It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Season 17 BTS Photo Confirms One Iconic Character Is Returning

An iconic It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia character's season 17 return has been revealed via a new BTS photo. The long-running sitcom follows a group of friends who typically inhabit an Irish dive bar and are known for their poor behavior and personalities. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 17 recently began production, setting up the possibility that it will return to FXX sometime next year.

As It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia continues production, a new behind-the-scenes photo shared by David Hornsby through his personal Instagram account confirms his long-suffering character Rickety Cricket will return in season 17. Check it out below:

With the fitting caption of "SLUT mode engaged," the photo sees Hornsby joined by various make-up artists as he undertakes the extensive transformation into his disheveled and decrepit character, with his "Slut" tattoo being applied to his cheek. Hornsby had also had a scar prosthetic applied to his left cheek, while the artists looked at reference images to style his longer, matted, and unkempt hair seen in past seasons.

What Hornsby's Photo Means For Rickety Cricket's Season 17 Status

Misery Always Follows When Cricket Is With The Gang

As seen with past seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the return of Rickety Cricket in season 17 guarantees more suffering for the character. After a brief absence, season 16 saw Cricket return as the cocaine-addicted head of a male prostitution ring when he aided the gang in tracking down the source of their recent misfortune.

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What has yet to be seen, however, is exactly what state Cricket will be in when the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia characters next cross paths with him. While he thankfully hasn't been extensively scarred for several seasons, he has often borne the physical evidence of his descent. As such, while Cricket may appear to be maintaining his physical status from season 16 in Hornsby's image, it may be too soon to determine if the series will be kinder to him.

Our Take On Rickety Cricket's Season 17 Return

Despite Major Guest Stars, It's Always Sunny Is Still Ensuring Recurring Characters Will Return

Rickety Cricket is a complicated figure within It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. While some may find his tale tragic, he is also the butt of the joke in most of his appearances. Each season pushes him a little further into depravity, seeing just how much is too much for the character to take. It is somehow both hard to watch and absolutely hilarious, which fits in well with the It's Always Sunny brand of comedy.

However, as seen with Hornsby's photo, Cricket at least may have found some stability between seasons for the time being. Though it will be exciting to see the gang make new friends, with lt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia hosting its first crossover episode with Abbott Elementary, it's also a relief to see familiar faces return in the show's seventeenth season. It demonstrates how the series is still sticking with its roots even as it continues on, and that it knows what elements work best for its storytelling.

Source: David Hornsby/Instagram

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a Sitcom and Black Comedy created by Rob McElhenney. It stars Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, Glenn Howerton, and Danny DeVito. The series follows a group of friends that own and frequent the Irish bar, Paddy's Pub, and get into all sorts of troubling adventures.

Release Date August 4, 2005

Seasons 16

Streaming Service(s) Hulu

Writers Rob McElhenney , Glenn Howerton , Charlie Day , David Hornsby

Directors Matt Shakman , Fred Savage , Daniel Attias , Randall Einhorn , Richie Keen , Todd Biermann

Showrunner Rob McElhenney