Always Sunny Season Seven: A Retrospective

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” just finished its seventh season, and the results have been mixed. Never before has it felt as though the show careened so wildly between brilliance and boredom, instead offering a steady diet of laughs throughout its three months of airtime. But what we have this season is a mix of episodes that would rank among the show’s best, and an almost equal amount that would be considered the show’s worst.

The season started out strong with “Frank’s Pretty Woman,” less a parody of the Julia Roberts romantic comedy than a total annihilation of it. Any episode that throws in the phrase “tighter than dick skin” and ends with a hooker lying dead outside of Charlie’s apartment surely counts as a series high, especially for a season premiere. After last season went out spectacularly with the end of Dee’s pregnancy storyline and “A Very Sunny Christmas,” this episode proved that the show was suffering no creative setbacks at the start of the new year.

Next up were “The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore” and “Frank Reynolds’ Little Beauties,” two solid episodes that were elevated by a handful of great lines and typically strong performances. It also marked the return of side characters like Artemis and the Waitress, checking in on where they are at the start of the new year (for Artemis, much the same, and for the Waitress, doing ecstasy on the Jersey Shore, a new all-time low). For a show that only gets a few scenes for auxiliary players per season, these two episodes did a good job of using the two actresses and reminding the audience how deep the bench goes for this show.

“Sweet Dee Gets Audited” should have made more of an impact, considering it ends with the characters saying this is the “darkest thing we’ve ever done.” That thing is staging a fake funeral for the baby Dee gave up for adoption at the tail end of last season. It’s always amusing to see Dee’s delusions of cleverness crushed by reality, but the background to this whole episode – an attempt at democracy manipulated by Frank and Dennis to get the bar decorated to their liking – is pretty flat and uninspiring. In fact, the Dee plot would have probably worked a bit better as a B-story, because the baby’s funeral really doesn’t provide that strong of a conclusion for the episode. And while it may be dark, the show is careful to introduce another character (the IRS agent auditing Dee) to react with suitable human disgust and horror when the whole thing goes wrong and the “baby’s” casket is opened to reveal the rotten corpse of a dog from the alley next to the bar. Shame that an image like that doesn’t leave more of an impact.

But following that strong opening four, “Frank’s Brother” showed that there is a limit on what the show can do. I personally enjoyed “The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell” and “The World Series Defense” for their chance to hear the storytelling ability of the characters. Each paper-thin character or anachronistic phrase made perfect sense coming from Charlie, Dennis, Mac, and Dee. But Frank’s story is meant to be true, so when things don’t add up, it feels like a cheat – the writers aren’t playing fair. Sure, it’s funny to imagine that the mid-60’s Danny DeVito “looks like a 12-year-old,” and seeing that the name “Shadynasty” spelled out makes up “Shady Nasty,” but a few jokes like that can’t make up for a plot that ultimately goes nowhere and has nothing to do with Frank’s brother at all.

“The Storm of the Century” was purely mediocre. As an episode it barely hangs together, working much better as a series of funny scenes and concepts. The hurricane framework, especially considering Hurricane Irene did indeed bypass the Northeast with little incident, lends almost no urgency. And benching Mac for the lion’s share of the episode, even if it is balanced by the punchline of seeing him sitting safely without the Gang, eating ice cream and watching television from the bar, leads to a mismatched ensemble. Dee’s shrill fear of the storm returns her to the less dynamic shrewish archetype she hasn’t played since the first season. Again, this is subverted by the ending of the episode, but that doesn’t make her come across as any funnier. Charlie and Dennis have some spectacular material when they pursue a large-breasted TV anchor and later a few young attractive women shopping in a Home Depot-like home improvement store, but it works better as six or seven isolated minutes rather than as the A-story in an otherwise underwhelming 22 minutes. However, I will admit that this sends Dennis on a fantastic arc this season – and I believe his unhinging all starts here, when he is rejected by the news anchor and the young girls shopping for disaster supplies. His barely contained disgust for himself and the three women is as unsettling as it is funny.

