The fifth season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia aired in the fall of 2009 on FX. It ran for 12 episodes and one hour-long Christmas special released on DVD on November 17, 2009. Both the season and the Christmas special are available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and iTunes.
Recap[]
The gang deals with the economic crisis, from attempting to exploit the mortgage crisis to dealing with the impact of the Great Recession on Frank's fortune.
The gang is also up to its usual schemes: attempting to get out of traffic tickets, as well as to sell Paddy's Pub-related merchandise. They also follow up on last season's musical to put on another show: this time, a wrestling match for the troops.
The gang also struggles with their dating life. The Waitress announces her upcoming wedding, causing Dee to panic. Mac and Dennis become concerned that Charlie will be lost without the Waitress to stalk, so they introduce Charlie to the world of online dating. Dennis explains to the gang how his dating system works, although they don't get it. Finally, Dee starts corresponding with a soldier online, who eventually comes to Philly and turns out to be in a wheelchair.
Frank decides that he doesn't know how much time he has left in the world, so decides to get really weird. He becomes a slobbering drunk, attempts to hang himself after losing all his money, has sex with Artemis while she puts bacon bits in her hair, and tries to sleep with the same women as Dennis (but only after Mac has had a shot at them). Frank also dresses up as a trash man when he develops a wrestling personality for the troops. He decides he wants to see the Grand Canyon before he dies, and so the gang goes on a road trip.
Cast[]
Main
- Charlie Day as Charlie Kelly
- Glenn Howerton as Dennis Reynolds
- Rob McElhenney as Mac McDonald
- Kaitlin Olson as Deandra Reynolds
- Danny DeVito as Frank Reynolds
Recurring
- Mary Elizabeth Ellis as The Waitress
- Artemis Pebdani as Artemis Dubois
- Brian Unger as The Lawyer
- Travis Schuldt as Ben Smith
- Lynne Stewart as Bonnie Kelly
- Sandy Martin as Mrs. Mac
- Andrew Friedman as Jack Kelly
- Gregory Cummins as Luther McDonald
Episodes[]
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Gang Exploits the Mortgage Crisis" | Randall Einhorn | Becky Mann & Audra Sielaff | September 17, 2009 |
| Frank, Mac, and Dennis try their hand at real estate. Dee arranges to be a surrogate mother. Charlie tries his hand at law. | ||||
| 2 | "The Gang Hits the Road" | Fred Savage | Glenn Howerton & Charlie Day | September 24, 2009 |
| The Gang tries to expand their horizons by going on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. | ||||
| 3 | "The Great Recession" | Fred Savage | David Hornsby | October 1, 2009 |
| Mac and Dennis try to keep the bar afloat in the tough economic times; Frank starts a family business with Dee; newly poor people gather outside the bar. | ||||
| 4 | "The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention" | Fred Savage | Scott Marder & Rob Rosell | October 8, 2009 |
| Dee, Dennis, and Charlie attempt to stage an intervention on Frank, who they feel is no longer fun to drink with. Meanwhile, Frank attempts to bang Aunt Donna, who Mac is also interested in banging. | ||||
| 5 | "The Waitress Is Getting Married" | Fred Savage | Glenn Howerton & Charlie Day | October 15, 2009 |
| The Waitress is getting married; Dee, jealous that she's beating her to the altar, tries to derail the wedding. Charlie reluctantly tries online dating. | ||||
| 6 | "The World Series Defense" | Randall Einhorn | David Hornsby | October 22, 2009 |
| The Gang describes the trials and tribulations they went through during Game 5 of the World Series, hoping that the judge will clear them of all the citations they received. | ||||
| 7 | "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops" | Randall Einhorn | Scott Marder & Rob Rosell | October 29, 2009 |
| The Gang puts on a wrestling show for the returning troops. Meanwhile, the soldier Dee has been chatting with online is not what she expected. | ||||
| 8 | "Paddy's Pub: Home of the Original Kitten Mittens" | Randall Einhorn | Sonny Lee & Patrick Walsh | November 5, 2009 |
| When a merchandising convention comes to town, the gang tries to develop marketable products in an attempt to build the Paddy's brand. | ||||
| 9 | "Mac and Dennis Break Up" | Fred Savage | Scott Marder & Rob Rosell | November 12, 2009 |
| Mac and Dennis decide to spend some time apart; Charlie lends his feline expertise to help Dee find her cat. | ||||
| 10 | "The D.E.N.N.I.S. System" | Randall Einhorn | David Hornsby, Scott Marder & Rob Rosell | November 19, 2009 |
| Dennis reveals his foolproof system for seducing any woman to the rest of the gang, but they don't grasp the concept. | ||||
| 11 | "Mac and Charlie Write a Movie" | Randall Einhorn | Glenn Howerton & Rob McElhenney | December 3, 2009 |
| When Dee gets a part in the new M. Night Shyamalan film, Mac and Charlie seize a chance to pitch their movie script. | ||||
| 12 | "The Gang Reignites the Rivalry" | Randall Einhorn | Dave Chernin & Charlie Day | December 10, 2009 |
| After being banned for 10 years from a local drinking competition appropriately named "Flipadelphia," the gang tries to reignite their old rivalry with another local bar. | ||||
| 13 | "A Very Sunny Christmas" | Fred Savage | Charlie Day & Rob McElhenney | December 16, 2010 / November 17, 2009 |
| Mac, Charlie, Dennis, Dee, and Frank embark on a holiday adventure filled with stolen toys, childhood videos, naked elves, and a bloody run-in with Santa Claus. | ||||
Notes[]
- This is the first season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia with the picture format 16:9 (though it was shot in 480p - it wouldn't be shot in high-definition until Season 6).
- Like Season 4, this season has 13 episodes. However, A Very Sunny Christmas makes this season unique in two ways: the episode was sold direct to DVD and was not broadcast on television until after Season 6 ended, and its runtime was twice the length of a normal episode.
- The background music in this season is higher pitched, but reverts back to normal in the sixth season.