It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Season 12: Ranking Every Episode From Worst To Best

From the season's finale, we now come to its premier, which aired in early January.

This was something of an experimental episode in its own right, as it is a musical. All the while, it provides some surprisingly well thought out and thought-provoking commentary on racial tension in the United States.

The episode starts with the gang having a movie night, where they are watching The Wiz. The film prompts a discussion about racial relations in America, with Dennis proclaiming that "our lives aren't all that different." On cue, lightning bold strikes the apartment, and they awake sometime later and realize that they have switched bodies with five, seemingly random African-Americans. They then embark them on a quest to find out how they can return to their old selves

It is through the experience of walking a mile in someone else's shoes that the gang begins to learn a valuable lesson in racial prejudice; even realizing the error of some of their own ways, such as casual racism. They soon realize the big message, which is while significant improvements have been made in race relations over the years, things are far from perfect; and despite its cynical ending, the message remains intact for the viewers; which is a plus.

In addition, the musical numbers that accompany this story are well written and exceptionally hilarious (including one sang by Scott Bakula, of all people.) And while it may not have been the season's best episode, it was certainly a strong start.