The arrival of heartthrob Arnie Rivers, George’s teenage crush, at the comedy club knocks Mae’s confidence; Arnie tells Mae to be as honest as possible on stage, catapulting her career but collapsing her relationship with George.
Mae hits rock bottom after her break-up with George; while George is pining for her, Mae is having casual sex and starts to fall back into her old habits of self-destruction.
In Canada, Mae goes into recovery, where they run into an old companion, yet winds up leaving. Mae considers George and discloses to her they should say a final farewell to one another. George goes to an office party and has intercourse with one of her male partners.