It’s Always Sunny season 16 premiere recap: The Gang Inflates

After being renewed for four more seasons a few years back, FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has returned for a 16th season.

The premiere episode begins with the gang discussing inflation, with Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Mac (Rob McElhenney) seemingly understanding it less than Frank (Danny DeVito) and even Charlie (Charlie Day). Charlie, fancying himself a savvy businessman who’s learned by exposure to Frank, begins talking about the value of old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-related products. Frank also informs Mac and Dennis that the furniture they’ve rented for years has cost them, nearly $20,000!

As Frank informs them about inflation, Dee (Kaitlin Olson) relates that she is being evicted, though she’s tried to avoid physical eviction by gluing her hand to the door (borrowing the controversial protest tactic used in recent years). The discussion on inflation delves into whether it necessitates pay cuts or raises, and Frank suggests neither is a true solution. Part of Frank’s plausible insight is that, due to inflation, a dollar is actually only worth about 25 cents of its previous value.

It’s Always Sunny season 16 premiere recap

To alleviate the sting of rising costs, Mac and Dennis decide to augment their behavior, such as Mac cutting down on energy drinks. However, it becomes more about entrepreneurship when the two agree to invest in selling inflatable couches. Also, Mac decides to live off of a generic nut brand called “Fancy Nuts,” which he believes could sustain him for weeks in a cost-effective manner. Of course, anyone who watches It’s Always Sunny knows that these health crazes and “fad diet” ideas frequently backfire for the gang.

Next, It’s Always Sunny has a substantial reveal: Frank discovers a usable toilet in their storage closet while rummaging around! Understandably, Frank seems a bit rattled, noting how, for years now, the two had been using cans (and possibly bottles) to pee. If that’s not enough, Charlie also has a spare bedroom; this means that, instead of sleeping together “ass to ass” for years, they could have slept separately that whole time! Next, Frank privately discusses a business deal with Mac and Dennis, with Dennis cementing Frank’s interest in their inflatable furniture by showing him timeline pictures of Kim Kardashian’s increasingly “inflated” backside.

Frank’s legitimate (as in fully legal, albeit unethical) scams

It’s Always Sunny does make something clear: Frank agrees to fund their inflatable furniture idea, not because it’s such a good idea, but due to the interest he’ll accrue from giving them a loan. Meanwhile, as Dee keeps gluing her hand to things, Charlie also glues a pillow to the wall so she can sleep at night in his place, highlighting a softer, more considerate side to his character. Also, because the entire episode’s a play on the concept of inflation, we soon see that Mac has inflated lips, and is wheezing, due to his allergy to Fancy Nuts — though he fervently denies being allergic.

In the next key moment, Charlie tells Dennis and Mac that Frank only invests in them as a predatory lender, hoping they will fail to take advantage of the interest. If that’s not enough, Frank is revealed to be Dee’s “slumlord” as well, which frustrates Dee, but not enough to stop hanging around with him as he attempts to evict someone else (William Romeo, credited on IMDb as “Surly Tenant”).

However, the man Frank tries to evict doesn’t take it too well, shooting at them. These scenes really remind us that it’s not necessarily a “radical” idea to see how even the regular economy looks like a dangerous scam, rife with potential sources of conflict and legally sanctioned exploitative and predatory practices.

Expired Turtle power!

As Charlie and Dennis try to sell inflatable furniture, their business idea fails as even a relatively tame gust of wind sends furniture flying. Now, if you want to seriously analyze this, you might see this as representing the delicate nature of business concepts — even if your idea has some merit, it can easily fall apart the minute the winds change. Knowing now that renting furniture and other items is a cynical business ploy, Charlie wants to pool money to invest in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pies from the early 1990s.

Frank, apparently not understanding what the pies are, asks “Are they made from real turtle?” Interestingly, Charlie gets Frank to forgive the loan and give Dee her apartment back, in exchange for these exotic collectible pies. Finally, we see that Mac’s face is undeniably deformed from his allergic reaction to Fancy Nuts to the point where even Mac knows he should see a doctor about it. This is not the first time a character from It’s Always Sunny has experienced a medical deformity (or serious injury), and it surely is not the last.