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
63.7
Wins Above Replacement
“The Righteous Brothers” ranks #25 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 84.1 — Elite. The episode packs 54 scored jokes at 2.0 per minute, averaging 7.3 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
Buster: Pop secret? Pop se- Is Oscar my real father?
Buster Wordplay/Pun Escalation ★ Rewatch Narrator: Franklin didn't want to kiss at all. Gob had soaked the puppet's mouth in ether.
Narrator Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Gob · Michael: And guess what else? Dad kissed me. How? He looked pretty unconscious in that picture. I didn't say he was totally into it.
Gob · George Sr.: [Imitating George Sr.] I cherish you, Gob. Come here and give me a kiss. I'm driving, Dad. [As George Sr.] Now!
Gob: 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 Escalation Character Comedy All Jokes — 54 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael: That can't be good.
Michael · Inspector: You know this isn't a real house? It's a model house.
Inspector: Plus, there's a lot of blue paint down there. And some pieces of denim?
Inspector Visual Gag Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Callback Lucille: I believe there's a freeloading loser in my bed.
Lucille Misdirection Character Comedy Oscar · Buster: Buster! The Cornballer! [Both Screaming] [Sizzling]
Oscar Buster Physical/Slapstick Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback 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.
George Sr.: Hey, man! Yeah!
Maeby · George Michael: Remember that French movie we tried to sneak into once- Dangerous Cousins? No, l-Why? Did we- [Stammering] I don't remember that, no.
Narrator: George Michael remembered very well. In fact, he currently had a copy of the DVD hidden in his sock drawer.
Narrator Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Narrator: The studio at which she'd finagled a job had hoped to avoid controversy by artlessly explaining that the two leads weren't biological cousins.
Narrator Meta/Self-Referential Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Studio Executive · Maeby: But it's only 71 minutes long. And it's only, like, 63 minutes long.
George Michael: I mean, if it maintains any of the complex eroticism of the French original anyway.
Tobias: Do I work- I developed an eating disorder being your assistant, Michael.
Tobias Absurdist Character Comedy Michael · Tobias: I never saw you at the desk. Well, excuse me if I was too busy on my knees in front of the toilet, Michael.
Tobias: I feel like a- [Bleeps] idiot.
Tobias Visual Gag Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Tobias: Oh, this is my fault too? Everything- No. No! I will not let this make me eat! [Sobbing]
Tobias Escalation Character Comedy Callback Kitty: Say good-bye to these. Spring break! Whoo!
Kitty Visual Gag Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Shall I knock Dad out and chain him to a pipe somewhere? Or should I risk another herpes outbreak with Kitty?
Michael Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Callback Michael: I assumed that you were talking about the mutual fund and not a compact disc of you singing to your hand.
Franklin · Gob: It ain't easy bein' white / It ain't easy bein' brown / All this pressure to be bright / I got childrens all over town
Franklin: Sometimes- Hey, where'd the guy go?
Gob · Michael: Crying like a couple of girls. Aw, you're the only one crying.
Narrator: Franklin didn't want to kiss at all. Gob had soaked the puppet's mouth in ether.
Narrator Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Lindsay: Well, maybe the fact that we don't know if we're together or not is a sign that we should split again. Or stay split up.
Gob · George Sr.: [Imitating George Sr.] I cherish you, Gob. Come here and give me a kiss. I'm driving, Dad. [As George Sr.] Now!
Gob: It's not even open. Michael!
Gob Callback Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Kitty · Michael: I can tell you who it's not. It's not Bull. It's not Harry Anderson. He's white. I know who it is.
Tobias: 'Oftentimes the heart acts without consulting the head, and thusly'- Oh, I see you wasted no time in filling my seat hole.
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Kitty · Tobias: It's the last time you're going to be seeing these. How ironic. I just found out I'm staying.
Kitty: Wow, you are so real. Why can't I meet someone like you?
Kitty Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Tobias: I recently heard that the actor, John Larroquette, was looking for a meaty character piece.
Tobias Meta/Self-Referential Absurdist Callback Police Officer: Are those balls? 'Cause the last time we were here, they were balls.
Michael: I wish they were balls.
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Escalation Callback Gob: Right between the gearbox and the 'pull back from aircraft' lever.
Gob Absurdist Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Gob · Michael: And guess what else? Dad kissed me. How? He looked pretty unconscious in that picture. I didn't say he was totally into it.
Ann · George Michael: Oh, the cousin one? I can't believe it. I was just gonna ask you to go. No, I want to get the whole church group together. We're gonna picket those bastards.
Producer · Ann · George Michael: It's a satire! There's nothing funny about fornication! The bastard saw us!
Buster: Pop secret? Pop se- Is Oscar my real father?
Buster Wordplay/Pun Escalation ★ Rewatch Lucille · Lindsay: Your husband's dating Kitty the whore. He is? That's- That's horrible. Do I know my daughter? She only wants what she can't have.
Lucille Deadpan/Understatement Wordplay/Pun Buster: My father is my uncle!
Franklin: [British Accent] You've ruined the act, Gob.
Franklin Absurdist Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Lucille: So say good-bye to these, because it's the last time-
Lucille Visual Gag Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Maeby: Yeah. It's the best 52 minutes you'll spend all day.
Maeby Escalation Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Callback Ann: This isn't Marc Cherry's house.
Ann Callback Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback George Michael: I don't think we're supposed to shower right now, Bus-
Lindsay: Mommy's gonna take a bath with a bottle of wine.
Lindsay Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Narrator: Uh-oh. Gob had hidden his father under a house that had just collapsed.
Narrator: Gob had hidden his father under a house that had just collapsed.
Narrator Escalation Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Gob: But he got free- the pipes I chained him to weren't connected to anything.
Gob Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: I'm sick of you needing constant validation for screwing up.
Michael Character Comedy Observational Gob: 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 Escalation Character Comedy Narrator: But there was no time, and getting even with his brother was reward enough.
Narrator Dark/Subversive Escalation ★ Rewatch 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 Callback Top Episodes — Arrested Development
