In what is a first after 13 seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the series finale of the FX show literally brought many of its viewers to tears with a gorgeous, beautifully choreographed showstopping dance sequence featuring … Mac. It was truly something to behold.

The episode itself follows Mac as he tries to come to terms with being gay. He doesn’t know where he fits in as a gay man, and after Frank forces him to go to a bondage orgy and a drag show in an effort to help him find his pride, Mac is no closer to understanding. What he needs, he believes, is to finally come out to his father. It’s the first step, he believes, to coming to terms with his sexuality. Mac wants to “show” his father the struggle inside of him that’s eating him up inside, and in the rousing, tear-jerking final five-minute dance sequence, Mac does just that during a ballet routine on stage in a prison. It’s phenomenal.

As Rob McElhenney explained to Vulture, “We got a really overwhelming emotional response from the LGBTQ community last year. I took it seriously and I felt it would be completely unexpected to have this much more emotionally resonant end to the season. You would expect that Mac would express himself through the art of contemporary dance and it go horribly wrong, until you realize that’s not the direction we’re taking.”

It also explains why McElhenney is so ripped this season — both he and his character have been working on the dance routine for months. “His new diet consisted of no alcohol, no eating after 7 p.m., and no carbs or sugar. He also lifted weights six days a week, ran three miles a day, and stretched for an hour a day — and all that was before he also started training a few times a week for a couple of hours a day with choreographers Alison Faulk and Leo Moctezuma.”

The effort paid off, and not only did Frank give him a standing ovation, but so did It’s Always Sunny fans.

It just amazed me that Mac put everything into that dance. His fear, his acceptance, his pain, his conflict and honestly this was the most cathartic definition of what being gay meant. Trying to define YOURSELF!#ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia #SunnyThe13th @alwayssunny

— Ochan30🏳️‍🌈 (@Ochan30) November 8, 2018

wow didn’t see that coming #MacFindsHisPride #ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/DldtUKzqfk

— Bobby (@hudlem) November 8, 2018

#ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia gave us one of the most beautiful half hours of television I have ever seen in my entire life.

— Zachariah Caylor (@ZCaylor) November 8, 2018

I never thought I would say this but, holy shit..

The 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' finale made me cry.

That was beautiful and emotional.#ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia

— nina edlund (@ninae) November 8, 2018

Wow the latest #ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia was AMAZING. I nearly cried at the end @DannyDeVito was amazing. And Rob McElhenney’s performance should 100% win some awards. Friggin never expected that from this show. Wow

— Ki11er Six (@Ki11ersix) November 8, 2018

A fan of @alwayssunny from Day 1, but tonight’s final scene with @RMcElhenney just went someplace unexpected, even for #ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia! Can’t believe I’m gonna day this, but…THANKS Rob, @Its_Charlie_Day @GlennHowerton @KaitlinOlson @DannyDeVito

— Jonathan Pinkerton (@TellJonathan) November 8, 2018

That ending to the new #ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia was like watching a Sia Video. Stunning, incredible work @RMcElhenney 👏

— Matt (@bazzarazza2k) November 8, 2018

I don't know the guy but Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) is a true artist and it only took people 13 seasons to figure it out.https://t.co/m8ZJatY560

— Mike Shoemaker (@shoemakermike) November 8, 2018

Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba.

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