The Nightman Cometh and other bits of comedy
I was introduced to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia by happenstance. It was late, I needed something to watch after a dreadful outing by my beloved Kentucky Wildcat basketball team, and I need humor badly. My wife and I are way too cheap to get HBO/Showtime/Etc. So when I crawled up on FX that night I found just what the doctor ordered. Crude, rude and just over-the-top mostly, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has upped the ante on how far a show can go on cable television without getting forced onto a premium cable channel. George Carlin would be proud (NSFW).
Anyway, the newly released season four on DVD captures what could only be considered the peak of the show’s talent and writing. Out of all the seasons, this one is probably the most memorable of the bunch (which is sad and great at the same time). Season four’s best episodes are as follows:
– Who Pooped the Bed? – I know it sounds incredibly gross and for the most part it is, but this episode redefines how low the show can go without losing any humor. The entire episode revolves around Frank accusing Charlie of pooping the bed (and vice-versa) and explodes into (no pun intended) the entire gang being accused of the crime as multiple poops begin to show up. It’s gross, it’s sick and strangely enough it’s funny as hell.
– The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis – When Charlie, Dennis and Mac decide to put their heads together it usually comes out with almost a decent idea. To stick it to the man, the boys decide to pump gas and sell it on the side to make some profit. The idea behind their idea is decent, but the execution is hilarious. You can almost smell the gas fumes in this episode.
– Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life – Religious folks need not apply. Featuring Rob Thomas (yes, Matchbox 20) and Sinbad, Dennis writes a book (with help from Mac) about his erotic escapades, which happen to be mostly untrue. When Mac requires Dennis to up the ante, Dennis put into a mental institution so that he can write about it safely in his book. While there, Frank and Mac attempt to get Jon Bon Jovi to sing by arranging it through his manager. I cannot begin to express how hilarious this all is once it is set in motion. Rob Thomas has my respect now.
– Nightman Cometh – This is quite possibly one of the funniest episodes on television that I’ve seen from any show. Charlie writes a musical and the gang gets involved. I won’t say another damn word because it’s so ‘epic’.
The above episodes are the best in season four, not to say that the rest are awful; they’re just not as good. You can see how well the characters have been nicely developed by the fourth year. The episodes aren’t strictly written around them as the characters simply react to the situations they’re given now. The writing is certainly at the pinnacle of clever, as well as the acting (in comparison to other sitcoms). With that said, I think the humor does cross the line more than once. The episode that completely surrounds the ‘glory hole’ in the bathroom is a bit much. I get the humor, but it was taken just a tad bit far. You’ll find that line crossed several times in this season, which makes for uncomfortable viewing with friends (and sometimes family).
If you’re warped, you’ll love this. For this reviewer I’m only slightly warped.
As for features on this season, you get some good outtakes/bloopers, an entertaining featurette on the Erotic Life of Dennis Reynolds and, more importantly, you get to see a live performance of The Nightman Cometh. Quite frankly the live performance can’t be topped in the features section; it’s as good as it gets.