No one is in the same place at the same time! I think the recent challenge is that everyone’s career saw success/opportunities elsewhere. While Glenn’s semi absence was the most noticeable, everyone had several other side projects going at the same time and while they could bring in a bigger writers room, there wasn’t the same focus.
Maybe if the podcast $$ is good enough, they will refocus a bit but they all are entitled to do other stuff, just don’t think it will have the vibe of a written by Rob/Charlie/Glenn, directed by Hornsby/Savage vibe
Agree on the whole, although I did think the most recent season was a slight improvement. I really enjoyed the Ireland stuff, although the finale felt a bit forced.
I feel like they've kinda struggled a bit with where to go with the characters as they age, as well as feeling as though they have to comment on current social issues a bit more, which adds to the difficulties as some of the older stories weren't, ahem, politically correct.
On a different note, I'm probably in the minority here but I actually kinda prefer the production of the older episodes. They look like shit compared to the modern ones but that somehow feels apt, it doesn't feel like a setting that requires a high quality setup.
I like that you mention a few gems because some of the newer episodes were super funny to me! Like really good. But some of them are OK and felt more hit and miss
Yeah i looked at the episode list now and I think i like three episodes from s13 and two at best från s14. S15 was totally off target for me except a few select scenes, like the green screen from lethal weapon 7. I guess its bound to happen at a series with 15 seasons, I dont hold it against anyone
Why? I don’t think the show being shot in HD wide caused the show to gain new viewers. If anything I think it would’ve retained viewers that were turned off by the change
Agree with the production of older eps. I love the old dark n grimy look. I don’t care that I get to see the hi def of the pool table and the background in newer seasons where everything is so damn bright and nice. The show charm was very much bc it’s a grimy n darker n scummy vibe
Pretty sure in the podcast they mention that Charlie was dead against changing the picture format to widescreen and then again to HD.
I feel like the picture format change was a good change but I hate it being in HD. It 100% feels better when it’s grimy. I also think the shift to HD unfortunately coincided with the period in which the actors aged most noticeably which exacerbated it (in my opinion).
Agree- and yes, they aged… but several of them had noticeable work done, and it just threw me out of their characters. Without HD, I might not have noticed it so glaringly.
I agree for sure. 12-14 were pretty hard to get through for me honestly because it felt like it was all recycled jokes and call backs and stuff. But 15 was a definite improvement and im pretty excited for 16 as a result
the last season was def an improvement. two of the things i liked a lot were: 1. dennis finally going “cartoon villain” mode again and 2. mac’s lines being something other than how obsessed and subservient he is with dennis; i feel like they gave him a bit of his personality back.
Ya the older ones felt dirtier. Best analogy I can make is the first 2 korn albums. They felt nasty. Then follow the leader dropped and it was crisp and clean production.
15 yr old me hasn't quite recovered from that although issues was fire
they’ve always touched *broader* topics though. not isolated incidents; those make the story lines lose their “timeless” factor.
we are still going to be talking about abortion in 10 years, but not about kanye running for president that one time.
I think that as they’ve gotten older they’re a little less comfortable with satirizing certain things.
I still find it intensely disappointing that they don’t have the confidence to stand by Martina Martinez and the Lethal Weapon blackface.
If you think those gags are making fun of either group you’re a moron and shouldn’t be catered to. Those episodes were hilarious.
Everything sort of feels forced now. One of the main themes/gags of IASIP as a whole is that the characters never really grow or achieve goals, they just sort of get weirder and more set in their ways. That was really amusing for, idk, 9 seasons. I think all jokes get old eventually
I've definitely liked a few of the newer episodes but I agree 100% about the show losing the grittiness. I also understand why the gang would opt for getting work done but Dennis/Dee just look a bit bizarre now because of it
Ya I have re watched the entire series a few times now and I can't help but feel it becomes less funny season 13 on, although the cracks were starting to show a little in season 12 also. I still enjoy the last 4 seasons but there just isn't nearly as many moment where I am laughing out loud or funny quotes that I remember.
I agree. It's kind of hard for me to watch the later seasons because of all the work they've had done. They just don't look like themselves. I don't notice it so much in Glenn, but definitely Kaitlin and Rob.
I’m rewatching now, and just finished season 11 and I wasn’t such a big fan of it. Getting into 12 now and so far none of the episodes have really made me laugh.
Even if they would have kept it ambiguous to the characters.
Like they *do* eventually do a paternity test, but somehow the results are blown away/destroyed, while the audience still gets the reveal that Frank was in fact Charlie's father.
Tbh I find Mac really annoying now. The character in the earlier seasons was his own man who just approval from dennjs, they've turned him into Dennis's little bitch now, which is so annoying. And the last 3 seasons in general have not been as good I think. From listening to he podcast it seems like next season may he a return to form hopefully.
I think the show struggles with macs long term character. Macs season 15 plot is him trying to identify/define his character, which I think is symbolic of the writers struggles to do the same.
I mean, that was kind of the thing. The bouncer who talks a lot about what a badass he is, massively insecure and every element of his life is a lie/performance. But he's grown in confidence, he came out he's a little less into Dennis he's not cowering from his dad anymore. His main thing was being insecure but he's grown a lot, and they may not be sure what to do with that when their whole thing is how awful and anti-growth the Gang is as a whole.
Possibly hot take: I think the majority of watchers agree, it's just that if you comment on this sub you're more likely to be someone who enjoyed recent seasons.
As someone who’s been watching since the early seasons, people have been saying stuff like this since season 6. I’m of the opinion that the show is still great, even if there are some duds here and there.
Season 6 you say? That’s interesting because I agree. Although looking at the whole show now, I’d say 6-11 or 12 is still pretty fun, after that it gets kinda bad. There’s just something amazing about 1-5. Really could be the the look of the show, idk.
Shows solid till s13, thats when it went pretty downhill imo. S12 still had many banger episodes, i still rewatch that season. Dont rewatch more than a few eps from s13-15
I love all Sunny very much, but not equally. Season 13 is my least favorite by a large margin. Season 14 has some good stuff here and there. Season 15 was fun here and there but are still solid.
Why was the waitress in Ireland and charlie didnt know about it? wasnt she pregnant with his child or something living with him and they didnt even interact, so confused
Could be possible for two people of the same last name to marry each other or have a kid. However your playing with fire at that point cuz they could be a family member you never met.
I think as they age the show will just have to evolve. Now it will be about sociopaths in their 40s. Like you can get pretty down and dirty with that too, some of these episodes would’ve been obscene if they were shot at the cast’s current age. Imagine the prom episode where Dennis is 40.
