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
138.4
Wins Above Replacement
“Charity Drive” ranks #2 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 100.0 — Elite. The episode packs 74 scored jokes at 3.2 per minute, averaging 7.9 on craft and 7.8 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.: 'Daddy horny, Michael.'
George Sr. Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch George Sr.: On the next: George Sr. makes good on his promise to come clean — 'There's a good chance that I... that I may... have committed some, um... light... treason.'
George Sr. Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Gob: Oh, God, Mommy! What did you do?
Gob Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Lucille · Michael: Lucille: 'Did he say that he misses me? Does he need his wife's embrace?' / Cut to Michael's memory: 'Daddy horny, Michael.' / Michael: 'He said some wonderful things.'
George Michael · Narrator: Narrator explains George Michael's prison fear: 'he accidentally watched HBO's Oz... mistaking it for the classic Judy Garland musical.' / Oz clip: 'I'm an innocent man!' / 'Eat it, bitch!' / George Michael: 'Lots of times.'
All Jokes — 74 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Narrator · Michael · George Sr.: Narrator intro: 'Michael Bluth was visiting his father in prison... anxious to get to the bottom of some mysterious bookkeeping. George Sr. was also anxious, but less about the bookkeeping.'
George Sr.: 'This game is never gonna happen. Half of these guys are still in their cuffs.'
George Sr.: 'Word has it that they're getting Jose Canseco.'
George Sr.: 'I'm catcher, or I'm nothing!'
Kitty · Michael · Narrator: Kitty says 'Your wife's on line one.' Michael's wife has been dead for two years. Beat. Kitty repeats: 'I said, your wife is on line one.' Narrator: 'But not immediately.'
Narrator · Kitty: Kitty realized her mistake. 'I said, your wife is on line one.' But not immediately.
Narrator Kitty Deadpan/Understatement Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Kitty · Michael: 'That's actually not any of your business.' / 'My business. That's not any of my business.'
Michael: 'Yeah, it's a real shame what's going on with this family. You're stuck by the pool, and Dad's getting picked last for softball.'
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Callback Lucille: 'If I wanted something your thumb touched, I'd eat the inside of your ear!'
Gob · Michael: Gob is setting up an 'office' in Michael's workspace to write a 'strongly worded letter' to the warden.
Narrator · Gob: Gob checks into prison as a publicity stunt — but gets shanked.
Gob: Gob reveals his 'strongly worded letter' weapon: '...art.' He's written it on paper and apparently illustrated it.
Gob Character Comedy Misdirection Michael · Gob: Gob enters Michael's office: 'I wish I would've known you were coming. I am a mess.' / Michael: 'Don't know if a call from me would've changed that.'
Gob · Michael: Gob asks for Michael's chair to write his letter: 'Do you like my outfit?' / Gob: 'Not as much as I like what's underneath it.' / Michael: 'Gob!' / Gob: 'No, I need your chair. Get up.'
Michael · Narrator: Narrator: 'My God, she's repulsive.' — attributed to Michael's internal reaction to Kitty's obvious attraction to Gob.
Michael · Kitty: Michael offers Kitty a touch lamp as an incentive. Kitty responds: 'You're the one who needs therapy!'
Lindsay · Tobias · Maeby · George Michael: Lindsay and Tobias bicker about his career change; Tobias says: 'I have needs, you know.' / Lindsay: 'And how am I not addressing your needs?' — followed by escalating arguing in front of their daughter, then: 'Okay, kids, Mommy and Daddy are going out for ice cream.' / Kids: 'Can we come?' / Lindsay: 'Sorry. It's not for kids.'
Lindsay · Tobias · George Michael · Maeby: Okay, kids, Mommy and Daddy are going out for ice cream. Can we come? Sorry. It's not for kids.
George Michael · Maeby: George Michael and Maeby tail Lindsay and Tobias in the Bluth Company stairway truck. Maeby: 'How are they gonna see us?' George Michael: 'It says Bluth Company right on the side. Plus, it's a stairway. That's gonna catch the eye.'
Narrator: The airport stairway vehicle was the last vestige of the Bluths' former wealth. Also, that House of Pies that went out of business.
Narrator Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist ★ Rewatch George Michael · Narrator: Narrator explains George Michael's prison fear: 'he accidentally watched HBO's Oz... mistaking it for the classic Judy Garland musical.' / Oz clip: 'I'm an innocent man!' / 'Eat it, bitch!' / George Michael: 'Lots of times.'
Michael · George Michael: Michael arrives home happy that he won't have to visit prison. 'Hey, buddy! Came home early. Wanna do something? Anything. Anything at all.' / George Michael: 'I wanna visit Pop-Pop in prison.'
Gob · Kitty: Gob flirting with Kitty in the filing room: 'Here's where we keep all of our... heavyweight paper.' / Kitty: 'Bet you can show me where a lot of things are.' / Gob: 'What kind of things are you... looking for?'
