Dennis Reynolds' mental disease is frequently hinted at and discussed over the course of the series.
Information technology's unclear what is wrong with Dennis. Pop fan theories have labeled him a sufferer of hating and/or egotistic personality disorder. On the show, he has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, although this does non rule out potentially comorbid disorders. Regardless of diagnosis, Dennis is non a well man, and this is shown time and fourth dimension again on the show.
Symptoms of his mental illness include:
- an extremely grandiose view of himself and his accomplishments
- desire to be 100% perfect and faultless
- crippling insecurity and dependence on other people'southward opinions on him
- extreme sensitivity to rejection and/or perceived abandonment
- persistent inner emptiness
- frequent bouts of intense rage and other negative emotional outbursts (e.g. crying publicly), that get more than frequent and astringent as the series progresses.
- consummate lack of cocky sensation or agreement of decency
- preoccupation with sexual and physical violence
- alcohol, tobacco, and crack addiction
- hallucination in response to stress
- impulsive actions that cause harm to himself or others
- a reliance on codependent relationships to run into his emotional needs
- hypersexuality
- extreme superficiality
- manipulation for personal gain
- anorexia
- the desire to control everyone and everything in his life
Dennis routinely mentions sadistic acts, out of the ordinary emotional experiences, and grandiose claims almost himself without any awareness that others might exist disturbed past them:
- Dennis vandalized Art Sloan's firm, urinated in his bar, and set his g on fire. ("The Gang Reignites the Rivalry")
- Dennis often identifies himself as god-like, his appearance created by the gods, a "gilt god" or as God himself.
- While attempting to recreate a scenario to evidence Mac is a serial killer, Dennis disguises himself as a painter to stalk and murder the Coffee Shop Waitress as she leaves piece of work. When preparing to execute his murder, he was reminded by Dee that they really weren't going to kill the adult female. Dennis, upon realizing Dee was correct, expressed his disappointment about having to scare her rather than really kill her.
- He offered to "frame bang" the Lawyer's wife in her slumber, and was surprised when the Lawyer referred to it as rape. He acts if he doesn't know what he's doing and when the lawyer asks him not to rape his wife, Dennis tries to human activity as if his intentions were pure but then cuts himself off saying "Fine, I won't do it". ("Paddy's Pub: Home of the Original Kitten Mittens")
- Dennis has absolutely no qualms near manipulating women into sleeping with him by, among other things, calling them in a threatening voice, slashing their tires, and forging prescriptions for his (not-real) grandmother. Then he "separates entirely" and moves on to his adjacent conquest, not caring one bit almost the fear, distress and heartbreak he has acquired. ("The D.E.N.North.I.S. System")
- Mac is disturbed when Dennis tells him that a practiced reason for them to have a gunkhole is then they can become women out in international waters, where they will not refuse their sexual advances "considering of the implication." He falsely assures Mac that he's not actually going to rape whatsoever women, it'south simply that the women volition experience similar they should give them what they desire, "because of the implication". ("The Gang Buys a Boat")
- He is disturbed by Mac's weight gain (as seen in Season seven), so he takes it upon himself to requite Mac diet pills (which he describes as "Mexican ephedra") while telling him that they are "size pills." Mac'due south weight loss causes him great personal anguish, simply Dennis doesn't care, because he has concluded that Mac must lose weight. ("The Gang Gets Analyzed")
- After getting married to Maureen Ponderosa, he starts "having feelings over again, like some kind of 14 year old kid". He is as well confused past the idea that Mac has feelings all the time.("Mac Fights Gay Union")
- When visiting Dr. Jinx with Mac and Charlie, Dennis asks if the doctor has any sort of solution to cause him to have feelings once again.("Charlie'southward Mom Has Cancer")
- At the Gang's high school reunion, Dennis in a fit of rage, claiming those who accept crossed him will pay "the ultimate price", goes opens a secret compartment in his auto's torso to gather his "tools," which include goose egg ties, duct tape, a flashlight, a video photographic camera, and diverse other instruments to subdue and restrain people. Though he claimed the items were for sexual bondage, the others identify him as a replacement for their unstable friend "Psycho Pete."
