Abbott Elementary EP Explains Why Dennis Is Barely In Always Sunny Crossover Episode

By Abdullah Al-Ghamdi

Updated Jan 11, 2025

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The following article contains spoilers from Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 9, "Volunteers."forced by court order to help the teachers at Abbott. Dennis Reynolds (Glenn Howerton) is also there, but he vehemently refuses to take part in the ongoing Abbott documentary. That means he spends most of the episode unseen.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, along with fellow executive producer Justin Halpern, Schumacker broke down the Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny crossover. When asked about why Dennis makes his exit just minutes into the episode, remaining unheard and mostly unseen for the rest of it, the EP explains that Howerton was busy filming the Netflix series Sirens and his availability was limited. In the quote below, Schumaker also says that Dennis will be featured more when the Abbott Elementary cast guest stars on It's Always Sunny later this year:

Glenn had a show that he is a series regular on called Sirens. It's the Netflix show, and it was shooting in New York. He flew in specifically to work on this and had to fly back. We had him for half a day, so we had to build that in. That was one of those ones where we didn't know if we had him, and so, we had to stay a little bit nimble as far as breaking the story. But he's very heavy in their episode.

How Howerton's Absence Is Handled & What It Means For The Crossover

He Still Pops Up A Few Times

The most viewers see of Dennis in "Volunteers," which is written by Garrett Werner and directed by Randall Einhorn, is when Abbott's staff meets The Gang. Dennis is not a fan of Abbott Elementary's mockumentary style, essentially saying he didn't give his consent to appear on camera. For the most part, he doesn't, but the camera does manage to sneak in a few quick shots of him that he hastily tries to avoid. It's a funny way of addressing the fact that Howerton is busy with his role in Sirens.

There are several great moments in the Abbott and It's Always Sunny crossover, which makes Dennis' absence less noticeable. Jeanine (Quinta Brunson) gets along with Dee until she doesn't. Ava (Janelle James) hits it off with Mac, while most of the other teachers help Charlie learn to read and Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) feuds with Frank. The only one left out, to an extent, is Gregory (Tyler James Williams), as he has a secondary involvement in other stories. He could have mixed it up with Dennis if schedules allowed for it.

What Is Sirens, Howerton's Netflix Show, About?

It Has Quite An Ensemble Cast.

Sirens takes shape as Devon (The White Lotus season 2 star Meghann Fahy) believes her sister Simone (House of the Dragon's Milly Alcock) has an unsettling relationship with her boss, the charismatic socialite Michaela Kell (played by Oscar winner Julianne Moore). Simone finds that her boss' luxurious life is intoxicating, but Devon has other ideas, believing it's time for an intervention. The story is told over a single weekend, unfolding at the Kells' fancy estate, and it doesn't go quite as planned.

Howerton will play Ethan Corbin II. Described as a dear friend of the Kells and a life-long bachelor, he frequents the Yacht Club but may be going through some money troubles since his trust fund is vanishing fast. The cast of Sirens also includes MaXXXine's Kevin Bacon, as the husband of Moore's character, in addition to Josh Segarra, Felix Solis, Trevor Salter, Britney Oldford, Lauren Weedman, Jenn Lyon, Erin Neufer, and Emily Borromeo.

Segarra and Weedman both have recurring roles in Abbott Elementary, playing Manny and Melissa's sister Kristen.

The project hails from creator Molly Smith Meltzer, based on her play Elemeno Pea. Meltzer previously created the 2021 miniseries Maid. Consisting of ten episodes, and based on Stephanie Land's memoir, Maid starred Margaret Qualley as a young mom who begins working as a maid after leaving an abusive relationship. The performance led to an Emmy nomination for Qualley, becoming the fourth most-watched Netflix for its year, and shining a spotlight on a ing ensemble that included Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose, Tracy Vilar, Billy Burke, and Andie MacDowell.

Sirens: Core Cast & Characters
Actor	Who They Play
Julianne Moore	Michaela Kell
Milly Alcock	Simone
Meghann Fahy	Devon
Kevin Bacon	Peter Kell
Glenn Howerton	Ethan Corbin II
Kevin Bacon	Peter Kell

Although no release date has been announced for Sirens, production was underway in New York as of July 2024. It sounds somewhat similar to Fahy's last Netflix series The Perfect Couple, which also thrived on secrets and had a beach backdrop. It could also be a fitting role for Howerton, who excelled with the dark comedy Blackberry.

Our Take On Dennis' Absence From The Abbott Crossover

The Episode Is Still A Solid Surprise

Glenn Howerton as Dennis Reynolds in the Abbott Elementary/It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia crossover episode.

The crossover is a great showcase for the Abbott Elementary main cast, which also includes Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, and Sheryl Lee Ralph, and it does a solid job of tamping down The Gang without completely removing their edge. It was one of the lingering questions going into the episode, but the balance is handled fairly seamlessly.

"Volunteers" succeeds as a solid episode, even with Dennis' absence, and might have even convinced some viewers to check out It's Always Sunny, which is developing season 17 for a release later in 2025. But after the Abbott staff had mostly negative interactions with The Gang, it will be fun to see how the second part of the crossover evolves the dynamic.

Abbott Elementary season 4 airs on Wednesdays at 8:30 PM ET on ABC.

Source: Entertainment Weekly