STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

Every Bonkers Moment From the ‘Abbott Elementary’/’It’s Always Sunny’ Crossover

How did they pull off a crossover event between a wholesome school sitcom and raunchy, unhinged comedy? Here’s a rundown of every delightful, slightly deranged plot point.

A crossover television event is always a thrilling prospect—not one, but two of your favorite shows coming together as one?

There have been plenty of surprising combinations throughout the years: The Jetsons met The Flintstones, Family Matters combined with Full House, Scandal paired up with How To Get Away With Murder, and even I Love Lucy teamed up with Superman. The latest iteration brings two of today’s finest comedies together, as the gang of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia makes a rather unexpected appearance on critical darling Abbott Elementary in the latest episode, titled “Volunteers.”

It turns out that the seemingly strange pairing of Sunny and Abbott works incredibly well together, reaching a compromise between the former’s more outlandish, dark edge and the sincerity of the latter.

How exactly does Abbott—a show about an elementary school—integrate the characters of Sunny, who are scheming owners of a seedy bar in South Philly? The answer is straightforward and rather ingenious. A new volunteer initiative from the school district means Abbott will be getting some much-needed help, which comes from none other than the Sunny gang: Frank (Danny DeVito), Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), and Charlie (Charlie Day).

Things seem to be going well, and “Volunteers” wisely breaks up the cast of both shows, resulting in some intriguing pairings. Gregory (Tyler James Williams) asks if anyone has gardening experience; “I lived outside,” Frank tells him, so they set off to help solve the raccoon problem facing the school’s community garden. Charlie joins Jacob’s (Chris Perfetti) class, who’s startled when he discovers Charlie may be illiterate. Mac becomes Ava’s assistant, doing whatever she needs in an effort to get her to sign their volunteer sheet so the gang can get back to their pub.

It’s Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Dee who hit things off, bonding immediately over their mutual school of UPenn. While the other teachers are apprehensive about the new volunteers, Janine is excited to make a new friend and is thrilled with how easy it’s been with Dee. And Dennis? Well, turned off by the whole filming situation (“We have a Vanderpump thing going on,” Ava gloats), he stays as hidden as he can from all the hijinks, refusing to be on camera.

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The twist? The gang isn’t volunteering out of the kindness of their hearts; instead, they’ve got 100 hours of court-mandated community service. That seems to be a pretty gentle punishment for dumping 100 gallons of baby oil, a Cybertruck, and 500 Paddy’s Pub T-shirts into the Schuylkill River.

The reveal that they’re working with criminals deeply unsettles the folks at Abbott—except Janine, whose budding friendship with Dee leads her to convince Ava that she should let the volunteers stay.

True to both the spirits of Sunny and Abbott, things quickly go awry.

School janitor Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) is deeply perturbed by the presence of Frank. The two have opposing schemes on how to get rid of a raccoon infestation; Johnson wants to trap them, while Frank—unsurprisingly—wants to use the urine of an alpha predator as a lure. (DeVito’s line reading of “dankest urine” is one for the history books.)

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But the chief conflict in “Volunteers” comes from the once-promising relationship between Janine and Dee, as Dee reveals her obsession with Janine’s boyfriend Gregory.

Janine is taken aback. Still, surely, she thinks, when Dee finds out that she’s actually in a committed relationship with Gregory, the conflict will be over. Instead, Dee doubles down, determined to steal Gregory from Janine. Fans of Abbott have spent years waiting for Janine and Gregory to finally get together, so there’s no doubt that the couple will remain unscathed. Nonetheless, watching Dee try to sink her claws into Gregory, while completely dismissing Janine’s feelings, is as hilarious as it is uncomfortable.

There’s a genuine sweetness in Charlie’s storyline in the episode, particularly when Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) gets involved and offers to help him learn how to read. “Volunteers” leans into the darkness of the Sunny gang, leading to some provocative jokes that feel surprising for Abbott—including Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) having a great line about eating butt as a bear. But the moments with Charlie bring the trademark kindness that makes Abbott such a unique comedy series today, while still maintaining Sunny’s edginess through Dee and Frank. When Charlie progresses in his reading and receives applause from the students, it’s a heartwarming moment that integrates perfectly with the erstwhile madness.

Dee is squarely rejected by Gregory in front of Janine, and Dee swiftly moves on, as gloriously delusional as ever. In fact, everyone in the Sunny gang gets something from the volunteering experience: Dee somehow manages to inflate her ego, Dennis gets to hide, Frank makes a surprising (though likely not lasting) bond with Gregory, and Charlie learns to read. There’s also a benefit for the teachers at Abbott, especially Janine and Gregory, who face their first big test in their relationship when faced with a keen third party.

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It all ends with a great series of talking heads. Dee decides Gregory must be gay and feels bad for Janine: “That can happen to the short ones,” she muses. Frank decided that the gang’s crimes were a net good as he had so much fun at Abbott: “Crime is worth it, plain and simple.” And it turns out Charlie has a long way to go with his reading, as he complains that Abbott Elementary is haunted by ghosts, gesturing to the gym scoreboard that reads “Guests,” making a perfect cap on a crossover episode that’s top of the class.

Barry LevittFreelance Writer

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