“CharDee MacDennis: The Game of Games” was pure brilliance from nearly start to finish. It’s one of dozens of bottle episodes “Sunny” has done over the years, restricting the action to the bar and stripping away all characters not in the Gang. This season has proven that this tried-and-true formula is far from tired. In fact, it’s still where the most innovation can be done. This episode probably packed in the most jokes, the most character beats, the most callbacks out of any other episode this season (aside from the two-part finale, which I’ll get to in a moment), and it did so without leaving the confines of a single room. When you get down to it, “Sunny” doesn’t do alternative structure as well as many other comedies, but it does laugh-out-loud character comedy better than almost all of them.

Next up was “The Anti-Social Network,” another largely inconsequential episode held up by Dennis’ madness. Aghast at the thought that a random gin bar patron “shushed” him, Dennis drags Charlie along on an elaborate plot for revenge. Mac and Dee split off, looking for the “shusher” via Facebook in what turns into a “Catfish” parody. “Sunny’s” pop culture parodies have never been one of its stronger elements, so it’s no surprise that Dennis’ fury is far more fruitful than Mac and Dee’s unraveling of a vast online conspiracy. As he and Charlie enlist the help of the gin bar owners, the police, and a street cartoonist to help them track down the “shusher,” they become more and more wrapped up in their righteous fury. Charlie becomes fixated on the “shusher’s” “almond shaped eyes,” which can be added along with “people’s knees” to the list of physical attributes that drive him crazy. Dennis, on the other hand, reacts with an eerie determination. He will not stand to be insulted. Again, this just serves to build the intensity behind Dennis’ murderous edge.

The following episode, “The Gang Gets Trapped” might just have won the crown for my all-time least favorite “Sunny” episode. Once again, I appreciated their attempts to mess with typical structure, but it doesn’t quite work. Rather than have a long buildup to a bad idea, with all five characters at varying levels of interest and commitment, the episode cuts straight to the fallout. The opening finds Dee and Dennis trapped in a woman’s closet as she packs for a trip, after sneaking inside to steal an artifact her family won in an auction. It’s clearly intentional but no less disappointing that the characters pay lip service to Dennis’ passionate speech in favor of breaking in, or Mac and Charlie’s piqued interest due to a recent obsession with Indiana Jones. The whole thing feels like it takes place in the interim between the hilarious setup and the impact punchline. And while it might be a fun exercise for the writers to imagine what the characters get up to in between their outsized antics, it results in a rather unfulfilling half-hour.

Perhaps the most disappointing was “How Mac Got Fat.” With a title like that, you could expect that the show would go wild. But the episode is actually repurposed footage from an aborted attempt at a script from season six. On first pass, the episode seems very funny, taking a tour of Mac’s fractured psyche, from his staunch Catholicism to his oddly homoerotic fascination with fitness and muscles, to his delusional self-image, to his impatience – all things that are ripe for laughs. But on second watch, the structure actually seems rather sloppy, relying on Mac’s confession as an expositional monologue forcing the bits and pieces from the old footage into the framework of this new story idea. Only the smaller things on the sidelines – the candy stuffed in Mac’s pockets as he reveals his newly fattened physique or Charlie’s turpentine-fueled dance in the back office as Dennis watches with a glassy, drugged out stare - land. Perhaps the show only needs to make the audience laugh, but with so few episodes per season, I’d prefer they focus on making episodes I can laugh at time and time again, not just once.

Things looked up the following week with “Thunder Gun Express,” a fun adventure around Philly featuring actual location shooting as the Gang attempt to make it to the action movie of the year. What worked well about this half-hour was the pairings and isolation of the different characters. Mac making fun of Dennis’ slow, methodical, needlessly creepy way of picking up girls spurs Dennis on to listen to the collection of tapes (tapes!) he’s made of his various romantic encounters, actually having a few moments of self-reflection. Of course all that’s undone in a moment when a good looking woman presents herself and Dennis reverts to his tried-and-true ways. But even that’s upstaged by the adventures of Mac, Dee, and Charlie after they leave Dennis stranded in traffic in order to get to the theater more quickly. For once, the writers take Fat Mac into consideration and leave him stranded on the sidewalk after Charlie and Dee slip through a narrow grate into the sewer. Frustrated and preoccupied with the thoughts of action heroes, Mac spies a nearby motorcycle and tries to ride off on it. The resulting sight gag is worth the price of admission. Meanwhile, in the sewer, Dee becomes trapped when her shoe gets caught in the ground. Best line? When Dee asks Charlie if she can just take his shoes until they get back up to dry land, he stubbornly refuses. “You’ll stretch them out!” he insists. “You’ll stretch them out.”

