The lost art of the crossover

Five sociopaths arrive at an underfunded black school. Which Philadelphia sitcom does that plotline belong to? It's right up the alley for Abbott Elementary, the school in question, but the sociopaths are ones we know (and occasionally love) from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

- RAJA SEN

In a first-of-its-kind crossover, the Sunny gang arrives as court-mandated volunteers at Abbott Elementary, and we get two episodes out of the hijinks: Abbott Elementary, season 4, episode 7, and the 17th season premiere of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The chaos is immediate.

The Sunny gang instantly hijack the proceedings. Charlie's criminal illiteracy, Frank's ghoulish opportunism, Dee's delusions of grandeur... they're all too strange, too outrageous, too far out for the optimistic and well-meaning Abbott Elementary ensemble. Charlie shines brightest—as the dimmest—by struggling to read basic words on the board, and he gets a full literacy arc. Under Barbara's determined tutelage, armed only with a picture book about Pennsylvania bird species, he begins to read out loud. Meanwhile the rest of the gang is characteristically up to more nefarious schemes—from stealing boyfriends to stealing copper wire—though Dennis does exhibit significant coffee-making skill and attention to detail.

The Abbott Elementary character who really shines is the principal, Ava. Oblivious and self-serving enough to fit in alongside the It's Always Sunny gang, Ava really holds her own in these crossover episodes. The real wow moment comes when the Abbott ensemble is trying to be optimistic about the future of Philadelphia. This is where Jacob casually starts saying, about the city, "It's always sunny..." before fading to black. Delightful.