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"The Nightman Cometh" is the thirteenth and last episode of the fourth season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Synopsis[]

Charlie stages a rock opera based on his song "Nightman", and recruits the rest of the gang to help him with it.

Recap[]

7:15PM on a Friday

Charlie dances out of Paddy's office, with a giant heap of papers in his hands. The gang tries to understand why he is so cheery, and he reveals that he has written a musical. They try to figure out what motivated him — revenge, anger, jealousy — but Charlie insists he just wrote it for fun.

At a theater, Charlie thanks Artemis for helping transcribe the script into words and the gang argues over the parts. Mac is initially pleased with playing the little boy and the Dayman, which makes Dennis, who is playing the Nightman jealous. The two switch parts. Frank is over the moon about playing the troll. Dee plays the princess that works at a coffee shop.

They begin rehearsals, and Dee argues with Charlie over her song's lyrics, claiming they sound like she molests children. He flips out, telling her that it is either that song or no song at all. This song is Dee's only solo song in the play. He then has to teach Frank to say "boy's soul" rather than "boy's hole", and convinces Mac and Dennis that when The Nightman visits the boy, he is not raping him, but taking away his innocence.

Later, Charlie randomly walks into the Waitress as she walks home. He gives her a ticket to the musical and promises that if she comes, he will never bother her ever again for the rest of her life.

The night of musical arrives, and Charlie brings Gladys in to play the piano. The play starts, and Dee and Dennis complete their first song "Tiny Boy, Little Boy, Baby Boy", then Dee sings her own song "Just to be Clear", which enrages Charlie since that song was not his and it messes up the play in Charlie's eyes. Dennis gloats that the audience loved him, and Mac says he is aiming for gasps instead of laughs.

After entering the stage to laughter, Mac and Frank sing "Troll Toll" and Mac makes the "rape" between him and Dennis extremely graphic. The next scene begins, and Dennis transforms into the Dayman and sings "Dayman". He and Mac have their fight scene which is partially improvised. As everybody fumbles their lines and makes mistakes, Charlie gets increasingly upset backstage.

After the reprise of "Dayman", Charlie descends on a sun from above the stage, wearing all yellow, and sings "Marry Me" to the Waitress. She angrily declines his proposal and walks out. Frank tries to console him, which only makes him more upset.

Musical Synopsis[]

Act I[]

A Princess who works in a coffee shop is in love with a small man who has the characteristics of a little boy. They sing of their love for each other. ("Little Baby Boy") The Princess then assures the audience that she is not a pedophile ("Just to be Clear").

One night, as the Boy is sleeping, the Nightman comes, but is stopped by the Troll who demands payment in order to grant him access to the Boy's soul. ("Troll Toll") The Nightman pays the toll, and the Nightman takes away the Boy's innocence.

Act II[]

The next morning, the Troll demands that the Boy give him a foot massage, but the Boy refuses, revealing that he has been transformed by the power of true love, and is now the Day Man! He shoots the Troll with a gun several times, killing him. The Nightman arrives and demands to see the Boy. The Day Man tells him of his transformation and they fight. The Day Man defeats the Nightman and rips out his heart. The Princess arrives and sees that the Day Man has defeated the Troll and Nightman. They confess their love to each other and sing the finale, "Dayman", the dead Troll and Nightman joining in the song as well.

Finally, the True Day Man descends from above to ask for the hand in marriage of his beloved who is in the audience ("Charlie's Ballad").

Music & Song Lyrics[]

The Nightman Cometh[]

The Nightman Cometh Live[]

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Trivia[]

  • Charlie's musical is based on the song he (and Dennis) composed in "Sweet Dee's Dating a Retarded Person".
  • The title of Charlie's play sounds like the title of Eugene O'Neill's classic play The Iceman Cometh. O'Neill's play is a searing existential drama in which a group of patrons of a bar are forced to confront the reality of their meaningless existence.
  • The is the final episode in the original 4:3 aspect ratio.

Live Performance Trivia[]

  • "The Nightman Cometh Live!" tour, which took place in September 2009, included shows in New York City, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and with two live shows in Philadelphia. Live performances were preceded by the screening of the Season 5 episode "The Gang Reignites the Rivalry".
  • The Los Angeles performance, filmed at "The Troubadour" nightclub in April 2009, was filmed in its entirety and released as bonus feature on The Complete Season 4 DVD.
  • During the Los Angeles performance, Rhea Perlman assumed the role of Gladys. The part was filled by a different actor each show.

Gallery[]

< Season
3
Season 4 Season
5
>
  1. "Mac and Dennis: Manhunters"
2. "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis"
3. "America's Next Top Paddy's Billboard Model Contest"
4. "Mac's Banging the Waitress"
5. "Mac and Charlie Die (Part 1)"
6. "Mac and Charlie Die (Part 2)"
7. "Who Pooped the Bed?"
8. "Paddy's Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia"
 9. "Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life"
10. "Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack"
11. "The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell"
12. "The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition"
13. "The Nightman Cometh"
 
 
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