Each main character has made occasional comments that may appeal to those who are reluctant to watch a comedy as aggressively provocative as Sunny.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the long-running sitcom that was recently renewed for several more seasons, is an exercise in darkness and cynicism, setting a tone that frequently results in horrifically dismal and amoral quotes from the central characters. It’s also riotously funny.
As a show whose entire premise defies convention, Sunny‘s means of subverting audiences’ expectations is occasionally providing members of “the gang” with uncharacteristically optimistic and heartfelt lines that would be commonplace in a standard sitcom. Each main character has made occasional comments that may appeal to those who are reluctant to watch a comedy as aggressively provocative as Sunny.
The members of “the gang” occasionally begin their disastrous misadventures with pure intentions, as was the case with their effort to address climate change in the season 14 episode “The Gang Solves Global Warming.”
Dennis rallies his friends with this inspiring line during the cold open, making for an expression of hope, optimism, and cooperativeness that is rare among the employees of Paddy’s Pub. While Sunny‘s writers generally include such positive sentiments solely to derail them, the lines may appeal to less-cynical viewers when viewed in isolation.
It’s Always Sunny rarely allows its primary characters to remain in zones of comfort, as it relies on near-constant tension and chaos in order to provide its signature brand of humor. The cold open of the season 1 episode “Underage Drinking: A National Concern” sees the gang in a moment of respite secure enough that Charlie, one of many television characters who became memes, dances among a crowd of jubilant Paddy’s customers, spurred on by Dennis and Mac’s enthusiastic encouragement.
Those who are hesitant to watch the notoriously dark series may be pleased to learn that the show contains a select number of similarly upbeat scenes.
The primary trait that unites the members of the gang, who diverge wildly in interests, personality, and most other personal identifiers, is the shared selfishness that motivates their outlandish antics and thus renders Sunny one of the most rewatchable sitcoms of all time.
When Dee informs her friends of the theory that the performance of good deeds ultimately rewards the charitable individual, Mac delivers this uncharacteristically enlightened line that is heartwarming when compared to the more alarming comments that largely define his character. Such brief glimpses of integrity contrast hilariously with the gang’s usual despicable behavior and make for some of the series’ most memorable moments.
It’s Always Sunny offers very few moments of earnestness, but Mac’s acceptance of his sexuality in recent seasons allowed the show to emote to a decent extent despite its long-standing identity as a gruff satire.
When Mac performs a dance at his father’s prison to communicate his new identity to the man whom he has long failed to connect with, his father’s dismissive response is offset by Frank’s beautifully pure reaction to the performance. The writers’ reluctance to incorporate emotional scenes into the series strengthens those which manage to remain in the script.
Dee delivers this line in response to Charlie’s supposed cancer diagnosis — one that he later reveals to have fabricated, in a cynical ending to one of the Sunny episodes in which the gang actually bonded. The sentiment suggests that Dee has enough dignity to support a friend whom she believes to be dying, which reflects a higher degree of character than the writers generally afford to the members of the gang.
Without this minimal but crucial level of heart, the series could have potentially failed to maintain the viewership allowed for its record-breaking run. Dee’s redeemability has decreased over the course of the successive seasons – as has that of each primary character – but wholesome moments such as this continue to be included sparingly.
Sunny fans may find it difficult to remember that Matthew “Rickety Cricket” Mara was a dignified, by-the-book priest prior to being afflicted by homelessness and drug addiction and regularly engaging in criminal activity.
The season 2 episode in which Dee convinces him to leave the priesthood for her prior to revealing that she was disingenuous marked the beginning of this comically horrifying transition, and Cricket’s gentlemanly request for Frank’s blessing proved to be one of the final moments in which the gang’s former classmate acted as a respectable and civilized figure.
The Waitress — whose real name, as a running joke, is never revealed — is virtually always in a dour mood during her appearances on the show, largely due to her being relentlessly stalked by Charlie. The season 7 episode “The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore,” an excellent addition to Reddit’s favorite seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, upends this standard dynamic when the would-be couple come across each other on the beach and spend a joyful night together.
While it is ultimately revealed that the Waitress’ buoyant mood was the result of illicit drug use, the positivity she expresses in the episode is a gift to fans accustomed to seeing her in a state of constant discontent.
The Lawyer is one of the most levelheaded characters in It’s Always Sunny, exhibiting a level of maturity that hysterically contrasts with the gang’s pathetic childishness. When Charlie and Dee spy on him in an effort to confirm that he is having an affair and subsequently blackmail him, he informs them that he has rather been sleeping in a motel because his wife has left him.
It is rare for characters in Sunny to express genuine affection for others, and it is often left to mature ones such as the Lawyer to do so.
The eccentric Artemis Dubois, a recurring character who began appearing on Sunny in season 1 and has been featured as recently as the latest season, is defined by her boundless confidence and her comfort with expressing herself to an extent that many find off-putting.
This quote is taken from her audition to be Paddy’s Pub’s resident exotic dancer. While the audition quickly turns to more explicit territory, this individual line is a sample of wholesomeness that is rarely offered by Artemis or any other character from the series.
Dennis briefly marries Maureen, his high school sweetheart, before leaving her due to fear of commitment and aversion to flaws of hers that he had not noticed prior. Maureen is far more affectionate toward Dennis than he is toward her, delivering this line in response to his cancellation of their planned movie date hours after signing their marriage certificate.
While Maureen is portrayed as a bizarre and unnerving member of the gang’s social circle, she frequently expresses wholesome sentiments that the central characters are often unable to mirror.
Christian Peterson received a Bachelor of Arts in History from Virginia Tech in December 2021 and has served as a list writer for Screen Rant since February 2022. He developed an interest in comedy as a teenager upon being introduced to franchises such as The Lonely Island, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and ClickHole. In adulthood, he developed an appreciation for mature and serious-minded films, particularly the works of Paul Thomas Anderson. Despite this, he loves There Will Be Blood and The Proposal equally.
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: Each Character's Most Wholesome Quote – Screen Rant
