[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Season 17 Episode 8, “The Golden Bachelor Live.”]
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia delivered one of its most hilarious and poignant episodes as Season 17 came to a close with “The Golden Bachelor Live,” which included a posthumous appearance by the late Lynne Marie Stewart, better known as Charlie’s (Charlie Day) mom, Bonnie.
The installment also included a sweet tribute looking back at her most memorable moments on the series. But before the curtain closed on Stewart, the episode followed Frank’s (Danny DeVito) experience of being the Golden Bachelor on ABC‘s reality series. In this instance, Frank made quite an impression on The Golden Bachelor host Jesse Palmer, as he turned his nose up at potential suitors.
When the producers realized they wouldn’t make any progress without caving into some of Frank’s demands, they called in Cock Chewa (a Hawk Tuah-inspired character played by Audrey Corsa). While Frank was all too eager to quickly select Cock Chewa as the winner, he was forced to meet one other potential love interest, Sam (DeVito’s former Taxi costar, Carol Kane), a poultry heiress from Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Patrick McElhenney / ©FXX / Courtesy Everett Collection
While Sam was clearly the better fit for Frank romantically, he still dabbled with the younger online influencer, Cock Chewa. When it was time for the home visit, Frank met with a fake family before he returned to Paddy’s Pub and was forced to meet with the rest of the gang. Unbeknownst to Frank, though, Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), and Dee (Kaitlin Olson) had devised a distraction to try and make sure Frank didn’t end up with anyone by inviting Charlie’s mom, Bonnie, to dinner.
As fans have come to know over the years, Frank and Bonnie have a storied past, which complicated his feelings heading into the final selections of The Golden Bachelor. When Sam confessed her feelings for Frank, she decided to talk away if he wasn’t sure about her. A note saying “Dunzo. – Frank,” was delivered to Sam, which led her to leave The Golden Bachelor mansion.
But when Frank’s final choice came down to Bonnie or Cock Chewa, he couldn’t imagine picking one of them over Sam, which led to a romantic pursuit of her at the bus station in the rain. As Willie Nelson‘s “Always on My Mind” began to play over Sam and Frank’s romantic kiss, a title card shifted the context, as the words “For our sweet Lynne…” appeared.
What followed was a touching montage of hilarious moments featuring Stewart as Bonnie over the years, which concluded with another title card that read, “… We’ll love you forever.” Another card with Stewart’s picture followed, which read, “In Loving Memory of Lynne Marie Stewart.”
Stewart died in February 2025, and this episode marks her final appearance onscreen. She had played the role since Season 1 of the series 20 years ago. Credited with 19 episodes as Charlie’s mom, Stewart’s other prominent credits included Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Laverne & Shirley, and Night Stand, among others.
What did you think of Always Sunny‘s tribute to Stewart? Let us know in the comments section below, and relive the great episode anytime by streaming it the next day on Hulu.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Season 17, Streaming now, Hulu