with her constant bad comedy routines. And Frank attempted to come up with a scheme that would make the bar even more popular before Paddy's reached the tipping point by hitting Charlie with a stick over and over.

The point of delusion was reached when Mac thought his "replacement" resembled him after a good "pump." Desperate to prove that Musclehead really was his avatar, Mac started eating like a crazy man. Hence the obsessive eating thoughout the entire season, the chowdown in the confessional and the candy spilling out of his pockets.

I especially loved how they went "back in time" when Mac (and the rest of the Gang) was thin and young. When did they film this? Was this in the works years ago? There's no CGI on Sunny, folks. Kudos to Rob McElhenney for going so far to create a good laugh. I love Fat Mac. To see him trying to bust out of a wifebeater shirt was classic. Christian Bale take note.

I thought I'd need a Depends by the time the episode was over. Now if THAT isn't the sign of a truly funny episode, I don't know what is.

Don't let success ruin your good times. Satisfy your palate and gorge on some Sunny quotes.

"Thunder Gun leaves no man behind" was not a rule followed by the Gang this week, in typical Sunny style that's exactly what they did in "Thunder Gun Express."

Having bought tickets to the hottest action movie to hit town in awhile, Dennis, Dee, Charlie and Mac all set out to out-Thunder Gun each other in getting to the theater on time. With traffic snarled out of control throughout Philly due to the President's visit, Dennis' slow-ass driving was out of the question. Having figured out they could probably walk faster to the theater, the pals expressed it out of there and abandoned Dennis.

Frank couldn't have cared less about the movie until he got caught up in the hoopla of it all. Why buy tickets when he could scalp some? But first he had to get to the theater.

Unable to even run for the tram, much less hop on board, Frank commandeered a tour boat and then proceeded to give the confused Chinese tourists a tour full of gibberish facts and memories of his adventures with the Gang. I couldn't stop laughing when the fat, befuddled Chinese tourist just piped up with "we don't know who you're talking about!" Of course, Frank abandoning them with a "Welcome to Philly!" response was classic.

Mac got left behind when he was too "fat and disgusting" to fit through the sewer grate, which Charlie and Dee used to circumvent traffic. His attempt to commandeer a motorcycle left him looking like a special needs kid since he ditched the bike but kept the helmet on because it was very "Thunder Gun." Oh yeah, because nothing spells ACTION like a blinding yellow Hawaiian shirt combined with a black dork helmet.

Dee was actually okay with her time in the sewer until the wall of water hit her and she ended up with a head full of crap. Charlie managed to escape intact because he had left Dee stuck behind. Charlie's tantrum at Dee not wanting to get naked in front of him had me dying. All hail Queen Dee!

Dennis couldn't get over the fact that Mac had said he was too slow in his conquests and kept going over his old seduction tapes, which he creepily had in the car. Rear-ending the car in front of him, he managed to pick up the "brown" Mexican girl driving it and eventually ended up getting a hand job in the theater. Not bad for a guy who moved too slow!

Frank's buffoonery got him arrested and he used his one phone call to call in a bomb threat to the theater just as the Gang was set to enjoy Thunder Gun Express. Yup, he definitely thunder-gunned the s-it out of them. Couldn't happen any other way.

Don't surrender just yet! Keep the thunder rumbling with these Sunny quotes!

If high school was as horrific an experience as it was for Dee, Dennis, Mac and Charlie, I'd shred the invite for my high school reunion the minute it landed in my mailbox.

But being suckers for abuse, the Gang relished the chance to attend "The High School Reunion" in a feeble attempt to right the wrongs done to them back in the day. And it was just that: all sorts of wrong.

We found out Mac's real name was Ronald McDonald, Charlie was Dirt Grub, Dee shared a raging case of ringworm with Rickety Cricket and Dennis apparently wasn't all that.

Rickety Cricket was always the weirdo we've come to love to see beat down. To see him back in his priest regalia and then thieving from his fellow ex-classmates was hysterical. It must be that missing tooth that gets me every time.

