JUST DO YOUR JOBS.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
"The Gang Tends Bar," at face value, was another attempt by Dennis to try and get everyone else in the Gang to act normally. To behave like civilized, responsible adults who understand good will and consequences. Naturally, Dennis' hopes were crushed at almost every turn while he tried, in earnest, to get his friends and family to just be Paddy's Pub employees.
It's a familiar premise, for sure. And usually, within this arc, Dennis himself winds up becoming unhinged in very Dennis-like ways. See "Wolf Cola: A Public Relations Nightmare" for the most recent example of Dennis destroying his own best laid plans. But here, surprisingly, Dennis stuck to his guns. He really did want everyone to just serve customers. To work at the bar that they all supposedly "ran" together. This was their shot at normalcy. To gain a healthy stream of regular clientele. So it's fitting that they failed miserably.
OR DID THEY? Yes, that was the lovely twist to "The Gang Tends Bar." Just when we thought that everyone else was widely off-base about Dennis and this true reasons for wanting them to work, they were right. Dennis didn't really care about building Paddy's business and reputation. No, he really just wanted to take his own mind off his hurt Valentine's Day feelings. That little serve there, right at the end, was a fun (and sweet) step off the usual beaten path for this show.
It was actually a little reminiscent of "Hero or Hate Crime?" in the sense that it took a familiar Sunny format and gave it a nice sentimental turn at the end. Granted, Dennis' moment of vulnerability here wasn't as big as Mac coming out, but it was still pretty notable. And moving too. Which is nice to see. It's actually becoming a pattern this season, these closing moments of quiet reflection and emotion. Dennis' moment didn't get crapped on either, which is something else this show's known for. No, he was supported and nurtured. Mac was there with a perfect gift. An dark web-purchased RPG. You know, missing the rocket part. Still, it was perfect.
Throughout "The Gang Tends Bar," before the end scene, there was the usual assortment of Always Sunny antics - from Yuck Puddles to tapeworms (named Jerry) to anthrax scares to Cricket smoking PCP in the bathroom. It was all smoke and mirrors though, setting things up so that we wouldn't predict that Dennis was full o' feels. Of course, within the group dynamic there was still ad nauseam bickering - between Dee and Charlie and Charlie and Frank...'s intestinal worm. But this belated Valentine's Day episode was all about the airing of grievances and the acceptance of emotion.
Nice call back to Charlie's one annual job of getting things lined up for the health inspector. I would have hated to see "Charlie Work" get ignored.
The Verdict
"The Gang Tends Bar" was a quasi-answer to fans who may have wondered, over the years, why Paddy's Pub could never quite get its business in order or ducks in a row. It's because everyone thinks you have to "trick" someone else in order to get work done, and because the only guy who seemed to care about professionalism was really on a high horse because he was in need if a distraction. A funny chapter with a sweet finish.
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