I have a toothache and am in an incredibly weird mood, so fuck it, let’s write about my top twelve episodes of iasip <3 I really did try to limit this to a respectable ten, but I was agonizing so much over which two episodes to cut that I just decided to let them all live. This is going to be so long, my bad…
I’m going to go in some sort of order, starting from my twelfth favorite and moving up, but none of this is set in stone. The episodes will probably always be vaguely around the spots they’re in, but I’ve spent a lot of time moving them around and will probably continue to. I also know that this show is still very fresh for me, and as time passes I know my mind will change. Once I rewatch, I’m sure there will be some “sleeper agent” episodes that I didn’t realize I loved, but for now here’s what I got.
12. S17 Ep3: Mac and Dennis Become EMTs
I feel like this seems like an odd choice, but I just really treasure this episode. Whenever I get to the later seasons of a show, I start getting nervous that it’ll “fall off” or have odd character developments. Now, I’m not saying sunny is perfect every single episode through all of its seasons, but I do think it holds up remarkably well, and that’s something that I was reminded of with this episode. This plotline was so quintessentially iasip and it is fucking delightful. It really has everything I could want. I have my own Opinions on Mac and Dennis as a duo in episodes (I’ll talk about that eventually maybe idk), but I love them together so much in this one. I love how they “yes, and” each other, and I also love how goddamn annoying they are in the EMT training class. Mac hitting on the teacher killed me. Charlie’s plotline is fucking wonderful and so perfect for him, plus I love the references to The Bear (I think I’ve written about that show on here? Fucking phenomenal show if you haven’t seen it). Dee doing her DoorDash bullshit is hilarious, and Frank scheming along is the cherry on top. But, mostly, what I love is how all of these insane plotlines connect together until these five idiots are high on peppers and committing 42 felonies. I would love this episode in any season, but I love it more because it’s in season 17. It was the episode of the season that proved to me that they’ve still “got it,” that even this far in, they can still make classics. This episode feels like it goes back to the basics: three acts, each one crazier than the last, centering around my beloved five assholes taking advantage of systems they’re too stupid to take advantage of <3
11. S15 Ep6: The Gang’s Still in Ireland
I honestly wish I could give this slot to the entire Ireland arc, but that’s definitely cheating, so I picked my favorite one of the four. Still, you can’t really talk about any of these episodes without talking about the overarching plot they all exist within. The Ireland plotline is so much fucking fun and feels so inspired. One of the things that stands out to me most about this show is how much love is continuously poured into its creation, and that shines through in this arc. There is such commitment to these characters in this arc, but also to the show’s creation as well, down to the unique intro used for this set of episodes. My favorite moment of the arc is actually in Ep8 when Charlie breaks down about his father, but overall, this episode is my favorite of the bunch. I love how it tackles all three of the arcs it’s trying to balance. The payoff with Mac’s arc is hilarious, Dennis and Dee are one of my fav pairs to watch together, and Frank and Charlie’s dynamic being tested is so great to watch. There is just such life and energy in this arc that I really fucking adore.
10. S9 Ep3 The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award
I feel like this might be another one that seems like an odd choice, but damn, I fucking love this episode. Is it subtle? No, not at all, but I love it all the more for that. This episode is one of, if not the most meta one, which is normally not my thing, but what this episode represents makes up for the fourth wall breaking. I love how they directly acknowledge that all of the things that, in my opinion, make sunny so fantastic, are also the things that prevent it from becoming some massive, mainstream, award-winning sitcom. There is so much to analyze here, and maybe I’ll go deeper into it sometime, but what I get most out of this episode is how they acknowledge Dee and how sitcom women are normally written. I have always loved how Dee is granted the right of personhood, which is something that is very rarely given to women on-screen. Dee refuses to be one-dimensional, refuses to be a love-interest, refuses to be the “good one” or the “voice of reason” or “the token woman.” It is so frustrating to watch how women are written, so Dee being the way she is has always been such a breath of fresh air to me. I adore how this episode acknowledges that Dee having this agency is both a rarity and isn’t going away anytime soon. I really have a lot to say about the writing of sitcom women, and maybe I will write an essay about it one day, but I’m getting off track. I also love this episode because it paints iasip as this rough-and-tumble underdog that refuses to sanitize itself to appeal to a larger audience. That attitude, as pretentious as it may lean to some people, has been one of the biggest draws of the show for me. In his solo Hot Ones interview, Rob talks about how iasip always has to exist as counterculture because that’s always been the point, and I respect the hell out of that.
Also, Charlie’s spider song. God, I love Charlie Kelly.
