The latest It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia banks on one simple truth: if there's one thing the Gang is passionate about, it's drinking. The sitcom dives deep into the blue-collar vs. white-collar debate as the Gang tries to tackle the problem of "dying American workplace culture." Between battling manufacturing machines and wrecking offices, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 Episode 6, "The War on Alcohol," leans into the chaos but gets lost in the process.
The episode uses the familiar formula of the Gang starting by trying to solve a problem, only to make whatever situation they've inserted themselves into worse. Unfortunately, the overall story focuses less on a final, larger payoff and more on a few great moments from each plotline, making for an all-around mediocre episode.
I worried the show would repeat itself, since last season they already took a stance on drinking in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17 Episode 6, "Overage Drinking: A National Concern." But "The War on Alcohol" takes the approach of the Gang being appalled by their own misconceptions about the idea of people not drinking. The beginning scene stands out as particularly strong, especially since the Gang really commits to showcasing their disgust toward the non-alcoholic beverage salesman.
In particular, Dee smashing the bottle and chasing after the salesman with it made me cackle. I always love when the show lets Kaitlin Olson unleash her unhinged side. As always, the Gang's conversation spirals into more than just a discussion about alcohol consumption habits. They start complaining about "taking the meat out of burgers," and their obsession with things that aren't worth getting worked up about sets up the two diverging plotlines.
The stronger storyline is definitely Mac and Charlie's attempt to connect with "blue-collar" workers. My favorite part of the episode is the discussion the duo has before entering the factory, where they share their cartoonish perception of factory workers. Mac and Charlie describing the imagined lava vats and lunchtimes eating sandwiches out of brown paper bags while sitting on beams evokes such clear images of what people who have never worked a day in their life imagine. The clear disconnect between reality and Mac and Charlie's imagination is such a great example of It's Always Sunny's trademark absurdity, and I really felt the spirit of the show's early seasons in the scene.
While the plotline starts strong, it gets pulled in multiple directions, including discussions about the dystopian future of automation that feel like a further development of the commentary explored in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 Episode 4, "2026: A Virtual Insanity." Mac and Charlie keep chasing their idealized version of the American lifestyle and eventually track down Buck, an ex-factory worker who lives in a trailer. The reveal that Buck actually got a facial disfigurement from drinking while handling lava in the factory didn't land for me. Sure, it's a comedy bit that exists in the ballpark of the absurd morbidity established by the season premiere, but it feels like a clumsily obvious way to teach Mac and Charlie a lesson.
Meanwhile, the Reynolds aren't faring much better in their new office environment. Given Frank's rich background, it's a no-brainer that Dee, Dennis, and Frank would opt to rub shoulders with the "white-collar" folks in an attempt to market alcohol. This plotline is much more fragmented than Mac and Charlie's, mainly because none of the characters can seem to make up their minds about what they want to do. The trio initially brainstorm ideas for an ad about drinking featuring an animal mascot, but they immediately get distracted by other matters. Dennis and Frank become obsessed with bringing back the "good old days" of corporate culture, which means that they just drink, smoke, and talk about banging secretaries. Dee, meanwhile, starts pursuing the poor intern who just wants to do his job. Her predatory advances end up coming off as more strange and off-putting than hilarious, especially since there's no real payoff for the plotline, other than revealing that the intern had been servicing her under the table during the board meeting.