Lucille hires a bounty hunter, Ice, to find George Sr., who may be closer than everyone thinks. Gob tries to pull off an elaborate illusion, Maeby tries to set Lindsay up with Ice, and Michael tries to mend George Michael's broken relationship.
Funeral setting spawns 45 jokes in 45 minutes—character comedy sustains cringe without relying on plot.
Directed by Jeff Melman · Written by John Levenstein
WAR
123.6
Wins Above Replacement
“Good Grief” ranks #31 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 95.9 — Elite. The episode packs 79 scored jokes at 3.2 per minute, averaging 7.6 on craft and 7.5 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
Michael: Michael invites Ann to the wake: 'It's as Ann as the nose on Plain's face.'
Michael Wordplay/Pun Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's grief breaks out not through tears but through: 'Hey, where the [bleep] are my hard-boiled eggs?!'
Michael Setup/Punchline Escalation Callback ★ Rewatch Callback George Michael · Michael: George Michael says 'I have Pop-Pop in the attic.' Michael interprets this as: 'The mere fact that you call making love 'pop-pop' tells me you're not ready.'
Tobias: Tobias confesses: 'All those years when I pretended to cry, I used to use Dad's death to get me going. I tried it with Mom's, but I'd just end up smiling and ruining it.'
Tobias Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Gob · Michael: So, did you see the new Poof? / His name's Gary, and we don't need any more lawsuits.
All Jokes — 79 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Narrator · Michael · Gob: Michael was adjusting to his new position as vice president, which meant doing the work of the president, his brother Gob.
Gob · Michael: So, did you see the new Poof? / His name's Gary, and we don't need any more lawsuits.
Gob: Gob says 'You've got a nice mouth. I'd kill for that ass.' then clarifies he was talking about his office chair.
Gob Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Gob: Gob claims he had Tony Wonder's idea 10 months ago — but his version was boiling himself alive into a chowder to entertain and feed firemen.
Gob Character Comedy Absurdist Escalation Gob: Gob says 'I'm halfway to getting out of this office and into a steaming bowl of soup. Everybody wins.'
Gob Character Comedy Absurdist Callback Lucille · Oscar: Lucille tells Oscar: 'Close it. You look like the window of a butcher shop.'
Michael · George Michael · Ann: George Michael has closed the banana stand to spend time with Ann; Michael tells him to keep his phone on and calls him 'pal.'
Michael: Michael: 'Oh, she's still goin'? Listen, I'll talk to you later. I'm very excited.'
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy George Michael · Ann: George Michael, immediately after the phone call is cut, says 'I think we should break up' — followed by a coughing sob from Ann.
Narrator · Ice: Ice the bounty hunter has 'always bounty-hunted to support his first love — party planning.'
Lindsay · Ice: Lindsay asks Ice if he'd be interested in 'catering an affair with me.' Ice responds: 'Well, when you get a full guest list, let me know.'
Tobias: Tobias admits he's surprised Lindsay is 'going after somebody so similar to my own type' and that 'we all do expose our inner desires.'
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch George Michael · Tobias: George Michael's 'I think you just did' response to Tobias's accidental confession.
George Michael · Barry: George Michael asks Barry if he can 'divorce' his parents; Barry says it's called emancipation but he'd need to prove an 'unstable environment' — then notes both parents are trying to have affairs.
George Michael: George Michael responds 'Sweet!' to learning he could be emancipated and on the street in a month.
Ice: Ice's presentation includes 'a political cartoon from a leading Mexican publication' as evidence of George Sr.'s death.
Ice Absurdist Character Comedy Michael · Ice: Confusion about who killed whom: 'I'm sorry — he killed a guard?' / 'No, the guard killed him.'
Ice: Ice interrupts the revelation of George Sr.'s death to remind the family he's available for catering: 'I'm a caterer — if you do have any family events — weddings, wakes —'
Ice Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Lucille · Unknown family member: Just checking. [Pinches Lucille after she cries 'Is it true? Is he really gone?']
Michael · Lucille: Family members sentimentally recall George Sr.'s favorite toothpaste: 'It was that Glisten. He swore by that Glisten. I can still hear him now: 'Who left the cap off my [bleeps] Glisten?'
Lucille: Lucille's theatrical grief spiral: 'The will. We have to get the will... Is it in your car, Barry? I'm gonna throw up! Check the car, Barry. I don't know what I'm saying!'
