Buster realizes that medical marijuana will help cure Lucille 2's vertigo, and pays George Michael to get it for him from Gob. Lindsay sends Maeby to spend a day with Lucille to punish her for bad grades. Michael thinks George Michael is on drugs and attempts to teach him a lesson.
Methodical character comedy builds to dark turn—67 jokes in 24 minutes sustains high velocity.
Directed by Joe Russo · Written by Mitchell Hurwitz, Jim Vallely
WAR
83.8
Wins Above Replacement
“Pier Pressure” ranks #8 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 88.5 — Elite. The episode packs 67 scored jokes at 2.7 per minute, averaging 7.3 on craft and 7.2 on impact, with Michael landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
George Sr. · J. Walter Weatherman: And that's why you always leave a note.
George Sr. · J. Walter Weatherman: And that's why you don't teach lessons to your son.
Police Officer: Oh, my God! This guy's arm just came off and landed on the dock.
Buster · Michael: Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?
Lucille: That chubby little wrist of yours... is testing the tensile strength of this bracelet as it is.
Lucille Dark/Subversive Character Comedy All Jokes — 67 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael: Very proud... minus.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Deadpan/Understatement Michael: C- minus. 'C' M-I-N-E-S.
Michael: Wow. How impressive is that?
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Michael: The bar for the refrigerator has been lowered, huh?
Michael: Minus. An 'A' gets him ice cream. He knows that.
Michael Running Gag Character Comedy Callback George Sr. · J. Walter Weatherman: And that's why you always leave a note.
Buster: I thought he was trying to get us off dairy.
Buster Character Comedy Misdirection Gob: I might have been just a little too believable.
Gob Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Gob: I keep forgetting how hilarious you are.
Gob Irony/Sarcasm Reaction Beat Gob: My gut is telling me 'No,' but my gut is also very hungry.
Gob Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael: We ought to put that on our family crest.
Lucille: Not after we doctor all these receipts.
Lucille Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Buster: I did refer to it as our nausea.
Buster Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Buster: Well, now it's my nausea.
Buster Escalation Cringe/Discomfort Lindsay: Because I'm... Don't want to.
Lindsay Character Comedy Awkward Silence Lucille: Sometimes a diet is the best defense.
Lucille Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Maeby · Lindsay: This is a D-minus. Either way, it's above a 'D,' right?
Maeby: Is 'Lindsay' with an 'A' or an 'E'?
Maeby Character Comedy Absurdist Lindsay: I know you got a 'crocodile' in spelling, but this has gone too far.
Lindsay Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Lindsay: Hmm. Nope, that doesn't feel right.
Lindsay Character Comedy Reaction Beat Lindsay: Oh, I have to come up with another thing?
Lindsay Character Comedy Reaction Beat Lucille Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement George Michael: Dumb, dumb. Dumb, George Michael.
Michael: Your finger is still in the book.
Buster: Our. I mean, our... our nausea.
Buster Callback Character Comedy Callback Narrator: Buster was found two days later trying to eat his way through this enormous plaster donut.
George Michael: Dad told me to take the day off, so I decided to come into work.
George Michael: She's your girlfriend? Dad said you were her nurse.
Buster: I could put it on a tea biscuit, tell her it's a marshmallow.
Buster Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Buster: This place is pot central, right?
Buster Irony/Sarcasm Observational Singer: Big yellow joint. The big yellow joint. I'll meet you down at the big yellow joint.
Singer Wordplay/Pun Visual Gag ★ Rewatch George Michael · Maeby: Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?
Buster: Here. Take 225 from me.
Buster Escalation Character Comedy Michael: Go make mistakes, get in trouble... be young.
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Lucille: And this is from when your Pop-Pop yelled out, 'Oh, Melanie...' when he was making love to Gangy.
Lucille Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort Maeby: This is so much fun. I can't believe my mom thought being here would be a punishment.
Maeby Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Lucille: Oh. Pretty. It'll distract from the freckles.
Lucille Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Gob: 100. I accidentally said 200. I don't know...
Gob Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Gob: Really, a hundred dollars. You can't get good weed for a hundred bucks.
Gob Character Comedy Observational George Michael: Maybe it was the other George Michael... the singer-songwriter.
J. Walter Weatherman: Tell me before you hit the gas. I can't hear you! The kids are yelling. Tell me before you hit the gas.
George Sr. · J. Walter Weatherman: And that's why you don't yell.
George Sr.: You killed him when you left the door open with the air conditioner running.
Michael: Dad, that's just... That's one night, and it's back in September.
Michael Observational Character Comedy Michael: You've only been a Jew about two days.
Michael Observational Deadpan/Understatement Michael · George Sr.: It's Tuesday. Shh, shh, shh.
Lindsay: That was supposed to be for me. She was my au pair.
Lindsay Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Lucille: I know, but it's an elephant... and I didn't want to invite the comparison.
Lucille: That chubby little wrist of yours... is testing the tensile strength of this bracelet as it is.
Lucille Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Buster: I am like a caged animal. My old lady's on the floor, man.
Buster Character Comedy Escalation Buster: Oh. Oh, I was talking about me. But, yeah, she's a mess.
Buster Misdirection Character Comedy Gob: Let's deal some drugs.
Gob Character Comedy Absurdist Gob: Okay, you can put your shirt down, Derek. Just give him the stuff.
Gob Visual Gag Character Comedy Hot Cop: Let's get this party started.
Hot Cop Character Comedy Misdirection George Michael: I was gonna smoke the marijuana like a cigarette.
Michael: Why don't you just wait it out? She's gonna be gone soon.
Michael Dark/Subversive Observational Buster · Michael: Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?
Gob: No, no! These are just strippers! Look how hot they are!
Police Officer: Oh, my God! This guy's arm just came off and landed on the dock.
George Sr. · J. Walter Weatherman: And that's why you don't teach lessons to your son.
Michael · George Sr.: So you taught me a lesson not to teach lessons? It was my last lesson.
George Michael: One of the Hot Cops is my choir teacher.
George Michael: Like, say, I had a crush on my own cousin.
Michael: You just taught me a lesson.
Michael Meta/Self-Referential Irony/Sarcasm Callback Singer: Big yellow joint. The big yellow joint. I'll meet you down at the big yellow joint.
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