Michael falls for his George Michael's ethics teacher, whom his son also has a crush on. Meanwhile, Lucille adopts a 14-year old Korean boy, and George Sr.'s "Caged Wisdom" tapes have given him a new admirer.
Escalation and character comedy sustain an 84.8 score across 56 rapid-fire jokes.
Directed by Joe Russo · Written by Jim Vallely, Chuck Martin
WAR
68.3
Wins Above Replacement
“Shock And Aww” ranks #23 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 84.8 — Elite. The episode packs 56 scored jokes at 2.2 per minute, averaging 7.4 on craft and 7.0 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
Michael: It was a preemptive strike. My brother would've tried to sleep with you.
Michael Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Gob: I slept with the ethics teacher. I'm sorry. - What are you talking about? - Lindsay told me that you liked her and I'm not proud of this... but... l... Mrs. Whitehead.
Gob Misdirection Escalation ★ Rewatch George Michael: I defaced a rare book to get that picture of Saddam Hussein in a bathing suit.
Michael: Your Uncle Gob slept with her.
Michael Misdirection Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael · Ms. Baerly: No, no. That was my Mom. She just had... a 'little Korean' dropped off. - Ooh, that sounds good. Let's have that.
All Jokes — 56 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael · Buster · Narrator: Michael was sharing his bed for the first time in years. Unfortunately, it was with his younger brother, Buster.
Michael: I don't think us sleeping together is working out.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Absolutely. It's preemptive, you know, happens before something else. So... if you can predict aggression and you wanna squash it... I don't know why you're not typing?
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Michael: Well, you just passed my ethics test.
George Michael: Mmm. No ring.
Lucille: The S.E.C. was onto us. Your father thought it would make us look charitable. He must have forged my signature.
Lucille Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Lucille: Well, maybe I'll get a son who will... finish his cottage cheese!
Lucille · Michael: I don't have the milk of mother's kindness in me anymore. Yeah, that udder's been dry for a while now, hasn't it?
Gob · Michael: Besides, when was the last time you slept with someone? - Buster.
Narrator: Lindsay believed that George Michael wanted to fix up his father... so he could fill the role of his mother.
Narrator Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch George Michael · Lindsay: You're my aunt. - That doesn't matter. Aunts can fill that role.
Narrator: Lindsay had never been more proud of anything she had said in her entire life.
Michael: That's a young, young, young, girl.
Michael: Oh... 'Nagarma,' you've got a mustache. Hey! I mean, you've got milk on your mustache. Oh. I mean, you've got a milk mustache.
Michael: It's adorable. You look like one of those 'Got Milk' models.
Cindi Lightballoon: And I watch 'em over and over.
Cindi Lightballoon: I've also lost four pounds on your low-carb Bluth Banana Jail Bars.
George Sr.: That's a good place to start.
Michael: Hey, Linds, is it my imagination... or does this rape room have the same floor plan as our kitchen?
Michael Dark/Subversive Observational ★ Rewatch Lindsay · Michael: Did you meet Ms. Baerly yet, the ethics teacher? 'Cause I just did. No, not yet. Look, these are our cabinets.
Michael: You'd think that would turn him off to the entire concept.
Michael Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Michael Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: I guess that's the 'Rrrr' of it. You know, so frustrating.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Yeah. But she's dead.
Ms. Baerly · Michael: God, why are we laughing? I don't... Well, it's the Mr. Daniels stroke thing... all over again.
Lucille: You've got to strip them down to next to nothing before you can even tell.
Lucille: This is 'Annyong,' who your father and I have adopted.
Lucille Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Narrator: Lucille could see that her son was concerned, even jealous. And she knew how it felt to be overlooked.
Narrator Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Lucille: Yes. Annyong is your brother now.
Michael · Ms. Baerly: No, no. That was my Mom. She just had... a 'little Korean' dropped off. - Ooh, that sounds good. Let's have that.
Michael: This may not have been my best idea.
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Visual Gag Gob: You took something I liked. I took something you liked.
Gob Character Comedy Escalation Michael: 'Nashbagerlajam.'
Michael Running Gag Wordplay/Pun Callback Nazhgalia: Who's 'N. Bahn-Ahden?'
Michael · George Michael: You mean, you love her like... like she loves Saddam. - Right? - No, no. I mean, like, love her love her.
Michael: Your Uncle Gob slept with her.
Michael Misdirection Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael: He's not that exact of a target shooter, and he just kind of sprays it everywhere.
Michael · George Michael: Like your cousin. - That's a bad example, but...
George Michael: I defaced a rare book to get that picture of Saddam Hussein in a bathing suit.
Lindsay: Okay, that is our exact outdoor fire pit.
Lindsay Running Gag Visual Gag Callback George Michael: Yes, Annyong. Your name's Annyong. We all know you're Annyong. Annyong. Annyong. Annyong.
George Michael: Oh, great, another uncle to compete with.
Ms. Baerly: Don't worry. George Michael's not in there. Those are the dumb kids.
Ms. Baerly: You really mean it? This isn't one of 'my wife died' jokes?
Michael: It was a preemptive strike. My brother would've tried to sleep with you.
Michael Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Police surveillance team: He's pinching the camera. He's on to us. He's found the camera. Get out of there. He's got the camera. Abort! Abort!
Police surveillance team: Get the dog. Clean the dog. We are cleaning the dog!
Lucille: You're trying to steal from the wrong man. Watch your back, my little immigrant friend!
Lindsay · Steve Holt: So you're not letting him in because he doesn't share your perfectly shaped nose... your round eye-shaped eyes, your strong square jaw. - Thanks. You wanna dance?
Gob: I slept with the ethics teacher. I'm sorry.
Gob Misdirection Escalation ★ Rewatch Gob: I slept with the ethics teacher. I'm sorry. - What are you talking about? - Lindsay told me that you liked her and I'm not proud of this... but... l... Mrs. Whitehead.
Gob Misdirection Escalation ★ Rewatch Narrator: In fact, Gob mistook the civics teacher... for the ethics teacher Michael was dating.
George Michael · Maeby: Hey, uh, you wanna dance? - Sure, why not?
George Michael: I can't believe that would have worked.
Buster: That's exactly what I'll do.
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