History Heartwarming / ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia

* After Dennis has been messing with Dee's head all night, causing her to get nothing but gutterballs, The Waitress stands up for her and challenges him to a test of strength. When you remember that the Waitress has had a pretty massive and consistent crush on Dennis since all the way back in ''Season 1'', her standing up to him in favor of someone she's had a pretty contentious relationship with throughout the series is significant.

* Dennis exhibits quite a few PetTheDog moments towards Mac in this episode, particularly once the latter comes down with a nut allergy. From nagging Mac to go to the hospital, to checking Mac's pulse when he passes out (and actually being relieved that he's still alive), etc. He's even willing to ''sleep in the same bed'' as Mac. Considering how repulsed he was at even being in the same room as him in previous seasons, this is huge.

* Dennis exhibits quite a few PetTheDog moments towards Mac in this episode, particularly once the latter comes down with a nut allergy. From nagging Mac to go to the hospital, to checking Mac's pulse when he passes out (and actually being relieved that he's still alive), etc. He's even willing to sleep in the same bed as Mac. Considering how repulsed he was at even being in the same room as him in previous seasons, this is huge.

* After being ordered by Aaron Paul not to do so all throughout the episode, Bryan Cranston finally defies him and shakes Dennis' hand because he genuinely wanted to. The look of awe on Dennis' face when this happens is nice to see.

[[AC: PTSD Dee]]

* Dennis takes a LittleMissConArtist under his wing for a day after she successfully scams him. Throughout the day, he shows genuine interest in and support for her, albeit in her potential for crime. It's the only time over the whole series that Dennis likes a female character for herself, however warped a scenario it is.

Who says [[ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia a show]] about [[UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonists]] can't warm your heart?

Who says a show about [[UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonists]] can't warm your heart?

* Charlie finally sleeps with the Waitress because he tells her that he loves her, no matter how far she'd fallen. Subverted later on, because he realizes how bitchy she can actually be.

[[folder:The ''Always Sunny'' Podcast]]

[[/folder]]

You think a show about [[UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonists]] can't warm your heart?

* Subverted. The Gang seems genuinely concerned about her and supportive of her new career, until it's revealed that it's just one big plan to show her things could be worse, because they found her mopey "broken" behavior annoying and wanted to get back at her for joking about suicide.
** However, it seems like Dennis wanted Dee to be happier (and out of their hair), and thought that if she did go with the plan of trying to continue her new career, she would become more depressed and kill herself. Plus, he wasn't in on the plan to show her things could be worse, and even told her he loved her. Double Subverted?

* The episode ends with the Gang cooling off with a fire hydrant. There are no jokes, no mockery, no bickering, just a group of friends laughing and sharing a genuinely enjoyable time.

** And at the end it turns out that Dee was actually the surrogate for Carmen and her husband Nick. While Dee states later on that she hated being pregnant, the fact that she helped this couple achieve their dreams of having a family is a very kindhearted gesture on her part.

* When Mac accidentally punches Carmen for sneaking up on him, two guys react in disgust to Mac hitting a lady. Mac tries to brush it off by saying that [[UnfortunateImplications Carmen is actually a transgender woman]]. The bystanders still chase Mac down, because now they see Mac as a transphobic bully in addition to a woman beater.

[[AC:The Gang Goes to Hell]]

--->'''Charlie''': [[ItMakesSenseInContext JUST BASH ME, FRANK! JUST BASH ME LIKE A RAT!]]
--->'''Frank''': I'm not gonna bash ya, Charlie! I'm not gonna bash ya!

* Dennis genuinely wants to protect Charlie from being crushed by the Taft family, and didn't go in with the intention of taking Ruby for himself (his failed attempts at seduction were subconscious.) At the very end of the episode, he humiliates Trevor because he embarrassed Dee and Mac.

