Summary
- Mac’s full name, Ronald McDonald, was revealed in season 7 of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, explaining why he avoided using his full name for so long.
- Mac’s character has evolved over the seasons, incorporating his religious beliefs and journey toward embracing his homosexuality.
- The retconning of Mac’s name also affected his dad’s name, with Luther being identified as Luther McDonald in subsequent appearances on the show. The writers prioritize jokes over consistent canon.
When It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia finally revealed Mac’s full name, it didn’t line up with the clues that the show had given in previous seasons. For the first six seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mac’s full name was never mentioned. His name was finally revealed in season 7, episode 12, “The High School Reunion.” Upon arrival at his high school reunion, Mac is given a nametag bearing his real name: Ronald McDonald. The fact that this is the same name as the clown mascot of McDonald’s explained why Mac had avoided using his full name for so long.
Mac is played by series creator Rob McElhenney, and he’s arguably the character who has changed the most since season 1. Mac was first introduced as a karate enthusiast who had never taken a single karate lesson. He viewed himself as “The Sheriff of Paddy’s,” keeping the bar safe from riff-raff like Patrick Swayze in Road House. Over the years, his characterization has evolved to incorporate his hardcore religious beliefs and, in a rare case of dramatic sincerity for the show, his journey toward embracing his homosexuality. But the least consistent thing about this character is his name.
Mac’s Dad Creates A Name Plot Hole
In season 4, episodes 5 and 6, “Mac and Charlie Die,” at Mac’s dad’s parole hearing, the parole papers give his full name as “Luther Mac.” This suggested that Mac’s surname was just “Mac” and that the name the show wasn’t revealing was his first name. This was retconned in “The High School Reunion” when Mac’s full name was given as Ronald McDonald. But since parole papers are an official government document and they gave the family surname as “Mac,” the Ronald McDonald reveal created a plot hole.
The contradiction between Mac and his dad’s names makes no sense. It’s possible that Luther had his name legally changed as part of a criminal scheme, but there’s no reason that he would change his surname to his son’s nickname. He’s constantly shown to not really care about Mac, so if he was going to give himself a new name, he wouldn’t use his son’s name. The Gang refers to Mac’s mom as “Mrs. Mac,” but this might just be a nickname applied by Mac’s friends and not her real name.
It’s Always Sunny Retconned Mac And His Dad’s Names
After It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia retconned Mac’s name, it retconned his dad’s name, too. In his subsequent appearances on the show, Luther has been identified as Luther McDonald. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia more or less follows the same principle as Family Guy, in that it will alter the established canon of the series for the sake of a joke. The writers didn’t let the fact that they’d named Mac’s dad Luther Mac stop them from including the hilarious Ronald McDonald gag in “The High School Reunion.”