George Sr. suggests a last-ditch effort to save the family by holding a fund raiser to raise money to pay their legal expenses. Michael suggests to Lindsay that she take over the house work, and he sends George-Michael to an expensive boarding school. Meanwhile, Maeby has trouble with a snowboarding film and Tobias tries to be a "discipline daddy".
Tight 53-joke structure delivers consistent character comedy through nested callbacks and ironic reversals.
Directed by Robert Berlinger · Written by Richard Day, Jim Vallely
WAR
65.2
Wins Above Replacement
“S.O.B.S” ranks #13 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 86.2 — Elite. The episode packs 53 scored jokes at 1.8 per minute, averaging 7.4 on craft and 7.1 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
George Michael: But that's not the truth. We've been given plenty of chances. And maybe the Bluths just aren't worth saving, maybe we're not that likable, you know. We're very self-centered. And my father may be the worst of us.
Michael · George Sr.: You're the Muffin Man? You poisoned 25 teachers during the '70s? Just the first two. The others were copycats.
George Michael · Michael: I love my cousin. Love you, too, pal.
Lindsay · Lucille: You know, Mom, I think the only time you ever cooked for us, was the morning Rosa's mom died. You gave us cereal in an ashtray.
Lindsay · Michael: I found that canned ham that we'd had forever, and I put it in a pot of boiling water, and guess what I'm calling it? Soup? Hot ham water.
All Jokes — 53 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ George Sr. · Michael · Lindsay: Then get Bob Loblaw to hire to hire me another surrogate. That's kind of the point. Mr. Loblaw no longer works for us, because someone wanted a boyfriend.
Michael · Family: I'm talking about all of you getting jobs. [beat] Who threw the tomato?
Michael · Narrator: Oh, no, not the Milford Academy. Children were neither were to be seen nor heard at the school Buster had attended.
Michael: Oh, great. That sounds like another one of those gradeless, structureless, new age feel-gooderies.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Lindsay · Gob · Lucille · Tobias: The boy who couldn't cry. He's a robot! Michael can cry. He doesn't want to rust. Yes, he's like the steel man from The Wizard From Oz. Tin man? Is that what he's called? He knows.
Lindsay · Lucille: You know, Mom, I think the only time you ever cooked for us, was the morning Rosa's mom died. You gave us cereal in an ashtray.
Michael · Gob · Lucille: As what, a waiter? Can I get you something, madam? I will have a vodka, though. What? Oh.
Gob: Instead of us all selling out and becoming housewives and waiters, why don't we have a big event? Some sort of 'save our Bluths' type thing.
Gob Irony/Sarcasm Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Michael: We'll throw a legal defense fund dinner. Ask for donations. As long as we don't look desperate.
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Narrator: Please tell your friends about this show.
Narrator Meta/Self-Referential Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Lindsay · Michael: I found that canned ham that we'd had forever, and I put it in a pot of boiling water, and guess what I'm calling it? Soup? Hot ham water.
Tobias · Michael · Lindsay · George Michael: Yes, he's a regular Freddy Wilson, that one. I don't know that reference. I don't either. I don't know either. It's this guy.
George Michael · Michael: Yeah, I'm just taking a three real quick, so I can get a cream soda. Oh, I'll get that for you. No, I will get it. I have to get it myself.
Tobias: You know, Michael, if I may take off my acting pants for a moment and pull my analrapist stocking over my head, George Michael has been acting strange lately.
Tobias Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Tobias · Michael: I think he may have developed what we in the soft sciences refer to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Or the O.C. disorder. Don't call it that.
Michael: It says, 'over.' Probably have to crack this open to be sure, but this sounds like an expulsion letter.
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Visual Gag Narrator · Maeby: Actually, Maeby had been on the set of a film called Snowboarding School 2, in her secret life as a film executive.
Tobias: Non-traditional mother. Yes, you're right. After all, I am her father.
Tobias Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Gob · Lucille · Narrator: Your drink, madam. Can I get you anything? Get that one out of here. As you please. But Lucille had never made eye contact with a waiter.
Gob · Narrator: We're all out of the halibut. The joke was over... but the lunch rush was just beginning.
Michael: Yeah, the HBO's not going to want us. What do we do now?
Michael Wordplay/Pun Meta/Self-Referential Tobias · Michael: Actually, I may have an in with Andy Richter. Do you think you can get him? I'm kidding. Of course, not him.
George Sr. · Lindsay: Remember what happened when we sent Lindsay to that kind of school? All of a sudden I was the bad guy to her. And you don't respect Mom and you don't respect women. Are you married? Damn school.
Narrator · George Sr.: George Sr. did more than just say it. He sent the man a basket of poisoned muffins. Do you know the Muffin Man? There's a reward in it if you do.