* Although while it is quite mean-spirited and cynical in the context of the situation, in the ending of "The Gang Squashes Their Beefs", the Gang end up agreeing that they shouldn't care about their relations with others because they still have each other.

** When the Gang first starts reading the dream book, Dennis and Dee remark that it makes no sense and they should throw it away. Mac agrees, but then points out that they have to fight that instinct for Charlie's sake. It's the closest that he (or any of the group) ever comes to a lasting HeelRealization, and it's all for Charlie.
** When Charlie gets the new rat stick, he's almost ''crying'' as he says "I don't know what to say 'cause no one's ever really, um..." He's too choked up to finish the thought, but it's heavily implied that this is the first time he's received gifts that mean something to him. An earlier episode even revealed that the "presents" he received each Christmas were largely random items given to him by the various men who came over that day to have sex with his mother. In short, the Gang are the only people (besides his mom) who have ''ever'' tried to understand Charlie and his bizarre quirks enough to do something like this.

* After the Waitress denied Charlie's marriage proposal, Frank was the only one who tried to comfort him. But of course it was then [[ComplimentBackfire rendered null]] by one [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments line]].
-->'''Frank''': It was a great musical Charlie. You did a great job. She ain't worth it. And by the way, I think that rape scene went really well.

* A great example of why Charlie is widely considered the least awful person in the group is in "Underage Drinking: A National Concern" when he listens to high schooler Sara's boy problems and takes her to prom where he steps aside for her original boyfriend to dance with her.

* In "Hundred Dollar Baby," Frank, out of whatever small goodness he has in his heart, freely offers to train Dee in boxing when she wants to learn how to defend herself. Later, when Dee challenges the daughter of his old rival to a boxing match, Frank genuinely sounds concerned for her and tries to dissuade her from fighting.

* In "Sweet Dee is Dating Retarded Person," Charlie and Dennis write the "Day Man" song together after they were both kicked out of Mac and Frank's band. It's just refreshing to see members of the group just getting along, singing, and dancing with each other that doesn't devolve into an argument or screaming match.
* In "Dennis Looks Like A Registered Sex Offender," Luther got arrested for violating his parole: he's not supposed to leave the state, but had purchased plane tickets for himself, Mac and Charlie to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame.

* In "Mac And Charlie Die Part 2", after getting out of jail again, Luther writes Mac a letter saying he still loves him even after Mac attempted to frame him for sexual harassment and that he's trying to learn to forgive Mac.
* In "The Nightman Cometh" after the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Waitress]] denied Charlie's marriage proposal, Frank was the only one who tried to comfort him. But of course it was then [[ComplimentBackfire rendered null]] by one [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments line]].

* "The Gang Exploits the Mortgage Crisis" ends with the Gang playing together happily in [[ComedicSociopathy in the rich couple's pool.]]
* "The Gang Gives Frank An Intervention": During the eponymous intervention, Charlie demands to know why Frank doesn't play [[RunningGag Nightcrawlers]] with him anymore. A genuinely surprised Frank promises to play it with him more.
* In "The Waitress is Getting Married," even though she acted like a horrendous bitch and humiliated the Waitress, when her fiancé, Brad, comes back to Dee's apartment and confesses he still is in love with her, the small silent smile on her face was just a little touching.
** And, of course, Charlie gives the waitress's would-be fiancé, who had only been manipulating her as revenge for being turned down in high school, a gift: a box full of hornets.
*** To be fair, [[IfICantHaveYou he was going to give it to him before he found that out too.]]
*** He did look like he was going to have second thoughts, before he found out about the fiance's intentions.
*** However, keep in mind: Brad told Charlie he was going to to this scam with Dee next.

