25 Funniest It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Episodes To Watch Over And Over (2024)

With 16 seasons and counting, the most re-watchable It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes cement the show's lasting legacy. The Paddy's Pub Gang can always be counted on to get up to some wild mischief and continue to prove they are among the least likable characters on television. The collection of episodes numbers far over 100 at this point, and while there is no sign of slowing down, there are some episodes fans can always return to.

The episodes of It's Always Sunny that never seem to get old offer the big laughs that fans are always looking for from the show. They feature the most clever and exciting storylines from the series and make great use of the unforgettable ensemble It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has created. From the early favorites to the more recent episodes that prove the show still has it, the funniest Always Sunny episodes stand out.

25 "The Gang Turns Black"

Season 12, Episode 1

It is rare that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia approaches social issues in such a direct manner. Any fan of the show knows that the entire purpose of the Gang's racist, sexist, misogynistic, hateful actions are done because they are all really bad people. Their stupidity is the joke, and their prejudices are part of what makes them terrible. However, in "The Gang Turns Black," the show delivers its own harsh indictment of racism in America, and the show does it in the strangest way possible.

This is a musical episode, with 10 original songs along the way. The entire story is a thinly veiled critique of what it is like to be discriminated against. It is also a case where the Gang doesn't really get it, while the entire audience knows exactly what is going on. When Dennis says it is hard to know when discrimination is happening, that is a staggering moment, but then in the end, none of them really learn anything, as is often the case.

24 "Charlie Kelly: King Of The Rats"

Season 6, Episode 10

In the season 6 episode, "Charlie Kelly: King of the Rats," Charlie walks up to the Gang, and he is completely in a daze after spending a long time bashing rats in the bar's basem*nt. He admits he killed about 200 rats and started to theorize about life and wonder if rats' lives are any less important than humans' lives.

It is an interesting moment of internalization, but that is just the setup because none of them really care about human lives or even that of rats. This episode is one of the rare ones where the Gang decides to stop being mean for a small moment to do something nice for someone else.

In this case, they decide that since Charlie is too upset, they should throw him a birthday party. The fact that it isn't his birthday doesn't matter to anyone and they move on forward with the plans, which makes it even more charming and surprisingly heartfelt. Of course, there are also jokes at Charlie's expanse about his illiteracy, but that just makes it even better.

23 "The Gang Tends Bar"

Season 12, Episode 8

One of the best It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes sees the Gang actually have some heartfelt moments. This comes with several characters, including Frank and Charlie, who have a huge jealous spat that turns into reconciliation and kindness.

There is also a Dee and Charlie moment that shows that the romance that started in an earlier season ("The Gang Misses the Boat") might be real after all, and it continued on, possibly behind everyone's backs. However, what makes this episode so great is the Mac and Dennis storyline.

For 12 seasons, most fans just assumed Dennis had no feelings at all, didn't care about anyone else's feelings, and was as dark as it gets. However, this episode sees Dennis blowing up at everyone for ruining the bar's business by acting like fools. Finally, when the episode ends, though, Mac gives Dennis a present — an RPG-7 rocket launcher — which brings Dennis to tears in a shocking moment.

22 "The Gang Misses The Boat"

Season 10, Episode 6

While everyone in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is self-centered, only thinks of themselves, and has almost no conscience, they always seem to help each other. Rarely do they do it all as one unit, but they often split up into groups of two or three people to get things done — often at the expense of the others.

That is what makes "The Gang Misses The Boat" such an interesting and fun episode. Here, the Gang are all on their own, and things do not go well for them as a result. Frank ends up destroying three people's lives. Mac seemingly digs himself further into the closet as he still can't come out to anyone, not even his friends.

Dennis ends up failing at everything he does because of his anger issues. However, Charlie and Dee seem to do well on their own, and the two even have a romance start up between them. This is the episode where everyone realizes they have become codependent and need to know what that means for their lives.