Barry · Narrator: Barry: 'The will is at my office, next to the hot plate with the frayed wires.' — followed by narrator: 'In fact, Barry had lost George Sr.'s will.'
Maeby: Maybe we could get Ice to cater it or something — I don't know what I'm saying!
Maeby Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Gob · Michael: Gob: 'This about getting into Poof? / I mean, how does that not get me a cover?'
Narrator · Buster: The flashback to Buster's parakeet: it landed on housekeeper Rose's wig, flew away when she took out trash, and flew into a transformer.
Buster: Buster comes home mid-planning because 'the army had half a day.'
Buster Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Lucille · Oscar: Lucille tells Buster it's 'your father's birthday, which, coincidentally, is my birthday' — because they're twins.
Michael · George Michael: Michael, upon hearing 'grandfather is dead,' asks: 'Are you okay? What? Is Ann telling everyone?'
George Michael · Michael: It's your grandfather. Apparently, he's dead. / Are you okay? / Yeah. / I'm sorry, what were you saying about Ann?
Michael · George Michael: After hearing his grandfather is dead, Michael asks: 'Are you okay?' George Michael says yes. Michael: 'She wasn't for us. For those other guys.'
Michael · George Michael: She wasn't for us. / No, she's a great girl. / For those other guys. / You think there are other guys?
Gob · Buster: Gob explains the coffin trick to Buster: 'I'm gonna escape out the trap door... You close the trap door, bring in the pallbearers and bury an empty box. So it's a hoax.' — Buster: 'But why are you doing a coffin trick on Dad's birthday?'
Gob · Buster: Gob explains the coffin trick as 'black humor' — saying it's like telling your dad 'Look at you, you're a year older, a year closer to death.' Buster: 'Oh yeah, I guess that's kinda funny.'
Gob Buster Dark/Subversive Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Buster · Gob: Buster reveals he's not really in the army and needs a military uniform from Gob's stripper connections — leading to a debate about whether strippers wear clothes.
George Michael · George Sr.: George Michael discovers George Sr. hiding in the lot next to the house. George Sr.: 'Hide me. Don't turn in Pop-Pop. Help Pop-Pop.'
George Sr. · George Michael: George Sr. reveals his perfect teeth: 'Years of brushing with Glisten.'
Narrator · George Sr.: Flashback: The Mexican authorities' attempt to fake George Sr.'s funeral is 'a less-than-perfect deception' — shown with chaotic crowd noise and shouting.
Narrator · George Sr. · Lucille · Oscar: George Sr. sees a newspaper story about his wife giving 'mouth-to-mouth to a homeless man' — but the narrator reveals he knew the truth: she was kissing his brother.
George Michael · George Sr.: George Michael, comparing his breakup to George Sr.'s marital issues: 'Well, I understand what that feels like. I was dumped today.'
George Sr.: George Sr.: 'He wouldn't be wrong.' (in response to George Michael saying Michael would think he should be upset about George Sr. rather than Ann).
George Sr.: George Sr.: 'Listen, if you pass a mini-mart, Pop-Pop gets a treat?'
George Sr. Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch George Michael · Michael: George Michael tells Michael his 'grief is taking the form' of eating his grandfather's favorite foods in his room.
Michael · Tobias: Michael thinks George Michael is hiding Ann in the attic — 'From who, the Nazis?'
Michael · Tobias: Tobias cries about how amazing George Sr. was; Michael says 'That was actually an example of how not so amazing he was,' referring to something George Sr. did.
Tobias: Tobias confesses: 'All those years when I pretended to cry, I used to use Dad's death to get me going. I tried it with Mom's, but I'd just end up smiling and ruining it.'
Tobias Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Tobias · Michael: Tobias's 'Here he comes. Here comes John Wayne. I'm not gonna cry about my pa. I'm gonna build an airport, put my name on it.' — then: 'Why, Michael? So you can fly away from your feelings?'
Michael: Michael's grief breaks out not through tears but through: 'Hey, where the [bleep] are my hard-boiled eggs?!'
Michael Setup/Punchline Escalation Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Narrator · Gob · George Sr.: Narrator reveals the laborer digging Gob's burial hole had been 'hired by George Sr. three days earlier for the same hole.'
Buster: Buster finds a birthday card: 'Someone wanted to send you a birthday greeting. See you soon!' and calls it 'wicked.'
