Season of television series
| It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | |
|---|---|
| Season 7 | |
 DVD cover | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Release | |
| Original network | FX |
| Original release | September 15 (2011-09-15) – December 15, 2011 (2011-12-15) |
| Season chronology | |
| ← Previous Season 6 Next → Season 8 | |
| List of episodes | |
The seventh season of the American television sitcom series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, premiered on FX on September 15, 2011. The season contains 13 episodes, and concluded airing on December 15, 2011.
Season synopsis
Frank falls in love with a prostitute named Roxy which sets the rest of the gang off to try and transform her into a presentable woman. Meanwhile, Dennis attempts to help Mac get healthy after gaining nearly fifty pounds. The gang decides to take a road trip to the Jersey Shore so Dennis and Dee can relive their favorite childhood memories. The vacation turns nightmarish for the siblings, while Frank, Mac, and Charlie have magical experiences. Frank accidentally finds himself in charge of a child beauty pageant and tries to squash all suspicions that he is a pedophile while the rest of the gang pick contestants to mentor.
When Dee comes into money from her surrogate pregnancy, she is forced to fake a baby funeral to avoid paying taxes to the IRS. The boys in the gang attempt to start a more democratic way of running Paddy's Pub, which ultimately results in more shouting. Frank's long lost brother shows up at Paddy's, revealing secrets about Frank's former life as a club owner, drug addict, and about Frank's former lover. The gang runs into trouble when they try to prepare for a giant storm, and Dennis meets a woman he can't seduce.
On a slow news day, the gang plays a board game they invented (ripped off from other games) called "Chardee MacDennis". The gang tries to track down an annoying shusher on Facebook and end up bickering about the use of the Internet for Paddy's business. While robbing a house, the gang gets caught in a precarious situation when the homeowners return.
Mac confesses to a priest how he gained his weight, and why the blame falls on his friends. The gang rush to the movie theater to see the world's greatest action movie, but must avoid traffic caused by President Obama's trip to Philly. The gang attend their high school reunion and are humiliated by the "cool kids" and other former enemies. They then take revenge on their enemies in the form of a dance routine.
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
- Mary Elizabeth Ellis as The Waitress
- David Hornsby as Cricket
Guest stars
- Artemis Pebdani as Artemis
- Catherine Reitman as Maureen Ponderosa
- Jon Polito as Gino Reynolds
- Naturi Naughton as Shadynasty
- Lance Reddick as Reggie
- Jessica Collins as Jackie Denardo
- Luenell as Catfish
- W. Morgan Sheppard as Father Cullen
- Sasha Roiz as Adriano Calvanese
- Nick Wechsler as Brad
- Caleb Followill as Man at Bar
- Nathan Followill as Bartender #1
- Jared Followill as Bartender #2
- Judy Greer as Ingrid "Fatty Magoo" Nelson
- Jason Sudeikis as Schmitty
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 1 | "Frank's Pretty Woman" | Matt Shakman | Scott Marder & Rob Rosell | September 15, 2011 (2011-09-15) | XIP07002 | 2.28 |
| Frank decides to marry his favorite crack-smoking hooker Roxy (Alanna Ubach), so Dee tries to pull a "Pretty Woman" and clean her up. Dennis worries about Mac's health because he has inexplicably gained 50 pounds ("cultivating mass" in his words); the two head to the doctor's office where they both get surprising diagnoses. Charlie pretends to be a millionaire in a scheme to get Frank a date with a woman who is not a prostitute. | |||||||
| 73 | 2 | "The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore" | Matt Shakman | Dave Chernin & John Chernin | September 22, 2011 (2011-09-22) | XIP07012 | 1.93 |
| Dennis and Dee want to relive their carefree childhood vacation memories, so the Gang takes a trip to the Jersey Shore. Their various meanderings find Charlie connecting with the Waitress, Dennis and Dee discovering a less-innocent side of the Jersey Shore, and Frank and Mac getting lost at sea, then partying with the local "guidos" who rescue them. | |||||||
| 74 | 3 | "Frank Reynolds’ Little Beauties" | Matt Shakman | Scott Marder & Rob Rosell | September 29, 2011 (2011-09-29) | XIP07011 | 2.03 |
