Ben and Katie break-up in the lead up to his thirtieth birthday. He doesn't want to show anyone how much the break-up has affected him, he only stating to friends that their time together had taken its course. His friends not only want him to get back into the dating scene, but just want him to get out and have fun, which generally means going to the bars. Ben, however, comes to the conclusion that he has never really enjoyed the bar scene, and takes a stance that he will no longer spend his time at such places, and beyond taking his dog Schnitzel out for her walks, extends it to that he won't go out at all. That self-imposed shut-in status may include not going to the imminent bachelor party and wedding of one of his best friends, Jim, which may negatively affect his friendships in their totality. Beyond his work as a movie reviewer for a number of online publications, he has to find ways to survive at home in all aspects of his life, both personally and professionally. He is largely able to do so, having most of what he needs delivered, purchasing some new toys, such as a pinball machine, to keep him preoccupied, getting voice acting work which he can do from home, and even having women who he meets on online dating websites come over to his place for their encounters. In this situation, Ben ends up making a connection with Jess, one of his regular food delivery people. As Ben and Jess progress from a purely professional relationship to the start of a personal one, Ben, who does not tell her the truth about not leaving home, has to make some decisions about his shut-in status, which he can only do in being up front with himself for the real reason for doing it.