Top 10 Times They Couldn't Keep a Straight Face On It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

“Frank's Back in Business”

What investor could possibly resist Fight Milk? Mac and Charlie’s self produced commercial for their alcoholic dairy product is edited… creatively, we’ll say. The choppiness of the quick shots in the video makes the ad look homemade. However, it also conveniently cuts around Rob McElhenney and Charlie day breaking character as they explain their revolutionary new beverage. You can see them both cracking smiles as they talk into the camera and mix up a fresh batch of the drink. We’re surprised Mac doesn’t have an even bigger reaction to Charlie breaking that crow’s egg!

“The Gang Squashes Their Beefs”

If you ask us, this episode makes the hall of fame for best sitcom Thanksgiving episodes of all time. The gang collects a handful of their rivals and foes and invites them over to squash their respective beefs over a meal of squash and beef. At various points throughout the dinner, it’s clear that the cast is struggling to keep it together! Especially once they decide a truce is impossible with this motley crew and begin hurling their food at one another. How else would you expect a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the “Always Sunny” gang to end?

“The Gang Tries Desperately To Win An Award”

It’s hard to believe that “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” never won an Emmy award throughout their first 15 seasons on air! Maybe that’s why their accolade themed story was so relevant. This episode pokes fun at the industry’s infatuation with overly peppy sitcom characters with will-they-or-won’t-they love connections. While the gang gives it a try, they can’t get the hang of it. Dee and Dennis struggle to make it through a not safe for work exchange with a hapless customer. However, the breaking doesn’t stop there. Mac immediately has to hang his head once Charlie begins performing his “best song” to the bar (xref). Someone give that song an award!

“Dennis and Dee's Mom is Dead”

As the old saying goes, every squad needs someone to throw stuff at. Alright, maybe we just made that up. But it’s definitely true for the Always Sunny gang. When Charlie shows off his fancy new knife collection to Dennis and Mac, they immediately threaten to practice their aim on Dee. Her protests are immediately ignored as they count down for her to get out of their way. At the same time, it looks like Charlie and Mac are barely containing their laughter. While it works within the context of the moment, it’s obvious that they were having trouble staying in character! It was one of those scenes where it didn’t matter whether the gang or the actors themselves were supposed to be laughing.

“The Gang Solves The Mortgage Crisis”

While Charlie Kelly is your go-to guy for bird law, he’s not so good with other legal matters.. One of their various nemeses, The Lawyer, learns about this firsthand when the crew buys a house. The gang tries to make changes to the place while the previous owners still have possession of the home. When a lawyer arrives to ward the hapless crew off, Charlie steps up to speak with the legal professional. But the janitor’s lack of useful knowledge becomes quickly apparent. Behind him, Mac and Dennis are seen covering their mouths and hiding their faces during this hilarious scene. It’s incredible that they didn’t break completely when Charlie shattered the door.

“Sweet Dee Gets Audited”

This episode dares to ask the question… Can the gang come to a logical decision without beginning to scream at one another? Short answer, no. Our favorite Phildelphians tried to be civil by having a meeting about the bar issues. But when Frank comes under scrutiny, he distracts them with a completely different dog-related problem. Although Mac and Charlie get emotional, Dennis comes in with a “logical” explanation. His straightforward and unemotional delivery ironically gets a real smile. While Dennis wins the argument, we at home celebrate the fact that actors couldn’t hold it together. We have the democratic process to thank for this one.

“Reynolds vs Reynolds: The Cereal Defense”

The conflict between Frank and Dennis to determine who’s to blame for Dennis spilling his cereal all over his car sparked a full blown trial in Paddy’s Pub. As Charlie defends Frank for his questionable driving, he brings a crucial document into evidence. The paper in question clearly states that Frank does not have donkey brains. As Charlie makes his speech, you can see Frank being super careful as to not let his expression change. If you can make comedy genius Danny DeVito break character, you must be doing something right! Whoever wrote this scene clearly doesn’t have donkey brains either.

“The Gang Gets Trapped”

The gang decides to break into a strange family’s home when they discover that the strangers own a priceless vase. What could possibly go wrong with their plot to retrieve it? Oh so, so much. As Mac and Charlie keep watch, Dee tries to sow dissent between the two by pointing out that Mac is always pressing the button on the walkie-talkie. The awkward silence that ensues sparks an out-of-character moment that made the man who was accumulating mass grin. This scene is only topped when the five finally spot the artifact. In an Indiana Jones inspired bit, Frank hits it with his whip and destroys it. This perfect end to the episode leaves Mac breaking almost as bad as the vase did.

Everyone remembers exactly where they were the first time they heard the hit song, “Nightman.” No, just us? In any case, the first time Charlie performs his unforgettable tune, it’s impossible for his bandmates Frank and Mac to stay straight faced. The two of them simply just can’t get their heads out of the gutter to understand the song’s true meaning. After this iconic moment, we got a full treatment of the song in the musical episode “The Nightman Cometh”! Although they get through most of that episode unscathed, there are still absurd jokes that get the cast giggling. Just take a look at Frank when he’s backstage for the musical.

“Chardee MacDennis: The Game of Games”

If you haven’t played CharDee MacDennis with your own friend group, what are you waiting for? As two teams battle it out, Charlie and Mac attempt to steal a round by answering a trivia question from a deck of questions written by the gang themselves. Although Charlie gets a question he came up with himself, he can’t seem to recall the right answer. The cast is struggling before they even deliver the punchline. By the end of the scene, we’re positive that practically everyone broke character during the scene. It feels like we all win every time the gang plays Chardee Macdennis.