Charlie Day Explains Its Always Sunny’s Devastating Season Finale (Exclusive)

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia has spent decades walking viewers through the lives of some of the most hilarious, and often worst, characters to appear on the small screen, with the fifteenth season taking the opportunity to bring the gang to Ireland in a four-episode event that gave each member of Paddy’s Pub a different journey. In speaking recently with actor Charlie Day, we were able to explore the devastating finale for his character of the same name, with Paddy’s janitor going through an emotional undertaking as he dealt with his father never being there for him.

In the four-episode finale, Charlie came into contact with his father, played by Colm Meaney of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame, which caused some turmoil between the member of the gang and Frank, Danny Devito’s character who has had a strong bond with Charlie throughout the series. Unfortunately for Day’s character, Charlie’s father passes away, leaving the janitor of Paddy’s to drag his body up a mountain to hurl his corpse into the sea, which is apparently a tradition for the Kelly Clan. 

“It was really something we approach in the writing,” Day began in describing how the scene came to be, “we wanted to do this four-episode arc in Ireland and we wanted it to be anchored with something real for the characters. Let’s not just do a story where we go to Florida for the sake of going to Florida, that COULD be funny, but if we’re going to ask people to follow us through four stories, it should be rooted in something real for these characters.”

Day then explained how this decision was a way to “explore” who the gang was as individuals, outside of their often hilariously disturbing personality quirks: 

“It was a really interesting way to address, if only momentarily, who these people are and say ‘they’re wild, crazy, self-absorbed’ but believe it or not, they’re real people with a past and history. As a performer, it was really exciting to do something more emotional. It wasn’t too hard to get to that place in the rain and the mud, and it all sort of came together. I was really happy with the end product and I hope it was able to reach people.”

What did you think of Charlie’s emotional speech from the season finale of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Sunny.