That dildo reveal doesn’t come out of nowhere, however. At certain points during the film, Coen and Cooke cut to a surrealistic scene that’s heavily tinged with ’60s psychedelia, moments reminiscent of B-movies of that era like Roger Corman’s “The Trip.” As it turns out, these moments are actually flashbacks to the young Gary Channel and his encounter with a woman by the name of Tiffany Plaster Caster (Miley Cyrus). She’s based on the real-life counter-culture figure Cynthia Plaster Caster, and they share the same hobby: making molds of guys’ phalluses. It seems that, back in the late ’60s, Tiffany made a mold of Gary’s dong, and the grown-up Gary, hoping to fully sanitize his public image to better pander to his right-wing demographic, has enlisted the help of The Chief and company to collect all the existing Channel dildos from collectors like Santos and erase them from existence.

The Chief (who, like Marian, also seems to be a Henry James fan) explains this to a bound and gagged Marian and Jamie while Arliss and Flint argue with each other about their prowess in the background. Things go south quickly, and Flint decides to simply assert his dominance by shooting Arliss and The Chief to death. Fortunately, before he can do away with the girls, his gun runs out of bullets. Being a consummate buffoon, he runs away.

After managing to free themselves, Marian and Jamie head back to their room with the case, and Jamie, ever the mastermind, calls up Channel’s office to set a meeting with the Senator himself and be paid for returning the case to him. As is appropriate, the friends-turned-lovers celebrate with some shower sex, featuring the phallus of Mr. Channel.

Meanwhile, Sukie takes a look at Curlie’s drive-away, but she can’t see anything in the dark, locked office. Frustrated anew, she resolves to head down to Florida herself with Alice in tow. As she leaves, Curlie lies helpless and bleeding on the ground behind the desk, lamenting aloud that no one is coming to save him. Like many a sap in the Coen’s filmography, he’s on his own.