Buck lives in a small apartment in Chicago, drinks, smokes cigars, earns his living by betting on rigged horse races and drives a dilapidated 1977 Mercury that backfires. Buck and his girlfriend Chanice have been together for eight years; she wants to get married and start a family, and Buck has grudgingly accepted a new job at her tire shop. Since the Nevilles are vacationing in Florida, Bob and Cindy have no choice but to turn to Buck. Buck cheerfully informs Chanice that he cannot start his job yet due to the family emergency. Chanice thinks Buck is trying, as usual, to lie his way out of working.