At the garage, the cabbies overhear a screaming match between the company's owner, Mr. McKenzie, and his wife. Meanwhile, Louie tells them that whenever McKenzie and his wife are fighting, she chooses a handsome young cab driver to have a fling with, then confesses to her husband, and the cabbie is then never heard from again. Louie continues that even if the cabbie turns her down, she still will make up a story about him to tell her husband. The cabbies don't buy it until Alex comes in, overhears Mrs. McKenzie about to come downstairs, and hides in his locker. Louie approaches Mrs. McKenzie, surveying the cab drivers in the garage, with vigor, hoping to pimp Tony or Bobby, but she decides on Louie (her explanation is that since her husband would be upset by her fooling around with a good looking man, being with Louie would kill him). Louie breaks into Alex's apartment while he's sleeping and begs him for advice and all Alex can come up with is that he confront her and try to talk to h
Louie's affair subplot drives 85.9 score on character comedy alone without standout zingers.
Directed by James Burrows · Written by Ken Estin
WAR
41.2
Wins Above Replacement
“Thy Bosss Wife” ranks #6 of 114 Taxi episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 85.9 — Elite. The episode packs 33 scored jokes at 1.8 per minute, averaging 7.3 on craft and 7.2 on impact, with Louie landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Mrs. McKenzie: If I picked someone decent, it would upset my husband. But you... you'll kill him.
Louie: So Mrs. McKenzie picks Curly Melnick. You know what happened to him? He's still smiling with what was left of his face.
Louie Dark/Subversive Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Louie: I got a war wound, see? That's why I can't remember things.
Louie: I can't remember which war it was because my memory was shot off.
Louie Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch Alex: Why would Mrs. McKenzie pick Louie?
Alex: He's not as attractive as the allegedly deceased Curly Melnick.
Alex Setup/Punchline Callback Callback Mrs. McKenzie: You have such beautiful eyes, Mr. De Palma.
Louie: You like both of them?
Louie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 33 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Louie: Yes, Mr. McKenzie. Yes, sir. You have a magnificent telephone voice, sir.
Louie Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Louie: Have I told you today how beautiful your voice is?
Louie Escalation Character Comedy Louie: I'm sorry, boss. I thought McKenzie liked having his ass kissed.
McKenzie: What?!
Louie: You know, the attention, the compliments. I was just trying to keep him happy.
Louie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Elaine: It looks like a man walking.
Elaine Deadpan/Understatement Observational Tony: The mundane, unimaginative concept of 'A Man Standing in Garage'
Tony Absurdist Character Comedy Bobby: You're so dumb, you couldn't pour water out of a boot if the instructions were on the heel.
Tony: Oh yeah? Well you're so stupid, you think a quarterback is a refund.
Bobby: That's nothing. You're so dumb, you went to the library to borrow a book about paranoia and nobody was there.
Tony: You think that's bad? You're so stupid, you sold your car for gas money.
Alex Wordplay/Pun Observational Jim: When did we get this glass box installed?
Bobby: It's not real, Jim. I'm doing a mime routine.
Jim: Oh... well, you had me fooled.
Jim Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Jim: Bobby! Bobby, can you hear me? Bobby!
Jim: I don't think he can hear us through the glass.
Jim Escalation Character Comedy Louie: You got so much empty space in your head, I could rent it out for a mime convention!
Louie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Louie: You're dumber than a box of rocks.
Jim: Okeydoke!
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Mrs. McKenzie: He's a bloated gasbag who would escape out the window
Louie: Now Mrs. McKenzie, I'm sure your husband didn't mean to be a bloated gasbag.
Louie: But between you and me, the man's a real bloated gasbag.
Louie Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Louie: Mrs. McKenzie's revenge
Jim: Is that what I caught in Mexico?
Jim Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Alex: That's not a story, Louie. That's a sweaty fantasy.
Alex Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Louie: You want my advice? Forget about the job. We'll make it look like you never existed. We'll torch your apartment, drain your bank account, assume new identities in Buenos Aires.
Louie Dark/Subversive Escalation ★ Rewatch Louie: Maybe she'll pick Wheeler because of his superior nose.
Louie Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Louie: So Mrs. McKenzie picks Curly Melnick. You know what happened to him? He's still smiling with what was left of his face.
Louie Dark/Subversive Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Mrs. McKenzie: If I picked someone decent, it would upset my husband. But you... you'll kill him.
Alex: There is no Sheila here. You have the wrong number. Please stop calling.
Alex: Sheila! Phone!
Alex Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch Louie: Why do you look like a mess?
Alex: Genetics.
Alex Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Alex: Why would Mrs. McKenzie pick Louie?
Alex: He's not as attractive as the allegedly deceased Curly Melnick.
Alex Setup/Punchline Callback Callback Louie: I'd be sick at the sentiment if I wasn't facing death.
Louie Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Louie: Mrs. McKenzie, I don't want you!
Louie: I want you!
Louie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Mrs. McKenzie: But Mr. McKenzie hates you.
Louie: Then I'll have his woman.
Louie Escalation Character Comedy Mrs. McKenzie: You have such beautiful eyes, Mr. De Palma.
Louie: You like both of them?
Louie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Louie: You know what your problem is, Mrs. McKenzie? Poor people shouldn't smell this good. It's bad for the economy.
Louie: I don't know, Mrs. McKenzie. I'm a little nervous.
Mrs. McKenzie: Nervous? What's there to be nervous about?
Louie: Well, my palms get all sweaty when I'm nervous.
Mrs. McKenzie: So?
Louie: So I'll ruin your gown.
Louie: You know, Mrs. McKenzie, that bed of yours is so big, you and your husband might get lost in there. You ought to establish a meeting point.
Louie Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Louie: I got a war wound, see? That's why I can't remember things.
Louie: I can't remember which war it was because my memory was shot off.
Louie Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch Mr. McKenzie: I'm exhausted. I think I'll go to bed.
Louie: Not now, you can't!
Mr. McKenzie: Why not? I'm tired.
Mr. McKenzie: Remember that wonderful three-day reconciliation we had after our big fight?
Mrs. McKenzie: Oh yes, darling. Those were the most beautiful days of our marriage.
Mr. McKenzie: We made love on the kitchen table, the living room sofa, and even in the bathtub.
Louie: That was me.
Jim: I may be slow, but I never forget.
Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Callback Jim: Wait, so the box isn't real?
Jim: But I still can't get this thing off me.
Jim Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback