‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Season 18 Episode 5 Release Date, Time and Where to Watch the Wild Ren Faire Episode

The Gang is trading dive bars for turkey legs and jousting fields, and Philly’s most dysfunctional family is about to make medieval times a whole lot messier. ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘ has already spent this season proving that Mac, Dennis, Dee, Charlie, and Frank have not mellowed one bit, and the show’s next outing sends them straight into Renaissance Faire chaos.

With Season 18 rolling out weekly across FX, FXX, and Hulu, fans are eager to know exactly when the next chapter lands and what kind of debauchery to expect once the Gang dons their fantasy garb.

‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’ Season 18 Episode 5 Release Date And Time

The episode is officially titled ‘The Gang Goes to the Ren Faire,’ and it serves as the fifth installment and the 183rd episode overall of the long running FX comedy. It premieres on September 7, 2026, continuing the season’s Monday night release pattern. Based on the schedule established since the premiere, the episode is expected to air at 9pm ET on FX and FXX, with the previous episode having followed that same weekly time slot.

Season 18 marks a return to form in terms of episode count, since this is the first ten-episode season since Season 14 back in 2019. That means plenty more chaos is still on the way even after the Ren Faire madness wraps up.

Where to Watch “The Gang Goes To The Ren Faire”?

Following the pattern set throughout the season, the episode has same night availability on the FXNOW website and on Hulu for viewers in the United States. That means fans do not have to wait for a next day drop to catch the latest scheme cooked up by the Gang, unlike in past seasons when Hulu episodes sometimes lagged a day behind the FX broadcast.

For international audiences, the wait tends to run a bit longer. Viewers in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia have typically received new episodes a day after the American premiere throughout this rollout, based on the pattern established earlier in the season.

Given the overwhelmingly positive critical reception so far, with the season holding a 100 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on nine reviews and an average score of 7.3 out of 10, there is plenty of incentive for fans to keep watching live rather than waiting to binge later.

“The Gang Goes To The Ren Faire” Plot Preview

According to the official synopsis, Mac, Dennis, and Dee strive to conquer their way onto the Quilt of Legends at the local Renaissance Faire, while Charlie discovers a love of luting and Frank tries to acquire the faire from old foes. It is exactly the kind of low stakes, high absurdity premise that has defined the series for nearly two decades, and it apparently does not disappoint.

The episode also marks a notable returning cameo. Jimmi Simpson and Nate Mooney reprise their roles as Liam and Ryan McPoyle, and the infamous inbred clan gets an unexpected boost this time around. Guillermo del Toro joins the cast as Pappy McPoyle, giving longtime viewers a fresh twist on one of the show’s most notorious families.

Critics who screened the episode early have flagged it as one of the season’s more shocking entries. One review noted that there is a scene in the episode where Dennis does something so horrible in front of Charlie that Charlie simply says he does not know if they can still be friends. That is a strong statement coming from a show built on the Gang routinely crossing every imaginable line with each other.

Another critic covering the season singled out the episode’s climax specifically, writing that the McPoyle brothers cameo sets up a closing joke so distressing it caught them off guard, even after years of covering the show’s darkest material. For a series that has built its entire identity on shock value, that is saying something.

What Critics Are Saying About Season 18 So Far

The broader reaction to this season has been largely favorable, with critics noting that the writers have not lost their edge. One review described this batch of episodes as featuring the worst behaved version of the Gang audiences have seen yet, which for a show this committed to moral bankruptcy is high praise.

Others have pointed out that the season leans heavily on nostalgia, bringing back familiar faces to fuel the mayhem. Season 18 marks the return of characters like Mac’s father Luthor and the McPoyle clan, with the latter representing a genuine high point for the season. That nostalgia factor seems to be working in the show’s favor, especially for longtime fans who have followed these side characters since the earlier seasons.

Not every take has been glowing, though. Some critics have noted that certain storylines feel like echoes of plots the show has already done, even while acknowledging that ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ still finds new angles to explore. The Ren Faire episode in particular seems to be striking a balance between familiar setups and genuinely fresh shock value, based on the reactions rolling in from those who watched early.

With Guillermo del Toro’s unexpected appearance, a McPoyle family reunion, and what sounds like one of the most talked about endings of the season, ‘The Gang Goes to the Ren Faire’ is shaping up to be a defining episode of this Sunny run, so which moment do you think will leave fans talking longest once it finally airs.