Rob McElhenney has a controversial opinion about one polarizing It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode, and the actor is totally right. While the format of the sitcom has rarely strayed from the idea of it being about the gang’s schemes in and around Paddy’s Pub, every once in a while, an episode will be totally leftfield with a drastically different tone. The very first of these episodes was season 4, episode 11, “The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell,” which sees the main cast playing characters in the 1800s and follows their involvement, or lack thereof, in the cracking of the liberty bell.
“The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell” is generally considered one of the worst episodes of It‘s Always Sunny, and it has been criticized by the fanbase for deviating too much from what makes the show great. However, on The Always Sunny Podcast episode 56, which features McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton talking about the divisive episode, Elhenney argues that it’s underrated. The show creator and actor is not wrong, as the season 4 episode features some of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s funniest moments, and really does stand with the best episodes of the series.
Rob McElhenney Thinks “The Gang Cracks The Liberty Bell Is Underrated”
The Always Sunny Podcast features the gang discussing a different episode each week, and episode 56 of the podcast was about “The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell.” McElhenney turned up late to the podcast, but he stormed into the room with a “hot take.” The actor immediately explained, “I’m coming in hot because I watched the episode this morning and I do remember a tremendous amount of audience pushback on this particular episode, if I recall correctly, and my hot take is that they’re all wrong.” Day agreed, adding, “I think it’s within the top five to 10 best episodes we’ve done.“
It’s totally understandable that the writers and actors think “The Gang Crack the Liberty Bell” is underrated, as a clear amount of effort went into this episode more than any other. Facades had to be built to make the show look like the 1800s, and the costume and make-up design was on a level that the cast and crew weren’t used to. Not only that, but it was the first time they went out of their comfort zone too. Being 15 seasons in, the gang and its team of writers can clearly churn out great bottle episodes in Paddy’s Pub, but “The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell” was a brave, coming as it did during the fourth season. As such, there’s a case to be made that it was simply ahead of its time.
“The Gang Cracks The Liberty Bell” Doesn’t Get Enough Credit
“The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell” is underrated and one of the funniest episodes of the series, and it doesn’t get enough credit, as it was the first episode to push the boundaries of what the show was capable of. The episode was so polarizing at the time simply because it didn’t stick to the usual formula, but as time has passed, it has grown in popularity, albeit slightly. Other experimental Always Sunny episodes followed and have been overwhelmingly praised, with “Mac Finds His Pride” being widely considered the best episode of the series. While “The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell” still has a stigma around it, the episode broke new ground and paved the way for other innovative Always Sunny stories.
