"The Gang Carries a Corpse Up a Mountain" is the eighth and final episode of the fifteenth season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the 162nd episode of the series overall.
Synopsis[]
The Gang attempts to ascend a mountain in order for Charlie to fulfill an old and mysterious Irish burial tradition. But one by one, the Gang backs out until Charlie is left to honor the dead body alone.
Plot[]
11:30 AM, On a Friday, Still Ireland
A few days after Frank's dinner in the castle, the gang meets up at the seaside at Charlie's behest for a hike. Frank comes prepared with supplies, both to impress Charlie and to sabotage Shelley with urine disguised as drinking water. Charlie, however, reveals to the gang that they must carry Shelley up the seaside mountain. When asked why, Charlie reveals Shelley is dead, and they must help him carry out his family tradition of throwing their deceased men off a cliff into the sea.
As the gang climbs the trail while hoisting the body bag containing Shelley over their shoulders, they complain about the weight and offer alternative solutions. When Dennis mentions boiling and melting the body, Frank makes comparison to what they did to the doctor that Dee was supposed to meet for a date. Dee questions them, and Frank explains that Dennis used the murder hole he had planned to use on Shelley on the doctor instead, pouring hot oil and scalding the doctor since Dee never showed up for the date. Incensed, she drops the body bag and leaves.
The rest of the gang continue on, until Dennis trips and loses his grip on the body bag. Mac, Charlie, and Frank notices the load feels lighter without the help of Dennis, and discover that Dennis has been hanging onto the bag to be dragged by everyone else. As they berate Dennis, Frank rallies the group by pointing out that they have come to a very steep portion of the trail. Mac attempts to prove his Dutch identity by being a problem-solver and inventor, but is unhelpful. They eventually decide to use the camping gear in Frank's supplies to drag and slide the body bag for just the steep portion of the hill.
Their idea works, as they successfully summit up the steep portion and rest at its top in victory. When Mac gives the body bag a small kick, they watch as the body slides and careens back down to the bottom of the steep portion. Mac then offers the suggestion to retrieve the body and dump out whatever "fluids" may have come out as a result of the body's violent fall, and the rest agrees. Feeling proud of his own ingenuity, Mac starts to flaunt how he accepts his new identity as a Dutch person, which prompts everyone else to state Mac is not Dutch, but still Irish. Confused, the rest of the gang admit they paid Mac's mom to tell Mac he is Dutch, thinking it would stop Mac's obsession of talking about his Irish identity. At this revelation, an angry Mac also abandons the group and leaves.
Charlie, Frank, and Dennis continue dragging the body to the top and they stop for a rest. Dennis insists on cutting up the body so it is easier to carry smaller pieces, but Charlie argues to honor Shelley's body especially after meeting a banshee and suffering with fluid in his lungs. Dennis and Frank then suspect Shelley may have died to the COVID virus, to which Charlie blames Dennis for having it during the entire trip in Ireland. Dennis then argues he had never been in close proximity to Shelley to spread the virus, but Charlie counters only Dennis never got a COVID vaccination shot. Frank interjects, saying he never got a vaccination shot either, but purports he counts as being "fully vaccinated" due to following various, unproven methods of protecting against the virus from anti-vaccination sources. Frustrated at the arguing, Dennis now abandons the group and leaves as well, yelling about his back hurting and blaming everything in Ireland that bothered him.
Alone with Charlie, Frank apologizes for possibly spreading the COVID virus to Shelley. The two come together as Charlie forgives Frank and Frank promises to be there for Charlie. When Frank offers Charlie drinks before they continue, however, Charlie is aghast that Frank had accidentally given him urine to drink that was meant for Shelley. Outraged and fed up with Frank, Charlie yells at Frank to leave, and continues on by himself. A dejected Frank heads back down the trail.
Dee, Mac, Dennis, and Mac reconvene at a pub. They begin to complain and bicker loudly about Ireland, only to be shushed by The Waitress, who is covered in mud and sitting by the fireplace after somehow freeing herself from the bog she and Dee were previously trapped in. The Waitress angrily points out that despite their hatred for Ireland, they are not in America. Frank retorts that no matter where they are, they will always love America and never leave what they love behind, and they all silently realize they had left behind Charlie.
Charlie continues the journey alone, now through a passing thunderstorm and heavy rain. He slips in the mud, and cries in frustration while apologizing to Shelley that he may not be able to carry him up the hill. His sadness turns to anger, however, as Charlie yells that Shelley should have been the one to "carry" Charlie as his father, and that Shelley was never there when Charlie needed him. Suddenly, Charlie hears and sees a large pickup truck arrive. The gang had come to rescue Charlie, and offer to drive Charlie and the body the rest of the way. When they finally arrive at the top, they toss Shelley's body off the cliff, only for it to land unceremoniously on rocks due to low tide. Counting the deed done, the gang looks forward to returning to Philadelphia and eating at a McDonald's while chanting "USA" as they leave the cliff.
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
Guest Starring[]
Trivia[]
- As of this episode, Charlie's father Shelley Kelly is dead.
- Mac's tattoo removal, starting in season 13, is mentioned for the first time here; his shamrock tattoo is all that remains. It last made an appearance in "The Gang Gets Held Hostage" and was last mentioned three episodes prior.
- In the form of wardrobe detailing: While hard to see, Charlie's decrepit Vans have been swapped out for a newer, more durable pair. This was likely done to avoid damaging the originals and possibly for the comfort of Charlie Day, who spends the entire episode outdoors and in mud and torrential downpour.
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