Gob hides George Sr. while the model home's plumbing is checked; George Michael helps Ann protest Maeby's new movie; Tobias takes a liking to Kitty after Michael asks him to keep an eye on her.
Musical callback layering delivers 84 points through pure character escalation.
Directed by Chuck Martin · Written by Mitchell Hurwitz, Jim Vallely
WAR
160.4
Wins Above Replacement
“The Righteous Brothers” ranks #16 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 97.6 — Elite. The episode packs 99 scored jokes at 3.6 per minute, averaging 7.7 on craft and 7.6 on impact, with Gob landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Oscar · Buster: Oscar burns himself on the Cornballer after Buster's prosthetic redirects the danger: '[Sizzling] [Screams] Just forget it! I wanted to share my Pop Secret with you. Oh, but forget it!'
Oscar Buster Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Narrator · Gob: Narrator: 'But Franklin didn't want to kiss at all. Gob had soaked the puppet's mouth in ether.'
Narrator Gob Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Gob: Gob: 'Well, I didn't lose him. But he's all puckered and white. On the plus side, you can take him to lunch at the club now.'
Gob Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Narrator · Tobias: Narrator reveals Tobias was 'asked to address a group of depressed men who had been described over the phone as blue' — cut to Tobias in full blue body paint addressing a depression support group
Gob · George Sr.: Gob using ventriloquism to make George Sr. 'forgive' him during the drive: [imitating George Sr.] 'I cherish you, Gob. Come here and give me a kiss.' / 'I'm driving, Dad.' / [As George Sr.] 'Now!'
All Jokes — 99 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Narrator: The narrator opening: 'Michael Bluth was working at home when he noticed something unusual.'
Narrator Deadpan/Understatement Running Gag Inspector · Michael: The drain pipes aren't hooked up — just empty under the house. Plus there's a lot of blue paint down there. And some pieces of denim?
Michael · Lucille: Michael: 'Where the hell do you want me to go? Back to your mother's?' / 'I believe there's a freeloading loser in my bed.' Michael: 'Buster just lost a hand. He's going through a lot.' Lucille: 'I'm talking about Oscar.'
Narrator · Oscar · Buster: Oscar secretly believes Buster to be his natural son — and greets him warmly saying 'Hey, Uncle.' Oscar replies 'I feel so responsible for that.'
Narrator · Oscar · George Sr. · Buster: Oscar getting injured on a shoddy device George Sr. invented — when he forgot Buster was wearing a prosthetic hand. 'Buster! The Cornballer!'
George Sr.: George Sr.: 'The only reason she likes him is he has hair. And the only reason he has any is because he's never had any stress.'
Oscar · George Sr. · Narrator: It's my father's fault! / My fault? I was trying to keep you from burning yourself, you idiot! / I mean, yes, yes. George Sr. Sure rushed this to market.
George Sr.: George Sr. in prison enthusiastically greeting inmates ('Hey, man! / Yeah!') suggesting he is completely at home there
George Sr. Visual Gag Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch George Sr. · Michael · George Michael: George Sr. references 'Dangerous Cousins,' a French movie they tried to sneak into — Michael stammers and denies remembering it.
Narrator · Maeby: Narrator: 'It wasn't great, and Maeby knew it.' — Maeby works at the studio that made the American remake of 'Dangerous Cousins'
Narrator: The studio tried to avoid controversy 'by artlessly explaining that the two leads weren't biological cousins'
Narrator Irony/Sarcasm Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Film Character: [Woman On Film] 'Shut up and kiss me!' — played while the studio is panicking about the film's content
Maeby · Studio Executive: 'But it's only 71 minutes long.' / 'And it's only, like, 63 minutes long.'
Maeby · George Michael: 'So bring Ann.' / 'No, that's not her kind of thing.' / 'I mean, if it maintains any of the complex eroticism of the French original anyway.'
Maeby: 'I like the way they think.' — Maeby, responding to George Michael's 'complex eroticism' comment
Maeby Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael · Tobias: Michael finds Tobias's resignation letter and says 'I'm sorry, Tobias. Do you work here?'
Tobias · Michael: Tobias: 'Do I work- I developed an eating disorder being your assistant, Michael.' / Michael: 'I never saw you at the desk.' / Tobias: 'Well, excuse me if I was too busy on my knees in front of the toilet, Michael.'
