It's Always Sunny Season 16 Episode 4 Gives Us A Reversed DENNIS System
This article contains spoilers for season 16, episode 4 of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."
Season 16 of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" has already had several great throwbacks to previous seasons, including a premiere that revisited the extra rooms in Charlie's apartment and a second episode that brought back his sisters. Episode 4, "Frank Vs Russia," likewise sees the return of the infamous DENNIS system. This system of seducing women was created by Dennis (Glenn Howerton) in a season 5 episode called "The DENNIS System," and Mac (Rob McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day), and Frank (Danny DeVito) all tried to apply his system to their own failed attempts at courtship.
In season 16, Dennis reveals that he has another system specifically for seducing men, and he shares this knowledge with his sister Dee (Kaitlin Olson) and the finally out-of-the-closet Mac. Why does Dennis, ostensibly a straight man, have a system for seducing men? He refuses to answer, although my theory is that he created it just to see if he could seduce a man as an attempt to appease his own ego. He's shown that he's willing to dabble with queerness before, like in the season 8 episode "Frank's Back in Business," when he believes he's been gifted a male sex worker. Then again, this is Dennis Reynolds, five star man and alleged cat-person murderer, so who knows?
So what is this DENNIS system for men called? Well, the SINNED system, of course! Let's take a look at this new system of seduction from the incomprehensible mind of Dennis. (Also, make sure to catch new episodes of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" on Wednesdays on FXX and the next day streaming on Hulu.)
The SINNED System
One thing that the SINNED system shares with the DENNIS system is that it primarily revolves around trying to manipulate and control a potential partner by playing with their ego (and potentially gaslighting them). The first step of the SINNED system, however, is to "Suppress your instincts," which could apply to Dennis ignoring his hetero instincts or Dee and Mac's need to ignore their own awful instincts. It works either way! The next three steps are all about ego and power, playing with the man's confidence by needing him and then dismissing him, similar to the DENNIS system's "Nurture dependence" and "Neglect emotionally."
Both systems include "Engage physically," in pretty different order, and the final step is totally different: instead of "separating entirely," the final step of the SINNED system is "Do you want a tissue?" Dennis claims that all it takes to turn any man into a puddle is to make him feel like he's being cared for by his mommy. This is pretty basic Freudian nonsense, but it seems to work for Mac and Dee. It's also pretty on-point for Dennis, who has intense mommy issues that might have led to his misogynistic tendencies and is probably in love with his twin sister Dee.
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is revisiting some of its greatest hits and deepest cuts in season 16, but they're clearly having a blast turning things on their heads. They did follow-ups to both "Chardee Macdennis: The Game of Games" and "The Gang Beats Boggs," so why not revisit "The DENNIS System" and make it new? I can't wait to see what they do with the rest of the season. I also can't wait to see how Charlie's limo comes back around.