Why is Dennise mad?
I try to think of reasons why he could be so upset with Chip, but I can't really understand. (Up to episode 5). It can't only be about the kiss. To me he's the **s not Chip
shareI kind of get it. Dennis called it right from the start that Chip wouldn't be able to stop himself from "swooping", and if Chip hadn't have been so obviously into London and a constant presence, Dennis may have had a better shot.
For Chip to kiss her right after Dennis said he didn't think the relationship was going anywhere makes it seem like Chip was just hovering like a vulture, which he kind of was. Dennis's early mistrust also makes it fairly clear Chip has done this on previous occasions, and will most likely do it again, using the old adage "you can't help who you fall in love with" to justify treating his friends like crap.
That part I can understand, but he seemed to get a very irrational reaction when Chip got a phone, I mean, he didn't buy it. It was a gift. Wouldn't you be happy that your friend now has a phone and is kind of moving on?
shareSeeing that he now has a phone made him mad because he missed his appointment helping Kara because Chip couldn't be contacted all day. Dennis left Chip 2 messages on his answering machine, which he didn't check.
It was irrational for Dennis to get mad about the phone, in that he shouldn't expect Chip to call him the instant he gets the cell phone and ask if he was looking for him or had any messages for him or needed him for anything.
But Dennis was frustrated that his day got messed up helping Kara, plus Chip broke the bro code with London, and seeing the phone was the final straw in what was a bad day. Frustrated people act irrationally.
Chip uses people, pure and simple. Dennis has a long history of being used, and likely gravitated towards Chip as a friend because Dennis was used to having people treat him like crap (e.g. Jackie). The whole thing about recovery is change, because the base message of the 12 steps is that "the SAME person will drink again." So we have a character Chip who is still trapped in who he used to be, being a PITA to everyone because he doesn't have a cell phone.** It is hard to be there for someone if they can't get a hold of you. Dennis has been putting up with Chip only having the landline for years, but now he has a new AA buddy and suddenly Chip has a phone. I see a bit of a basis for a resentment here. So the change we now see in Dennis is that he is setting some healthy boundaries between him and Chip. Loved the scene where Dennis didn't take the call while talking to Kara, and clueless Chip thinks he isn't using the phone correctly, not aware at all that he been a d-bag to Dennis for years. I didn't see Dennis acting irrationally, I was wondering what was taking him so long.
** I am an old timer who got sober before cell phones. I am not sure that they have helped recovery. If I wanted time with my sponsor, it was face to face at a meeting. In person means that everything about me is there for scrutiny. Using a phone means that all the body language communication has been removed, and texting takes away the vocal inflection communication as well. I really can't tell how a sponsee is doing if all they do is text me "fine." In the beginning I was given one rule by my sponsor, that I was not to call him at 2AM with a problem that I had at 10PM. I still use that as pretty much my only rule. I have a suspicion that cell phones give too much false security to newcomers, and that they believe that they can get themselves out of a situation all the time with said cell phone. The thing is, I might not be available when they need me, and historically nearly every problem an alcoholic encounters was there days, weeks, or months before it became a crisis (e.g. Chip and the store). To me, cell phones mostly encourage people to delay an action until the last possible second, or they encourage people to not plan things out ahead of time to avoid jackpots. Which is better, a sponsee telling me on Monday night at a meeting that he is thinking about drinking, or a sponsee calling me at 11PM on Friday as he is sitting on a barstool because he figured it could wait.
I think my percentage of Chimp DNA is higher than others. Cleaver Greene