When Don decides to promote Jack and make him his successor over Devon, Jack decides to give his old job to Liz because she always has his back. However, a turn of events concerning Don's health compromises Jack's promotion. Meanwhile, Tracy thinks that his son is embarrassed of his career because he did not invite him to fathers day at school.
Succession delivers 66 jokes in 21 minutes—a 3.17-per-minute pace that defines Season 2's comedic peak.
Directed by Gail Mancuso · Written by John Riggi, Andrew Guest
WAR
132.2
Wins Above Replacement
“Succession” ranks #65 of 138 30 Rock episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 97.9 — Elite. The episode packs 87 scored jokes at 4.2 per minute, averaging 7.6 on craft and 7.5 on impact, with Liz landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Jack · Dr. Spaceman: Couldn't you just, you know, inject something right into his heart? / Oh, I'd love to, but we have no way of knowing where the heart is. See, every human is different.
Tracy · Pete: I'm like Mozart. / You're like that guy that was always jealous of Mozart. / Salieri? / No, thank you. I already ate.
Tracy Pete Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Misdirection Kenneth: Well, I am wearing a cuffed trouser today.
Kenneth Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Jack: Uh... hugging... so ethnic.
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: I want my mother to know this before she dies, so she goes to her grave a defeated woman.
Jack Dark/Subversive Character Comedy All Jokes — 87 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jack: I'd have my assistant sit on his naughty stool if he didn't love it so much.
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Geiss: That's the diabetes. I'm light-headed all the time. I can't see a damn face.
Geiss Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Devon Banks: Fire Island, really? I'd love to come out.
Devon Banks: Fight the surf together, light a fire, check each other for ticks... Kathy, I think I just found the perfect place for our honeymoon!
Devon Banks Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Jack: The head of the Stress Ball division hanged himself.
Jack Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Jack: I want my mother to know this before she dies, so she goes to her grave a defeated woman.
Jack Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Jack: I guess that rules out the Federal Reserve.
Jack Deadpan/Understatement Observational Liz: You look like Gene Simmons had sex with a basset hound!
Liz Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Frank: First of all, the subject of the email was 'Check this out!'
Frank Character Comedy Observational Frank: It is your fault because if you hadn't created this show, we wouldn't even be here!
Frank Meta/Self-Referential Irony/Sarcasm Writers: Yeah, Liz sucks! Boo!
Writers Reaction Beat Character Comedy Liz: I was gonna live with the gorillas.
Liz Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Liz · Writer: Is it the 8 of diamonds? — Nope.
Tracy · Liz: His music stick. / His flute.
Tracy Liz Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Tracy: Visual gag: Tracy shows up to his son's school on 'Bring Your Dad to School Day' uninvited — the sign is visible as Tracy stands there awkwardly.
Tracy Visual Gag Cringe/Discomfort Tracy: If I'm such a bad dad, why are we all dancing?
Tracy Absurdist Character Comedy Jenna: That's horrible! Everyone knows the only thing we should be ashamed of is our bodies.
Jenna Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tracy: So that my children will respect me. Like be a senator. Or a wizard.
Tracy Absurdist Character Comedy Jenna: Or you could open a school in Africa, like Oprah.
Jenna Observational Character Comedy Tracy · Liz: Eureka! / What is it, Tra? / We should call Eureka! She always has good ideas.
Liz: Oh, Jack! I was just doing reading about gorilla researchers for a sketch we're doing, making fun of them. For devoting their lives to the jungle and its noble inhabitants.
Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Jack: Uh... hugging... so ethnic.
Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: Geiss has stacked the Board of Directors with the most reliable collection of sycophantic yesmen this side of an Al Franken book signing.
Jack Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive Jack: His golf cronies, his Army buddies, various unemployable family members, and his hunting dogs.
Jack Setup/Punchline Escalation Jack: Why am I smelling self-tanning cream and teeth whitener?
Jack Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Jack: Once they cast Clay Aiken in Spamalot, I knew it was only a matter of time for you to show up here.
Jack Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm Devon Banks: When I'm living here and running this company, I'll go see him every week. Until Spamalot closes. Or he leaves the show.
Devon Banks Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Callback Devon Banks: The hottest girls in New York's top boob shacks removing their brassieres.
Tracy: Yeah, I need to clear my thoughtcicles.
Tracy Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Tracy: Which one of my two favorite pastimes shall I indulge in? Video games or pornography!
Tracy Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Tracy: Visual gag: Tracy's two choices (video games / pornography) are displayed as title cards: 'THICK THIGHS / ARMY GAME OF DEATH'
Tracy Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Tracy: That's it! Make a porn video game!
Tracy Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Callback Devon Banks: So you don't know about him accidentally selling NBC to some Germans?
Devon Banks: Rumor has it he's trying to pull a death spiral: Inflating the company's value, shorting his own stock, and then making a killing.
Liz: Jack was nowhere near that meeting. He wasn't even in New York 'cause he was off with his girlfriend leaving me in charge, so take that, Liz.
Liz Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Devon Banks: Oh, god. That was so easy. Like taking candy from one of those guys who gives out candy at gay night clubs.
Liz: Oh my god. Please don't say anything. I'll give you Kenneth.
Liz Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Devon Banks: Well, as enticing as that is, I'm straight now.
Devon Banks: No. No! No! No! — followed by Devon watching security footage and reacting in horror
Pete: A porn video game? It can't be done. Look, Tre, history's greatest perverts have tried: Walt Disney, Larry Flynt, the Japanese, but they can't do it because of the uncanny valley.
Pete Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive Tracy · Pete: Tell it to me in Star Wars. / ...But down here we have a CGI storm trooper or Tom Hanks in the Polar Express. / I'm scared! Get me out of there!
Tracy · Pete: I'm like Mozart. / You're like that guy that was always jealous of Mozart. / Salieri? / No, thank you. I already ate.
Tracy Pete Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Misdirection Jack · Liz: Lemon, where do you see yourself in five years? / Realistically, teaching improv on cruise ships.
Jack Liz Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Liz: What? When did you get microwaves back?
Liz Character Comedy Observational Liz: No — no, I'm not an executive. Executives are, like, huh-huh-huh. And I'm, like, haa.
Liz Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Liz: This is the starting salary. [Liz looks at paper.] Suck it, monkeys! I'm goin' corporate!
Liz Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Board member: Hey guys, let's change the subject to sucking at golf, so Donaghy has something to talk about.
Liz · Jack: I'm feeling pretty drunk. / Well, it's business drunk. It's like rich drunk. Either way, it's legal to drive.
Liz Jack Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Board member: You suck, Stan!
Liz: As you know, we've sunk a lot of money into developing this new microwave start button. It's been four years and $10 million.
Liz Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement Board member · Liz · Board member · Liz: I kind of like the old button. / Button classic. I love it. / Button classic? It's hip and homey. / Oh my god, guys. We're crushing it!
Jack: Lemon, you just have to find a subordinate you can push the blame onto. That's why I love Jorgenson here.
Jack Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Liz · Jack: Jeez, Jack, offer to buy a girl dinner first. / Classic Lemon!
Liz Jack Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tracy: My genius has come alive, like toys when your back is turned.
Tracy Character Comedy Absurdist Tracy: I see the potential for erotica in everything around me. This cup, this table... even you, Kenneth.
Tracy Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Escalation Kenneth: Well, I am wearing a cuffed trouser today.
Kenneth Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Pete: Don't hold your breath, Pete. It can't be done or else I would've solved it a long time ago. Yeah, I would have.
Pete Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jack: Hey, nerds! Guess who's got two thumbs, speaks limited French, and hasn't cried once today? This moi.
Jack Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Geiss · Liz: Aren't you the gal who pioneered the Button Classic campaign? / That was me!
Geiss Liz Callback Character Comedy Callback Geiss · Liz: Oh, my blood sugar is dropping. Liz, sweetie, can you run out to the dessert table and get me something? / Oh, sure, but you should know that I work for tips.
Geiss: You got the charm and spark of a young Leona Helmsley.
Geiss Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Pete · Kenneth: Is that — is he finished? / Not yet, but don't disturb him. He can't keep going like this. He was up for six hours straight.
Kenneth: My god. He's a genius. [Beat as they watch Tracy work on porn game]
Kenneth Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Jack: He's like me yesterday. I hate him.
Jack Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Devon Banks: Hoo, boy, got your period?
Liz: Business drunk! More business juice, please!
Liz Callback Character Comedy Callback Jack · Devon Banks: Banks, don't do this. Don't marry Kathy. It may not be worth it. / Why not? We're absolutely perfect for each other. She loves that I work out a lot and talk to people.
Devon Banks: And I love how she enjoys crawling into cabinets and vents and other enclosed spaces. Like behind the dryer, for instance.
Devon Banks: I'd marry 1,000 Kathy Geisses to be CEO.
Jack · Liz: Mr. Geiss? / Oh, blurgh!
Jack Liz Reaction Beat Character Comedy Devon Banks: It's like when Christian won Project Runway even though Rami was clearly the better draper.
Devon Banks: Oh god. I've got to call this wedding off.
Devon Banks · Jack: I hate-respect you. / And I you.
Jack · Devon Banks: I hate-respect you. — And I you.
Devon Banks: I think Geiss is dead. We've got to call Dr. Spaceman.
Pete: I've given my whole life to porn and he does it in one day! One day!
Pete Character Comedy Escalation Callback Dr. Spaceman: Well, to the untrained eye, he'd appear to be what we in the medical community call 'sleeping.' But he is, in fact, in a diabetic coma, which could've been avoided by what we call 'eating.'
Dr. Spaceman: Oh, damn it. That shot was just a placebo. I was hoping this was psychological.
Jack · Dr. Spaceman: Couldn't you just, you know, inject something right into his heart? / Oh, I'd love to, but we have no way of knowing where the heart is. See, every human is different.
Jack · Kathy Geiss: It was Jorgenson's fault! / Fair enough.
Liz · Someone: Is it 4-1-1 or 9-1-1? / Uh, New York. Uh, diabetes repair, I guess.
Liz: Well, it's business drunk. It's like rich drunk. Either way, it's legal to drive. [Liz realizes she got business sick all over her outfit]
Liz Callback Character Comedy Callback Devon Banks: I tried to call you, but not on a phone, so you may not have heard me.
Devon Banks: Of course, Kathy's gonna need some guidance, but that's what her fiancé's for.
Devon Banks: Now get out of our office.
Devon Banks: Now get out of our office.
Unknown: I didn't hear hand washing!
Unknown Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement 