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
120.8
Wins Above Replacement
“Shock And Aww” ranks #55 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 94.0 — Elite. The episode packs 80 scored jokes at 3.1 per minute, averaging 7.6 on craft and 7.4 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: Look, it was a preemptive strike. My brother would've tried to sleep with you.
Michael Callback Irony/Sarcasm Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Gob · Michael · Buster: Besides, when was the last time you slept with someone? / Buster. / What time and where?
Michael: Mmm. No ring. (Michael spots Ms. Baerly for the first time at Parent-Teacher Night)
Michael Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Ms. Baerly: I told him that you slept with my brother. / That may be the most unethical thing I've ever heard. / Well, you've only been doing this half a semester.
Tobias (or Maeby — context suggests this is likely Maeby based on the school setting): You know, I actually called Mr. Daniels and asked him (to go to the diversity dance), but he got all out of breath and dropped the phone. I never heard back.
All Jokes — 80 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Narrator · Michael · Buster: 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 Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Michael: You're a grown man. You should be living with your mother.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael · George Michael: George Michael asks for help on his ethics essay about whether a preemptive strike is justified; Michael immediately starts dictating confident, glib answers and is annoyed George Michael isn't typing fast enough.
George Michael · Michael: I'm not sure if my ethics teacher would love if I cheated on my essay. / Well, you just passed my ethics test.
George Michael · Ms. Baerly · Narrator: George Michael's secret crush on Ms. Baerly is revealed via a shot of her teaching — 'Even minor crimes are punishable by brutally chopping off the offender's hand' — and George Michael notes 'No ring.'
Lucille: Well, maybe I'll get a son who will... finish his cottage cheese!
Michael: Yeah, that udder's been dry for a while now, hasn't it?
Michael Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive Gob · Michael: Gob calls Michael offering 'a couple of fun girls' as an olive branch after the Marta situation.
Gob · Michael · Buster: Besides, when was the last time you slept with someone? / Buster. / What time and where?
Lindsay · George Michael · Narrator: Lindsay mistakes George Michael's crush on Ms. Baerly as wanting to set up his father, believing George Michael wants someone to 'fill the role of his mother.'
George Michael · Lindsay: You're my aunt. / That doesn't matter. Aunts can fill that role. Teachers can fill that role. And someday you're gonna find the right woman to fill that role. But until then, I'll be right across the hall.
Narrator · Lindsay: Lindsay had never been more proud of anything she had said in her entire life.
Gob · Michael: This is Shannon, the girl I've been telling you all about. / Yes. Girl, indeed... young girl. That's a young, young, young, girl. / Yeah, well, she's 18.
Gob · Michael: Shannon wouldn't go out without a chaperone, and so she's your date. (Nazhgalia, an older woman with a mustache, is Michael's blind date)
Michael · Nazhgalia: 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. / It's adorable. You look like one of those 'Got Milk' models.
Gob: Gob, jealous of Michael's basic human decency toward Nazhgalia, suddenly declares her 'exotic' and 'very attractive' to compete.
Gob Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Cindi Lightballoon: I've also lost four pounds on your low-carb Bluth Banana Jail Bars.
Cindi Lightballoon · George Sr.: I've come to learn at your feet. / That's a good place to start.
Michael · Lindsay: Hey, Linds, is it my imagination or does this rape room have the same floor plan as our kitchen?
Michael: Mmm. No ring. (Michael spots Ms. Baerly for the first time at Parent-Teacher Night)
Michael Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Ethics... right and wrong. How can one thing can be right and another one be wrong? I mean, which is which, you know? I guess that's the 'Rrrr' of it.
Michael · Ms. Baerly: I had him, Mr. Daniels. How is he? / Oh, he, you know, had a stroke. / Thought you were joking. / No, I was just laughing 'cause you were laughing. / Right. No. Yeah. Gosh.
Michael · Ms. Baerly: Can a parent take a teacher out for a drink? Or... I don't know. Uh, do you have a wife? / Yeah, but she's dead.
