Season of television series
| It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | |
|---|---|
| Season 13 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Release | |
| Original network | FXX |
| Original release | September 5 (2018-09-05) – November 7, 2018 (2018-11-07) |
| Season chronology | |
| ← Previous Season 12 Next → Season 14 | |
| List of episodes | |
The thirteenth season of the American comedy television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia premiered on FXX on September 5, 2018. The season consists of 10 episodes and concluded on November 7, 2018.
Cast
See also: List of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia charactersMain cast
- Charlie Day as Charlie Kelly
- Glenn Howerton as Dennis Reynolds
- Rob McElhenney as Mac
- Kaitlin Olson as Deandra "Dee" Reynolds
- Danny DeVito as Frank Reynolds
Recurring cast
Guest stars
- Mindy Kaling as Cindy
- Artemis Pebdani as Artemis Dubois
- Lance Barber as Bill Ponderosa
- Travis Schuldt as Ben The Soldier
- Sandy Martin as Mrs. Mac
- Lynne Marie Stewart as Bonnie Kelly
- Gregory Scott Cummins as Luther Mac
- Michael Naughton as The Waiter
- Andrew Friedman as Jack Kelly
- Mary Lynn Rajskub as Gail the Snail
- Humphrey Ker as Alan
- Tyler Labine as Shawn Dumont
- Tricia O'Kelley as Brenda
- Gillian Vigman as Karen
- Beau Allen as himself
- Jason Kelce as himself
Production
On April 1, 2016, the series was renewed for a thirteenth and fourteenth season, which tied it with The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet as the longest-running (in number of seasons) live-action sitcom in American TV history.
In March 2017, following the twelfth season finale in which Glenn Howerton's character was seemingly written off the show, Howerton expressed doubt about his return for the thirteenth season, describing it as "partially a creative and personal decision." He also suggested that the show would take an "extended hiatus" in order to accommodate the cast's other projects. In late April, Kaitlin Olson confirmed Sunny's extended hiatus ahead of the thirteenth season due to the cast's busy schedules. In August 2018, Rob McElhenney confirmed that Howerton is "in pretty much every episode" of the season. Howerton appeared in six of the season's ten episodes, but had no writing credits.
Episodes
See also: List of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 135 | 1 | "The Gang Makes Paddy's Great Again" | Todd Biermann | David Hornsby | September 5, 2018 (2018-09-05) | XIP13010 | 0.606 |
| The Gang recruits a new member in Dennis' absence: Cindy (Mindy Kaling), a scheming woman of color who helps them better themselves and take advantage of several political parties. Meanwhile, Mac orders a sex doll that looks like Dennis, which threatens their newfound success. | |||||||
| 136 | 2 | "The Gang Escapes" | LP | Megan Ganz | September 12, 2018 (2018-09-12) | XIP13006 | 0.390 |
| Dee convinces the Gang to participate in an escape room exercise in Dennis and Mac's apartment. | |||||||
| 137 | 3 | "The Gang Beats Boggs: Ladies' Reboot" | Kat Coiro | Dannah Phirman & Danielle Schneider | September 19, 2018 (2018-09-19) | XIP13002 | 0.420 |
| Dee, The Waitress, Artemis, Mrs. Mac, and Bonnie Kelly board an all-female flight bound for Los Angeles to participate in the Women's March until Dee informs them that they're really doing an all-female version of the Boggs Challenge. | |||||||
| 138 | 4 | "Time's Up for the Gang" | Kat Coiro | Megan Ganz | September 26, 2018 (2018-09-26) | XIP13001 | 0.312 |
| Due to heightened concerns over sexual harassment, misconduct, and intimidation thanks to the Me Too movement and Time's Up, The Gang is forced to go to an anti-harassment seminar so their bar can be taken off an Internet list of Worst Bars For Women to Frequent. | |||||||
| 139 | 5 | "The Gang Gets New Wheels" | Todd Biermann | Conor Galvin | October 3, 2018 (2018-10-03) | XIP13007 | 0.319 |
| The Gang gets into misadventures involving vehicles: Dennis finds his Range Rover destroyed and gets a less-expensive car, which makes him nicer and nets him new friends; Dee gets the Range Rover Frank wanted to buy for himself but had to give up because of his expired license, and she makes friends with upper-class moms and becomes more like Dennis; Frank goes to driver's-ed classes and befriends a crude teen; and Mac and Charlie start riding bikes like they did in childhood and run afoul of a new generation of bullying bike thieves. | |||||||
| 140 | 6 | "The Gang Solves the Bathroom Problem" | Josh Drisko | Erin Ryan | October 10, 2018 (2018-10-10) | XIP13005 | 0.342 |
| The Gang misses out on a Jimmy Buffett concert when they see Mac come out of the women's bathroom and get caught up in discussing issues of gender identity, diversity, and public-bathroom use. | |||||||
