Charlie Kelly and Mac McDonald are characters in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. They are childhood best friends, co-workers, and former co-owners of Paddy's Pub.
The two enjoy a friendship being the only ones not related to the other members. They get along easily, and will often get excited at, or argue about, very basic or childish subjects with each other. The two also seem to have the lowest socioeconomic status among the gang, and usually side together when ousted or when the Reynolds form alliances among themselves. Their friendship is strained at times after their mothers became housemates, as they may fight each other by proxy if their mothers have disagreements.
Charlie is also supportive of Mac's eventual acceptance of being homosexual, although he is weary like the rest of the gang at the length of denial it took Mac to accept that part of himself.
Early History[]
During their childhood, it became a tradition for Charlie and Mac to throw rocks at trains on Christmas morning.[5x13] They both attended St. Vincent's Elementary School, where Mac became a somewhat devout Catholic.[1x7] Charlie and Mac also attended the same high school - Saint Joseph's Preparatory School - where they met Dennis. In high school, Mac dealt drugs while Charlie was their 'class clown'. This earned them some popularity amongst their peers, but they were still generally looked down upon. With Mac being widely considered an "asshole" and a narc, his status was kept intact almost solely by the fact that he had ratted out the competition and thus was the only remaining drug dealer. Charlie's strangeness, coupled with his willingness to do anything asked of him (such as huffing markers or eating inedible things) and the fact that he was not a threat when it came to sleeping with his classmates' girlfriends gained him some approval, however, he and Mac were still given derogatory nicknames ("Ronnie the Rat" and "Dirtgrub").[1x3][7x12][7x13] Charlie and Mac also tried out for the wrestling team, which caused a ringworm outbreak in the school, as they had been passing the infection back and forth between themselves.[7x12]
Charlie and Mac met Dennis - and, by extension, Dee - in high school. Charlie, Mac and Dennis had few friends outside of their trio, though at some point headed a gang called the "Freight Train" along with Psycho Pete, and also befriended Schmitty (who at some point lived with Charlie, though things fell apart and he was kicked out of an early iteration of The Gang).
Charlie and Mac spent the majority of their time in high school hanging out with Dennis under the bleachers and behind dumpsters,[7x13] or huffing glue in Charlie's mom's basement.[1x3]
After graduating from high school, Charlie and Mac worked at a roller rink together. Charlie briefly helped Mac deal drugs before the two purchased Paddy's Pub, alongside Dennis.[15x3]
Season One[]
Charlie and Mac team up with the intent to specifically befriend black people at a nearby college campus, hoping to prove to The Waitress that Charlie is not racist. The two end up getting into a physical altercation when Mac decides to take Charlie's wallet to see if he still kept a picture of the Waitress inside it.[1x1] After Charlie happens upon Nazi memorabilia owned by Dennis and Dee's grandfather, he calls Mac to try and sell it. They ultimately fail when the museum refuses to take any of it, and they burn everything in the alley behind Paddy's.[1x6] The two talk about their upbringing in Catholic school, showing a bond formed at a young age.[1x7]
Season Two[]
When Charlie is entrusted with Frank's money, he and Mac go on a spending spree.[2x4] The two then get in a heated contest to see who can bless more people when believers come to see the water stain in the shape of the Virgin Mary at the back office of the bar.[2x7] Charlie later agrees to become "hard" with Mac in order to look tough and impress Mac's dad, although Mac's dad mostly just wants the two to help smuggle heroin into prison for him.[2x10]
Season Three[]
When the gang is taken hostage by the McPoyles, Charlie and Mac ally together to backstab Frank, although the alliance is only formed when Charlie finds out Mac was planning to go around Charlie's back to help Frank find his will that Charlie hid.[3x4] Charlie also tells Mac of his fears of performing his musical talents in public and being booed when they were forming a band, but Mac mostly ignores Charlie's vulnerable moment. Mac, along with Frank, kick Charlie out of the band when they listen to his song "Nightman" and are uncomfortable about the song telling what they believe is a story of Charlie being raped in his childhood.[3x9]
Charlie attempts to be Mac's lawyer and tries to clear Mac's name when the gang believes Mac is a serial killer, although this begins a repeating theme of Charlie's desire to play a lawyer at any opportunity possible despite his tenuous grasp of the law.[3x10] Charlie also manipulates Mac at the dance marathon by complimenting his combination karate dance moves, and getting Mac to challenge Dennis to a dance-off.[3x15]
Season Four[]
Following Dennis sleeping with the Waitress,[1x4] Charlie considers Mac to be his best friend. However Mac, believing that Charlie smashed his Project Badass tapes, also plans to sleep with the Waitress to get back at him. This is due to a misunderstanding, as Mac later finds out, and Mac, Charlie, and Dennis resolve to all be best friends to prevent further complications.[4x4]
Fearing that Mac's father's release from prison means he's going to find and kill them, Mac and Charlie fake their deaths by crashing Dee's car into a wall, and camp out on the roof of Paddy's.[4x5][4x6]
Season Five[]
Mac decides to have Charlie try a variety of fruits that he's never eaten before. He barters with a vendor for a pear, which Charlie dislikes.[5x2] Fearing that Charlie will become unhinged when he learns that the Waitress is getting married, Mac and Dennis attempt to set Charlie up on a dating site. Despite their coaching, it goes horribly wrong.[5x5] Mac and Charlie attend a frat party and are painted by a pair of women. They are chased out when members of the frat realize that they are there, and join the rest of the gang in getting their revenge.[5x12]
Season Six[]
In ‘Mac’s Big Break’, Charlie and Mac are listening to the Preston and Steve Show on the 99.3 FM WMMR radio station. Upon answering a trivia question correctly, Mac wins the opportunity to take a shot from center ice at the upcoming Philadelphia Flyers game. Charlie and Mac devote the following few days to practicing for Mac’s big shot. Charlie teaches Mac how to ice skate, which results in a training montage that is set to the tune of ‘Push It To The Limit’ by Paul Engemann. At the Flyers game, Charlie accompanies Mac onto the ice. Mac takes his shot, which he nails. The crowd cheers, chanting his name. However, it turns out that - while entering the rink - Mac had slipped on the ice and knocked himself out. Charlie takes Mac’s shot for him, which he misses. The pair encourage each other by saying that the video of Mac’s fall will likely go viral, making him a sports legend.
