Michael and George Michael leave for Phoenix but go back to ensure the family misses them. Lindsay wants to have an open marriage, which causes Tobias to try to join the Blue Man Group under the impression that they are a support group for depressed men. Lucille signs Buster up for the Army after being goaded by a Michael Moore look-alike. Gob becomes president of the Bluth Company.
Forty-five jokes in 47 minutes: absurdist character comedy sustains Season 2's premise reset.
Directed by Lee Shallat Chemel · Written by Mitchell Hurwitz, Richard A. Rosenstock
WAR
57.6
Wins Above Replacement
“The One Where Michael Leaves” ranks #16 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 86.1 — Elite. The episode packs 45 scored jokes at 1.9 per minute, averaging 7.5 on craft and 7.1 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
Tobias: I'm afraid I just blue myself.
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Maeby: Because, I mean, under her school picture, it said, 'Not pictured.'
Maeby Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch Lucille: Well, if it isn't the boy who cried Phoenix.
Lucille Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Callback Michael: There's got to be a better way to say that.
Michael Reaction Beat Meta/Self-Referential George Sr: You made a huge mistake.
George Sr Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback All Jokes — 45 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael: They're a bunch of greedy, selfish people who have our nose.
Michael Character Comedy Observational Michael · George Michael: And Aunt Lindsay. She's not my real aunt? Not her real nose. Got a picture of her when she's 14 in a swimming cap. She looks like a falcon.
Narrator: a feat he'd accomplished by using the family's portable stairway vehicle.
George Michael: Actually, no, that's kind of what I thought until I heard about all that Phoenix stuff.
Buster: Yeah, like anyone would want to 'R' her.
Buster Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Maeby: Because, I mean, under her school picture, it said, 'Not pictured.'
Maeby Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch George Michael: Okay, they printed a retraction in the Spring supplement
George Michael: Yeah, they had to postpone it when that foreign exchange student parked too close to the gym.
Maeby: Better than part I have now-- Guy who ordered strike on Pearl Harbor.
Maeby Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Michael · Family: That's it. I'm out of here. Ta-da. I'm out of here. Problem contained. We've got the attacking animal down. I'm out of this family. Seriously.
Lucille · Family: Ta-da. I'm out of here. Problem contained. We've got the attacking animal down.
Buster: I'll kill her first.
Buster Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Michael: I've made a huge mistake
Michael Running Gag Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Gob: I've never admitted to a mistake. What would I have made a mistake about?
Gob Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Michael: Lindsay. Instead of sleeping in twin beds, why don't you and your husband take the master bedroom?
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Now, do you want to steer? or are you too old to sit on you pop's lap and drive?
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Oscar: Do you have any cookies with no preservatives?
Oscar Character Comedy Absurdist Michael: Yes. A father figure.
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Barry: No, I know, I now. Everybody says, 'Leave it alone, leave it alone.' Does this look contagious to you? Hey, kiddo.
Barry Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Barry: Oh, man, I wish you hadn't said Phoenix.
Barry Running Gag Escalation Callback George Michael · Michael: Uh, it's not Aunt Lindsay's nose. Yes, but no. Don't-don't tell them we were going to... We say we don't need them. Oh. Yeah. Okay. The new one.
Lindsay: It comes from knowing you're toned and fit.
Michael: I see you've found an exercise tape made for people as lazy as you are.
Michael Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm Tobias · Lindsay: Nice to be back in a queen. It's too much pressure. I can't do this.
Tobias: Well, did it work for those people? No. It never does. I mean, these people somehow delude themselves into thinking it might, but... but it might work for us.
Tobias Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Steve Holt: Well, tell him I like what I see.
Narrator: In three hours, Gob had done $45,000 in damage.
Employee: Oh, I think it's the massage table in the break room now.
Gob: For the same reason you should believe that a hundred dollar bill is no more than a hundred pennies.
Gob Absurdist Character Comedy Gob Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Gob · Employee: Star two. At the same time? No, just the star, in the corner. Star... So if I do this like that... No, turn your hand the other way. Oh, that star.
Lucille: Well, if it isn't the boy who cried Phoenix.
Lucille Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Callback Lucille Misdirection Cringe/Discomfort Lindsay: Well, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think that was a possibility.
Lindsay Misdirection Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Oscar: More than you'll ever know.
Oscar Misdirection Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Lucille Reaction Beat Dark/Subversive Tobias: Only in color, Michael. Only in color.
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Tobias: I'm afraid I just blue myself.
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: There's got to be a better way to say that.
Michael Reaction Beat Meta/Self-Referential Doctor: It looks like he's dead, or he is dead? It just looks like he's dead. He's got, like, blue paint on him or something. But he's going to be fine.
Doctor Misdirection Absurdist Callback Doctor · Lindsay: It looks like he's dead. Oh, my God! Oh, little guy. The tears aren't coming. The tears just aren't coming.
Lindsay: This ( bleep ), Doctor. Hey, we want this comped!
Lucille: The tears aren't coming. The tears just aren't coming.
Lucille Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Gob: Hey, we want this comped!
Gob Absurdist Character Comedy George Sr: You made a huge mistake.
George Sr Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Top Episodes — Arrested Development
