Watching Frank eat the "meatball" was possibly the most Always Sunny thing ever. Amazing.
At last, an episode that makes the whole misguided Ireland trip a little less of a total disaster. Still a long way from the heights of classic Sunny, but there were a few big laughs amongst all the lazy, telegraphed, obvious gags.
Dennis saying "poopy" as if waiting for the canned laughter is a true nadir for this 15-season-old series.
This goes right to the best title card intros along with Frank sets Sweet Dee on fire & Mac kills his dad lmao
Mac's priesthood journey was very solid with a good analysis of modern Catholicism and ugh of course Father Gus meant wee lads... GODDAMN IT! and I liked Frank and Dennis' sort of father-son bonding time (even if it was all for horrible reasons)
It's cool to see Charlie in his occasional smart glory, being savvy enough about Frank's (+ Dennis) shenanigans to save his dad from them (even though it is good to remember Shelley was actually a neglectful father to him...) The turd moment has to be one of the hardest things I've had to watch lately, and I swear I'm not easy to gross out lol
Also, Dennis behind the painting was some kind of silly harmless (let's just ignore why he was there) fun from him, it's nice to see Dennis back to some of his early IASIP goofyness that I used to enjoy and kinda got lost some seasons ago when he got flanderized into the serious rapist psycho of the group. It was funny when he gasped loudly from the wall as Charlie said he wasn't going back to Philly, even if that was sad
"Not eat a poopy!"
Fun moments with Mac. The other stories were a bit bland.
The worst one so far. But also the ending scene was the first time I’ve laughed this season
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-12-30T18:08:57Z
[7.0/10] This one was alright, or at least an improvement on the other Ireland episodes so far. The chuckles are mild, but there's something worthwhile for everyone to do, which can’t be said for the stories we’ve gotten so far in this arc.
The weirdest plotline has to be Frank’s jealousy over Charlie spending time with his biological father. I appreciate the strangeness of Frank appreciating Dennis’ diablocalness, and Dennnis crediting Frank for his abuse and neglect in making him this way, in the darkest attempt at wholesomeness I’ve seen in awhile. The two plotting to humiliate Charlie’s dad at a dinner to restore the status quo is a good setup.
Plus holy hell, I don’t blanche easy, and I’m used to IASIP pushing the envelope, but I can’t remember the last time I was as grossed out as I was watching Frank put a turd into his mouth. Good lord. I don’t know if that’s an achievement or something to be lamented, but it’s definitely worth noting.
The plot turn that Charlie not only sees through Frank and Dennis’ thin ruses is a nice beat to him being his best self out here, and Charlie deciding he wants to stay here and work with his dad is unlikely to stick thanks to television’s inexorable need to restore the status quo, but still makes for good conflict.
I don’t know how to feel about Mac’s storyline. Him trying to join the priesthood to get in the good graces of a vengeful God, only to hear about the modern Catholic church’s emphasis on God’s merciful nature could be a big growth moment for him. The notions of the Lord making people the way they are giving him comfort about being gay, and thinking he’s found a likeminded confidante tto help him on this journey is sweet. Of course, this is IASIP, so in a dark twist, it turns out that the priest who’s mentoring him fancies far younger “lads” than Mac did. It’s in keeping with the show’s sensibilities to go such a transgressive direction when Mac thinks he’s found some answers and a friend, even if it’s an uncomfortable source of humor. That said, Mac’s reaction to the news sells it.
Last but not least, I generally like the title story of Dee sinking into a bog. The setup is a bit contrived and the writers oerly telegraph the payoff with Shelly Kelly’s tales of banshees roaming the countryside. BUt the interactions between Dee and The Waitress are a treat as usual, and they give a pretty wacky plotline a boost.
Overall, not a perfect episode by any stretch, but one that feels more in keeping with the show’s usual tone and standard.