9. S12 Ep6 Hero or Hate Crime?
Mac’s queer storyline is one of the most important plots of the show to me, and this episode brings a large aspect of that arc to a close. I think it’s done in such a perfect, iasip way. It is a genuinely hilarious episode with one of my favorite iasip formats: the gang all (vaguely, kind of?) on the same side terrorizing a poor civilian with their bullshit. The way the episode builds as the story spirals out of control is so delightful and fun to watch. Mainly, though, I respect this episode for giving Mac his little moment. It would’ve been easy to keep him in the closet forever, especially when it provides a lot of joke material, but Mac deserves to come out and stay out. RCG and the rest of the writers know that by this point, and so they let Mac have his moment. He’ll get more of one later, but this one still feels special even though S13 Ep10 is much more impactful in terms of sincerity regarding Mac’s sexuality.
8. S6 Ep10 Charlie Kelly: King of the Rats
Is this another odd pick? I actually don’t know which episodes are fan favorites except for the obvious ones (we’ll get to those), but this is certainly up there for me. Charlie is easily my favorite character, which will probably be reflected through this list, and so this episode is a big one for me. I mainly love it for those final few moments where the gang gives Charlie the gift of his mind’s creations brought to life along with his new rat-smashing bat. The way Charlie looks at them with such reverence, admiration, and surprise has stuck with me since I’ve watched it. I love even more how the gang doesn’t end the episode on insulting Charlie. They just watch their friend go off with amusement and, dare I say it, love. Sentimentality is a rarity in this show, and I appreciate that. The tone of the show works so well for me, but damn, with how badly Charlie is treated in the two episodes prior to this one, it feels so good to watch him get this win. Fuck it, as much as I feel it’s important to maintain this show’s satirical nature to preserve its message, I really love the little moments that prove the gang loves each other.
7. S13 Ep10 Mac Finds His Pride
Holy shit I have written enough about this episode. I have analyzed it to death. I’ll see if I can figure out how to link my essay in case anyone is curious about what I wrote for this. It’s still probably my favorite thing I’ve ever written about the show.
6. S4 Ep11 The Gang Cracks The Liberty Bell
God, this episode is just so much fun. The costumes. The voices. The nonsensical plotline. Dee being a witch. The ending being the gang all jumping around “explaining” this insanity to someone who cannot even begin to follow their ramblings. I love this episode for a lot of the same reasons I love the Ireland arc. It just feels so inspired and alive. You can really tell they’re having a shit ton of fun with this one. I love watching shows where you know the actors are having the time of their lives, and that is so present in so much of iasip. Fuck, man, Rob is laughing in like 1/4 of the scenes. Their joy is infectious. This episode, especially with it being so early in the show, feels like a turning point because it displays a creative, intuitive side to the writing. It’s one thing to have a premise that works, another to have characters that can carry said premise, and an entirely different storm to be able to consistently write around those characters and premise in a way that feels fresh and fun. This episodes flexes a creativity that’ll carry through the show and consistently keep viewers on their toes.
Also, Cricket’s head explodes.
5. S4 Ep4+5 Mac and Charlie Die
Listen. I know this is two episodes. I know I’m cheating here. But come on. Come on, man. Let me have this one. Mac and Charlie are my absolute favorite duo not just in this show, but in any show I have ever watched. Genuinely, watching this show, I’d get so goddamn excited every time I realized I was on a Mac and Charlie episode. This plotline is the perfect representative of what makes Mac and Charlie episodes so fucking wonderful. The way their combined stupidities build on each other is brilliant, and at this point in the show, Mac and Charlie’s relationship is still so earnest. There’s a lot I could say about the evolution of this pairing, but this early in the show, they’re genuinely just fucking pals. I’m not saying they aren’t friends by s17, but the dynamic has undeniably changed. The state their duo is in during this season is one of my favorites. The way they drag each other around through this nonsense is wonderful. There are so many moments in this “episode” that delight me endlessly. Charlie’s teeth coming out with zero effort. Their outfits. The camping on the roof. Mac in the wedding dress. The poppers. Frank genuinely being devastated that Charlie is dead. The whole scheme being pointless in the end. It’s all just fucking cinema, man.
Also, listen. I am a gay woman. But the way Mac looks after he crashes the car, all bloody and disheveled, makes me feel things. Goddamn. Men should always be covered in blood.
4. S10 Ep4 Charlie Work
Okay we’re now in the realm of me being incredibly mainstream, but please forgive me. These episodes are everyone’s favorites for a reason, sorry to be lame. It makes me so goddamn happy that everyone loves Charlie Work, because watching this episode felt like Christmas morning. This episode is just special. I adore long takes for how they make shows “feel”, but also for the amount of effort and skill it takes to create them. Charlie Day absolutely smashes this episode. Everyone in the cast is fantastic in this, but let’s be real, this is Charlie’s episode. He absolutely does the heavy lifting and pulls it off in a way that feels magical to witness. I will never forget watching the credits of this episode and just sitting on my couch feeling dumbfounded. The feat of this episode is incredible. But maybe even more important than that, Charlie Kelly is the fucking best. The way he rushes around with such a rare level of focus is magnetic, and watching him have to work around four of the dumbest fuckers in Philly is both hysterical and humanizing. It really helps you see Charlie for who he is and what he brings to the gang, and it actually pisses me off so bad that none of them acknowledge what he achieves in the episode. Those stupid assholes have no clue that their bar would be cooked without my beloved Charlie. He is such a gem of a character and has quickly become one of my favorites of all time.