* In "Mac Fights Gay Marriage", Mac tells the rest of the Gang that Carmen (the trans woman who dated him in Season 1) got married and all of them show genuine happiness for her, even defending her when Mac starts making transphobic statements out of jealousy.
* The episode "Mac and Charlie: White Trash" ends with the Gang cooling off with a fire hydrant. There are no jokes, no mockery, no bickering, just a group of friends laughing and sharing a genuinely enjoyable time.
* Charlie's reaction in "Charlie Kelly: King of the Rats" when the Gang makes him a new rat stick is amazing, as is the whole plot of the episode, with the gang coming together to give Charlie a great birthday as thanks for him doing all the dirty work at the bar. And they still give him his gifts when they find out it's not even his birthday, but Frank's.
** Throughout the episode, the group tries to give Charlie nice things, such as a trip to the movies or a day at the spa, but they fail due to Charlie's own idiocy. Though they're tempted to [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere give up as they always do]], Dee, Dennis, and Mac [[{{Determinator}} refuse to stop trying]]. Eventually, they sneak into Charlie's apartment and read his "dream book," a bizarre collection of odd pictures and misspelled words that contains the things he fantasizes about. At the end of the episode, they reveal that they painstakingly recreated these items, including a roast chicken wearing denim shorts, a [[ToothyBird bird with teeth glued on the beak]], and three different types of "worm hat" (a hat made from worms, a hat that makes the wearer ''look'' like a worm, and [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs a hat for a worm]]). Watching Charlie light up as he finally sees his dreams come true is adorable.

** Frank may have been tricking the Gang into throwing him a birthday party instead of Charlie, him trying to calm Charlie down in the spa was pretty genuine.

* In "The Gang Gets Stranded in the Woods", it's revealed that Frank had arranged for Mac to finally get to meet Chase Utley at the Animal Rights banquet. It's undermined by the fact that Mac, Dee, and Frank are still lost in the woods while Dennis and Charlie are partying, but it's still nice to see that he remembered and genuinely wanted him to meet his hero.
** Dennis takes it upon himself to help Charlie keep calm while they're out of Philly and embrace their predicament as an adventure. Later on, when Dennis loses his jacket, Charlie makes a lot of money, and have a great night at the banquet. He even has enough money left over to take himself and Dennis back to Philadelphia. It may have been at the expense of the other characters but, like most of these examples, watching them genuinely enjoy each other's company and helping each other out deserves a mention on the Heartwarming page.
* The entirety of "Dee Gives Birth." From Dennis' genuine concern for Dee when she is in labor (even wanting to be in the room when she gives birth) to the looks on the Gang's face when Dee was getting rolled down the hallway, baby in hand. Set to a cover of a Music/KateBush song no less. Later, they even laughed at one of Dee's jokes!

** After the credits, there's a picture of a baby, stating the episode is dedicated to Kaitlin Olson and Rob [=McElhenney=]'s real life son Axel who was born around that time.
* There's a legitimate one at the very, very, ''very'' end of "A Very Sunny Christmas", which has the Gang finally all together for Christmas throwing rocks at trains, and a flashback to a young Charlie and Mac doing the same and being surprisingly sweet.
** And also Frank's change of heart and the Gang's reaction to the gifts he gets them, especially Dennis' excitement. At least, until the experience is ruined when the presents are all stolen by Frank's old business partner.

* In "The Gang Goes to Jersey Shore," when Charlie meets the Waitress and they spend the evening together. For a show like this, it's almost too heartwarming to believe. So obviously, it's [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] when the Waitress reveals she was on ecstasy that night, and shuns Charlie the next morning. However, it's DoubleSubverted when it's revealed Charlie honestly doesn't care that she was high, and enjoyed the night on its own merit.
** At the beginning of the episode, Mac and Charlie question Dee's choice of hairstyle, and intend to mock it. When Dee defends herself, Dennis backs her up and touches her hair fondly, stating she looks like Bo Derek. It's very heartwarming, considering how often Dennis is the one who leads the verbal attacks on Dee.
* In "Sweet Dee Gets Audited" Frank seems genuinely concerned about Dennis when he talks about feeling empty inside. It's an understated moment, but it is one of the few moments where Frank seems concerned and sympathetic towards one of his children.
* In "The Gang Gets Trapped": when Dee, Dennis and Charlie all get the full story of the Southern-Asian family's situation (the mom is having an affair with her husband's friend, and they and her daughter were about to run away to California when the dad came home to confront them), [[EvenEvilHasStandards they all become uncomfortable with the situation, especially when the daughter starts crying]]. It's only when the dad threatens to have their discussion go "all night" when they stop caring.
* In "The High School Reunion", when one of the Gang's old high school bullies tells everyone that Dennis was not really in the cool group back in high school since all he really did was hang out with Mac and Charlie all the time. It really shows that Dennis is friends with those two because he really likes them.