- While walking with Charlie in the woods, Dennis refers to himself as a "pretty methodical person". Charlie responds with "Oh yep, like a serial killer", which Dennis takes equally a compliment.("The Gang Gets Stranded in the Woods")
- In season 8, he "gets off" on "the thrill of wearing some other man'due south pare" by pretending to be Brian LeFevre.
- In "The Gang Saves the Day", Dennis's fantasy involves suffocating Jackie Denardo with a pillow.
- In "Gun Fever As well: Nevertheless Hot", Gunther denies Dee and Dennis a gun after finding that Dee was institutionalized for lighting a girl on fire, and that Dennis has a record of sexual misconduct. In reply, Dennis tells Gunther he merely made his "list."
- In "The Gang Squashes Their Beefs", Dennis proposes an idea that the people they have wronged sign a peace treaty. When Frank asks why he e'er wants people to sign "Creepy documents" Dennis responds "Well Frank, once something's in writing that means information technology'southward set in stone. Then no one can do anything to cease me." Later in the episode Dennis locks all the gang's guests in the apartment after information technology has caught fire, by drilling the door shut.
- Dennis is a generally common cold hearted and fell person and he bangs the waitress knowing Charlie is in love with her (and Dennis doesn't even like her) and having no sympathy for Charlie later on how injure and angry he was.
- Dennis lacks remorse and very rarely shows any sort of empathy.
- In "Psycho Pete Returns", Dennis tells Dee he is going to peel her and turn her peel into a lampshade or fashion her into a slice of high end luggage. He and then goes on saying he could even add together her onto his collection. When Dee asks him if he really has a collection of skin luggage, he replies "Of course not Dee, don't be ridiculous. Think of the smell. YOU Oasis'T Thought OF THE Odor YOU BITCH!". He so goes on proverb if she says another discussion, he'll cutting her up into pieces and put those pieces into a glass box that he will display on his mantle. He after says he had a "rational conversation with a reasonable man" and is diagnosed with Deadline Personality Disorder.
- Dennis is mostly very manipulative (The Dennis System) and arrogant.
- In "The Gang Exploits the Mortgage Crunch", Afterwards finding the family in the house, Dennis talks nearly a graphic twisted scenario they tin can do with the family but says they should just go out because it's the easiest.
- In "How Mac got Fat", Mac tells the priest that Dennis always tells him "Don't allow words like "no" stop you from getting what you want."
- In "Chardee MacDennis 2: Electric Boogaloo" Dennis is molding his ain vision of love in the grade of a woman'due south head in a freezer "This is a woman's head in a freezer, and it's supposed to stand for the preservation of love forever and e'er!"
- In "Charlie Catches a Leprechaun", Dennis orders a pair of girls that they have picked up (well, more like kidnapped) in the "Paddy Wagon" to "grin" for his website, despite the fact that they are terrified and crying. He tells them that it's "not supposed to be scary", fifty-fifty every bit their terror grows. When they tell him that they practise not desire to exist on his "weird website", he tells them "If you don't comply with me, you're going to end up on the weird one." They let the girls out, only Dennis blames them for "non experiencing our concern properly", implying that he thinks that what happened is their fault.
- In "Wolf Cola: A Public Relations Nightmare," during an appearance on a morn news program to defend Wolf Cola, a dog who'due south in the studio to do some other segment gets away from its handler and goes up to Dennis, who is very obviously angered and agitated past the experience. He talks nearly how much he hates dogs, and suggests that owning them as pets makes no more sense than eating them. The host is horrified by his reaction, and it turns public opinion, which they had swayed in their favour, away from Wolf Cola.
- He frequently shows that he has unreasonable expectations of women and how the "ideal" woman should appear. In "The Aluminum Monster vs. Fat Mcgoo" he becomes disgusted with a model for being "hugely fatty" despite her beingness quite slim by all appearances.
