It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005 - 2011): Review By Raoul Duke

Here we are. The beginning of another season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. We have some amazing episode titles this year--"The Gang Hits the Road", "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops", "Mac and Charlie Write a Movie", "D.E.N.N.I.S." But tonight, we're going to start it off with an episode originally slated for a Season 4 premiere, "The Gang Exploits the Mortgage Crisis."

It's original title was actually, "FRANK Exploits the Mortgage Crisis", and it's easy to see why, as Frank and a newly purchased home of his are at the heart of this episode. We find The Gang at Paddy's, 11:30 AM, having a discussion about domesticating hummingbirds and "bird law" in general. Frank shows up though with news about his new house and the guys come up with a nice little 'Flip-That-House' situation. At the same time we've got Dee running around trying to have as many kids as she can for as much money as she can. She's got a sweet little Octomom thing going on. Later in the episode, Charlie branches off from the group when he's "besmirched" by a Harvard Law grad and ends up challenging said grad to a duel.

As you can see, not much has changed with The Gang.

Frank is a wreck. What hair he has looks crusty and sticks out at all ends. It looks like he's really losing it. Mac looks like he's been hitting either the beach or the tanning bed during the hiatus. He's got quite the base going. Dee looks like she's been hitting the gym. Either that, or she's gotten back in touch with her steroid hook from "Hundred Dollar Baby", because she's looking pretty jacked. Dennis is gay. So's Mac. And Charles...oh sweet, dear Charles. How your retardation can bring the biggest of grins to my face. One word...Filibuster.

The Gang as always, in one way or another, is out to make some fast cash. Frank and the guy's are trying to hit it big in the real estate game with their Honey and Vinegar Realty angle they got going on. They don't give a damn if the house they're selling, painting, or demolishing is still occupied by the foreclosed owners. Hugh Honey and Vick Vinegar are gonna Flip-That-House whether you're home or not. Sunny twists one of the more serious and depressing issues facing our country today into such hilarity that even the brokest of Americans will be laughing their homeless asses off.

Meanwhile, Dee's got a whole little baby-selling, surrogate mother type'a scheme going on. She even cooked up a nice little price chart. The more babies you buy, the better the deal. The families initial interview with Dee was one of the highlights of the episode for me.

"Do you have any history with drugs or alcohol?" Asks the trusting and friendly couple.

"Never," says Sweet Dee with zero hesitation.

I guess the couple hasn't tuned in to any of the previous episodes and seen Dee huffing glue with Charlie, smoking crack with Dennis, doing coke with Charlie, or drinking excessively every single day. If they had, I don't think the conversation would have made it to the next question.

"Do you have any history of health problems?"

The Aluminum Monster. That's all I'm gonna say.

The Gang returns full force with this season opener. We get a few tributes to past episodes tonight as well. Mainly, the lawyer from "Dennis and Dee's Mom is Dead" is brought back as Charlies enemy for the episode. We also get a revival of the "Power Bottom" joke from the 3rd Season episode, "The Gang Sells Out". Nice to see the guys sticking with the classics. And we have Danny Devito wielding an umbrella as a weapon for the first time since "Batman Returns". So all in all, I'd say it's another gem of an episode. A great season opener and a sign of good things to come.

The Gang has returned everybody, and not a moment too soon. Life can start again. It's New Years Day, people. Rejoice. Motown Philly back again.