History Characters / ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphiaDennisReynolds

[[Characters/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphiaTheGang The Gang]] ('''Dennis Reynolds''', [[Characters/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphiaDeeReynolds Dee Reynolds]], [[Characters/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphiaCharlieKelly Charlie Kelly]], [[Characters/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphiaMac Mac]]) | [[Characters/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphiaTheGangsFamilies The Gang's Families]] | [[Characters/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphiaRecurringCharacters Recurring Characters]] | [[Characters/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphiaOtherCharacters Other Characters]]-]]]]]

* AmbiguousSituation: Did he murder Maureen? The Gang seem to think so, and it's very strongly implied he did, but it's never been conclusively answered.

** Largely as a result of his {{Flanderization}}. In the early seasons, Dennis was a vain, albeit relatively stable, {{Jerkass}} {{Casanova}} who has a desire to be a veterinarian, and even has a PetTheDog episode with a cat. Later seasons really ramp up the SanitySlippage and BPD, with intense sex issues coming out in being a SerialRapist who actively enjoys doing it, and has snapped multiple head of crows.

* HiddenDepths: The later seasons make him out to be the member of the Gang most consciously aware and concerned with how disconnected the group has become from reality, and also show that he's deeply hurt by the fact that his friends nonchalantly treat him like an emotionless psychopath (though not without good reason).

* IncestSubtext: On one hand, he has a weird habit of calling his sister "baby", "babe" and "babygirl". They also slow-dance in "The Gang Dances Their Asses Off". On the other hand, he also is the loudest of all the Gang when it comes to insulting Dee and pointing out her every physical flaw (real or not), and when the guys were trying to figure out who got Dee pregnant and the signs were starting to point to him, Dennis literally would not stop vomiting. Most notably, in "The Gang Broke Dee", when Dee's about to leave, Dennis decides to go beyond subtext and gives her a speech about how he's perfect for her and loves her. It's possible he was just trying to manipulate her into taking him with her to Hollywood, but his reaction at the end of the episode implies ''some'' part of it was genuine.

** He’s visibly appalled at the reveal of Dee’s trickery in "PTS Dee” and calls it her “rock bottom”
** He's horrified when Frank admits that he was business partners with Jeffrey Epstein.

** Largely as a result of his {{Flanderization}}. In the early seasons, Dennis was a vain, albeit relatively stable, {{Jerkass}} {{Casanova}} who has a desire to be a veterinarian, and even has a PetTheDog episode with a cat. His vanity is also played more sympathetically, with him starving himself and becoming a victim of Frank pimping him out. The later seasons portray him as a degenerate narcissist and borderline sociopath who is heavily implied to be a sexual predator, abuses Frank instead of the other way around, and loathes animals.

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** He refuses to sleep with underage girls, and is horrified when he finds out that one of his would-be conquests is actually sixteen.

* WouldntHurtAChild: When he's listening to his cassette tapes of his sexual encounters in "Thunder Gun Express," both the Dennis on the tape and the present Dennis are shocked and horrified when Allison, the subject of one of the tapes, says that she's actually sixteen. You can hear Dennis on the tape angrily shoving her out of his apartment before current Dennis cuts it off and wonders aloud why he still even has it.

** It is revealed that he lost his virginity to his high school librarian (basically, he was a victim of statutory rape, but convinced himself that he wanted it anyway), which certainly explains a lot about his misogyny and unhealthy sexual behavior. The original script for PTSDee - where he tells Charlie "it's better if you just do what they say" - implies heavily he's learned "the implication" from somewhere.

** He {{Freudian Slips}} in "PTSD Dee" that old women remind him of the librarian so that's why he obsesses over women who are barely legal.

* TinMan: Dennis considers himself to be "the only rational and emotionless" person among his friends and claims he's incapable of feeling anything (see TheSociopath, above), but he's actually the member of the Gang most governed by emotions (albeit negative ones) and the one most likely to break into tears, rage or manic laughter at the slightest provocation.

* TraumaButton: The buzzer that goes off when someone gets an answer wrong in ''Family Fight''. Hearing it over and over caused him to have a nervous breakdown during the "Fast Money" round.

** It is revealed that he lost his virginity to his high school librarian (basically, he was a victim of statutory rape, but convinced himself that he wanted it anyway), which certainly explains a lot about his misogyny and unhealthy sexual behavior.

