An aspiring comic finds himself without a home after he catches his wife in a compromising position; Pete attempts to find solace at a New York comedy club, where he befriends cynical comedy legend Artie Lange.
Pete wallows in his new reality; Artie offers to let Pete be his opening act in exchange for a ride to Albany; Pete meets co-headliner T.J. Miller and attempts to save Artie from breaking his sobriety.
While staying at T.J. Miller's place, Pete witnesses a comic who is unable to "turn it off''; Pete and T.J. travel upstate for his wife's yard sale; Pete unexpectedly teams up with Leif to get back a prized possession; Jess voices her true feelings.
In an effort to get stage time, Pete spends the night handing out fliers for a comedy club; while on the streets of New York, Pete encounters disinterested locals, befriends up-and-coming comics, engages in a turf war and gets a pep talk.
When Pete's parents decide to come to New York for his mother's birthday, Pete begs Jess to come along and keep up the charade of their marriage; Pete faces a turning point.
The relationship of Pete, Jess and Leif come to a head at the baptism ceremony of an adult friend of Pete and Jess. In a subplot, Pete's friend Artie might also be shown a new way to look at life.