Lou and Billy may be brothers but they are chalk and cheese. Billy is successful while Lou can't hold down a job, although in spite of his total lack of charm he is also their mother's favourite. Faced with mounting bills he comes up with a ludicrous scheme to fake his own death and claim the insurance money, the idea being that after plastic surgery he will fly to South America on a false passport where his long- suffering wife will join him, something that would not be quite so easy in the post-9/11 world.
Actually, this scheme would not be quite so ludicrous if his body were simply to disappear, but Billy is a coroner, and after faking Lou's murder the three conspirators call the police, who don't realise he is dead, while Billy performs the autopsy. Obviously to credit this endeavour requires a little poetic licence, but they manage to pull it off, although things don't go quite to plan, because shortly, Irene realises she has married the wrong brother.
After persuading Lou to decamp to South America leaving the insurance money at home, no more is heard from Billy and Irene, so Lou returns. What happens next is, well, let's just say that although he was a nasty piece of work, Lou didn't deserve this.
Actually, this scheme would not be quite so ludicrous if his body were simply to disappear, but Billy is a coroner, and after faking Lou's murder the three conspirators call the police, who don't realise he is dead, while Billy performs the autopsy. Obviously to credit this endeavour requires a little poetic licence, but they manage to pull it off, although things don't go quite to plan, because shortly, Irene realises she has married the wrong brother.
After persuading Lou to decamp to South America leaving the insurance money at home, no more is heard from Billy and Irene, so Lou returns. What happens next is, well, let's just say that although he was a nasty piece of work, Lou didn't deserve this.