Speaking of teeth, Dennis' ex-wife, Maureen, made an appearance and it seemed just to antagonize Dennis and disgust Frank. The stench of a dead tooth must have been pretty intense to make even Frank run away. Dennis again slayed me with his out of control haughtiness. Really, Dennis? Because it seemed like no one could stand you back in the day.

Frank apparently just went along for the ride. Stealing Nikki Potnick's nametag not only earned him entry into the inner sanctum of Saint Joe's but a one-way ticket to Bully-ville.

And in typical Dee fashion, getting to hang out with the "cool crowd" turned her into the bitch on wheels we all know and love. I've always adored Dee because she can turn on a dime and getting to stick it to her past tormenters went out the window the minute she got to do shots with them. Not only did she go along with the abuse heaped on Mac and Charlie by Adriano and company, she caused the waitress to fall off the wagon. I think I'll be using the Waitress's "I know you bitch" line from now on.

By the way, was this a 20th-year high school reunion or something because everyone looked ancient. Frank may have been goofing off, but Adriano and company looked a little too long in the tooth to have been in the same class as Charlie and Mac. Poor Mac, not only was he Ronald McDonald but Ronny the Rat as well.

The best was when Charlie passed out from sniffing a combination of ammonia and bleach and Mac and Frank each got atomic wedgies. How disgusting was the yellowed (and, dare I say, moldy?) underwear Brad Fisher pulled off Charlie?

Shout outs to "Brad Fisher" (the hot bartender on Revenge) and "Adriano" (the sneaky but sexy cop on Grimm).

This was easily one of the funniest episodes of the season. I can't wait until next week to see what sort of revenge the Gang can come up with to finally put their demons to rest. A raging case of the clap this time around?

Keep strolling down memory lane with these Sunny quotes.

Look everybody! The Aluminum Monster came back!  As did Fatty Magoo, Schmitty, and a good old fashioned choreographed dance routine in "The High School Reunion Part 2: The Gang's Revenge".

What can I say about Sunny? Just when I think they've done it all, they go and outdo themselves with an even more ludicrous scenario. Leading off from last week's fiasco, the Gang decided to take revenge upon the "cool kids".

Kinda hard to do when you're hanging from the restroom door.

Even harder to do when no one really even gave a crap you were around in the first place.  A lesson Dennis learned the hard way when even Tim Murphy's wife thought he was gay. Dude was wearing makeup and a girdle after all.

Really Dennis?! I almost choked when he said it was because he wanted to appear thinner. Not to mention how hard I lost it when he had a total meltdown and started screaming "I am the golden God!" and "I am the king of the mountain top!" and "Hungry Eyes" stopped playing and immediately came back up when he stepped off the dance floor.

But nothing could top Charlie's reaction upon Dennis's tool reveal. Hiding "weird" tools in a hidden compartment in his Range Rover? Dennis's fetish tendencies explained a lot about why he's so totally wound up all the time.

Judy Greer playing Fatty Magoo was brilliant casting as was Jason Sudeikis making a surprise appearance as Schmitty. His surprise thievery of the Waitress in the final scene came out of left field and reinforced how fun and abnormal Sunny has always been. Poor Charlie. Just when he thinks he can finally get his girl, BOOM! tragedy strikes again.

But nothing prepared me for the tragedy that was that choreographed dance routine. Plan B was the sort of delusional dream sequence that Sunny has long been known for. It fooled me into thinking, wow, the Gang really pulled it off! The "cool kids" smiling faces and the sheer excitement of seeing everyone's joyous faces seemed too good to be true.

And, alas, it was. Seeing Mac's bulging belly, Dennis's hyperventilation, Dee's spastic conniptions and Frank's vomiting brought me smack dab back into reality.

Frank, Dee, Dennis, Charlie and Mac... yes, stay in the bar. You definitely need to hide from the world. Until next season that is.

Relive old memories and enjoy these Sunny quotes. See ya next year!

It's no secret our staff has some pretty big It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Fanatics.  But in took an amazing two part season seven finale for us to realize what we were sorely lacking in life: an Always Sunny round table.

