"We're trapped on a sinking ship, okay? We're gonna die in here."
— Charlie
After getting locked in the brig together, the gang soon realize that the ship they're on is sinking and use what could be their final moments to come clean with each other and confront some harsh truths about themselves. (Part 2 of 2)
This episode provides examples of the following tropes:
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: The gang demonstrate that they really do love and care about each other in their own warped way as they hold hands beneath the water and wait to drown.
- Bad Impressionists: Dee does an impression of Obama that's both terrible and racist. Averted by Dennis, who actually does a pretty spot-on impression of C.C.H. Pounder and Mac's father.
- Beyond the Impossible: Charlie somehow manages to survive a point-blank shot to the head from a flare gun, baring some singe marks.
- Bottle Episode: Aside from the opening and closing scenes, the entire episode takes place inside a single room and features no additional characters other than the gang.
- Call-Back:
- Dennis claims that he didn't want Luther visiting his and Mac's apartment in case he tried to eat their butts.
- Dennis once again tells Dee that he loves her in a moment of high emotion, only for her to reject him again.
- Can't Get Away with Nuthin': It's revealed at the end of the episode that the gang could have been entitled to an insurance payout from the cruise operators, had they not just confessed to a litany of crimes.
- Chekhov's Gun:
- Dennis mentions in the first act that he always carries a piece of onion around in his pocket in case he ever needs to make himself cry. He later uses it to feign remorse after hurting Mac's feelings.
- At one point the gang find a flare gun which Charlie later uses to shoot himself in the head in an attempt to prove that they're already dead.
- Closed Circle: The gang is trapped in the brig the entire episode, and progressively go insane with only each other to talk to and no one updating them on the state of the cruise.
- Continuity Nod:
- Charlie states that there was a time when he wouldn't even leave Philly.
- Mac says that he and Dennis don't allow dogs in their house.
- Cooldown Hug: When Charlie starts freaking out, Dennis is able to calm him down with a "soccer hooligan" chant.
- Crocodile Tears: Dennis reveals that he carries a piece of onion around in his pocket to make himself cry when others expect him to appear sympathetic.
- Dead All Along: Charlie comes to "realize" this during his last freakout, "rationalizing" that the Gang died and is either in Hell or in Purgatory. He decides to "prove" this by shooting himself in the head with a flare gun.
- Drowning Pit: The brig where the gang are trapped becomes one, rapidly filling up with water after the ship turns on its side.
- Dumbass Has a Point: For the first half of the episode, Charlie is the only member of the gang who seems to recognize the seriousness of the situation.
- Even Evil Has Standards: The rest of the gang are appalled by Dee's impression of Obama, which they find extremely racist.
- Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory: Discussed in-universe, as Charlie delivers an entire speech about how believes the gang are dead and in hell already.Charlie: We're dead. And we're in hell, we're just being toyed with here. Or maybe we're not in hell yet, you know, maybe this is purgatory and we're on our way to be judged. And soon, oh boy... (laughs) Yeah, soon we'll really be in hell. Won't that be something?
- Everything Is Racist: Mac seems to suffer from the "everything is homophobic" variant.Dennis: Yes, Mac, a human pyramid! Alright, you and I will be the bottoms.
Mac: Why, 'cause I'm gay?
Dennis: No, not because you're gay, dumbass! Because we're the strongest! - Face Death with Dignity: The Gang accept they're about to die and join each other at the bottom.Mac: Let's go be with the Gang.
- Flipping the Table: Mac flips an imaginary table after the rest of the gang ruin his equally imaginary dinner party.
- Freak Out: Charlie has at least three: first at the beginning of the episode due to being locked in the brig; then when Dennis confirms that the boat isn't moving; and finally after the boat flips on its side. The last one culminates in him shooting himself in the head with a flare gun.
- Gaslighting: Mac reveals that Charlie has been changing the prescription on Frank's glasses in order to keep Frank dependent on him.
- Gilligan Cut:Dennis: Let's just try to enjoy these last moments we've got together? Okay? Or these last hours. Or, hell... it could even be days.
(cut to ten minutes later, with the gang all treading water at the very top of the room) - Go Mad from the Isolation: Discussed when Dee tells the rest of the gang not to talk to her; Mac says that this would be a bad idea, as his dad apparently spent some time in solitary confinement.
- Good News, Bad News: Dennis does a variant when he sums up the "pros and cons" of the situation.Dennis: Pro: we've cut our conflict resolution time in half. Four hours, that's good for us. That's — that's huge. Con: Charlie's right, the ship is probably not moving because we definitely would have been in the Bahamas by now.
- Hidden Depths: Dennis turns out to be pretty good at impressions, after doing a spot-on imitation of Mac's dad and C.C.H. Pounder. Dee objects because putting on characters is her thing, but she can only do rough stereotypes.
- Historical Rap Sheet: Frank's confession:Frank: I was at Chappaquiddick! The girl! Teddy Kennedy! The bridge! The car! I played a major role!
- Jive Turkey: Dee's impression of Obama comes off this way, with lots of "yo" and "brotha".
