Here Are The Top 5 Wholesome 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Moments That Show The Gang Are All Good Friends, Actually

The main characters of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia may be five of the absolute worst people in Pennsylvania, but at least they have each other. 

At its core, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a show about friendship and family. Of course, those friends and family members are usually doing something illegal, illogical and unethical that ends in substantial harm to themselves and anyone unlucky enough to cross their path, but Mac, Dennis, Charlie, Dee and Frank almost always find a way to return to the bar and slam a few dozen beers together by the time the closing credits roll. When that snooty newspaper critic said that calling the police on the Paddy’s Pub Gang would be pointless since suffering each other’s company will be punishment enough for their kidnapping plot, he seemed to miss the point that the Gang needs each other since no one else in Philly will put up with their awfulness, and even the worst people alive need equally terrible friends.

Though the Gang spends most It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes stabbing each other in the back and setting each other (mainly Dee) on fire, there have been a handful of wholesome moments when the power of friendship prevailed over the Gang’s worst impulses – here are our favorite heartwarming It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia moments, starting with…

The Gang (Kind of) Finds the Father of Dee's Baby

Now, to be fair to Dee, the men of the Paddy's Pub Gang spent the nine months leading up to her delivery date either roundly ignoring her pregnancy or actively impeding her ability to bring it to full term, but in “Dee Gives Birth,” the Gang starts firing on all cylinders to rally around Dee and bring the deadbeat who knocked her up to justice. Of course, it turned out that Carmen was the father and not the dozen-or-so freaks whom Dee had banged in seasons prior, but that doesn't change the fact that Dennis brought down the Hammer of Thor just to get his sister her stories.

The Gang Saves Mac's Life And Lets Him Come Out As Gay

In the incredible legal drama episode “Hero or Hate Crime?” Mac's sexuality plays a central role in the decision to award him the winning scratch-off ticket, and, for a brief moment, the Paddy's Pub Gang is proud of their openly gay bouncer who's only still alive because Frank knew exactly how to get his and Charlie's attention. They even wait to tell Mac that nearly every cent he won on the lottery ticket would go towards their exorbitant arbitration fees to let him enjoy life outside the closet – and on that, uh, “exercise” bike.

The Gang Performs “Plan B”

Throughout It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Gang has used the ancient artform of dance for a number of purpose – sometimes, it's to celebrate chasing off Dennis' baby momma, sometimes it's to celebrate Charlie's butt. But, in the Season 7 finale “The High School Reunion Part 2: The Gang's Revenge,” the Gang uses dance to – as the title suggests – get revenge on their fellow alumni after the reunion turns out to be a disaster for every one of them in different ways. For a brief moment, the Gang was truly free, despite the fact that the organized, in-sync and impressive number was a collective delusion – much like the rest of their life together.

The Gang Almost Dies Together

In “The Gang Goes to Hell: Part Two,” hell is other people, especially the ones who secretly love Tony Romo and whose Barack Obama impression is horrifically racist. In many ways, drowning hand-in-hand would have been the perfect send-off for the Paddy's Pub crew as their shenanigans on the dry Christian cruise ship led to them being locked in the brig as the ship sank – but, instead, it was nearly the worst way for Danny DeVito to go out in real life. But, while the near-death experience failed to make any kind of epiphany stick, it's honestly sweet that the Gang chose to face their fate as a family. 

The Gang Throws Charlie a Party

Despite being the impetus behind this surprise party for the resident rat-basher of Paddy's Pub, Frank only gets half points for how the gang literally made Charlie's dreams come true in "Charlie Kelly: King of the Rats." Nevertheless, Dennis, Mac and Dee managed to give Charlie the surprise of his lifetime (and an objectively incorrect biology lesson on birds and their potential teeth) along with a special not-birthday present that made Charlie giddy with murderous glee.