Why This ‘Always Sunny’ Character Was Barely in the ‘Abbott Elementary’ Crossover Find help us

The crossover between Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been one of the year’s most anticipated TV events so far, and the first half certainly delivered, introducing a new rivalry and seamlessly combining the two series’ specific senses of humor. However, not every It’s Always Sunny character was along for the entire ride. Just a few minutes into the Abbott Elementary episode titled “Volunteers,” Dennis Reynolds (Glenn Howerton) bails on the group when he realizes that the titular school has a camera crew recording the whole thing. While this may sound disappointing, the show had very logical reasons for doing so — but the creative choice only made Dennis’ characterization, and the episode, that much stronger.

Dennis’ Absence From ‘Abbott Elementary’ Was Due to Production Conflicts

From the time It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia debuted, Dennis was destined to become one of the show’s best characters. The D.E.N.N.I.S. System remains one of the series’ best, and many TV viewers were curious about how Dennis’ classic narcissism would mix with the Abbott gang. But, upon seeing the elementary school’s documentary crew, Dennis quickly dismisses himself from visibly participating in the group’s mandatory community service, thus he doesn’t get much time to partake in the episode’s hijinks. However, there’s a behind-the-scenes reason for the character’s quick exit.

According to Entertainment Weekly, a scheduling conflict kept Howerton’s Dennis from participating more. As stated by Abbott Elementary executive producer Patrick Schumacker, Howerton was actually working on two shows at once: “Glenn had a show that he is a series regular on, called Sirens. It’s the Netflix show, and it was shooting in New York. He flew in specifically to work on this and had to fly back. We had him for half a day, so we had to build that in.” Luckily, the Abbott Elementary team had anticipated Howerton’s scheduling issue, and worked his absence into Dennis’ storyline. “That was one of those ones where we didn’t know if we had him, and so, we had to stay a little bit nimble as far as breaking the story,” Schumacker said. The caution certainly worked; it was better to see Dennis, even briefly, rather than not at all, and it was actually the best thing the episode could have done for the character.

Dennis’ Absence Made the ‘Abbott Elementary’ and ‘It’s Always Sunny’ Crossover Stronger

While it would have been nice to see even more of Dennis on Abbott Elementary, his absence actually did more for both his characterization as well as the crossover itself. Given his intense narcissism and occasionally sociopathic tendencies, Dennis dismissing himself from the narrative just felt right for his character; frankly, it’s hard to imagine his brand of humor mixing with Abbott. In an episode already jam-packed with stories that involved every other character, we really didn’t need Dennis. Every character had a proper foil, which allowed the two series’ humor to work perfectly — and the truth is, more Dennis could have really hurt that flow. In fact, it’s hard to believe his brash personality would have been able to successfully co-exist in the same school as a character like Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph).

Abbott Elementary’s crossover with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia ended up being every bit the epic event. It wasn’t exactly an easy feat to pull off, especially considering one of the shows’ most loved characters was barely in it. While more Dennis would usually be welcomed, his absence only made the episode better. It gave both casts a chance to shine, and allowed for a stronger blend of the series’ two distinct takes on humor. Howerton’s packed schedule may have kept the creative team on their toes, but it also made for an appearance from Dennis that felt true to his character — even if it was brief.

Abbott Elementary is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

A workplace comedy centered around a group of dedicated teachers – and an oblivious principal – in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life.

Release Date

December 7, 2021

Cast

Quinta Brunson
, Tyler James Williams
, Sheryl Lee Ralph
, Lisa Ann Walter
, Chris Perfetti
, Janelle James
, William Stanford Davis
, Zack Fox
, Courtney Taylor
, Nikea Gamby-Turner
, Josh Segarra
, Mason Renfro
, Jerry Minor
, Larry Owens
, Nate’ Jones
, Lela Hoffmeister
, Vince Staples
, Kimia Behpoornia
, Dillion Blake Allen
, Reggie Conquest
, Kate Peterman
, Keyla Monterroso Mejia
, Benjamin Norris
, Aayden William
, Ben Onyx Dowdy

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

4

Story By

Quinta Brunson

Network

ABC

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu
, MAX

Where To Watch

Hulu

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Watch on Hulu