Michael is increasingly frustrated over being abandoned by the family, and when the staircar is found in Mexico, Michael vows to find his father and give him a piece of his mind. Also, Buster spends time with Lupe's family and thinks he's in Mexico.
Steady callback barrage sustains 81-point episode despite absent standout moments.
Directed by Lee Shallat Chemel · Written by Brad Copeland
WAR
68.7
Wins Above Replacement
“Amigos” ranks #43 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 81.5 — Elite. The episode packs 69 scored jokes at 2.6 per minute, averaging 7.2 on craft and 6.8 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
Ann · Michael: Actually, I was sitting right there the whole time. Yeah? Way to plant, Ann.
Lindsay: Oh. I'm sorry. I forgot. Your wife is dead.
Lindsay Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort Lucille · Michael · Lucille: I still can't believe he's going into the army. You know, he's doing it just to spite me. Then why are you throwing him a party? Just to spite him.
Lucille: Here's some money. Go see a Star War.
Lucille Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Tobias · Gene Parmesan: Thank God! A new doctor. Finally we can get a straight answer in this place. Uh, I've got some bad news. I'm Gene Parmesan. How you doin'?
All Jokes — 69 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Gob: What have you got there? 'Don't be afraid to make a mi-' I'm not gonna beat myself up over that.
Gob Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Gob: And I'm not afraid to make mistakes. Or have you forgotten this little- Damn it!
Gob Callback Irony/Sarcasm Callback Gob: My legs are so powerful.
Gob Character Comedy Absurdist Gob · Michael: 'Circumvrent' union penalties. 'Circumverate.' Circumvent. Circumvent. Means to go around. The old reach around.
Starla: When you said you wanted photocopies... I thought that you meant you wanted them on a photo printer.
Starla Character Comedy Absurdist Starla: Starla's photo printer copies - tiny photos instead of photocopies
Starla Visual Gag Absurdist ★ Rewatch Starla · Narrator: Flashes of Quincy. Starla claimed to have had a relationship with music legend Quincy Jones.
Gob · Michael: Isn't he a little old for that? No. Sorry. I've been looking to get some alone time with him, and it just hasn't seemed to work out lately.
Gob: I've got friends, Michael. I just don't talk to them because... I work all the time.
Gob Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Gob: I think the plant lady's wearing a thong.
Lucille: Please. Allow me. I'll just 'circumvrent' you.
Lucille Callback Character Comedy Callback Gene Parmesan: Don't get up. I just a-find-a the supplies... because I'm a- Private detective.
Lucille · Narrator: Gene! Oh, Gene! Isn't he the best? Gene was far from the best.
Gene Parmesan: You get the country for free. The city-That's gonna cost ya.
Gene Parmesan: It's a $200 fine. Oh! I feel like such an-
Lucille · Michael · Lucille: I still can't believe he's going into the army. You know, he's doing it just to spite me. Then why are you throwing him a party? Just to spite him.
Michael: You guys have such a healthy thing going.
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Gene Parmesan: Right here. I counted it. Come on.
Gob: I think I might have someone who's going to 'cirsumvrent' the law.
Gob Callback Character Comedy Callback George Michael · Michael: Ann. Here. You took this picture of us... in front of that bagel place before it was burned down. I guess I thought she was with another family.
Michael: It's like you spend all your time with her. It's like you're hoggin' her- like you're a little Ann hog. Okay? Don't be such an Ann hog.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael: "Ann hog" - Michael's made-up insult
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Tobias: And 8:01. Curtain has risen.
Tobias Character Comedy Absurdist Tobias: Might as well keep this makeup on since it takes so- long to get off.
Tobias Visual Gag Character Comedy Lindsay: First of all, we are doing this for her. Okay? Because neither one of us wants to get divorced. And 'second-of-ly,' I know you're the big marriage expert-
Lindsay Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Lindsay: Oh. I'm sorry. I forgot. Your wife is dead.
Lindsay Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort Lindsay: I'm sorry. That was 100% inappropriate, and I do apologize profusely.
Michael · Gob · Narrator: Chiclet? Chiclet? You're the Chiclet! Not me! Unfortunately, in Mexican culture... this was a much more inflammatory gesture.
Lucille: That's so you can videotape it... when they put you in a naked pyramid and point to your Charlie Browns.