Season Seven[]
Charlie and Mac quarrel and compromise alike with each other in regards to voting on how things are run in the bar, albeit they are manipulated by Dennis and Frank trying to distract them from questioning the authority of the bar.[7x4] Their long-running friendship is also shown when the gang plays their self-made game "Chardee Macdennis", as they have been teamed up since the game's inception despite admitting that their strategy sucks since they have never won together.[7x7] Charlie, however, is annoyed at Mac's weight gain much like the rest of the gang when he and Mac are in charge of intel and staying in the getaway van when the gang attempts to retrieve a vase, and Mac refuses to share food.[7x9] Even when the gang goes to watch the movie "Thunder Gun Express", Charlie criticizes Mac's weight when Mac is unable to keep up nor fit into a sewer drain.[7x11]
When the gang goes to their high school reunion, Charlie and Mac were revealed by Dee that the two often stayed together in high school due to similar levels of unpopularity. Mac tries to stand up for Charlie throughout the night, telling Charlie that he shouldn't have to perform degrading acts for the amusement of more popular classmates.[7x12] The pair also attempts to restart the "Freight Train", which was a gang consisting of Psycho Pete, Mac, Charlie, and Dooley, in order to exact revenge on their more popular classmates.[7x13]
Season Eight[]
Charlie confides in Mac regarding having saved a German shepherd painting from Pop-Pop's belongings a few years ago[1x6], and stating they get along because they "make a decision and stick with it." Mac, however, later betrays Charlie in favor of Frank helping to retrieve the painting.[8x1] Mac later shows his understanding of Charlie by correctly predicting Charlie would revert to being a "wildcard" despite the gang's insistence on not doing so, and repairing the brakes on a van that Charlie cuts again[8x2] like he did a few years back.[4x2] The two come together again when they are summarily discarded from different schemes of the gang, and come up with Fight Milk together.[8x7] They are also the only members of the gang who seem to want to come together when the parties held animosity toward each other while dining separately at Guigino's.[8x9]
Season Nine[]
Charlie and Mac are seen in agreement in favor of gun possession, although they argue with each other regarding guns versus swords in defeating an opponent. They later change their opinion when they see how violent children can be when possessing weapons.[9x2] When the gang quarantines themselves during a flu season, Charlie and Mac venture out for supplies together in full-body PPE suits made by Charlie's mom, and Charlie promises not to tell Frank when Mac ripped a hole in his suit resulting in a "breach." Charlie, however, immediately rats out Mac when Mac sneezes in the bar.[9x7]
Season Ten[]
Mac is seen taking care of Charlie at the end of their Wade Boggs challenge, declaring Charlie the winner and congratulating him.[10x1] The pair is also excited at the return of Psycho Pete, and attempts to bring back the version of Pete they imagined him to be in high school as part of the "Freight Train" gang they both belonged to.[10x3] Charlie attempts to help exonerate Mac's dad when Mac's dad is under suspicion of murder, but Charlie is, once again, mostly motivated by his tendencies to play at being a lawyer.[10x7] Their friendship is slightly strained when Frank announces his retirement and the rest of the gang fights for ownership shares of the bar, as Mac ungracefully tries to "play both sides" while constantly revealing his intentions. Charlie seems to be largely unfazed, as Mac had little to contribute in helping either side.[10x9] The two later join the cult invented by Dennis, "Ass Kickers United", and Mac confides in Charlie when he begins to question the cult's teachings.[10x10]
Gallery[]
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