January 09, 2025
Gilles Mingasson/Disney
The casts of 'Abbott Elementary' and 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' faced off in a crossover episode.
The "Abbott Elementary" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" crossover episode aired Wednesday, bringing together two completely different Philly sitcom casts for an epic explosion of "Go Birds" greetings.
In the "Abbott" episode, the first installation in its two-part crossover, the Gang infiltrates the halls of the Philly public school to volunteer after getting into trouble with the law. Along the way, the raunchier comedy of "Always Sunny" mingles surprisingly well with the heartwarming hijinks of "Abbott," resulting in failed flirtations, blackmail schemes, a flubbed raccoon capture and a literacy lesson. Admittedly, I've never watched "Always Sunny," but this crossover did have me itching to catch up on the 16 seasons.
As I was watching the "Abbott" episode, I didn't feel lost for not knowing much about "Always Sunny." After all, the episode followed a typical "Abbott" arc. Plus, the Gang was just the latest visitors to the sitcom, which often brings in guest stars. But knowing some more background on "Always Sunny" certainly would have given me more context to the hilarity unfolding onscreen.
So, I took some of my questions to my colleague Chris Compendio, who watches "Always Sunny" but not "Abbott Elementary," and they were able to fill in some gaps. Stay tuned — I'm sure they'll have some questions for me about the "Abbott" characters once the second part of the crossover airs next season on "Always Sunny." (Spoilers below.)
Franki Rudnesky: Are any of the "Always Sunny" people dating on the show? I guess I assumed Mac and Dee were together because the actors Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson are in real life, but that did not seem to be the case.
Chris Compendio: None of the characters are dating — Dee and Mac especially are not. Despite McElhenney and Olson’s real-life marriage, Mac finds Dee to be repulsive. It’s a mean running joke, but I suppose it’s humorous to people who know the real-life context between the two actors.
One funny bit in the crossover was that Janine insulted Dee by calling her a "bird," which the rest of the main "It’s Always Sunny" cast does frequently.
Dee takes a liking to Gregory, much to his girlfriend Janine's dismay, during the 'Abbott Elementary' crossover episode with 'Always Sunny.'
Rudnesky: Is Dennis (Glenn Howerton) a big character on the show? I feel like he was barely shown and didn't really talk.
Compendio: Dennis is a big character in "Always Sunny," but he is also the most illusive and arguably most intelligent member of the Gang. He’s extremely insecure about his image, so it was no surprise that he refused to be in front of the documentary cameras in this episode.
Judging from what McElhenney and "Abbott" creator Quinta Brunson said about Dennis being the "key" to the story, I’m curious to see what the long-term payoff will be when we get to the "Always Sunny" half of the crossover event.
Rudnesky: How is Frank (Danny DeVito) connected with all of the others?
Compendio: Frank is established as Dennis and Dee’s father when he first appears in Season 2 of "Always Sunny" — though the audience later finds out that he is not their biological father.
His character has had a bizarre arc in the long run. He is filthy rich (through illicit means), but he constantly denies Dennis and Dee’s requests for money. Despite his wealth, Frank prefers to live in squalor and depravity, living with Charlie in his dirty apartment.
Frank seemed like a grounded individual when we first met him, but he became more vulgar and disgusting as the show progressed over the years. Seeing him in a raccoon cage wrapped in urine-soaked furs in "Abbott" is one of the less unusual situations that fans have seen him in.
Rudnesky: On "Always Sunny," is the cast's bar considered seedy? It didn't seem like anyone had good things to say about it.
Compendio: I think "seedy" is a fair descriptor of Paddy’s Pub. One episode is devoted to a (fictional) Philadelphia Inquirer review that calls Paddy’s "the worst bar in Philadelphia." In typical "Always Sunny" fashion, the Gang kidnaps and threatens the critic over the review.
As a long-time viewer, it’s hard to even remember that Paddy’s Pub is a bar — it never seems to get any foot traffic and it only serves as a setting for the characters to yap at each other over their absurd personal problems and plan overelaborate scams.
I didn’t know anything about the "Abbott" character Melissa, but judging from her demeanor in the crossover episode, I can definitely see her wandering in Paddy’s one way or another. I wonder if she’ll end up bringing the rest of the "Abbott" cast to the bar in the second part of the crossover.
Rudnesky: Is the Gang getting in trouble with the law often? They appeared to be flippant about their latest run-in.
Compendio: I’ve lost track of how many crimes and misdemeanors the Gang is responsible for over 16 seasons of television. Many of the show’s episodes are devoted to the characters coming up with harebrained schemes.
A perfect example of this is the episode "Charlie Work," where Charlie orchestrates a plan involving the purchase of thousands of steaks with airline miles and contaminating them with live chicken feathers to sue the delivery company — all while tricking a health inspector into passing Paddy’s Pub in a routine check-in that the building is up to code.
Rudnesky: This was one of my biggest questions: Can Charlie (Charlie Day) read?
Compendio: Infamously, Charlie is illiterate. There have been running gags about his inability to read going back to Season 1. Written notes from Charlie typically consist of nonsense, incomplete sentences and childish sketches. Newcomers of "Always Sunny" could check out the episode "Flowers for Charlie" where a science experiment appears to boost his intelligence.
When it was announced that "Always Sunny" would crossover with "Abbott Elementary," fans of the former show instantly speculated that Charlie’s illiteracy would be a major plot point — and they were correct.
'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' character Charlie learns to read during his visit to Abbott Elementary.
Rudnesky: Janine (Brunson) and Dee bonded over their shared alma mater. Did Dee really go to Penn?
Compendio: I forgot until the "Abbott" episode made a point of it, but Dee did indeed attend Penn. She attempted a major in psychology but did not graduate, instead pursuing a failed acting career centered around racially insensitive characters.
Rudnesky: What is "bird law?"
Compendio: The "bird law" running gag is a tough one to fully explain. Despite having no legal education, Charlie fancies himself an expert on laws regarding birds. This obscure knowledge ends up being relevant in an episode titled "McPoyle vs. Ponderosa: The Trial of the Century."
Essentially, "bird law" is a total non-sequitur played off for laughs to show how out-of-depth Charlie is in the real world. It’s a nice wink to "Always Sunny" fans watching the crossover.
Rudnesky: Overall, did you feel like the "Always Sunny" characters acted the same as they do on their show during their "Abbott" appearance?
Compendio: The "Always Sunny" characters were very much in form, although they were less profane. Frank was chaotic and disgusting, Charlie excelled in manual labor but failed in reading comprehension, and Dee uncomfortably crossed social boundaries.
I’m still curious about Dennis’s distant behavior. Mac also seemed unusually competent as Ava’s assistant, though I suppose he was desperate to get the community service form signed for whatever reason. I’d like to see if the second part of the crossover uncovers more of their motivations.
From a visual standpoint, it was odd seeing the Gang in a mockumentary format and not hearing any pleasant background music contrasting the characters’ bizarre actions. And I swear I saw Mac react directly to the camera in one scene, which looked weird to me.
I’m sure "Abbott" fans will find seeing their favorite characters in the "Always Sunny" setting to be absolutely surreal.
Follow Franki & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @wordsbyfranki
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.