3. S4 Ep13 The Nightman Cometh
I mean, you can’t really honestly write an iasip favorites list without Nightman. I will never forget watching this episode. It was the first episode that truly cemented to me that I was watching something special. It was the type of episode that I never wanted to end. It is everything that is good about this show. I’m not gonna harp on it for awhile because I think this episode has gotten all of its well-deserved flowers already, but wow it is just magical. Mac’s eyeliner. The troll toll. Dennis and Dee’s duet. Dee’s improvised song. Dennis just in general in this goddamn episode. The costumes, Charlie’s palpable stress, the music. The goddamn music!! I sing dayman to myself on the daily. Nightman Cometh, you will always be famous.
2. S10 Ep1 The Gang Beats Boggs
Another one that everyone expects, I’m sure, but it really does have it all. I love it most for the Mac and Charlie bits, of course. The final scene on the baseball field is one of, if not my favorite scene in the entire show. You so do not expect Charlie to be able to even lift the bat, much less swing it, so watching him hit that shit nearly out of the park is the most dumbfounding, amazing conclusion to this tale. Him and Mac walking away arm and arm always gets me. Every part of this episode is just so inspired. It’s one of the episodes I’d recommend to someone who just wants a taste of what this show is about. Season 10 is one of my favorite seasons of the show because it really feels like they’ve hit their stride. The entire season is full of creativity, passion, and energy, a tone that is set by this episode. Everyone is on their A game in this, everyone is fucking hilarious. Also, I have a special soft spot for this episode as a baseball fan. Even though the gang is a bunch of Phillies fans, which is physically painful to me (unfortunately, I’m a Mets fan), I still get giddy whenever they talk about baseball.
1. S6 Ep13 A Very Sunny Christmas
Am I allowed to pick this episode? Does this count? Is this cheating? Oh well. I’m not 100% sure if this episode is my favorite, my top three swirl around a lot, but for now it can have the spot. This Christmas special is a goddamn triumph in every sense. I mainly love it because it’s a 45 minute Mac and Charlie episode, but every plotline in this episode is golden. Frank crawling out of that goddamn couch still makes me laugh even by just thinking about it. Nothing says Christmas more than staring at Frank Reynolds’ asscheeks. I really just love the journey Mac and Charlie take through this episode. I see it in such a sentimental way that is probably not warranted, but oh well. There is a lot in this episode that is honestly pretty sad. Mac realizes that he never really had any actual Christmases and instead was forced to commit felonies with his parents, who really didn’t give a damn if he got any presents either way. Charlie realizes that his mom spent their Christmases doing sex work while he unknowingly sat on the couch, ignored and confused. Both of these realizations would be horribly depressing in any other show, but for Mac and Charlie, they ultimately take it in stride. They celebrate their own way, realizing that the little family they’ve built together is enough to make up for the families that abused them when they were young. The final minute of this episode, of course, always gets me. The gang throws rocks at trains just as Charlie and Mac said they always used to do. That moment would already be enough, but it goes even further when we see young Mac and Charlie partaking in their tradition. Man. That always fucking gets me. These two boys seem to have very little. Neither of them have fathers, not present ones, anyway. Charlie’s got a mother who may love him, but who often smothers him and treats him in a way that does not respect who he is. Mac’s got a mother who genuinely hates his guts, a mother who emotionally and physically abuses him. Neither of them will be getting any real presents on Christmas Day, but despite it all, they’re happy. They’re throwing rocks at trains, filled with glee, because while it may seem like they have very little, they’ve got each other, and that’s everything. Fuck, did not mean to get so sentimental, but they were boys together!! They were fucking boys together. Sometimes all you need is a friend. Mac and Charlie needed each other. They still do.
Also, Charlie tries to kill Santa.
Wow I did not expect to write so much. If anyone does end up reading this, thank you for indulging my rambling! I’d love to know what you all think about these episodes, but even more, I want to know what everyone’s favorite episodes are :) If you feel so inclined, please drop them in the comments/tags/reblogs/wherever, I love reading what other people love about this show. It was really, really difficult to narrow this down to just twelve episodes, and I know I’m doing other episodes I love a disservice by not including them, but oh well. When I rewatch the show eventually, I may write an essay for genuinely every single episode. I know that sounds insane but it sounds like such fun to my obsessed brain right now.
Writing this has made me forget about my toothache for a while which has been nice. I wish I, like Charlie, could casually pull my teeth out. I’ll go to the dentist soon, I promise, but for now I’ll think about my silly little sitcom to dull the pain <3