Gob Kitty Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Gob · Kitty: Gob and Kitty flirtation: 'What are you hiding?' / Kitty: 'Nothing you can't find.' Then Gob asks Kitty to take off her glasses, lets down her hair — and each reveal makes her look worse, forcing Gob to backtrack: 'No. Glasses on. Hair back up.'
Gob Kitty Visual Gag Escalation Cringe/Discomfort Gob · Kitty: Gob: 'Do you want me to turn all the lights off?' Gob agrees, then: 'There's still light coming in from under the door.'
Gob Kitty Escalation Cringe/Discomfort Callback Lindsay · Tobias: In therapy, Lindsay: 'It's like we're face to face now, like we're really seeing this marriage and... I'm afraid it's a lie.' Long pause. Tobias: 'Bravo. If I gave a performance that good, I'd have my own Alias-type show.'
Michael: Michael tells George Michael prison is 'like a carnival. Without the half-person on the skateboard that grabbed your knee to steady himself.'
Michael Dark/Subversive Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement Michael: Michael: 'It's like a country club. All the guy does is eat ice cream and play softball all day.'
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Callback Callback George Sr. · Prisoner · Umpire: The softball game is in the 14th inning; prisoners are trying to bribe the umpire: 'I'll give you a thousand bucks, you call the next one a strike.' Ump: 'My knees are killing me.'
George Sr. · George Michael · Michael: George Sr. to George Michael in prison: 'I'm gonna die in here.' / George Michael's terrified reaction / Michael returns with ice cream sandwiches: 'One of these got smooshed, but don't let that ruin prison for you.'
George Sr. · George Michael · Guard: George Sr. grabs at George Michael's hair: 'Give me your hair!' / 'Give Pop-Pop your hair!' / Guard: 'No touching! No touching! No touching!'
Michael: One of these got smooshed, but don't let that ruin prison for you.
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm George Michael: George Michael: 'I don't totally get the hair joke, but I'm fine, Dad.' ... 'I am gonna head back in, though. I'm gonna see if Pop-Pop's got any more zingers.'
Michael · George Sr.: Michael to George Sr.: 'That's why I'm trying to get you out of here.' George Sr.: 'Maybe I've been in denial, but this place is breaking me, Mikey... and I'm alone here, but for you.'
George Sr. · Michael: George Sr. on Lucille: 'Your mother's never shown her face.' Michael: 'She's never been here?' — Lucille's absence at the prison is revealed, immediately undercut: 'You should've heard the grief she gave me when I said I'd never show up again.' / 'You said... You said what?'
George Sr. · Lucille: George Sr. on Lucille: 'She's very easily threatened. You remember the carjacker?' — Cut to: clip of Lucille screaming at carjacker / George Sr.: 'Well, she's certainly toughened up since then. She's eating lunch by the pool now.'
George Sr.: George Sr.: 'There's a big difference between the country club pool and the conjugal trailer. That's not what I meant when I said visit.' / 'It's too bad. I really miss that personal contact. It just felt... humanizing.'
George Sr.: 'Daddy horny, Michael.'
George Sr. Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch George Sr. · Michael: George Sr.: 'I just haven't had sex in a month.' / Michael: 'You've been here two months.' / George Sr.: 'It's hard to gauge time.'
Michael · Lucille: Michael to Lucille: 'You know... there are certain things that he can't get from his children.' / Lucille: 'If you're going to say pride, you're wrong. He is proud of his children.' / Michael: 'Wasn't gonna say pride, Mom.'
Lucille: Pool food. My system's not used to curly fries. [Lucille, after Michael asks why she's never visited George Sr. in prison]
Lucille Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael: Michael's increasingly tortured build-up: 'I think that you should... visit him... in an... intimate... marital... trailer.'
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Lucille · Michael: Lucille: 'Did he say that he misses me? Does he need his wife's embrace?' / Cut to Michael's memory: 'Daddy horny, Michael.' / Michael: 'He said some wonderful things.'
Lucille: Lucille: 'Golf membership' want it? [as a negotiation chip for agreeing to visit George Sr.]
Lucille Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback Tobias: Tobias in role-reversal therapy, playing Lindsay: 'Because I'm a woman! With a woman's needs! And a woman's urges! And these, Tobias. When was the last time you looked at these?'
Tobias Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Absurdist Tobias: Tobias as Lindsay: 'You've never been a real wife to me, Lindsay.' / 'A man is looking back at you. A man with dreams and aspirations!'
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Tobias: Tobias in role reversal: 'Right! If I'm no Schwimmer, you're no Jennifer Aniston!' / 'Maybe I'm not even Lisa Kudrow.'
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Absurdist Lindsay · Tobias: Lindsay-as-Tobias says: 'follow those dreams. Make those dreams happen.' / Tobias: 'Yes. I will.' / 'And scene!'