Please join us in our inaugural round table as we discuss Ronald McDonalds, golden gods, and assign a 2011 Always Sunny MVP. 

1. What was your favorite moment/quote from either part of the High School Reunion?

Arlene G: Favorite moment? Dennis's complete mental freak out at not being treated like the king of the mountain top that he deemed himself to be in the part 2 season finale. Digging for his hidden tools in a fit of fury and then dancing like a methed-up addict during the choreographed George Michael "Freedom"-laced dance routine. Favorite quote? Dee's classic "I'm feeling very very lucky to have my asshole ripped in half like tissue paper by my father and his very good friends."

Dan F: Finding out Mac's real name when they first get to the reunion.  The build up over the past six years of not knowing his name made this an epic event.  Once we realized that they were going to reveal it, we still had a couple of minutes to let all of the names we could ever imagine it being run through our heads.  Not once did Ronald McDonald come up in my brain, and I can't think of a single name on this planet that would have been funnier.  It's a hilarious name even if it weren't the moniker of a certain giant red-afro wearing fast food mascot.

Dr. T: The last minute of part two when you see past the gangs delusional version of their dance and all that is left are the 5 of them sweaty and drunk in the middle of the dance floor.  Or Charlies wedgie, that was hysterical.

Eric H: I am the Golden God!  Favorite scene though?  Absolutely Charlie's wedgie.  Seeing the shape of that underwear may have scarred me for life, but damn did it leave me laughing.  Close second? Dennis bringing back the D.E.N.N.I.S. system.

2. More surprising reveal...Mac's name is Ronald McDonald?  Or Dennis was never cool?

Arlene G: I love me some Dennis but I always sort of suspected he was a bit delusional. Mac's Ronald McDonald given name was hysterical. Especially since he gained so much (ahem) "mass" from obviously embibing in a lot of MickeyD's it seemed.

Dr. T: Dennis never having been cool.  Mac and the waitress's missing names had gone on so long I expected them to be really funny.   Dennis, however, was more shocking because even if he was never as cool as he had thought, it was still really funny seeing how wrong he was about everything and having to give another golden god speech.

Dan F: As great of a moment as the Ronald McDonald reveal was, I think the fact that Dennis was never cool was more surprising.  I thought Dennis was still cool now, so him not being cool in high school completely shattered my universe.  Am I not supposed to aspire to be exactly like Dennis anymore?  Am I supposed to emulate deuchers like Adriano and the shusher from "The Anti-Social Network?"

Eric H: I was almost a little disappointed with Dirty Ronny.  I know they had to do something ridiculous beginning with a Mc and all, but Ronald McDonald was a little too easy.  Dennis' reveal, however?  Amazing.  Confirmed my theory and made me love his character even more.  If that's possible.

3. What was the best episode of the season?

Arlene G: "The Anti-Social Network" killed me. The incessant shushing that drove Dennis mad, the caricature of the shushing man, the harassing shushing calls Dennis began to receive, Frank's Dr. Mantis Toboggan video for Paddy's? Oh man, best episode for me.

Dr. T: "Frank's Little Beauties."  This is a no brainer to me.  Every character got to be totally self-centered and the result was one of the creepiest episodes I can remember.  Plus, it had Frank getting "gruesome repairs" with makeup done by a mortician.

Dan F: A lot of great episodes this season, but I'm with Arlene on "The Anti-Social Network."  Charlie and Dennis being rude to the gin drink bartender, the caricature of the shusher on the dune buggy, and especially Mac's need to see the naked pictures of the fake Dylan Toback's fake girlfriend, combined for the best half hour of the season.

Eric H: I'm going to have to side with both the Doctor and Kaitlin Olson on this one.  There's really only one choice and it involves mocking one of the most ridiculous aspects of our society.

4. Who was Always Sunny's MVP of 2011?

Arlene G: Dennis. He MUST have his tools you know.

Dr. T: I agree with Arlene and have to go with Dennis.  He really seemed to come unraveled a lot more this season than usual.  As the seasons go on he is becoming more and more detached from reality and willing to give long speeches about his greatness every chance he gets.