* From "Charlie and Dee Find Love," Dennis genuinely wants to protect Charlie from being crushed by the Taft family, and didn't go in with the intention of taking Ruby for himself (his failed attempts at seduction were subconscious.) At the very end of the episode, he humiliates Trevor because he embarrassed Dee and Mac.
* "The Gang Dines Out" features a surprisingly heartfelt moment from Dennis of all people -- who's sorely lacked for PetTheDog moments in the preceding few seasons -- when he publicly confesses that knowing Mac always had his back was a key to building self-confidence in his early years. Inevitably, Dennis fouls it up a little with a tale of sexual conquest better left undescribed here, but it's still a genuine expression of friendship, entirely free from his usual manipulative machinations.
** The episode also boasts another extremely rare everybody-gets-along ending, like the aforementioned "Mac and Charlie: White Trash" and very few other episodes in the series. The waiter's downfall instantly mends the divide between Dennis & Mac and Charlie & Frank, and when they find out Dee arranged it by tying the waiter's shoelaces together, they respond with praise and welcoming of a kind that Dee virtually never receives from them. Of course, the joke is that by now, everyone else in the restaurant utterly despises the gang, so that the funniest outcome would be for them to be too absorbed in enjoying each others' company to notice or care. Even so, in its own misanthropic way, this is one of the few truly feel-good endings the show's ever run.

* Subverted in "The Gang Broke Dee". The Gang seems genuinely concerned about her and supportive of her new career, until it's revealed that it's just one big plan to show her things could be worse, because they found her mopey "broken" behavior annoying and wanted to get back at her for joking about suicide.

* "The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award" has the Gang admitting that they don't need an award to feel special. They decide that an award doesn't matter as long as they like themselves.
* The fact that the Gang has no problems with the fact that Mac is gay in "Mac Day" and are actually annoyed that he's denying his true sexuality is surprisingly tolerant of them.
* In a bizarre way, Frank's total willingness to bankroll ''all'' of the gang's schemes is somewhat sweet. He feels somewhat guilty about being away from his kids for so long (granted, he also wants to [[TheHedonist indulge his every baser impulse]] along the way), but he'll spend any amount of cash they want for whatever insane plan they have at the moment.
* In "Flowers for Charlie," Charlie [[FlowersForAlgernonSyndrome believes he's becoming smarter]] after taking pills from some scientists. He becomes a huge jerk and treats the whole Gang like garbage. Despite this, the Gang still goes to the culmination of the project, where Charlie reveals his "invention" (a device to let cats talk to spiders), and the scientists themselves reveal [[PlaceboEffect it was all a sham]]. The pills only made Charlie ''think'' he was getting smarter, and the actual experiment was on the details of that process. Rather than get angry at Charlie for being such a {{Jerkass}}, though, Dennis, Mac, Frank, and Dee make jokes about the situation (and even laugh at one of Dee's!) while trash-talking the scientists, and Charlie happily joins in. The episode ends with the group, reunited without any bad feelings, leaving the auditorium to watch ''Film/PoliceAcademy'' together. Who knew that StatusQuoIsGod could be such a heartwarming trope?

