Michael spends quality time with Buster. George Michael auditions for a school play to get closer to Maeby. Gob breaks up with his girlfriend and has nowhere to go.
Buster's neediness spirals into 70 jokes across 22 minutes—character comedy at peak efficiency.
Directed by Joe Russo · Written by Mitchell Hurwitz, Richard A. Rosenstock
WAR
117.4
Wins Above Replacement
“Bringing Up Buster” ranks #53 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 94.1 — Elite. The episode packs 76 scored jokes at 3.1 per minute, averaging 7.7 on craft and 7.3 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
Lucille: Lucille arrives at the model home with a candy bar for Buster: 'Oh... No. I'm withholding it. Look at me getting off.'
Lucille Character Comedy Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback George Sr.: George Sr. explains Buster's difficult birth: 'Maybe it was the 11 months he spent in the womb. The doctor said there were claw marks on the walls of her uterus, but he was our miracle baby.'
George Sr. Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Maeby · Steve Holt: Maeby after kissing Steve Holt: 'You smell like my mom.'
Buster · Michael: Michael tells Buster he can make his own decisions. Buster: 'Michael. I wanna go with Mom.' Michael: 'You said that she shoots you down.' Buster: 'I was trying to fit in.'
Michael · Buster · Lucille: Michael: 'You were flying today, buddy.' Buster: 'Yes, I was flying... but a little too close to the sun.' Lucille: 'You let him go in the sun? Get in the backseat. I'll be right out.'
All Jokes — 76 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Narrator · George Sr.: Narrator introduces cornballs as a Bluth family favorite since George Sr. unsuccessfully tried to market the device in the mid-70s.
Michael · George Michael: George Michael burns himself on the Cornballer: 'Son of a bitch!' / 'You plopped it!' / 'I'll plop you!'
Lindsay · Michael: Lindsay to Michael about George Michael: 'Or, you could not eat the cornballs and let your kid lead his own life.'
Michael: Michael begins the proverb 'It's the poor carpenter that blames his shoddy tools for the...' and immediately burns himself on the Cornballer.
Michael Physical/Slapstick Misdirection Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Lindsay: Lindsay bought a dress on the company credit card. Michael: 'You're returning that.' Lindsay: 'But...' Michael: 'Get a job.'
Gob · Narrator · George Sr.: Gob: 'Hey, the Cornballer. I thought these things were only legal in Mexico.' Narrator: 'In fact, the Cornballer wasn't legal anywhere. But George Sr. continued to market it there successfully. [cut to George Sr. in Mexico] Muy delicioso. Es verdad.'
Gob · Michael · Narrator: Gob: 'I had another big fight with Marta.' Narrator explains Marta is a Spanish-language soap opera star. Gob: 'It looks like I'm going to be staying here for a while.' Michael: 'No, it doesn't. It doesn't look like that.'
Michael · Lindsay: Michael: 'Maybe I should be more like you when it comes to parenting. No borders. No limits. Go ahead, touch the Cornballer. You know best.'
Tobias · Michael: Tobias: 'When I was a psychiatrist — and this is before I became an actor—' Michael: 'You're still not an actor.' Tobias: 'Lovely.'
Tobias: Tobias burns himself on the Cornballer mid-psychiatric advice: 'Am I touching something? Hot! Hot, hot. Hot.'
Tobias Callback Physical/Slapstick Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Tobias: Tobias, still recovering from the burn, pivots immediately: 'Now, take my daughter, for example. She lives her life and I get the pleasure of guessing what that might entail.'
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tobias · Maeby: Tobias demonstrates his hands-off parenting by asking Maeby where she's going, expecting her not to answer — but she does. 'I was totally wrong. She's reaching out to her actor daddy.'
Tobias · Maeby: Now watch this. Maeby, where are you off to on this glorious Sunday afternoon? — [She won't tell me.] — I'm going to audition for a play. — Well, that time it didn't work.
Tobias Maeby Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback George Michael · Maeby · Narrator: Narrator reveals Maeby is auditioning to get closer to Steve Holt; George Michael is also auditioning to get closer to his cousin Maeby. Both characters ask 'And then we actually get to kiss, right?' / 'There's a kiss, right?'
Steve Holt · Others: Steve Holt! Steve Holt! — Steve Holt announces his own name (or others shout it) repeatedly at the audition results, including the stand-in posting: 'Stand-in for Steve Holt?'
Lucille · Lindsay: Lucille answers the phone and immediately says 'It'll fly out on its own. Why are you calling me? What do you need?' before Lindsay can say anything beyond hello.
Buster · Lucille: Buster bursts in: 'It's a bird.' Lucille: 'I know it's a bird. I'm on the phone.'
Buster: Buster: 'It walked on my pillow.' Lucille doesn't care.
Buster Character Comedy Visual Gag Lindsay · Lucille · Narrator: Lindsay: 'Michael just gave me the exact same lecture in front of everybody.' Lucille: 'Everybody? Who's everybody?' Lindsay lists everyone — and then the narrator delivers: 'He didn't invite Buster.'