Dan F: I would have said Dennis before the final three or four episodes, but Charlie made quite a run and took away the title for me.  Highlighted by his constant love of Adriano in both parts of High School reunion, Charlie Kelly had me laughing more than any other character this season.

Eric H: You'll rarely find a bigger Dennis fan than me, but I gotta give 2011 to Mac.  First off, look at Rob McElhenney's dedication to the craft.  Then look to his gut hanging out after Plan B's danceoff.  You have yourself a MVP.

5. Make a bold prediction for what kind of hi-jinx the gang gets into next year.

Arlene G: Mac returns as an anorexic; Charlie and the Waitress get hitched; Dee falls for Rickety Cricket in a fit of "Old Maid-itis"; Dennis develops a stutter; and Frank swears off whores. And hopefully Artemis is added as a recurring character!

Dan F: Dennis becomes a drag queen.  Boom.  Lock it up.

Dr. T: I think Dennis morphs into Frank 2.0 next season.  As I mentioned before Dennis is rapidly coming undone lately and he and Frank were together a lot this season.  As the Charlie/Frank story lines relax a little bit I think something is going to make Dennis snap next season (maybe Charlie gets married) and he is going to learn a lot about life on the fringe from good old Frank.

Eric H: I love the idea of a Dennis breakdown after the high school reunion.  But my bold prediction?  Besides the safe bet of even longer hair on Frank, I want to return to exploring the relationship of the greatest father-son duo ever.  We haven't seen a riveting game of nightcrawlers in years.  

It's time to turn our attention those that make us laugh.

Over the last week or so, TV Fanatic has introduced readers to The FrenEmmys, our site's answer to The Emmys, an award ceremony that all too often recognizes the same shows and stars over and over and over.

As a result, we're giving underrated and under-appreciated programs, actors and actresses a chance to shine.

So far, we've asked viewers to vote on Best Drama Series, Lead Actor in a Drama, Lead Actress in a Drama, Supporting Actor in a Drama and Supporting Actress in a Drama.

Now... it's the sitcom world's time in the spotlight! Incredibly, none of the following shows has ever been up for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Comedy Series.

But they are all FrenEmmy nominees. Which should come out on top?

A bad boy is on his way to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Sean "Diddy" Combs has landed a guest-starring role on Season 8 of the uproarious FX comedy, although not much is known about the character. We simply know what the music mogul begins filming next week.

Combs has starred on Broadway and also played roles on Hawaii Five-0 and CSI: Miami.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, meanwhile, returns on October 11.

It’s been 10 long months since we last saw The Gang and, man, they are a sight for sore eyes.

Mac’s no longer fat, although I know a lot of people were high on that storyline from last year. Most would say Season 7’s Fat Mac was way more likable than Sweet Dee-being-preggers arc from Season 6 (2010). So, what will be the running gags this year? The duster has survived and now it appears the ‘ocular patdown’ glasses might become a mainstay.

Personally, I’m psyched to see Charlie in braces, spitting and lisping like a flustered, an angsty man-child.

It’s tough to say which character combos make for the best comedy, but "Pop Pop: The Final Solution" certainly makes the case for Dee with Dennis and Charlie with Mac, as Frank roams the territory as a lone wolf.

That said, I’d be interested to see what would happen when all of these characters are isolated from one another; a scenario in which they wake up out of some haze and they’re separated in unknown locations and have to get back to the bar.

Perhaps the most compelling character who’s seen and done it all is Cricket. He’s gone from a priest to a bum to a dog executioner/janitor. And though The Lawyer wants nothing to do with the Reynolds clan, his charismatic know-it-all, above-it-all bravado getting rained on by the team is a formula for success.

I love the callbacks in this episode. Pop-Pop’s Nazi paraphernalia as the impetus for revealing each character’s insecurities, weaknesses, and flaws; Cricket sustaining yet another scar from a dog; the Lawyer’s inability to escape The Gang. Why introduce new characters when you can have so much fun with the ones you got?

