The Mahogany Fortress

**The Mahogany Fortress** is the first episode of the fifth season of *F is for Family*. It was first confirmed on December 8th 2020. It premiered on November 25th 2021

## Plot

The episode opens with Frank and Big Bill on a sunset fishing trip and having a great time. Frank tells his father that he is glad that they had time to patch things up between them and sheds a single tear. Big Bill berates "Francine" for crying and tells him “I’ll give you something to cry about! I’m gonna die on you now!” He then clutches his chest and slumps forward with alarms blaring all around. The scene then cuts to the hospital where a doctor and Beatrice fight to save Big Bill’s life with Frank by his father’s side. Following defibrillation, Big Bill stays alive long enough (with Vic interrupting to show off his newborn son) to utter his final words to Frank, “Bach’s 16” before dying. Frank frantically pounds his father’s chest in an attempt to revive him while his family and Vic look on. Sue tells newborn Megan that her father is not always like this.

Later, the Murphy family attend Big Bill’s visitation at O’Doolihee’s Home for Funerals and Crematorium while Nana Rose and Anthony babysit Megan at home. Frank tried to keep his emotions bottled up and becomes annoyed that he has to miss a 2-hour Colt Luger TV movie. Bill and Maureen are disappointed that they have to miss Halloween again.

At the funeral home, Frank complains about the invoice he received for the funerary services while Bill and Maureen begin to fight with each other. Sue becomes annoyed with her family’s behaviour and leaves the room to get fresh air. The neighbours and Big Bill’s friends show their utmost support to Frank and speak of fond memories of Big Bill much to Frank’s chagrin. Bill learns from Father Pat that as long as a priest gives him last rites before he dies all sin is forgiven. This gives Bill an excuse to continue to pester Maureen. Kevin tries to talk Frank into letting his band perform a tribute song he wrote at the cemetery the next day. Frank refuses even though they talked about it on Tuesday (while Frank was making funeral arrangements and he subsequently forgot about it).

Maureen hides from Bill in the embalming room and befriends Bobby who allows her to stay and watch him embalm a corpse. She doesn’t feel scared or disgusted by the process having witnessed the Dunbartons’ deaths in the Season 2 finale. Bobby explains to her about what happens to you after you die and gives her a glass eye as a gift.

Bill, while looking for Maureen, goes outside and talks to Jimmy Fitzsimmons (who is “early Christmas shopping” with Bridget and their dad in the funeral home’s dumpster). He tells him of how he thinks that church is a scam and that you don’t have to do good things as long as you have last rites before you die. Jimmy tells him that family is all you got in this world.

Meanwhile, Sue stands on the front porch, having a cigarette. She then quickly tries to hide it from Kevin who storms outside. He complains to her about his conversation with Frank. She tells him to give Frank a break as he is going through a lot; and that they need to put their feelings aside and support him. She then agrees to quit smoking if Kevin makes an effort to improve his relationship with his father.

Later, Frank’s co-workers arrive to pay their respects and offer their support. Bob Pogo announces that he has convinced Brandy Dunbarton to sell Mohican Airways to Alaquippa in order to open a fast food restaurant that only sells fried chicken skins called Skinneees. This angers his co-workers and they chase him out of the funeral home, chucking deviled eggs at him.

Janet Vanderheim explains to Frank about the five stages of grief (right now he is in stage 2: anger). She tells him that he can’t keep holding back his anger. Taking her advice to let his anger out, Frank goes outside and cusses his father out to the heavens. This makes Frank feel better and he delivers the eulogy.

The next day, Big Bill is laid to rest with Kevin and his band performing “Sky Grandpa.” Frank continues to keep his emotions bottled up and tells Maureen that her birthday party is still on (he booked it on Tuesday and forgot about it along with Kevin’s performance).

During Maureen’s 10th birthday party at the bowling alley, Frank is in a good mood up until the employee presents him with father and son custom made, monogrammed bowling balls. Frank has ordered them a week before Big Bill died and had forgotten about them. Frank then retreats to a photo booth where he experiences another stage of grief (depression). The photo booth prints out photos of Frank crying and chastising Big Bill.

