Updated June 15, 2019 6.1K votes 1.2K voters 53.6K views
Voting Rules
Vote up the theories as insane as the gang.
Coming up with fan theories for your favorite show is almost as much fun as watching it. Some TV shows more than others, though, leave themselves open for discussion. Take It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, for instance - an absurd, dark farce about five degenerates (Charlie, Dee, Frank, Dennis, Mac) who run a bar in Philadelphia is very fertile soil for harebrained, insane fan theories.
Fan theories about It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia run the gamut, and there's no shortage of people on sites like Reddit bouncing them around. There's the one about Dennis being a murderer. Another It's Always Sunny theory involves figuring out the name of the gang's waitress frenemy.
With 11 seasons behind it and three more on the way, there's plenty of room for more speculation and fan theories, especially on how it will end. Some fans think it might go the way of Seinfeld, a show to which it's been compared, with the gang in prison or on trial. Whatever theories you believe, there's probably a wackier one out there, so let's take a look at the craziest fan theories about It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Photo: 20th Television
1
480 VOTES
"The Nightman Cometh" Is Based on Charlie’s Sick Family -- and Mac
Photo: 20th Television
Season 4’s finale was the brilliant musical "The Nightman Cometh," which features Charlie’s creations: the Nightman, who sneaks in to rape Charlie at night; the Troll, who sells a boy to the Nightman; and the Dayman, who fights the Nightman.
A fan theory proposes that the Nightman is Charlie’s uncle Jack, a pedophile who may have molested Charlie as a boy. The Troll is Charlie’s mother, who allowed Jack to bunk with Charlie for rent money. The Dayman is Mac, whom Charlie cast in the musical, and was his oldest (and most likely only) childhood friend.
480 votes
2
474 VOTES
Charlie’s the Smartest Member of the Gang
Photo: 20th Television
In the 2015 episode “Charlie Work,” the imbecilic Charlie suddenly becomes a genius problem-solver, working several steps ahead of everyone else to make sure the bar passes a health inspection. If you think back, there have been other times Charlie displayed genius: he became the world’s best player of an RPG; he plays keyboard with mad skill; he invented Kitten Mittens; he can draw really well.
So what if Charlie is like Charles Bukowski? His problem isn't stupidity, it's his environment, his affinity for huffing glue, and the implication that he was molested as a child. He displays his genius when given the chance, but his history and vices destroy him.
474 votes
3
385 VOTES
The Series Ends in Court
Photo: 20th Television
In keeping with the spirit of a show often described as Seinfeld on crack, one fan theory claims that the entire series takes place in a courtroom. As per this theory, each episode is actually testimony from the gang, which they give against one another. The finale will reveal all of this, and play out exactly like Seinfeld's end.
To back this theory up, its creator points to the fact that each episode begins with a day and time, as though it stands as a precise testimony to events taking place on a specific day, at a certain time. This means, essentially, that the entire show takes place in the past tense.
So what landed them in court, and why are they giving testimony? Well, something big, the theory presumes. A federal case or class action lawsuit. A Redditor suggests calling the show's finale "The Gang vs. The State of Philadelphia."
385 votes
4
254 VOTES
Dee Was the Normal One at First Because She Was Medicated
Photo: 20th Television
This fairly obscure theory claims Dee was at first fairly levelheaded (even getting her psychology degree at the University of Pennsylvania) because she was on medication and in therapy after being institutionalized for setting her college roommate on fire.
This arson incident is referenced in several episodes, and the theory goes on to state that Dee began working at Paddy's when no longer under state supervision, at which point she lost her access to therapy and medication. Without medication, Dee slides downhill like the rest of the gang. In one episode, she tries to get medication by saying that she had a “hankering” to burn someone again.
254 votes
5
445 VOTES
Dennis Is a Sociopathic Rapist
Photo: 20th Television
Theories that Dennis is a serial killer exist, and have some merit, but it's really hard to argue against the theory that he's a sociopathic rapist.
The evidence? Well, there's the implication.And the fact that he keeps zip ties and duct tape in his trunk. There's also his D.E.N.N.I.S. system, through which he describes the process of emotionally luring women for sex only to dump them immediately. In one episode, he even offers to rape the wife of a lawyer. And, of course, he's been known to say things like,“I’m not going to take no for an answer...because winners, we don’t listen to words like 'no' or 'don’t' or 'stop'!”
Pretty sure the evidence is clear on this one.
445 votes
6
425 VOTES
Dennis Is a Murderer
Photo: 20th Television
The battle for biggest degenerate on It's Always Sunny rages on episode by episode, but Dennis takes the cake for most consistently psychotic. One fan theory speculates that Dennis murdered a guy named Brian LeFevre, whose wallet the gang found (and ransacked).
So what does Dennis do? He poses as Brian LeFevre for a week, and relishes the thrill of getting inside another man's skin Then, somewhat mysteriously, Brian LeFevre is found murdered outside Paddy’s Pub. Charlie suggests he was killed by a crackhead. Remember back when Dennis and Dee were crackheads in a Season 2 episode?
The theory goes into a lot more detail than this, bringing up evidence from multiple seasons. Definitely worth checking out.