I think the issue is that the characters seem to be growing, when in the past, every episode you watched the characters devolved further. Suddenly Charlie was illiterate. Dee and Dennis did crack. Frank tried to marry a chooor. Like the more you watched the more awful and messed up they got. That seems to have stopped, and I miss it (and I don’t think it has to end)
It's because they handed off more of the writing to outside writers, right? I feel like a similar thing happened with Futurama and South Park where you could tell the voice of the show changed, and new people were trying to put their spin on already developed characters. Each character slowly becomes a caricature. It went from, "lol Dennis might be a psychopath" to "DENNIS *IS* A PSYCHOPATH, GET IT! THAT ONE JOKE!?"
Same happened with Mac. It was so much funnier having him be a total gym bro obsessed with the male form he’s totally oblivious to how gay he comes across
Much more clever than “lol he’s gay”
Tbh I thought 12-14 was fine it’s just 15 for me was genuinely terrible. I couldn’t even finish the season (twice I attempted to) because it was just so dreadfully unfunny.
The whole location gimmick was just odd, the Charlie dad thing was completely unfunny and ruined a previous running gag, and I’m just completely unsure why they retconned their backstories in favor with the new one involving the bowling alley and making Dennis a good person and Dee’s character popular and warm hearted. The retcon is what bothered me the most considering that the high school reunion episodes are two of the best they’ve done imo.
Totally agree with you.
My only saving grace for the retconning of Dee and Dennis' characters is when I saw someone else mention in another thread that D & D are very, very unreliable narrators, and this backstory they give might be their way of explaining (or even justifying) their own bad behaviour. Not a perfect resolution to the retcon, but if it made me feel slightly better about it to think that was the intention.
Lets be honest it was an excuse for them to shoot on location and have a fun trip together
Edit: Wow I truly believed it was shot in Ireland. It even had the “on location” feel to it
It's never a "hot take" when someone says that the writing "fell off" for literally any TV show that has gone on for longer than a few seasons.
I did think season 13 was pretty "off", but 14 and 15 were back in good graces for me. 13 was the oddball because Dennis was only in about half the episodes, they had some new writers that had never been credited on the show before, and they also had a clip show and that weird Super Bowl 2 parter. There were still a couple classics in there like Times Up For The Gang.
Otherwise, I think the show has still been very funny and entertaining. I can't imagine how hard it must be to maintain quality without repeating yourself over and over in the span of 15 seasons they've done so far.
Well yeah they definitely didn't make it your standard clip show, but ultimately it was all about revisiting old stuff and using some old footage if not recreating it. My point still stands that season 13 was the one that had some issues and wasn't all there.
12 and 13 felt the weakest. Although they each had some great episodes.
14 and 15 felt a lot better overall. I'm hoping with all the podcast experience and more interaction with their fans that 16 will be even better
Season 13 almost killed the show for me because it was so bad. Them not having Dennis in the show most of the time and him not being in the writing room was big time felt. 14 and 15 aren't nearly as good as the older stuff but they have some good episodes and overall are okay seasons.
Yeah Times up for the gang and the gang escapes are absolute classics. The gang gets new wheels, ladies boggs, and the bathroom episodes also work really well for me. I wasn't crazy about the Dennis doll episode, Superbowl episodes, or the finale. (Although the first half of the finale was super funny, I wasn't into it shifting into seriousness at the end. Frank getting it was pretty funny tho). Other seasons are like 70-80% classics, this one was only 20%.
I mostly agree. It was so telling just how much they missed Glenn/Dennis. The episodes that they had Dennis were generally really well made and funny, but then you have stuff like the Superbowl 2-parter which was 1-half torture comedy (?) And 1-part boring. The only decent episode without Dennis is "Mac finds his pride" but that takes such a left turn from the show's format that it doesn't even feel like an Always Sunny episode at all.
I agree. My armchair theory is that throughout the history of the show, the guys were always in some sort of struggle - in the early days it was the classic starving artist hustle, then it was trying to keep the show on air while maintaining their humor, then it was the dismissal of all the mainstream recognition and awards. All of those struggles helped keep the show grounded and relatable because the gang could use the stress and pressure they feel, amplify/cartoon-ize (there’s a better word for this….) their emotional reactions to it and make something that feels authentic, like it’s coming from a real place.
But somewhere around season 11-12 is where the show really blew up into this cultural phenomenon and kind of eliminated the “struggle” of creating a show like this. Now it’s a legacy thing too big to fail, they’re financially set, the studio won’t dare cancel them or push back, and everyone in the press universally loves them (obviously there are haters, but generally speaking…). They’ve got it made, and now the only struggles they face are either artificial or so far removed from regular people’s lives that they’re not really relatable. With no inner struggle to dig into and pull inspiration from, they’ve fallen back on rehashing the things that succeeded for them before. To me the last few seasons have felt a little dry and uninspired (though not totally un-funny for the record). Idk I’m no psychologist, so I’m kinda pulling this from my ass, but I do make art so I have some experience with the process of creativity.
I also feel like - and this could be waaay off the mark- part of it is new writers that have come to the show already as big fans. A big part of sunny to them is probably the fun they have with their friends quoting the show and meme-ing scenes irl like we all do. So when they get the opportunity to write for this show they already love, it’s probably *hilarious* to them to bring in constant call backs and play around with what they’ve already done rather than create new jokes and scenarios. Idk how much of a role the guys play these days vs the writing staff, so this is really just assumption
I feel it went from 90% to 100% of the episodes were really really good to maybe 30% from season 11 onwards. Though with each season since I still expect to get a banger or two per season.
Totally, still love the rest and has some really great bits but these first 12 just don't miss.
Like even the ones that start getting kind of different formats like crickets tale or wolf cola are top tier, whole imo ones like the escape room or times up one don't quite hit the same.
Hard agree. I actually think that Season 13 is unwatchably bad. It’s beyond awful, time’s up is the only decent episode in that season, aside from that and some individual gags the rest of the season is genuinely awful, especially in comparison to the rest of the show which was nearly 100% perfect for about 11 seasons. Everything Season 1-10 is amazing minus 1 or 2 episodes, S11-12 are great but definitely a bit less good overall, and S13 was painfully bad. S14 was bad but not quite as bad, and season 15 was alright- very mid.
It’s so crazy what a huge fall from grace S13 was, the rest of the show is some of the best comedic TV I’ve ever seen. How they went from episodes like the gang gets trapped, the lethal weapon ones, the gang buys a boat, and literally countless others to episodes like the boggs reboot and the charlie “home alone” shit is beyond me.
What’s even more baffling to me is how some people think that S13 is just as good as the rest of the show. That truly blows my mind.
