TV’s longest-running live-action comedy series will be bringing its signature debauchery back to viewers soon, as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is gearing up for its imminent return. The Gang most recently dealt with Dennis’ COVID denial, Lethal Weapon 7, and a trip to Ireland that ended with a wild death. But Season 16 will apparently feature something far more uncomfortable and off-putting than any of those elements: the glorious return of fan-fave character Liam McPoyle.
That’s right, all you self-described connoisseurs of lukewarm milk, one of the most eye-deal member of the dreaded McPoyle family will soon gunk up our screens anew, as actor Jimmi Simpson confirmed he returned after a seven-season absence to film his latest It’s Always Sunny guest spot. And I cannot wait to see what kind of life this robe-loving bumpkin is living these days. Simpson understandably didn’t say much about what we can expect to see, but told Screen Rant that he did indeed get “weird” with it. In his words:
Oh yes, it’s coming. I was with Charlie for his movie, Fool’s Paradise, and he said the edit’s quite ridiculous. I was like, ‘I haven’t done this in eight years. Who knows if I will be able to do it again?’ I’m getting weird!
Bring! On! The! Weird!
As awesome as it is for Jimmi Simpson to have reunited with Charlie Day for the latter’s star-studded directorial debut Fool’s Paradise, I think we can all agree that Liam McPoyle’s return to It’s Always Sunny is the best thing to happen in all of pop culture in 2023. Sorry, Fast X and Avatar: The Way of Water and The Flash and whatever else. None of them can possibly outshine the most masterful unibrow in entertainment history (which Simpson talked about the evolution of in the past).
Okay, so that’s all a bit hyperbolic, but the energy behind it is 100% authentic. The McPoyle brothers (as well as other family members) have been wonderfully disgusting foils for Dennis, Charlie, Mac, Dee and Frank, but it’s somehow been nearly a decade since fans have seen Liam’s grace the screen with his facial moistness. Simpson’s last episode was Season 9’s “The Gang Squashes Their Beefs,” which aired in November 2013. Fans can go back and stream all of the McPoyle family episodes with a Hulu subscription, and I think many would agree Season 8’s “The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre” still stands tall as one of the series’ most batshit-bonkers entries.
We can only hope for another giant reunion like that, although we can’t even fully discern from Jimmi Simpson’s comments whether or not Liam will be around in solo form, or if he’ll be paired once more with Nate Mooney’s Ryan McPoyle. I can’t imagine we won’t see the brothers in tandem, but we’ll have to wait and see how that shakes out. We also don’t know which episode Liam will return for, but these three Season 16 episodes are my best bets.
- 1603: "The Gang Gets Cursed" - Not sure what kind of curse, but I'd imagine the McPoyle family would be a scourage attached to plenty of old-world curses.
- 1606: "Risk E. Rat's Pizza and Amusement Center" - What better place for Liam (and possibly Ryan) to be working now than a place where children's happiness is key. Not that I think anyone would hire them in such a capacity, unless it's someone else in the family that owns the place.
- 1608: "The Gang Goes Bowling" - Apropos of nothing, I'd love to see It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia pit its core talent-lite squad against the McPoyles in some kind of high-stakes bowling competition. I bet they have the grossest balls, so to speak.
With Alexandra Daddario recently reflecting on her memorable It’s Always Sunny appearance, here’s hoping she and/or other past guest stars can also return to the show in the future. Can you imagine Charlie’s face if Daddario’s Ruby ended up with one of the McPoyles?
Don’t forget to mark your calendars, or whatever it is you might be using in place of a calendar, for Wednesday, June 7, for the Season 16 premiere of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see when all the other big shows are debuting as the year goes on.
