It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has had a good number of guest star appearances in the 18 years it’s been on the air, but Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston are by far the most iconic. Unfortunately, though, the pair’s antics during the episode weren’t enough to please viewers.
In season 16, episode 5, “Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab,” the Breaking Bad stars played caricatured versions of themselves, which certainly made for a fun time. However, soon after the episode finished airing, fans took to Reddit to discuss it, and among inside jokes and funny observations, one thing stood out. Many got the feeling that this episode felt somehow incomplete, almost as if the writers came up with an idea for it but weren’t able to flesh it out to its full potential.
As one viewer pointed out, this issue may be related to the fact that Cranston and Paul’s appearances in the show were confirmed late in the development of season 16. Naturally, this may have caused some trouble for the writers and would explain some of the looser elements in the episode, such as the lack of a pay-off for Dee’s oyster venture. Speaking of Dee, her and Frank’s strikingly small roles in the episode have also been pointed out as a major reason for why it all felt off, but with Paul and Cranston taking up a good portion of screen time, it’s obvious that other characters would have to suffer.
Make no mistake, though, there was still plenty to enjoy in this episode — and in season 16 in general. In fact, the first half of the season was a hit with viewers, who have seen one of their favorite theories confirmed.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 16 will continue airing new episodes every Wednesday on FXX.