Michael and Lindsay try to prove their charitable sides to each other. Gob demands George Michael's respect, and Buster continues avoiding Lucille 2.
Forty-eight jokes in 23 minutes sustains character comedy without hitting elite density peaks.
Directed by Greg Mottola · Written by Barbie Adler
WAR
46.8
Wins Above Replacement
“Charity Drive” ranks #57 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 79.5 — Elite. The episode packs 48 scored jokes at 2.1 per minute, averaging 7.0 on craft and 6.9 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.: There's a good chance that I... that I may... have committed some, um... light... treason.
George Sr.: Daddy horny, Michael.
Narrator · TV: he accidentally watched HBO's Oz mistaking it for the classic Judy Garland musical. I'm an innocent man! Eat it, bitch!
Kitty · Narrator: Your wife's on line one. Michael's wife had been dead for two years.
Lucille: If I wanted something your thumb touched, I'd eat the inside of your ear!
All Jokes — 48 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ George Sr.: I'm catcher, or I'm nothing!
Kitty · Narrator: Your wife's on line one. Michael's wife had been dead for two years.
Narrator: But not immediately.
Narrator Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Lucille: If I wanted something your thumb touched, I'd eat the inside of your ear!
Gob Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Gob: So I am going after this guy with everything I've got... art. Now we are writing a letter.
Gob Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Kitty · Gob: I wish I would've known you were coming. I am a mess. Don't know if a call from me would've changed that.
Gob: Not as much as I like what's underneath it. No, I need your chair.
Gob Misdirection Character Comedy Maeby · Lindsay: Can we come? Sorry. It's not for kids.
George Michael: It says 'Bluth Company' right on the side. Plus, it's a stairway. That's gonna catch the eye.
Narrator: Also, that House of Pies that went out of business.
Narrator · TV: he accidentally watched HBO's Oz mistaking it for the classic Judy Garland musical. I'm an innocent man! Eat it, bitch!
Gob: No. Glasses on. Hair back up. Let's just get that hair right back up.
Gob Character Comedy Escalation Tobias: If I gave a performance that good, I'd have my own Alias type show.
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: Without the half-person on the skateboard that grabbed your knee to steady himself.
Michael: Without the half-person on the skateboard that grabbed your knee to steady himself.
George Sr.: I'll give you a thousand bucks, you call the next one a strike.
George Sr. · George Michael: I'm gonna die in here. They're gonna kill Grandpa.
George Sr. · George Michael: Give Pop-Pop your hair! No touching! No touching! No touching!
Prison inmates: No batter. No batter. No batter.
George Michael: I don't totally get the hair joke, but I'm fine, Dad.
George Sr. · Lucille · Michael: You remember the carjacker? - Aaah! - Well, she's certainly toughened up since then.
George Sr.: Daddy horny, Michael.
Michael · George Sr.: You've been here two months. It's hard to gauge time.
Lucille: Pool food. My system's not used to curly fries.
Lucille · Michael: If you're going to say 'pride,' you're wrong. Wasn't gonna say pride, Mom.
Michael: I think that you should... visit him... in an... intimate... marital... trailer.
Michael · Lucille: Daddy horny, Michael. He said some wonderful things.
Lucille: 'Golf membership' want it?
Lucille Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Lindsay: And these, Tobias. When was the last time you looked at these?
Tobias: Right! If I'm no Schwimmer, you're no Jennifer Aniston! Maybe I'm not even Lisa Kudrow.
Tobias Character Comedy Absurdist Lindsay: Now there are two men I wanna leave.
Michael · Gob: I just came from convincing Mom to have sex with Dad. God! What is wrong with you? That is disgusting!
Gob: I have a sense of propriety. All right?
Gob Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Michael: I'm gonna use the touch lamp to set the mood in the conjugal trailer when Dad's nailing Mom!
Maeby: I'm not saying 'I don't care' like kids who say they don't when they do... 'cause I don't.
Maeby Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential George Michael: Sometimes I don't know if it's gonna be a long or short hug or a middle-medium hug. It's hard to tell sometimes.
Michael: The drive was a little awkward.
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat George Sr. · Michael: Every Friday for the last eight years. Daddy... Horny. I got that.
Lucille: I'm not going to have sex with you, George. I came to tell you how much I hate you for what you've done to this family.
Lucille Misdirection Character Comedy Lucille · George Sr.: And you're as powerful as a bear. My husband the bear. This bear needs some honey, wife.
Gob: Have we done up, off? Wrong and bright. That's be... brighter!
Gob Escalation Physical/Slapstick Warden: Well, if it isn't 'Sincerely Yours.'
Warden Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Gob: Oh, God, Mommy! What did you do?
Gob Visual Gag Cringe/Discomfort Gob: Oh, God, Mommy! What did you do?
Gob Visual Gag Cringe/Discomfort Michael: 'Cause I got news... he's, uh... he's guilty. Oh, yeah. Incredibly guilty.
Lindsay: I've decided that... I want to become an actor too.
Lindsay Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy George Sr.: There's a good chance that I... that I may... have committed some, um... light... treason.
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