It’s Always Sunny – Season 3 Episodes Ranked

Sunny is in full swing now, and every episode is at the very least mildly enjoyable and at best a comedy classic that I’ll remember forever.

A lot of the short-comings of Season 2 are ironed out now – mainly since Danny DeVito could now commit to more than just a few days of filming – so from now on this is exactly the kind of Sunny than I know and love.

Season 3 is filled with some absolute gems, but some are definitely better than others. How would I rank them all?

You can check out some of my related lists below:

14 – Dennis and Dee’s Mom Is Dead

Rating: C+

If a random throwaway joke about your bicep flyer looking like a dick is the best moment of the episode, you know you’ve probably made a fairly weak one.

The premise was really good, but they don’t do enough with it. Bruce Mathis was always a bit of a boring character to have on a show like this, and his interactions with Dee and Frank are not nearly as funny as the writers think.

13 – The Gang Sells Out

Rating: C+

“The Gang Sells Out” has a great cold open and transition to title card, but the rest of the episode is quite forgettable.

It all plays out pretty much just as you’d expect, with the gang being terrible at their new job and getting the waitress fired. Some funny moments here and there, but it really isn’t memorable at all.

12 – The Aluminum Monster vs. Fatty Magoo

Rating: B-

An episode with many more funny moments than I remembered, but the plot is a little thin. “The Gang Does Fashion” was never going to be truly memorable, but it goes off the rails just enough to keep me invested.

Frank and Mac setting up a sweat shop has its moments, but it’s the Dennis sub-plot that I really like. The scene of him putting lipstick on in the mirror is one of the funniest of the season, and the final moments where he bursts in the room in full drag is just great.

11 – Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire

Rating: B-

One of the most legendary transitions to the title card ever, but I have to say the rest of the episode wasn’t nearly as funny as I remembered.

Mac and Charlie’s news broadcasts are the stand-out moments for me (especially Charlie’s freak-out when he forgets to put the tape in), but the Dennis and Dee plot doesn’t really strike my fancy.

10 – The Gang Gets Whacked (Pt. 1 & 2)

Rating: B-

This was the show’s first attempt at doing a two-part episode, and it was definitely one of the weakest.

Over the course of 40 minutes there are some great moments, like Charlie with the jockey and Dennis getting slapped 10 times in 5 seconds, but across both parts there isn’t really much substance beyond “These gangsters’ accents are hilarious, right? Why aren’t you laughing?!?”

9 – Dennis Looks Like a Registered Sex Offender

Rating: B-

One of the most outrageous premises I’ve ever seen for a network television episode, and while it never quite gets as ridiculous as you’d expect there are still some great moments.

The real kicker of the episode for me is all of Mac’s interactions with his Dad, and the dinner scene between all of the characters was so much fun to see unfold.

8 – Mac Is a Serial Killer

Rating: B

Strangely enough, I actually remembered this episode as being one of the Sunny classics, and one of the best of the season, so I was surprised to find out that it was just fairly average by Sunny standards on my re-watch.

All of the plot about Mac potentially being a serial killer is funny in places, but it drags on for a bit too long. This episode is salvaged by the hilarious Dee and Dennis dynamic, and the scene where they pretend to be serial killers is one of my favourites.

7 – The Gang Solves the North Korea Situation

Rating: B

The gang trying to solve anything will always lead to hilarious consequences, and this is one of the early successes when it comes to huge political premises.

It’s crazy that this episode got made in the first place, as you can be sure it would have never left the writers’ room in the current age of cancel culture. Episodes where the gang tries to ruin a rival – or even each other – always end up being personal favourites, and this is a great example of both.

6 – Bums: Making a Mess All Over the City

Rating: B

The cold open doesn’t waste any time at all to provide the outrageous laughs, and it’s only uphill from there.

I really like all of the sub-plots in this, with Mac and Dee taking justice into their own hands and Frank and Dennis impersonating cops, but for some reason Charlie Day’s impression of Al Pacino doing Serpico just tickles me, and the ending “Feast your eyes on this Spin Doctor’s mix!” is just so great.

5 – The Gang Dances Their Asses Off

Rating: B+

A great season closer with a solid premise and execution, and the dance battles also gives side characters that the gang previously wronged a chance to get their revenge.

There isn’t a single dull moment in this one, and in between all the dance battles and cunning schemes there’s a cavalcade of solid jokes and gags that kept me laughing.

4 – The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby

Rating: A-

This season wasted no time at all, and “The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby” is one of the best season openers the show has ever had.

Everyone gets their moment to shine, from Mac and Dee’s ridiculous plan to tan their baby to Charlie and Frank’s unbelievable trash scheme, but the MVP of the episode is definitely Dennis. His infiltration and sudden betrayal of the environmentalist movement is so great to watch, and once everyone’s back together the final frame of the episode is iconic.

3 – The Gang Gets Invincible

Rating: A-

An early classic, “The Gang Gets Invincible” is a premise that you might find on any other sitcom, but of course Sunny lets it get out of hand pretty quickly.

All the stuff with the try-outs is funny enough (Dennis getting lost in thought while sprinting is a personal favourite), but it’s the B-plot with Charlie, Frank and the McPoyles that I love the most. Frank and Charlie tripping on acid makes for one of the best scenes in the season, and the legend Green Man was forever bestowed upon the world.

2 – The Gang Gets Held Hostage

Rating: A-

A vocal portion of the Sunny fanbase think the McPoyles are extremely overrated, and that they were overused to the point where they weren’t funny at all, but I respectfully disagree. I’ve always loved it whenever they’ve randomly appeared, and this episode may just be my favourite McPoyle adventure.

Everyone has their moment to shine, from Frank trying to find his funds to the rest of the gang enduring the ridiculous trials and tribulations, and the climactic ending was a neat little bow on the whole thing.

1 – Sweet Dee’s Dating a Retarded Person

Rating: A

The episode that birthed the concept of “Dayman”, and that scene is enough of a reason on its own to bump it up into the upper echelons of Sunny.

The rest of the runtime beyond those few golden minutes is also sensational, and everything from Dee’s questionable boyfriend to the battle of the up-and-coming bands hits all the right notes. It’ll be a whole season before this episode gets a complete pay-off, but it’s certainly worth it.

Season Rating: B+

The seasons are getting better and better, and even on my re-watch I’m becoming re-invested in the characters and comedy. Let’s have a look at the stats for the season:

• 4A (29%)
• 8B (57%)
• 2C (14%)

Very solid indeed, and even the “C” episodes are completely serviceable. Now let’s see the stats so far:

• 6A (18%)
• 14B (42%)
• 10C (30%)
• 1D (3%)

Aaaaand there you have it, another season of Sunny down. It’ll be one of the best seasons ever next, but until then you can check out some of my latest blog posts: