Tonight marks the return of what is, in my opinion, one of the funniest sitcoms on television: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Following the exploits of a group of friends called "The Gang" who run a mediocre Irish bar, Paddy's Pub, It's Always Sunny is back tonight on FX and in a major way, with a few big changes that are sure to make the upcoming seventh season one of its best.
One of the changes the show has implemented that has stirred up the most publicity is lead actor Rob McElhenney's bold decision to go 'Big Mac.' For season seven, McElhenney's character Mac puts on a hefty 50-odd pounds, for what appears to be no reason at all. In a recent interview, McElhenney justifies his decision, explaining, "I was watching a very popular sitcom and noticing about how the characters were getting better looking as the seasons progressed. And I have never seen a sitcom in which the actors progressively got worse looking, which is, I think, truer to life, especially the lives that these characters lead."
Not only is this an interesting and astute strain of thought, but also it's guaranteed to inspire some laughs right from the get-go, especially when Mac's own justification for the weight gain is that he is simply carbo-loading to maintain his chiseled physique.
Another important change you'll notice in season seven is the fact that Kaitlin Olson, who plays Dee, Paddy's Pub's bartender, is no longer pregnant. If you're a fan of the show, then you know that last season ended with the birth of Dee's baby in one of the longest continuing storylines the sitcom has seen. In reality, this plotline was written to accommodate Olson's pregnancy. Now that the writers no longer have to write Olson's pregnancy into the show, perhaps they will be able to settle back into the original format of self-contained episodes, which most fans seemed to prefer from the earlier seasons. And so it can be assumed that with these several revamps, the seventh season of Sunny will have a fresh feel to it that is sure to satisfy old fans and new alike.
Continuing its tradition of satirizing controversial topics, some of the objects of ridicule The Gang intends to tackle this season are Jersey Shore, government spending and child beauty pageants, to name a few. There will also be cameos from Kings of Leon and Jason Sudeikis, among others. All in all, I think this season of Sunny is shaping up to be one of the best it's ever had. And if you're looking for a quick preview of season seven before tonight's premiere, I highly recommend looking up some of its new promos on YouTube, which are hilarious and attracting a decent amount of attention. Copying the Lifetime soap opera stereotype, these promos fake pseudo-drama and focus on the show's loveable degenerates in such a way that caters to them individually.
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