It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Brings Back Multiple Fan-Favorite Characters

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is well known for its colorful cast of characters and Season 16 has once again brought back some fan favorites.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has no shortage of colorful characters both in the main cast and the guest starts on the series. While there have always been a variety of one-time celebrity guest stars, there are a few reoccurring characters that never fail to bring delight to the fans. It's Always Sunny has managed to create a lively world that revolves not only around the series' leads, but also creates in-depth side characters that help to enrich multiple stories.

Artemis, the McPoyles, Gail the Snail, and the Waitress are beloved characters on the long-running series. Their return in Season 16, Episode 7 "The Gang Goes Bowling" instantly helps to elevate the episode. The Waitress has been a long time love interest of Charlie and constant annoyance to the rest of the Gang. The McPoyles have been creeping viewers out since Season 1 with their milk obsession and other oddities. Artemis started out as a throwaway character but has become a consistently hilarious side character who is impossible to predict. Finally, there is the garbage pail cousin, Gail the Snail. Her gross sounds and off-putting demeanor has tortured the Gang and delighted fans.

Gail, Artemis, The McPoyles and The Waitress All Have a Problem With The Gang

For a laundry list of reasons, all these characters have a reason to dislike or even outright hate Charlie, Mac, Dennis, Dee and Frank. The only exception may be Artemis, who frequently engages in a relationship with Frank. The Waitress hates them because Charlie stalks her, Gail hates them because they throw salt at her, and the McPoyles hate them for blinding Liam McPoyle and for Charlie sending them to jail. Yet, as fate would have it, all of them need each other when it comes to bowling.

In Season 16, Episode 7 "The Gang Goes Bowling," The Waitress, Gail, and Artemis need Dee's help in order to compete in a bowling competition. Dennis and the guys are looking to ruin Dee's good time so they naturally compete against the all female team. And it just so turns out that the McPoyles own the bowling alley. This bottle-esque episode brings this hilarious cast together in the most unlikely circumstance. The women have to put aside their disgust with Dee and the guys need to make friends with the McPoyles. Each character brings so much to the episode, like Gail wanting to have sex with Mac, or Artemis throwing gutter balls on purpose because it's part of her "performance." Each antic adds a new layer to their wonderful characters.

It's Always Sunny's Unique Side Characters Make The Show Better

Many sitcoms don't have a deep bench of characters to draw from. Shows like The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother had their main cast and that was pretty much it. It's Always Sunny is unique in the sense that there are side characters who have been in the show for all 16 Seasons. Characters like the McPoyles or The Waitress may not be in every episode, but they are essential to the fabric of the series. There are even smaller characters, like the woman running the welfare office, who is seen in Season 2 and then again in Season 11. This kind of consistency is a joke on its own, and it's fun for fans to see characters return over and over again.

Season 16 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has proven that the show still has more stories to tell and more outrageous antics to show to the audience. Bringing back Artemis, the Waitress, Gail the Snail, and the McPoyles in one episode makes it feel like a reunion of sorts. These characters have been with fans for years, and it's good to see that they're continuing to expand their legacies on the show.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia airs new episode on Wednesday on FX and Thursday on Hulu.