Michael is tired of his father always having Gob compete with him, so Michael gets Gob his own banana stand franchise, only to find that Gob has set it up 20 feet from the old one. After the two compete, they decide to teach their father an elaborate lesson, and Buster refuses to use his handicap to scare kids. Meanwhile, Maeby uses Lucille's surgery in a horror film.
Three-thread callback structure sustains 81.8 score despite missing standout moments.
Directed by Peter Lauer · Written by Mitchell Hurwitz, Chuck Tatham
WAR
63.9
Wins Above Replacement
“Making A Stand” ranks #42 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 81.8 — Elite. The episode packs 63 scored jokes at 2.3 per minute, averaging 7.1 on craft and 7.0 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
J. Walter Weatherman: And that's why you don't use a one-armed person to scare someone.
Tobias: Of course-- the 'Bob Loblaw Law Blog.' Wow. You, sir, are a mouthful!
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch J. Walter Weatherman: And that's why you don't teach your father a lesson.
Gob: If I didn't have a live dove in my pants right now, I would leap across this table
Gob Absurdist Character Comedy George Sr.: And that's why you don't pit Gob and me against each other.
All Jokes — 63 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Gob: Okay, you can turn the music off. I already shot my wad. Off. No, that's tape.
Gob Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Gob: I have got a quick way for us to literally be showered with money.
Gob Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael · Gob: I think they're called Colombians. Oh, I forgot, we're being politically correct now.
Gob: A Colombian cartel that won't kidnap and kill you. I underlined 'won't,' 'cause it makes the competition look like...
Gob Absurdist Dark/Subversive George Sr. · Michael: Translation: Wish I'd thought of that. Nice translating, Dad.
Gob · George Sr.: It's not stupid. You're stupid. Nice pout, Dad.
Gob: If I didn't have a live dove in my pants right now, I would leap across this table
Gob Absurdist Character Comedy Lindsay: You and half of Orange County.
Lindsay Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Narrator: Boyfights 2, A Boyfights Cookout, and Backseat Boyfights: The Trip to Uncle Jack's 70th
Michael · Lindsay: Very secret. He doesn't even know, does he? He has not known of it. That's correct.
Lindsay: Why won't you (bleep) me?!
Bob Loblaw · Lindsay: Well, our copy boy's very striking, but he often has toner on his fingers. I meant another lawyer.
Michael: Perhaps you can talk to Maeby while you're getting your eyebrows plucked. It'll look like your eyes are watering 'cause you're sad.
Michael Observational Setup/Punchline Lucille · Michael: Que? What's Spanish for 'I know you speak English'?
Michael: Mom, if you're gonna speak to these guys like this, you might want to sleep with one eye open.
Michael Dark/Subversive Setup/Punchline Michael: Hope you kept your punch card, you're about due for a free one.
Michael Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Michael: Mom, however, will not have a choice.
Michael Dark/Subversive Callback ★ Rewatch Callback George Sr.: That ship sailed 35 years ago.
Workers: Boyfights? Luchas del Muchachos. Si, Luchas del Muchachos! We had this video. Si!
Workers Callback Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Worker: Yo quiero leche, yo quiero leche del madre. Even though I'm so old.
Worker Absurdist Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Store Owner: Okay, I'll just take off this cheap fake, huh? And we going to put on this sign. Beautiful. You like?
Buster: They only wanted me because I had one hand. And I won't do it! That's not the way Mother is raising me.
Buster Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Buster: Of course, I left my hand there, also.
Buster Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist Maeby: That's a bloodsucker? It looks like Alf.
Maeby Visual Gag Setup/Punchline Gob: That's how Tony Wonder lost a nut.
Gob Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Gob: And I'm trying to get her to renounce God and (bleep) me.
Gob Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: Well, as always, Gob, a mixed bag there, but the middle part sounded pretty admirable for a second
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Gob · Michael: If you feel something moving down there, it's just the bird. I know it.
Gob Michael Cringe/Discomfort Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Don't call it that.
Michael Running Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Gob: You're just scared of a little competish.
Gob Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Gob: Don't tell them! Stick it in the what?!
Gob Setup/Punchline Escalation George Michael: We'll be the laughingstock of the boardwalk.
Bob Loblaw: Well, we'll fudge that.
Tobias · Treat: Don't call it that. Okay.
Tobias: You want me to be explicit?
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Buster: You better not lock it! I'll kick it in!
Buster Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Buster: I was like, 'Make it two weeks! See if I care!'
Buster Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Prosthetics Shop: Sorry, no refunds. And that's why you don't take your foot out of its wrapper.
Buster · Michael: Even if it means me never taking a job again. A pulse makes him worth it.
Lucille · Maeby: Hello? George Michael? I'm thirsty.
George Michael: Is my name 'Champ'?
Gob: Don't worry, these young beauties have been nowhere near the bananas.
Gob Setup/Punchline Character Comedy George Michael · Michael: Dad, are they strippers? If I know your uncle, they're at least strippers.
Narrator: But it was less entertaining than you might imagine-- no matter what music was put under it.
Narrator Meta/Self-Referential Setup/Punchline Narrator: It was kind of funny to 'Yellow Submarine,' but who could afford it?
Narrator Meta/Self-Referential Observational Michael: A Hefty bagfull of pesos.
Michael Visual Gag Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Callback Buster · Michael: 'The only scary thing about a one-arm man trying to scare someone is the fact...' '...that he feels that his one arm is good for nothing but trying to scare somebody.' It's upside down.
George Sr.: Let's just hope they don't try to get even by trying to 'cirsumventing' the law.
Worker · Michael: But we are Guatemalan. Won't he know the difference? I think anything south of San Diego will be just fine.
George Sr.: Between a dad and his... his favorite son.
Gob · George Sr.: Gob Bluth doesn't cave. Yeah, you just did for me. Well, you asked me to, so I thought... Go. Go. Go. It's fine.
Lindsay: Blah-Blah-Blah. At 8:30, unless you want to sit at the bar.
Lindsay Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Tobias: Of course-- the 'Bob Loblaw Law Blog.' Wow. You, sir, are a mouthful!
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Narrator: While Tobias was trying to get his mouth around Bob Loblaw
Narrator Wordplay/Pun Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Mort · Maeby: Who did that for you, Industrial Light and Magic? Kopelson Plastic and Silicon.
Mort Maeby Setup/Punchline Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback George Sr.: Oh, I forgot my iPod.
Michael: Put on the sound effects! Put on the sound effects! CD... CD one! CD one! Track two! Track two!
Michael Physical/Slapstick Cringe/Discomfort Michael: He's good. He was a Groundling.
Michael Callback Observational Callback J. Walter Weatherman: And that's why you don't teach your father a lesson.
George Sr.: And that's why you don't pit Gob and me against each other.
J. Walter Weatherman: And that's why you don't use a one-armed person to scare someone.
Lucille: I'm thirsty... Gangee.
Lucille Visual Gag Callback ★ Rewatch Callback George Michael: I'm thirsty... Gangee.
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