| Frank inadvertently becomes involved in the child beauty pageant business and is subsequently terrified of being perceived as a pedophile; as Dee plots revenge on the pageant's bratty frontrunner, Mac, Dennis, and Charlie think they've found their dark horse to win 'Frank's Little Beauties.' | |||||||
| 75 | 4 | "Sweet Dee Gets Audited" | Matt Shakman | Rob McElhenney & Glenn Howerton & Charlie Day | October 6, 2011 (2011-10-06) | XIP07010 | 1.82 |
| Dee is forced to commit some deeply questionable acts to escape an unexpected IRS audit; meanwhile, Mac, Dennis, and Charlie demand a great democracy in bar operations to stop Frank from doing what he pleases with Paddy's profits. | |||||||
| 76 | 5 | "Frank's Brother" | Matt Shakman | David Hornsby | October 13, 2011 (2011-10-13) | XIP07004 | 1.42 |
| The Gang is shocked to meet Frank's long-lost brother (Jon Polito) when he unexpectedly arrives at Paddy's and reveals Frank's background as proprietor of a nightclub known as "Shadynasty's". | |||||||
| 77 | 6 | "The Storm of the Century" | Matt Shakman | Charles W. Hornsby | October 20, 2011 (2011-10-20) | XIP07008 | 1.52 |
| The Gang joins the masses in a race to secure scarce resources as a major storm approaches Philadelphia; Frank refuses to buy into the media hype about the storm; Dennis becomes infatuated with reporter Jackie Denardo (Jessica Collins). | |||||||
| 78 | 7 | "Chardee MacDennis: The Game of Games" | Matt Shakman | Charlie Day & Rob McElhenney | October 27, 2011 (2011-10-27) | XIP07001 | 1.38 |
| Dee and Dennis face off against Mac, Charlie and Frank in the super-twisted board game they developed years ago. The game has three levels: mind, body, and spirit. Mind is composed of trivia, puzzles, and artistry; body is composed of physical challenge, pain, and endurance; and spirit is composed of emotional battery and public humiliation. | |||||||
| 79 | 8 | "The ANTI-Social Network" | Matt Shakman | Charlie Day & Glenn Howerton | November 3, 2011 (2011-11-03) | XIP07003 | 1.69 |
| Mac and Dee use the Internet to cyber-stalk a man who shushed them at a trendy bar. Dennis and Charlie stalk him the old fashioned way. Frank tries to drum up business for Paddy's with a viral video. | |||||||
| 80 | 9 | "The Gang Gets Trapped" | Matt Shakman | Luvh Rakhe | November 10, 2011 (2011-11-10) | XIP07009 | 1.32 |
| The gang's plan to extract an artifact is jeopardized when the owners return unexpectedly. | |||||||
| 81 | 10 | "How Mac Got Fat" | Randall Einhorn Matt Shakman | Scott Marder & Mehar Sethi | November 17, 2011 (2011-11-17) | XIP06004 | 1.26 |
|
Mac tells a priest why his recent weight gain is The Gang's fault and not his; the Gang's bar achieves a success level it has never seen, and only lowly Charlie takes it seriously. This episode includes scenes produced for the sixth season. | |||||||
| 82 | 11 | "Thunder Gun Express" | Matt Shakman | Dave Chernin & John Chernin | December 1, 2011 (2011-12-01) | XIP07007 | 1.52 |
| The Gang heads to see a popular action movie, but when President Obama's visit to Philly causes a major traffic jam, they split up and resort to backstabbing, theft, manipulation, and unsavory shortcuts to reach the theater in time. | |||||||
| 83 | 12 | "The High School Reunion" | Matt Shakman | Glenn Howerton & Rob McElhenney | December 8, 2011 (2011-12-08) | XIP07005 | 1.40 |
| Part 1 of 2. At the Gang's high-school reunion, Dennis learns he wasn't as popular as he thought he was; Dee is finally accepted into the popular clique; Mac, Charlie, and Frank are treated the same as they were in high school; and Mac's full name is revealed. | |||||||
| 84 | 13 | "The High School Reunion Part 2: The Gang's Revenge" | Matt Shakman | Glenn Howerton & Rob McElhenney | December 15, 2011 (2011-12-15) | XIP07006 | 1.32 |
| Part 2 of 2. The disastrous events from the first part of the reunion lead to psychosis, Dee's painful initiation into Mac, Charlie, and Frank's re-creation of their high-school psycho troupe "The Freight Train"; and a plan to win back the favor of the Gang's former classmates via the magic of dance and George Michael. Both episodes feature The Gang's high-school friends that the audience has met throughout the series. | |||||||
Reception
The seventh season received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 100% with an average score of 8.5 out of 10 based on 13 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Rob McElhenney's Mac gets slovenly, but It's Always Sunny shows no signs of resting on its laurels with a seventh season that charts a hilariously disastrous course from the Jersey Shore to the Gang's high school reunion."