After careening so unpredictably throughout the season, the once promising idea of the Gang’s high school reunion approached as I faced it with trepidation. Sure, it looked like there would be plenty to look forward to, but when finding out about Frank’s past or the whole concept of Fat Mac fizzled out, it looked like high concepts were the kiss of death for “Sunny” episodes that made me laugh. Fortunately, the full hour made sure there was plenty of time to deliver on such a loaded premise. Callbacks bring back plenty of recurring characters like Rickety Cricket, plagued with wicked cases of ringworm and kleptomania, Fatty Magoo, looking prettier than ever, and the Waitress, pathetically wandering around in the background, drunk and disappointed.

Hitherto unseen aspects of the characters were finally revealed. Dee is forced to don her torturous back brace, looking like something out of the early twentieth century, literally prohibiting her from any effortless movement, from turning her head to shrugging her shoulders. Finally, we learn Mac’s real name – a little bit of a letdown after so many years, but hey – and it turns out to be Ronald MacDonald. Luckily, the show knows not to stop there and also reveals that Mac was a rotten little snitch nicknamed “Ronnie the Rat.” Charlie devolves back into the unconfident, sniveling “Dirt Grub,” humiliating himself at every turn in order to somehow appeal to his more popular peers.

All that is upstaged by the climax of Dennis’ mania, which comes to a head after encountering the jocks who never respected him and the former friend he believes once slept with his prom date. When he fails to ingratiate himself or get revenge on them, his resulting fury is terrifyingly hilarious. Entering into a psychotic breakdown, he actually reveals what was always implied – a trunk full of creepy sado-masochistic gear that somehow includes both a camcorder and zipties. The rest of the Gang (as put off as the audience, though unable to find it as funny as we can) quickly talk him out of using “his tools” against his rivals.

Nothing, however, can outdo the final few minutes for pure humor. Throughout the hour, the Gang speaks reverently of their “Plan B,” only to be deployed under the direst of circumstances. When those circumstances are more than met, they are forced to go through with it – even though, as Dennis exclaims, it’s only a dance routine. But from top to bottom their manic, passionaite performance is hysterically funny - and that's before their delusions crash down around them, and everyone else at the reunion heads off to what sounds like a wicked afterparty. Once again, the Gang is left alone to go back to the bar. Back to the status quo.

Two more seasons have already been confirmed by creators and stars McElhanney, Day, and Howerton. Hopefully they can avoid some of the pitfalls they stumbled into this year. But despite this season’s weaker offerings, at no point has it felt as though the characters were weak or their chemistry diminished, but rather that what once seemed like endless possibilities for episodes wasn’t quite so endless after all.

Returning Shows September 19-25

America’s Next Top Model:

This week features more uses of the word “brand” than anything outside of an advertising executive’s mouth. These D-list TV celebrities are each given a meaningless work or phrase meant to define their careers, their images, and their Pink’s Hot Dogs inspired photo shoot. The girls are as baffled at the product placement as any viewer.

Due to this confusion, most of the pictures range from the mediocre to the borderline pornographic. Poor Sheena, whose picture is no better or worse tthan Lisa, the winner's, is sent home.

American Dad!:

Somehow, “American Dad!” has managed to avoid the fatigue that plagues both “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.” Maybe that’s because it’s yet to get to its 10th, let alone 20th, season. Perhaps it’s because the characters have better chemistry. But it seems like it’s because there’s simply better writing.