Narrator · Tobias: The Blue Man Group has dropped their cease-and-desist and invited Tobias to audition
Narrator · Tobias: Narrator reveals Tobias was 'asked to address a group of depressed men who had been described over the phone as blue' — cut to Tobias in full blue body paint addressing a depression support group
Tobias: Tobias: 'I feel like a [bleep] idiot.' / Narrator: 'Fortunately, I found a wonderful circle of men to get me through that.'
Tobias Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Callback Tobias · Michael: Tobias booked a 4pm meeting with Kitty without telling Michael. 'Why didn't you tell me?' / 'Oh, this is my fault too?'
Tobias: Tobias: 'Everything- No. No! I will not let this make me eat!' [Sobbing]
Tobias Character Comedy Escalation Narrator · Kitty · Cal: [Narrator] And meetings with Kitty had never ended well. / Say good-bye to these. Spring break! Whoo! / Perhaps this'll jog your memory. / [Cal] Oh! They're crooked!
Gob: Gob: 'Shall I knock Dad out and chain him to a pipe somewhere? Or should I risk another herpes outbreak with Kitty? Which is it this time?'
Gob Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Michael · Gob: Michael: 'You asked me for $5,000 so that you could invest in a Franklin CD. Now, I assumed that you were talking about the mutual fund and not a compact disc of you singing to your hand.'
Narrator · Gob · Franklin: Narrator reveals Gob made a recording called 'Franklin Comes Alive' — a racial harmony ventriloquism album — and plays a clip: 'It ain't easy bein' white / It ain't easy bein' brown / All this pressure to be bright / I got childrens all over town'
Gob · Franklin: It ain't easy bein' white / It ain't easy bein' brown / All this pressure to be bright / I got childrens all over town
Gob: 'Sometimes- Hey, where'd the guy go?' — Gob's ventriloquism failing mid-song
Gob Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Michael · Gob: Michael: 'Maybe the reason I didn't say anything is 'cause I didn't want to embarrass you. It's my favorite, favorite record.' Gob: 'Well, then you [bleep] up.' [Sobbing]
Gob · Michael: Gob: 'Crying like a couple of girls.' Michael: 'Aw, you're the only one crying. But I love the music.'
Michael · Gob: Michael: 'And the card with your face on it?' Gob: 'And the healing.' Michael: 'Home run!'
George Sr. · Gob · Franklin: George Sr. meets Franklin the puppet: 'Hey, Franklin.' Franklin: 'My man! How 'bout some tongue?'
Narrator · Gob: Narrator: 'But Franklin didn't want to kiss at all. Gob had soaked the puppet's mouth in ether.'
Narrator Gob Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Tobias · Lindsay: Tobias and Lindsay subplot: Lindsay refuses to uproot her life for Vegas; Tobias says maybe this means they should split; Lindsay thought they already were split
Gob · George Sr.: Gob using ventriloquism to make George Sr. 'forgive' him during the drive: [imitating George Sr.] 'I cherish you, Gob. Come here and give me a kiss.' / 'I'm driving, Dad.' / [As George Sr.] 'Now!'
Gob: Gob discovers Michael's unopened CD in the car: 'It's not even open. Michael!'
Gob Character Comedy Callback Callback Kitty · Michael: Kitty's rehabilitation: 'I have a sponsor now. [Whispers] He's famous.' / 'That's great.' / 'I can't tell you who he is. But let's just say that he was on Night Court.'
Kitty · Michael: Kitty helpfully narrows it down: 'It's not Bull. It's not Harry Anderson. He's white.' Michael: 'I know who it is.'
Kitty · Michael: Kitty: 'Don't suppose I can get that in writing.' Michael: 'You did try to blow me up.' Kitty: 'Sorry about that. Just don't piss me off again.' [Cackles]
Tobias: Tobias: 'Oh, I see you wasted no time in filling my seat hole.'
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Kitty · Tobias: Kitty: 'It's the last time you're going to be seeing these.' [goes to flash] Tobias: 'How ironic. I just found out I'm staying.'
Michael: Michael: 'Okay, let's just all put our tops down. Just put 'em on down.'
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Tobias: Tobias to Kitty: 'Wow, you are so real. Why can't I meet someone like you?'
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tobias: Michael: 'Are you trying to set up your former assistant with your current assistant? What a great idea for a Hugh Grant-Julia Roberts type movie.'