## Trivia

* **Title Reference:** The casket that Big Bill is laying in is called the Mahogany Fortress X500.
* This is the 1st episode of season 5 .
* The 5 stages of grief are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In this episode Frank experiences **denial** (his behaviour at the hospital after witnessing his father die; mindless behaviour (kicking a trick or treater dressed as the grim reaper); insisting that he is feeling fine; forgetting Kevin’s tribute performance, Maureen’s birthday, and the bowling balls he ordered the week before), **anger** (he displayed irritability at the funeral home as he didn’t really want to be there and had to listen to other mourners talk about his father. He was also further irritated to be reminded of other arrangements made on Tuesday), **bargaining** (ruminating on the past ie: “Box 16” which is seen in subsequent episodes) and **depression** (crying in the photo booth). At the end of the season/series, Frank finally **accepts** his fathers passing. Sometimes there are seven stages of grief with shock and guilt being apart of it depending on the situation. Everybody grieves differently.
* Megan Murphy looks different that she did in the Season 4 finale after she was born.
* The episode takes place on October 31, 1974.
* Megan’s name is not included in Big Bill’s obituary nor was her name mentioned in this episode.
* The song playing during the end credits is “My Dad” by Paul Peterson

## Quotes

**Big Bill**: Bach’s... 16...

**Frank:** Box 16? What the fuck does that mean?

**Big Bill:** (flatlines)

**Beatrice:** We lost him.

**Frank:** Oh no, you can’t die and leave me with that!! GET UP! GET UP, YOU SON OF A BITCH! *(repeatedly pounds Big Bill’s chest)*

**Kevin:** Dad! No! Stop hurting Grandpa!

**Frank:** Shut up! I’m helping him!

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

**Bill Murphy**: So as long as a priest gives you last rites before you die, you can do any kind of crap and still go to heaven?

**Father Pat**: EVerything’s forgiven, except questioning the rules of forgiveness.

**Bill Murphy**: Ugh! I’ve wasted 12 years being good. *(Picks up ashtray and walks to Maureen.)* Guess what? It’s Ash Thursday. *(Dumps ashtray over Maureen*)

**Maureen Murphy**: Ah! Ow! That had a lit one in it!

———————————————————————————

**Bob Pogo:** Oh Frank, let me engulf you in the loose folds of my bad choices! *(Sobs and hugs Frank)* Life is so precious, you’ve got to live everyday like it’s the last call at the Chinatown Buffet! They’ll tell you they’re out of crab wontons, but they’re not! They have more in the freezer! THEY’RE JUST TOO LAZY TO THAW THEM OUT!

**Rosie:** Bob is right, we have to live for today.

**Carl:** Yeah, fuck tomorrow!

**Pogo:** It’s all we have. That’s why I decided, I’m gonna live my dream, and open a restaurant that only sells chicken skins. SKINNEEES!

**Frank:** How can you afford that?

**Pogo:** It’s simple. Through treachery. I encouraged Mrs. Dunbarton to go ahead and sell Mohican to Alaquippa. *(Carl, Frank, Red and Rosie look at him in shock and anger)*

**Frank:** *(angrily)* You what?!

**Pogo:** The deal closed yesterday.

**Rosie:** You told her to sell it?!

**Frank:** *(pushing his finger into Pogo’s chest)* Bob, when we almost died on that plane, you said that you were gonna stop that sale.

**Pogo:** I know! But thanks to your dad dying suddenly, it made me change my mind again.

**Frank:** My dad?

**Red:** You fucked us, you son of a bitch!

**Pogo:** Now calm down, let me finish. You’ll keep your jobs working more hours, with lower pay, and no benefits!

**Rosie:** I’m gonna suffocate you with your own neck, you pelican-chinned motherfucker! *(Grabs a plate of deviled eggs and rushes Pogo)*

**Pogo:** *(being chased out of the funeral home by Rosie, Carl, and Red)* I thought you’d be more mature about this!

**Red:** Fuck you! *(chucking deviled eggs at Pogo’s car along with Rosie and Carl)*

**Rosie:** You sold us out, you traitor!

**Pogo:** Why can’t you be happy for me?!?

—————————————————————————————-——

**Frank Murphy**: I've been asked to say a few words about my dad. Here goes. William Francis Murphy was born on March 14, 1901 in Chinaman's Ferry....

## References

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/FIFFNetflix/status/1336175886383517698