Episode Report Card Aaron: C | 1 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Death: The High Cost of Living
By Aaron | Season 1 | Episode 2 | Aired on 06.09.2001
Downstairs, David comes across Mr. Suarez's son, who is waiting in the living room. When he notices Suarez Jr. perusing the Titan catalog, he mentions that they cost $9,000. Mr. Suarez explains that Nate already offered to let him have it for $4,500.
We cut downstairs to see Federico explaining to Nate why it's illegal to re-sell a coffin: "There are fluids that seep, okay? And [Mr. Baitey], he seeped." David runs in and starts in on the same line of thought, but Nate feels that Mr. Suarez "wants a quality coffin, and [they] happen to have one available." Federico insists that all of this is wrong, against his beliefs, and most importantly, "unsanitary." "They're dead," exclaims Nate. "What disease can they possibly catch?" David explains that it's too late, and now they lost the profit on two $9,000 coffins. Nate is as shocked as I was to learn about the mark-up.
We cut back upstairs, where the boys try to explain the situation to Mr. Suarez. Nate keeps insisting that everything is okay, and that David is being "a fucking moron." Finally, Suarez Jr. agrees to stipulate that he understands the condition of the coffin. Then he stands up and tells them, "You've closed, okay? Don't over-close. It kills the word of mouth." Based on this show's steep ratings drop-off from week one to week two, I think the writers may find those to be words to live by. Or possibly die by.
Jogging scene of the week. Still a cemetery, but this week there's peppy rock music to go with the shots of Late Nate's grave. Nate stands over the tombstone, and suddenly DeadDad appears behind him, bemoaning his epitaph: "Is that the best they could come up with? 'Husband, Father, Caregiver'?" "Would you prefer 'Sadist, Introvert, Mind-Fucker'?" asks Nate. Just then, Matthew Gilardi -- a.k.a. The Salesman Who Always Knows Where All The Fishers Are All The Time -- approaches. He makes the sales pitch to Nate again, this time including the phrase, "We've made a very rich buyout offer for your unit." Please God, spare me any further talk of Nate's unit. I'm getting hair visuals that will be burned into my brain for all eternity. When Nate seems reluctant to sell, Gilardi turns the screws, threatening to interfere with their suppliers and lure Federico away. The threat delivered, Gilardi turns to walk away, and Late Nate appears again to mock him a bit.
Over in a garage somewhere, Nate and David arrive to find the totaled hearse. They stare at it a bit, and the sad music swells, and then Nate goes over to look inside. He's disgusted by the fact that there's still blood on the steering wheel, but I don't care about any of that since all I can think is that this scene was so much better in Fight Club. David, being the can-do guy that he is, shrugs it off and grabs the papers out of the glove compartment. "Jesus, don't you feel anything?" asks Nate. "Yeah, I feel betrayed," David replies. Just then, Nate's cell phone rings, and it's (surprise) Brenda. She orders him and David to meet her on a random street corner as quickly as possible.