It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/The Gang Gets Racist

The Gang Gets Racist
Season 1, Episode 1
Airdate	August 4, 2005
Production Number	1P01001
Written by	Charlie Day
Directed by	John Fortenberry
— N/A	1x02 → Charlie Wants an Abortion
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia — Season One

The Gang Gets Racist is the first episode of the first season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Charlie and Mac set out to try to prove that they are not racist after an uncomfortable encounter with one of Dee's friends. Meanwhile, Paddy's is turned into a gay bar and the gang are at odds as to whether it should remain that way.

Guest Stars: Montre Burton (Guy #2), George Weiss Vando (Guy), Jon Cellini (Guy #3), Sydney "Big Dawg" Colston (Large Man in Towel), Jesse C. Boyd (Boy), Aaron Hartzler (Handsome Guy), Ungenita Prevost (Karen), Sheldon Candis (Damon), Ian MacKinnon (Brett), Telisha Shaw (Janell), Malcolm Barrett (Terrell), Mary Elizabeth Ellis (Waitress)

Plot Overview

Dee brings a black guy whom she met in acting class to the bar. He tells the gang a story about how he beat up a guy who wouldn't stop staring at him in a club. Mac and Charlie are thinking about hiring Terrell to work for their bar to try and get more clients, but Dennis thinks there is something odd about him. They go to a local college to try and make some black friends. Charlie starts playing a domino game they call "Bones" and makes a lot of friends. A girl named Janell gives him her phone number.

Terrell stops by the bar to speak with Dennis and shows him that he's brought a crowd to the bar; a crowd of all men. They soon discover that they are running a gay bar. Dee goes by Terrell's place and tries to kiss him, but he pulls away. She tells him that the guys are not happy that he has turned their bar into a gay bar. But in reality Charlie and Dennis celebrate the money they have made. Mac and Dee aren't happy about it, but they take a vote and Paddy's remains a gay bar because Dee isn't an owner and therefore doesn't get a vote.

Charlie takes Janell to a coffee shop to show the waitress that he is not racist. Janell finds out and hits Charlie in the eye. Back at the bar Dennis is acting gay to try and get more tips. Dee comes up with a plan to solve the gay bar problem. She tells Mac to get Dennis "blackout drunk". He does, and when Dennis wakes up it appears that he's had sex with two guys. The next day he decides that he doesn't want to own a gay bar anymore. Dee brings Janell to the bar and Charlie calls her the "crazy bitch who punched me in the eye", not knowing that she's Terrell's sister.

Notes

• This episode brought in 1.4 million viewers. This total would not be matched until the second season premiere.

Trivia

The Show

• The pilot was shot for under $200. On the August 3rd episode of The Daily Show Danny DeVito claimed that it was shot for 85 dollars. When FX picked up the show it was reshot for considerably more.
• Mac and Charlie meet Janell at the University of Temple, which is located in Philadelphia.

Quotes

• (After Charlie has just said the N word)
  Waitress: Wow, nice.
  Charlie: No, no. That’s not what I was saying.
  Waitress: Coffee? (she then looks at Charlie) Hitler?
  Charlie: No, I’m not, not Adolf Hitler!
  Waitress: I’ll make sure to put a lot of cream in yours.