21 "Hero Or Hate Crime"

Season 12, Episode 6

This episode sets up its story and jokes in an interesting way. The Gang is all standing around in the streets, and there is a piano hanging over the sidewalk with ominous music playing. Clearly, something bad is going to happen, and the most creative thing about the best It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes is how they often subvert expectations. In this case, that really had little to do with anything other than the Gang saving Mac from the falling piano. But what matters here is that Frank uses a gay slur.

The main episode is about scratch-off tickets and the Gang going to arbitration to see who is the rightful owner of a scratch-off lottery ticket. The real story, though, is that this is the episode where Mac finally comes out to his friends once and for all. Of course, he does it to win the arbitration since Frank used a gay slur, but it only affects him if he is gay. Despite this, the heart at the end when Mac says he doesn't plan to go back in the closet seems heartfelt and helps this episode shine.

20 "Thunder Gun Express"

Season 7, Episode 11

It’s Always Sunny can have a lot of fun with outlandish concepts, but the show can also get big laughs from very relatable scenarios. “Thunder Gun Express” follows the Gang as they attempt to make it to a movie on time only to face one obstacle after another which results in one member of the Gang after another dropping out of their quest.

There is an excitement to the story as it is told in real-time with a ticking clock component. It is also another great example of how these so-called friends don’t care about each other as seen when somebody else gets left behind simply because the others cannot be bothered to help.

Possibly the best part of this entire episode involves Frank. He meets some Asian tourists and ends up giving them summaries of things that happened in past It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes.

19 "McPoyle vs. Ponderosa: The Trial Of The Century"

Season 11, Episode 7

This episode directly ties into the episode “The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre” from season 8. The bloodbath that ensued in that episode led to the Gang taking part in a high-stakes court case.

As fans can predict, seeing the Gang in court is a setup for some comedic gold. One of the big things here is that Charlie finally gets a chance to use his obsession with Bird Law, which is a nice callback for fans of the series.

The episode is a special one as it sees a lot of the show’s best recurring characters coming together, from the McPoyles to Bill Ponderosa to Uncle Jack. There is even the return of Guillermo del Toro as Pappy McPoyle, one of the most entertaining cameos in the show. But the real highlight that never gets old is seeing Charlie step into his wannabe lawyer role.

18 "The Gang Goes To The Water Park"

Season 12, Episode 2

It’s Always Sunny’s characters are so wild and entertaining at this point that the show can throw them into any new location and watch them have fun. As the title of this episode suggests, the Gang spends a hot day at the water park with mayhem ensuing.

The result is Dennis finding a young protégé, Mac and Dee getting stuck in a water slide and Charlie and Frank using a shocking lie to get to the front of the line quicker. The location provides a fun and energetic tone that makes it a fun episode to get wrapped up in.

However, what makes the episode stand out is that Dennis finds a relationship based on respect, which is likely the first time this has ever happened to him. He also meets his match, and she gets the better of him in the situation. The best episodes are those where the Gang gets what is coming to them, and Dennis really gets his here.

17 "Sweet Dee Has A Heart Attack"

Season 4, Episode 10

This episode begins with Dee having a heart attack which doesn’t matter to the rest of the Gang. However, it does give everyone a wake-up call that they need to start looking out for their health. Mac and Charlie take a corporate job to get health care and Dennis and Dee focus on the lifestyle of healthy people rather than being healthy.

Even people who don’t watch the show know the popular Pepe Silvia meme. However, fans will know that scene is just one of the highlights of one of the funniest Always Sunny episodes​​​​​​. There are also some creative scenes throughout that many people will appreciate.

Frank ends up in a scene from the classic movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (which Danny DeVito was in) and this scene also includes actor Tim Sampson (the son of Will Sampson from the original movie as well). Add in homage to The Secret of My Success and A Beautiful Mind, and there is a lot going on here.

16 "A Very Sunny Christmas"

Season 6, Episode 13

The best Christmas episodes on television are the kind of ones that fans want to revisit every holiday season. It’s Always Sunny’s R-rated Christmas episode manages to maintain the show’s edge while also providing some Yuletide comfort.

There is also a great song and dance number, with The Year Without a Santa Claus wonderfully wild and violent. This is also very original, and not really a spoof of any holiday movie or TV show.

