The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary

I guess I'm just in denial, but It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia still hits a special spot for me-even if it's not always as sharp as it once was. Like that weird diner you keep going back to even though the service is hit-or-miss, it's comfort food. Chaotic, greasy, morally questionable comfort food.

Sure, the show has had its ups and downs over the years-some of the jokes land better than others, and not every episode is a home run. But there's something enduring about the gang's complete lack of growth, their refusal to evolve, and the way they somehow still manage to reflect some part of the American psyche (for better or worse). It's absurdity with heart... or at least with a severely damaged liver.

This episode in particular earns an automatic 8/10 from me for the "9/11-Never Forget" angle alone. It's classic Sunny-taking a topic so off-limits most wouldn't dare touch it, and twisting it into a darkly hilarious spiral of self-interest and delusion. Somehow, against all odds, they make it work. It's bold, stupid, and strangely brilliant. And yes, I laughed more than I probably should've.

Is it perfect? No. Has it changed? Definitely. But Always Sunny is one of the few shows that's been around so long, it's become part of my own personal mythology. I don't always watch it expecting greatness-I watch it because it still feels like home, in the most dysfunctional way possible.

Just watched the first episode-really fun seeing all of them together! The best part is, at least these guys made Abbott Elementary watchable again. I used to like that show, but I couldn't even finish the last season-I left it halfway. Still, I like the characters, and this whole crossover idea was great.

At first, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it after seeing the promo, and honestly, I still feel they could've made it a 40-minute episode or even two episodes with that setup. I thought the Abbott janitor and Charlie might team up, or maybe Mac and Jacob-but you'll have to watch to see if that actually happened.

One of the gang members (maybe Dee) made a joke about Black people and head lice, and I had to look it up-shockingly, it was true.

Overall, a decently entertaining, casual watch.

I have heard from critics on the places like The Ringer podcasts etc how Abbott Elementary is a modern version of The Office, yet out of the dozens of people Ive discussed TV shows with I have never met someone who actually likes this show. I count myself included, I was excited when I heard the Office comp and was about as disappointed as can be. It's like a sitcom for people who used to share Minions memes a decade ago. The Sunny crew brought out a few funny scenes but didn't laugh out loud once, it was just a total waste of an episode. I guess it's bc of the Philly location but there are many other shows I'd rather see a crossover between. The tone should at least be compatible.

I know people are excited for the show being back, but this was a zero-laugh experience. To be fair, I've never seen Abbott Elementary, and maybe that show is just so bad that it was bound to turn out the way it did. Maybe if you like Abbott Elementary already you'll like it, but as far as I can tell... they really have a different set of watchers. Aside from 'Philadelphia', these two shows should have never crossed over. I can see Abbott Elementary wanting to do a crossover, as Always Sunny is a bigger, more established show... but there was no need for it to go both ways. 2 stars for trying I guess... 1 for humor.

The episode is surprisingly funny, but mostly in the first half.

If you're someone like me, who hasn't seen Abbott Elementary or its own Always Sunny episode, you'd be confused about the setting and the characters of that show. But there are enough hints to deduce why the gang is there and what they're doing.

So about the episode itself, I think it's just fine, I'm kinda being generous with the 7, because the episode starts out very funny, but peters out quickly, and the second half isn't as funny and good as the first half. And I think it's because they focus more on the Abbott Elementary characters than the gang.

The episode also doesn't really have a plot other than Frank saying he wants to do some Frankery, and by the end, he does it, and it's not like a huge twist or a laugh-out-loud moment either, it just kinda ends.

The Abbott Elementary characters are also not so annoying and too weird for this show that would take you out of the episode. They are surprisingly not bad and don't ruin the episode, it's just that focusing on them instead of the gang automatically makes the episode more boring.

So overall, this episode is mostly forgettable, but still not unwatchable or not funny, because it is funny, and it's mostly a 6/10 episode, but the funny moments in the first half were so funny that I give it a 7.