Gob: Then-- would you like some foam in your coffee? It's called a cuppakeno and wait till you see what it costs.
Gob Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy George Sr. · Buster: You can say what you want about the Milford Academy-- the kids that came out of there, prepared for life. Does anyone know how to eat one of these? It doesn't do anything.
Donny: There was Andy the showoff, Donny the sensitive one, Jerrifth the flirt, Rocky the risk-taker and Andy's stunt double and Emmet who asked that we not show his picture.
Donny · Maeby: A student either learns and gets an 'L,' or they fluctuate in their learning. What do we get for that? An 'F.' Mr. F.
Donny Maeby Setup/Punchline Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Maeby: Okay, first of all, Variety got it wrong, all right? We didn't even want this project. It was a co-finance with Miramax then, poof, Miramax is gone and we're still on the hook, and it turns out Jamie Kennedy can't even snowboard.
Maeby Character Comedy Observational Tobias: We are going to stuff each one of these gift bags with a head shot, some glitter, and a decorative hand soap. And don't forget the funny notes. 'I know where you live. Ha-ha.'
Tobias Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Buster: I walked. I tried hitchhiking, but it's hard to do without a thumb.
Buster Dark/Subversive Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Buster · Lindsay: It's so watery. And yet there's a smack of ham to it. It's hot ham water.
Maeby · Narrator · George Michael: It's like I don't do my homework, George Michael does my homework. And that's when he decided it was time to cheat off of her. It also gave him an opportunity to smell her neck.
George Michael: He pretends he's the great father all of a sudden and acts like he's all worried about me, but it turns out he just does it so I can help him with his joke of a career. No wonder Mom wanted out so bad.
Gob · Customer: If you didn't have adult onset diabetes, I wouldn't mind giving you a little sugar. Oh, Gob... you could charm the black off a telegram boy.
Narrator: Okay, we'll just tell you now. She's the one who dies.
Narrator Dark/Subversive Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Gob · Lucille: And maybe later you can save a little piece of tail for me. Come on! I hope that isn't the sort of humor Andy McMahon will be doing.
George Sr. · Michael: How dare that Donny Richter. You know, you got to take care of that guy or I will. I'm just going to pull him out of that school.
Michael: Well, am I the only one that thinks that this family is finally starting to become sympathetic and relatable? I mean, that's what people want to see.
Michael Meta/Self-Referential Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Buster · Lucille · Gob: She glued my thumb back on. Sister's my new mother, Mother. And is it just me, or is she looking hotter, too? Well, why don't you marry her? Maybe I will!
Tobias · Maeby: Yes, he is available. Uh, let me put my, uh, our assistant on the phone with you. Thanks, Deb. Yeah. So he's Tortured Victim #4, right? Yeah, he's really into discipline.
Maeby: Thanks, Deb. Yeah. So he's Tortured Victim #4, right? No, that's great. Yeah, he's really into discipline.
Maeby Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback George Michael: Because I've never done that before, Dad, I swear. I just couldn't think of anything to write about you, so I asked her to write it about her dad. Yeah, it was stupid of me. Now Donny's met you. I mean, he's never going to believe that you were ever up for a part in Wicked.
Rocky: Oh, no, I'm only making it look like that. He's totally in charge of the situation.
Rocky Physical/Slapstick Misdirection Callback Rocky/Emmitt: I always pictured a giant six-foot muffin trying to eat me while I was eating him. It's kind of a fantasy I go to a lot now.
Narrator: Now that's a clear cut situation with a promise of comedy. Tell your friends.
Narrator Meta/Self-Referential Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Lindsay: Poached salmonella? It'll be fine. I'll just put the sauce on them. What kind of sauce is that? Wait, this is the water I thawed the chicken in. Oh. Well, that should go with chicken.
Michael · George Sr.: You're the Muffin Man? You poisoned 25 teachers during the '70s? Just the first two. The others were copycats.
George Michael: But that's not the truth. We've been given plenty of chances. And maybe the Bluths just aren't worth saving, maybe we're not that likable, you know. We're very self-centered. And my father may be the worst of us.
Gob · Narrator · Buster: Wait, no, no! Where's everyone going? No one's leaving until I get my money! I'll follow you to your cars! Oh, and then that old racist woman choked on Buster's thumb. My thumb!
George Michael · Michael: OCD? No, I'm just cleaning up after Aunt Lindsay. She never turns things off. Well... Guess that explains why I saw the hedge trimmer zipping around the drive way.
George Michael · Michael: I love my cousin. Love you, too, pal.
Michael · Narrator: It didn't sound desperate. Well, I guess it really doesn't pay to be desperate. It sure doesn't. And... cut!
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