On the air since 2005, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has gained a dedicated following over the course of its many, many seasons. Some would argue it’s time to wrap it up already, but nevertheless, the gang remains strong, and we’ll gladly witness their slow descent into madness for however long the show continues. Currently, Always Sunny is renewed until season 18, but who knows what the future holds?
For now, we shall focus on the sweet season 16, which has been confirmed to hit screens starting June 7. As soon as the news dropped, fans were quick to put on their thinking hats to figure out what might or might not transpire in the upcoming season. Maybe a fan-favorite ship will finally set sail. Maybe Ryan Reynolds will make the cameo of everyone’s dreams. We’ll have to wait and see, but right now, plenty of details are already in the bag.
What to expect from season 16 of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
With the official trailer for season 16 in our hands, it’s time to dissect it for every piece of relevant information it offers. Naturally, the video mostly presents us with the usual brand of wacky hijinks the gang has gotten fans used to over the years, but when we break it down, it’s possible to make some sense out of the mess.
It looks like this season, Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson) and Mac (Rob McElhenney) will be taking over the dating scene, guided by Dennis (Glenn Howerton), who is seen bringing back the infamous D.E.N.N.I.S. system for the occasion. It’s hard to picture any of it going down as planned, but, as reported by Deadline, Mac will be dating long-distance, so hey, maybe something will finally go right for him at least.
In the aforementioned Deadline report, it’s also stated that Dennis will be striving to improve his mental health, Frank’s (Danny DeVito) gun will once again play a role in his typical shenanigans, Dee will be battling for women’s sports and rent control, and Mac will be dealing with allergies — which might explain the facial prosthetics McElhenney will be using this season, as revealed by Howerton in one of the show’s podcast episodes.
It’s worth remembering that season 16 will be solving a long-standing mystery, with the possible return of a character fans haven’t seen or heard about since the early seasons of Always Sunny. While a couple of different characters could fit that description, the most likely scenario is that fans will finally get to know what happened to the younger sisters of Charlie (Charlie Day), who only made a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance in the season one finale. What’s even worse is that they were mentioned once in the entire show, making their possible return a much-awaited moment for viewers.
Season 16’s confirmed new and returning cast members
Continuing Mac’s streak of good luck, the trailer indicates that his dream of catching a pitch from Chase Utley may become a reality, as the former Phillies player makes his second guest appearance in Always Sunny. If readers recall, his debut on the show happened in season six, but Mac, unfortunately, missed out on the chance to meet his idol.
Utley won’t be the only guest star playing himself this season, though. Breaking Bad‘s Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston can also be seen in the trailer, and the two will be part of an episode “making fun of celebrities who sell booze,” Charlie Day explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
While it’s always great to meet new faces on the show, fans will be pleased to see Sandy Martin and Lynne Marie Stewart reprising their roles as Mrs. Mac and Bonnie Kelly, respectively. Jimmi Simpson and Nate Mooney will also be joining the cast for the first time since season 11 as the McPoyle brothers, who are now working at — and might even own — a bowling alley. In a seemingly contained episode, Mac, Dennis, Charlie, and Frank will be putting their terrible bowling skills to use against Dee and her team of hilarious recurring characters, namely Artemis (Artemis Pebdani), The Waitress (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), and Gail The Snail (Mary Lynn Rajskub).
All things considered, it seems like we have a potentially great season ahead, with all the ingredients that make Always Sunny as beloved as it is after nearly two decades on air.