Of course, The Gang’s crutches continue to be their unending quest to be rich and famous. Even when they have experienced brief flashes of
each, they implode and collapse into and unto themselves. We face-palm over the ‘original Hitler’ but we know in a different timeline, any reward or compensation would’ve been blown hard and fast. The Gang’s history with History will never get old.

Visit our It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia quotes section for a lot more.

Okay, so I know I said I liked the idea of bringing back old It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia characters and storylines in the name of developing them further, but
"The Gang Recycles Their Trash" took that concept and crapped all over it.

I felt like they want out of their contract; like they purposely put together a half-assed episode that rehashed old ideas as a giant, fed-up middle finger to the audience, to the critics, and to the network as if to say, ‘We’re out of ideas. We’ve given so many great moments. We’re done. We give up.’

But then it hits me: they’re recycling trash both literally and figuratively. How meta.

So, despite my misgivings, the show did call attention to right away with Dee’s de ja vu. As far as I can tell, there were winks, nods, and tips of the hat to episodes from Season 3’s ‘The Gang Sells Out’ (2007), Season 4’s The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis (2008), and Season 6’s ‘Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth’ (2010) to name a few.

All of the audience’s thoughts seem to be vocalized by Dee (“I’ve seen this before. Haven’t we done this before? I did not picture this guy getting recycled back into the mix”).

While I encourage dipping back into the well for the sake of fleshing out characters more, I feel like the show is walking a fine line that borders on regurgitation (and not for comical effect). Even as I type this, I’m still left wavering between ‘this is clever, self-effacing’ to ‘this is lazy and hackneyed.' The self-awareness/self-deprication convinces me they definitely tried to give this episode more complexity than one accredits.

The philosophy of what’s old is new again can only take the franchise so far. What made it so popular might end up being its demise: the theme being they never learn their lesson. That’s why the episode showed promise.

The Gang is self-aware of their shortfalls while simultaneously being oblivious. Case in point: when Charlie says he’s the wild card and Dennis denies him stating, ‘we need to forego the group dynamic’ (a suggestion I made in last week’s It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia review). This season’s struggle appears to revolve around the Gang’s uncanny sixth sense to break free of its characters’ caricatures.

We almost ‘broke the cycle’ this time towards the end when Charlie put a stop to the ADD-riddled train of thought but quickly regressed back to his old ways (WILD CARD!). If last week’s ratings are any indication - 1.05 million viewers, the lowest for a season premiere in three years and lower than any episode last season - The Gang’s in trouble and not in the plot device sense. It appears they really need to shake things up.

I hate to make a reference to Jersey Shore, but parading out the same characters and storylines week after week takes its toll. It grates on us. The formulaic approach leaves us disappointed and trigger happy on the remote. I don’t want to see this happen with The Gang.

Don’t get me wrong. The It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia quotes are still extremely quotable, but how long can that carry the program? As intriguing as the plot was last week, this fell way short in part due to the third and final act (specifically from the union rally scene on). It was the equivalent of those old sitcoms in which an entire ‘new’ episode revolved around past episodes - giving us maybe 2-5 minutes of original material and 15-20 minutes of highlights.

It feels like the last season - like they’re giving each recurring character a proper send-off, but the show’s locked up for a ninth season in 2013. Have they run out of gas crises?

What is it about 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Halloween episodes that make them so awesome? The Gang always seems to bring the full comedic force on this holiday.

In what some would consider to be a continuation from last week’s ode to recycling, The Gang tells this story, "The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre," through flashback just as they had with the costume party at Paddy’s the previous year.

But this version had every horror movie plot device and nod to popular horror classics of the past (Blair Witch, zombies, vampires), yet it didn’t come off as cliche.

This is the season where all The Gang’s past actions, interactions and transgressions come back to bite them. I’ve noted their half-self aware/subconscious desire to change, and we’re seeing why: the holes they’ve dug are only getting deeper. The consequences collide in a one giant, hilarious clusterf*ck with this, the unholiest of unions.

Mac couldn’t have said it any better when he discovers Liam is the groom at Maureen’s wedding - "‘A McPoyle-Ponderosa wedding... Jesus." It’s like the previous seven seasons have been one long setup for this season alone. One hundred-plus stories spent neatly establishing and meticulously developing characters, arcs, relationships, dynamics and family trees to have them culminate in frantic and frenzied fireworks with each episode, but especially this one.

