Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
When it comes to current sitcoms, there are too few that dominate the coverage. The hit series Modern Family is understandably all the rage for its deft blending of humor and tenderness, The Big Bang Theory is nerd-centric so it’s no surprise it has a lot of fans on the Internet, and annoying fans are still going on and on about the canceled Arrested Development. However, there’s one that has slipped off the radar that is outrageously funny with the emphasis on “outrageous” and I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about it.
FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia features the gang from Paddy’s Irish Pub getting in all sorts of madcap misadventures because none of them are too bright. Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney), and Charlie (Charlie Day) are friends from school and co-owners of Paddy’s Irish Pub in Philadelphia. Dennis and Mac are also roommates. Deandra (Kaitlin Olson) is Dennis’ twin sister and works at the bar. Frank (Danny DeVito) is the adoptive father of Dennis and Deandra and possibly the father his roommate Charlie.
The fifth season of their madcap misadventures include attempts to be entrepreneurs, go on a road trip, give Frank an intervention, wrestle for the troops, and reclaiming their status in a local bar competition. The results are not predictable due the bizarre thought process of the characters (and writers), their frequent drinking, and their complete disregard for their fellow man. Continuity doesn’t play a huge part in the series so it’s easy to jump in at any point.
Although released on Blu-ray, the creative team offers a funny warning about the show only being able to look so good as they shot it in standard def and they are right. The 1080p/AVC encoded transfer displayed at a 1.78:1 ratio offers nothing of note. Nothing about the colors, textures, or details stand out. The same goes for the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio with its very front heavy mix that is expected for a dialogue-driven series. The discs are also slow to load. Given the choice, consumers should just go with the DVD.
The special features on Disc One offer commentaries by the cast in various combinations on “The Gang Hits Road,” “The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention,” and “The Waitress is Getting Married.” There is also the pilot from FX’s hysterical animated series Archer in HD. The special features on Disc Two also have cast commentaries in various combinations on “The Gang Wrestles For The Troops,” “Mac and Dennis Break Up,” and “The Gang Reignites the Rivalry.” Dr. Drew joins in on the “Intervention” and Break Up” episodes. The other features are “Blooper Reel” (8 min) and “Deleted and Extended Scenes” (20 min) with timecodes burned in, “Kitten Mittens Endless Loop,” “The Gang’s Dating Profile” (4 min), and “Schwep Dream Sequence” (5 min) where 23,793 photos were taken to make to create a behind-the-scenes look at the season
It’s almost always funny on Season Five of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia if you have an oft-kilter sense of humor. You’ve been warned about the Blu-ray.
