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For many die-hard fans of the comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, it was disappointing to discover missing episodes from streaming services. Five episodes of the boundary-pushing satirical comedy show have been removed because of the sitcom’s controversial content.

Actors Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito and Charlie Day act during a dance scene on the set of 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' on May 23, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.
Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito and Charlie Day, ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ | Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Which episodes of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ were removed?

The Gang comprises five raging alcoholic narcissists, Dee Reynolds, Dennis Reynolds, Frank Reynolds, Mac (Ronald MacDonald), and Charlie Kelly, who run a failing Irish pub in a fictionalized South Philadelphia. The Gang’s search for money, fame, or sex often leads them into sticky situations that frequently blow up in their faces — both figuratively and literally.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia uses these intentionally daft (yet loveable) characters to satirize real-world issues since 2005. Along with political issues such as the housing crisis, gasoline shortages, and gun violence, the Gang is faced with sensitive topics, such as religion, sexual abuse, abortion, and racism.

While they believe that no topic should be off limits when it comes to satire, Hulu and Netflix disagree. In 2020, five episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia were scrubbed from all streaming services. These episodes were even removed from the DVD sets produced for the FX show after that time.

The missing episodes are:

  • “America’s Next Top Paddy’s Billboard Model Contest” S4E3
  • “Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth” S6E9
  • “The Gang Recycles Their Trash” S8E2
  • “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6” S9E9
  • “Dee Day” S14E3

Why were these ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ episodes taken down?

So why were these It’s Always Sunny missing episodes banned, but not others dealing with sensitive issues? The episodes mentioned above were taken down due to the Gang being blatantly racist.

In “America’s Next Top Paddy’s Billboard Model Contest,” Dee tries to get picked up by Saturday Night Live by posting skits of the many racist characters. This is the first time audiences are introduced to Dee’s characters “Martina Martinez” and “Taiwan Tammy” also featured in the banned episodes “The Gang Recycles Their Trash” and “Dee Day.”

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In “Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth,” the Gang introduced their blackface characters in their fan film of the popular Lethal Weapon films in their short, “Lethal Weapon 5.”

In the fan film, Mac wears blackface to portray Roger Murtaugh’s character, played by Danny Glover in the original Lethal Weapon franchise. Frank portrays the villain, Chief Lazarus, a Native American casino owner, wearing long braids and a tan.

In “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6,” the Gang makes a sequel to their original short where Mac reprises his role as Roger Murtaugh’s character using blackface. Dee is featured in this film as Rianne Murtaugh, Roger’s daughter, wearing full blackface.

While the show’s creators say that the show is actually mocking racist people rather than endorsing racism, these streaming platforms aren’t taking any chances.

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