June 18, 2025
FX Networks/YouTube
The new season of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' will bring Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito) to a fictional episode of 'The Bachelor' to pair him with a young lover. The show will also complete it's two-part collaboration with 'Abbott Elementary' in the July 9 premiere on FXX.
The upcoming 17th season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" will veer heavily into crossover territory, stacking a "Golden Bachelor"-inspired episode on top of the show's separate collaboration with the cast of "Abbott Elementary."
In a trailer released Wednesday for the new season, scenes show Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito) appearing on a fictionalized finale of the ABC reality dating show. Frank — odious and lewd as ever — stands on set with "Golden Bachelor" host Justin Palmer and later professes his desire to find a young lady for companionship.
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"Can't wait to find a grade-A, prime-cut piece of a-- — for love," Frank says.
The apparent woman of Frank's dreams is a raunchy character clearly based on Haliey Welch, better known as "Hawk Tuah" girl, who parlayed her viral street interview about oral sex into a successful podcast and a doomed cryptocurrency. Palmer looks to be the only person in the world surprised by the match made in heaven.
The new season of "It's Always Sunny," dubbed "The Gang Embraces the Corporate Era," is expected to swing for the fences of depravity and riches like never before.
"They’ll exploit cross-network promotion to increase market share; they’ll scapegoat one of their own to avoid a PR backlash; they’ll risk everything for a handshake with the Saudis; they’ll bend the laws with side hustles to pad their pockets and they’ll change everything about themselves to appeal to a broader audience," the official description for the season says.
The two-episode season premiere on July 9 will kick off with the follow-up to the gang's appearance on "Abbott Elementary" in January. In that episode on ABC, the gang visited the school as volunteers performing community service to resolve a criminal matter. Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) and the rest of the school staff were left mostly horrified by the experience.
This time around on FXX — with the vulgarity cranked up — the same day will be shown in the style of "It's Always Sunny" instead of the mockumentary format of "Abbott Elementary." What we've learned so far is that at some point during their visit, the gang tried to recruit students to start a boy band. The new trailer also shows Frank peeing in a locker and an apparent fire at the school.
On the "Golden Bachelor" spoof episode, Frank will have big shoes to fill representing the Philly area. In real life, the nation fell in love last year with Malvern's Charles Ling on "The Golden Bachelorette," where Palmer described the phenomenon as "Charlesmania." Frank fits the bill as more of a villain than a fan favorite.
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on FXX. New episodes will be available to stream on Hulu on Thursdays.
