Never having been to Philadelphia myself, what little I know about the city I've learned from watching TV and movies: #1) it's where the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was born and raised; #2) Rocky ran up some steps there; #3) Philadelphia houses not only Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, but also a little bar called Paddy's Pub, run by some of the dumbest, most self-centered jerks on the planet. Oh and #4) it's always sunny.
The fifth season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is now available on DVD and serves up some of the series' best and funniest episodes yet. Danny DeVito's character, Frank, no longer feels like an odd inclusion; he's now firmly embedded as one of the gang. The stories don't focus as much on shock-value topics as in earlier seasons, but just let the characters be themselves and allow the viewers follow them into whatever mischief they find.
Only the unremarkable episodes "The Gang Wrestles For the Troops" and "Mac and Dennis Break Up" drag down what is an otherwise stellar comedic season. "The Gang Hits the Road," in which the crew sets off for a road trip to the Grand Canyon and yet never manage to leave Philly, is not only perhaps the funniest episode of the entire series, but one of the funniest sitcom episodes ever. A close second is "The World Series Defense" in which the gang tries to get out of multiple parking violations by regailing the judge with a long, complicated tale of woe that invloves Charlie battling the Philly Phanatic and Mac writing an hilarious letter to Chase Utley. Other outstanding episodes include ones where Mac and Charlie attempt to write a movie for M. Night Shyamalan, the gang creates some Paddy's Pub merchandise (including the "Shot Gun," "Gun Shot," "Kitten Mittens" and "Egg") and Dennis declares himself a legend when it comes time for the "Flipadelphia" Flip-Cup tournament.
.jpg?t=20130517094513)
Article comments