This episode is an oblique “Little Shop of Horrors” parody, with a magical hot tub voiced by Cee-Lo Green taking the place of the smooth-voiced evil Audrey II. The episode is a musical, featuring groovy -80’s-90’s R&B inspired tunes rather than the original’s 60’s Motown sound. While only MacFarlane can really compete with Cee-Lo in terms of voice, it’s nice to hear him moving beyond only classic show tunes. It’s also nice to see the deconstruction of the original musical rather than simply a reference to it. The episode really functions as a story, albeit one that owes its structure to “Little Shop,” with the hot tub slowly chowing down on Stan’s friends, allies, and loved ones.

What follows is an uneven affair, neglecting characters such as Hayley and Klaus entirely and only making passing reference to Roger. But Stan Smith is undoubtedly the most dynamic character in the cast, and the episode makes good use of him and his decline from strictly regimented oral fortitude to swinging sex manic. The songs are also fantastic. This also marks the second time that they’ve killed the family without blinking an eye. Taking chances like that are what makes “American Dad!” worth watching.

With such amazing comedies on the air, “American Dad!” only really makes an impact when compared to its fellow Animation Domination members. But without “Bob’s Burgers” back on the air until January, it’s undeniably the best part of that programming block.

Archer:

Not too much to say about the second half-hour in the three-part “Archer” special finishing up next Thursday. The episode is surprisingly low-key, handing out more exposition and once again setting the stage for the final confrontation. When it happens, it’s sure to be explosive. But until that showdown, no doubt restoring Archer as Isis’ premiere spy and reuniting him with his smothering mother Malory, the audience has been forced to wait.

Luckily, the characters and actors have plenty of chemistry, and the bore of waiting back at Isis is weighing heavily – and hilariously – on the office drones. The high-strung Malory demands that Carol wait by the phone. Cyrill has to re-balance the budget that Lana and Gillette (honestly, the weakest aspect of the episode) have been savagely ripping apart. Pam, ever the sexual deviant, pounces on recovering sex-addict Cyrill. The Isis antics represent what’s happening with this extended storyline – a bit of cabin fever mixed with confidence that soon everything will be back to normal.

Community:

After a long and arduous offseason that yielded no Emmy nominations and plenty of buzz about possible cancellation, “Community” has returned. The conflict between Pierce and the group has been streamlined into a conflict between Pierce and Jeff, as both jockey for positions inside the study group. On a larger scale, John Goodman’s Vice Dean character has become the force that threatens Greendale and strangles the last gasp of funds from Dean Pelton’s newly-goateed throat.

The premiere indicates several things about “Community’s” third season. First, a renewed interest in Jeff the protagonist, rather than the group protagonist of last season. Second, as the opening number suggests, a return to the smaller stories of season one rather than the wild adventures of season two. There is a new villain and a new teacher (“The Wire’s” Michael K. Williams).

The most problematic character for most viewers has been Chang. The first season painted him as a man mad with power. But the second took so much of that power away he seemed only mad. This season has made what so far seems like an excellent idea- make him the only man on campus security. It’s a necessity and a recipe for great comedic showdowns between the study group and Greendale infrastructure.

Then again, almost anything is a recipe for greatness when put in the trustworthy hands of Dan Harmon and the “Community” writing team. It remains to be seen if my observations about the direction the third season is heading in are true, but either way, “We’re gonna have more fun and be less weird, than the first two years combined” at Greendale Community College this year. E Pluribus Anus!

Family Guy:

The tenth season premiere is back to the same formula the show has been stuck in for the last four or five years. Part of that may have to do with the arrested development of the characters, but there’s no reason that for the second or third time Seth MacFarlane and his writing team have returned to the “Griffins become rich – Griffins do absurd antics – Griffins return to their previous poverty.” Back in the first season, where Lois’ wealthy upbringing was revealed and the first episode with this storyline, “Family Guy” was still attempting to do an interesting character comedy about how blue-collar crassness contrasts with blue-blood stiffness. It was funnier then, and fresher. But “Family Guy” has moved on, leaning heavily on cut-aways and non sequitors to provide the jokes that never seem to flow organically anymore.