And yet, they show restraint. They don’t go overboard shoe-horning more characters in. Just enough mayhem to move the narrative along to the next level. Is this hitting them stride? Seems hypocritical and flip-floppish considering my assessment last week, but I was completely opposed to the recycling approach.

Take, for example, Bill Ponderosa’s addiction to drugs and alcohol leading him to lace the milk (the McPoyle beverage of choice) with bath salts, the narcotic that caused people to eat each other’s faces like zombies. You couldn’t have written it any better. The writers’ grasp on the characters is as firm as it can get. The progressions - and conclusions - just feel natural.

What I’m probably most fond of is the trend of Charlie taking on dramatic speeches where he gets into character. When well-placed, it’s a game-changer and his slightly modified soliloquy from Jaws was top notch. While it’s something I’d like to see more of, I’m hoping The Gang doesn’t wedge it in - it's spontaneous, out of left field style is what makes them so great.

But the gold star goes to the moment when Dennis busts down the door with Frank it tow to catch what looks like Ryan McPoyle deep-throating his brother, Liam. Again, this is the payoff we’ve been so patiently waiting for since the disturbing duo’s debut. Of course, it turns out Ryan’s just begging for forgiveness but it was a rare, jaw-dropping moment.

Tying up the loose ends with Dennis’ narcissistic, self-absorbed quasi-homicidal psychosis is the bloody cherry on top of this expertly crafted sundae. Like Chinese takeout, it’s left me hungry for more - more recurring characters from the Gang’s past to come back and add to their own lore and the legendary status of the show.

Check out another batch of classic It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia quotes now!

I'm a sucker for hyperbole, but I also realize how ridiculous my exaggeration can be. That's why I hate myself for thinking "The Gang Gets Analyzed" was one of the greatest episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The only problem is I'm hung up on its timing. Why would they pick Season 8 to unveil this gem?

This is a case study in character study. When I took creative writing classes in college, one of the more tried-and-true devices for indoctrinating your audience to your cast of characters was the therapist scene. It was an easy way to peel back the onion and dig deep into the essence of an individual.

I got the feeling that this episode would've been the perfect way to introduce The Gang in season 1. But then I think it was a product of the process. No way could they have realistically pulled off something this elaborate in the beginning because they didn't really know how far the characters could go.

The folks we saw this past week were the culmination of years of experiences. It's tough to say who stole the show. Mac lead off with a strong performance, but then Charlie brought the insanity while Frank got lost in his memories. Not to mention, the casting choice for the therapist: Kerri Kenney-Silver. She's primarily known for playing wacky characters with an entire set quirks and idiosyncrasies, yet here she was incredibly reserved, portraying the straight woman. 

That's not to say Dennis and Dee missed the mark - we finally got to the root of Dee's complex (daddy issues, struggling with acceptance) while Dennis continued to be the magician, fooling us into believing that he's the clear-minded, rational one when he's still hampered with a child-like obsession with large breasts.

All in all, it intrigues me to see where The Gang takes us next. How do you top a trip down the rabbit hole? They've come so far and built up these personas to such tangible, multi-layered beings that any more depth would seem too over-the-top; however, despite being in its eighth season (when most characters have run their course), The Gang still has a lot of room for growth and development. And I'm not afraid to end with hyperbole - it's not an overstatement to say The Gang has enough issues to hash out for another 8 seasons.

Remember to visit our updated section of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia quotes!

In "Charlie's Mom Has Cancer," The Gang struggles with the fine line between faith and scams. Nothing a little beef and beer and Jesus can't hash out, right?

It's hard to follow up last week's episode in which we got a deep, thorough psycho-analysis of each character's layers, but this week's installment pulled out all the stops in what amounted to a deep, thorough analysis of faith and, to a certain extent, America's grifter reputation.

The story managed to cover every suspicious angle and questionable point on the "faith" spectrum, from witch doctors to hokey psychics, churches to property tax. No stones were left unturned.

