Gob decides to lock himself in his father's prison for 24 hours to get back in with the alliance, and to spend quality time with his father. Michael takes Gob's girlfriend to an awards show, and Buster inadvertently flirts with his mother's rival.
51 jokes in 21 minutes—Arrested Development hits its stride with relentless character-driven absurdism.
Directed by Joe Russo, Anthony Russo · Written by Brad Copeland
WAR
60.9
Wins Above Replacement
“Key Decisions” ranks #21 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 85.9 — Elite. The episode packs 51 scored jokes at 2.5 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
Lucille: If that's a veiled criticism about me... I won't hear it and I won't respond to it.
Lucille Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Buster: I know she's a brownish area with points.
Buster Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: I've made a huge mistake.
Michael Running Gag Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Buster: You just grab that... that brownish area by its points... and you don't let go, no matter what your mom says.
Buster Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Gob: I've made a huge mistake.
All Jokes — 51 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Lindsay: Great. So now we don't have a car or a jet? Why don't we just take an ad out in I'm Poor magazine?
Lindsay Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: We're just gonna cover them up with blankets
Michael Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Lindsay · Michael: Perhaps you remember Neuterfest? / I'll never forget your wedding.
Michael · Lindsay: You're wearing ostrich skin boots. / I don't care about ostriches.
Gob: Today I gotta stand next to her like I'm Rita Wilson.
Gob Observational Character Comedy Michael · Gob: That's Mom. Hide. / He's in here, Mom!
Lucille: I may not have her money anymore, but at least I have a live husband.
Lucille Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Lucille: Make it long so Buster doesn't seem so... round.
Lucille Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Lucille: It's his glasses. They make him look like a lizard.
Lucille Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Lucille: If that's a veiled criticism about me... I won't hear it and I won't respond to it.
Lucille Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Lindsay: Watch out for bridges and hop-ons. You're gonna get some hop-ons.
Lindsay Absurdist Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Michael: You can make dogs and cats a complete thing of the past. No more dogs and cats.
Michael Absurdist Misdirection ★ Rewatch Gob: Say that to them in Spanish.
Gob Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Gob: Which, of course, he never did with me.
Gob Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Narrator: The warden was intrigued... less about the stunt... and more about the prison beatings this brash magician was sure to receive.
Narrator Dark/Subversive Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Gob: I probably would have taken her to the nice event, but prison'll be fun too.
Gob Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Michael: How'd I come through? Gob, how'd I come through?
Michael Reaction Beat Cringe/Discomfort Gob: Life, Dad. I killed a guy.
Gob Misdirection Deadpan/Understatement White Power Bill · Other prisoners: Dirty Ears Bill! Dirty Ears Bill!
Michael: This is how I came through, huh?
Michael: Well, my brother may have eaten them.
Michael Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Look, I'm an activist too. I appreciate what you're doing for the environment.
Michael: Go club some beavers.
Johnny Bark: Where are the stairs?
Lucille: A sea of waiters, and no one will take a drink order.
Lucille Observational Character Comedy Buster Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Lucille Austero: That's one call per day, isn't it? Gee, I should think he'd wanna save that for his lawyer.
Lucille Bluth: At least he's in prison, not an urn.
Michael: Did you win? I-I don't speak Spanish.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Gob: I can't go without privacy. I c... I can't pass this key without privacy!
Gob Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Callback Gob: I've made a huge mistake.
Lindsay: At a weekend stage fighting workshop with Carl Weathers.
Lindsay Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: I'll see you when you realize what that bucket's for.
Lucille: A waiter hands him a note; suddenly he's Steve McQueen.
Lucille Observational Character Comedy Buster: I know she's a brownish area with points.
Buster Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Buster: You just grab that... that brownish area by its points... and you don't let go, no matter what your mom says.
Buster Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Gob · Michael: How would you feel if I came down on you hard? / You're saying I'm not reading this right. / No, I'm saying I need to jump on you to break my fall.
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat George Sr.: Great. Now you're an athlete.
Lindsay: I think you're gross.
Lindsay Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Michael: That's why you never get out of the tree.
White Power Bill · Gob: White power! / I'm... white.
Gob Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Buster: Has your hair... always been that pointy, Miss Austero?
Buster Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Lucille: Well, this is why people hate hospitals.
Lucille Character Comedy Observational Gob: Good thing you didn't bring the stairs, huh?
Gob Irony/Sarcasm Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: That's the stupid thing that I believe.
Michael: I've made a huge mistake.
Michael Running Gag Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Doctor: Looks like the shiv would have done some real damage if it hadn't been for this. It was in your lower intestine.
Doctor Callback Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Gob Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Buster Escalation Character Comedy Top Episodes — Arrested Development