Free Agents:

Another uneven effort from “Free Agents” this past week. Moving away from the dark emotional drama at the core of last week, this episode focused on an attempt at tragic sex farce. Unfortunately, the players are all too old and slow to sell the manic pace necessary to communicate urgency in such a premise.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia:

After last week’s amazing premiere, this is a slight step sideways. But this might be the most purely disgusting half-hour in the show’s history. And for a show that has scenes where a large portion of Dee’s hair is ripped out of her scalp, Dennis vomits in anti-gravity, and two bums are having sex underneath a dock, the most disgusting scene of all is undeniably the sight of Mac and Frank, two grossly overweight and gluttonous men, heartily tearing into a rum-soaked ham that has been floating in the ocean for several hours after being gnawed on by a feral dog.

The main heft of the episode comes from Dennis and Dee’s rose-colored glasses, remembering their childhood jaunts to the Jersey Shore with their wealthy parents as the time of their lives. They pack the gang into their Land Rover and head down to the beach, not realizing that the town has experienced some decline since their childhood, with nuclear testing and an infestation of wild dogs rendering the beach empty and the boardwalk full of untrustworthy drug addicts and thieves. Dennis and Dee get wrapped up in townie criminal activity, while Mac and Frank hook up with a band of roving guidos.

There is also a twisted but slight subplot about Charlie spending an E-fueled night of PG-rated passion with the Waitress on the abandoned beach. Over the years, Charlie has truly been infantilized sexually, with his creepy obsession with the Waitress settling into what a 10-year-old would expect his girlfriend to do with him at recess. The other characters, absorbed in their outsized adventures, dismiss this whole C-story immediately.

For fans of gross-out humor, this is probably one of the best “Sunny” episodes ever. But it can’t help but be overshadowed by the absolutely perfect half-hour from last week.

The Office:

The introduction of James Spader as the new CEO really gives the show a new element of psychological torture. For all his constant prattling, Michael Scott was always eventually harmless. It was the major differentiation between the American show and the British original. Spader’s new character might actually know what he’s talking about, so when his office popularity contest separates the workers into two groups – groups he deems “winners” and “losers” – that threat actually has some weight behind it. Unfortunately, Andy, the newly ineffectual manager, diffuses the tension immediately much in the same style that Michael Scott would.

So far, “The Office” seems to be behaving with a “business as usual” strategy. No reason to change the formula that’s made them NBC’s highest rated comedy, right? Not necessarily, given that formula has gotten stale over the years. In fact, I almost hope this exercise backfires, and the show is forced to try something new or come to a merciful end.

Parks and Recreation:

“I don’t know what that means, but it had the cadence of a joke.”

Parks and Rec is back, y’all! Amy Poehler’s wonderful showcase largely sidelines the typical small municipal problems in order to set up the season-long conflicts and character beats. For a half-hour of setup, “I’m Leslie Knope” manages to work in plenty of hilarious reminders why this is one of the best and most consistent shows on TV.

Several familiar motifs and running gags return. For example, Tom Haverford’s traditional long, loose, absurd lists have been replaced by his grab bag of Entertainment 720 merchandise. Ron “fucking” Swanson christened Leslie “fucking” Knope. Tammy, Ron’s fearful ex-wife, was replaced by Ron’s first wife, also named Tammy, and played with icy precision by Patricia Clarkson. If Megan Mulally and Nick Offerman, married in real life, have crazily unstable chemistry, the power between Clarkson and Offerman is so skewed in her favor (as an Oscar-nominated actress and veritable movie star, it’s no wonder she stands out in this cast of TV players) that she truly does seem fearful.

However, this episode features almost no traditional mockumentary tricks. Only one talking head (and even that was hardly a necessity), little to no concern about where cameras should or shouldn’t be allowed – for the most part, the show has ceased pretending this is a documentary at all, simply using the handheld, shaky camera movements. It helps to keep the show “showing” and not “telling,” choosing scenes like Leslie’s first campaign meeting and her lunch with Ann as ways to reveal how the character is feeling and what she is thinking rather than having her parrot it to the camera. This is wonderfully refreshing and lets this ensemble show actually show its ensemble behaving as such.

