It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia recap: The Gang Escapes

The gang channels Donald Trump as they engage in idiotic negotiation that ends up with someone getting hurt.

When the gang attempts to operate out of their comfort zone (read: drunk at Paddy’s), things always always always go awry. It’s part of their weird charm. Due to their complex blend of narcissism, insecurity, and idiocy, there’s not one member of the group that can legitimately function like a normal person in society.

So when Dee brings an escape room experience to the guys, chaos inevitably ensues.

The episode opens on the group hassling Amanda (Kate Comer), an unsuspecting employee of the escape room company. Given that Dennis is really pushing for the sexual element of this game, there’s reason to be worried for Amanda, but she handles it all in stride. There must be a lot of douchey people doing these escape room things, and customer service is the worst. Also, people. People are also the worst.

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After realizing it’s a competitive activity that may result in winning some juicy steaks, Dennis accepts the challenge on behalf of the gang. Shortly thereafter, Amanda has transformed the guys’ apartment into an old study, complete with lots of smashable knick knacks. Dee jumps in right away, “finding” the walkie talkie that kicks off the game. Her attempt at a British accent is too much for the guys to bear though, and Dennis snatches the radio out of her hand with a practiced move.

It’s so good to have Dennis back.

As Amanda starts her spiel, Dee rummages through the props and everyone predictably gets impatient. They start the game without ceremony and the guys’s first order of business is to promptly lock Dee in Dennis’ room.

The remaining four split up into two teams. It’s Charlie and Frank against Dennis and Mac. Both are terribly terrible at the game. Each team has found something that looks important. MacDennis has a heart shaped lock, and CharFrank has the key. And instead of focusing on problem solving together, they engage in power plays involving Big League Chew and cow grazing. It’s all total nonsense.

Meanwhile, Dee is attempting to escape from Dennis’s room, aka: the end of the implication rainbow. After realizing that the room is soundproofed (obviously), she fumbles for a way out. Picking up the bedside alarm clock triggers some sort of trap, causing the bed to erratically vibrate, and a screen to activate. Dennis pops up with insanely disturbing – but completely characteristic – instructions for his Craigs List prey. It’s an escape room inside an escape room. Escape room inception!

On the other end of the walkie, Amanda is disturbed by this turn of events, but not rattled. The woman is a marvel, and I would definitely watch more episodes of her coolly interacting with these degenerates. She offers to help Dee escape the room, but Dee declines. She’s got that Reynolds spidey sense, and so she starts to intuit her way out.

Outside of Dennis’s rape room, the guys are chowing away at some delicious Big League Chew with abandon. Seems as if they’ve organized some sort of treaty based on the order of biting steaks after the game is over. Sure. Sounds totally reasonable. They keep invoking Trump’s Art of the Deal, but we all know that none of them have read that book. The fact that they have no clue what they’re doing only serves to delightfully mirror Trump’s deal-making abilities and his idiotic circle jerk negotiation that basically goes nowhere.

When heart lock finally meets heart key, Frank finds out that the game has only just begun. Frantic to actually win the game, the guys scramble around the apartment. At that moment, Dee appears on the window ledge, demanding to be let in. Amanda, freaking out over a potential lawsuit for her company, bursts in and pleads for someone to help Dee. Of course, Dee falls. But she’s a bird, so she’s fine.

Later, in the hospital, the guys reward Dee for her cunning plan by giving her the first bite of steak. It’s a rare moment of togetherness and unity on the show, and Amanda captures it for her company’s website like a pro.

Random Thoughts Before I Go:

• Dee had completed the game before, and wanted to do it again just to impress the guys. There’s no telling what gave her the idea that solving puzzles would be impressive, but she found the way into their hearts – however briefly – by falling off a third story ledge. Good bird.
• Mac’s room is so sparse that the escape room decor definitely makes a difference. The stark contrast between the elaborate furniture and Mac’s stuff only serves to make the Ass Pounder 4000 look even more sad and gross.
• I hate to give it to Dennis, but “role playing game” does sound sexual.
• Dennis’ two Jurassic Park references are pretty on point. Could the the safe word be velociraptor?

‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FXX.