Of Course Abbott Elementary's Melissa Would Recognize The Characters From It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Warning! SPOILERS about Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 9 ahead.
Part 1 of the Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover brilliantly established a thin connection between its characters via Melissa. Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 9, “Volunteers” indirectly acknowledged the major differences between the two sitcoms by having the two groups of characters state multiple times how they couldn’t know each other. Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia have obvious things in common, like airing on Disney-owned networks and being set in Philadelphia, but the two sitcoms couldn’t be more different, making it unlikely for the Gang to know anyone from Abbott and vice versa.
With the premise for the Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover relying heavily on the Gang’s need to complete community service for 100 hours, it made sense they didn’t want those at the school to know their voluntary work was court-ordered. This made them reluctant to encourage finding common ground between the teachers and them as it could mean exposing their presence’s true reason, to the school and the cameras, when all they wanted – as Mac’s main storyline proved – was for Ava to sign their volunteer slip. However, Melissa’s far-reaching connections unmasked the Gang and their intentions.
Melissa Recognized The Always Sunny Characters From Paddy's Pub In The Abbott Elementary Crossover
Paddy's Pub's Description Reminded Melissa Of Where She'd Seen The Gang
It took some time for Melissa to recognize where she knew Charlie, Mac, Dee, Dennis and Frank from. While they all bonded over their shared love and unwavering support for the Philadelphia Eagles, leading to an incredibly funny exchange where they all admitted how obvious it was for them to be found fighting at an Eagles match, it didn’t sit right with Melissa that she couldn’t place why she recognized the Gang. Only when a coworker mentioned a “gross bar with 300 one-star reviews” did Melissa connect the dots between them and Paddy’s Pub.
It made sense for Melissa to recognize the Gang, with her referencing more than once how she knew everyone in South Philly.
Her realization led to Melissa finally confronting them about it, adding that Paddy’s was the “skeeviest bar” she’d ever been to, before calling them a “bunch of lowlifes.” It made sense for Melissa to recognize the Gang, with her referencing more than once how she knew everyone in South Philly. Even after learning the true reason behind the It’s Always Sunny’s Gang’s presence at Abbott, Melissa proposed to “have them disappear like that,” hinting again at her connections that often helped her in the dodgiest situations, continuing Abbott Elementary’s longstanding joke about Melissa’s possible mob links.
Why Paddy's Pub Will Likely Be The Key To It's Always Sunny Season 17's Crossover Episode
It’s Central To It’s Always Sunny & Was Mentioned In Abbott Elementary
Part 2 of the Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover event is reported to give the Gang’s perspective of their time volunteering at Abbott. Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 9 maintained the ABC mockumentary’s atmosphere despite welcoming the It’s Always Sunny characters. This puts Abbott Elementary’s characters in a unique position to showcase a different side to them matching It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s style and themes, as hoped by Dee’s Kaitlin Olson (via Variety), who wanted for the Abbott’s teachers to “get nasty,” something they couldn’t do in Abbott Elementary, given their roles within the school.
Part 2 of the Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover will be one of the latter’s season 17 episodes, airing in 2025 once It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 17 premieres.
Abbott’s teachers visiting Paddy’s Pub can make them embrace their wilder side to match with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s tone, with part 2 of the crossover portraying them in a light that could never be seen in Abbott Elementary, thus adding to their characterization. It would make sense for part 2 to focus on Paddy’s Pub, given its evident centrality in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Between Melissa’s knowledge of it and how much it came up in Abbott Elementary, Paddy’s Pub can be in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia what the school was in the crossover’s part 1.
Episode # | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
1 | Back to School | October 9, 2024 |
2 | Ringworm | October 16, 2024 |
3 | Class Pet | October 23, 2024 |
4 | Costume Contest | October 30, 2024 |
5 | Dad Fight | November 6, 2024 |
6 | The Deli | November 13, 2024 |
7 | Winter Show | December 4, 2024 |
8 | Winter Break | December 4, 2024 |
9 | Volunteers | January 8, 2025 |
10 | Testing | January 14, 2025 |
11 | TBA | January 22, 2025 |
New episodes of Abbott Elementary air every Wednesday at 9pm on ABC.
Sources: Variety
Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary comedy series centered around a group of dedicated teachers at a struggling public school in Philadelphia. The show highlights their efforts to overcome bureaucratic challenges and underfunding, while showcasing their commitment to making a positive impact on their students' lives.
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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a television series that premiered in 2005, chronicling the chaotic lives of four self-involved friends running an Irish pub in Philadelphia. Their misguided decisions and skewed perspectives often result in amusing and uncomfortable situations, complicating their professional and personal relationships.
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