As George Sr. attempts to win back Lucille, Michael assembles a mold of their scheme. Meanwhile, Buster gets caught up in Tobias and Gob's business.
Gob's immigration scheme generates 57 jokes in 57 minutes—character comedy sustains what plot alone couldn't.
Directed by Troy Miller · Written by Richard Day
WAR
57.6
Wins Above Replacement
“Chain Migration” ranks #64 of 84 Arrested Development episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 78.9 — Elite. The episode packs 57 scored jokes at 2.0 per minute, averaging 7.1 on craft and 6.9 on impact, with George Sr. landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Buster · Oscar: That was to get out of testifying. No, that was a three-month coma.
Gob: Impossible. You weren't even a wanted child.
Gob Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Buster: You're looking at a boy who faked a coma for two weeks to get out of a spelling bee.
Buster Character Comedy Escalation Lucille: I think I can eat a piece of fish without giving away how I loathe you.
Lucille Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy George Sr. · Lucille: God, who even remembers now? Saddam Hussein.
All Jokes — 57 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ George Sr.: Well, stupider.
George Sr. · Lucille: My left, your right. Your left, my right. My right, your right. My right, my left.
Narrator: Although, it is the only way to ride one of those... when you're chained to a guy.
Narrator Observational Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Lucille: Justin Be-Bear is seven... that was, like, seven years ago.
Lucille Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Lucille: Drink-A-Juice and there's Paint-A-Plate and Build-A-Bear
Lucille Running Gag Wordplay/Pun Callback Lucille · George Sr.: Now, admittedly, he's not 28 anymore, but... No, you're right.
George Sr. · Lucille: But don't you think he would've smelled me by now? Oh, good point. Maybe the Popcorn Plantation is masking your scent.
George Sr. · Lucille: Didn't I used to have one? Yes, but it was real.
George Sr.: Can you make one of those from a wallet photo?
Narrator: Unfortunately, the speed of the printer made it very clear why Two Hour Teeth went out of business.
Narrator Observational Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Tobias: You know, if you add water to the freeze-dried ground beef... it tastes just as good as any hamburger I've ever had underwater.
Tobias Character Comedy Absurdist Lindsay · Tobias: Shh. That was meant to last all week. Oh. Oh, duh.
Hardware store clerk: The leg chains are all mixed up with the bike chain.
George Sr.: Am I crazy, or am I smelling popcorn and Chanel No. 5 butter?
George Sr.: These are stage manacles. We were in a play.
Hardware clerk · George Sr. · Lucille: Have you guys even tried, uh, just unclamping? Are you kidding me? We didn't even check.
George Sr.: That would've saved time when we were trying to get the pants over our heads.
George Sr.: They're looking for two guys who are manacled together on the run. The Inside-Outside Bandits.
George Sr. Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Callback Buster: I could sniff out Mother somehow, but she wouldn't want me. Maybe I'm better in prison. I'm no good on my own.
Buster Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Buster · Oscar: Inside. Outside. Inside.
Buster Oscar Running Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: We didn't uncheck 'Make Background Tongue.' I mean, why do they even call it Two Hour Teeth?
Michael Callback Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Callback Oscar · Buster: Feels like we're outside. It feels like we're inside.
Buster: You're looking at a boy who faked a coma for two weeks to get out of a spelling bee.
Buster Character Comedy Escalation Buster · Oscar: That was to get out of testifying. No, that was a three-month coma.
Oscar: If something happens out there, and I get caught and I don't come back, I just want to tell you that... this... this... being with you has been... ah, it's been... I cherish it. My son.
Oscar Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy George Sr.: It makes you not even want to do business with a hostile nation.
George Sr. · Lucille: How much fun would that be? What are you, nuts?
Oscar: They throw these in with the posters. Actually, he's not technically free. He still has to officially sign out from prison and pay their $75 process fee.
George Sr. · Oscar: I'm fighting against the competition. What, is she dating? No, I'm talking about Buster.
George Sr.: And we're really bonding over this 'we miss our son' bullshit.
Tobias: What am I doing, apologizing to a mannequin that looks like... Buster?
Tobias Setup/Punchline Visual Gag Callback Tobias: Seems like we were just celebrating the second of July. We're already talking about December 19.
Tobias Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Buster · Tobias: No, you have to be 55 and older. Well, that sounds like a challenge to any family that wasn't a ragtag troupe of folks whom I wish to become actors.
Stan · Maeby: Have I asked before? Every month. Oh, no. That can't be right. Right. See? You always say 'right.'
Stan Maeby Setup/Punchline Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Narrator: No, they hadn't. In fact, this had only happened a few hours earlier.
Narrator Meta/Self-Referential Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Maeby: You also always say 'old man.'
Maeby Setup/Punchline Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Callback Maeby: A real lady lets it itch. She doesn't jam two fingers...
Maeby Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Tobias · Lindsay · Maeby: Hi, I'm Mrs. Featherbottom. Thank you for being a friend. I'm Bev. Traveled down a road and back again. And I'm Mrs. Bettywhite.
Tobias: We're just three... 56-year-old women looking for a place to rest our weary asses.
Tobias Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort George Sr.: In the Chinese culture, a good marriage portends a good business relationship.
Lucille: I think I can eat a piece of fish without giving away how I loathe you.
Lucille Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Dusty: I helped her take down all your pictures.
Dusty Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort Dusty: Those steps are just for the feet of the Bay Boys. Get back in the ball, dude.
Dusty Physical/Slapstick Cringe/Discomfort Callback George Sr. · Dusty: Oh, you served in Vietnam? Surfed. I surfed in Vietnam. Two group tours.
Lucille · Dusty: We went for sushi last night, and he never touched his fork. Well, a little bit for the rice. It's the hard part. But not when the guy was looking.
Dusty: If you think that I enjoy being put in the position of ridiculing you, intimidating you, emasculating you, you're wrong, little guy. Wrong.
Dusty Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Lucille: That doesn't look like a mouth to you?
Lucille Visual Gag Misdirection Callback Michael · George Sr. · Lucille: There's Chinese Romneys? No, the only Romneys are the Mexican Romneys. Well, and the regular Romneys.
Lucille: I wish her voice weren't so grating. Oh, that voice! Shrillary.
Lucille Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy George Sr. · Lucille: God, who even remembers now? Saddam Hussein.
Buster: It said, 'Welcome Home From Prison Again, Buster.' I mean, it's like, did they expect me to come home from prison?
Buster Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Oscar · Buster: A guy could have a mighty nice life up here. Do you... You want us to die here together?
Gob: Impossible. You weren't even a wanted child.
Gob Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Gob · Buster: If... you help me get rid of this big, dead-body-shaped thing. What is it? I just told you, it's...
Gob Buster Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Gob: My name is Gob Bluth. I'm here for a 12:30 un-gaying.
Gob Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Gob: Yeah. Boy, wish I could pray that sweater away.
Gob Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Oscar: Oh, yeah. I... I noticed there's a blood-like substance back there. But that's a tomorrow job. That's for the daytime.
Oscar Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Top Episodes — Arrested Development