The episode finds the Gang getting into the holiday spirit in different ways, with Dee and Dennis attempting to teach Frank a Christmas Carol-like lesson, while Mac and Charlie are confronted with the dark truths of their childhood Christmases. Even watching this every Christmas, the scenes of Frank hiding in a coach and Charlie confronting a mall Santa never stops being funny. Seeing Charlie going off on Santa Claus when he accuses him of getting with his mom was darkly comedic.

15 "Mac Finds His Pride"

Season 13, Episode 10

Mac's sexuality is a source of comedy in the series, showing the hypocrisy of the character spouting anti-gay rhetoric while hiding his confused sexual feelings. However, when he finally does come out, it allows for It's Always Sunny to do an experimental episode in which it attempts to go for something deeper along with the laughs.

The episode has the Gang pressuring Mac to participate in the Pride Parade while he is struggling with how to come out to his father. This leads up to a final scene unlike anything the show has done before that is engrossing, heartbreaking, and says so much without any dialogue at all. Frank's reaction at the end remains one of the most emotional moments in the series and shows It's Always Sunny had plenty of surprises even after so long.

14 "The Gang Dines Out"

Season 8, Episode 9

It is always fun to see how the Gang can turn anything into a hostile and childish battle. Another single-set episode, "The Gang Dines Out" finds Mac and Dennis going to a restaurant for a special dinner together, only to find Frank and Charlie at the same restaurant as well as Dee, who is trying to hide the fact that she is dining alone.

The episode is a hilarious display of the characters trying to one-up each other, the strange rules and customs they have within their group, and the way they can make everything all about them. The sustained tension of the story increases as the episode continues, which makes it one of the most engrossing of the entire series. Honesty, Charlie and Mac’s extended eye contact across the room with each other might be one of the show's funniest scenes.

13 "The D.E.N.N.I.S. System"

Season 5, Episode 10

All the characters in the series have devolved in hilarious ways over the years, but perhaps the funniest is Dennis going from the confident lady's man of the group to a creepy predator who is far more pathetic than he lets on.

The episode that started to explore him as the true villain of the group was "The D.E.N.N.I.S. System." Dennis breaks down his horrific and manipulative methods for seducing women. Though such subject matter could be quite off-putting, part of the reason this is one of the funniest Always Sunny episodes is how pathetic it makes Dennis look.

The show has never been shy about making these characters out to be terrible people, so long as it is fun to laugh at their miserable nature. Even funnier is how Frank and Mac sweep in and date all the women Dennis turned down with his system, all while Dennis remains completely oblivious to his failures as a human.

12 "The Gang Solves The Gas Crisis"

Season 4, Episode 2

Get-rich-quick schemes are a big part of the Gang's misadventures and "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis" is one of their most memorable. Seeing the skyrocketing cost of gas, the Gang decides they are going to find a way to profit from it. Unfortunately, due to their immense ignorance, they don't know how to go about doing that.

It is so much fun watching the Gang bounce from one bad idea to another, from the disastrous attempt to get a loan from the bank to Charlie adopting a rich Texan persona to sell gas door-to-door. But perhaps the highlight of the episode is the Gang trying to figure out the group dynamic, which includes the obvious revelation of Charlie as the so-called "wild card." While "wild card" is a common term, this might be the only show that uses it to describe a liability to a situation.

11 "The Gang Buys A Boat"

Season 6, Episode 3

The Gang is always looking for a good time and buying a boat becomes the latest misguided attempt to force themselves into high society. The episode largely focuses on the Gang hanging out on the dock and preparing the boat for its first voyage, with them all having different ideas about how to have fun with the new vessel.

The episode features one of the funniest exchanges in the entire series as Dennis lays out yet another creepy plan to attract women with the boat, and he explains the idea of "The Implication," which is even enough to creep Mac out.

This might be the first time that the viewers realize there is a lot more going on in Dennis' head than originally thought, and none of it is really good. There is also the hilarious visual of Dee learning some dance moves from an inflatable tube man.