| 141 | 7 | "The Gang Does a Clip Show" | Todd Biermann | Dannah Phirman & Danielle Schneider | October 17, 2018 (2018-10-17) | XIP13008 | 0.298 |
| While waiting for their phones to download software updates, the Gang reminisces about their past adventures in clip-show style, but their memories become warped, as does time itself. | |||||||
| 142 | 8 | "Charlie's Home Alone" | Kat Coiro | Adam Weinstock & Andy Jones | October 24, 2018 (2018-10-24) | XIP13004 | 0.294 |
| Charlie is left alone at the bar on the weekend of Super Bowl LII; after falling victim to his own Home Alone-style traps to protect the bar from intruders, he must try to overcome several obstacles to complete his rituals to help the Eagles win the game. | |||||||
| 143 | 9 | "The Gang Wins the Big Game" | Kat Coiro | Conor Galvin | October 31, 2018 (2018-10-31) | XIP13003 | 0.323 |
| While Charlie stays in Philadelphia, Mac, Dee, Frank, and some of their closest friends head to Minnesota with tickets to see the Eagles in the Super Bowl. | |||||||
| 144 | 10 | "Mac Finds His Pride" | Todd Biermann | Rob McElhenney & Charlie Day | November 7, 2018 (2018-11-07) | XIP13009 | 0.357 |
| Frank tries to recruit Mac for the Gang's Gay Pride Parade float, but Mac is distraught over finding out what kind of gay man he's supposed to be and if he should come out to his father. | |||||||
Reception
The thirteenth season received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 94% with an average score of 8/10 based on 18 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "It's Always Sunny's winning formula keeps the laughs rolling and the stomachs turning in a thirteenth season that's topical, triumphant, and toxic in the best way." The finale in particular received praise, with many critics lauding the unexpected emotional and artistic depth of Rob McElhenney's performance.
References
- Nordine, Michael (June 28, 2018). "'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Season 13 Premiere Date and Plot Details Revealed — Including Dennis' Whereabouts". IndieWire. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- Ausiello, Michael (April 1, 2016). "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Renewed for Seasons 13 and 14 at FXX". TVLine. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- Sepinwall, Alan (March 8, 2017). "Was This Glenn Howerton's 'Always Sunny' Farewell? 'It's A Little Complicated,' He Says". Uproxx. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- Matthews, Liam (April 28, 2017). "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 13 Will Be a Year Late". TV Guide. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- Nemetz, Dave (August 3, 2018). "It's Always Sunny: Glenn Howerton Is in 'Pretty Much Every' Season 13 Episode". TVLine. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- Welch, Alex (September 6, 2018). "Wednesday cable ratings: 'Bobby Brown Story' leads, 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' returns steady". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- Metcalf, Mitch (September 13, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.12.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- Metcalf, Mitch (September 20, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.19.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- Metcalf, Mitch (September 27, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.26.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- Metcalf, Mitch (October 4, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.4.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- Metcalf, Mitch (October 11, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.10.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- Metcalf, Mitch (October 18, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.17.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- Metcalf, Mitch (October 25, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.24.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
- Metcalf, Mitch (November 1, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.31.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 1, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- Metcalf, Mitch (November 8, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.7.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 13 (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- Travers, Ben (November 7, 2018). "'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Finale: Rob McElhenney's Epic Dance Routine Takes Season 13 to a Profound New Level". IndieWire. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- Perkins, Dennis (November 7, 2018). ""Mac Finds His Pride" in a stunning, game-changing It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia finale". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
