The It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Gang Ruined More Lives Than You Even Realize
Perhaps one of the oddest things about "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is the fact that the series has managed to endear millions of fans worldwide to characters who are (by all accounts) horrific people in almost every aspect. The series follows the misadventures of the "Gang," made up Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day) Ronald "Mac" McDonald (Rob McElhenney), as well as Frank (Danny Devito) Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee Reynolds (Kaitlin Olsen) –- the narcissistic and borderline sociopathic owners of "Paddy's Pub."
Over the years, the Gang has committed numerous horrific acts for the sake of our amusement, and the worst things they've done range from faking the death of Dee's baby, to attempting to trigger the PTSD of a veteran, abducting and then robbing a group of St. Patty's Day tourists, and beating up a group of children. To the surprise of nobody, the group's destructive behavior has left them almost entirely friendless, and it has ruined nearly all of their lives to at least some degree over the years.
Unfortunately, the series also makes it clear that the Gang's unabashed depravity has an impact not just on their own lives, but on the lives of nearly everybody around them. Indeed, it may actually surprise you to learn just how many lives the Gang has actually ruined.
Nearly every single recurring character has suffered at the hands of the Gang
Excluding the obvious transformation of Cricket (David Hornsby) –- whom the Gang managed to convert from a respectable priest to a scarred madman living in total depravity –- the Gang has actually ruined the lives of nearly every single recurring character in the series. This includes Bill (Lance Barber) and Maureen Ponderosa (Catherine Reitman) (the former being led down a spiraling path of drug abuse by Frank, and the latter dying in an alleyway after becoming a cat-person), as well as The Waitress (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), whose frequent interactions with the gang have gotten her fired from numerous jobs and led her to long-term drug and alcohol abuse. Other examples include Liam McPoyle (Jimmi Simpson) and The Lawyer (Brian Unger), both of whom lost an eye due to the interference of the Gang in a court case.
Indeed, nearly every single recurring character within the series has suffered a substantial amount of physical or mental trauma due to the Gang's actions, to the point where many of them (especially Cricket) are nearly unrecognizable in later seasons –- with the notable exception of Ben the Soldier (Travis Schuldt), who seems to be wholly unbothered despite the Gang's frequent attempts to abuse or manipulate him. All told, it's clear that the Gang has a long history of ruining the lives of nearly everyone they come into contact with, and when considering the fact that they never end up learning anything from their mistakes, we can only assume that this trend will continue through many more seasons to come.