Tobias Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy Tobias: Tobias: 'I recently heard that the actor, John Larroquette, was looking for a meaty character piece.'
Tobias Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Callback Police Officer · Barry · Michael: Police officer: 'Are those balls? 'Cause the last time we were here, they were balls.' / 'These are not balls.' Michael: 'I wish they were balls.'
Barry: I wish they were balls.
Barry Deadpan/Understatement Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Narrator · Gob · Michael: The incriminating photo is actually the card from Gob's unopened CD — the card with Gob's face on it, found by a traffic camera
Gob: Gob in jail with Michael: 'Right between the gearbox and the 'pull back from aircraft' lever.'
Gob Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Gob · Michael: Gob: 'I've got him stashed away somewhere safe now.' / Michael: 'Get him, quickly, otherwise I'm gonna be stuck in here.' / Gob: 'Good! I hope you rot in here!'
Gob · Michael: Gob: 'And guess what else? Dad kissed me.' Michael: 'How? He looked pretty unconscious in that picture.' Gob: 'I didn't say he was totally into it.'
Gob Michael Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Ann · Narrator · George Michael: Ann: 'No, I want to get the whole church group together. We're gonna picket those bastards.' Narrator: 'George Michael had only heard Ann swear once before...'
Ann · George Michael · Narrator: Narrator: Ann's previous swear was at a protest of Marc Cherry's home, executive producer of Desperate Housewives. Cut to Ann: 'It's a satire!' / George Michael: 'There's nothing funny about fornication!' / Ann: 'The bastard saw us!'
Narrator · George Michael: 'And the promise of another kiss was too enticing to turn down.' George Michael: 'Well, yes. The bastards.'
Oscar · Buster: Oscar: 'Buster! Be careful!' Buster: 'It's not a real hand, remember?' Oscar: 'I'm so forgetful. I hope you don't get that from me.'
Oscar · Buster: Oscar burns himself on the Cornballer after Buster's prosthetic redirects the danger: '[Sizzling] [Screams] Just forget it! I wanted to share my Pop Secret with you. Oh, but forget it!'
Oscar Buster Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Buster: Buster: 'Pop secret? Pop se- Is Oscar my real father?'
Buster Reaction Beat Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Lucille: Michael calls Lucille while in police custody to lie about being 'on a business trip' — Lucille: 'Why can't the girl at work do it?' Michael: 'Tobias? I sent him on a date with Kitty to keep her off our backs.'
Lucille · Lindsay: Lucille: 'Your husband's dating Kitty the whore.' / Lindsay: 'He is? That's- That's horrible.' / Lucille: 'Do I know my daughter? She only wants what she can't have.'
Lucille · Gob: Lucille: 'I've got a nice, hard cot with his name on it.' Gob: 'You'd do that to your own brother?' Lucille: 'I said 'cot.''
Buster · Lindsay: Buster arrives: 'Where's Mother?' / Lindsay: 'You lied to me. You said my father was my father, but my uncle is my father. My father is my uncle!'
Narrator · Gob · Michael: Guards play Gob's confiscated CD — the racial harmony ventriloquism album — in the prison. Michael hears it and realizes he can't turn Gob in.
Gob · Franklin: Gob to Franklin after the moment of brotherly epiphany: 'Franklin.' Franklin (British accent): 'You've ruined the act, Gob.'
Oscar · Lucille: Oscar and Lucille argue: 'You're high!' / 'You're drunk!' / 'Not this time.'
Lucille: Lucille threatens to 'say goodbye to these' at Oscar
Lucille Running Gag Callback ★ Rewatch Callback George Michael · Ann: George Michael is holding a protest sign that says 'This is a tricky, gray area.' Ann: 'He even helped me make the signs.' George Michael: 'Well, only mine and the one that says, 'This is a tricky, gray area.''
Protesters/Passersby · George Michael: 'Are there any more seats?' / 'Yeah. It's the best 52 minutes you'll spend all day.'
Ann: Ann: 'Oh, no. We're making it worse.' / Ann: 'Prepare to be swallowed into the depths of hell!'
Ann Character Comedy Escalation George Michael · Ann: George Michael: 'I guess that means no kiss?' Ann: 'I'm not really in the mood for a kiss.' George Michael: 'This isn't Marc Cherry's house.'
