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

The Gang Gets Racist
Season 1, Episode 1
Airdate	August 4, 2005
Production Number	IP01001
Written by	Charlie Day and Rob McElhenney
Directed by	John Fortenberry
Stream
— 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.

Starring: Charlie Day (Charlie Kelly), Glenn Howerton (Dennis Reynolds), Rob McElhenney (Mac), Kaitlin Olson (Dee Reynolds)

Guest Starring: Mary Elizabeth Ellis (Waitress), Malcolm Barrett (Terrell), Telisha Shaw (Janell)

Co-Starring: Ian MacKinnon (Brett), Sheldon Candis (Damon), Ungenita Prevost (Karen), Aaron Hartzler (Handsome Guy), Jesse C. Boyd (Boy), Sydney "Big Dawg" Colston (Large Man in Towel), George Weiss Vando (Guy), Montre Burton (Guy #2), Jon Cellini (Guy #3)

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

Time and place

• 12:45 AM
• On a Thursday
• Philadelphia, PA

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Charlie is shown to have an obsession with the waitress that works at a coffee place is shown to take measures to get her to like him.

• Dennis is shown to be incredibly vain.

• Mac is revealed to have a gay cousin.

Trivia

The Show

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

Behind the Scenes

• 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

• Mac: Honestly, I think we should think about hiring Terrell.

Charlie: Why? For what?

Mac: You heard him. When he's promotin', everybody and they mama's lookin' to get in.

Charlie: That's true. They do have "niggers hanging from rafters."

Waitress: Wow. Nice.

Charlie: No, that's not what I was saying.

Waitress: Coffee?

Mac: Yeah.

Dennis: Yeah.

Waitress: Hitler?

Charlie: No, I'm not - I'm not Adolf Hitler.

Waitress: I'll make sure to put lots of cream in yours.

Charlie: No, I was quoting a black friend of mine.

Waitress: Okay.

• Mac: No goddamn way. Have you guys seen this? "Looking for that new hot spot to spot that stud? Well, Paddy's Irish Pub has plugged that hole."

Charlie: That's a nice notice.

Dennis: That's not bad.

Mac: No, it's not a nice notice. I don't want to be plugging anybody's holes.

• Dennis: I just get along really well with those guys.

Charlie: You get along great. They're vibing.

Dee: No, you're leading them on. You're not gay; you're just really, really vain.

• Mac: This is unbelievable. What the hell is going on here? You got black women crawling all over you and this Mary over here is the belle of the ball. Why do these people like you guys so much?

Charlie: Well, dude, it's not that they like us. It's that they don't like you. You know why? Uh, because you're an asshole!

Mac: Is that true?

Dee: Yeah, kind of.

• Dennis: What is going on here? You guys know each other?

Charlie: Yeah! Yeah! That's the crazy bitch that punched me in my eye!

Terrell: Charlie! That's my sister.

Mac: Now, just to clarify, when you say "sister," you mean...

Terrell: I mean my sister.

Mac: Yes! Okay! This is great! Because earlier you were implying that I was racist because you thought that I was implying that all black people are related. And then it turns out that you people actually are!

(everyone reacts)

Mac: No, that's not what I meant. Hold on a second. I meant that you two actually are.

Dee: Mac? Stop talkin'.