Ms. Baerly · Michael: Have you ever been married? / Yeah, she died. / Ohh. God, why are we laughing? / I don't... Well, it's the Mr. Daniels stroke thing all over again.
George Sr. · Cindi Lightballoon: George Sr. asks Cindi to confess sins, specifically steering her back to 'the ladies' shower in your college dorm again.'
Lucille · Michael: Michael, the little Korean is here, and I don't know what to do with him. At least, I think it's a him. You've got to strip them down to next to nothing before you can even tell.
Michael · Lucille: Yeah, Mom. I just spoke to Social Services and although they don't like to do this, if you can prove that it's a bad environment for a child — and I would suggest saying what you just said to me, don't change a word — they will take him back.
Lucille · Annyong: Lucille to the adopted child: 'Ha, ha, ha. Uh, don't get too comfortable. Shoes on, mister! Shoes on! He's out of control.'
Buster: What, I'm gone for a couple days and you find a new son?
Buster Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Narrator · Lucille: Lucille could see that her son was concerned, even jealous. And she knew how it felt to be overlooked.
Lucille · Annyong: Yes. Annyong is your brother now. / Yes, Annyong.
Lucille · Michael: Yes, Annyong. Excuse me. Oh, Michael? Call it off. / I'm keeping him.
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 · Ms. Baerly · Buster · Gob: Michael sneaks Ms. Baerly into the model home at night, and they are discovered by Buster and Gob — who independently are also sneaking in.
Gob · Michael: I'm sorry too, Michael, but it looks like we're even. You took something I liked. I took something you liked.
Michael · Gob: Listen, I know that you've been trying to get even with me about Marta. But got bad news for ya. I'm seeing somebody else. / Who? Who? / Just out of curiosity — I'm not gonna try to sleep with her.
Michael · Gob: Forget it. I thought this was behind us. / It is behind us. / Great. / When I sleep with her. 'Cause I'm gonna sleep with her.
Michael Gob Setup/Punchline Escalation Character Comedy Gob: Yeah, I was lying when I said I wasn't gonna sleep with her, so...
Gob Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Callback Michael · Gob: She'd have to agree to it. / I don't anticipate a problem with that. / No? / No. 'Cause I've seen some of the dogs you like. / Right. / I just slept with one.
Michael Gob Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Callback George Michael · Michael: George Michael has been up making a poster of Saddam Hussein in a bathing suit for Ms. Baerly because 'she loves Saddam Hussein.'
Michael · George Michael: You mean you love her like... like she loves Saddam? / No, no. I mean, like love her love her.
Michael · George Michael · Narrator: Michael tells George Michael that Gob slept with Ms. Baerly — when actually Michael was the one dating her.
Narrator · Michael: Michael knew he had an ethical responsibility to tell his son the truth. / Yes. / Your Uncle Gob slept with her.
Narrator Michael Irony/Sarcasm Meta/Self-Referential Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael: Gob, he just... He's not that exact of a target shooter, and he just kind of sprays it everywhere.
Michael Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Michael · George Michael: Don't you think you should be taking somebody your own age? / Like your cousin. / That's a bad example, but...
George Michael · Michael: I defaced a rare book to get that picture of Saddam Hussein in a bathing suit. / 'What would Saddam do?' / Yeah.
Lindsay: Okay, that is our exact outdoor fire pit. (Lindsay recognizing the model home's decor at school)
Lindsay Running Gag Observational Visual Gag Callback Tobias (or Maeby — context suggests this is likely Maeby based on the school setting): You know, I actually called Mr. Daniels and asked him (to go to the diversity dance), but he got all out of breath and dropped the phone. I never heard back.
George Michael · Maeby: I know he was dating that girl Shannon. The cheerleader? / Yeah, she's probably gonna take him to that stupid diversity dance. I wish I had someone shocking to take.
Maeby · George Michael: You know, maybe we should go together. / Right, I mean, it's a bad example... I... But should we?
Lucille: Yes, Annyong. Your name's Annyong. We all know you're Annyong. Annyong. Annyong. Annyong.
