The Dennis Scene In It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia With Perfect Delivery
What makes something funny? It's the question that's plagued everyone, from comedians to philosophers, for millennia. And we're not much closer to getting a definitive answer on that, but there are obviously some ideas floating about.
One idea stems from the incongruence of ideas. Audiences listen to a comedian talk about one thing, and when something unexpected is said, it creates a laugh. However, there's also something to be said about the way a line is delivered. It's not always about the content but rather the manner in which it's spoken. That's why everyone interested in comedy has something to learn from watching "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."
The sitcom is hilarious with its writing, but the performances are also something to behold, especially as the characters have grown more exaggerated as time has gone on. That's why one particular Dennis line delivery is currently enjoying a second life on social media.
Dennis asking about the wars is a first-class line reading
A massive discussion recently transpired when Sean T. Collins posited a simple question on Twitter: "What's the single best line reading you've ever heard in a movie or TV show?" A ton of responses poured in, offering line readings from everything from "Goodfellas" to "Dumb and Dumber." However, one Twitter user may have had everyone else beat with their response from the "Mac's Big Break" episode of "It's Always Sunny." In it, Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson) start a podcast where they bring on Ben the soldier (Travis Schuldt) to discuss the war. Once he's there, Dennis asks, "Ben, it's my understanding that there is a war going on right now. Am I right in this?"
Ben then answers that there are actually two wars going on, and Dennis replies, "Two wars! We're in the midst of two wars." Of course, simply reading the lines on the page doesn't do them justice. Glenn Howerton delivers them in a manner that can only really be described as "ludicrously incredulous." It almost seems like he's doing an impression of Charlie (Charlie Day) when he gets confused.
Plenty of people seemed to be in agreement that the line delivery was first-class, as one user wrote, "This just reminded me of how much [I] love and appreciate this show." There are ample examples of great line deliveries in a show like "Always Sunny," but this one may just take the cake.