* Dee and Charlie bonding throughout "The Gang Misses the Boat." It's really nice to see that without the toxic influence of the rest of the gang that the two of them can actually encourage and support each other enough to get somewhere close to normal--while getting lunch, Dee is able to calm Charlie down enough to order a chicken sandwich without becoming unhinged, and Charlie politely urges Dee to ''not'' use a "character voice" while ordering, keeping her from being embarrassed. Later, the two reveal a shared love of slam poetry and plan to go out to a jam together. The making out and probable sex may have ruined the relationship with awkwardness, but it was nice too.
** The end of the episode counts too. The main plot sees the Gang, all frustrated with each other, try to split up, only to discover that without each other around, they're even ''worse'' (with the exception of Dee and Charlie, as seen above--but even they need the group to function). At the end, they all come back to Paddy's and decide that they want to go back to the way things were--each of their own volition, no less. Frank even agrees to [[ItMakesSenseInContext pay to have Dennis's car pulled from the river]], no questions asked. To cap the moment off, Frank reveals that he's been saving a "special surprise" for just such an occasion, runs out, and returns with [[RunningGag the rum ham!]] The episode ends with the Gang cheering and devouring the alcohol-soaked meat. They be may absolutely horrible people, but God damn it, they're TrueCompanions through and through.
*** When Frank tries to find a new group of young people to hang out with, his typical schemes and antics [[DidntThinkThisThrough cause them to lose their bar and be slapped with a huge fine for serving liquor to minors]]. When the owners tell him the bad news, Frank immediately responds that the Gang would always have an even crazier Plan B in situations like this. Even when they're supposed to be spending time apart, he's still thinking about them. Granted, his kindness toward his original friends [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere makes him flee the damage he's caused to these new people]], but it shows that he has at least some decency and loyalty.

* When Charlie fainted in "Chardee [=MacDennis=] 2", both Dennis and Dee were there to see him recover and said that they were worried and glad he survived. This being ''Sunny'', it is immediately ruined by the two telling Charlie that his team lost because he cried immediately when the Waitress started talking and they burn his team's flag while smashing the figures.
* Watch "Being Frank". When Frank injures himself in the towing yard Charlie is immediately concerned and the panicked response from Frank (who has little idea of what is going on) to the only guy he obviously trusts is quite touching:

** The episode also ends with our first look at Charlie and Frank playing Nightcrawlers.
* There are few moments towards the end of "The Gang Goes To Hell Part 2", when the Gang are trapped together in a small room on sinking cruise ship that's slowly filling up with water:

* In "The Gang Goes to a Waterpark," Dennis takes a LittleMissConArtist under his wing for a day after she successfully scams him. Throughout the day, he shows genuine interest in and support for her, albeit in her potential for crime. It's the only time over the whole series that Dennis likes a female character for herself, however warped a scenario it is.
* "Old Lady House: A Situation Comedy" reveals that Charlie's mom is aware enough of his "reading language" that she can send letters that he can read (meaning they are pictures and gibberish text).

* In "Hero or Hate Crime?", Mac finally comes out as gay. While it's kind of ruined by the gang immediately stating that they hate him the second he leaves the room and swindling him out of his lottery winnings, they make it clear that they're happy for him and even put off on stealing his money for a day to let him enjoy his newfound comfort.