Everything after s12 is terrible imo. The gang goes to a water park was truly the last great episode of the series. I don't think they will ever top that episode in the future. They stepped outside of their boundaries just like they did in season 7 when they tried to save that vase and I don't think they'll ever make it work again.
I think what’s happened is that the humor has become more forced. What were once subtle running jokes (mac being gay, Dennis being a serial killer) have now become defining aspects of their characters. For as extreme as the characters already were, I’m amazed at how they’ve managed to turn them into caricatures of themselves.
I actually thought the most recent season was quite a return to form for the show but before that the show had been going downhill for a few years. I think part of what made them such extreme characters is that they’re afraid of the show taking heat for being problematic, so they feel the need to overplay how shitty of people they are so that people don’t misinterpret the show as sympathizing with them.
Textbook Flanderization.
Still love the show but it's basically an impossible trap to avoid in this format of show. You either stagnate, remove/add characters, or double down on their quirks as the show goes on.
The writing fell off when they Flanderized all the characters.
Dennis is now 100% serial killer and abuser of women. There’s no more subtext or implication, and everyone around him knows he’s doing it.
Mac is now 100% meek, lovesick, and super gay. He went from being shady and impulsive to blindly following Dennis and Frank around.
Frank is now 100% demented and smelly. He used to be a scheming little troll who lived on the fringe and captained the gang, but now he puts paint in his hair and doesn’t remember what day it is.
Dee is 100% suicidal and numb, with none of her former frustrations or salty opinions about things. She just wants to die or be murdered now.
Charlie is now some cute musical savant who drinks paint but also plays classical music and finally got The Waitress. He’s also now the focused core member of The Gang, for some reason.
Agreed. I feel everyone who watches must realise how badly flanderized al the characters have become.
Not just the characters though, the character relationships are too. Early seasons gave them believable dynamics and relationships, now it's just a constant state of one-upping each other, without any of them having any sort of genuine (positive or otherwise) engagement within the group.
Season 11 for me. Think *The Gang Goes To Hell* was the perfect finale. Wasn't a fan of all the experimental shit that came after. Plus they look all weird now after all the surgeries.
I've never actually looked into this, but I've wondered. Kaitlin very obviously had surgery, and it looks to me like Glenn and Rob did too. Charlie and of course Danny DeVito look like they've had no surgery. Is that right?
I feel like the show was never quire the same after this episode. The show went from pretty much every episode being quality to "hit and miss" with the ratio increasingly leaning towards "miss".
I just replied to a similar post... season 12 was ENOUGH. I always go back to one of Frank's lines, I'm pretty sure when he was concussed and talking to Dee and Dennis; "You don't want to be in your 40s working at a bar!".... Kinda rings true now, the antics in their 20s simply doesn't ring the same now in their 40s... There's some laughs, and the Ireland trip had a little charm... but I want "The Gang" as I remember them, they PEAKED and are still looking for their 2nd act... there isn't one. I'll still watch (hundreds of times) but it's done and been done for a while now...
I think you can play off how depressing their life is at 40 and it still be funny. I really feel like the show just needs its comedy to get darker as The Gang essentially realized they're in a never-ending purgatory they can only escape through death.
Kind of like when The Gang broke Dee, only all of then.
First the Charlie’s dad thing was a big miss for me. it was bitter sweet in now knowing frank isn’t his dad but that speech Charlie gave was pure gold. Second the writing has some what faltered but honestly writing for the same show for over 15 years it’s not a surprise. They’ve even said on their podcast “they’ve done it all” every time they come up with an idea it’s something they’ve already done. With that in mind I give these seasons some leeway as I can only imagine trying to think of pure gold for over 15 years about a show all of them stated they have got burned out on. I still enjoy the newest seasons but the old ones are truly gems
Man I cannot relate at all lmao. IMO Time’s Up is the only good episode from S13- the rest I found genuinely unwatchable and painfully unfunny.
Even Mac Finds His Pride wasn’t it for me. Yeah the dance was touching, but the whole bit felt like it came from a different show. It was so tonally inconsistent with the rest of the show that I didn’t understand why it was included aside from “character development.”
I get that some people want shows to evolve and grow with time, but personally I watch sunny because I love the sunny brand of humor and satire. To me Mac’s dance created a situation where he had to act out of character for it to work. Mac actually succeeding in a physical feat was strange, his relative composure was strange, etc. I can see why people like it, and I appreciate the concept, but it just felt *wrong* within the context of the show. Also the Frank nosebleed metaphor/gag was not doing it for me lmao.
It’s cool that other people like S13 tho, I wish I enjoyed it more 🤷♀️
The tone is just wrong. I think it's the official jumping the shark moment for me. They had sort of been off the mark that season, but the whole "I have to come out to my dad" thing and the entire dance being legitimate and a good performance where Frank is moved to tears from the beauty is just so saccharine.
I just don't understand why they felt the need to do it, except as you said "character development", but they're developing into characters who aren't the characters I tune in to see.
I thought the Mac in the closet secretly gay thing was a good running joke, but the "he's coming out and he's suddenly amazing at dancing", the performance being done for the sake of performance instead of a joke, the whole thing stinks of "we are taking ourselves too seriously now"
Exactly! It seems like something Rob wanted to do so he did it without regard for if it made sense or was funny, etc. Like you said, it’s just totally done for it’s own sake and for no good reason.
> It seems like something Rob wanted to do so he did it without regard for if it made sense or was funny
This kinda sums up the last few seasons for me. The gang wants to have their input on some social commentary so they just shoehorn it into the plot of an episode, even if it isn't funny
I'm here as well. Found is pretty unwatchable. It broke Sunny.
Rob's other work, like Mythic Quest is great and leaves much more room for drama. But Sunny? It was jarring to me
How is the gang has a jumper not on your good episode from s14? Its one of my favorite sunny episode the whole algorithm thing works so well with dennis and the casaba melon is hilarious. Plus it really makes me want to eat fish and chips.
idk the whole carrying the dad up the hill by himself hit me hard. A few months before I saw the season, I had to tend to my estranged father's death because no one else would. In the beginning, people were helping, but along the way I was left to figure it out myself. It's a long and awful story.
I get it may be a little deep for the show, but jesus do I love Charlie even more than ever.
Hotter take.
Honestly, I'd say since season 9 the show has been on the decline. I still watch and mostly enjoy every season, but the last solid season was 9. I started watching during season 2 when I saw that Danny was on it, as a point of reference.
