Danny: User or Used?

[Top41]

There's been a lot of debate about Danny and the way he reacts to/treats/is treated by the people in his life. Since debates in various threads have touched on this subject, I thought it might make a good thread. Do you think Danny is someone who uses people, or is he used by them?

On the using side: Danny seems to seek out people to make him feel better about himself. He responded to Lindsay's obvious interest in him, got her hooked--and then turned on her when he went through an emotional crisis. He slept with Rikki to assuage his guilt over Ruben's death. Despite the numerous times we've seen Flack be there for Danny, we've never seen Danny return the favor; when Flack helped Danny get his gun back in "All in the Family," Danny told him he should have "minded his own business." Most recently, Danny unloaded on a grieving couple about his own problems.

On the used side: People seem to take advantage of Danny. Lindsay preyed on his feelings for her in "Oedipus Hex" when she got him to take on the unpleasant task of dealing with the dead girl's mother. Danny continued to support Lindsay in the third season, even after she stood him up, walked away from him and left New York without a word to him. He's been there for her, despite the fact that she has never returned the favor. Rikki presumably made a move on Danny and he slept with her despite the fact that he felt it was "wrong"--essentially he let her use him so she didn't have to feel so alone after Ruben's death. Danny's brother, Louie, rejected him when they were teens, but Danny still was (eventually) there for him when he called.

So what do you think? Is Danny a user, or is he used by people? Somewhere in the middle or not at all either?

 

[PepeBee]

I'm feeling that he's both. I mean, there's always time where you're thrust in a situation that you either use people or get used. All of us have them times.

He may have done so either knowingly or unknowingly (from what we could beam out of the episodes). But I feel like he and Lindsay have been using one another to 1)fill an empty part of themselves 2) make it seem that there's somebody who they have a purpose on.

And him giving back on all the stuff Flack has done for him...we're counting on that to happen.

 

[dopebabygirl]

I think he's both.
You already said it Top41, he does use people and he is used by some.

 

[cSiNyFrEaK30]

I voted both, but I'm beginning to think more deeply about it now.

For example, I don't think he 'uses' people, per se...it's more that when he gets under a certain amount of emotional strain and uncertainty, he needs someone to calm him down and tell him things will be alright, even if he doesn't believe them. Flack has been that person many times, as has Mac (specifically in RSRD), but I don't think Danny ran to them immeadiatly-it's more that they were there for him, since they knew how he could be if left alone with what he's dealing with. I don't think he sat down in front of that couple in The Box planning to tell them all of his woes-something they said triggered it, and seeing as how Danny can be very impulsive as well as emotional, i think it was just a case of whoever happened to be there first, rather than him finding someone to talk to about it.

As for the used part makes a bit more sense-although I don't think Danny considers himself being "used" when he does the things he does for other people. He genuinely cares for his friends as well as the victims he's protecting, and for most of them it seems like he would walk through fire so that they wouldn't feel pain or hurt or be in danger. He allows himself to be used as Lindsay's punching bag, Rikki's source of relief from the pain she's feeling, etc., but never thinks twice when he does it. Once again, he's very impulsive, and the things he does rarely come about after him sitting down and thinking long and hard what he's going to be doing and the consequences he might face.

So i guess I still fall kind of in the middle...but leaning more towards "used," although I don't think its a conscious decision on Danny's part to be that way...

 

[calleighspeedle]

I voted both.

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

I think he's both but I don't think he uses people out of malice or only for his own gain. I think he's just an emotionally screwed up guy who lets his emotions guide how he behaves instead of thinking things through.

 

[MacsLady]

I agree a lot with csinyfreak30. That said I do think he was both user and used in the relationship with Lindsay, though I don't think he intentionally set out to either use her or was aware he was being used by her. It was just a messed up relationship. Same with him and Rikki, both really were using each other for comfort, though with Rikki I think Danny wanted more than just sex. Danny's messed up, and flawed, but he's not the type to deliberately and maliciously use others. He unloads his problems on people when he's upset, but when he does I think it's either to try to reach out to them via his own pain, or because he trusts/wants them to reassure him (Flack and Mac especially).

 

[racefh853629]

I voted both, but I don't think either of them are intentionally. Well, maybe the being used part, but I don't think he plans on using people.

Danny seems to always want to sacrifice himself to make everyone around him better... which is the being used. But he isn't always the best at reciprocating the support he gets from Flack and others. I don't think he means to use them, it just kinda happens.