CASE FILE · S18 E08

Mac and Dennis Tear Their ACLs

Mac and Dennis wear matching reindeer Christmas sweaters beside parked cars on a Philadelphia street. — Still from Mac and Dennis Tear Their ACLs · sourced from episode inspection · rights remain with their respective owners

After a Christmas card catastrophe, Charlie nurses a bedridden Mac and Dennis and deliberates on which one is the originator of all their ideas. Dee and Frank are tired of being the bottom of the communication ladder and decide to flip the script.

THE SHORT VERSION · SPOILERS AHEAD

INSIDE THE CASE.

A card-making injury

A Christmas-card catastrophe leaves Mac and Dennis bedridden with torn ACLs.

Supporting source ↗

Charlie gets to arbitrate

Charlie nurses Mac and Dennis while deliberating over which of them originates the gang's ideas.

Supporting source ↗

Dee and Frank change the chain

Dee and Frank, tired of being at the bottom of the communication ladder, attempt to flip that arrangement.

Supporting source ↗

A confined rivalry

A season review places Mac and Dennis in their apartment with Charlie assisting while Dee and Frank investigate what the injured pair had been plotting; it connects the story to a Christmas-card competition and their rules for watching a movie.

Supporting source ↗

THE EVIDENCE

THINGS IN THIS EPISODE.

Characters

Charlie Kelly184 other recorded episodes

Charlie nurses the bedridden Mac and Dennis and weighs which of them originates the gang's ideas.Source ↗

Dee Reynolds183 other recorded episodes

Dee joins Frank in trying to change their place at the bottom of the communication ladder.Source ↗

Dennis Reynolds180 other recorded episodes

Dennis is one of the injured roommates Charlie nurses after the Christmas-card catastrophe.Source ↗

Frank Reynolds175 other recorded episodes

Frank joins Dee in trying to change their place at the bottom of the communication ladder.Source ↗

Mac184 other recorded episodes

Mac is one of the injured roommates Charlie nurses after the Christmas-card catastrophe.Source ↗

Rickety Cricket27 other recorded episodes

Seen at 08:40

Cricket appears during Dee and Frank's hardware-store diversion.Source ↗

Schmitty2 other recorded episodes

Seen at 00:58

The group invokes Schmitty while debating the Christmas-card competition; he does not appear onscreen.Source ↗

Locations

Hardware stores3 other recorded episodes

Seen at 08:00

Dee and Frank visit a hardware store during their communication-ladder plan.Source ↗

Lincoln Financial Field1 other recorded episode

Seen at 19:06

Mac and Dennis test their ladder theory at the Linc; the stadium gate signage identifies Lincoln Financial Field during the Eagles-game sequence.Source ↗

Objects

Crutches3 other recorded episodes

Seen at 16:00

Dennis uses crutches while the injured roommates debate their plans.Source ↗

Stepladders2 other recorded episodes

Seen at 10:00

A tall ladder is visible in the hardware-store sequence.Source ↗

Schemes

Mock trials1 other recorded episode

Seen at 12:28

The gang calls a trial to settle the dispute over whose idea the Christmas-card competition was, then resumes the argument as a trial later in the episode.Source ↗