Fleabag and her sister Claire reluctantly visit a female-only, silent retreat, courtesy of their father. Their enforced silence is interrupted, however, by an unusual neighbouring weekend workshop, explosive secrets coming to light, and a surprising connection with an old acquaintance.
WAR
71
Wins Above Replacement
“Episode 4” ranks #12 of 12 Fleabag episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 88.6 — Elite. The episode packs 57 scored jokes at 3.2 per minute, averaging 7.3 on craft and 7.2 on impact, with Fleabag landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Boo: Boo's voicemail: 'Hi, this is Boo. I can't come to the phone right now, but please leave me a messiagio, and I'll get back to you.'
Boo Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Fleabag: 'Do you know what the lesbian app for Grindr is called? Twat Nav.'
Fleabag Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Claire: Claire's reaction: an extended silence after 'Your husband tried to kiss me on your birthday' — then doors opening and closing
Claire Awkward Silence Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Fleabag: 'Your husband tried to kiss me on your birthday.'
Fleabag Dark/Subversive Misdirection ★ Rewatch Claire: 'Don't make this fun!'
Claire Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 57 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Fleabag: Fleabag to Claire: 'Just don't tell her you got the statue from me, OK?'
Fleabag Irony/Sarcasm Dark/Subversive Unknown: 'You're just tipping your prime.'
Unknown Deadpan/Understatement Observational Fleabag · Claire: Fleabag can't admit she's gripping the door handle during Claire's driving — 'Let go of the handle, then.'
Fleabag: Fleabag orders a vibrator for 'my very sexually frustrated sister'
Fleabag Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Fleabag · Colleague: The sexual harassment case euphemism exchange — 'We haven't had the opportunity to support any women-led businesses since the... Sexual harassment case.' 'Yes, the sexual harassment case.'
Fleabag: 'Do you know what the lesbian app for Grindr is called? Twat Nav.'
Fleabag Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Claire: 'Don't make this fun!'
Claire Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Claire: Claire immediately sobs after laughing
Claire Physical/Slapstick Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Claire: 'It's OK, I'm fucking OK, I'm excellent.'
Claire Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Fleabag · Claire: Claire: 'I just sometimes need you not to...' Fleabag finishes: 'To take the piss.' Claire: 'Don't finish my sentences!' — then they both fumble trying to finish the sentence differently
Fleabag: 'Fucking psycho.' (after a long, loaded silence in the car)
Fleabag Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Fleabag · Claire: 'Wow! Dad really splashed out this time. He must be about to do something awful.' 'No, it's just Mother's Day.' 'Oh.'
Fleabag · Claire: 'We're not supposed to bond on this, are we? Because I really don't think that's going to end well. We're not supposed to talk at all. It's a silent retreat, God help us.'
Fleabag · Claire: 'They're probably going to think we're a couple.' 'The fact that your mind even goes there is beyond disturbing.'
Fleabag: Fleabag, cheerfully: 'We'd make a really cute couple.'
Fleabag Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Men's retreat group: The men's retreat next door shouts 'Sluts!' just as the sisters arrive at the women's retreat door
Fleabag: Fleabag: 'I'm going to die here. We're going to be raped and die.' / 'Every cloud...'
Fleabag Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Fleabag · Claire: Host asks 'Two single beds or a double?' — Fleabag and Claire answer simultaneously and in opposite: Claire 'Two singles' / Fleabag 'A double, please.'
Claire · Fleabag: 'What happened yesterday?' 'Sting wore white jeans and a puppy got stuck in a fan. Big day.'
Fleabag · Claire: The full unpacking sequence: Fleabag catalogues Claire's creams by body part — neck/chest, legs/knees, ends of hair, under-eyes, face and body — getting increasingly specific and absurd
Fleabag · Claire: 'What would you do if someone stole all of those?' 'I'd kill myself.'
Fleabag · Claire: 'Why are there no plug sockets in here?' — and the tiny batteries discovery
Fleabag: 'If you want to have a wank, I can give you some space.' / 'I'll go into the bathroom and moisturise my wrists for a bit.'
Fleabag Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Fleabag: The motivational tape says 'Let go of your past' — Fleabag: 'Bit on the nose.'
Fleabag Meta/Self-Referential Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Fleabag: Fleabag realizes she's wandered into the MALE anti-misogyny workshop rather than the women's retreat
Fleabag Absurdist Misdirection ★ Rewatch Retreat leader: 'Trapping your thoughts in your skull. Think of it as a thought prison in your mind.'
