Warning: Contains spoilers for season 15 of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia has finally revealed the identity of Charlie’s father. Charlie’s true parentage has been a mystery in the show for over a decade, and it had seemed as if the show was content with never providing an answer for the question. The most recent episode of the show, however, has proven that that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
In the season 2 finale, “Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad”, it was revealed that Frank had a one-night-stand with Charlie’s mother, Bonnie, thirty years prior, meaning that it was possible for Frank to be Charlie’s father. Season 3’s “The Gang Finds A Dumpster Baby” revealed that Danny DeVito’s Frank did impregnate Bonnie, only for her to get an abortion, but Bonnie then told Charlie that he was supposed to be aborted, but somehow survived the process. The episode leaves the issue unresolved, and while it had been referenced several times over the years, the show had never made a serious effort to solve the mystery of Charlie’s parentage.
All of that changed, however, with season 15’s “The Gang’s Still in Ireland” finally revealing the identity of Charlie’s father. On an impromptu vacation to Ireland, Charlie decides to track down his old pen pal Shelley Kelly, whom he believes could be his brother. Always Sunny‘s Charlie is surprised to discover that Shelley is an older man instead of someone around his age, which is when the show reveals that Shelley was actually Charlie’s long-lost father.
The reveal is a surprising payoff to one of the show’s longest-running plot threads, and it’s done so with a great deal of heart. Shelley tells Charlie over a drink that he’s happy to finally meet him, and the two spontaneously start singing a song together about how great it will be for the two of them to form a relationship. It’s a very heartwarming moment for a show that usually prides itself on cynicism and black comedy.
The situation isn’t without its downsides, however. After discovering who his real father is, Charlie’s elation is simultaneously coupled with him showing less and less interest in Frank. He becomes increasingly disinterested in Frank’s gross antics, which he would almost always indulge in, and he even turned down sleeping in the same bed as him, which the two had done for years.
While Charlie had never gotten a clear answer on whether or not Frank was his father before now, it was clear that he thought of him as such, but meeting his real father has driven a clear wedge between the two with Charlie having less desire to be around him. Charlie and Frank’s relationship has been an iconic part of the show both for how sweet and how gross it was, so it would be tragic to see it so suddenly be broken apart. The storyline will likely continue in the upcoming episode of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, “Dee Gets Stuck in a Bog”, so whatever lasting effect Charlie’s real father has on his relationship with Frank will likely be laid out there.