Lucille: Lucille to Michael: 'You run around with everyone else, going on bike rides, making cornholes.'
Lucille Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Lucille: Lucille: 'Everyone's laughing, riding and cornholing except Buster.'
Lucille Wordplay/Pun Running Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Lucille: Lucille: 'I know he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's sensitive, Michael.'
Lucille Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Buster · Michael: Buster overhears: 'That's cool. Mom packed me a change of clothes.' — Michael has just said 'This is not going to be a day at the beach.'
Gob · Michael: Gob is in a bathrobe at the office. Michael: 'Gob, what are you doing here, and why are you in a bathrobe?' Gob: 'I camped out in the boardroom last night.'
Buster · Gob · Michael: Buster is in his bathing suit at the office. Michael: 'why is he in his bathing suit?' Gob: 'Mom dropped me off to spend time with Michael.'
Gob · Buster · Michael: Gob on Lucille: 'Spend time with Michael, or to serve her own menopausal needs? She's always got to wedge herself in the middle of us, so she can control everything.' Buster: 'Yeah. Mom's awesome.'
Buster: Beat after Buster says 'Yeah. Mom's awesome.' — then a pause, then: 'Maybe we should call her.'
Buster Awkward Silence Character Comedy Gob · Michael: Gob to Michael: 'Is this a business decision, or is it personal? 'Cause if it's business, I'll go away happily. But if it's personal, I'll go away. But I won't be happy.'
Michael · Gob: Michael: 'It's personal.' — then a long pause while Gob stares at him.
Michael Gob Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Callback George Michael · Maeby: George Michael: 'I'm surprised you tried out for this.' Maeby: 'Yeah. I just love the theater.' [immediately] 'I'm just doing it to kiss Steve Holt. Well actually, I think I'm gonna quit. Yeah, theater's dead.'
Tobias: Tobias makes a dramatic entrance: 'Hello, everyone, and welcome to the theater. I am Dr. Tobias Fünke, and I will be your new director.' — long stunned pause from students.
Tobias Character Comedy Reaction Beat Cringe/Discomfort Tobias: Tobias pitching himself to the principal: 'And you tell me you've got some P.E. teacher directing? That just makes me wanna puke all over your head, sir.'
Tobias Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Tobias: Tobias's appeal to the principal in pseudo-Shakespearean verse: 'Give me a chance to tell the Bard's tale / and I give you my word on humble knee / whence you shall not say it wasn't e'er to be.'
Tobias Character Comedy Absurdist Principal · Jerry · Tobias: Principal, after Tobias's Shakespeare pitch: 'Jerry, you cool with this?' Jerry: 'Sure. Let the little fruit do it.'
Buster · Michael: Buster attempting to handle a business call for Michael. Extended sequence of Buster failing at basic phone communication — 'We're excited. We want your business... And, uh, everybody at the Bluth Company... Here I go again.'
Buster: Buster in the office: 'Mom told me to stay away from microwaves.' Then continues: 'And besides, this is gonna be the most bitchingly fast bike in all of Orange County.'
Buster Character Comedy Absurdist Buster · Michael: Buster: 'Your son is gonna love it.' Michael: 'Well, I guess 3:40 is as good a time as any to call it a day.'
Tobias: Tobias directing the play: 'You are playing adults with fully formed libidos... not two young men playing grab-ass in the shower.'
Tobias Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Tobias · Michael: Tobias sees Michael arrive and immediately announces himself: 'Would you hold the work, please? Oh, Michael.'
George Michael · Maeby: George Michael: 'I'm not [in the play]. I quit.' Maeby: 'George Michael!' — then immediately: 'Wait, no. I love the theater and I gave my word, so I'm back in.'
Michael · George Michael: Michael: 'Why, because of the play? You're just a stand-in.' George Michael: 'No, no. It's not the play. It's just... you know, I can't go on a million bike rides whenever you want me to.'
Tobias: Tobias to Michael about George Michael: 'Well, they're different people every day, teenagers. Hormones all ablaze. Except, of course, when they're onstage when I need it.'
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tobias: Tobias realizes George Michael isn't interested in a girl — his reaction is 'Not a girl? ... Of course.' Then: 'Methinks a Cupid I shall play.'
Tobias Character Comedy Misdirection Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch George Sr. · Michael: George Sr. in prison: 'I couldn't break away from the poker game. Capital G was down to his boxers.' Michael: 'Strip poker?' George Sr.: 'Yeah, and it's tough. We can really only play about two hands.'
George Sr.: George Sr. explains Buster's difficult birth: 'Maybe it was the 11 months he spent in the womb. The doctor said there were claw marks on the walls of her uterus, but he was our miracle baby.'
George Sr. Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch George Sr.: George Sr., after a long rambling story about Buster: 'Wow. We're just blowing through nap time, aren't we?'
Lindsay: Lindsay hides the dress in the attic crawl space — but the audience sees her emerging and getting positive reactions, implying she's been wearing it around the house. Visual: Lindsay in an elaborate dress crawling into an attic.
