The organization isn’t getting much money from donors because Payne can’t stand sucking up to rich people. Julio says he’s going to have to learn to.

Maggie has been able to find a couple of billionaires who are willing to invest in her startup. Richard Rowell inherited his money from his parents, and after facing no consequences for seven DUIs, he felt so guilty that he turned himself in to serve a month in prison.

Payne is instructed to be welcoming and nice to Julio and his wife Richard so that they will want to donate to Hugs Not Thugs. ..

Payne is mostly able to hold his tongue throughout their visit. Richard and Rhonda seem to really enjoy the tour, as well. But Payne compromises everything when he yells at them over dinner. Unable to hold it in any longer, he calls them monsters. ..

He soon calms down and apologizes, begging them not to punish the huggers for his actions. But Richard and Rhonda don’t care. They insist they deserve to be yelled at. Why should anyone have a billion dollars anyway?

Payne asks for $1 million from the group, but they insist on $15 million. It turns out that the group is not actually offering their money out of the kindness of their hearts. They have a “thing” that requires them to donate this much money. ..

They go on to explain that Rhonda likes to have sex with poor people, and Richard likes to watch. Since they both loved how Payne put them in their place, they choose him.

Julio tells Payne that he doesn’t have to do this; they’ll get the money another way. But Payne always said he’d do anything to keep the non-profit going. Dejected, he walks out of the building to meet them in the van. ..

The Episode Review

In the penultimate episode of Season One, Michael Imperioli gives a strong performance as the conflicted Payne in his struggle between devotion and dignity. This episode adds a layer of complexity to Payne’s story that is both new and exciting.

“F*ck the Rich” is a clever way to attack the nonprofit’s attempt to keep afloat. By implying that Payne’s pride is going to ruin their effort, the writer implies that the nonprofit is not worth saving.

In the end, it’s not his pride that is taken advantage of, but his devotion to Hugs Not Thugs. We get the desired outcome–a huge donation–with a gross and exploitative twist, as well as some cutting criticism of the rich.