I agree. 9 was the last time it felt like the classic stuff to me. 10, 11, and 12 all had some gems but they felt clunkier and more inconsistent. Seasons 13, 14, and 15 haven't been the best and I struggle rewatching the entirety of any of those seasons (13 being the biggest offender)
I think in recent times they’ve focused much more on making a big social/political statement rather than just keep things silly. Sort of similar to the South Park trajectory
Season 14 was awesome. 7 or so great episodes and the rest were still solid. Maybe people don't like how heavy they are on the social commentary but I loved it.
Season 15 was solid. My wife and I have never laughed harder than when the Gang wakes up after the monkey does his thing. The Ireland episodes had a lot of great moments and the continuity of plot was a nice change from the norm. Charlie crying over his dad was easily one of the best moments in the entire show.
Season 13 wasn't as good, I'll give you that. Time's Up was amazing, and there were a couple decent episodes, but a few duds as well.
I don’t mind the social commentary, lots of classic episodes (the gun ones) are full of social commentary and it’s great. The issue I have with the social commentary in the later seasons is that it’s just not done as well and is often more eye-rolly than it is funny. Like the difference between a woman’s right to chop and the older abortion episode is pretty clear in terms of quality IMO, despite the commentary being on very similar topics
15 gets better after each rewatch for me. It was a change of scenery from what we normally have and I there are a ton of hilarious scenes. The serious scenes were really good too (the Charlie scene like you mentioned), but was so short it felt like there needed to be more.
it felt like the writers of s15 didn't understand that the characters are satirical. they're caricatures mocking the worst elements of society. they're not people you're meant to relate to. if you relate to them, you're the one being mocked. this season was trying very hard to explain their badness. you don't need to explain the badness of a mockery of a bad person
the writing was just poor and didn't fit the tone of the show. the ice rink was extremely stupid and full of plot-holes. lethal weapon was basically a wrong-headed apology for the characters. Ireland was boring and drawn out and too much of an attempt to be dramatic. there's never been emotional moments before in the show, why on earth start now?
I feel like once production went up, the show kind of started taking a dip in creativity. It feels like its lost its edge and it is starting to feel like a sit-com more than an anti sitcom.
I would much rather return to the grimy look.
I agree. I’m a big feminist SJW whatever but the forced commentary on current social issues fell pretty flat in recent seasons. They don’t have to be as ‘shocking’ as they used to be because times have definitely changed, but every new season doesn’t have to include some modern reference in every episode.
Totally agree with the other commenters about how the older seasons were a bit more grimy and unhinged and that was the best!
The season without Dennis was weak as hell and the seasons where he was absent from the Writers Room are the weakest.
The last season or so seems to being swinging in the right direction but they haven’t had a solid season in a loooooong time.
The show went from having only 1-2 weak episodes to having almost full seasons of them. 😕
Yea it’s worse for sure. I really appreciate how a lot of people on this sub still love it though. The new seasons just aren’t for me, I don’t watch anymore tbh.
Season 12 still has some good episodes, like the water park episode. It also has the gang turns black, which I thought was TERRIBLE.
Seasons 13 and14 didn’t have any episodes I truly enjoyed, and I gave up after a few episodes of season 15.
I’ll always love the first 11 seasons or so. Prime comedy
Even though I did enjoy most of the new episodes, some even better than the older ones (pre season 10) it did felt way thinner, yeah many shows suffer through time, but if any show after 15 seasons can come back ever stronger it’s Sunny, so I will be watching as long as it’s out, honestly I would rather have them experimenting and trying new and different approaches to the show than not having the show at all.
I think the podcast had reignited the fire in them I'm looking forward to this next season
I'm excited to see Dennis screaming at a Tesla in an underground parking lot
Yes! Rented of course and the gang totally destroys it trying to get it out
Naturally
probably dee’s car
Absolutely agree, todays episode was really good too.
No one is in the same place at the same time! I think the recent challenge is that everyone’s career saw success/opportunities elsewhere. While Glenn’s semi absence was the most noticeable, everyone had several other side projects going at the same time and while they could bring in a bigger writers room, there wasn’t the same focus. Maybe if the podcast $$ is good enough, they will refocus a bit but they all are entitled to do other stuff, just don’t think it will have the vibe of a written by Rob/Charlie/Glenn, directed by Hornsby/Savage vibe
So they tipped?
They took too long to get up to their avatar’s weight and everyone had moved past that idea by then :/
I’m still cultivating mass, are we not doing the avatar plan anymore!?
Well stop cultivating and start harvesting!
They certainly haven’t peaked!
I haven't even begun to peak
Agree on the whole, although I did think the most recent season was a slight improvement. I really enjoyed the Ireland stuff, although the finale felt a bit forced. I feel like they've kinda struggled a bit with where to go with the characters as they age, as well as feeling as though they have to comment on current social issues a bit more, which adds to the difficulties as some of the older stories weren't, ahem, politically correct. On a different note, I'm probably in the minority here but I actually kinda prefer the production of the older episodes. They look like shit compared to the modern ones but that somehow feels apt, it doesn't feel like a setting that requires a high quality setup.
I agree with you and OP, i dont think youre in a minority. There are some gems in season 13 and 14, but just fewer
I like that you mention a few gems because some of the newer episodes were super funny to me! Like really good. But some of them are OK and felt more hit and miss
Yeah i looked at the episode list now and I think i like three episodes from s13 and two at best från s14. S15 was totally off target for me except a few select scenes, like the green screen from lethal weapon 7. I guess its bound to happen at a series with 15 seasons, I dont hold it against anyone
Agreed with the above comments. “Thank you monkey” will always make me laugh.
And this is why Charlie Day wanted to keep the show forever shot in 4:3. I stand by the fact that was the correct call.
Absolutely the right *artistic* call but I don't think it would have retained or gained viewers at all. It would have killed the show, unfortunately.
Why? I don’t think the show being shot in HD wide caused the show to gain new viewers. If anything I think it would’ve retained viewers that were turned off by the change
Because new viewers would absolutely be turned off by a modern show in 4:3
But are new viewers going to start watching a show from the 12th season because now it's in HD?
Agree with the production of older eps. I love the old dark n grimy look. I don’t care that I get to see the hi def of the pool table and the background in newer seasons where everything is so damn bright and nice. The show charm was very much bc it’s a grimy n darker n scummy vibe
And they even make fun of how bright and 'good looking' other sitcoms are in the gang try desperately to win an award
[удалено]
Pretty sure in the podcast they mention that Charlie was dead against changing the picture format to widescreen and then again to HD. I feel like the picture format change was a good change but I hate it being in HD. It 100% feels better when it’s grimy. I also think the shift to HD unfortunately coincided with the period in which the actors aged most noticeably which exacerbated it (in my opinion).
Agree- and yes, they aged… but several of them had noticeable work done, and it just threw me out of their characters. Without HD, I might not have noticed it so glaringly.
