It's Always Sunny season 17 synopsis reveals what to expect from Abbott Elementary crossover

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY - ÒVolunteersÓ - Ava announces the school district is sending a group of volunteers to help out at Abbott; however, when they arrive, things donÕt go as planned. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8 (8:30-9:02 p.m. EST) on ABC. (Disney/Gilles Mingasson) 
ROB MCELHENNEY, JANELLE JAMES
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY - ÒVolunteersÓ - Ava announces the school district is sending a group of volunteers to help out at Abbott; however, when they arrive, things donÕt go as planned. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8 (8:30-9:02 p.m. EST) on ABC. (Disney/Gilles Mingasson) ROB MCELHENNEY, JANELLE JAMES

July 9 really can't come fast enough because that's when we're getting the highly-anticipated and long-awaited second part of the Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover episode. The first one aired earlier this year on the ABC comedy, and now we're ready for the much more mature version to arrive.

The cast of Abbott teased just how different their characters will be now that their script is not on network television! Oh my goodness. There's been a few teases and first-looks here and there, but everyone is staying quite tight-lipped about the FXX version of events. That continues, however the synopsis for the season 17 premiere of Sunny confirms that it will be the crossover episode, and gives us a little more of an idea of what's to come.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 17 episode 1 is titled "The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary." Oh no. Just from the title alone you know that there's going to be major trouble we perhaps didn't even see make it into Abbott Elementary season 4 episode 9, "Volunteers!" The description proves that point, which we shared below:

"Months after the Gang visited, Abbott's Principal Ava walks viewers through some of the unseen footage of the Gang's volunteerism and reveals their true intentions."

So it will be interesting to have the episode set a few months after Charlie, Mac, Dee, Dennis, and Frank's week of volunteering/community service at the school. I mean, one teaser shows Mac and Frank using a flamethrower, while the newly released trailer (watch it below) sees Frank going to the bathroom in one of the lockers for whatever reason. Oh, Frank.

As for the "true intentions" part, it seems to be that they want to start a boy band for some reason. That's been teased a few times as well. What in the world is the gang doing? Honestly, us fans never know what's going on inside their heads until we actually see the episode. Ha! I'm sure we're going to see the Abbott teachers and staff pretty traumatized from them afterwards that wasn't documented by the camera crew. Ooh.

When It's Always Sunny season 17 returns, you can expect a two-episode premiere that day! So after the crossover episode, be sure to stick around for episode 2, "Frank Is in a Coma." The installment features Dee in the five stages of grief as her father-not-father "lies on his deathbed," per the synopsis. Elsewhere, the guys are thinking of the future as they go pitch their "business ventures" to Philly's elite.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 17 premieres Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET on FXX, and stream on Hulu the next day.

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