I Loved The Abbott Elementary And It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Crossover Episodes, And The Jokes Are Only Part Of The Reason

I love crossover episodes. I used to enjoy when two series I love would promote and air these major events. where similar shows, or shows set in the same world, have characters appear in each. You also had to watch both shows to get the full story. With the introduction of streaming services, I often watch more shows on those platforms than on network television. Therefore, I don’t see crossover events often. This also means that I was extremely excited when Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia decided to do a crossover event.

I love both shows, but they’re so different. Therefore, I wasn’t convinced that this crossover could work, but I remained optimistic because the writing on both series is so brilliant. Neither episode disappointed me. They may be two of each series’ strongest ones. It’s not just the jokes that make them hilarious and memorable.

Warning: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17 Episode 1, “The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary and Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 9, Volunteers.

The Crossovers Are Tonally Different, But That Helps Them Remain True To Each Show

Abbott Elementary Season 4, Episode 9, “Volunteers,” manages to remain wholesome despite the insidious presence of the Gang. There is a whole story where the Abbott Elementary teachers teach Charlie (Charlie Day) to read. A long-running It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia joke has been Charlie’s illiteracy. Therefore, it’s nice to see him finally (temporarily) learn to read. It also makes sense that Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), Jacob (Chris Perfetti), and Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) are the ones to do it.

They’re all very compassionate people, so only someone with that level of empathy would have the patience and understanding to help Charlie out. Not everything in the episode is wholesome, but innocent enough, especially compared to the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia counterpart episode.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17, Episode 1, “The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary” has some risky humor and storylines. The Gang almost feels like predators around the children, and Sunny very much leans into that idea. It paints them as their true, uncomfortable selves but allows them to play in the Abbott Elementary world. Sunny doesn’t tone things down just because the show it’s paired with is a sweet and funny series. It leans into the fact that these people should be as far away from children as possible.

Abbott Elementary ends the encounter with the Gang in a triumph, sort of wholesome way. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia sort of does the same, but in the Gang’s way. We discover they have been scamming the school and stealing copper piping, but it accidentally helps the school.

It’s Fun To See The It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia Episode Fill In Some Story Gaps From The Abbott Elementary One

“The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary” paints them in a more complex way than we see on “Volunteers.” The Gang does so many ridiculous things while around that school. They try to form a boy band, poach a child for a white basketball team, start a successful coffee business, and so many other ridiculous things. We don’t even see a hint of half of these things on Abbott Elementary.

Then we learn that Dee (Kaitlin Olson) was never interested in Gregory (Tyler James Williams), it was all a ploy to become the star of the documentary. This actually makes more sense than Dee having a genuine interest in him. These additional details help paint each show in distinct ways. It doesn’t feel like we’re watching the same things, just from different perspectives. We’re definitely watching two different episodes that sometimes overlap in scenes.

I worried that the episodes would be too similar and they wouldn’t be as interesting individually and together. However, this was not the case. They complement each other.

The It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia Episode Allows The Abbott Elementary Characters To Be A Little Darker

One of the funniest scenes in “The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary” is when Janine (Quinta Brunson) declares that she’s about to say a bad word about Dee. You expect an innocent response. Something that’s barely profanity. However, she goes all in and goes hard with the cussing. It’s so not like her. We also see more unhinged moments from Janine in this episode. It highlights a dark side of her that Abbott Elementary fans likely didn’t know existed.

Janine is the main character we see tarnished by the brief encounter with the Gang. Nevertheless, we hear so many of the characters use profanity and are disturbed by the Gang. We also learn how Ava (Janelle James) gets away with so much of her bad behavior: bribes. Even the filming crew feels a bit darker knowing they accept them from Ava.

I Enjoy How Much We See Of Dennis In The Sunny Episode And How Little We See Of Charlie In It. It’s A Clever Contrast From Abbott Elementary

Glenn Howerton was filming another show while also shooting “Volunteers,” so he was barely in it. However, he makes up for his absence by being front and center in “The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary.” His storyline is also a bit more tame than expected. He just spends most of the episode making meth-like coffee.

We see a lot of Dennis because this is more behind-the-scenes footage, so he’s caught on camera. Charlie appears throughout “The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary” and participates in their shenanigans, but he doesn’t feel as present as some of the other characters. This is mainly because he was preoccupied with learning to read. The addition of more Dennis and less Charlie ensures that the shows remain cohesive.

I Really Enjoy The New Lore Each Series Gains From These Crossovers

I am looking forward to learning a lot more about this Fall Out Boy and Gang beef. I am also excited to see Melissa at Paddy’s Pub randomly again. These are just two of the new lore that have been added from each show. Additionally, I still need to catch up on Abbott Elementary Season 4 to see if there are any other references to the Gang’s appearance, but as of Episode 4 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17, we have had a few additional references to stuff we saw in “Volunteers,” including explaining how the court order community service happened.

I hope we continue to see more references to “The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary” and “Volunteers” in future It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Abbott Elementary episodes. These two are so pivotal to both shows. I would also love to see them cross-over again, and other shows boldly attempt a crossover.