Gun Fever Too: Still Hot

"Gun Fever Too: Still Hot" is the second episode of the ninth season of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Synopsis
After Frank appears on local television advocating gun ownership, the rest of the gang engage in a 'heated' dialogue ("Still Hot") about firearms. Dennis and Dee are adamant it is far too easy for a person to obtain an overpowered deadly weapon and there are too many guns on the street. Charlie and Mac declare society needs more guns on the street in order to fight violence.

Recap
9:35 am on a Tuesday

Frank is on a morning news program talking about how he fought off some thugs who tried to rob him, apparently by firing the two guns he had on him indiscriminately in their general direction. He encourages people watching to go to Gunther's Guns to buy guns to keep themselves safe too.

Back at Paddy's, the rest of The Gang is watching him, and while they all agree that the topic is making them "hot", they differ on what exactly to do about it. Dennis and Dee believe that the solution is to get guns off the street, Mac and Charlie think that the solution is to get more guns on the street. Dennis and Dee argue that it's way too easy to get a gun, Charlie and Mac argue that the government is making it harder and harder. So while they're all "hot", they've ended up on opposite sides.

Charlie and Mac (wearing bitchin' eagle T-shirts) go to a middle school to volunteer to help protect the school from shooters. When the principal, Principal McIntyre, shows up, he's horrified to see Charlie, since Charlie got him transferred out of his old school (which is all the school district could do, since he has tenure and cannot be fired.)  Principal MacIntyre is even more horrified when Charlie reveals he's brought a gun. Mac agrees with Principal MacIntyre that guns do not belong in school, so he shows he's brought something far safer -- a samurai sword. Charlie points out that a gunman would be able to shoot Mac far before Mac can reach him with the sword. They ask Principal MacIntyre to judge, which leads to Charlie pulling his gun over and over and Mac swinging his samurai sword around wildly, knocking things over.

Dennis and Dee go to Gunther's Guns, which is packed. They say they are going to buy an assault rifle to prove how easy it is to get one. They ask Gunther to sell them a "man destroyer", and Gunther recommends an AR-15, which he'll sell them for $1,500. Gunther asks for a license to do the background check required for purchase of a gun.

While Gunther runs the background check, Frank goes on another news program to promote gun ownership. Frank is joined by Jack Kelly, his attorney. Jack joins Frank in defending 2nd Amendment rights, but he soon strays into a defense of "tasteful artistic photographs of beautiful nude bodies." Frank and the host try to get the subject back on guns.

Gunther comes back and tells Dennis and Dee that they've been denied the right to buy their guns. For Dennis, it's because of his "extensive history of felonious behavior" (to which Dennis replies, "Being wanted and being wanted for questioning are different things"), and for Dee, it's because she's been institutionalized, for setting her college roommate on fire. Dee does not take the news very well, and Dennis, after telling Gunther that he's made "his list", tells them they'll go find another way to buy a gun.

Meanwhile, on TV, Uncle Jack continues to argue against "censorship of art", holding up a picture of a boy on a couch wearing nothing but shorts.

Charlie and Mac set themselves up outside the school. Mac demonstrates how he can "distract" a gunman by jumping around and yelling to be a distraction, but Charlie, still wielding a gun, shows how he could still shoot him first. They see a kid going into the school, and because he's all in black and playing with a smartphone, they "profile" him and take his phone, even going so far as to threaten him with the sword and the gun. Principal MacIntyre comes out to confront them, and to take back the phones they've "confiscated". Principal MacIntyre orders them to stay at least 1,000 feet away, and stay away from the students. After that, Mac comes up with a new plan: if they can't be outside the school protecting it, maybe they can train someone to protect it from inside.

Dennis and Dee go to a gun show, where they will not have to go through a background check to buy a gun. They find a dealer who says he doesn't have a problem with their "sketchy pasts", and agrees to sell them an AR-15...for $3,000. Dennis and Dee react comically to this news, and when Dee threatens the seller, and Dennis points the AR-15 at the dealer, quite literally everyone at the gun show points guns at them. They leave without a gun.

