Why It's Always Sunny Is Missing 5 Episodes On Streaming

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the longest-running live-action sitcom of all time, at least in terms of seasons, and Rob Mac, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Kaitlin Olson don't seem to be ready to stop anytime soon, with season 18 on the way. Whether they'll continue to push the boundaries into cancellation remains to be seen.

The Five Missing Always Sunny Episodes

It’s Always Sunny mocks the narcissistic, immoral, sociopathic individuals the series stars, but some episodes have been deemed "too insensitive" and led streaming services to remove them entirely. Most of the problematic scenes fit the tone of the show's usual brand of satire, but were considered too extreme by some viewers.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s characters are purposefully some of the most problematic figures on television, but some of their satirically horrible acts were retroactively decided to be too controversial. This then led to five It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes bring removed from streaming services.

While Hulu has exclusively been home to the controversial blackly comedic series in the US since 2017, it wasn’t until mid-2020 that the service removed the overly problematic episodes. Each It’s Always Sunny episode is missing for the same reason: the gang’s controversial use of blackface, brownface, or yellowface.

Although the characters will sometimes call out one another’s racism, each has at one time or another shown a level of prejudice, whether willfully ignorant or not, that makes their use of the historically racist practice unsurprising. When the episodes aired, the satire was clear, but fears of adverse audience reactions led the network pulling the episodes in recent years.

Is There A Way To Watch It's Alway Sunny In Philadelphia's Banned Episodes?

For those looking to rewatch the It's Always Sunny banned episodes, it has been made quite difficult to do so. While there are plenty of funny episodes available that capture the show's boundary-pushing humor, these five episodes have been scrubbed from streaming, it appears.

Hulu is the only streaming platform with all 17 current seasons of the show available, but these five episodes still remain unavailable to watch on this streaming service. The episodes also aren't available for purchase on Apple or Amazon. The episodes in question are not available to buy individually or as part of their respective seasons.

However, there is an option to see the episodes by buying the seasons on DVD. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is still producing DVD box sets, though later seasons seem to only be available in large, multi-season box sets. If you can cough up the money and avoid the bootlegs, you can catch these banned episodes.

It's Always Sunny Had Episodes Taken Down Over Blackface Controversies

The reason there are five banned episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is straightforward. An episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is on the banned list because it features an instance of blackface, brownface, or yellowface. It's a controversial and racist theater practice with a history linked to American minstrel shows.

In “America’s Next Top Paddy’s Billboard Model Contest,” Dee Reynolds dresses up as her bit character, Martina Martinez, a Latina woman who she portrays with brownface, utilizing an over-the-top, racist accent. While the jokes Dee makes don't reflect the views of the show, they are still offensive.

“Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth” was removed because Mac uses blackface to portray Danny Glover’s character in the Lethal Weapon movies, though the gang does have an extended scene discussing how racist it is. In “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6,” both Mac and Dee don blackface as they make their home-movie sequel.

Dee’s racist brownface character, Martina Martinez, returns in “The Gang Recycles Their Trash,” leading to its removal. In 2019’s “Dee Day” episode, Dee makes the gang reenact her comedy characters, which includes Frank dressing up in brownface for Martina Martinez and Mac using yellowface to portray an Asian character.

Many have criticized Hulu and Netflix for removing the episodes when the characters' countless other racist, sexist, and offensive actions are still streamable. Additionally, It’s Always Sunny's supporting characters make a point to condemn the actions of its main characters, which is where the humor derives from.

The show's plotlines make it obvious how horribly ignorant and wrong the gang is, and it never allows them a meaningful win. It’s Always Sunny as a series is adamantly opposed to the bigotry of its main characters, but the racist caricatures appear to be more obviously distasteful to Hulu than the show's frequent depictions of homelessness, drug addiction, and other societal struggles.

How Did The Always Sunny’s Controversies Escape Cancel Culture?

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia isn't in the crosshairs of cancel culture for several reasons — perfect timing, how it consistently remains funny, and how it has evolved, all of which also factor into how well the series continues to connect with fans. Today, the edgy humor of Always Sunny remains.

However, the series seems to recognize that its plot lines have been under increased scrutiny. There's a season 15 episode in which It's Always Sunny mocks being censored and takes shots at Hollywood hypocrisy; this can be observed elsewhere in the show's later seasons.

Season 13, episode 10, "Mac Finds His Pride", is filled with gay jokes, but it's also the long-awaited climax of Mac and his father's story arc, a bittersweet release in which Mac embraces his true self. It's an unexpected moment, but the showrunners may not have made it had they not realized some audiences were ignoring their satire.

In a 24-hour-news cycle, where moments are decontextualized to the point of meaninglessness, anything can be propped up or torn down at a moment. Although the love of the fans isn't enough to prevent It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia from having episodes removed from streaming, it's enough to prevent this long-running comedy from getting canceled — at least for now.

Why It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Has So Many Controversial Moments

Those unfamiliar with It's Always Sunny may wonder why the show's now-removed episodes were made in the first place. There are dozens of professionals involved in the creation of a TV show, meaning viewers may wonder why these episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia weren't stopped before the show went to air.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has always worn its satire on its sleeve. It's Always Sunny is, at its core, a show that seeks to hold up an honest mirror to American culture. Satire is a loaded word these days, but It's Always Sunny operates in the most honest definition of it.

The four central characters in IASIP aren't presented as aspirational figures. They're manifestations of the worst personalities our society can create, and the rationale Charlie, Mac, Dennis, and Dee provide for their reprehensible conduct is some of the most astute commentary on Western cultural norms currently on television.

Such an approach means taking risks. The creative team behind Always Sunny has never balked at using shocking plotlines to convey their message, but sometimes these needle-sharp takes hit a little too close to home. Sometimes, people use dishonest interpretations of the series as a battering ram to dismiss the series as a whole.

There's always a risk that the message will be lost on some viewers, too, and that they may see the humor as something to imitate rather than reflect upon. Regardless, the banned moments haven't had It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia taken off-air, meaning there is clearly still some room for the type of satire the show is famous for.

It's Always Sunny Isn't The Only Comedy Series With Missing Streaming Episodes

The Always Sunny episodes removed from streaming aren't the only ones, and other similarly satirical TV shows have had episodes removed, too. With five episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia removed from streaming, it's only one behind the notoriously controversial South Park, which has six.

South Park's episodes pulled from streaming include "200" and "201," which satirize Comedy Central's refusal to depict the Prophet Muhammad, which also led to "Super Best Friends" being pulled too. Along with those two shows, Scrubs and 30 Rock have each had several episodes removed from their respective streaming services.

Community had one episode pulled from streaming services. "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" was removed because of Ben Chang's use of blackface. Similar to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Chang is ridiculed for it, with Shirley calling his "dark elf" outfit a "hate crime," but just because the show points it out first doesn't mean it isn't offensive.

It's only normal that old TV episodes will be looked at through a 2020s lens, and what might have passed as biting satire years ago can be considered highly controversial by today's standards. It's a push-and-pull that shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia will feel for as long as there's television.

Why It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Is Still Going Strong

Despite the controversy, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is going strong, with season 18 currently in production. Everyone is back for another season, and the show seems as relevant as ever. Even with the cast aging and moving on to different projects, It's Always Sunny remains a priority.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has always taken aim at the most hot-button issues of the time, and the last year has provided almost an endless supply of satire ammunition, as South Park has brilliantly shown in their latest season. If IASIP does get canceled, it's going to be by someone a lot more powerful than a few internet commentators.