Gob goes to Iraq to perform his Christian magic act on the USO tour and ends up incarcerated. Michael learns George, Sr. sent Gob to Iraq to burn down the model home he built there, so Michael and Buster fly to Iraq to spring their brother from prison.
Season 3's weakest arc finale relies on character quirks over plot coherence and momentum.
Directed by Lev L. Spiro, Rebecca Asher · Written by Mitchell Hurwitz, Chuck Tatham, Dean Lorey
WAR
60.6
Wins Above Replacement
“Exit Strategy” ranks #73 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 76.8 — Great. The episode packs 67 scored jokes at 2.4 per minute, averaging 7.2 on craft and 6.6 on impact, with Tobias landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Michael: I think he means to shoot you in the head. But please, at least let him look at the air-conditioning.
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Gob: Burn Bush, burn Bush, burn Bush, burn Bush...
Gob Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Tobias: If I look like a man who made love to his wife last night, it's because I almost did.
Tobias Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Buster: No, I was just clearing my throat, but I think it actually does mean 'laundry' but like, a child's laundry. We don't really have a word for it.
Buster Character Comedy Absurdist Buster: My God, it makes me want to have an ice-cream cone. Doesn't this make you want to have an ice-cream cone?
Buster Character Comedy Absurdist All Jokes — 67 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Lindsay: Unbutton my shirt a bit and give him this look.
Lindsay Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Not really sure what you're going for there.
Michael Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Tobias: If I look like a man who made love to his wife last night, it's because I almost did.
Tobias Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Tobias: Well, I had to. It's vodka. It goes bad once it's opened.
Tobias Character Comedy Absurdist Lindsay: I think that's another one of Mom's little fibs. You know, like 'I'll sacrifice anything for my children.'
Lindsay Callback Character Comedy Callback Tobias: I got a call out of the blue for a chance to play a very important part in The Prosecution.
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Tobias: I assume it's a CBS procedural.
Tobias Character Comedy Absurdist Tobias: Although they didn't send sides, so I thought I'd trot out a Vagina Monologue, or something else I know.
Tobias Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Tobias: For set dressing, silly.
Tobias Character Comedy Absurdist Tobias: Tell me that's not a CBS franchise.
Tobias Character Comedy Escalation Michael · George Michael: Including me? Hmm? No. You don't have any secrets.
George Michael: I was changing the subject. We-- no, yeah, we weren't talking about Maeby.
Narrator: Actually, he'd already told her about it.
Lindsay: Would it kill her to let some vodka go bad?
Lindsay Callback Character Comedy Callback Maeby · Tobias: Family forgets Maeby's age - she says 16th birthday, Tobias thinks 14th
Maeby: Oh, no, vodka doesn't... You know, it's my birthday in a week and I bet you they don't even know.
Maeby Reaction Beat Irony/Sarcasm Tobias: Oh, my gosh. Our little girl's turning 14.
Tobias Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Lindsay · Tobias: That is her suit. They probably don't make it in a woman's though. They only make it in a woman's.
Tobias · Lindsay: You see, sometimes shame can be fun. Shame? Secrets. You said 'shame.'
Gob: Gob plans to go to Iraq for a 'USO tour' doing Christian magic
Gob Character Comedy Absurdist Family members: How does he know about her? Didn't he say that Gob should be ashamed of himself? No, but give it a little while, somebody will.
Gob · Lindsay: It's 'water into wine.' Then I emptied out all your wine bottles and filled them with fake stuff for nothing.
Lindsay: Great, how am I supposed to have sex with my husband now?
Lindsay Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Tobias: 'A flower in my garden, a mystery in my panties.'
Tobias Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Callback Wayne Jarvis: Again, this is not an audition for a CBS show.
Prosecutor · Narrator: He took the bait. He's a classic scrapbooker. Right down to the woman's suit.
George Sr.: I've got to find a loophole to get out of this, but Buster took coma, and your mother took rehab.
Lucille: Well, wine only turns into alcohol if you let it sit.
