Season 17 is Getting REAL Weird With It!

Last week our first “leak” of Season 17 was the confirmation that Sunny will have a crossover episode with Abbott Elementary, one of the most wholesome sitcoms currently airing on television. This week, our second “leak” went the exact opposite direction of wholesome when Rob chose to share Network notes regarding scenes in an upcoming episode (while attempting to redact certain information):

As you can see, his attempt at redaction was fairly crude, so when you brighten the image, you're able to make out pretty much the entire redacted portion of the screenshot. The Network Note reads:

“Caution on scene where Dennis sho[ws/ots] video footage of him masturbating a dog & [w/t]hen Dennis holds up a Tupperware container. Any graphic bestiality simulation must be avoided for cuts airing on both FX linear channel & the Hulu platform. Given the nature of the scenes, always shoot alternate angles and positioning so that there are options to work with should they be needed during Post Production. Please keep the semen Tupperware as generic and nondescript as possible.”

And, even with the redactions properly redacted, “graphic bestiality simulation” is an eye-catching phrase which would immediately cause a stir among the fandom every-which-way, so being able to uncover Rob’s redactions and learn that this season we will be witnessing Dennis jerking off a dog to completion (on camera) and collecting the semen as part of a currently-unknown plot only exacerbated the fandom’s reaction to Rob’s post. 

We saw basically everything from “I’m throwing a party, they’re finally letting Dennis get really freaky,” to “I’m not watching the newest season, this is too far even for Sunny.” But, after a day of initial reactions, the fandom has pretty much settled into a space of either moving past this leak, chalking it up to being something egregious, added (and shared by Rob) for “shock value” that's better off not to be thought about, or trying to deduce if there is a “rational” (for Sunny) explanation as to what could be happening in connection with this content warning.

If you know me, you know I’m always in the camp of figuring out a plot (and then well beyond it), so taking the content at face value for what we uncovered (collecting dog semen, yeah that’s what we’re talking about) let’s try and deduce something about this Season 17 episode:

First thing that immediately struck me is the Network Note referencing Page 26 of the script. For a 22-minute show, this a pretty big tip off that the scene(s) being referenced are toward the end of the episode, if not serving as the actual end of the episode. Thankfully, Rob just supplied us with the Season 16 scripts, so we have a perfect point of reference:

And funnily enough, the average script length for an episode last season hovered around 26 pages. (The script in question was likely sent to the Network as a Production Draft, so you can also look to the four Season 16 Production Drafts to see page 26 is about on par with what would be the final scene(s) of an episode.) 

Since the note regarding bestiality simulation is being inserted at Page 26, it’s probably pretty safe to say this is the first instance of such a thing in the episode, so the video footage, and Dennis presenting a Tupperware full of semen, is likely an end-of-episode reveal. My best guess, based on all of the information we have on hand, is that this plot in the episode (whether it’s the A, B, or rare C) hinges on some mystery “product” being implemented or used and, as a final scene reveal, Dennis shows the video footage of where the product came from, revealing to his audience (and the audience) that the product is actually dog semen. (Think, opening of Kitten Mittens, where we watch the advertisement on the CRT TV and then reveal Charlie presenting it to the Gang, cut to their reactions, and cut to title, only this time it’s raw footage on the TV, reveal Dennis’ Tupperware, maybe reactions, and then cut to black, cue end credits.)

That’s my guess as to how this all goes down…WHY Dennis needs dog semen (for himself? or is it for a scheme the Gang are pulling? or perhaps tied to a dog we already know?) or WHAT he’s using it for (an ingredient in a product to be used or is it something to inflict on others? or is it for its actual purpose, making more dogs?) is impossible to glean at this point, it’s really anyone’s guess… and you can guess too! There have been some good theories about dog semen usage floating around, so I’ve laid them all out on this Tumblr poll that’s open to voting for the next week. The options are as follows:

(Results to be published October 16)

None of the poll options calling to you? Let me know if you have your own theory (with rationale and evidence, if you've got it). Does this plot perhaps link to the episode Rob shared of Charlie’s whiteboard? (If so, that would make for quite the tone shift of season finales we’ve had in the last few years... so I'm leaning toward doubting that connection.) It really, very much probably doesn’t link to the Abbott Crossover (or ABC would have notes, surely…), but we wont’t know for sure until we know!

Thanks for the plot leak, Rob; you’re excellent blog fuel!

- Seth

It IS Always Sunny at Abbott Elementary

It seems Rob doesn’t want me to see a moments rest (or let my blog get any traction), because only a few hours after my last post, deducing that what RCG are currently filming is not Sunny but is, in fact, the speculated crossover with Abbott Elementary, Rob dropped two photos from set confirming that fact:

October 9, 2024:

More information has been released concerning the crossover, via Variety!

The first (and biggest, imo) is that the Crossover episode will be airing as Episode 9 of Abbott Elementary.

Abbott premieres October 9 and is currently set to air their first four episodes in the next four weeks, back-to-back. ABC has yet to set a firm schedule for the remainder of the year, but due to Abbott's late start this fall, it's likely Episode 9 will end up being the mid-season premiere for Abbott Elementary. If the intent of the Abbott episode is to air alongside Sunny's new season (the article teased a potential reciprocal episode on Sunny), that would mean Season 17 of Sunny would be premiering sooner than we might expect: late January or early February! 