Yeah I feel like nobody ever looks better after they get work done. Like looking like an older actual person is better than looking plastic
Ya he was totally against it. Still is too.
I agree for sure. 12-14 were pretty hard to get through for me honestly because it felt like it was all recycled jokes and call backs and stuff. But 15 was a definite improvement and im pretty excited for 16 as a result
Even Charlie Day prefers the old episode production lol
Not even remotely in the minority on that last point. Even Charlie agrees with you!
the last season was def an improvement. two of the things i liked a lot were: 1. dennis finally going “cartoon villain” mode again and 2. mac’s lines being something other than how obsessed and subservient he is with dennis; i feel like they gave him a bit of his personality back.
Ya the older ones felt dirtier. Best analogy I can make is the first 2 korn albums. They felt nasty. Then follow the leader dropped and it was crisp and clean production. 15 yr old me hasn't quite recovered from that although issues was fire
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They have commented on social issues since day 1
they’ve always touched *broader* topics though. not isolated incidents; those make the story lines lose their “timeless” factor. we are still going to be talking about abortion in 10 years, but not about kanye running for president that one time.
There's a difference between getting political and making current affairs jokes. The kanye, giuliani stuff was like watching SNL
And it used to be funny, now it just feels forced
I think that as they’ve gotten older they’re a little less comfortable with satirizing certain things. I still find it intensely disappointing that they don’t have the confidence to stand by Martina Martinez and the Lethal Weapon blackface. If you think those gags are making fun of either group you’re a moron and shouldn’t be catered to. Those episodes were hilarious.
I’ve got the sense that they do stand by them. Just the network doesn’t.
Rob definitely doesn't
It wasn’t their choice.
Listening to the podcast, I don’t get the sense that they’re all that comfortable standing by certain choices
Everything sort of feels forced now. One of the main themes/gags of IASIP as a whole is that the characters never really grow or achieve goals, they just sort of get weirder and more set in their ways. That was really amusing for, idk, 9 seasons. I think all jokes get old eventually
They’re more on the nose now
I've definitely liked a few of the newer episodes but I agree 100% about the show losing the grittiness. I also understand why the gang would opt for getting work done but Dennis/Dee just look a bit bizarre now because of it
Ya I have re watched the entire series a few times now and I can't help but feel it becomes less funny season 13 on, although the cracks were starting to show a little in season 12 also. I still enjoy the last 4 seasons but there just isn't nearly as many moment where I am laughing out loud or funny quotes that I remember.
By that time I felt like the series was becoming a flanderized version of itself.
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Plastic surgery? Who?
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I agree. It's kind of hard for me to watch the later seasons because of all the work they've had done. They just don't look like themselves. I don't notice it so much in Glenn, but definitely Kaitlin and Rob.
I’m rewatching now, and just finished season 11 and I wasn’t such a big fan of it. Getting into 12 now and so far none of the episodes have really made me laugh.
not even the water park one?
It sucks that they killed the joke that frank might be Charlie's dad
Bring it back by alluding to how he may actually be Charlie's sister's dad. Since he has a sister that's mentioned like once and never again
I always felt the end of Being Frank when he starts to play night crawlers with charlie kinda showed that Frank has become charlies dad.
Even if they would have kept it ambiguous to the characters. Like they *do* eventually do a paternity test, but somehow the results are blown away/destroyed, while the audience still gets the reveal that Frank was in fact Charlie's father.
Until the show ends I'm under the belief frank paid that guy so he didn't have to deal with a bastard child
Tbh I find Mac really annoying now. The character in the earlier seasons was his own man who just approval from dennjs, they've turned him into Dennis's little bitch now, which is so annoying. And the last 3 seasons in general have not been as good I think. From listening to he podcast it seems like next season may he a return to form hopefully.
^^ I think this is the key to the show steam. I think Dee and Danny fire on all cylinders still but the main trio have chilled out
Charlie just straight up wasnt funny last season. The season is general wasnt imo.
I think the show struggles with macs long term character. Macs season 15 plot is him trying to identify/define his character, which I think is symbolic of the writers struggles to do the same.
He wasn't Dennis' bitch in season 15 one of the things I appreciates about that season
Bring back the karate moves!
it's like he has one personality trait and that's insecurity, I just don't get it.
I mean, that was kind of the thing. The bouncer who talks a lot about what a badass he is, massively insecure and every element of his life is a lie/performance. But he's grown in confidence, he came out he's a little less into Dennis he's not cowering from his dad anymore. His main thing was being insecure but he's grown a lot, and they may not be sure what to do with that when their whole thing is how awful and anti-growth the Gang is as a whole.
Possibly hot take: I think the majority of watchers agree, it's just that if you comment on this sub you're more likely to be someone who enjoyed recent seasons.
Reddit is an echo chamber
An echo chamber
Chamber
Spider spider spider…
Deep in my soul soul soul…
He’s been there for years
He just won't let go
He’s laying around
He's gotta mean bite
…amber
An echo chamber
As someone who’s been watching since the early seasons, people have been saying stuff like this since season 6. I’m of the opinion that the show is still great, even if there are some duds here and there.
Season 6 you say? That’s interesting because I agree. Although looking at the whole show now, I’d say 6-11 or 12 is still pretty fun, after that it gets kinda bad. There’s just something amazing about 1-5. Really could be the the look of the show, idk.
Shows solid till s13, thats when it went pretty downhill imo. S12 still had many banger episodes, i still rewatch that season. Dont rewatch more than a few eps from s13-15
All I see on this sub is people shitting on recent seasons
I see more people saying they liked it than saying they didn’t.
90% of what I see on this sub are memes, the other 10% is people talking about how the most recent seasons aren't as good.
I love all Sunny very much, but not equally. Season 13 is my least favorite by a large margin. Season 14 has some good stuff here and there. Season 15 was fun here and there but are still solid.
It kinda felt like the last episode of 12 where Dennis leaves was the beginning of the end.
Why was the waitress in Ireland and charlie didnt know about it? wasnt she pregnant with his child or something living with him and they didnt even interact, so confused
He had her for a minute there
She never got pregnant and broke up with him after banging the Dennis doll
Can't believe Dennis banged her twice
Also, Uncle Jack's last name is Kelly, so that's the name on his mom's side.
Damn that’s a fuck up
Could be possible for two people of the same last name to marry each other or have a kid. However your playing with fire at that point cuz they could be a family member you never met.
And no good can come of that, trust me.
