It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Made A Subtle Writing Change To Keep Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito was the final ingredient that made It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but the series had to make one major change to keep him on the show forever.
It's easy to overlook the fact that Danny DeVito's Frank Reynolds was once not a main character on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. During the show's low-budget, seven-episode first season, there were only four members of the Paddy's Pub gang. The decision to add DeVito in Season 2 was a risk, as the creators, Glenn Howerton and Rob Mac, weren't entirely sure if audiences would accept a fifth main character.
To ease Frank's integration, the writing team decided to serialize the show in Season 2, creating a gradual and natural development. This choice led to subtle writing changes, such as the gang getting into a car accident that put them in the hospital, with the next episode opening with Charlie's cast being taken off. This approach helped explain why the gang hadn't warmed up to Frank yet.
By the end of Season 2, Frank had become an integral part of the gang, but his dark side also grew more apparent.
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