Dennis' eating disorder has also get more credible as the series has progressed. Starting time appearing in "The Gang Exploits A Miracle" where he fasts for three days under the impression that his confront 'looks fatty', it has slowly grown to him being on a strict diet as he claims to be 'allergic' to dairy, sugar, and gluten [ "The Gang Chokes" ]. Information technology is also evident that he has begun losing a lot of weight since season eight, and as of season fourteen he looks very pale and malnourished, becomes tired easily, and on i occasion requires Mac to carry him home due to feeling 'wobbly'.
It is non clear what specific eating disorder that Dennis has, as on multiple occasions he is seen stress eating [ in a manner that could also be seen as 'binge eating' ], usually when under stress. The start instance of this was in "The Nightman Cometh" where he claims: "I'grand eating because I'm very uncomfortable". He is also seen eating a large breakfast [ something he claims to no longer do on 'odd days' ] during "The Gang Grouping Dates", presumably under the stress of reviving such a low rating which clearly affected his cocky conviction. In "Mac Day" he is seen eating chips after getting high, which he self justifies by saying "Carbs wise this is gonna set me back only... I don't even give a shit". The about contempo example of his stress eating is in "Dee Day", where he reveals that he had eaten cheese before his performance as 'Crazy Paddy' because he was nervous.
Despite his stress eating, in "Frank's Pretty Woman" information technology'southward shown that he is very malnourished, as his blood piece of work states that he has 'astringent dehydration, multiple vitamin deficiencies, anemia, and low blood force per unit area', all of which are side affects of restrictive eating disorders.
His abusive and perchance rapist behaviour [ although Not excusable ] are perchance caused by something called the 'Wheel of Abuse'. This ways that 1 who has BEEN driveling, is more probable to get an abuser themselves, every bit it tin can cause the victim to learn a warped version of consent and how it'due south advisable to care for others. As we already know, Dennis was raped at fourteen years sometime past his high schoolhouse librarian 'Ms Klinsky', essentially making him a victim of Childhood Sexual Abuse. [ This was also at the same age that he claims to have terminal experienced 'feelings' and begun growing a shell around himself ] The wheel of abuse in this case means that his treatment of women is his way of 'feeling in control' and not vulnerable. The way that he will have been groomed is also very similar to how 'the D.E.North.N.I.S arrangement' works, in which he grooms the women into falling in dear with him. This may also be why he goes subsequently much younger women than himself, claiming cougars [ older women going after younger men ] to scare him. 'The Implication' works in a very similar way, in which the child being groomed is taken somewhere alone, so they cannot perhaps pass up. [ Y'all know, he looks around, and what does he see? Nothing but rows of books. "Ah, there's nowhere for me to run. What am I gonna do, say no?" ]. It is a notable phenomenon in the real world for underage male victims of female abusers to continue to get abusers themselves.
Suicidal ideation [ ]
In the episode Paddy'south Has a Jumper Dennis leads a contend on what they should practise about 'Brian O'Bryan' (The jumper on the roof). During which - thanks to an investigation of the man's social media, they deduct many things most the man, which are scarily like to Dennis in his deportment and issues.