10 "The Gang's Still In Ireland"

Season 15, Episode 6

It's Always Sunny typically features standalone episodes with only a few two-part stories throughout the series. However, season 15 tried something new with an extended storyline. The second half of the season sees the Gang travel to Ireland in several hilarious episodes. The episode "The Gang's Still in Ireland" sees each character having a laugh-out-loud moment, including Charlie meeting his father.

However, it is Dennis and Dee's subplot that is the funniest. When Dennis and Dee try to rent a castle, Dennis stifles his cough and Dee relishes his misery, then Dennis converses with the castle and threatens to chop off Dee's head. The episode features every member of the Gang in top form, and none of the main cast misses a beat, despite nearly two decades of playing their characters. While episodic storytelling is weird on this show, it strangely enough works here.

9 "The Gang Gets New Wheels"

Season 13, Episode 5

Dennis "leaving" It's Always Sunny in season 12 was a shock, but luckily it was short-lived with Glenn Howerton returning the following season, though in a limited capacity, before fully rejoining the show. With Dennis back, there also needed to be the return of his classic Range Rover which the Gang blew up following his departure. This led to the new storyline.

The episode sees Dennis getting a new car, Frank retaking the test for his long-expired driver's license, Dee making new high-society friends, and Mac and Charlie revisiting their childhood by getting new bikes. With hilarious personality changes, potential murder, and an instantly iconic final scene of the Gang in the Range Rover with Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" playing in the background, "The Gang Gets New Wheels" is one of the funniest It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes.

8 "Mac & Dennis Move To The Suburbs"

Season 11, Episode 5

Season 11's "Mac and Dennis Move to the Suburbs" is one of the few Always Sunny episodes with one single plot, as the episode focuses on Mac and Dennis' deteriorating mental states and relationship as they are enclosed together in a confined space.

The two attempt to win a bet against the rest of the Gang that they can survive living in the suburbs, with disastrous results. One of the most beloved aspects of the series is Dennis' untethered rage, portrayed expertly by Glenn Howerton, and this episode features him at his best.

From his anger at his nosy neighbor, Wally, to him screaming at Mac about random noises they can hear or his "famous mac and cheese," this episode showcases Dennis at his most rage-filled, spawning several memorable memes. Nothing is better on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia than Dennis losing his temper.

7 "CharDee MacDennis: The Game Of Games"

Season 7, Episode 7

In "CharDee MacDennis: The Game of Games," Mac, Charlie, Dennis, and Dee decide to play a game they created to quash their boredom. Frank acts as the audience surrogate as they explain to him the rules of the highly complicated board game.

What really makes this, so great is that the rules are so strange and obtuse, but everyone agrees to them without flinching and this leaves Frnak completely dumbfounded, as he is the only one who sees how ridiculous it really is.

The game sees the Gang being competitive with one another, as they are split into teams that see the reigning champions, Dennis and Dee, facing off against Mac, Charlie, and Frank. The episode features classic Always Sunny antics and insults, mostly targeted at Dee and Charlie. This wasn't the end of the game either. Fans loved it so much that a sequel arrived in season 11 called Chardee MacDennis 2: Electric Boogaloo, and it was as ridiculous as the first time they pulled the game out.

6 "The Gang Tries Desperately To Win An Award"

Season 9, Episode 3

Always Sunny is no stranger to meta-commentary, and the most apparent example of this is "The Gang Tries Desperately To Win An Award." The episode sees the Gang try their best to win the 'Best Bar Award' as they replicate a nearby bar that has bright lights, cues for when to drink, and approachable bartenders. The ending was brilliant, with Charlie chasing the awards committee out of the bar that night singing "Go F**k Yourself," which really shows the meta-commentary here.

The plot of the episode is undeniably a reference to the Always Sunny creators' lack of Emmy awards, as despite receiving three nominations for Stunt Coordination, it has never been recognized for writing, acting, or direction. Ultimately, the end of the episode reveals the Gang and the creator's contentment with their lack of awards but passionate customers/fanbase. The hilarious meta-references make this one of the funniest Always Sunny episodes.