Gun Fever

"Gun Fever" is the fifth episode of the first season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Synopsis
Everyone gets trigger happy when, in the wake of a robbery, the guys buy a gun, and Dee unknowingly dates the prime suspect.

Recap


11:25 AM on a Friday

Mac and Dennis insult each other as they walk through the alley though the back door into Paddy's. Inside, Charlie and Dee frantically exit the office, telling them that the safe has been stolen. Dee also mentions that the locks weren't jimmied or kicked in. Mac declares that the gang should buy a gun.

Detectives arrive to investigate, and tell the gang that it appears to be another robbery in a string of local bar robberies. As they leave, Dee's new boyfriend Colin arrives and takes her to dinner. Charlie scoffs at him after he leaves, telling Dennis that Colin is sleeping with other bartenders in the city.

On their date, Dee tells Colin that she hates the idea of them owning a gun. Colin tells her that he finds guns sexy and Dee instantly changes her stance and agrees to go to the shooting range. At his apartment, Charlie's landlord Hwang arrives and demands his rent. Charlie tells him that he lost it all in some bad investments. Hwang demands it by the next day.

At the bar, Dennis and Mac decide to hide the gun and only use it in case of emergency. They instantly decide to take it out and shoot it. In the makeshift shooting range in the basement they enjoy themselves. Still averse to the idea, Charlie arrives and tries to talk them into helping open the bar. They pressure him into holding and firing the gun and he loves it. At another range, Dee reluctantly fires Colin's gun. He seems more interested in the gun than her.

The next day at the bar, Mac and Dennis decide to use the gun and play Hardy Boys to find the robber. Dennis puts the clues together and realizes that Colin is the robber, seducing bartenders and using their keys to rob their own bars. Dennis and Mac decide to trap Colin but they need the gun, which can't be found. They call Charlie, who admits to having it.

Charlie's landlord knocks on the door. Charlie stuffs the gun in the front of his pants. When Hwang asks about the money, Charlie nonchalantly tells him he doesn't have it. He stretches, revealing the gun in his pants. Hwang becomes frightened and tries to walk away but Charlie makes him answer some questions before letting him go.

Dennis and Mac arrive at Charlie's apartment and tell him that they know Colin is the culprit. They take the gun and find Colin outside a bar, kissing a bartender. The decide they'd rather catch him in the act so they bait him, saying the robber didn't get most of their money because it was in the register.

Dennis, Dee, and Mac hide in Paddy's waiting for Colin to arrive. A masked robber enters and begins taking money out of the register. Dennis fumbles the gun, making a lot of noise and the robber starts to run. Dennis fires the gun, and the trio hears Charlie scream. He reveals that he was out of money and was stealing money from the bar to pay rent. He is bleeding from the head, and Dennis agrees to driving him to the hospital if Mac gets a trashbag to keep blood out of his car.

At the hospital, Dennis, Mac, and Dee apologize to Charlie and agree to help him with his rent. They decide to get rid of the gun. Charlie sends Dee for a nurse, and verifies with the guys that they are actually planning on keeping the gun.

Dee speaks with Colin on the phone, explaining how Charlie isn't hurt too badly. On the other end, Colin is robbing Paddy's again.

Alliances

 * Dennis and Mac - They buy a gun together after the bar has been robbed. Later, they get Charlie to shoot the gun in the basement; Charlie quickly steals the gun.
 * Dennis and Mac and Dee - They team up to set a trap for Colin, telling him that there's cash in the register and waiting to shoot him. Later, someone breaks in to steal the money and they shoot him - the robber turns out to be Charlie.

Starring

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

Guest Starring

 * Michael Rosenbaum as Colin
 * Shelly Desai as Hwang
 * Robert Blanche as Detective Jones

Trivia

 * An alternate title of this episode was "Gun Control."
 * This episode marks the first appearance of Guigino's Italian Restaurant, which becomes the go-to destination when the Gang wants a nice dinner.
 * A cameramen seen in the mirror over Dennis' shoulders jumping out of the way at 08.26.
 * This episode is rated TV-MA-LV.
 * The season nine episode "Gun Fever Too: Still Hot" is not a direct sequel to this episode's story, but dissects the same topic of gun control.
 * Charlie's landlord Hwang isn't seen again until the season nine finale "The Gang Squashes Their Beefs."

Quotes

 * Mac: You're such a dildo dude.
 * Dennis: Thanks dude. Thanks - that's a good way to start the day.


 * Mac: I think it's clear what needs to happen! We need to buy a gun.


 * Colin: You've got a poppy seed stuck in your teeth... it's a big one... you're going to want to go to the bathroom.


 * (someone is robbing the bar and Dennis is about to shoot him)
 * Dee: Shoot him in the face!


 * (Dennis is shooting a log to practice with a gun)
 * Dennis: If that log was trying to rob the place, you totally would have killed it!


 * Charlie: Is it loaded?
 * Dennis: It can be...


 * Mac: Charlie, are you okay?
 * Charlie: No, I'm not okay! I'm shot in the head!