Horace and Pete

Episode 5 (1x5)

Air date: Feb 27, 2016

The family hold a wake in the bar for Uncle Pete, who has recently committed suicide. Marsha talks about her background; she has been a heavy drinker since the age of 13 and shortly afterwards became pregnant. Abortion was not an option at the time and she gave the child up for adoption. She dropped out of school and worked various jobs before getting into a relationship with Horace senior, who supported her financially and gave her free drinks. Uncle Pete treated her as family and continued to support her after Horace senior's death. Sylvia attacks her, asking why the family should continue to support her now. Marsha agrees that they owe her nothing and leaves the bar, perhaps for the last time. Sylvia's illness has resulted in tensions between her and her daughter Brenda; when Brenda mentions that her mother needs the money from selling the bar for her treatment she angrily orders her to leave, and spends the night in the apartment upstairs. There is an "intermission". At the bar, Kurt again expounds on politics, suggesting that Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders should be co-presidents in order to completely destroy the current political and economic system. An obnoxious gay customer irritates Tom, one of the regulars, and a fight almost breaks out; Horace kicks him out. Pete begs Horace and Sylvia not to sell the bar, saying this is the only life he knows and he would not know what to do without it given his history of mental illness and lack of employment opportunities. Against that, Sylvia is broke and can't afford her cancer treatment. Horace is unwilling to throw Pete out and suggests as a compromise that Sylvia become involved in managing the bar as a co-owner. Kurt and other regulars discuss suicide; Kurt is irritated by people who complain about their lives, saying if it's so bad why don't they just "peace the fuck out"? Pete replies "because maybe, things will get better".