Lindsay · Buster: Lindsay: 'Guess who I just found out my father is?' Buster: 'Jail?'
Buster: Buster: 'I'm going to take a long shower. I don't even want to smell like Mother anymore.'
Buster Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Lindsay: Lindsay: 'I pushed him right into someone else's skanky, bony arms.' / Advice to George Michael: 'You have to grab love while you have it. Don't let it get away.'
Lindsay Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Lindsay: Lindsay: 'Mommy's gonna take a bath with a bottle of wine.'
Lindsay Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Maeby · Lindsay: 'I don't know if we're supposed to use-' — cut off by Maeby with news about the premiere
Maeby: Maeby: 'All the press actually made the premiere a hit. There's lines for the next show.'
Maeby Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Narrator · George Michael · Maeby: Narrator: 'And that's when George Michael finally got close to Maeby — who, by the way, might not be his biological cousin.'
Gob · Narrator: Gob hid George Sr. under the model home — the home that has just collapsed. 'Dad's gonna be crushed.' / 'You don't have to tell him!' / Narrator: 'But Gob was referring to his own father, who he had hidden under the house.'
Gob: Gob asks children to crawl under the collapsed house. 'Children, you're small. Crawl under there.' / 'We don't want to go under there.' / 'He's not under there. He got away. Thank God.'
Gob Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Gob: Children, you're small. Crawl under there.
Gob Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Gob · Narrator: Then Gob remembered that this meant Michael would have to go to prison — a moment of dawning horror at his own competence
Gob: Gob: 'Well, I handcuffed him under the house. But he got free — the pipes I chained him to weren't connected to anything.'
Gob Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael: 'I'm sick of you needing constant validation for screwing up.'
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Gob: Gob's threat: 'First, I'm gonna beat the crap out of you, then I'm gonna call an ambulance. Then knowing you, I'm gonna have to wait for some kind of an apology.'
Gob Character Comedy Escalation Gob · Michael: [Grunts] — Gob actually attacks Michael in front of the courthouse
Tobias: Tobias: 'I know you're in the middle of something, but I'm afraid I can't work for you today. I'm going to Vegas with Kitty.'
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Lindsay: Lindsay arrives: 'Over my dead body!' — rushing to fight for Tobias
Lindsay Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback George Sr.: George Sr.: 'I have torn this family apart with my lies and my cowardice, but that comes to an end now. So I'm turning myself in. I don't want you to come and visit me in prison this time. 'Cause you deserve Oscar now.'
George Sr.: 'Cause you deserve Oscar now.
Tobias · Lindsay: Tobias: 'Tobias, I actually fought for you.' / 'I can't believe it.' / [chuckles] / 'I'm going to Vegas with Kitty.'
Lucille · Gob · Lindsay: Lucille: 'Oh, George, I've lost you again.' Oscar: 'Take back Oscar, Mother.' Lindsay: 'I think I lost him too.'
George Sr. · Oscar: George Sr. approaches Oscar: 'I want you to turn me in so you can get the reward, take care of the family.' / Oscar: 'Why would you do that for me?' / George: 'Because we're brothers.'
Narrator · George Sr.: Narrator: 'Later, while George Sr. was shaving his unconscious brother's head, he wondered whether there really was a reward, and if he could get it.'
Gob: Gob: 'Well, I didn't lose him. But he's all puckered and white. On the plus side, you can take him to lunch at the club now.'
Gob Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Gob: Michael: 'That's the kind of joke he would have loved.' Gob: 'Oh, man!' [Sighs]
Gob: 'Please don't do this.' [All right.] [Grunting] — Gob making Franklin do ventriloquist recovery exercises to restore the ether-damaged puppet's face
Gob Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Narrator: 'On the next season of Arrested Development' — the preview reveals Oscar going to prison after being framed by George Sr.
Narrator Irony/Sarcasm Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Narrator · Oscar: 'Oscar, robbed of his fingerprints, has difficulty proving his identity.' / Oscar: 'My hair's gonna grow back. You'll see.'
Tobias · Blue Man Group Recruiter: Tobias and Kitty go to Vegas only to find the Blue Man Group role has been filled: 'You found someone already?' / 'Just came out of nowhere, this guy. And the great thing is, he's never out of character.'
George Sr. · Narrator: George Sr. turns out to be right about the effects of stress: shown apparently losing his hair in prison — 'What's happening to me? Why won't it grow back?'
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