"The Gang Buys a Roller Rink" is the third episode of the fifteenth season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the 157th episode of the series overall.
Synopsis[]
It's the 90s, and the Gang hangs out one last time at the local roller rink before going their separate ways. An innocent young Dennis learns the horrifying details of Frank's business, a truly sweet Dee is excited to head off for Hollywood, while Charlie and Mac's jobs at the roller rink are in jeopardy, leaving them to figure out their next move.
Plot[]
3:00 PM on a Friday, Philadelphia, PA
Charlie comes in, wearing rollerskates and playing disco music on a stereo. Frank, Mac, Dennis and Dee all comment on his rollerskating. Dennis asks what's up with this, so Charlie tells them that the South Philly skate rink is closing down. Mac, Dennis and Dee are saddened by this news. Mac asks what they should do about it. They then flash-back to their last night at the rink.
The year is 1998. Charlie is on the rink, telling people for consuming food on it, as he wants to keep a nice clean rink. He then goes to see Mac, commenting on the buzz, and how well the business is doing. He notices Mac is wearing street clothes at work, and immediately admonishes him for it. Frank's limo pulls up outside. He lets Dennis and Dee off, telling them to have fun, as he has to go to a business meeting. Frank also tells Dennis that, since he works for him now, he has to keep his "cellular telephone" on.
The two meet up with Mac and Charlie. Charlie praises Dennis' commenting that he looks like Jerry Seinfeld. Dee confesses that she does not like Seinfeld because of how mean the characters are towards each other. Charlie praises Dee for her sweet-heartedness, while Mac asks when she leaves for Hollywood. Dee tells them she is leaving tomorrow, so this is her last night in Philadelphia, but she is extremely nervous. All three encourage her to pursue her dream, pointing her natural charisma and sense of humor. Dee request size 11 men's skates, before going skating with her friends.
While playing on the arcade games nearby, Mac asks Dennis what it is Frank actually does at work. Dennis replies by saying it's complicated and involves money and numbers, but Charlie tells him he doesn't look like he knows what kind of business Frank runs. He assures Charlie he'll know when starts running the business when Frank retires. Charlie tells him he wants to run the roller rink someday, telling him there's a lot of money to be had in the rollerskating business. Frank rings Dennis, asking him to bring his briefcase, which he needs fo an important business meeting.
Dennis arrives at the building Frank is at. Frank opens the case, takes out a bottle of pills and consumes a few, saying they "enhance his performance" and help him to "impress his colleague". He then tells Dennis he can go now, but Dennis insists on staying, hoping he can learn how the business is done, worrying Frank. He eventually agrees to let him sit in the corner and watch, but warns him not to make eye contact, saying that doing so will throw him off of his game. Charlie overhears the boss, Smokey, on the phone, telling someone that he might have to sell the place, worrying Charlie.
Frank pays a prostitute $2,000 dollars. Dennis is in a chair, wearing a shocked expression on his face. When Dennis asks, Frank tells this is how he gets it done in the business world. Dennis why Frank did this to him, but Frank backfires, pointing this was Dennis' idea. Dennis reveals he thought he was going to see what Frank did at work, and Frank claims that this is what he does at work. When Dennis asks if Barbara knows about this, he tells him not to tell her, or else he won't let him watch the next time. When Dennis says he doesn't want to watch next time, he officially fires him. Dennis is furious, as he does not know what he is being fired from in the first place, but Frank gives him $5,000 dollars as his severance pay.
Charlie informs Mac that the rink is being sold. Mac offers that he join him as a drug dealer, citing the amount of money he makes. As a precaution to how dangerous dealing drugs is, he reveals he has bought himself a gun. Dee comes up, asking Charlie to tighten the bolts on her rollerskate wheels. She tells them that she and her friends are doing sort of a farewell party for her, but their not as fast as her. In order to not hurt their self-esteem, she wants the bolts tightened, so she is slower. Mac takes Charlie on a drug deal. The customers arrive, and Mac walks Charlie through on how to do the deal. Charlie does the deal, making a complete fool of himself in the process, but the customer doesn't pay him and drives off. Charlie grabs Mac's so he can shoot the customer's tires, but when he pulls it out, it is revealed to just be the handpiece for a gun.
Dennis visits the two. Charlie reveals that Smokey is selling the joint. When asked, Dennis tells Charlie that he just doesn't think Frank's type of "work" is for him. Charlie suggests they work for each other and do what Frank does at work, but Dennis takes this idea off the table, telling them they want to do what Frank does at work. They suggest buying the rink: Mac has his $4,000 dollars from a previous drug deal, Dennis has his $5,000 dollar severance and Charlie reveals he has amassed $57,000 dollars from years of paychecks and stealing game quarters, bringing their grand total to a whopping $66,000 dollars. Just then, Sweet Dee does a dance on the rink with her friends. The guys go to cheer her on. Commenting on the dance, Charlie reveals that he actually loosened the bolts on Dee's skates, telling him that friends do not slow each other down, they help them soar. Just then, Sweet Dee loses control and rams headfirst into a wall. This crash causes Dee to lose her sweetness, turning her into the foul-mouthed woman she is today.
Charlie, Mac and Dennis present Smokey with their offer. He reveals that he is actually selling the dumpy bar around the corner. The three of them visit the bar, one Paddy's Pub. They decide that while it does look terrible, it has potential, and they will change it. Flashforward back to 2021, the bar is still the same, and Charlie is wearing the same dirty grey jumper. Mac agrees they got a lot of things wrong about the bar, before he, Dennis and Charlie head for some sandwiches.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Charlie Day as Charlie Kelly
- Glenn Howerton as Dennis Reynolds
- Rob McElhenney as Mac
- Kaitlin Olson as Dee Reynolds
- Danny DeVito as Frank Reynolds
Co-Starring[]
- Frank Collison as Smokey
- Jordyn Chang as Tonya
- Blake Dang as Brad
Trivia[]
- Charlie is shown in the final 1998 flashback wearing his grey MacGregor hoodie, however it is shown without the drawstring and with holes and not in its better condition like season 1 (obviously since they are using the present day hoodie). He is also shown in his iconic black and red Vans in 1998, despite that specific pair not being issued until 2004 in real life.
- Charlie can be seen picking up Mac's bundle of money when they get up from the table to watch Dee's performance.
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