It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17 Episode 2 Review: Frank is in a Coma

Sometimes the writers make the big It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia twist hard to predict. However, the opening for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17 Episode 2, “Frank is in A Coma,” makes it fairly obvious that Frank will be cake.

This Fxx series was never going to pull the bold move of killing Frank. Other series might take out the patriarch of the family, but not Sunny. Therefore, the title alone automatically lets you know not to take the coma storyline seriously.

Then Frank turning himself into a cake seems quite appropriate for the show. He is a trickster-type character. These villainous trolls love to make people look like fools.

Dee is also the perfect victim. She’s overly confident and quite easily frazzled and emotional. “Frank is in a Coma” feels like a sequel of sorts to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 9 Episode 1, “The Gang Broke Dee.”

These episodes share in their brutal cruelty towards Dee. However, Frank faking a coma and potential death still feels less cruel than making Dee a comedic success only to steal it away from her with reality.

Dee remains the butt of the joke. However, the setup and premise aren’t as funny as it is in “The Gang Broke Dee,” because you’re already in on the joke. We know what’s happening here, so the initial surprise and twist feel more like a letdown.

Additionally, the cake version of Danny Devito doesn’t completely match the look of the real guy. You know it’s cake.

Nevertheless, it’s still a good episode to act as a reminder of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s sharp social and pop culture commentary. We know the “Is It Cake?” craze was very popular a few years ago.

It may not be the most relevant topic in 2025, but it makes an important statement about the extent to which people take things for frivolous pursuits. This especially applies to the gang.

Frank’s coma is the focal point of this episode, but it’s not the highlight of it. That belongs to Simon, played by guest star Alex Wolff. Most likely, Simon is now dead. However, if he manages a resurrection, he could become a crazy character who occasionally pops up.

Wolff nails the rich kid with daddy issues so well. Additionally, it’s hard for anyone to outdo crazy Dennis, but even he’s scared of this man.

Simon very much gives a Wolf of Wall Street type character. He’s so fun. Simon is also strangely charismatic and becomes a standout in “Frank is in a Coma.”

We almost wish the unhinged night progressed more gradually, so the crazy levels of Simon became more apparent over time, until we end up in a crack den. It went from elite party to crack den way too fast.

Overall, “Frank is in a Coma” is an all right episode. It has plenty of funny moments, a standout guest character, and draws upon one of the show’s best episodes. It just isn’t one we will remember as much as others.

Stray Thoughts

• I love that Dennis, Mac, and Charlie can only excel in the world of the rich as servants.
• “Frank is in a Coma” shocks me when the nurse is actually a pastry chef and bakes the fake Frank.
• She’s also surprisingly all right with all this insane behavior…put her on a watch list.
• Dee manages to make you feel sentimental, even knowing that Frank is alive and a cake. This is a testament to Kaitlin Olson’s great acting abilities.
• Charlie also tugs on the heartstrings with his concern about leaving Frank’s side for too long.

What did you think of this episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

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It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia airs Wednesdays at  9/8 C on FXX.

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