As children, Dean, Wes, and JT pull a
Halloween prank by lighting a bag of dog feces on a neighbor’s porch, accidentally setting fire to a nearby
scarecrow. To avoid blame, Dean writes the name "Ricky Stanicky"—an imaginary out-of-town kid—on a discarded costume piece. The police believe Ricky is responsible, and the trio begin using the fake identity to get out of trouble. Twenty years later, the three men still use Ricky Stanicky as a scapegoat for personal and professional obligations. JT is preparing for the birth of his child with his wife Susan, and Dean is in a relationship with Erin. Claiming Ricky has relapsed with testicular cancer and is alone in
Albany, New York, "Ricky" (really Wes, impersonating him via a call) prompts the men to "visit" him. In reality, they take a vacation to see musician
Marc Rebillet in
Atlantic City, New Jersey while telling their partners they are supporting their sick friend. They switch off their phones and continue documenting fictional events in the "Ricky Stanicky Bible." In Atlantic City, they encounter Rod Rimestead, an eccentric actor and adult
parody singer. When Susan goes into premature labor, the men rush home but miss the birth. At the hospital, JT’s mother-in-law, Leona, grows suspicious that Ricky doesn’t exist. Wes nearly confesses, but Dean insists Ricky is real and recently celebrated five years cancer-free. Leona then insists Ricky attend the baby’s
bris. To maintain the lie, Dean hires Rod to impersonate Ricky Stanicky at the bris. Desperate for work, and to avoid suspicious characters looking for him, he agrees, during which he self-detoxes from the alcohol in his system. Rod quickly wins over the guests with his charm, impressing Leona, Erin’s cousin Carly, and the trio’s boss, Ted Summerhayes. Rod even meets with Keith, who is accusing Wes of being lazy and wants to end things, until Rod mentioned Wes was spending his time writing children's novels. When Rod claims to know Carly’s ex-boyfriend, Gary Polisner, the group attempts to drug him with
ketamine, but the rabbi mistakenly ingests it, and learned that Rod never met Gary in person, but via the commercials. During the circumcision, the sedated rabbi falters, leaving the job unfinished. Rod, as Ricky, completes the procedure using a cigar cutter, which earns him admiration from all present. Impressed by Ricky’s charisma, Summerhayes offers him a job leading a major merger with World River, a San Francisco-based company. Rod managed to win over Ted, and pointed out Summerhayes's known habits of shaking his fists "(air-dicking)" while giving speeches. As a result, Ted put Rod in charge of the merger. Erin, meanwhile, begins profiling Ricky for a "Hero of the Week" local news segment. Dean becomes increasingly anxious as Rod embraces his new identity, legally changing his name to Richard Barbara Stanicky, and hiring Wes as his assistant. When Dean confronts him, Rod says he’s grateful for the second chance and doesn’t want to give it up. Before a company event celebrating the merger, Erin reveals to Dean that she knows Ricky is actually Rod Rimestead. Summerhayes introduces Dean to speak before the screening of the "Hero of the Week" segment. Dean publicly admits Ricky is fictional, confesses to the decades-long lie, and walks out. As the segment airs, Rod recounts how meeting Dean and reading the Ricky Stanicky Bible inspired him to become a better person. Just as Summerhayes prepares to fire Dean, World River executives arrive and enthusiastically endorse Ricky’s leadership, impressed by his supposed character and creativity. Summerhayes asks Dean to stay on, and they reconcile. Ricky is then confronted by the 2 men he evaded since Atlantic City. They reveal themselves to be representatives of
Billy Idol issuing a
cease-and-desist order against parodying his music. Following the revelation, JT is forced by Susan to camp out in the backyard for six months. Erin, still hurt by the deception, initially lied to Dean about the Ricky story but then instead made the segment about Rod’s transformation into Ricky after seeing him at Summerhayes. Dean asks for forgiveness, and Rod shares a secret audio recording of Dean expressing his love and appreciation for Erin, which softens her stance. At a closing party, Rod announces that he is engaged to Carly, who has donated much of her long hair, and that the group will spend their weekend volunteering for an environmental cleanup—now as genuine friends, with no lies involved. Wes even started publishing children's books, while sending out a
TikTok of Summerhayes's Air-Dicking montage. ==Cast==