It’s Always Sunny season 13, episode 2 recap: ‘The Gang Escapes’

In episode 132 of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Dee arranges for a mystery role-play game to boost team spirit and productivity. Will it work?

Available now on FXX Network (and the next day on Amazon with a season pass), “The Gang Escapes” explores the gang’s ability to cooperate, solve mysteries and escape crisis situations.

It’s an issue that’s been explored before — particularly in “The Gang Saves the Day” (season 9, episode 6). However, this time it’s to win a 20 oz. sirloin steak, courtesy of Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito)

That’s right. When Dee (Kaitlin Olson) first informs them of the “escape room” themed mystery roleplay game, the rest are less than gung-ho about it.

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They don’t like when the only stake is that she’ll take a group photo of them. However, they come around when a steak becomes their stake. They’re also open to the challenge of escaping Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Mac’s (Rob McElhenney) apartment.

Of course, they stumble into some of their usual problems. For one thing, the woman staging the event, Amanda (Kate Comer), speaks with an annoying British accent.

If that’s not enough, she expects them to abide by conventional rules, apply reasonable methods and get along normally. Well, that’s never been the gang’s style!

For example, Dee starts looking for clues before the game officially begins, and reveals that she’s already played the game before. The guys, of course, debate the merits of female leaders, using it as another excuse to separate from Dee and break up further into 2 teams — Charlie (Charlie Day) and Frank, and Dennis and Mac.

Despite their initial misogyny, the guys reveal themselves as equal opportunity haters by saying the most important aspect of a man’s success is to never trust another man (to quote Frank Reynolds). Meanwhile, Dee argues to Amanda that women are to cooperate by emasculating men.

Things Break Down, But There’s Hope… It’s Always Sunny style

Rather than intelligently finding clues, the gang begins smashing stuff. Meanwhile, Dennis becomes annoyed by Frank’s gum chewing, calling it a “power play” and an “alpha move.”

Eventually, the gang realizes it’s at a standstill, and the guys hold a summit to discuss their options. One team admits to having a heart-shaped lock and the other has the key.

How can they negotiate a settlement so both sides can get what they want? It’s sort of a heartwarming moment for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and an obvious dig at social crises invented out of thin air.

Dennis Reynold’s Room: The Real Escape Room

Dennis Reynolds is known for being a creepy dude, and this episode is no exception. Dennis’s sister, Dee, happens to be trapped in his room for a good chunk of the episode, and she witnesses his own automated escape room game.

To begin with, the room is soundproof, which is questionable. However, when Dennis’s recorded voice announces, “Hello, sexual conquest” and lays out the rules of this adventure, it’s at least made clear that there’s a safe word involved.

However, when Dee tries to escape by typing in some guessed safe words, Dennis’s computer says, “Uh uh uh, you didn’t say the safe word” (an It’s Always Sunny nod to Dennis Nedry’s line in Jurassic Park).

How will she get out?

The Guys Reach a Settlement

After a while, the guys take out pipes and negotiate with British accents. Charlie is speaker of the tribe, and they all reach some important conclusion.

An obvious one: The turning of the key will render them victorious. They bang their fists on the table in agreement on that, and on other points. Then, when one of them finally open the heart-shaped lock, a note inside the lock says, “And so the game begins.”

Meanwhile, Dee falls off the ledge outside their window, as her method of escaping Dennis’s fetish room.  At first, as she joins the gang at the hospital, Amanda maintains that they didn’t win the photo.

However, the gang argues that they, in fact, got out of the room and that Amanda didn’t specify how they were to do it. So, at the end of the day, Amanda takes their picture, and no doubt the steak will taste like victory.

That’s it for this It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia recap! What do you think? Let us know in the comments!