Television Tuesday: It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is Back and Hilarious as Usual

The gang is all here...mostly.

Last Wednesday was the season 13 premiere of, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." I loved it, and have seen some positive reviews too. Since the seeming departure of Dennis at the end of last season the gang has found a new member, Cindy. Gamely played by Mindy Kaling, the gang remarks how she is a lot like Dennis, but not as much of a jerk--"She's just the right amount of asshole." Cindy also is much smarter and more capable than the gang normally is, having some legitimately clever plans to take-down those who stand in the way of the gangs never-ending desire to make money easily/"Get rich quick," and be liked. The episode has just the right mixture of awareness about how long the show has been going (but unlike some shows that get meta, maintains being funny whilst doing so) and seems to introduce a bunch of new elements (with Dennis still sort-of present in the form of a creepy sex doll Mac bought online that resembles the gang's departed member), before at the episode's end (spoiler) Dennis in fact returns, asking everyone not make a big deal of it.

At the moment Dennis wants back in, Nancy points out if they welcome Dennis' return they will continue to be stuck in their rut of misery...and the gang chooses that, because as 12 previous seasons have show us, these people are weirdly stuck with each other. It may be for the best, as those rare occasions the gang has separated itself out we have seen just how much trouble they are capable of causing without each other to hold themselves back (or that bittersweet episode when it seemed like Charlie and Dee could maybe be a couple if it weren't for how the gang is). The season 13 premiere is hilarious, insightful, and shows that even if a program has been going for a long time it still can manage to be the right mixture of fresh as well as clever in acknowledging the past. I'll be tuning in every Wednesday at 10PM Eastern/9PM Central on FXX for sure (or watching an episode on DVR when able, you know how life gets).
5 out of 5 stars (for the first episode of season 13).