Lucille Running Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Lucille · Annyong: Annyong keeps saying 'Annyong' (which means 'hello' in Korean) and everyone thinks it's his name. Lucille: 'Yes, Annyong. Your name's Annyong. We all know you're Annyong. Annyong. Annyong. Annyong.'
Maeby · Annyong · George Michael: So we're related. / Hey, wanna go to a dance? / Oh, great, another uncle to compete with.
Ms. Baerly: Ms. Baerly, teaching about atrocities, says 'I'm sorry. I met someone. I'm sorry.' then catches herself: 'Anyway, this is serious. This is atrocities. No more smiling.'
Ms. Baerly Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Reaction Beat Ms. Baerly: Don't worry. George Michael's not in there. Those are the dumb kids.
Beth Baerly: Wow! Did you make this for me? This is so sweet. I love Hussein.
Beth Baerly Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Ms. Baerly: Where did you find this one of him in a Speedo?
Ms. Baerly Callback Character Comedy Absurdist Callback Ms. Baerly: You really mean it? This isn't one of 'my wife died' jokes?
Ms. Baerly Callback Running Gag Character Comedy Callback Michael · Ms. Baerly: I told him that you slept with my brother. / That may be the most unethical thing I've ever heard. / Well, you've only been doing this half a semester.
Michael: Look, it was a preemptive strike. My brother would've tried to sleep with you.
Michael Callback Irony/Sarcasm Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Ms. Baerly: And you will not see me again. / Starting right now. (Michael lingers awkwardly at the door)
George Sr. · S.E.C. Agents: George Sr. is pinching the hidden surveillance camera — 'He's pinching the camera. He's on to us.' / 'Get the dog. Clean the dog. We are cleaning the dog!'
Lucille: Watch your back, my little immigrant friend! (Lucille to Annyong from a moving car)
Lucille Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Gob · Student/Bouncer · 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? / Yeah! All right! Steve Holt!
Gob: Steve Holt! — spoken as Gob spots a male student and calls his name with inexplicable enthusiasm.
Gob Running Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Gob: Excuse me. Look, I blew it, okay? But I bought a yearbook ad from you. Doesn't that mean anything anymore?
Gob Character Comedy Absurdist Gob: Oh, that's your definition of the right thing. I thought I was gonna make a dramatic entrance and tell you that I wanted to see you.
Gob Character Comedy Misdirection Gob · Michael · Narrator: 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... Mrs. Whitehead. / In fact, Gob mistook the civics teacher for the ethics teacher Michael was dating.
Michael · Gob: Gob, Mrs. Whitehead was the civics teacher. / We both had her. / Yes, we have. And now we're even.
Michael Gob Setup/Punchline Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive Shannon · Gob · Shannon: What a pig. / Tell me about it. / No, you! You're the pig!
Gob · Shannon: Listen. Shannon, please. It was a one-time thing. I'm not gonna hear from her again! / Ach! / Who is Edna W? Hello?
Gob Shannon Setup/Punchline Escalation Character Comedy Callback Michael: He said that you wanted her as a mother, and I said that was ridiculous — but then I met her and kind of fell for her and thought that she would kind of make a great mother.
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Callback Michael · George Michael · Ms. Baerly: Well, you know, I'm open to it. We're open to it. / Wow! / No, no, no, no. / I'm just saying someday, you know.
Ms. Baerly · Michael · George Michael: I'm not really into kids. / I'm just... I'm not trying to rush anything. / Hey! The lady said no, man.
Ms. Baerly · Student (Jeremy): I mean, we had some laughs about some very sad things, but I don't think we have a future. / And, Jeremy, I will take that cupcake.
Michael · Jeremy (Student): Hey, uh, you wanna dance? / Sure, why not? (Michael asks the student who just gave Ms. Baerly the cupcake to dance)
George Michael: I can't believe that would have worked.
Michael: Michael, watching his son dance with his ex-date: 'I can't believe that would have worked.'
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Buster: I'll light a candle of my own. That's exactly what I'll do.
Buster Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Top Episodes — Arrested Development