Lucille Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Buster: I ought to point to Uncle Oscar's Charlie Browns... next time you're on top of him, Mother.
Buster Character Comedy Escalation Narrator: Yes. And she's not having an affair with the boy's... uncle.
Michael: Well, this, uh, is a blueprint... of Dad's face. She used the big printer. I'll give her that.
Gob · Lindsay · Gob: He's my friend. You don't have any friends. I have lots of friends, Lindsay.
Narrator · Gob: In fact, the man was Ice, a bounty hunter... that Gob hired to follow Michael. Ice may be my best friend.
Michael · George Michael: Ann Hog's coming? I thought it was just the two of us. Just Ann.
Narrator: In fact, at that moment, Buster was climbing into the trunk.
Narrator Visual Gag Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Buster: Mother, when you see this videotape, you'll know that I left. Not out of cowardice, but out of- Oh, man. It's tiring in here.
Buster Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick Buster · Narrator: Mexico. In fact, he was in Santa Ana... a town six minutes inland from his own.
Buster: Oh, this shall keep me safe from the hot Mexican sun.
Buster Character Comedy Visual Gag Michael: Hey. Check out who's on that hog in the rearview mirror.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Visual Gag Callback Ice: The Ice. Still on his tail, about 20 miles from LEGOLAND.
Ice Character Comedy Callback Callback Ice · Narrator: You're not my friend. You're a client. Gob realized that perhaps he really didn't have any friends.
Lupe · Lucille: Buster get in trunk of car. So he's not going to the army. He must have had Michael sneak him into Mexico.
Lucille: Here's some money. Go see a Star War.
Lucille Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Gene Parmesan · Lucille: It's just some idiot with balloons. Oh, is it? I knew it!
Buster: I never thought I'd miss a hand so much. You people are just like me.
Buster Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Michael: Oh, Ann? I just- You know, I barely know her. You know? Neither of us do. She's just really some girl as far as we're concerned. Right?
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Ice: Hey. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I know you. You're Gob's friend. Not friend. Bounty hunter.
Ice: Name's Ice. Gob hired me to stop you from fleeing the country.
Ice Misdirection Character Comedy Michael · Ice: No, this- That's actually him. He's just- He's much smaller in real life. I can see that's a man.
Michael Ice Visual Gag Deadpan/Understatement Callback Maeby: Ye- Oh, yes. Thank you. No, I found my birth control pills. Thanks for asking, Dad.
Maeby Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Maeby · Michael: Of course he will. She's a child. Well, that- that part's not really her fault.
Narrator: At no point... were Michael and Maeby talking about the same person. And there were only four people in their group.
Narrator Meta/Self-Referential Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: And it's not a race thing.
Buster: Oh, no. I'm going with you. I am one of you now. Ssí?
Michael · George Michael: Yeah. Great talk. That cousin of yours is a hell of a girl. Too bad you can't date her. No. I meant-Wait, you wouldn't have a problem with that?
Narrator: Michael had just discovered he'd left his son's girlfriend in Mexico.
Narrator Irony/Sarcasm Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Tobias: if I blue myself early... I'd be nice and relaxed for a 9:00 dinner reservation.
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Ice · Tobias: Well, according to my photograph... it is. It's an honest mistake. Also, I think your knee is on my heart.
Ice Tobias Visual Gag Physical/Slapstick Callback Lindsay · Tobias: I was just hoping to have sex with you. Why am I not blacking out?
Buster: This is great. We're like slave buddies.
Ann · Michael: Actually, I was sitting right there the whole time. Yeah? Way to plant, Ann.
Gob · Michael: That's his girlfriend? Yeah. Is she funny or something?
Gob: Yeah, that's right, Michael. I went to our mother because I don't have any friends.
Gob Character Comedy Callback Gene Parmesan: Sorry. I did see him coming. It's just... I kind of wanted to see where you were going with that.
Buster · Narrator: Buster's accidental return home - newspaper delivery reveal
George Michael · Michael: Wow. You really got to know her. Well, we did spend three hours together in that car ride. So, what'd you think? I don't like her.
Buster: Make love in your own hand, Mother!
Tobias · Gene Parmesan: Thank God! A new doctor. Finally we can get a straight answer in this place. Uh, I've got some bad news. I'm Gene Parmesan. How you doin'?
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