Ranking All 10 Seasons of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

There really are two types of people who watch TV: those who love It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and those who hate it. If you can't tell, I am one of the former. I came onto the show after the third season had aired. After watching one episode, I bought the first two seasons and showed it to anyone that would watch it. I have converted about a half dozen people to the show. One of 'my converts' has been trying to get me to throw rocks at trains on Christmas Day ever since.



The show was created by Rob McElhenney, who plays Mac. He wrote the bulk of the first episodes while working as a waiter in Los Angeles. He filmed the pilot on a handheld camera with his two friends Charlie Day, who plays Charlie Kelly, and Glenn Howerton, who plays Dennis Reynolds. They showed the pilot to the President of FX and he loved it. You can watch clips of this pilot on YouTube and you just know that this show was destined for success. They then cast Dee, who was supposed to be a character that would remind the guys how immoral they were. But Kaitlin Olson nailed the lines that were written for Dennis and they decided to write the character Dee as another degenerate. Danny Devito saw the show and loved it. He pursued a role on the show. Frank Reynolds will be the role Danny Devito is remembered for—that and Oswald Cobblepot.

So in honor of the Season 11 premiere of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia on January 6th on FXX, I wanted to rank the previous seasons of the show:

#10) Season 9 -- Some of this season's episodes, like 'The Gang Desperately Tries To Win An Award', take an external look at the show. These episodes are clever, but they don't hold a lot of comedic value and a lot of episodes miss the mark. Half of the episodes were written by the original writers, and the other half were not. This may be the worst season of It's Always Sunny, but it is still great and worth watching.

Best Episode -- Flowers for Charlie. This episode was written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, the guys who do a lot of the writing for Game of Thrones. It stands out from the rest because there is some really funny dialogue with a smart Charlie, and the twist at the end makes it worth re-watching.

#9) Season 3 - There are 15 episodes in Season 3, and you can tell that was a lot for the young show to execute to perfection. Season 3 has a number of episodes that stray away from the core story of 5 egomaniacal degenerates making their way through life. And there are some episodes in this season that just are not good, something you will not find in the other seasons down the list.

Best Episode -- The Gang Finds A Dumpster Baby. It's a said throwaway culture we live in, and this episode is proof. When Mac and Dee try to take the baby to a tanning salon...priceless.

#8) Season 8 -- All ten episodes are solid. The season focuses on putting the characters in different situations, like the gang dining out or Frank being brought out of retirement. If you followed the show for a while, then the brilliance shines though, though it won’t stand out if you are new to the show.

Best Episode -- The Gang Recycles Their Trash. Brilliantly written. The episode weaves in and out of old schemes and recycles lines in a clever and new way.

#7) Season 2 -- Season 1 and Season 2 were aired within a calendar year of each other. So the episodes sort of blend together. The main difference though is that we get Frank in Season 2. Here Frank is more of a mentor to the young characters in how to be a self-centered degenerate. He is not at his most depraved and demented. The character is at his best when you see him spiraling downward. That is why this season ranks lower for me.

Best Episode -- Dennis and Dee go on Welfare. If you want an example of how terrible the characters in the show are, watch this episode. Dennis and Dee get addicted to crack so they can go on welfare, while Charlie, Mac and Frank get "slaves" by hiring recovering drug addicts so they can use a tax loophole to write off their wages.

#6) Season 6 -- This is another solid season with some staple episodes. This season is where Dee really comes out to shine, while Kaitlin Olson is pregnant none the less! The reason it sits at position six is because there are no stand out episodes. They are all equally good, but none, in my opinion, are top ten episodes.

Best Episode -- Charlie Kelly: King of Rats. Charlie Day's portrayal of the character Charlie Kelly weaves in out of over the top and subtle humor. This episode strikes the perfect balance with Charlie, and proves that he is indeed the King of Rats.

#5) Season 10 -- There are some 5 star episodes in this season. I'm talking top 10 for the series. Yet the comedy in it has too much social commentary; Phsyco Pete Returns & The Gang Spies Like U.S. come to mind. These episodes are good, but It's Always Sunny is about timeless humor, not current issues. I'm doing an all-time ranking so these take Season 10 down a peg.

Best Episode -- The Gang Beats Boggs. Frank, Dennis, Dee and Charlie try to drink 70 beers a piece on a cross country flight while Mac supervises. What else can you ask for? Watch Charlie Day explain the premise on Jimmy Fallon. Hilarious.

#4) Season 4 -- We get the characters as they are becoming their most depraved, but they are not quite there yet. This is the season where the characters’ identities and roles are fully cemented, but a couple episodes don't present anything new, and other ones take the characters out of their depravity.

Best Episode -- The Nightman Cometh. So many great jokes. And the build up from Season 3 makes this episode one of the all time greats. You just have to watch it.

#3) Season 7 -- Fat Mac puts this season above the other seasons in this range. The show's brilliance continues, but Mac really steals the show. The actor actually put on those 50 pounds! Rob McElhenney did it because he never liked how actors got prettier as their shows became famous. People age in real life and he wanted to show that in the show. His original idea was to have the other cast members do it, but they said "No". This season tweaks the formula of the show and the results are hilarious. Just remember to "Breathe and eat, separately!"

Best Episode -- CharDee MacDennis: The Game Of Games. A couple of times during this episode I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. A couple other times I fell on the floor laughing. The foreshadowing with Mac trying to rip the game board out of the bar is perfectly executed. Season 11 has another round of CharDee MacDennis, and I can't wait.

#2) Season 1 -- Put on any episode of Season 1 and show it to someone. If they like it, they will love the show. If they don't like it they will hate the show and probably think less of you. It is that simple. The series is made in these first seven episodes. They are required viewing and some of the show’s best work.

Best Episode -- Charlie Got Molested. When Mac gets upset about not being molested as a child it is disgusting, hilarious and a perfect example of this show's demented version of comedy.

#1) Season 5 -- This season holds the best line up of episodes from start to finish. All the episodes are far above the series average, and there are a couple of top 10 episodes. The characters delve deeper into their identities. The episodes peel back a few layers and we learn more about what makes the characters so strange. Each character has their moments in this season: Dennis has the D.E.N.N.I.S. system; Mac has his letter to Chase Utley; Dee has her response to the waitress's engagement; and Charlie mentions how he's never left Philly. Then there is the gang giving Frank an intervention. Each thing says so very much about the characters. Everything in this season is at its prime.

Best Episode -- The Gang Gives Frank An Intervention. The show always has subtle ways of introducing reality to the gang. And you don't realize how bizarre these characters are until you place them next to a normal person. In this episode, the therapist takes one look at the gang and you understand how demented and terrible these people are. If they were real we'd hate them, but they're not so we can love them on TV.

Bonus: My favorite episode of all time. To me there is a difference between best and favorite. My favorite Stars Wars movie is definitely the original one, but the best one is without a doubt The Empire Strike Back. The Gang Gives Frank An Intervention is arguably the best episode in the series, but my favorite episode is 'The Gang Wrestles For The Troops'. The way the episode incorporates supporting characters Artemis and Cricket is great. And in three or four lines of dialogue you know that Da’ Maniac truly is insane. The entire troupe fires on all cylinders to give my favorite episode.

I hope season 11 comes in and blasts everyone's nips off and I can just stick it at #1. Enjoy the Season 11 premier on January 6, 2016!