‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’ Season 18 Debuts to Rare Rotten Tomatoes Score

Twenty-one years is an eternity for any sitcom, let alone one built on morally bankrupt schemes and increasingly unhinged behavior from its five leads. Yet ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ keeps finding ways to prove that longevity and quality aren’t mutually exclusive, and its latest return has critics reaching for superlatives all over again.

The Gang came back to Paddy’s Pub on August 17 with a two-episode premiere kicking off the show’s eighteenth season, its longest run since 2019 at ten episodes total. Filming for the season began in February 2026 and wrapped that April.

Now the reviews are in, and Rotten Tomatoes announced that Season 18 is sitting at a perfect 100% on the Tomatometer based on eight reviews. That makes it the ninth season of the series to achieve a flawless score, a rare and impressive feat for any comedy this deep into its run.

Critics have been quick to point out just how unusual that consistency is. The first six critics listed on the platform all gave the season’s premiere a positive review, praising the show for tackling topical subject matter while keeping its signature irreverence intact.

CBR’s review called Season 18 one of the strongest seasons in the show’s history, highlighting standout performances from Glenn Howerton and Kaitlin Olson across ten episodes built around political satire and outrageous schemes. The season tackles subjects including the unhoused crisis, workplace culture, and ADHD, all filtered through the show’s blend of dark comedy and character-driven chaos.

Other outlets echoed that enthusiasm while noting the show’s ability to reinvent itself without losing its identity. One reviewer wrote that what’s most striking about the series in 2026 remains its confidence, noting it feels like the writers and cast are prioritizing what makes them laugh over anything else, a philosophy they’ve stuck to for a generation now.

Not every reaction has been universally glowing, though most remain overwhelmingly positive. Metacritic’s aggregated reviews describe the season as having way more hits than misses, a rarity for any comedy that’s run this long, while noting there’s no reason to think the show doesn’t have several more years left in it. One dissenting take argued the season plays things a bit safer than its immediate predecessors, delivering familiar beats rather than fresh momentum, even while remaining funny throughout.

The premiere also delivered one of the show’s more shocking narrative turns in recent memory. The trailer teased the death of Carol Kane’s character Sam, the wealthy poultry heiress and fiancée of Danny DeVito’s Frank Reynolds, marking a forty-year on-screen reunion between Kane and DeVito that culminates in what’s been described as a “Weekend at Bernie’s”-style wedding sequence.

Guest stars are also expected to keep piling up throughout the season. The McPoyle family is set to reunite with the Gang once again, joined by returning faces including Guillermo del Toro, Jimmi Simpson, Nate Mooney, David Hornsby, and Sandy Martin.

For a show that’s been running since 2005, a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score this deep into its lifespan is the kind of achievement most series never come close to touching even in their prime.

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