Patrick Schumacker, one of Abbott's Executive Producers, shared that Charlie Day's performance on set alleviated any concerns anyone had concerning the ability for the shows to mesh together, and that Charlie Kelly has a significant plot in the crossover. In an interview on October 8, Lisa Ann Walter (who plays Melissa on Abbott) discussed how her character and Sheryl Lee Ralph's character, Barbara, share Charlie's plot in the crossover and had a great experience filming with him. She also spoke with ABC about how, in comparison to a normal Abbott episode, the one featuring the Sunny Gang is "unhinged." (Apparently Charlie Day sticks with the usual Sunny method of ad-libbing and improv'ing lines!) 

Hearing Charlie's plot is with Barbara, a kindergarten teacher, and has a lot of room to improv seems to be leading us right toward that "Charlie learns to read" plot everyone is gunning for!

As to Rob's presence on set? Seems like he's struggling to keep it PG, but having just as much fun as Charlie is. 

An interview from TVInsider with Tyler James Williams, who plays Gregory, revealed that there are some really interesting pairings in the crossover and teased that "there’s definitely people in Abbott who have seen and possibly been to their bar." Which could be anyone, really, but my money is definitely on Mr. Johnson... him or a random group of 6th Graders. He also said echoed the same sentiment the other Abbott cast members have been sharing, that the shows work surprisingly well together, and that it's "funny as hell."

October 12, 2024:

Danny Devito, in an interview with The Movie Dweeb, has revealed that there is a Sunny half of the crossover event, which "sets up the whole idea of why we have to be at Abbott." So if the Sunny half of the crossover explains why the Gang are at Abbott, that means it's highly likely the episode airs before Episode 9 of Abbott Elementary... again much closer to confirming a late winter/early Spring premiere for Season 17 of Sunny!

Danny also shares a few details about Frank's plot in the episode, stating he's outside the school in winter weather and he’s caught in a cage and eating mulch while packed in ice. (Winter! It's been a long time since we got a cold-weather episode of Sunny!) Similar to what we heard about Rob filming for Mac, Danny discusses [the Sunny cast’s] struggle with not being able to swear or say whatever they want while filming Abbott.

Filming Begins! But is it for Sunny?

Sunny news broke yesterday when Charlie Day posted an Instagram video in which he was wearing what's clearly Charlie Kelly’s wardrobe, tying his shoes to the song Going the Distance, accompanied by the caption “Gearing up for season 17.” Shortly after Charlie’s post, Rob McElhenney created a remake of Charlie’s video with Mac’s shoes and posted it to his Instagram story, and a few hours later Glenn followed up with his own special version. 

All three of the “gearing up” videos, courtesy of Babygirlmac on Twitter 

While Glenn isn’t wearing any Dennis clothes we’re familiar with, Charlie and Rob definitely seem to be in wardrobe, and this is a show in its seventeenth season so for the guys to be in wardrobe means they’re very likely currently filming—But is it Sunny they’re filming? 

Seeing Charlie dressed as Charlie Kelly this morning was a shock to a lot of people, because it seems a little too soon. Besides the fact that we normally hear a rumbling or two from the Sunny crew ahead of RCG making it to set, from all the information we currently have, Sunny shouldn’t start shooting until at earliest next week.

On September 20, 2024, Glenn told us Sunny starts filming in about three weeks. Whether that be the start of the third week following September 20 (October 7) or a full three weeks following that weekend (October 14), it’s hard to justify October 2 as being about three weeks from September 20. Though, for the benefit of the doubt, let’s say it’s not impossible that Glenn may have misspoken, or maybe filming got pushed up… 

BUT there is actually a logistical impossibility for filming Sunny that currently exists.

On August 15, 2024, Kaitlin and Rob’s episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast dropped, and in that episode Kaitlin shared a fun fact about her ABC show, High Potential: it films not only on the same lot, but the same stage as Sunny. That means once High Potential wraps, they’ll clear all its sets off the sound stage to bring in all of the Sunny sets. So, if Sunny has started filming, they’ve started without the majority of their sets (Paddy’s and the Gang’s apartments), which makes very little sense. Though, say they’re shooting on-location ahead of all the sound stage scenes (it’s not unheard of, though pretty unlikely), then maybe they could have started filming Sunny… 

EXCEPT on that same Podcast, Kaitlin stated she has “three or four days off and then we go right into Sunny.” As of today, High Potential is still shooting, and funnily enough Kaitlin was the one to supply us with that information, yesterday. While the guys were sharing their gearing up videos, Kaitlin shared a photo of her nails (a cute tribute to Dee) from on set of the season finale of High Potential:

And if Kaitlin is still filming High Potential as of today and she gets a few days off after wrapping (which makes sense considering they share a stage), Sunny really has not started filming yet. The evidence is mounted against them. (Which means Glenn didn’t misspeak, though I only said that for the lead to harder evidence, not because I ever doubted him.)

So, if Rob, Charlie, and Glenn aren’t filming Sunny but they’re dressed as their Sunny characters and “gearing up” for Season 17, what could they possibly be up to?

Well, remember my first Season 17 speculation post back in July? I’m still parked right there, and more confident than ever following my conversation with Glenn about Randall Einhorn’s potential directorial return: the Abbott Elementary crossover is with Sunny. And it very well may be filming right now as Abbott actively films their fourth season and RCG are in character, a week prior to Sunny filming. 

Ok, yes, maybe I look like this to a lot of people right now:

But just know, once they finally officially announce it, you heard it here first. 8.5 episodes for Season 17, and it all starts with filming the 0.5; that’s what I’m calling.

Which means there's nothing from Paddy’s Pub just yet. I’d say give it another week or so and hopefully we get a glimpse of that shitty bar we all miss dearly. And, in the meantime, get hyped and get your bets in for Abbott Elementary plots… is a kindergarten teacher all Charlie needs to be able to adapt to reading?

News, news, news, every day there's news...

-Seth