Buster Dark/Subversive Irony/Sarcasm Lindsay · Maeby: My father's dead, Maeby. / Yeah, but you're not, and Ice is right there.
Maeby · Lindsay: Maeby tells Lindsay that 'All Pop-Pop ever wanted was to see you with another man besides Daddy' — Lindsay: 'You're right. I'm gonna throw on a skirt, take off my underwear and make your Pop-Pop proud.'
Tobias · Barry: Barry (looking at Lindsay): 'Let me ask Barry. That might be enough right there.'
Lucille · Michael: Lucille on Oscar wearing George Sr.'s suit: 'Tell my brother you don't wear a dead man's pants. Shame on him. And you say that to him. Say it to me like you're gonna say it to him.' / 'I'm probably not gonna say it to him.'
Michael · Gob · Ann: Michael shows Gob Ann, the girl who 'ripped his heart out, whose face will always be etched in my mind' — cut to Ann's unremarkable face.
Michael: Michael invites Ann to the wake: 'It's as Ann as the nose on Plain's face.'
Michael Wordplay/Pun Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Buster · Michael: Buster arrives at the wake in a military outfit Gob got from strippers — 'All regulation, Michael. To get the top right, the pants had to be a little snug.'
Narrator · Michael · Buster: Michael remembers what Buster did to 'what he thought was Rose's car with what he thought was Rose's favorite toy.' — Cut to: driver being attacked.
Michael · Various Family: Anyone. / Anyone? / Perhaps my son George Michael would like to say something.
George Michael · Ice: George Michael's eulogy devolves from emotional tribute into taking a catering order: '...I'll be bringing you some salmon rolls right away... in... heaven.'
Ice: Ice: 'How many times I gotta tell this kid — chicken wings!'
Ice Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Lindsay · Maeby: Lindsay's eulogy: Maeby whispers 'Wipe, Mom. Give it a wipe.' / 'That's a home run.'
Michael · Ice: Michael's eulogy is interrupted by a blender: 'Ice, can we just cool it on the smoothies for right now?' Family: 'There are smoothies?'
Gob · Michael: Gob asks Michael to move the eulogy outside 'so I can time being lowered into Dad's grave with your big finish.'
George Michael · Michael: George Michael says 'I have Pop-Pop in the attic.' Michael interprets this as: 'The mere fact that you call making love 'pop-pop' tells me you're not ready.'
Gob: Gob's outdoor eulogy speech: 'The speeches we heard today are nothing more than words. But I will prove that I love my father more than anybody.' — then gets into the coffin.
Gob Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Gob: Hey! Before we lose the sun! Come on. / The speeches we heard today are nothing more than words.
Gob Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Gob · Buster: I will become my dead father's body... as I am lowered into his grave. / All right. Spin it back around. / Dead father? / Is he de — Dad's dead?
Gob Buster Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Buster · Gob: Oh, my God! The card! The card! [Spectators Gasping] / Something's gone wrong.
Buster Gob Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Narrator: Michael spots Glisten toothpaste in the dirt and suddenly realizes George Michael's 'Pop-Pop in the attic' meant the actual George Sr.
Narrator · Michael: Michael noticed something in the dirt. [Sighs] Glisten. / And suddenly he realized what his son meant when he said he had Pop-Pop in the attic.
Michael · Lucille · Ice: Michael tells Ice: 'My mother has something to tell you.' Lucille: 'I find you very attractive.' Ice: 'She cleans up nice too. Trust me.' Then: 'I think I'm finally off the clock.'
Buster: Buster: 'I'm out of here, right?' after Michael announces George Sr. is alive.
Buster Character Comedy Reaction Beat Barry: Barry: 'I cannot believe it! And I just found the will!' — holding it up triumphantly just as the crisis has completely moved on.
Barry Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback George Sr. · Michael: Thanks, Mikey. / Yeah. Well, now it's our secret.
George Michael · Michael: George Michael reveals Ann was 'so moved' by Michael's eulogy that they got back together — Michael: 'Ah! Oh, is that great.'
Michael: Michael: 'Okay, let's go dig up your uncle.'
Michael Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Narrator · Buster: 'On the next Arrested Development': Buster finds out about the death of Captain Kangaroo.
Michael · George Sr.: 'On the next': Michael: 'No, Pop-Pop does not get a treat. I just brought you a [bleep] pizza.'
Narrator · Gob: 'On the next': Gob finally makes the cover of Poof magazine.
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