Claire · Retreat leader: During meditation, a vibrator buzzes loudly from one of the bags — 'Shh!'
Men's workshop group: During meditation: 'Slut!' / 'Bitch!' / 'Bitch, bitch!' — shouts bleeding through from the men's workshop
Workshop Facilitator: After the men struggle to say anything positive, one finally says 'Well done, Patricia.' — and the facilitator's response: 'Very good. Please leave.'
Workshop leader · Workshop men: Men's workshop — 'What should we not say when we meet Patricia?' 'Clever little munchkin?' / 'Who did you blow to get that job?' / 'Slut, you fucking stupid slut.'
Workshop men · Workshop leader: 'What should we say to her?' [long pause] 'Well done, Patricia.' 'Very good.'
Workshop men: The men then add 'Slut!' after saying 'Well done, Patricia' — they can't help themselves
Fleabag: 'Literally her worst nightmare.' (Fleabag to camera, during the palm-touching meditation exercise)
Fleabag Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy Claire: Claire's visceral 'Eugh!' during the palm-touching exercise
Claire Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Callback Claire: 'I can't feel my feet.' (during the shared bed scene after the meditation)
Claire Deadpan/Understatement Cringe/Discomfort Claire: 'When we were ten and cute. Now we're 30 and angry.'
Claire Observational Deadpan/Understatement Fleabag · Claire: Fleabag steals Claire's vibrator and checks 'if it's working' — 'Oh, it's working, it's definitely working.' KNOCKING follows
Retreat neighbor: 'Have fun.' (from the neighbor, through the wall, after the vibrator goes off and knocking fails to stop it)
Claire: 'It's actually a really thoughtful present. Thank you.' (Claire to Fleabag, in the dark, after a silence — about the vibrator)
Claire Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Claire: 'And Martin getting me that sculpture. He must have bent over backwards to get something like that.'
Claire Irony/Sarcasm Dark/Subversive Callback Fleabag: Fleabag confesses she stole the sculpture — 'and then I tried to sell it through Martin, but Martin took it and gave it to you'
Fleabag Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Callback Fleabag · Claire: Claire: 'I've always been insecure about my face.' / Fleabag: 'There's nothing wrong with your nose.'
Fleabag · Retreat Leader: Meditation prompt: 'If you could change anything in the whole world, what would it be?' Fleabag: 'My thighs.' Leader: 'In the whole world?' Fleabag: 'Don't tell anyone I said that.'
Fleabag: 'We've paid them to let us clean their house in silence.'
Fleabag · Claire · Retreat leader: The retreat leader's alternatives for 'clients' — 'Clients.' / 'Inmates?' / 'Cleaners?' / 'Participants!'
Claire · Fleabag: 'I got the Finland promotion.' [extended emotional scene] 'Does that mean you're a millionaire now? Handy.'
Fleabag: Jake 'freaks out if she's gone for longer than a day and he's got this thing about trying to get in the bath with her. He's 15.'
Fleabag Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Fleabag: 'No, no. No, Jake. No!' (Fleabag miming/reacting to the Jake bath story)
Fleabag Physical/Slapstick Reaction Beat Fleabag · Claire: 'Perfect place for your cold, cold heart.' / 'I know!'
Fleabag: 'Your husband tried to kiss me on your birthday.'
Fleabag Dark/Subversive Misdirection ★ Rewatch Claire: Claire's reaction: an extended silence after 'Your husband tried to kiss me on your birthday' — then doors opening and closing
Claire Awkward Silence Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Fleabag · Man (the Banker): 'Yeah, I...thought I recognised you.' / 'Fair enough.' / 'Probably for the best.'
The Banker: 'I touched a colleague's breast. More than once. At a party.'
The Banker: 'I'm just a very...disappointing man.'
The Banker Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch The Banker: The Banker's monologue — what he actually wants — ending with 'I want to make her orgasm again. And again. Truly.' then 'I just want to cry. All the time.'
Workshop Man: The man's monologue about wanting to 'make my wife orgasm again. And again. Truly.' — delivered earnestly in a garden at a silent retreat
Boo: Boo's voicemail: 'Hi, this is Boo. I can't come to the phone right now, but please leave me a messiagio, and I'll get back to you.'
Boo Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch