Friday, January 17, 2020

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 12 Review

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-)
Season 12 - 10 episodes (2016)

Rent It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 12 on Amazon Video
Created by:  Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney
Starring:  Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito
Rated: TV-MA

Read my Season 10 review!

Plot
Five egotistical and arrogant friends run Paddy's Pub, an Irish bar in Philadelphia. They are despicable, selfish people, but it makes them fun to watch as their illusions of grandeur land them in ridiculous situations.

Verdict
The best parts parts of the season are when the gang are bickering. This season is definitely over the top at times and that makes it a lot of fun. The show has moved far past the premise, but it really hits a groove with the characters this season. The first handful of episodes are really funny, though the second half of the season lagged. I don't think it's because I haven't seen the show in a while and then got bored of it, but part of it is due to the first few episodes not being tied to the bar. The best episodes are the ones that change the setting and put the characters together in one room.
Watch it.

Review
I liked this season better than last season. The characters interacting are often the best bits. They're mean to each other, and that's a lot of fun to watch. This show is about terrible people, each self centered and selfish in their own ways. The first three episodes are my favorite.  Episodes five and nine were my least favorite. Episode six is funny because we get to see the gang interact with someone based more in reality, an arbiter. They go through a few arbiters.

It starts strong with a very silly episode. The cast are transformed into a different race. When they started singing in a parody of, or tribute to The Wiz, I couldn't help but laugh. The first episode works because it's ridiculous and silly, yet it also exposes the gang to racism that challenges their preconceived notions.

The second episode occurs at a water park with each character having plans for the day that go awry. Episode three is a dig at laugh tracks and highlights how each character craves the spotlight.

Episode five is a Making a Murderer parody focusing on Dennis. If this idea hadn't been done before I may like this more, but this episode is tired. Netflix's American Vandal did this concept well, riffing on many of the documentary tropes which pay off better in a full season.

Episode nine was my other low ranked episode. I've never cared for Cricket episodes.

The final episode seems like a way to end the series, but the show had already been renewed for another season so it's just a way to set up plots for the next season.

This show is an easy watch with the twenty minute episodes. I like seeing their various adventures even if I don't like the characters.

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