The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7
The Gang addresses political incorrectness by making Lethal Weapon 7.
"The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7" is the 156th episode of *It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia* and the second of its fifteenth season. Written by story editors Keyonna Taylor and Katie McElhenney and directed by Pete Chatmon, it aired on FXX on December 1, 2021, back-to-back with the previous episode, "2020: A Year in Review." The episode picks up from two earlier installments—"Dee Reynolds: Shaping America's Youth" (2010) and "The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6" (2013)—in which the Gang made their own versions of the *Lethal Weapon* films.
After their homemade *Lethal Weapon 5* and *Lethal Weapon 6* are pulled from the local library for being "insensitive" (due to blackface and redface), Frank fumes, but the others decide the only proper response is to make a seventh film that meets modern ethical standards. Their first attempt casts Dee as Martin Riggs and a local pimp named Pepper Jack as Roger Murtaugh, but Dee's bad acting, Frank's demand for on-screen sex with a prostitute, and Pepper Jack's intimidating demeanor (which terrifies Dennis) force constant changes. Mac, afraid to give notes to Pepper Jack, lets him play himself and hires Artemis as assistant director. In the second take, Charlie replaces Dee as Riggs, but Pepper Jack's intensity clashes with Murtaugh's intended personality. For the third take, they hire "Don Cheadle" (the same impersonator who posed as Donovan McNabb and Tiger Woods) to play Murtaugh, while Pepper Jack takes Riggs. Satisfied with the performances, they worry that Dee's villain role—a character named Karen White—might look bad, so they replace the villain with a tidal wave. The resulting film is terrible. Dennis then explains that after dating younger women who rejected his views, he learned to feign agreement with their ideology to manipulate them. The Gang decides to do the "woke thing" and hand creative control to the impersonator. At the screening, they find the film has been retitled *White Saviors*, a documentary exposing their racism and ignorance. Enraged, Dennis declares the only option left is to make *Lethal Weapon 8*, with Mac wanting to play Murtaugh again.
The episode was described as a meta-commentary on previous episodes being removed from streaming for their use of blackface. Rob McElhenney noted that the episode allowed the show to address its own history with blackface, explaining that the Gang's cartoonish n
- Episode Number
- 156th overall
- Season
- 15
- Original Air Date
- December 1, 2021
- Network
- FXX
- Writers
- Keyonna Taylor and Katie McElhenney
- Director
- Pete Chatmon
- Viewers (households)
- 0.237 million
Lore & Background
In the episode, upon discovering that their self-made Lethal Weapon sequels have been pulled from the local library, the Gang decides to address their political incorrectness by making the sequel Lethal Weapon 7. The episode was described as a meta-commentary on previous episodes being removed from streaming due to their use of blackface. The plot involves multiple failed takes as the Gang attempts to create a film that meets modern ethical standards, including casting a local pimp named Pepper Jack and an imposter posing as Don Cheadle.
Reader's Guide
The episode received positive reviews from critics, who praised the series' meta-commentary on the previous episodes and the performances of the cast. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.237 million household viewers and gained a 0.11 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. Rob McElhenney said that the episode served as a way to explore the Gang's use of blackface and acknowledge its wrong use, explaining that the show's satire allows them to lean heavily into inappropriate ideas because the characters are cartoonish. The episode ends with the Gang losing creative control to an imposter, resulting in a documentary titled White Saviors, and Dennis proclaiming they will make Lethal Weapon 8.
Did You Know?
- The episode is the 156th overall episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
- It aired back-to-back with the previous episode, "2020: A Year in Review."
- The episode features a character named Pepper Jack, previously seen in "Mac Is a Serial Killer."
- The episode's viewership was a 17% decrease from the previous episode, which had 0.285 million viewers.
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