The gang walks into a brightly-lit, decorated room with chairs and vanity lighting. Apparently, the gang has been selected as contestants on the game show “Family Fight.”
Dennis seems on-edge. He begins lecturing the others about “Family Fight” being their big break. Dee has decided to fast in preparation for her television debut. She has also been planning to steal the show with a fart machine hidden in her pocket.
The show’s other contestants, a black family named the Barretts, enter the green room. The gang turns awkwardly silent as they greet the Barretts. A stage manager pops his head into the green room, asking if the families are ready to start.
On the stage, music starts playing and the audience applauds as the show starts. The host, played by guest star Keegan-Michael Key, introduces himself as Grant Anderson. At the first buzzer round, Frank goes up for the Reynolds team. Grant’s first question is “Name an animal that we eat who doesn’t eat us.” Frank answers with a pig, winning the top answer on the survey board. The Reynolds choose to play.
As Grant approaches their podium, Franks wants to change his answer. He says he’s actually seen many pigs eat many men in bloodbaths. Dennis continues to put on his façade of cheeriness despite Frank’s weirdness. At his turn to answer the survey, he goes on a long tangent about his life. Eventually, Dennis gives the answer of sea urchin. As expected, this animal is not on the board. The ensuing buzzer visibly bothers him.
Grant moves on to Dee for an answer. She looks directly into the camera, saying that she loves to eat cock. Rather than let her joke stand alone, she explains her punch line to Grant, who is less than amused. As Grant turns to the answer board, it’s revealed that chicken is the third most popular answer, keeping the Reynolds in the round.
Mac is up next. Grant addresses him by his actual name Ronald. As he gives his answer, Mac tries to say the line “Show me…!” This bothers Grant, who is supposed to say this intro. Mac gives the answer of cow, which is also up on the board.
Moving to Charlie’s spot, Grant reluctantly accepts his answer of dragon. The rest of the gang is angry, asking him why he would give such an answer. Charlie explains that he personally doesn’t eat dragon, since dragons are meals for kings. Grant turns to the board, which reveals that dragon is the top answer. This amazes Grant. The Reynolds win the first round.
During the commercial break, Dennis berates the gang and tells them they’ve done awfully. To combat his abuse, the gang makes the buzzing sound to annoy him into submission.
The game continues with the Reynolds leading 100 points to the Barretts’ zero. Dennis goes up to center stage for the second buzzer round. He is less excited than at the show’s start. Grant’s next question is “Name something people groom themselves with.” Dennis answers with laser beams, drawing his own personal grooming regimen. This is not an answer found on the board. The opposing team member answers with hairbrush and proceed to play in the round.
As the Barretts deliver answers to Grant, the gang begins thinking of potential answers to steal. Charlie proposes the answer of a bride, taking the wrong meaning of “groom.”
Grant returns to the gang’s side and asks Frank for an answer. Frank suggests a toe knife, calling back to an episode where he was found cleaning his toes with a steak knife. Toe knife is not on the board, allowing the Barretts to win the second round. Grant asks to see the remaining answers, revealing that bride is the final answer.
Dee goes up next for the third buzzer round. The question is “Name something that people are afraid of.” Dee is first on the buzzer, but the button explodes in a freak malfunction. Grant becomes angry when he thinks the explosion is Dee’s idea of another joke.
Grant brings Dee back to her team and asks for answer. She thinks the answer is failure but still consults the gang. Charlie proposes people are afraid of the show’s ever-present character The Nightman while Dennis believes it to be clouds.
Frank suggests a fear of clowns, which wins them the top spot on the answer board. Grant reveals the board’s final answer to be The Nightman.
Another commercial break comes and the gang is back in the green room. The team has made it to the final round — Fast Money. Charlie discloses to his friends that he remembers actually taking the “Family Fight” survey in a mall a few weeks ago. This explains all of Charlie’s rejected answers being on the board. Dennis chooses himself and Dee for the Fast Money contestants.
Dee is up first for Fast Money. Before her round starts, Grant announces that the Reynolds have a friend from Philly who’d like to send their support. A big screen plays a clip of Rickety Cricket wishing them luck. His scarred face frights Grant and the studio audience. Dee passes out from her hunger, falling on her fart machine and causing it to repeat its sounds over and over. In a last-ditch effort, Frank jumps in to replace her for Fast Money.
Frank passes through his Fast Money round with flying colors, giving good answers for all of his questions. When the production manager calls Dennis for his round, he’s surprised to learn that Frank went up for Dee.
As per the rules of Fast Money, Dennis is unaware of Frank’s decent answers. Each answer he gives matches Franks, which causes a loud buzzer to sound. Dennis’ answers all render the buzzer, angering him more and more each time. He eventually falls to the stage floor in the fetal position, begging for the buzzer to stop.
Grant throws his question cards into the air in exasperation with the Reynolds. The studio lights dim and Dennis is rocking slowly on the stage floor, asking that the episode not air. Grant denies his request and bids goodnight to the audience.
The camera pans out to show the television in Paddy’s Pub, with the gang watching Dennis in agony on the screen.
‘It’s Always Sunny…’ – Season 10 Episode 8 – ‘The Gang Goes on Family Fight’
By Gerald Ducote
March 11, 2015
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