"There is no way I am dating a retarded person."
— Dee
Dennis reveals that he went to elementary school with Dee's new boyfriend, a local rapper named Lil' Kev, and tells her that he's mentally disabled. Mac, Charlie and Frank decide to start their own band but can't agree on what genre of music to play, and Charlie pens a disturbing song about a strange creature called "The Night Man".
This episode provides examples of the following tropes:
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: According to Mac they do, anyway.Mac: Chicks want guys that wear tight pants and tattered clothing and spit blood, not guys dressed like waiters who name themselves after desserts!
- Basement-Dweller: Dennis considers the fact that Kevin lives with his mother a point in favor of his being mentally disabled.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Kevin may or may not be mentally disabled, but he's a pretty talented lyricist, as his freestyle "The Villain Sucks" Song proves.
- Does Not Drive: Kevin doesn't drive, and Dennis cites this as evidence that Kevin is mentally disabled.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Lampshaded with Charlie's "Night Man" song, which, per Mac, sounds like an account of someone "breaking into his house and raping him".
- Double Entendre: Frank wanted to name the band the "Pecan Sandies". When Mac points out that's a type of cookie, Frank adds that it's also a euphemism for something sexual. What exactly is never elaborated.
- Dreadful Musician: Played with - only Frank on the drums is truly terrible, as all of the gang have good to outstanding singing voices (Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton are trained singers), Charlie is revealed to have a savant-like musical ability and Mac can at least play a basic chord on the guitar. However, they still end up coming across as this trope thanks to a combination of Charlie's nonsensical lyrics and a complete lack of agreement on what their musical direction should be.
- Everyone Went to School Together: Dee's new boyfriend went to elementary school with Dennis.
- Fake Band: The gang end up forming two: Chemical Toilet, comprised of Mac and Frank, and Electric Dream Machine, comprised of Dennis and Charlie.
- Friendship Moment: Dennis and Charlie penning the "Day Man" song together.
- Genre Mashup: The guys' band ends up becoming this due to their inability to decide on a particular genre; Mac is insistent on punk rock while Frank wants to do '50s style rock and roll and Charlie dresses as Bob Dylan. Things become even more confusing when Dennis enters the mix as an '80s glam rocker.
- Gold Digger: Dennis accuses Dee of doing this with Kevin, and it's implied to be pretty much accurate.
- Hidden Depths: Charlie is revealed to be something of a musical genius, claiming that keyboards "just speak to him" despite the fact that he's had no formal training.
- "L" Is for "Dyslexia": Charlie's "lyric sheet" is actually just a bunch of random pictures and horrifically mangled words
that was mistaken as a page from a coloring book — twice. - Manchild: Kevin may or may not have a developmental disability, but he's very immature for his age.
- Performance Anxiety: Charlie wants to perform behind a curtain as he's worried that people will end up booing and throwing things at him. Which is exactly what happens.
- Pretty Fly for a White Guy: Kevin, though he's a more sympathetic portrayal than most examples.
- Rockers Smash Guitars: Mac smashes his guitar through a TV screen at one point when the guys decide to trash a hotel room.
- Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll: Invoke by Mac. He believes if him, Charlie, and Frank live that lifestyle; the music will come to them and they will be able to become successful without actually learning how to play music.
- Shout-Out: Kevin's rap at the end references Straight Outta Compton and the music video for Thriller.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Mac and Dennis both independently compare Charlie's lyrics to "a page from a coloring book".
- Synth-Pop: Electric Dream Machine.
- Tenor Boy: Dennis gets to show off his frankly incredible falsetto a lot in this episode.
- "The Villain Sucks" Song: At the end of the episode, Kevin raps a song that disses Dee.
- Your Door Was Open: Lampshaded when Dennis bursts into Charlie's apartment without knocking.Charlie: Hello, come right in.
Dennis: I will.
