Barking
Crashing | Season 1 | Episode 4

Barking

TV-MA | 29 MIN

Written by Pete Holmes and Eric Slovin
Directed by Jeff Schaffer

Pete asks Jason, the manager of the Boston Comedy Club, if he can perform, and Jason tells him he needs to "bark" to earn the stage time. Jason instructs Pete to write his name on the back of fliers, and if he's attracted five paying customers by the end of the night, he can go up.

Pete retrieves his stack of fliers and meets veteran barkers Russell, Anaya and Porter. He's uncomfortable the flier features comics who aren't a part of the show, but he joins in anyway. Before they begin, the group stops at a halal cart and Pete shares how happy he is to be hanging out with other comedians. They mistake his sincerity for a comedy bit and laugh.

Pete hands out fliers to uninterested New Yorkers on a corner near the club. When he returns to his spot after a short bathroom break, he notices it's been taken over by Ryan, a comic from another club. Pete finds a new location and continues to bark with little success. A group of Korean businessmen approach looking for The Blue Note, and Pete gives them directions.

Pete asks a drug dealer how he handles a "turf war," and is told to get in Ryan's face because "nobody really wants to fight." Taking this advice, Pete stands next to Ryan and begins barking until Ryan whips out a retractable baton and hits Pete. Pete pushes back, and when Ryan swings again, he shatters the window of an idling car. Ryan takes off, so the angry man in the car chases Pete -- and is hit by a car.

Defeated, Pete heads to The Boston and watches Hannibal Buress on stage but is ordered back to his corner by Jason. Marina Franklin offers some encouragement as Pete reluctantly leaves. At the end of the night, Pete returns and performs for the few stragglers who remain after Hannibal's set. He struggles until the group of Korean businessmen enter the club; they are easily amused and turn out to be a great audience.

Jason tells Pete to come back the next day, and the comics all head to another club.

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