It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 16 Episode 5 Review: Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab
Bryan Cranston proves his national treasure status in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 16 Episode 5, “Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab.” It’s an episode worth watching even as just a showcase of his talent.
If the Emmys actually didn’t ignore outlier shows, Cranston would earn another award nod for this guest appearance.
Like the gang, you should probably start clapping at the end of “Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab,” because Cranston gives us every level of acting and does it so brilliantly. Mr. Malcolm aka Aaron Paul also gives a very stellar performance.
He plays the extremely straight, even intense, man to the goofiness of the gang and Cranston. It’s not easy to surround himself with such madness and not lose it.
His intense edge works because of Paul and Cranston’s natural dynamic.
“Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab” is an ironic and meta title for many reasons, one of them being that having such acclaimed and high-profile actors as Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston will surely gain this episode more attention.
Its existence is a cash grab of sorts.
The cash grab element is just one of many meta moments from the episode. The ignoring of Breaking Bad just to later mention how Cranston should do drama after he goes full Walter White is, of course, one of the more obvious moments.
Then we have things like the mention of Tony Danza and Frank going into business together in the 80s. Then there are things like Frank having to fly around for tax purposes, which includes multiple celebrity references in that simple statement.
Another meta thing is that Dos Hombres is a real alcohol brand by Cranston and Paul. Therefore, this episode also acts as a way to promote the brand. It’s a cash grab within a cash grab.
Every scene with Cranston and Paul is hilarious. It’s the scenes without them that aren’t as funny.
We have seen several episodes of the gang trying to take on a new business venture and failing at it. It usually leads to some hilarious moments that have become iconic to this world. However, “Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab” may be the weakest of this saga.
At least where the gang is concerned.
It’s just not that interesting of a plotline and the gang don’t go far enough with it to add really memorable or hilarious moments involving just them.
Maybe it’s a brilliant move by the team’s part to allow the gang to kind of step back a little to allow heavy hitters like Paul and Cranston to shine. This episode very much lets Cranston and Paul do the heavy lifting with comedy and acting, and boy do they deliver.
The best part just involving the gang also involves another celebrity, Gritty. Gritty is really making the rounds this year as he also appears on an episode of the latest season of Abbott Elementary.
This moment works because it’s random and chaotic in a true to Sunny way.
Some may also enjoy Charlie’s constant digesting of nickels, which didn’t particularly make me laugh, but I can appreciate it and know that many may love this gag.
Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul take this episode near 4.5-star land, but if grading it overall, it loses some points because the gang’s storylines just don’t deliver as much sharp comedy, or even extremely silly comedy, as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is capable of.
Stray Thoughts
- Mac calling out the abusive nature of Paul and Cranston’s relationship feels so genuine and also funny because he’s basically in one with Dennis.
- The mention of Tony Danza makes me want to see him appear next from the Taxi cast.
- The 90s Michael Jordan look actually works for Mac.
- It’s enjoyable to continue to see the gang appear in other locations.
- “I Wanna Be Rich” by Calloway is a perfect song to continue to play throughout “Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab.”
What did you think of this episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FXX.
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