It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: The 10 Most Hilarious Episode Title Setups, Ranked

Every episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia begins with a cold opening that establishes the storyline before cutting to a black screen featuring the title of the episode. Usually, the scene will end with a line of dialogue that sets up the title of the episode as the punchline. The show has made hilarious use of irony to juxtapose the last line a character says in the cold opening with the episode’s title.

For example, one episode begins with Mac and Dennis bragging about how they won’t be suckered into buying a timeshare. Cut to: “Mac and Dennis Buy a Timeshare.” So without further delay, here are It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s 10 most hilarious episode title setups.

10 The Gang Misses The Boat

Season 10’s “The Gang Misses the Boat” deconstructs the Gang’s dynamic, as Dennis leaves the circle and audiences get see the characters adjust to life outside the group. The episode opens with Dennis driving everyone to a boat party but when they arrive at the dock, the boat has already departed.

Dennis believes his Range Rover to be a military-grade amphibious vehicle, so he boldly declares “We are not missing that boat,” and drives into the lake. Cut to: “The Gang Misses the Boat.”

9 Dennis & Dee’s Mom Is Dead

When Frank made his first appearance on It’s Always Sunny, he told Dennis and Dee that their mom was dead. However, that turned out to be a lie. In “Dennis and Dee’s Mom is Dead,” Frank delivers the news for real – and he couldn’t be happier.

Frank comes into the bar, chomps on a cigar, and pops open a bottle of champagne to celebrate the untimely passing of his bitter ex-wife.

8 The Gang Tries Desperately To Win An Award

One of It’s Always Sunny’s most self-aware episodes, “The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award,” revolves around the Gang’s attempts to win a Best Bar Award for Paddy’s, but it’s really about the show’s endless struggle to win an Emmy.

At the end of the cold open, when the Gang commits to chasing an award, Dennis says, “I wanna be very clear about something: this literally means nothing to me.” Cut to: “The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award.”

7 Sweet Dee Gets Audited

In the cold opening of “Sweet Dee Gets Audited,” Dee rides into the bar on her new moped, which has a “$CAMMIN” vanity plate, and brags about the success of her scheme to claim money for the baby she gave away.

Before riding back out of the bar, she tells the Gang, “You guys all better eat a d*ck, ‘cause Sweet Dee just beat the system.” Cut to the title card: “Sweet Dee Gets Audited.”

6 Mac & Charlie Die

At the beginning of this two-parter, Mac and Charlie lie to the parole board to keep Mac’s dad Luther in jail. They worry that he’ll kill them if he ever gets out, because they refused to smuggle drugs for him.

Unfortunately, the parole board sees right through Mac and Charlie’s lies and Luther is granted parole. Cut to: “Mac and Charlie Die.” They don’t actually die in the episode, thankfully. Instead, they faked their own deaths to avoid Luther’s wrath.

5 The Gang Gives Frank An Intervention

Frank has gone off the deep end in “The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention,” so much so that it necessitates the titular intervention. He takes the Gang to a party in the park. However, when they get there, they discover that the “park” is actually a cemetery, and the “party” is a funeral for Dennis and Dee’s uncle.

Upon arrival at the funeral, Frank yells out “Flush that turd down the drain!” The other guys share an uneasy look. Cut to: “The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention.”

4 Dennis & Dee Go On Welfare

“Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare” is one of It’s Always Sunny’s most iconic early episodes. In the cold opening, Dennis and Dee decide to quit their jobs at Paddy’s to pursue their dreams.

As they storm out, Mac tells them, “You guys have nothing outside this bar” and Dennis replies, “Don’t worry, Mac, we’ll be just fine.” Cut to the title card: “Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare.”

3 Mac Kills His Dad

Mac doesn’t actually kill his dad in “Mac Kills His Dad,” but his attempts to save his dad’s life do effectively get him killed – and the title works brilliantly with the setup in the cold opening.

When Luther’s arrest is reported on TV, Mac declares “I am gonna save my dad’s life.” Cut to the title card: “Mac Kills His Dad.”

2 Dennis Gets Divorced

In the Season 6 premiere “Mac Fights Gay Marriage,” Dennis impulsively marries Maureen Ponderosa and regrets it almost immediately in the following episode, “Dennis Gets Divorced.” Dennis tries to sneak out of his own bedroom without waking Maureen, but she wakes up and playfully flirts with him.

This playful flirtation quickly turns to murderous rage as Dennis mimics strangling Maureen from across the room. He laughs, but there’s a real anger hidden underneath it. Cut to: “Dennis Gets Divorced.”

1 Frank Sets Sweet Dee On Fire

In arguably the best use of the series’ title card format, “Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire” begins with the Gang making plans as usual. Frank offers to join in out of boredom and Dee says, “When you get involved, people usually get hurt.”

Frank replies, “I’m just hanging out with the guys. How’s anyone gonna get hurt?” Cut to: “Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire.”

About The Author

Ben Sherlock
(3458 Articles Published)

Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, independent filmmaker, and Burt Reynolds enthusiast. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Rant. He’s currently in pre-production on his first feature (and has been for a while, because filmmaking is expensive). You can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the UK that will give him stage time. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop.

More From Ben Sherlock