But what really sets “Parks and Recreation” apart is the love the audience can incur for the characters. So Leslie and Ben’s quiet, sweet, sad breakup scene is truly moving because we know how much these characters have gone through in order to get to this moment, and how much it truly means to them. This campaign already has stakes sky-high. And by building to it naturally, unlike, say, the “Glee” characters getting to the national championship level without any discernable change in their skills, it truly feels like a possibility for Leslie. She opened the show by claiming she wanted to be President. Now the audience can share in that wonderful confidence.

Saturday Night Live:

After it went into the offseason with a whimper, SNL is back, once again relying on one of their most frequent hosts – Alec Baldwin, back for his 16th time – to edge by with a somewhat enjoyable, if still lazy, episode.

Baldwin steps seamlessly into almost every act and every sketch. Only the musical interludes from moody rock band Radiohead and the pre-taped commercial parody are without him. And who can blame the writers – writing for Baldwin is practically a rite of passage and has resulted in some memorable and wonderful sketches over the years, including Pete Schweddy, whose new ice cream flavor was Baldwin’s monologue fodder. The monologue also featured an appearance from Baldwin’s faux-rival Steve Martin, who seemed to be setting the stage for his own appearance sometime this season. Let’s hope that’s true, because SNL needs all the help it can get.

The cast is still game, and good (if desperate) performances are buoying even the weaker sketches, but the same faces appeared again and again throughout the night. Taking over the heavy lifting in terms of female performers, Vanessa Bayer seems to be the new Kristen Wiig, appearing in more than half the show despite her status as a featured player. Conversely, Paul Brittain appeared only in the supersized cold open, while Jay Pharaoh was shown not at all. No Digital Short from Andy Samberg and the Lonely Island crew, which is odd considering I can’t remember them ever doing a bit or a song featuring Baldwin before.

This episode just featured an overall dearth of originality in the writing, frequently repeating punchlines and eliminating any edge the jokes might have. For example, the last sketch of the night was probably the most creative, with Taren Killam playing an old-fashioned army private forced to promise to adhere to the increasingly absurd But rather than taking time to develop Killam’s reactions, the momentum of the sketch was undercut by adding two other wisecracking dying soldiers. SNL has too many resources and too few ideas. Hopefully Mellissa McCarthy, a sketch/improv veteran, has a successful jaunt next week. New blood is always a good thing.

Up All Night:

Good work from “Up All Night’s” second episode. It’s still not necessarily a show I’d wait for each week, but it’s certainly begun to focus on the reconciliation of a late-30’s baby with an early-30’s partying past. Chris and Regan remain recognizably human, though I wish the same was true of Maya Rudolph’s Ava, who is getting more cartoony as time goes by. This would make more sense if she was an out-of-touch authority figure rather than Regan’s good friend.

Returning Shows Sept. 13-20th

America’s Next Top Model:

Tyra Banks is trying as hard as she can to prove her own mental instability. She is doing a wonderful job. This season of “ANTM” promises more washed up, tired looking models half-heartedly pretending to nearly go into epileptic shock every time they are graced with Banks’ visage.

Somehow, most of the “All-Star” cast seems to be familiar with one another, something that suggests perhaps the model graduates of ANTM might hit a glass ceiling of sorts. In fact, some of these awkwardly desperate women (for they’re all at least in their mid-to late twenties), seem to have suffered the slings and arrows of plastic surgery and hair extensions. The season could still be fun in a voyeuristic way, but frankly the proceedings seem kind of sad, and the level of intimacy one must have with the prior seasons (or, excuse me, “cycles”) in order to remember the moments frequently called back and referenced is disappointingly high.

Archer:

Alas, there will only be two more episodes of powerhouse comedy “Archer” before its usual premiere date in late January. Fortunately, this limited run is just as vivacious and hilarious as usual. “Heart of Archness – Part 1” is a uniformly excellent half-hour of setup, and here’s to hoping the next two episodes will bring the payoff in a great an unexpected way.