* BastardBastard: The illegitimate son of Bruce Mathis, and as the rest of the page shows, quite the bastard.

* BastardBastard: The illegitimate son of Bruce Mathis, and easily the cruelest of the Gang.

** He’s visibly appalled at the reveal of Dee’s trickery in"PTSDee"

** He’s visibly appalled at the reveal of Dee’s trickery in “PTSDee”

'''Mac:''' [[SarcasticConfession Yeah. I have feelings every single day of my life.]]\\

* GibberishOfLove: Dennis is usually smooth and elegant in his attempts to attract women, but in the episode "The Storm of the Century", the {{buxom|IsBetter}} Jackie Denardo turns him into a stammering creep when he tries to hit on her.

-->'''Dee''': You don't care about the money, you just like the attention.

* FutureLoser: Frequently states that he was the BigManOnCampus while in high school (Dee spitefully notes that this was also the time when he peaked). [[spoiler:The Season 7 finale reveals that this was all a lie; Dennis was no more popular than Mac and Charlie. He was just deluded]].

* BreakTheHaughty: Several times throughout the series. Dennis holds his looks, his intellect, and his skills as a ladies man in high regard. Whenever any of these qualities gets called into question, the results tend to be spectacular.

* PetTheDog: His friendship with Jack Bauer the cat. Also with Charlie, who he treats with slightly more patience than he does the rest of the Gang.

* FakeDangerGambit: Dennis created a whole system called the "D.E.N.N.I.S. System" which he uses as a way to sleep with women and then emotionally manipulate them. First he '''D'''emonstrates value so he can '''E'''ngage them physically (hit on her then have sex), then he '''N'''urtures dependence by doing this, which for his example, he prank calls his date pretending to be a creepy stalker so she goes to Dennis for emotional support. Then he proceeds to '''N'''eglect her emotionally by continuing to make prank calls but not answer her back, then '''I'''nspire hope by coming back to her at her lowest point so they can have SexForSolace. After that, he '''S'''eprates entirely and never speaks to the girl again, before starting again with a different girl.

* FakeDangerGAbmit: Dennis created a whole system called the "D.E.N.N.I.S. System" which he uses as a way to sleep with women and then emotionally manipulate them. First he '''D'''emonstrates value so he can '''E'''ngage them physically (hit on her then have sex), then he '''N'''urtures dependence by doing this, which for his example, he prank calls his date pretending to be a creepy stalker so she goes to Dennis for emotional support. Then he proceeds to '''N'''eglect her emotionally by continuing to make prank calls but not answer her back, then '''I'''nspire hope by coming back to her at her lowest point so they can have SexForSolace. After that, he '''S'''eprates entirely and never speaks to the girl again, before starting again with a different girl.

* FAkeDangerGAbmit: Dennis created a whole system called the "D.E.N.N.I.S. System" which he uses as a way to sleep with women and then emotionally manipulate them. First he '''D'''emonstrates value so he can '''E'''ngage them physically (hit on her then have sex), then he '''N'''urtures dependence by doing this, which for his example, he prank calls his date pretending to be a creepy stalker so she goes to Dennis for emotional support. Then he proceeds to '''N'''eglect her emotionally by continuing to make prank calls but not answer her back, then '''I'''nspire hope by coming back to her at her lowest point so they can have SexForSolace. After that, he '''S'''eprates entirely and never speaks to the girl again, before starting again with a different girl.

-->'''Charlie:''' Are you wearing makeup?
-->'''Dennis:''' I'm always wearing a little bit of foundation, but that's not the point.

--->'''Dee:''' I can't get a read on him these days. He's just always cranky and irritated.
--->'''Frank:''' Rage-filled. Rapey.
--->'''Dee:''' It's like as the years go by, he just gets more and more irrational.

-->'''Mac''': What do you want more than anything else in the entire world?
-->'''Dennis''': Crack.
-->'''Mac''': Oh. I thought you were going to say pizza.

--> "I have contained my rage for as long as possible, but I shall unleash my fury upon YOU...LIKE THE CRASHING OF A ''THOUSAND'' WAVES! BE GONE, VILE MAN, BE GONE FROM ME! A STARTER CAR?! THIS CAR IS A ''FINISHER'' CAR. A TRANSPORTER OF GODS. THE '''''GOLDEN GOD!''''' I AM UNTETHERED AND MY RAGE KNOWS NO BOUNDS!"