- Locked in a Room: Almost the entire episode takes place with the gang locked together in the ship's brig. Much bickering and backstabbing ensues, along with a few genuinely heartfelt moments.
- Mood Whiplash: The first half of the episode is pretty standard, lighthearted bottle episode fare featuring impressions, imaginary dinner parties and an extended Stomp-like musical number. The second half after the boat flips, while still comedic, has a noticeably darker tone as the gang realize the seriousness of their situation and come to terms with their impending deaths.
- Mondegreen Gag:Frank: (singing) Amazing Grace/How sweet the sauce...
Dee: Sauce?! It's not sauce! You gotta get the words right or Jesus is gonna know we're trying to trick him! - Not-So-Final Confession: Once the apparent inevitability of their deaths sinks in, the gang decides that it might be a good idea to get some things off their chests. In reality, however, their "confessions" (except for Frank, who confesses his involvement in Ted Kennedy's Chappaquiddick incident) are actually just tattling on each other: Dee reveals that Mac owns a Cowboys jersey, Mac reveals that Charlie changes the prescription on Frank's glasses, and Charlie reveals that Dennis has been throwing away letters from Mac's father.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Mac is so devastated by the revelation that his father has been writing to him and Dennis threw away the letters that he says he doesn't even have the energy to attack Dennis for it and instead simply sits down in the rising water. It's out of character enough that the others are visibly unnerved.
- Prayer Is a Last Resort: Despite the fact that none of them believe in God, the rest of the gang implore Mac (who lost his faith in the previous episode) to pray for a miracle on their behalf just before they go under the water.
- Previously on…: Lampshaded and parodied in the opening scene, with the gang arguing as to whether they should "recap" the events of part one for their unseen audience.Frank: I'm very cloudy about the beginning. I think I need a recap.
Dennis: Recap?!
Charlie: A recap would be good, you know, just to kind of brush up on everything that happened.
Mac: A recap honestly might be good because, you know, we want him to be completely clear before the final judgment. - Reset Button: In the previous episode, Mac was very rapidly convinced to accept his own homosexuality, and subsequently discarded his faith and decided everything is meaningless. When the gang is rescued at the end, Mac decides it's a miracle, proving that God exists, which somehow proves that he's not gay.
- The Reveal: Turns out the gang aren't talking to God after all; they're talking to an insurance adjuster whom they believed to be a cop. And the White Void Room? That was a result of the light he had on shining them in the face (they were standing in front of a white wall).
- Ripped from the Headlines: A cruise ship capsizing due to an incompetent captain is similar to the Costa Concordia disaster
. - Saying Sound Effects Out Loud: The gang have a very heated argument about what a boat engine should sound like. It's later revealed that this lasted for over four hours.
- Serious Business: When Dee reveals that Mac owns a Cowboys jersey, the others react as though he's killed someone.
- Sinking Ship Scenario: The premise of the episode is that the gang are trapped on board a sinking ship.
- Shout-Out:
- Dennis does an impression of CCH Pounder in The Shield.
- The gang use various objects they find lying around the brig as percussive instruments to perform an impromptu Stomp-style musical number.
- The entire premise of the episode seems to be a shout-out to No Exit, a French play about a group of people who've been sent to Hell, where their punishment is to be locked in a room together tormenting one another with their company.
- Skewed Priorities: Mac agrees to be the bottom of the pyramid for now, but feels it's important to point out that he will be a "top" in his sexual relationships.Dennis: Okay, fine. When you're having gay sex, you can be on the top!
- Straw Nihilist: Mac becomes one for the duration of the episode.Mac: What difference does it make, you know? Life is just a series of events with no meaning or plan. You know, it's like we live, we die, we're gay, we're straight, we're tops, we're bottoms...
- Stop Being Stereotypical: Dennis notes at one point that Mac is really throwing himself into his new gay lifestyle, "stereotypes and all".
- Tempting Fate: Dennis tells the others that everything is going to be okay immediately before the ship tips on its side.
- Wham Shot: Charlie casually putting the flare gun to his head to confirm that they are already dead, and firing.
- You Are Already Dead: During their time in the brig, Charlie becomes convinced that the Gang died at some point and only he has realized it.Charlie: I figured it out... We're dead, we died. And I don't know when it happened. It might've... might have happened on the cruise ship. It might have happened on the drive to the cruise ship, you were going awful fast, Dennis... I don't know, maybe it happened weeks ago in the bar, in some sort of... colossal and awesome event, I would imagine, but we're dead. And we're in Hell, we're just being toyed with here. Or-or m-maybe we're not in Hell yet, you know, maybe this is Purgatory, and we're on our way to be judged... And soon, oh boy... (chuckles; laughs) Yeah, soon, we'll really be in Hell, won't that be something...
Dennis: Charlie, calm down. It's-it's gonna be fine, okay? We can't be freaking out every five minutes. Now, look... if we work together, everything's gonna be fine. We're gonna get out of here.
Charlie: Nah. We're already dead. I'll prove it. (cocks trigger on flare gun; aims it at head; fires)