*** Oddly enough the group's acceptance of Mac coming out is quite possibly one of the few decent things they've ever done. It also showcases just how strong their friendship, albeit dysfunctional, really is.
*** The look of concern on everyone's faces when a piano was about to crush and kill Mac. Even if they all later say that they hate him, they still, in their own strange, bizarre way, care for him as they do each other. Charlie even immediately kicks Mac out of the way and Frank shouted to Mac to show he was in danger...sure, he shouted "faggot", but it's the thought that counts.
* In its own twisted way, the end of "The Gang Tends Bar". Mac buys Dennis an RPG off of the dark web. Dennis, who had been angrier than usual because it's Valentine's Day, is so overjoyed he doesn't even care that the seller didn't include a rocket.
** TheReveal that Frank got Jerry the tapeworm because he heard Charlie say he was flabby. Charlie clarifies that he said Frank smelled crabby, and that he likes Frank's crab smell.
* There is a moment in "The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition" when Charlie starts freaking out and Dennis (with uncharacteristic sweetness) rubs Charlie's shoulders to calm him down and even gives him a hug.
** Similarly in "The Gang Goes to Hell: Part 2", Dennis apparently came up with the "OI OI OI!" thing as a way to calm Charlie down when he's having a panic attack.
* "Dennis's Double Life": Dennis quits the Gang to be a father. He initially tried to get out of taking responsibility by scheming his way into alienating the mother and his son, but, at the very end, he decides he doesn't want his son to grow up with an absent father like he did and leaves for North Dakota.
** From the same episode, Charlie finally sleeps with the Waitress because he tells her that he loves her, no matter how far she'd fallen. Subverted later on, because he realizes how bitchy she can actually be.

* At the very end of "The Gang Escapes," the dudes buy steaks but because Dee was the one that allowed them to make the titular escape, they let her take the first bite of hers. You'd think that there'd be a terrible twist like they got it from the trash or that they all put their gum in it, but nothing of the sort happens. The episode ends with them taking a happy group photo.
* From "The Gang Gets New Wheels," Dennis initially doesn't want to hit on Tara because one of his friends has a crush on her. Compare this to Dennis using the Waitress without any regard for, or to spite, Charlie.
** The very end of the episode is heartwarming too, in its own bizarre Sunny way. After Dennis gets his new Range Rover and picks up the rest of the Gang, they all escape from their problems and drive back while "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley blares on the radio and Dennis wears a massive grin.

* Despite the premise of the episode, "The Gang Solves the Bathroom Problem" has the whole gang treat the idea of trans people using whatever bathroom they prefer as more or less a non-issue--Dee casually states that she'd be fine with a trans woman using the women's restroom, and no one else challenges her on it or disagrees. Sure, Frank still uses some bigoted language, but it's overall a remarkably open-minded attitude from the gang.
** A noticeable example comes when Charlie votes with Dennis and Frank, and Mac and Dee refuse to go to the concert because Dennis and Frank used Buffett's words against them. Dennis, Frank, and Charlie wanted the gang to go, and Frank decides if Mac and Dee won't go, there's no point in going. After they do compromise, they all leave singing Piña Colada.
* The end of "The Gang Wins the Big Game" features a montage of actual Eagles fans celebrating their Super Bowl win, including Kaitlin Olson and Rob [=McElhenney=] at the real game. Between the absolute joy in the clips and Frank's speech about how this is their chance to feel like champions for once, the episode is more or less a love letter to the city of Philadelphia. In fact, Mac hugs both Frank and Dee when the Eagles win.
** While Dee did ignore it, claiming they are just picking on her, Mac informs her that she does have pink eye.
* While a lot of "Mac Finds His Pride" is a regular TearJerker, it's not without its heartwarming moments:

-->Then there's Frank. A tempered, conservative man who only wants Mac to find his pride for only his, and the gang's, gain. But at the end, he connects with Mac's struggle. A man who he previously thought was weird ("Being Frank") he now understands and sympathizes for. A completely unexpected character development.

* When Dee was dying in "The Gang Chokes," the Gang tells Mac to save her when he refuses to, making his own decision and allowing Dee to see the other side. Considering the last time they saw her nearly die, it's nice to see they do care about each other and doesn't want her to die.

* The Gang returning to help Charlie finish the Irish burial of his father in "The Gang Carries A Corpse Up A Mountain" after having abandoned him earlier. Afterwards they walk off with their arms around each other, fully cementing them as Charlie's FamilyOfChoice.

** After years of denying Charlie's paternity, Frank says he's sorry he's not Charlie's biological father, promising to always be there for him.