‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Season 18 Episode 6 Release Date, Time, Where to Watch and Preview

‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ has kept a steady weekly pace through its record-setting eighteenth season, and the show’s sixth new episode is nearly here. Episode 6, titled “The War on Alcohol,” is scheduled to premiere on September 14, 2026, continuing a run that has already tackled everything from a wedding gone wrong to a Renaissance Faire.

The series remains the longest-running live-action sitcom in American television history, and Season 18 has leaned into that legacy by expanding its episode count for the first time in years. Here is what to know about when ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Season 18 Episode 6 arrives, how to watch it, and what the Gang is getting into this time.

Release Date and Time for the New Episode

Episode 6, “The War on Alcohol,” premieres on September 14, 2026, following the same weekly cadence the show has maintained since its August debut. New episodes of the season have been airing weekly on Mondays at 6 p.m. PT and 9 p.m. ET on FXX, and there is no indication that pattern changes for this installment.

The season premiered with an expanded ten episode order, up from the eight episode seasons that preceded it, giving fans two additional weeks of new material this year. The show follows a group of self absorbed friends who run the struggling Philadelphia dive bar Paddy’s Pub, and that core setup has not changed heading into episode six.

FX has confirmed that Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito are all returning for the new season, keeping the full main cast intact. The consistency in scheduling has made it easy for viewers to plan their weekly viewing around the show’s Monday night slot.

Where to Watch the Latest Episode

New episodes premiere on FXX, FX, and Hulu, with international streaming available through Disney Plus. Viewers without traditional cable can also catch the episode through DirecTV, Fubo, or Hulu Plus Live TV, all of which carry FXX as part of their channel lineups.

Every episode of Season 18 is added to Hulu as it airs, alongside the previous seventeen seasons already available on the platform. For subscribers who bundle their accounts, Hulu content is also accessible through Disney Plus for eligible bundle subscribers.

International audiences have a slightly different path to the episode. In the United Kingdom, the previous seventeen seasons stream on Netflix, though Season 18 will not arrive there until after its FX run concludes. In select countries including Australia and Canada, the season became available on Disney Plus starting August 18, 2026.

Same day streaming access has become one of the more convenient aspects of following the show in real time. Fans who prefer to watch live rather than wait for a next day upload have several legal options to choose from depending on their existing subscriptions.

What Happens in ‘The War on Alcohol’

The episode leans into a workplace and cultural angle that feels distinct from earlier entries this season. The Gang takes the trend against drinking into their own hands, with Dennis, Dee, and Frank looking to recruit white collar suits for happy hour. Meanwhile, Mac and Charlie enlist blue collar workers so they can return the bar to the melting pot it once was.

The premise plays into broader shifts the show has been exploring throughout Season 18. This season has already brought the characters into stories involving inheritances, workplace automation, neurodivergence, conspiracy theories, drinking culture, and a Renaissance Faire, and episode six’s focus on changing attitudes toward alcohol fits squarely within that pattern.

Early critical response to the episode has been positive relative to some of the season’s other entries. In its review of the season, Collider noted that in “The War on Alcohol,” the series tackles workplace automation and the growing trend against drinking, engaging with recent cultural shifts tied to remote work while the Gang ultimately remains true to who they have always been. The same review added that the tension between reviving blue collar roots and embracing current norms is where the show’s comedy lands best.

How the Episode Fits Into the Broader Season

Episode six arrives after a run that has already tested some familiar formulas. The season kicked off with “Frank Marries a Corpse” and “Dennis and Dee Don’t Get Rich,” both premiering August 17, followed by “The Gang Gets Tested” on August 24, “2026: A Virtual Insanity” on August 31, and “The Gang Goes to the Ren Faire” on September 7. Each of those episodes has continued to build out storylines around the characters’ personal lives alongside their usual bar related chaos.

Looking ahead, the remaining episodes suggest the season is not slowing its pace of experimentation. Episode 7, “Gilligan’s Island: A Conspiracy Theorist’s Paradise,” follows Mac and Charlie as they try to uncover why the classic sitcom never reached 100 episodes, while episode 8 is titled “Mac and Dennis Tear Their ACLs.” The season is set to close out with episodes 9 and 10 on October 5 and October 12, respectively.

Critical reception to the season overall has remained largely favorable, even as some reviewers note the show is well into its third decade. Collider observed that the chemistry between the core cast remains as strong as ever even after two decades on the air. That continuity has been a selling point for a series that keeps finding new cultural targets to satirize without abandoning what made it work in the first place.

With four episodes still to come after this one, ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ shows no sign of easing off its usual mix of bad decisions and worse intentions. What do you think the Gang’s stance on drinking says about how far they will go to protect Paddy’s Pub this time around.