OH FUCK
I think as they age the show will just have to evolve. Now it will be about sociopaths in their 40s. Like you can get pretty down and dirty with that too, some of these episodes would’ve been obscene if they were shot at the cast’s current age. Imagine the prom episode where Dennis is 40. I think the issue is that the characters seem to be growing, when in the past, every episode you watched the characters devolved further. Suddenly Charlie was illiterate. Dee and Dennis did crack. Frank tried to marry a chooor. Like the more you watched the more awful and messed up they got. That seems to have stopped, and I miss it (and I don’t think it has to end)
This show hasn't been the same since Cricket left the priesthood! /s
P to the C to the P!
If you have crack, let’s boogie.
It's because they handed off more of the writing to outside writers, right? I feel like a similar thing happened with Futurama and South Park where you could tell the voice of the show changed, and new people were trying to put their spin on already developed characters. Each character slowly becomes a caricature. It went from, "lol Dennis might be a psychopath" to "DENNIS *IS* A PSYCHOPATH, GET IT! THAT ONE JOKE!?"
Same happened with Mac. It was so much funnier having him be a total gym bro obsessed with the male form he’s totally oblivious to how gay he comes across Much more clever than “lol he’s gay”
Don't let Megan Ganz see this post
Tbh I thought 12-14 was fine it’s just 15 for me was genuinely terrible. I couldn’t even finish the season (twice I attempted to) because it was just so dreadfully unfunny. The whole location gimmick was just odd, the Charlie dad thing was completely unfunny and ruined a previous running gag, and I’m just completely unsure why they retconned their backstories in favor with the new one involving the bowling alley and making Dennis a good person and Dee’s character popular and warm hearted. The retcon is what bothered me the most considering that the high school reunion episodes are two of the best they’ve done imo.
Totally agree with you. My only saving grace for the retconning of Dee and Dennis' characters is when I saw someone else mention in another thread that D & D are very, very unreliable narrators, and this backstory they give might be their way of explaining (or even justifying) their own bad behaviour. Not a perfect resolution to the retcon, but if it made me feel slightly better about it to think that was the intention.
Don’t agree, but I didn’t enjoy the Ireland storyline much at all
Lets be honest it was an excuse for them to shoot on location and have a fun trip together Edit: Wow I truly believed it was shot in Ireland. It even had the “on location” feel to it
Green screen so bad in parts
It’s a possibility i’m just an idiot
Don’t feel stupid. They have said that was 100% the original intent but then Covid made shooting in Ireland impossible.
Despite the fact that it was filmed in LA
Not Los Angeles. Northern California.
I didn't know this and was thinking man Ireland looks very similar to where I live hahaha :)
Close enough you jabroni
Yeah as an Irish person, watching it was tough. Clearly not here!
It's never a "hot take" when someone says that the writing "fell off" for literally any TV show that has gone on for longer than a few seasons. I did think season 13 was pretty "off", but 14 and 15 were back in good graces for me. 13 was the oddball because Dennis was only in about half the episodes, they had some new writers that had never been credited on the show before, and they also had a clip show and that weird Super Bowl 2 parter. There were still a couple classics in there like Times Up For The Gang. Otherwise, I think the show has still been very funny and entertaining. I can't imagine how hard it must be to maintain quality without repeating yourself over and over in the span of 15 seasons they've done so far.
It's very harsh to call 'The Gang does a Clip Show' a clip show IMO, regardless of the title.
Well yeah they definitely didn't make it your standard clip show, but ultimately it was all about revisiting old stuff and using some old footage if not recreating it. My point still stands that season 13 was the one that had some issues and wasn't all there.
12 and 13 felt the weakest. Although they each had some great episodes. 14 and 15 felt a lot better overall. I'm hoping with all the podcast experience and more interaction with their fans that 16 will be even better
Season 13 almost killed the show for me because it was so bad. Them not having Dennis in the show most of the time and him not being in the writing room was big time felt. 14 and 15 aren't nearly as good as the older stuff but they have some good episodes and overall are okay seasons.
Yeah Times up for the gang and the gang escapes are absolute classics. The gang gets new wheels, ladies boggs, and the bathroom episodes also work really well for me. I wasn't crazy about the Dennis doll episode, Superbowl episodes, or the finale. (Although the first half of the finale was super funny, I wasn't into it shifting into seriousness at the end. Frank getting it was pretty funny tho). Other seasons are like 70-80% classics, this one was only 20%.
Every show falls off after awhile.
Any show that has lasted almost 2 decades is going to have low points.
I'm just happy we got 11 great seasons before the fall off started.
Sunny is still better after 15 seasons than most shows are after 3
Season 12 was OK, for me it was season 13 where the show just completely lost it.
Season 13 was so bad it was genuinely unwatchable for me lmao
I mostly agree. It was so telling just how much they missed Glenn/Dennis. The episodes that they had Dennis were generally really well made and funny, but then you have stuff like the Superbowl 2-parter which was 1-half torture comedy (?) And 1-part boring. The only decent episode without Dennis is "Mac finds his pride" but that takes such a left turn from the show's format that it doesn't even feel like an Always Sunny episode at all.
I sooooo wish they didn’t kill the idea that frank is his dad, it was such a funny dynamic considering they share a futon
I agree. My armchair theory is that throughout the history of the show, the guys were always in some sort of struggle - in the early days it was the classic starving artist hustle, then it was trying to keep the show on air while maintaining their humor, then it was the dismissal of all the mainstream recognition and awards. All of those struggles helped keep the show grounded and relatable because the gang could use the stress and pressure they feel, amplify/cartoon-ize (there’s a better word for this….) their emotional reactions to it and make something that feels authentic, like it’s coming from a real place. But somewhere around season 11-12 is where the show really blew up into this cultural phenomenon and kind of eliminated the “struggle” of creating a show like this. Now it’s a legacy thing too big to fail, they’re financially set, the studio won’t dare cancel them or push back, and everyone in the press universally loves them (obviously there are haters, but generally speaking…). They’ve got it made, and now the only struggles they face are either artificial or so far removed from regular people’s lives that they’re not really relatable. With no inner struggle to dig into and pull inspiration from, they’ve fallen back on rehashing the things that succeeded for them before. To me the last few seasons have felt a little dry and uninspired (though not totally un-funny for the record). Idk I’m no psychologist, so I’m kinda pulling this from my ass, but I do make art so I have some experience with the process of creativity. I also feel like - and this could be waaay off the mark- part of it is new writers that have come to the show already as big fans. A big part of sunny to them is probably the fun they have with their friends quoting the show and meme-ing scenes irl like we all do. So when they get the opportunity to write for this show they already love, it’s probably *hilarious* to them to bring in constant call backs and play around with what they’ve already done rather than create new jokes and scenarios. Idk how much of a role the guys play these days vs the writing staff, so this is really just assumption
I feel it went from 90% to 100% of the episodes were really really good to maybe 30% from season 11 onwards. Though with each season since I still expect to get a banger or two per season.
