Fans were worried about what could go wrong when they heard that Abbott Elementary would be working with the notorious gang from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on a crossover episode. The gang from Paddy’s Pub has a long history of selfish and disorderly behavior, while Abbott Elementary loves the warm, community-focused energy that comes from being there. It seems like something terrible would happen if these two worlds ever met. Well, get ready for pure chaos, funny moments, and just the right amount of heart to keep things from falling apart completely.
Abbott Elementary Season 4, Episode 9 Recap
Why are the characters from “It’s Always Sunny” at Abbott Elementary in the first place? That’s the first question of this episode. They’re not doing it because they want to, that’s for sure. They’re actually there as part of their community service, which they clearly haven’t earned. Because they dumped baby oil, T-shirts, and even a Cybertruck into the Schuylkill River, Dee, Mac, Charlie, Dennis, and Frank were given 100 hours of community service. They don’t really want to be at an elementary school. That being said, these volunteers could save the Abbott staff, even if they don’t know what they’re getting themselves into.
At the beginning of the episode, the staff at Abbott Elementary is barely holding it together because they have so many things to do. There’s a feeling of dread that comes through when Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Ava (Janelle James) bring on the volunteers. The volunteers look a lot like the cast of It’s Always Sunny, and everyone knows they don’t want to help anyone, especially kids. But the staff tries to make the best of it because they need help so badly. Things might go well, but that doesn’t mean they will.
In the manipulative way that Ava always does, she welcomes the gang with open arms, especially when she sees that they could help her meet their service hours. The volunteers are given different tasks and paired with a teacher. Soon, chaos breaks out.
Charlie Can’t Read or Write
When Jacob sees that Charlie can’t even read the words on the board, things start to get really crazy. Charlie doesn’t understand a simple history lesson about World War I because he thinks “The Industrial War” is “Innovative Wear.” It doesn’t take Jacob long to figure out that Charlie won’t be much help to his older students, so he moves him to Melissa’s class.
Charlie has such a hard time reading that it’s clear there’s more going on than just bad spelling. Melissa tries to help Charlie because she thinks he might have a dyslexia problem. After Charlie gives a student funny but wrong spelling help—he says “light” is spelled “L-I-Y-T-L“—the staff realizes Charlie may have more serious reading and writing problems. At this point, a funny and touching side story starts when Barbara, who has taught adults how to read and write before, decides to take Charlie under her wing. Soon, Charlie will be in the library with Barbara, reading a book about birds to help him slowly learn how to sound out words. He at first refuses to admit that he can’t read or write, but in the end he does. This is one of the more honest moments in the episode, even though the situation is ridiculous.
Frank’s Garden Fun
Frank is making his mark in a very different way while Charlie’s problems are being fixed. Frank, who knows a lot from living on the streets, is sent to help Gregory with his garden. He tries to teach Gregory and Mr. Johnson how to keep raccoons out of the compost. Frank has a very unusual idea for “getting rid of” the pests. He suggests putting batteries all over the garden and saying that they contain “rare earth metals.” He also suggests using pelts that have been soaked in “alpha predator” urine to scare the raccoons away.
When Frank’s strange methods don’t stop the raccoons from getting into the compost, he pushes for his own plan, which includes more batteries and urine-soaked furs. Frank is more crazy than Mr. Johnson, who suggests that they just use a cage to catch the raccoons. Funny thing is, Frank ends up in the trap himself because he ate the aged compost at night and got stuck in the cage. Some of the funniest parts of the episode come from how silly the situation is and how well Danny DeVito and William Stanford Davis play Frank and Mr. Johnson.
The fight for Gregory between Dee and Janine
At the same time, things change between Dee and Janine. Dee, being Dee, starts flirting with Gregory right away, and she has her eyes on him like a laser. The way Gregory looks makes her want to steal him away from Janine more than anything else. Janine, on the other hand, won’t have it. Janine decides to do something after a series of awkward moments. She tells Dee that Gregory is her boyfriend and that Dee should stop bothering her.
But Dee isn’t scared off. Instead, it seems like the competition for Gregory’s love makes her want to steal him away even more. If Janine really wants to get rid of Dee, she asks Ava for help, but Ava has other ideas. I find it funny that Mac, who has been doing community service with Ava, has now become the most useful volunteer. Mac has done a lot to help Ava with a wide range of tasks because he is always eager to finish his community service and get his hours signed off. This gives Ava more power, which she uses to her advantage by giving Mac more and more silly tasks to do, like getting her coffee with a face latte art and even cleaning her car.
Janine tries to help, but Ava just laughs it off and won’t do anything. The episode plays on Ava’s ability to manipulate people while also showing how out of hand things are as the gang slowly takes over Abbott Elementary in the silliest ways.
Charlie’s Big Moment and Ava’s Scoreboard Scheme
As part of a “Move Up Day” celebration at the end of the week, Charlie gets to wear a cap and gown. He has now learned to read at a kindergarten level. Frank also tries to make up for what happened in the garden by giving Gregory a battery that he stole from Mr. Johnson’s car. Gregory tells Frank to give it back right away. Ava signs off on Mac’s community service hours at the end of the day, but not before she gets one last dig in. She tells him he has to leave right away, even though he wrote thank-you notes to all of the teachers. It’s funny that Ava mocks her employees by saying that they “run on insults” as she signs the document.
At the end of the show, there are funny one-on-one interviews with the gang. Frank says the best thing about the experience: “I worked the land and ate some fiber. Charlie learned to read.” It’s great to do volunteer work. It’s clear that crime is worth it.
In the end, the crossover between Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gives fans exactly what they wanted: chaos, dysfunction, and heartfelt moments they didn’t expect. The gang from It’s Always Sunny may have brought their usual level of chaos to the event, but the staff at Abbott Elementary continues to impress, showing that they are always ready to step in and fix things, if not perfectly. There is a great mix of humor, heart, and nonsense in this story.
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