TVSquad

(S03E10) Most fans of It's Always Sunny have probably seen this episode already, since it was the one that was on the show's MySpace site from early summer until a few weeks ago. After watching it again, I can see why the boys decided to share this episode early: not only is it representative of exactly what people love about the show, but everyone got a meaty story to play. In other words, it's the best episode of the season so far.

I mean, how can you not like an episode that involves chain saws, squeaky clown shoes, pimps that love Fraggle Rock, tranny bulges, and severed heads in a fridge?

Unlike most of the episodes from this season, all five members of Paddy's gang are involved in the same story: essentially, everyone thinks Mac is a serial killer, due to the fact that he's been acting a bit dodgy lately. Of course, the only reason why he's been so dodgy is that he's started dating Carmen the pre-op transsexual again, and he doesn't want the word to get out ("I'm not ashamed of you. I'm ashamed of myself!").

By the way, bravo to Brittany Daniel for playing Carmen, a gorgeous woman who just happens to walk around with a bulge in her pants (she only seems to tuck when she and Mac have sex). I did love how she's completely comfortable in her skin, even while Mac is constantly freaking out.

So the investigative teams were Charlie / Frank and Dennis / Dee. Which one do you think was funnier? I liked Frank's obsession with using the chain saw to torture Mac -- "If I prove that he is guilty, I'm gonna torture the shit outta him!" -- and Charlie's twisted obsession with making this into his own version of Law & Order, but Dennis and Dee did a funnier job.

First, Dennis throws Dee out on a chilly street corner in hooker garb, then they both got into the minds of a serial killer in order to chase the poor downtrodden Waitress. Boy, the Waitress has been victimized by the Paddy's crew a lot this year, hasn't she? First she loses her job because of them now she's being chased down South Street (I think) by a deranged painter and a psycho clown. And Dee's squeaky shoes were the topper on that chase; hearing the rapid squeaks going down the street was the funniest way they could have chased the Waitress, even if it wasn't the most effective.

Then, of course, there's Pepper Jack the pimp. "Pepper Jack love the Fraggle Rock!" might be one of my favorite lines of the year.

Finally, there was the To Catch a Predator-style sting the gang sprung on Mac, complete with cookies and iced tea, and Mac's wine coolers. The irony of the entire episode was that the real killer was Dee's pathetic neighbor Gary, who victimized attractive blondes, mainly because of his crush on Dee. Why is that ironic? Because the boys spent the entire episode telling Dee that she did not fit the profile -- calling her everything from ugly to "a female Larry Bird" to manly -- when she was actually the prototype for the profile.

More funny stuff:

• Charlie and Dennis to Dee about her prospects as a serial killing victim: "There's too much of you. He wouldn't finish the job."
• Dee trying to awkwardly throw the Larry Bird line back at them: "Well... you're Larry Bird."
• When Pepper Jack asked Dee if she was on the "crack rock," she talked about how she smoked it to try to get on welfare. Nice callback to last season.
• Dee about her pathetic neighbor Gary: "We need killin' tools, he needs me to smile at him every once in a while."
• While frank questions Mac's mom, charlie objects like he's a lawyer, something he does later when Mac takes the phone call from "Sandy." Best part of that sequence: Frank "You think your son's out there killin' people?" Mrs. Mac: "Yeah."
• Dennis: :"Dee, can you do a girl's voice?"

Right before we cut to the credits, Frank finally gets a chance to start his chain saw. What do you think they did with Gary? Let me know in the poll below.

As I said, this was the best episode of the season. It was depraved, disgusting, demented, and damned funny. Which, of course, is what It's Always Sunny is all about.