It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “Frank’s Pretty Woman”
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “Frank’s Pretty Woman”
The key to comedy is you have to commit to it. Rob McElhenney gained about 50 pounds just because he thought it’d be funny. That is really committing to the bit. Especially since he and his wife/co-star Kaitlin Olson have a one-year-old son which means that weight is going to be bitch to lose (or not, I looked online and read that he lost half of it already). One of the things I’ve always loved about It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the way it will take its characters down weird roads like having them get addicted to various drugs or marry random weirdoes from their past. Mac’s weight gain and result Adult Onset Diabetes fits right in with that.
The last season didn’t always work for me, although the show remained ballsy and funny but if the season premiere episode is any indication this season is getting back on track. The best Dennis stories involve his vanity and just how hard he falls when that vanity is shattered. The best Mac stories involve his completely unjustified overconfidence. The best Dee stories involve her naïve believe that somehow her life will get better. The best Frank stories involve him pursuing some deranged and often disgusting desire. The best Charlie stories involve him coming up with an idiotic scheme that makes no sense. All of those elements come together very well in “Frank’s Pretty Woman.”
This hardly is the first time the bizarre fantasy of the film Pretty Woman has been mocked. I used to live in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district and so I’ve seen that your average hooker does not look like a young movie star. Actually Frank’s hooker girlfriend Roxy (Alanna Ubach) reminds me of one who kept bugging me outside my building once (Her first question: ”Got a cigarette?” Her second: “You like blowjobs?” She seemed offended that I wasn’t interested.) Anyway, the gang’s attempt to give her a makeover is ridiculously ill-conceived and eventually her fad wad of cash begins to lure Dee to the seedy world of foot work…
The Charlie/Frank storyline was good for some laughs but overall left me cold. Mainly I liked Dennis in this episode. He keeps trying to fix everyone and then gives up quickly. He tries to help Roxy, gives up after being called “baby dick.” He tries to help Mac but gives up when he learns his “health regimen” is actually only making him unhealthier. I love that his crack addiction from “Dennis and Dee Go On Welfare” makes a comeback. Most of all, I love the resolution to the episode. Ditching the dead whore in the hallway solves everything. What’s going to happen next week.
Persistence of Vision 