Michael sells a portion of his stock in the Bluth company to buy a car, and Lucille 2 returns, only to discover that Buster is dating the company secretary Starla.
Seventy-one jokes in 27 minutes—absurdist character work hits peak density for Season 2.
Directed by Andrew Fleming · Written by Brad Copeland
WAR
97.6
Wins Above Replacement
“Queen For A Day” ranks #6 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 88.9 — Elite. The episode packs 71 scored jokes at 2.6 per minute, averaging 7.5 on craft and 7.2 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
Hot Cops · Tobias: Oh, I've been shot! - We miscalculated! Retreat! - Quick, switch to Follies!
Buster: That was half my fault. I thought I saw a graham cracker out there.
Buster Character Comedy Absurdist George Sr.: At least in prison, we had knife fights, and we had movie night. And once both. Those men did not enjoy Soapdish.
Michael · Narrator: Standpoor? - As in the opposite of Sitwell...
Michael · Lucille: You baited the balcony? - Prove it.
All Jokes — 71 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Narrator · George Michael: One letter titled 'If You Weren't My Cousin,' was particularly incriminating.
George Michael · Michael: Plus, a lot of kids are still talking about when you took down that homecoming banner.
George Michael: It's not a car. But- But, no.
Maeby · Movie Executive: Marry me. - Ha! I need your notes on those tomorrow.
Buster: I think the age difference is really starting to catch up to us.
Buster Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Michael: Meetin' women. Meetin' women who didn't give birth to you.
Tobias: My schedule, however, is as open as my relationship with my wife.
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Tobias: Even if it means me taking a chubby, I will suck it up.
Tobias Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Michael: Boy, that's enough family stuff for today.
Michael Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Gob: I call it Single City... I call it Swing City
Gob Running Gag Character Comedy Gob: But check your lease, man, because you're livin' in [pause] City.
Gob Character Comedy Awkward Silence ★ Rewatch Gob: I took his dress eyebrows.
Gob Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Gob: especially when he goes to the opera with two mustaches on his forehead.
Michael: I thought you won that on Card Sharks.
Michael Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Gob: Michael, I was never on Card Sharks. Dad told us not to tell you.
Gob Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch George Sr.: At least in prison, we had knife fights, and we had movie night. And once both. Those men did not enjoy Soapdish.
George Sr.: I think you have to know that world.
Michael: I'm driving a staircase, for God's sake. It smells like gas. I get hop-ons.
Michael Escalation Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback George Sr.: Well, of course you're gonna get hop-ons.
George Sr.: I gave you company, which, apparently, you don't want to give to me.
George Sr.: Pop-Pop gets a Grisham?
Starla: Moms are such a pain in the ass, huh? It's like 'Die already!'
Starla Cringe/Discomfort Dark/Subversive Buster: I love my mother. She's one of the two most important people in my life. You know, she and Quincy.
Buster Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Narrator: A spokesman for Mr. Jones denies they've ever met... although he could not explain the six signed gold records in Starla's apartment.
Gob: I think I proved that with [blank] Mountain.
Gob Running Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Gob: Did you want me to stay and do that?
Gob Character Comedy Reaction Beat Barry: Maybe a puck hit me. It could happen.
Barry Character Comedy Absurdist Barry: I'll tell you one thing you don't want to do is buy stock in the L.A. Kings.
Barry Character Comedy Misdirection Barry: Why do you want me to write it?
Barry Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential George Sr.: That's a bad title.
Car Salesman: We have, like, 400 of these... Oh, they're not popular. We have 400 of them.
Car Salesman: Oh, you're the stair car guy. You took down our banner.
Michael Running Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Car Salesman: They throw these extras at you because it's so impractical. No back seat. It attracts so many tickets... the insurance alone costs as much as the last three cars we saw.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Lucille 2 · Buster: Lucille 2! - Buster! - So you're back. - Oh, I'm back, Buster!
Lucille 2: And I am rock steady! No more dizzies.
Buster: Well, I would hardly call my mother a girl.
Buster Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Buster: Oh. Well, she mostly likes talk radio.
Buster Character Comedy Misdirection Lucille 2: Everybody thinks they're Frank Sinatra.
Buster: That was half my fault. I thought I saw a graham cracker out there.
Buster Character Comedy Absurdist Michael · Lucille: You baited the balcony? - Prove it.
Starla · Michael · Buster: By the way, I love your mother. - Oh, yeah, I do too. - Oh.
Michael: Wait a minute. This tub's a little bigger than it used to be.
Michael Setup/Punchline Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Lucille: I moved the wall a couple of inches into her penthouse.
Lucille: It does? I stopped at 'unfrozen.'
Lucille Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Tobias: Oh, he really, really did look like a woman.
Tobias Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Tobias: But anyhoo, can you believe that the only reason the club is going under... is because it's in a terrifying neighborhood?
Tobias Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy George Michael: Hey, Dad, is that your new car in the driveway? I can't believe you got a Corvette!
Barry: You can't see it. I just winked.
Barry Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Barry · Michael: - That's what they said on AskJeeves. - All right, who's the majority shareholder now? - A company called Standpoor.
Michael · Narrator: Standpoor? - As in the opposite of Sitwell...
Michael · Gob: - You're wearing his eyebrows? - They make me feel dressier.
Lucille: Standpoor, because she can't stand up without falling over.
Lucille Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Lucille: I don't know why she'd have any trouble. A piano could stand on those legs.
Lucille Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Starla · Lucille: Sweet ride, dude. - Let's give her Buster.
Michael: Don't you think you belong in a Lucille?
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch George Michael: I guess she didn't see the drawings.
Tobias: No, that is not what it says. I distinct- Hello?
Tobias Character Comedy Reaction Beat Tobias: Well, I suppose I could just paint over 'Mary.'
Tobias Escalation Character Comedy Tobias: So maybe you could, uh, start jeté-ing... and stop 'je-terrorizing' me.
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael · Buster: You didn't sell your stock? What? No. Your letter said not to... and I would never want to hurt the family.
Michael: Let her down easy. That right knee could go at any time.
Tobias: Wow. You really have made some amazing strides in a half an hour.
Tobias Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Tobias and Hot Cops: So you think you're tough / Well, we hate rappin' / But don't bust a cap in / 'Cause here's what's happenin' / We're breakin' out some old-fashioned tappin'
Hot Cops · Tobias: Oh, I've been shot! - We miscalculated! Retreat! - Quick, switch to Follies!
Lucille 2: I have always had a standing order to buy up any available Bluth stock.
Lucille 2 Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Gob: My mom really took up a bunch of your space, huh? What a bitch.
Gob Character Comedy Escalation Callback Gob: My mom really took up a bunch of your space, huh? What a bitch.
Gob Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Gob: Oh, I meant my problems. Yeah, she's gonna make me the new president.
Gob Misdirection Character Comedy Barry: I've wanted a small family restaurant since I got the Kings settlement. It still has the dungeon area, right?
Barry Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Top Episodes — Arrested Development
