There is evidence suggesting Dennis Reynolds murdered a character named Brian LeFevre in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 8. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the longest-running live-action comedy series in American history, and a lot of running jokes and themes have accumulated since the show’s debut in 2005. The identity of Charlie’s real dad and Mac’s sexuality have consistently been common topics of discussion, but the most sinister debate over the years has over the implication that Dennis may be a serial killer.
The It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 7 finale, “The High School Reunion Part 2: The Gang’s Revenge,” reveals that Dennis just happens to keep “duct tape, zip ties, and gloves” in his trunk. In season 11, episode 1, “Chardee MacDennis 2: Electric Bugaloo,” Dennis’s artistic representation of love is an eerie clay sculpture of “a woman’s head in a freezer, and it’s supposed to represent the preservation of love forever and ever.” There have been plenty of other red flags throughout It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s 15 seasons that make it clear that Dennis (played by Glenn Howerton from the That ’70s Show spinoff That ’80s Show) is a sexual predator at best and a serial killer at worst.
The strongest case for Dennis being a serial killer might be in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 8, episode 7, “Frank’s Back in Business.” Dennis assumes the identity of a man named Brian LeFevre after the gang finds his wallet in Paddy’s Pub, and Dennis goes on a quest with Dee and Mac (Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney) to “get off” as LeFevre. The show later reveals LeFevre was murdered in the alley outside the bar, and it seems very possible that Dennis did it. Also, the logistics of Brian LeFevre’s death could implicate Dennis — or exonerate him depending on the perspective.
The Evidence Against (And For) Dennis Killing Brian LeFevre
Although the gang gets involved in plenty of disasters, the Brian LeFevre quest almost ends before it even starts. Dennis, Dee, and Mac go to a Phillies game using tickets from Brian LeFevre’s wallet, and it turns out to be a business meeting. Dee and Mac almost blow it, but Dennis pulls them to the side and creepily reveals, “This is about much more than just business. This is about the thrill of wearing another man’s skin. Feeling his innermost wants and desires… and being in control of his every single move.” Even more disconcertingly, at the end of the episode when Charlie and Mac talk about Brian LeFevre’s death after a detective visited them earlier, Dennis becomes noticeably aroused and experiences what appears to be sexual release as Charlie and Mac reveal LeFevre’s severed finger.
While those are some disturbing details, they wouldn’t be enough for a guilty verdict if the It’s Always Sunny gang was in court. There are more details, however, and they could be the deciding factors. Brian LeFevre’s murderer was described as “a crackhead,” and Dennis used to be a drug addict. He could’ve role-played to throw LeFevre off guard. The main defense for Dennis is that he would have been tending bar during LeFevre’s murder, but that just means Dennis would have needed to act quickly and discreetly.
There are plenty of warning signs in “Frank’s Back in Business,” and “Dennis’ Double Life” in season 12 reveals Dennis used Brian LeFevre’s name as a pseudonym during his time in North Dakota, which is another suspicious move befitting a serial killer and his trophy kill. As long as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia continues, there is a chance the show could fully clear Dennis’s name in Brian LeFevre’s murder — and eventually reveal why Dennis loves obsessing over skin even more than Charlie loves the Waitress.
