Why can’t Charlie read “It’s Always Sunny”? Abbott’s primary crossover offered one theory

Although it’s widely agreed that no one in the main cast of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is a good guy, it’s also generally agreed that Charlie (Charlie Day) is the closest thing to a good guy in the group . Charlie has a sweet and childish nature. Of course, I will never forgive him The way you treat Alexandra DaddarioBut it will always be painful to wonder what his life could have been. If he grew up with a best friend group, and If his Uncle Jack hadn’t molested himAnd if he stopped sniffing glue so much, there would be a world where Charlie would be happier and perform better. We know who “Charlie Work” (a great episode from Season 10) Charlie is capable of great feats of competence, but as long as he hangs out at Paddy’s Pub, he will never reach his full potential.

Nowhere does my heart cry more for poor Charlie than during the show’s many jokes about him not knowing how to read. He’s illiterate, he denies being illiterate, and all his friends accept that part of him. There is no attempt by the “Always Sunny” gang to find out the whys and wherefores of Charlie’s illiteracy; They simply put it down to Charlie’s lack of intelligence.

That’s why I’m excited about the final episode of “Abbott Elementary,” the first part of a two-part crossover between his show and “Always Sunny.” (Part 2 will air as the “Always Sunny” episode later this year.) The teachers at Abbott quickly discover that the gang is a group of criminals – and Janine even turns against them the moment Dee decides to try to steal her man – but Charlie is the only one… Who escaped their disdain. Jacob deduces that Charlie cannot read, and then he, Barbara, and Melissa decide to help him.

The difference between the tone of “Always Sunny” and “Abbott Elementary” is evident in the scene where the teachers discover how illiterate Charlie is. They don’t make fun of him like the gang does, nor do they react with annoyance or try to sweep it under the rug; Instead, the moment they realize the problem, they immediately spring into action. There is hardly any discussion on this subject; They simply know that they cannot let this man leave their school without at least trying to help him first.

Barbara even points out that illiteracy among adults is becoming more common – Something that certainly seems to be trueEven if it’s hard to believe. The reasons for this trend are complex, but part of it seems to be due to the embarrassment older children and adults feel when they admit that reading is still a problem for them. In a social media-driven world where education is largely compulsory for children under 16, one might assume that illiteracy is a thing of the past, so there is a lot of shame for people who are still struggling.

Educated adults also tend to forget that learning to read is essential difficult. Even when children go to the best schools, it still takes many years of sounding out words and slowly developing their vocabulary. Tack on Very questionable methods Some schools use it to teach children to read, and it adds to Charlie’s greatly dysfunctional childhood, and it’s not at all surprising that he would have difficulty with it.

That’s why the Abbott team’s approach of warmly encouraging Charlie and even getting the kids to root for him is long overdue. Charlie’s illiteracy problem is not resolved in this episode but he finally admits that he has a problem, and has improved a great deal by the time his week of community service is over. Court-mandated community service is supposed to make you a better person, and Charlie is the only member of the gang where that seems to be the case.

Unfortunately, Abbott’s Community Service Week is coming to a close, which means Charlie leaves school still unable to distinguish between a “guest” and a “ghost” on the gym scoreboard. Charlie needs at least another week of reading help from Abbott’s teachers, perhaps more, but he is thrust back into the world to figure out the rest on his own. Does Charlie have the motivation to keep working at this, to keep improving his reading skills? Probably not, I’m sorry to say; There’s a good chance that when Season 17 of “Always Sunny” comes around he’ll still be struggling with that Distinguish between “private” and “pirate”.

We can blame Charlie for this lack of improvement, but “Abbott Elementary” largely places the blame on Charlie’s lack of education and his unsupportive group of friends. Charlie is a busy man, with rats to kill and sewers to clean; Learning to read was something he should have dealt with as a child, if his community had given him a helping hand. I certainly hope that Charlie continues to improve his reading skills, and that Season 17 of “Always Sunny” will see him really put forth effort and better himself (which would be fun). naturally, The tragedy of “Always Sunny” is that Charlie, like the rest of the gang, is doomed Forever to a life of misery and humility.

However, Abbott Elementary gave us a glimpse into what Charlie’s life could have been like had he grown up in better circumstances, and that glimpse was beautiful while it lasted. And of course, Charlie probably wouldn’t be able to Learn the difference between a “Coors” sign and a “closed” sign.but at least he knows enough to differentiate between “straight-up love of laughter” and “bathroom card,” so that’s something. On a show as depressing as “Always Sunny,” it’s nice to take the small wins when you can get them.

New episodes of Abbott Elementary premiere Wednesdays at 8:30 PM EST on ABC.