At Paddy's, Mac and Charlie address the people they are about to train to help keep the school safe: a group of middle school students. They tell the kids that they will be training them how to use common objects around the school as compasses, forks, even piano wire from the music room, as weapons. The training begins, but after a few minutes devolves into chaos, and Mac and Charlie flee the bar. Mac and Charlie reverse their position: they now think that weapons should be removed from schools.

Dennis and Dee make another attempt to buy guns. As they wait in Dennis' Range Rover, they hear Frank on the radio, calling for everyone to bring their guns to a march on City Hall. (Uncle Jack helpfully reminds everyone to bring their kids too.) After a few minutes, the guy who's going to sell them a gun shows up, and it turns out to be the same guy who sold them crack (in "Dennis and Dee Go On Welfare.") Dennis gives him the $1,500 for the gun, and the dealer then proceeds to just walk off. Dennis and Dee realize they can't really do anything because he has an assault rifle and they don't.

They go back to Paddy's, where Charlie and Mac are. They all agree that they are still very hot over this issue, but they've switched positions: now Charlie and Mac want to get rid of guns, and Dennis and Dee want more guns out there. Frank shows up, wheeling boxes of water filters into the bar. Frank explains what's going on: the whole thing was a scam, and he doesn't give a shit about the gun issue. He bought a stake in Gunther's Gun, and then stirred up people to go buy guns, and made a fortune. He then says he has to run.

And we see where he's going: he goes on the news and talking about how toxic the water supply is, but he happens to have a water filter that will help. The rest of the Gang admits that Frank's good at this sort of scam...and that they should probably get one of those water filters.

Alliances

 * Charlie and Mac
 * Dennis and Dee

Starring

 * Charlie Day as Charlie Kelly
 * Glenn Howerton as Dennis Reynolds
 * Rob McElhenney as Mac
 * Kaitlin Olson as Dee Reynolds
 * Danny DeVito as Frank Reynolds

Guest Starring

 * Robyn Lively as Kerry
 * Dave Foley as Principal MacIntyre
 * Mickey Jones as Gunther
 * Andrew Friedman as Uncle Jack
 * Jeff Kober as Creepy Guy
 * Karl T. Wright as Scott

Co-Starring

 * Xihuaru Kilcher as Emo Kid
 * Jose I. Diaz as Inner City Kid
 * Robert Craighead as Gabe
 * Keith Bullard as Scary Guy
 * Bob Wiltfong as Chet

Trivia

 * This is the second time the show has dealt with the topic of gun control. In season one there was an episode titled "Gun Fever" so this is a sequel of sorts.
 * Frank's "So anyway, I started blasting" has become a meme, even outside of Always Sunny circles.
 * Frank's vigilante moment and his comments about the levels crime in the city are likely a reference Bernhard Goetz, who shot four teenagers who he claimed tried to mug him on the New York City subway. Goetz, who came to be known as the "Subway Vigilante," defended his actions by citing a decay of the rule of law in New York City. The news anchor who interviews Frank on Good Morning Philadelphia points out that an innocent person could have been struck by gunfire, which echoes the charge of reckless endangerment that was brought against Goetz at his criminal trial. Goetz fired at the four men despite the presence of over a dozen other passengers on the same subway car.
 * The man Dee and Dennis try to buy a gun from under the bridge is the same man they bought their crack from in "Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare."
 * Jeff Kober, who plays the guy selling the AR-15 at the gun show, is the second reaccuring cast member from The Walking Dead (he played Joe) to appear on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Before him was Chad Coleman (E), who plays Tyreese
 * The sound used when Gunther turns the volume up on the TV is the OSX volume change sound.
 * Mac shows off his $5,000 Samurai Sword which he bought in "America's Next Top Paddy's Billboard Model Contest."
 * Charlie wears the same denim jacket and American flag bandana from "Charlie Goes America All Over Everybody's Ass."
 * When Mac and Charlie are discussing what is wrong with kids and violent video games, Charlie is holding only one phone taken from a kid. In a consecutive shot, he is holding suddenly three more phones.
 * When Dee and Dennis are trying to buy the guns from Gunther, you hear Dennis's voice but his mouth does not move.