The episode opens with a quick rundown of where things have gone since the second season finale. Sterling Archer, still in mourning over his trashy European fiancée, has run away from Isis and has been on the lam in the deep Pacific for months. Malory, his overbearing mother, is sparing no expense in the quest to find him. The other Isis agents, Lana among them, have little interest in reintroducing Archer to their ranks. But, considering the title of the show, Malory is forced to outsource the job to Patrick Warburton’s Rip, a 1930’s style flying ace. Rip quickly finds Archer, but through typical Archer buffoonery, Sterling manages to both constantly shoot his would-be-savior in the foot and still having time to do the same to a shark’s face. Most of the effort of this episode is spent on establishing the Rip/Archer dynamic, which one can only hope is indicative of Rip’s significance in Season 3.

The plot really kicks up once Archer and Rip are kidnapped by pirates (pirates counting David Cross among them). Archer gets the chance to have one of his now-trademarked monologue/shooting sprees. It’s funny and sharp throughout, and if it’s odd to have an “Archer” storyline end without a resolution. But the spy-movie plot, the new locations, and the characters that seamlessly integrate with established favorites all show that “Archer” is well on its way to a fantastic third season.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia:

“Always Sunny” has never been the type of show to introduce serialization or maintain long-running arcs. But this season marks a new step forward in fearlessness and, at least in this episode, callback after callback. From the first scenes introducing “Big Fat Mac,” it’s clear the show is going farther than ever.

This season picks up a decent while after Dee’s pregnancy was resolved at the end of last season, throwing down the gauntlet immediately with Frank’s new girlfriend – the hysterically inarticulate prostitute Roxy. When Frank decides he wishes to marry Roxy, the gang spring into action. What’s great is the psychological consistency behind their concerns.

Dee, who still feels her life has yet to begin, decides to mentor Roxy in a “Pretty Woman” style. But through visiting expensive stores and taking high profile clients, Dee realizes Roxy’s hard-lined life on the streets is better than her comparatively conservative one.

Meanwhile, Charlie decides Frank deserves a girl who wants him for him, not for his money. Using his own twisted logic, he determines the best way to find such a girl is for Charlie to take out a woman while posing as a millionaire. Halfway through the date, he plans to feign illness and make way for Frank, who will be pretending to be a humble limo driver, to replace him on the remainder of the date. While this setup alone guarantees laughs, the payoff to this scene is possibly the first “Sunny” plot to actually require a spoiler alert. Structured impeccably, this whole setpiece is designed to get viewers back in the mood for disgusting, hysterical, anti-humor.

The weakest story this week is actually the “Big Mac” intro. While Rob McElhanney has shown remarkable commitment to getting as truly disgusting as possible, pairing Mac’s sloppy, newly gluttonous persona with Dennis’ near anorexia feels a little easy. Better is Dennis’ revelation that the only thing that’s been keeping him off of crack is his obsession with preserving his youth. Glenn Howerton does actually look pretty good, especially compared with McElhanney, which lends the delusional Dennis a tiny bit of credibility – at least until a deadpan doctor shatters his illusions of good health. The tag to the story, featuring Tommy Bahama shirts, is definitely its best aspect, and leads well into the conclusion.

The final scenes reunite the cast for a typical sociopathic blowout. It may not be shocking for “Sunny” aficionados, but it certainly shows that despite the addition of a baby to the series last year, this ensemble has not lost its edge in any way.

Project Runway:

Not too much to say about another entry in the middle of this so far disappointing season. Josh M. has been once again rewarded for bad behavior, the judges are fragmenting before the camera’s eye, and guest judge Malin Ackerman looked absolutely terrible. The challenge itself could have been more fun, but contradicted itself at every angle. At first, it seemed to be a quest for the designer to listen to what the husbands/boyfriends said about their ladies and try and make a good guess as to what the women’s styles were actually like. Then, with the addition of the women as models, it became another “dress a REAL WOMAN challenge.” Then, with the slight domestic disputes, it became about reconciling between the two parties and finding a look that they both approved of. Then, on the runway it simply became about which woman looked the most like a typical model. This resulted in a top three made up entirely of straight sized clients, a bottom three that was made up of entirely happy clients, and, at the very least, a loser who had been turning out bad looks almost from Day 1. It’s hard to believe Bryce even made it this far.