- "Or is he [ eating food ]? Is that what he wants y'all to believe? - "All right, I don't swallow lunch anymore, for case. Aye, and on odd twenty-four hour period's, I don't consume breakfast" Frank'southward Pretty Woman
- "At present, clock the amount of baseball caps, a scrap juvenile look for a human his age..." - Seen wearing a baseball game cap in The Gang Gets New Wheels + PTSDee
- "He's still hanging on to his youth-" - "No, I am going to expect 20 forever" Frank's Pretty Woman
- "-That suggests to me that maybe he'due south got some daddy issues-" - "Because I don't want my kid to grow up similar I did. With some asshole dad who was never fifty-fifty around" Dennis' Double Life
- "Abandonment [ problems ]-" - Exhibits going to uncharacteristically extreme lengths to keep someone nigh Mac and Dennis Pause Up + The Gang Bankrupt Dee
- "Corruption [ issues ]" - "You lot tin can't rape... I was... I was willing." Dee Made a Smut Film
- "Looks like he just got back from a cruise, alone," - "Anyhow, I'm back," The Gang Makes Paddy's Swell Over again
- "the girlfriend, she probably broke up with him because of all his father issues, and cause he'due south an alcoholic" - "Yep, you tin't only go become a dad, Dennis" Dennis' Double Life + "I'm certainly not gonna stop drinking" The Gang Gets Quarantined + "Let's just get boozer. Allow's not talk nearly trauma. Yeah, come on." PTSDee
Dennis as well says that he believes that everybody would benefit with Brian killing himself, equally the bar would become a 'suicide bar'. He may also be under the impression that killing himself would be nothing but benign, equally everybody [ as well from Mac ] has non shown to ever care about him [ "Sister. I love you" "Whatever." The Gang Goes to Hell: Part Two, Frank forgets who he is [ "Demarcus?" Charlie'due south Mom Has Cancer ]. Mac is the just person in his life to show genuine compassion towards him, no matter how often he uses it to his advantage. [ Mac was also the only one in the gang to dislike the algorithm and scientific discipline, believing that Brian should non kill himself because it's a sin ] All of this, plus knowing what the gang did upon realising Dee was peradventure suicidal [ The Gang Broke Dee ] he may feel very strongly in that they would not try to cease him, nor would they stammer without his presence in the group, as is evident in The Gang Makes Paddy's Dandy Again where they were able to easily and happily replace him, and were actually doing better. The only 1 that struggled was Mac, although he showed no outward distress.
All of this is very similar to something described as a 'subtle weep for assist'. A method of reaching out for mental support without explicitly stating one needs aid, due to stigma or an dangerous surround. The style in which he phrases the algorithm "Could he, Would he, Should we?" is a similar way in which people decide whether to stage an intervention "Could he commit suicide, Would he commit suicide, Should we intervene?". But the way he says that the gang should "Take emotion out of it" is another thing similar in the mind of mentally ill people. They sympathise that friends would be initially upset nearly a suicide, but when taking emotion out, information technology wouldn't be such a bad affair. This is what Dennis could be trying to say, he knows that they [ mostly Mac ] would exist upset initially, simply he thinks they would be okay and would even benefit; he thinks that they should think scientifically and mathematically about the fact that everything would be better with him gone permanently.
Of course we could say that the similarities between Dennis and Brian O'Bryan are a mere strange coincidence, but it'due south known that Dennis is a very mentally ill man, and has been slowly deteriorating throughout the show:
- As of flavor x, he begins losing a lot of weight. If you look at him shirtless in The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6 and The Gang Solves Global Warming he has very clearly changed dramatically, almost worryingly. Throughout season 14 he too looks very sickly and pale, has increased his restrictive eating [ not allowing sugar, gluten, or carbs. possibly in conjunction with skipping dejeuner and on odd days skipping breakfast ], and has go more dazed / confused / unsteady. Dee Twenty-four hours shows the scary extent of this, in which he looks dangerously ill without his makeup, he is likewise very subdued without information technology and later claims he merely looked the way he did due to lacking sleep, showing it'due south a potent insecurity of his.
- His behaviour towards women become's significantly more than extreme, as shown in multiple episodes where he is shown to exist more than tearing [ both psychologically and physically ], his methods of obtaining women become further morally unacceptable, his libido strengthens further The Gang Escapes
- Expanding on the previous point, in flavor 14 his want for women becomes most non existent. In The Gang Gets Romantic he tires of the plan hands, simply makes a single attempt to bang the adult female, and somewhen shifts the focus to Mac instead. He also is not mentioned to have seduced or slept with a woman at all, non even when surrounded by a big crowd of nearly naked young women The Gang Solves Global Warming. The single fourth dimension he expresses any sexual involvement of whatsoever type is in The Gang Gets Romantic and A Woman'south Correct to Chop when he claims he finds the tears of the 2 women to be 'arousing'.