Home media
| It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Complete Season 7 | |||||
| Set details | Special features | ||||
Technical specifications:
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| Release dates | |||||
| Region 1 | |||||
| October 9, 2012 | |||||
References
- Seidman, Robert (July 20, 2011). "FX Announces Fall Premiere Dates for 'Sons of Anarchy,' 'It's Always Sunny,' 'American Horror Story' & 'The League'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- Gorman, Bill (September 16, 2011). "Thursday Cable: 'Jersey Shore' Slips; 'Sunny,' 'Archer' Premieres; 'Beyond Scared Straight,' 'LA Ink' Finales & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 23, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
- Seidman, Robert (September 23, 2011). "Thursday Cable: 'Jersey Shore' Slips; 'It's Always Sunny,' 'Archer' Dip' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
- Gorman, Bill (September 30, 2011). "Thursday Cable: 'Jersey Shore' Bounces Back; 'It's Always Sunny,' 'Archer' Rise, 'Project Runway' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
- Seidman, Robert (October 7, 2011). "Thursday Cable: With Younger Adults 'Jersey Shore' Beats A-Rod Striking Out + 'It's Always Sunny,' 'The League,' 'Project Runway' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 8, 2011.
- Gorman, Bill (October 14, 2011). "Thursday Cable: 'Jersey Shore' Slips, But Wins + 'It's Always Sunny,' 'The League,' 'Bordertown: Laredo' Premiere & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 16, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
- Seidman, Robert (October 21, 2011). "Thursday Cable: 'Jersey Shore' Inches Up in Final + 'It's Always Sunny,' 'The League,' 'Project Runway' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 22, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- Gorman, Bill (October 28, 2011). "Thursday Cable: 'Beavis & Butt-Head' Return Tops + 'It's Always Sunny,' 'The League,' 'Project Runway' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 30, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- Seidman, Robert (November 4, 2011). "Thursday Cable: 'Beavis & Butt-Head' Falls Far, But Tops Night; 'Burn Notice' Returns Down; 'It's Always Sunny' Rises & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
- Seidman, Robert (November 11, 2011). "Thursday Cable: Raiders-Chargers Top Night; 'Burn Notice' Steady, 'It's Always Sunny' Shrinks + 'Beavis' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 13, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
- Gorman, Bill (November 18, 2011). "Thursday Cable Ratings: Broncos-Jets Goes Skyward; 'Burn Notice' Falls, 'It's Always Sunny,' 'The League,' 'Beavis' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 20, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- Seidman, Robert (December 2, 2011). "Thursday Cable Ratings: Even A Lame NFL Game Is Better Than None; 'Burn Notice' Perks Up + 'It's Always Sunny,' 'The League,' 'Beavis' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
- Gorman, Bill (December 9, 2011). "Thursday Cable Ratings: Steelers/Browns Leads; 'Burn Notice' Slips + 'It's Always Sunny,' 'The League,' 'Beyond Scared Straight' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
- Seidman, Robert (December 16, 2011). "Thursday Cable Ratings: Jaguars/Falcons Top Night + 'Burn Notice' Season Finale, 'It's Always Sunny,' 'The League,' 'Beyond Scared Straight' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 7 (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- Lambert, David (July 25, 2012). "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Official Date, Packaging, Cost and Extras for 'Season 7' on DVD, Blu-ray". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