Each character represented a different degree of faith. Mac is the most stubborn and unquestioning - blindly believing and following his mother and the Church. There is no 'scam' in Mac's mind, heart and soul; his deceptive actions are ultimately for good, to please those who've sold him on the 'faith' ideal.

Dennis opposes Mac with his complete lack of faith and feeling, and openly owning his desire to scam. This is possibly a result of years of believing only to be let down, most likely due to Frank's pranks and grifts. It's become incredibly apparent that both Dee and Dennis have blacked out and/or blocked off many of the traumatic events that took place growing up.

Dee is a shade to the right of Dennis. Like Dennis, she's pretty astute and can openly identify a scam when she sees one, yet she continues to fall for them instead of crafting scams of her own.

To the far left, we have Frank, the penultimate scam artist who, after all these years of duping and fooling, still manages to get the best of those closest to him. 

So, where does Charlie sit on the spectrum? He's still a mystery to me. He was like a child in that he questioned everything and became frustrated with the absurdity and ignorance of each 'adult' institution, yet he remained powerless, subjected to the overbearing nature of forces established and perpetuated long before him.

He's tortured in that he either buys in or gets caught up in scams only to blow them up because he either doesn't fully understand them or he wants to be free of the consequences. This is ironic considering his long con of the girl he dated and banged to make The Waitress jealous just a few episodes before. 

This was some of the smartest writing the show's ever produced. It skewered what many cynics believe is at the core of America's foundation - that we're a country of scammers, looking to make a quick buck. It's a very grave interpretation of a sitcom for sure, but the show's ability to poke fun at what's viewed as America's ugly side serves as a reminder that our country can be funny as hell if you're in on the joke.

PS - P. Diddy as Dr. Jinx? Amazing. The guest stars this year have been huge. 

Following the Thanksgiving break, The Gang bounces back from "Charlie's Mom Has Cancer" with "Frank's Back in Business."

This is a logical and long overdue move for the show. We know Frank's loaded financially, but we never really saw him in action when he actually was earning his nut. But here, we get a glimpse of "The Warthog" in which he plays a Gordon Gecko-like business magnate.

Though I know I shouldn't laugh, Frank's racist comments about "Chinks" and the "Jap Broad" always strike a comical chord. And yet again, Charlie serves as the social commentary, the driving factor for spelling out what's wrong with Wall Street and the finance industry.

"What do we create? What do we build? What do we produce?"

He speaks for most middle-class average Americans who wonder what the purpose is. Their exchanges point out the absurdity of their existence, but then again those same wealth mongers see a product that needs financing and support it. Granted, it's for their own gain, but still... they keep the American Dream alive and that's what the show is all about: scheming and plotting to hit it big. Fake it 'til you make it.

Dennis' downward spiral into complete and utter psychosis has been a joy to witness. His sociopathic mannerisms are made even more enjoyable when set up by his calm, cool rationale. Each week, he leads us to believe he's got everything under control, but even his calculated strategies are getting more warped and sadistic.

Dee and Mac took a bit of a backseat in this episode, but their reactions to Dennis' madness were tasty toppings to his Insanity Sundae.

Lastly, "Fight Milk" is this season's "Dick Towel." The show would be Looney Tunes to not produce and sell that. For plenty more, visit our It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia quotes section.

On "Charlie Rules the World," Charlie rises to power in a popular online video game, but Dennis wants The Gang to come back to reality.

Season 8 has seen Charlie evolving from a powerless wild card into a legitimate threat. We first saw his cunning in the episode  "Charlie and Dee Find Love". Now, it appears that all those years of witnessing backstabbing and double-crossing, plotting and scheming, have paid off. Despite his dullard outward appearance and facade, Charlie's been absorbing The Gang's hare-brained tactics and learning. It makes me think that Charlie has been playing the role of Idiot Savant the entire time. Either that or he has multiple personalities. 

