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"In Which Claims Are Made and a Journey Ensues" is the pilot episode of the IFC and More4 television series The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret.

The episode opens on Todd sitting in shackles in a British courtroom flanked by police officers. A magistrate is reading a list of charges that include: the funding of a terrorist organization, possession of biological weapons, blackmail, possession of child pornography with intent to distribute and possession of a rape kit. The courtroom subsequently erupts into chaos.

The scene cuts to the newly appointed head of the fictional American corporation Global National, Brent Wilts (Will Arnett), yelling at middle manager Doug Whitney (Spike Jonez). Global National has decided to market an energy drink to the United Kingdom and is looking for someone to head up the company’s British office. Wilts then hears Todd Margaret (David Cross) threatening someone very loudly and profanely, seemingly over the phone. Wilts then decides that he like Todd’s attitude and that he would be best to head up the British office. Unfortunately, Todd wasn’t really yelling at someone over the phone, but rather repeating after a self-help tape, with which he quickly becomes disenchanted. Regardless, Wilts makes Todd an offer of $120,000 a year to start, which Todd readily agrees to, despite Whitney’s severe protestations. Wilts’ mind is made up however, and he asks Todd if he is familiar at all with the UK market. Todd lies and says he is before quickly scanning the room for some sort of visual cue to bolster his lie. He finds a copy of the album “Live at Leeds” by The Who. He then tells Wilts that he spent his summer in Leeds with his father. Wilts is overjoyed and asks if Todd’s father can help the company, to which Todd replies that his father died last week, an obvious lie to Whitney but Wilts believes Todd and even defends him to Whitney. Wilts then gives Todd a company credit card and fires Whitney even as Whitney questions his authority to do so.

The scene then cuts to Todd talking to a girl (Amber Tamblyn) and explaining how his new position requires him to live in England. The girl replies that although she had slept with him several weeks before, she considered it a mistake and that they were most certainly not dating. She then ushers Todd out of the window so the he is not seen be her date for the evening. Todd tries to ask her to feed his cat while he’s gone, but he is cut off before he has the chance.

Todd is next seen getting ready to leave. He has a giant trunk full of his belongings, and leaves a tub with thirty cans of tuna in it for his cat to live off of while he’s away. The cat starts devouring the tuna right away. Todd then flies to England.

Todd arrives, and the first shop he enters is a restaurant run by Alice (Sharon Horgan), leaving his trunk outside due to its size. Alice is having trouble removing the lid from a jar of jam and Todd offers to help. He is unable to remove the lid by force alone, and decides to use Alice’s espresso machine to heat the lid and make it easier to remove. Despite Alice’s warnings that the lid would be hot Todd then tries to get the lid off again, burning his hand and throwing the jar across the room.

Alice bandages up Todd’s wound, impressing him with her culinary prowess in the process. She reveals that her passion is molecular gastronomy, and her idol is restaurateur Heston Blumenthal. Todd, in an effort to impress Alice, lies and says that he loves Blumenthal’s restaurant as well. Alice is happy, but her probative questions quickly reveal that Todd is lying, which she takes as a joke. Todd then goes to leave, but finds that his trunk outside has been surrounded by a bomb squad. Todd talks to the commanding officer (Kayvan Novak), who laments the considerable taxpayer expense of dealing with Todd’s trunk. Todd won’t admit that it is his, and watches as the police blow it up as a precaution.

Todd then heads to the branch office of Global National and discovers an empty office space with only one employee, Dave (Blake Harrison). Todd gets settled into his office when the energy drink delivery arrives. The office is soon filled with crates of Thunder Muscle, a drink that is plastered with warnings of its toxicity in Chinese.

Todd asks Dave the best way to market the drink in the UK, which Dave decides would be in a pub. At the pub Dave asks Todd how he got the position, and Todd explains how he spent his summers in Leeds with his dad while growing up. Dave is skeptical, and asks Todd what he did in Leeds. Todd replies that he and his dad would watch the Who in concert down at the park every Saturday, an obvious lie. Dave then challenges Todd to convince an older gentleman at the bar to try Thunder Muscle, to which Todd is told to “piss off”. Todd then approaches a woman clearly in mourning and promptly offends her with his lack of tact. Dave continues to grill Todd on his summer spent in Leeds, and is clearly enjoying the way Todd continues to lie in order to explain the inconsistencies in his earlier lies.

Todd and Dave are then strolling down the street when Todd decides to sell some Thunder Muscle to a younger couple. Although what Todd says isn’t clear, he is quickly punched in the face by the woman.

Back at the office, Wilts has left a voicemail message telling Todd that he’s coming to England, and that besides procuring for him cocaine and Russian prostitutes that he wants Todd to sell all of the Thunder Muscle before he arrives. This causes Todd to crack under the pressure to which Dave recommends that he drink a Thunder Muscle. Todd does, despite clearly not enjoying the taste.

Todd then takes Dave to Alice’s restaurant to market the Thunder Muscle. Todd asks Alice if he can make an announcement, and proceeds to make a terrible sales pitch in a laughably fake, stereotypical British accent to the horror and bemusement of all. He makes wild claims of its benefits, including that it would cure erectile dysfunction, while Dave goads him on by handing him can after can of Thunder Muscle. He runs around the restaurant in a vain effort to prove the drink’s energy bestowing abilities, even dancing on top of the counter.

Naturally, people are frightened and put off by Todd’s behavior, and start to leave the restaurant. Todd responds by accusing them of being racist since his president, Barack Obama, is black, despite trying to represent himself as British moment earlier. Todd eventually hits his head on a lamp, and falls onto the floor, clearly homesick and out of his element. In pity, Alice buys a can of Thunder Muscle.

Todd then takes a taxi to his apartment, which is extremely run down. His room is small and dingy, and Todd finds that his cell phone charger won’t work with British electrical outlets. This final indignity causes Todd to pass out and urinate himself as the credits roll.

The last scene is of Todd’s cat, who has clearly died from overeating the tuna. Other cats and a few birds have entered Todd’s apartment and are feeding what’s left of the tuna.

• The pilot episode was originally shot with actor Russell Tovey playing the part of Dave, but had to be reshot when was replaced by Blake Harrison^[1].

• Todd lies about growing up in Leeds.
• Todd lies about his dad's death.
• Todd lies about his relationship status.
• Todd lies about knowing about Heston Blumenthal and his restaurant.
• Todd lies about his trunk to the police.
• Todd lies to Dave about his knowledge of UK culture.
• Todd lies about the taste and health benefits of Thunder Muscle.