- His bouts of anger seem to exist less frequent. Although this could exist due to taking the 'borderline personality disorder' medication he was prescribed in Psycho Pete Returns. Information technology could also be a sign of a lowering mood / depression / emotional numbness.
In conjunction with the meta in Paddy's Has a Jumper, the episode originally intended to be afterwards Waiting for Big Mo is very similar in below surface level meanings. Although it's clear that it's the writers talking about how they wish to practise the show for fun without expecting awards etc. Upon closer inspection it'south also very clearly the thought process between 'quality' and 'quantity' of life. Larry Takashi [ the owner of Lazer Tag Fun Zone ] had been a rich and successful man, but was very unhappy and somewhen took his life. Dennis discusses this in the episode, eventually coming to the conclusion that life is well-nigh happiness, and is not worth information technology if one isn't happy. The description of the episode says "Dennis begins to ponder the reasons they play laser tag and if their pursuit of a victory is worth their attempt" and at 1 bespeak said that Dennis was having a crisis in terms of this issue.
It's painfully obvious that Dennis is actually talking about the meaning of life, and whether life is worth living if one isn't happy. He / Larry has material things [ habitation, money, friends etc ] but they're still unhappy. Dennis is clearly continuing to subtly voice his suicidal thoughts, coming to the conclusion that if he isn't happy, so he should stop his life.
Quotes [ ]
 | — | "I'm not going to take no for an answer considering I only refuse to do that, because I'm a winner and winners... we don't listen to words like 'no' or 'don't' or 'stop!' Those words are just not in our vocabulary." |
- Flavor Three, The Aluminum Monster vs. Fatty Magoo
| | — | "I'll tell you lot what buddy, I can help you out. I'm gonna toss a frame-blindside your manner. Here's how that works: I slip into your house one night while your wife is sleeping... and I ease into her real nice. That way you're both adulterous on each other and she tin can't make clean yous out." |
- Flavour Five, Paddy'southward Pub: Home of the Original Kitten Mittens (to the Lawyer)
| | — | "What do y'all hateful, what do we demand a mattress for? Why practice you think nosotros just spent all that money on a boat? The whole purpose of buying the gunkhole in the first place was to get the ladies all nice and tipsy topside so we can take them to a dainty comfy place below deck, and, yous know, they can't reject. Because of the implication." |
| "Oh, uh, OK. You had me going in that location for the first part. The second half kind of threw me." | — |  |
 | — | "Dude, dude, call back near information technology. She's out in the center of nowhere with some dude she barely knows, she looks around, what does she come across, nothing but open up sea. (Imitating female voice) "Oh, there'south nowhere for me to run. What am I going to exercise? Say no? (shakes caput)"" |
| "OK. That seems really night." | — | |
| | — | "Nah, information technology's not dark. Y'all're misunderstanding, bro." |
| "I think I am." | — | |
| | — | "Yep, you are. Because if the girl said no, the reply, plainly, is no. Simply the thing is she's not gonna say no. She would never say no. Because of the implication." |
- Flavour Six, The Gang Buys a Boat
-
| | — | "I could exist a homo with a fistful of hammers, a torso total of duct record and zilch ties." |
- Flavor Vii, The ANTI-Social Network
-
| "This is ridiculous. What are nosotros doing here?" | — |  |
| "Nosotros're turning to the large man upstairs. He's gonna make this correct." | — | |
| "I can't believe y'all recollect this is a real solution to our problem. Dennis, what do you retrieve of all this?" | — | |
| | — | "Sh. Amen. I'm just trying to embrace this. I want to see if I can knock some emotion loose." |
- Season Eight,Charlie's Mom Has Cancer
-
| | — | "Look, look, this is about much more than merely business organisation. This is about the thrill of wearing some other man's skin. Feeling his innermost wants and desires and being in control of his every single move. That'due south how yous get off. Now don't you guys want to become off with me?" |
| "I don't know." | — | |
| "What?" | — |  |
| | — | "I want you guys to get off with me." |
- Season Eight,Frank's Dorsum in Business