The transformation is confusing and jarring. Since when is Charlie "the thinking kind"? He's the mastermind? A part of me can appreciate the character's yearning to break free of his caricature; to come out of his shell or reveal his true self, but it just feels really inconsistent. Unless, this is somehow one really long con, in which case, I might love the patience and dedication shown by the show.

Dennis, on the other hand, has taken his narcissism to another level. He fully and whole-heartedly realizes and embraces his God complex (or once could argue Nirvana / enlightenment) in this episode and everything that makes his character great is on full display. The "Vanilla Sky"-like scene featuring him getting a haircut from British hair stylist Dennis then getting forced into giving him head is spectacular on so many levels. 1) It's a callback to the beginning of the episode when he says, "If that happens, I'll blow myself". 2) It's dead on for his self-absorbed nature. Dennis really does WANT to blow himself. 

It feels like there's an epic battle in the making - Charlie vs. Dennis for control of The Gang and Paddy's Pub. Dennis has long reigned supreme as the leader, but the long woe-be-gone underdog, Charlie, is making a push for the throne. In a way, it's a lot like "Game of Thrones". While most casual spectators view Dennis as the top dog, it's really Frank - the "ugly, old man" who's pulling the strings behind the scenes.  

In "The Gang Dines Out," the finest restaurant in Philadelphia gets a taste of just how classy Paddy's proprietors can get.

Every once in a while, shows take risks. Each season has one or two episodes that buck the trend, take a different path and explore unfamiliar scenarios, settings, and story arcs. "The Gang Dines Out" felt like one of those episodes.

Dennis and Mac paired up to throw down in a battle royale of paying tribute against Charlie and Frank, while Dee laid low in the (wind beneath my?) wings unnoticed. There were numerous mentions of paying tribute throughout the night out, so I'm suggesting the episode itself was paying tribute to something we'd see on Seinfeld.

This didn't have the feel of a normal It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. They really piled on the homoeroticism (and the matchbooks), elevating it to near obnoxious two-cologne levels. For years, we've seen Mac become the submissive "woman" in his relationship with dominant "male" archetype Dennis and it came out flaring here.

Likewise, Charlie and Frank have developed their own homoerotic partnership, but theirs is way more explicit and open. At first, I didn't really grasp what The Gang and the show were going for. 

But then, as I thought about it more, it kind of came together. They were delivering social commentary - with the big overarching joke being why is it when we go out for a nice night out to celebrate with loved ones does it always turn out ugly, with us extricating the things we hate about our relationships? Coincidentally, they poked fun at social norms, manners, etiquette and maybe our concept of gender roles and sexuality.

Charlie and Frank have the kind of domestic partnership that Mac has sought with Dennis, but has never attained. This was the episode where his frustration came to a head and he got his due, though it didn't feel fulfilling to us despite Dennis' grandiose address on the mic (the best part of the episode, by the way). 

For me, the episode was trying too hard to be clever. I can understand a scene in which there's a wink to the audience. Like, okay, we get it, they're inhabiting the roles of boyfriend/husband and girlfriend/wife (or gay partners). But... an entire episode? It's kind of overkill, no?

Dennis' pool party story was the only real laugh out loud moment. That's not to say there weren't comedic scenes that I didn't appreciate, but nothing memorable or iconoclastic. I can see where they were taking the episode and what they were trying to achieve, but it just left me wanting and wondering.

The Gang has long objectified women, subjugated them - that's never more evident than their maltreatment of Dee. But was this episode the turning point? Where Dee steps it up and earns The Gang's respect? Where Charlie (the submissive/woman) realizes he doesn't have take the abuse and oppression anymore? Where Mac (submissive/woman) gets Dennis' respect? It seemed like a win for those three inferior characters, but for Dennis and Frank - the two alpha male leaders who seem to always be butting heads for top dog status - what did they gain? 

I'm left with that same awkward mixed bag of appreciation and indifference / disappointment that I had with "A Case of Recycling." I'm sure diehard fans will discard and disregard my comments and cite all the subtle nuances and nods that I missed, but it just felt so-so for me. Golf clap for attempting something new, but let's learn from this exercise and move on. These kind of things happen after eight seasons together (much like in a relationship).