Sunny came back with a bang for its sixteenth season – fans had their complaints about the past few seasons (I really liked Season 15 personally, but maybe that’s just me …) but everyone seems to love this latest instalment. I know I say this every year, but that’s impressive after almost two decades on the air!
I’ll be ranking all eight episodes (I’m sad there’s not more too) by personal opinion. Beware – I’ll delve into some possible SPOILERS, so make sure you’re up to speed before reading my opinions!
Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:
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8 – The Gang Gets Cursed (Episode 3)
No season of Sunny is without its misfires, but even then “The Gang Gets Cursed” is pretty decent for the “worst” episode of Season 16.
Dee’s face drooping is a funny visual gag, the exchanges with Rhea Pearlman were great, and Glenn Howerton sells Dennis’s brain paralysis. Unfortunately, the Bar Rescue reality show / Chase Utley / Uncle Jack were either disappointing or criminally underutilised.
Good
7 – Risk E. Rat’s Pizza & Amusement Center (Episode 6)
Scott Marder and Rob Rosell came back into the writers room for Season 16, and I think their presence is felt across many of the stronger episodes. Their own episode however, “Risk E. Rat’s Pizza & Amusement Center”, didn’t quite capitalise on the premise.
I really liked Dennis and Charlie’s crusade for animatronic titties, and the insane ending was a highlight of the season, but Mac’s time-out and Dee / Frank’s treasure hunt were pretty shallow.
6 – Frank Shoots Every Member of the Gang (Episode 2)
One of the most insane premises the writers have ever come up with, so it’s a shame “Frank Shoots Every Member of the Gang” ended up being good but not much more.
Frank’s willy-nilly gun use is a highlight, and the scene on the beach where he gives up his life is a great character moment, but the B-plot of Mac and Charlie finding their teeth family heirloom wasn’t as funny as I wanted.
Great
5 – Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab (Episode 5)
“Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab” was my most anticipated episode after seeing Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul’s names attached, so I ended up being mildly disappointed. It was still great, though.
Charlie eats nickels, Frank and Dee take a private jet to nowhere, Mac keeps pushing his fashion idea, and I love Paul’s attitude and Cranston’s closing monologue. In the end, I wish the writers had focused more on their two guest stars rather than the random nonsense from the Gang.
4 – The Gang Inflates (Episode 1)
Sunny has had some middling season openers in recent years, but “The Gang Inflates” started Season 16 with a bang.
Dee getting evicted and gluing her hands to every wall was a great gag, Charlie’s apartment having a bathroom / extra bedroom is an amazing revelation, and Mac’s face inflating from the nuts is definitely one of the most hilarious aspects of the season as a whole.
3 – The Gang Goes Bowling (Episode 7)
“The Gang Goes Bowling” is a classic example of guys vs. gals, with stakes that just keeping getting more and more ridiculous.
I loved seeing returning characters like Artemis, Gail the Snail and especially the McPoyles, and Dennis breaking his hand on the punching game had me in stitches.
Amazing
2 – Dennis Takes a Mental Health Day (Episode 8)
Dennis is my favourite character, so having the finale – “Dennis Takes a Mental Health Day” – revolving around a series of his rages was an inspired choice.
Him commanding his blood pressure to be lower, the whole pressure cooker fiasco, and the boba tea / apps / car experiences (based on Glenn Howerton’s real-life anecdotes from the Always Sunny Podcast, no less) were all so funny, and the bloody hallucination / waiting room outro was one of the greatest Sunny endings ever.
1 – Frank vs. Russia (Episode 4)
Megan Ganz has written some of the best Sunny episodes in recent years (and directed some too!), so I was excited for her Season 16 effort “Frank vs. Russia”. It did not disappoint.
The whole anal beads subplot was so funny, we get some much better scenes with Uncle Jack, the SINNED System is incredible, and Mac not understanding that Dennis is Johnny should’ve been stupid but it worked. That pretty much sums up the whole episode, actually – it’s utterly ridiculous from start to finish, but it somehow succeeds on every level.
Season Rating: B+
This was an excellent season – I can see why many thought it to be a “return to form” (but again, Season 15’s Ireland Arc was pretty great). I’d put it about 7th overall in my season rankings, above Season 3 but just below Season 12.
Aaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below:
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