Therapist · Tobias · Lindsay: Therapist's reaction: 'Wow!' / 'I'm sorry I stepped on your line.' / 'Did that answer some questions for you?' / 'Yeah, I think it did.' / Therapist: 'Now there are two men I wanna leave.'
Michael · Gob: Michael arrives home: 'Great news.' / Gob: 'Oh, good. I could use it.' / Michael: 'I just came from convincing Mom to have sex with Dad.' / Gob: 'God! What is wrong with you? That is disgusting!'
Michael Gob Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Gob: 'I have a sense of propriety. All right?' — Gob's protestation of decency after being disgusted by Michael facilitating their parents' sex.
Gob Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Gob · Michael: Gob: 'I Kitty.' / Michael: 'Gob, I just wanted you to get the information.' / Gob: 'Oh, I got the information.' / '...About the international accounts?' / 'I see what you're getting at. No, I didn't get any information.'
Gob Michael Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Misdirection Michael · Gob: Michael: 'You just lost the touch lamp.' / Gob: 'What? No!' / Michael: 'The deal's off. I'm gonna use the touch lamp to set the mood in the conjugal trailer when Dad's nailing Mom!'
Michael Gob Callback Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback George Michael · Maeby: George Michael: 'I'm not saying I don't care like kids who say they don't when they do... 'cause I don't.' / Maeby: 'How could you not?' / George Michael: 'You know, our family's really messed up.' / Maeby: 'I know. We're the only normal ones.'
George Michael · Maeby: George Michael and Maeby hug. Hug goes on. George Michael narrates the hug internally: '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. That was a good hug. That's plenty for now. Hug's gotta end sometime, obviously.'
George Sr. · Michael · Lucille: George Sr. reacts to Lucille appearing in the prison: 'What the hell's your mother doing in here?' / Michael: 'You needed my help, and it was hard for you to ask, so I took it upon myself to bring her.' / George Sr.: 'That doesn't make you uncomfortable?' / Michael: 'The drive was a little awkward.'
George Sr. · Lucille · Michael: George Sr. panics as Lucille approaches: 'Hello, George.' / George Sr.: 'What the hell's your mother doing in here?' / 'Oh, I've done a bad thing.' / 'There's someone else in that trailer, isn't there?' / 'I've done a terrible thing.' / 'I've done a repulsive thing.'
George Sr. · Michael · Narrator: 'How long? When did this start?' / George Sr.: 'Oh, come on! This is the first time.' / Narrator: 'Every Friday for the last eight years.'
George Sr.: George Sr.: 'I'll go in there with Kitty, I'll do my thing... and th-th-then I'll go and see your moth... This is a hard one.'
George Sr. Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Escalation George Sr. · Michael: George Sr.: 'Family first.' / Michael: 'Take care of Kitty.' / George Sr.: 'I need you now.' / Michael: '"International accounts" need me?'
Michael · Gob: Michael offers Gob: touch lamp + office + 'what the hell... full use of the secretary.'
Michael Gob Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Callback Lucille · George Sr.: Lucille in the conjugal trailer: 'I, uh... Okay, I'll get down on the couch.' / 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.'
George Sr. · Lucille: I, uh... Okay, I'll get down on the couch. / I'm not going to have sex with you, George.
George Sr. · Lucille: Lucille: 'The millions you pissed away on clothing and jewelry and spa treatments.' / George Sr.: 'Yes, to keep you interested in the only thing you ever appreciated... my body.' / Lucille: 'Can I help it if you've got a fantastic body? And you're as powerful as a bear.'
Lucille · George Sr.: 'My husband the bear.' / 'This bear needs some honey, wife.' / 'Oh, God, I missed you!'
Gob · Kitty: Gob stalling Kitty with light adjustments: 'Glasses off. Glasses on. Hair up. Glasses off. Down, on. Have we done up, off?'
Gob Kitty Running Gag Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Gob: Wrong and bright. This... That's be... brighter! God! Damn.
Gob Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Callback Warden · Gob: The warden catches Gob outside: 'Well, if it isn't Sincerely Yours.'
Warden Gob Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Gob · Warden · George Sr. · Lucille: Gob is pinned against the window of his parents' conjugal trailer by the warden. Gob: 'Oh, God, Mommy! What did you do?'
Gob: Oh, God, Mommy! What did you do?
Gob Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael returns to George Michael: 'I had to help out your grandfather... and then I had to vow that I would never help your grandfather again. Pretty much a normal day for me.'
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Observational Michael · George Michael: George Michael worries that if Pop-Pop could be in prison, 'anybody could be there.' Michael reassures him: 'I got news... he's, uh... he's guilty.' / 'He is?' / 'Oh, yeah.' / 'Incredibly guilty.'
Lindsay: On the next Arrested Development: Lindsay says she wants to become an actor too.
Lindsay Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm George Sr.: On the next: George Sr. makes good on his promise to come clean — 'There's a good chance that I... that I may... have committed some, um... light... treason.'
George Sr. Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Top Episodes — Arrested Development