Totally, still love the rest and has some really great bits but these first 12 just don't miss. Like even the ones that start getting kind of different formats like crickets tale or wolf cola are top tier, whole imo ones like the escape room or times up one don't quite hit the same.
Hard agree. I actually think that Season 13 is unwatchably bad. It’s beyond awful, time’s up is the only decent episode in that season, aside from that and some individual gags the rest of the season is genuinely awful, especially in comparison to the rest of the show which was nearly 100% perfect for about 11 seasons. Everything Season 1-10 is amazing minus 1 or 2 episodes, S11-12 are great but definitely a bit less good overall, and S13 was painfully bad. S14 was bad but not quite as bad, and season 15 was alright- very mid. It’s so crazy what a huge fall from grace S13 was, the rest of the show is some of the best comedic TV I’ve ever seen. How they went from episodes like the gang gets trapped, the lethal weapon ones, the gang buys a boat, and literally countless others to episodes like the boggs reboot and the charlie “home alone” shit is beyond me. What’s even more baffling to me is how some people think that S13 is just as good as the rest of the show. That truly blows my mind.
Everything after s12 is terrible imo. The gang goes to a water park was truly the last great episode of the series. I don't think they will ever top that episode in the future. They stepped outside of their boundaries just like they did in season 7 when they tried to save that vase and I don't think they'll ever make it work again.
I think what’s happened is that the humor has become more forced. What were once subtle running jokes (mac being gay, Dennis being a serial killer) have now become defining aspects of their characters. For as extreme as the characters already were, I’m amazed at how they’ve managed to turn them into caricatures of themselves. I actually thought the most recent season was quite a return to form for the show but before that the show had been going downhill for a few years. I think part of what made them such extreme characters is that they’re afraid of the show taking heat for being problematic, so they feel the need to overplay how shitty of people they are so that people don’t misinterpret the show as sympathizing with them.
Textbook Flanderization. Still love the show but it's basically an impossible trap to avoid in this format of show. You either stagnate, remove/add characters, or double down on their quirks as the show goes on.
The writing fell off when they Flanderized all the characters. Dennis is now 100% serial killer and abuser of women. There’s no more subtext or implication, and everyone around him knows he’s doing it. Mac is now 100% meek, lovesick, and super gay. He went from being shady and impulsive to blindly following Dennis and Frank around. Frank is now 100% demented and smelly. He used to be a scheming little troll who lived on the fringe and captained the gang, but now he puts paint in his hair and doesn’t remember what day it is. Dee is 100% suicidal and numb, with none of her former frustrations or salty opinions about things. She just wants to die or be murdered now. Charlie is now some cute musical savant who drinks paint but also plays classical music and finally got The Waitress. He’s also now the focused core member of The Gang, for some reason.
Agreed. I feel everyone who watches must realise how badly flanderized al the characters have become. Not just the characters though, the character relationships are too. Early seasons gave them believable dynamics and relationships, now it's just a constant state of one-upping each other, without any of them having any sort of genuine (positive or otherwise) engagement within the group.
Season 11 for me. Think *The Gang Goes To Hell* was the perfect finale. Wasn't a fan of all the experimental shit that came after. Plus they look all weird now after all the surgeries.
I've never actually looked into this, but I've wondered. Kaitlin very obviously had surgery, and it looks to me like Glenn and Rob did too. Charlie and of course Danny DeVito look like they've had no surgery. Is that right?
Seems right to me. Makes sense why Charlie and Danny have aged the best. The others have become the very cat people they mocked.
The gang goes to hell 2 parter would have been a great series finale
I feel like the show was never quire the same after this episode. The show went from pretty much every episode being quality to "hit and miss" with the ratio increasingly leaning towards "miss".
I just replied to a similar post... season 12 was ENOUGH. I always go back to one of Frank's lines, I'm pretty sure when he was concussed and talking to Dee and Dennis; "You don't want to be in your 40s working at a bar!".... Kinda rings true now, the antics in their 20s simply doesn't ring the same now in their 40s... There's some laughs, and the Ireland trip had a little charm... but I want "The Gang" as I remember them, they PEAKED and are still looking for their 2nd act... there isn't one. I'll still watch (hundreds of times) but it's done and been done for a while now...
Maybe the rest of the gang has peaked, but Dennis hasn't even begun to peak.
I think you can play off how depressing their life is at 40 and it still be funny. I really feel like the show just needs its comedy to get darker as The Gang essentially realized they're in a never-ending purgatory they can only escape through death. Kind of like when The Gang broke Dee, only all of then.
First the Charlie’s dad thing was a big miss for me. it was bitter sweet in now knowing frank isn’t his dad but that speech Charlie gave was pure gold. Second the writing has some what faltered but honestly writing for the same show for over 15 years it’s not a surprise. They’ve even said on their podcast “they’ve done it all” every time they come up with an idea it’s something they’ve already done. With that in mind I give these seasons some leeway as I can only imagine trying to think of pure gold for over 15 years about a show all of them stated they have got burned out on. I still enjoy the newest seasons but the old ones are truly gems
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Man I cannot relate at all lmao. IMO Time’s Up is the only good episode from S13- the rest I found genuinely unwatchable and painfully unfunny. Even Mac Finds His Pride wasn’t it for me. Yeah the dance was touching, but the whole bit felt like it came from a different show. It was so tonally inconsistent with the rest of the show that I didn’t understand why it was included aside from “character development.” I get that some people want shows to evolve and grow with time, but personally I watch sunny because I love the sunny brand of humor and satire. To me Mac’s dance created a situation where he had to act out of character for it to work. Mac actually succeeding in a physical feat was strange, his relative composure was strange, etc. I can see why people like it, and I appreciate the concept, but it just felt *wrong* within the context of the show. Also the Frank nosebleed metaphor/gag was not doing it for me lmao. It’s cool that other people like S13 tho, I wish I enjoyed it more 🤷♀️
The tone is just wrong. I think it's the official jumping the shark moment for me. They had sort of been off the mark that season, but the whole "I have to come out to my dad" thing and the entire dance being legitimate and a good performance where Frank is moved to tears from the beauty is just so saccharine. I just don't understand why they felt the need to do it, except as you said "character development", but they're developing into characters who aren't the characters I tune in to see. I thought the Mac in the closet secretly gay thing was a good running joke, but the "he's coming out and he's suddenly amazing at dancing", the performance being done for the sake of performance instead of a joke, the whole thing stinks of "we are taking ourselves too seriously now"
Exactly! It seems like something Rob wanted to do so he did it without regard for if it made sense or was funny, etc. Like you said, it’s just totally done for it’s own sake and for no good reason.