Lucille Character Comedy Absurdist Callback Medical instructor · Buster: That's okay. Try again... No, that's a tendon. He'd be screaming right now. It's okay. try again.
Beauty instructor: That's okay, you put too much collagen in there. No, no, try it again.
Dental instructor: Oops, you've got your forearm right on his windpipe there, Dogbone.
Narrator · Student: It really was amazing for their self-esteem. I did it.
Adelaide · Narrator: Faker! She was wrong on that one. It was love that made Gary take that step.
Narrator: Of course, he hadn't used his legs in three weeks.
Narrator Dark/Subversive Physical/Slapstick Wayne Jarvis: But we do know that the two people who checked into Shady Pines under the names Lucille Bluth and Lindsay Funke are not your relatives.
Wayne Jarvis · Michael: 'She's Out Of My Life.' As for your brother Gob in the USO... Don't tell me he's not in Iraq. Oh, no, he's there.
Michael: Cool your Japanese jets.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Narrator: And imagine the impact if that had come on right when we turned on the TV.
Narrator Meta/Self-Referential Irony/Sarcasm Buster: I'm not faking it, Michael. I really am this expressionless.
Buster Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential Buster: No, I was just clearing my throat, but I think it actually does mean 'laundry' but like, a child's laundry. We don't really have a word for it.
Buster Character Comedy Absurdist Buster: Buster claims he speaks Arabic but just clears his throat: 'La-ach-ha-tem'
Buster Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Scrapbook Instructor: 'My Favorite Birthday,' 'Foreign Bank Statements,' and of course, 'Shh! Family Secrets.'
Narrator: ...Oliver North but ironically not Martha Stewart.
Tobias: Wow, this is the best free scrapbooking class I've ever taken.
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Lucille: What the hell are we supposed to do for two days. I could take the top off this grape juice and maybe by morning...
Lucille Character Comedy Absurdist Callback Adelaide · Buster: Oh, Buster, you're such a ( bleep ). That means she likes you. Oh. It's more than like.
Buster: When I miss your lips, I'll put a fig in my mouth and think of you.
Buster Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort George Michael · Narrator: I don't think Steve Holt has to come to this. And yet he did invite Mickey Rourke.
Buster: So you ready for Operation Hot Brother?
Buster Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Gob: The King of Queens. And now I would like to behold one of the late great Jesus' biggest illusions, The Burning Bush.
Gob Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Gob: Burn Bush, burn Bush, burn Bush, burn Bush...
Gob Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Iraqi driver: I'm sorry it took so long, but the Cheney Expressway was backed up all the way to Halliburton Drive.
Saddam Look-alike: Saddam look-alike: 'Take my picture! Take my picture!'
Saddam look-alike: Yes, and we wanted to keep the house for just one more season.
George Michael · Maeby: Surprise. Yeah, that's what I figured.
Maeby · Party guest: They found out I was 16. And a lot of us just didn't want to drive down to Orange County.
Maeby · George Michael: Maeby and George Michael drink Gob's fake wine, thinking it's alcohol
Buster: My God, it makes me want to have an ice-cream cone. Doesn't this make you want to have an ice-cream cone?
Buster Character Comedy Absurdist Michael: Look, it's a Homefill. It's the company that makes the fake stuff we fill the model homes with.
Michael Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm Buster: 'Cause Gangee once said to me, your mom might not have ever even been pregnant with you.
Buster Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Narrator: And perhaps it was the fake wine, but that was the night George Michael and Maeby went to second base.
Narrator Callback Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback CIA Agent: We call them 'unintentional operations victims,' but yes.
Michael: I think he means to shoot you in the head. But please, at least let him look at the air-conditioning.
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Buster: I think he means to shoot you in the head.
Buster Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive Michael · Buster: Buster: 'Looks like you are a hero, Buster.' 'We both are.' 'Well...'
Gob: And direct flights. None of this stopping in Phoenix bull ( bleep ).
Gob Character Comedy Escalation Iraqi driver · Narrator: Take Condoleezza Rice Lane. It's quicker. Mission accomplished.
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