Lindsay Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Narrator · Lindsay: Lindsay, meanwhile, still had the dress and she was starting to get some positive reactions to it. / Look at you. / I am.
Gob · Michael: Gob: 'Are you crazy? I'm a magician. I make my living with my hands. And if I'm going to be staying here...' Michael: 'Staying here?'
Gob · Michael: Michael: 'What, did that Mexican throw you out?' Gob: 'She's not that Mexican, Mom. She's my Mexican. And she's Colombian or something.'
Gob: Gob: 'If I can't find a horny immigrant by then, I don't deserve to stay here.'
Gob Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Tobias · Michael: Tobias to Michael about Steve Holt (now playing Beatrice): 'I wish I could say the same for Steve Holt. I don't know what the hell her problem is.' Michael: 'Her?' Tobias: 'Oh, uh, I'm sorry. I say that because I switched the parts.'
Michael · Tobias: Michael: 'Perhaps if she dressed as a woman.' Tobias: 'She? Oh, for the love of God. She's playing a woman.'
Lindsay: Lindsay returns home: 'I've been going to the thrift store, but I'm going to find a way to keep that dress.' Things didn't work out with Lucille: 'It was utterly macabre.'
Lindsay Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Lindsay · Gob: I'm exhausted. / Neiman's again, huh?
Lindsay · Tobias · Buster: Lindsay: 'She always makes everything about her. She's the last person I ever want to need something from. She gets off on being withholding.' — said while Buster is clearly in the room.
Buster: Buster finally erupts: 'Whoa. Buster.' / 'I'm Mom, and I wanna shoot down everything you say so I feel good about myself.'
Buster Character Comedy Escalation Lindsay: Lindsay/Tobias reaction: 'Well, no one's gonna top that.'
Lindsay Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Callback Tobias · Steve Holt: Tobias finds the red dress Lindsay hid in the attic crawl space and puts it on Steve Holt for the play.
Lindsay · Lucille · Buster: Lindsay calls Lucille for money for a new dress. Lucille immediately: 'Get a job.' Then Lindsay invents a story that Maeby was beaten up and had her clothes stolen. Lucille: 'Send her over. I'll take her shopping.' Buster: 'You get off on being withholding, don't you?'
Lucille · Lindsay: Lucille: 'Buster said that? My Buster?' Lindsay: 'Not anymore, apparently.'
Buster: Callback: Lucille arrives at the model home and we cut to Buster, who says 'Zip me up.' — the third use of 'Zip me up' in the episode, but now Buster saying it to someone else.
Buster Callback Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Buster · Narrator: Buster built the bike but 'neglected to build the brakes.' Buster: 'I'm flying!'
Buster Narrator Setup/Punchline Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Callback Tobias · Maeby · George Michael: George Michael quits the play, then learns Maeby has now been cast as a man. Maeby: 'So you want me to play the man?' Tobias: 'Yes. Don't you see? I cast the parts all wrong. It was Daddy's fault.'
Maeby · Tobias: Maeby: 'I still get to kiss Steve, right?' Tobias: 'It's gonna be a huge disaster. I'll get you tickets.'
Lucille: Lucille arrives at the model home with a candy bar for Buster: 'Oh... No. I'm withholding it. Look at me getting off.'
Lucille Character Comedy Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Lucille · Michael: Lucille to Michael: 'I'm not going to let you destroy my relationship with my son just because you don't have one with yours right now.'
Buster · Michael: Michael tells Buster he can make his own decisions. Buster: 'Michael. I wanna go with Mom.' Michael: 'You said that she shoots you down.' Buster: 'I was trying to fit in.'
Michael · Buster · Lucille: Michael: 'You were flying today, buddy.' Buster: 'Yes, I was flying... but a little too close to the sun.' Lucille: 'You let him go in the sun? Get in the backseat. I'll be right out.'
Buster: Buster: 'Front seat, Mom. I sit in the front seat now. Mmm?'
Buster Character Comedy Escalation George Michael · Maeby · Steve Holt: George Michael watches Maeby kiss Steve Holt onstage — the kiss he wanted — being performed by the person he wanted to kiss, with the person he was almost forced to kiss.
Maeby · Steve Holt: Maeby after kissing Steve Holt: 'You smell like my mom.'
Michael · George Michael: George Michael is in the kitchen waiting when Michael comes home. They decide to make cornballs together — and the Cornballer immediately burns them both.
Tobias: Tag: Tobias gets a review of his Shakespeare play. He reads: 'I didn't get into this business to please sophomore Tracy Schwarzman' — then 'onward and upward!' — then breaks down crying: 'Why, Tracy? Why?'
Tobias Character Comedy Escalation Misdirection Buster · Lucille: Final tag: 'And Buster is back where he belongs. Mom! What is it? I can't get down.'
Buster Lucille Callback Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Buster · Lucille: Tag: Buster is back with Lucille. Lucille: 'What is it?' Buster: 'I can't get down.'
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