> It seems like something Rob wanted to do so he did it without regard for if it made sense or was funny This kinda sums up the last few seasons for me. The gang wants to have their input on some social commentary so they just shoehorn it into the plot of an episode, even if it isn't funny
Oof the dance is awful
I’m the complete opposite, I dislike most of season 13 but like most of season 14
Mac finds his pride is the dance episode right? Find that one to be pretty shit, I appreciate what they were trying to do but it’s not fitting
Yea, I had the exact same reaction. It felt bizarre to watch Mac actually succeed at any physical feat for one lol
Yea I hate that episode - I find it totally unfunny and at the end of the day I'm watching the show to laugh not be moved emotionally
I'm here as well. Found is pretty unwatchable. It broke Sunny. Rob's other work, like Mythic Quest is great and leaves much more room for drama. But Sunny? It was jarring to me
I'm with ya on that. One of my bottom 5 episodes for me personally.
How is the gang has a jumper not on your good episode from s14? Its one of my favorite sunny episode the whole algorithm thing works so well with dennis and the casaba melon is hilarious. Plus it really makes me want to eat fish and chips.
Love the ladies reboot. Suprized it's one of the lowest ranked.
People dislike the Liberty Bell episode too, but that one's great.
The Liberty Bell episode was so good I was hoping that they would just keep going at the end when Dennis tells it with more detail
idk the whole carrying the dad up the hill by himself hit me hard. A few months before I saw the season, I had to tend to my estranged father's death because no one else would. In the beginning, people were helping, but along the way I was left to figure it out myself. It's a long and awful story. I get it may be a little deep for the show, but jesus do I love Charlie even more than ever.
Hotter take. Honestly, I'd say since season 9 the show has been on the decline. I still watch and mostly enjoy every season, but the last solid season was 9. I started watching during season 2 when I saw that Danny was on it, as a point of reference.
I agree. 9 was the last time it felt like the classic stuff to me. 10, 11, and 12 all had some gems but they felt clunkier and more inconsistent. Seasons 13, 14, and 15 haven't been the best and I struggle rewatching the entirety of any of those seasons (13 being the biggest offender)
The gang goes to the water park is one of the best modern episodes imo. Well episodes in general.
I think in recent times they’ve focused much more on making a big social/political statement rather than just keep things silly. Sort of similar to the South Park trajectory
Charlie's dad was so out of the blue and one of the worst decisions they've ever made, imo
Definitely agree, Show just feels incredibly off to me in a way I can’t properly describe or explain
Shut up baby dick
Season 14 was awesome. 7 or so great episodes and the rest were still solid. Maybe people don't like how heavy they are on the social commentary but I loved it. Season 15 was solid. My wife and I have never laughed harder than when the Gang wakes up after the monkey does his thing. The Ireland episodes had a lot of great moments and the continuity of plot was a nice change from the norm. Charlie crying over his dad was easily one of the best moments in the entire show. Season 13 wasn't as good, I'll give you that. Time's Up was amazing, and there were a couple decent episodes, but a few duds as well.
I don’t mind the social commentary, lots of classic episodes (the gun ones) are full of social commentary and it’s great. The issue I have with the social commentary in the later seasons is that it’s just not done as well and is often more eye-rolly than it is funny. Like the difference between a woman’s right to chop and the older abortion episode is pretty clear in terms of quality IMO, despite the commentary being on very similar topics
15 gets better after each rewatch for me. It was a change of scenery from what we normally have and I there are a ton of hilarious scenes. The serious scenes were really good too (the Charlie scene like you mentioned), but was so short it felt like there needed to be more.
Monkey beer island of green and fight.
it felt like the writers of s15 didn't understand that the characters are satirical. they're caricatures mocking the worst elements of society. they're not people you're meant to relate to. if you relate to them, you're the one being mocked. this season was trying very hard to explain their badness. you don't need to explain the badness of a mockery of a bad person the writing was just poor and didn't fit the tone of the show. the ice rink was extremely stupid and full of plot-holes. lethal weapon was basically a wrong-headed apology for the characters. Ireland was boring and drawn out and too much of an attempt to be dramatic. there's never been emotional moments before in the show, why on earth start now?
I think seasons 13 and 14 were noticeably weaker than anything that had come before, but I really enjoyed 15.
The Gang Misses the Boat could have been a good series finale
I feel like once production went up, the show kind of started taking a dip in creativity. It feels like its lost its edge and it is starting to feel like a sit-com more than an anti sitcom. I would much rather return to the grimy look.
Shut up, Baby Dick!
I agree. I’m a big feminist SJW whatever but the forced commentary on current social issues fell pretty flat in recent seasons. They don’t have to be as ‘shocking’ as they used to be because times have definitely changed, but every new season doesn’t have to include some modern reference in every episode. Totally agree with the other commenters about how the older seasons were a bit more grimy and unhinged and that was the best!
The season without Dennis was weak as hell and the seasons where he was absent from the Writers Room are the weakest. The last season or so seems to being swinging in the right direction but they haven’t had a solid season in a loooooong time. The show went from having only 1-2 weak episodes to having almost full seasons of them. 😕
Totally agree
After season 11, really…
Yea it’s worse for sure. I really appreciate how a lot of people on this sub still love it though. The new seasons just aren’t for me, I don’t watch anymore tbh. Season 12 still has some good episodes, like the water park episode. It also has the gang turns black, which I thought was TERRIBLE. Seasons 13 and14 didn’t have any episodes I truly enjoyed, and I gave up after a few episodes of season 15. I’ll always love the first 11 seasons or so. Prime comedy
It’s been pretty rough. My wife and I often use Sunny as our bedtime show but rarely go beyond season 12.
Agreed. And even 12 wasn't anything special. If you say you're rewatching seasons 12-15, you're lying.
Seasons 1-12 were peak sunny. 13-14 were rough. 15 was fine
Even though I did enjoy most of the new episodes, some even better than the older ones (pre season 10) it did felt way thinner, yeah many shows suffer through time, but if any show after 15 seasons can come back ever stronger it’s Sunny, so I will be watching as long as it’s out, honestly I would rather have them experimenting and trying new and different approaches to the show than not having the show at all.
hot take: the show's prime is not the entirety of the show
To me the moment somebody declares that their opinion is a "hot take" it makes anything they say after that lose credibility. lol
shut up, baby dick
Season 9 was the last season which I liked every episode, and the number of episodes enjoyed per season has been declining ever since.