On the crowded streets of Philadelphia, in the dark corners of a squalid Irish bar called "Paddy's Pub", five people live — or rather, try to survive. But this people's struggle for survival is not of the kind you're familiar with. For them, the real issue is always themselves: their own interests, their own petty games, their endless and often completely meaningless plans. This production, one of the longest-running live-action comedy series on American television, has been on screens for nearly two decades. This is a miracle in itself, because the series never tries to please the audience. Their characters aren't likable, they lack moral compass, and their growth arcs are highly questionable. So what makes them so appealing then? The answer lies precisely in this shamelessness. This quintet, consisting of Charlie, Mac, Dennis, Dee, and Frank, brings humanity's darkest, most shameful, and most repressed impulses to the stage without any veil. Selfishness, arrogance, ignorance and moral depression are not turned into jokes here; on the contrary, these features are placed at the very center of the story and the audience finds itself laughing and feeling uncomfortable. A good dark comedy creates exactly this feeling. Although the series has gained a new energy with the addition of Danny DeVito to the cast since the fifth season, its main strength comes from the fact that the creators are also the lead actor. This approach enables the characters to be written with incredible authenticity and consistency. For seventeen seasons, you watch the same people, see that they haven't changed at all, and oddly enough, you love this immutability. The series also criticizes the social and political climate of its era with sharp language; but it does this not in a didactic or preachy tone, but right in the midst of the chaos. Philadelphia is not just a city; it serves as an almost existential backdrop here. Each episode is a small symphony of chaos. You laugh, then question why you laughed.