Television's 10 Best "Wrestling Episodes"

Throughout its run, Always Sunny has a been a reliable source of social satire, given the propensity of the main characters to throw themselves headlong into trends and subcultures without ever giving up their trademark narcissism. Through their explorations, the particular insanities of American life are brought into sharp focus. In this episode, Mac, Charlie, Frank and Dennis attempt to promote a benefit show for Iraq War veterans with the help of the Maniac (Roddy Piper), a Mickey Rourke-esque veteran who may have killed his entire family and definitely subsists on a diet of foraged chestnuts.

What makes this episode is that the gang clearly has a superficial idea of how wrestling psychology works, but they implement it in the most childish ways possible. Knowing that being patriotic will net them an easy face pop, they construct elaborate personae as “the Birds of War” without first learning how to wrestle, or to make themselves costumes that do not resemble homoerotic military chickens. Meanwhile, they completely misjudge the potential, Eric Bischoff-style, of Frank Reynolds’ garbage-eating Trash Man character, who ultimately proves to be the only one capable of subduing the treacherous Talibum.

Immortal Dialogue: “Who is that man? His hair is blond, yet silken, like that of an Asian!”