Depressed and suicidal over having ruined his chances of attending Princeton University, Carlton is visited by his Guardian Angel, who shows him how awful the Banks family would be if he weren't alive.
WAR
56.2
Wins Above Replacement
“The Alma Matter” ranks #5 of 148 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 84.9 — Elite. The episode packs 50 scored jokes at 2.8 per minute, averaging 7.1 on craft and 7.1 on impact, with Will landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Hilary: The autopsy was inconclusive.
Hilary Escalation Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Carlton: Big friends with lots of body hair and mozzarella on their breath. Capisce?
Carlton Character Comedy Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Will: And you still would be if you hadn't poisoned those nuns.
Will Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Will: Well, actually, I wanna go to Sea World, but is Princeton along the way?
Will Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Carlton: There's no need to be cruel.
Carlton Reaction Beat Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 50 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Hilary · Will: Don't worry, Will, I made breakfast. / Damn, I'm full. Couldn't eat another bite.
Hilary Will Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Hilary: Come on, Will. I know what I'm doing. Remember, I was a professional caterer.
Hilary Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm Will: And you still would be if you hadn't poisoned those nuns.
Will Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Hilary: The autopsy was inconclusive.
Hilary Escalation Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Will · Hilary: These eggs aren't bad. / What's the crunchy stuff? / Great, you found my contact.
Will · Uncle Phil: And the guy getting slapped by the girl? / That's Clarence Thomas.
Uncle Phil · Will: My dining club's what made me the man I am today. / No, that's too easy.
Will: If you don't know which seat is his... it'll be the one with the legs all bent out up from under it.
Will Setup/Punchline Physical/Slapstick Callback Will: Come on, I gave you a free one earlier.
Will Meta/Self-Referential Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Will: You gotta be facing somebody's butt to do this handshake?
Will Observational Physical/Slapstick Will: If they was looking for a few good Pygmies, you'd have been a shoe in.
Will Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Carlton: there's no one at Bel-Air Prep that comes close to having my grades... or my willingness to flatter authority figures... without a thought to personal dignity.
Carlton: By the way, you look really great in denim.
Carlton Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Will: Man, I tell you, you ain't got to worry about me applying... to no old Bugie or Muffy and Biffo... chicken-head old kind of...
Will Character Comedy Observational Uncle Phil: Will, the standards of the Jim-Bob School of Trucking are pretty darn high.
Carlton: Simple, I'm here to pick up the shattered pieces of your self-esteem... to nourish you in your hour of defeat.
Carlton Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Will · Carlton: Because when I come out of here a broken man... you wanna be the first person to rub my nose in it? / No, I'm really here for you, Will. / Then why did you bring a video camera?
Interviewer · Will: Mr. Will Smith. / Yo. / 'Yo'?
Will: Well, actually, I wanna go to Sea World, but is Princeton along the way?
Will Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Will · Ed: You're funny. / We frown on that at Princeton.
Will Ed Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Ed: Unless one counts detention, in which case you lead the league.
Ed Escalation Callback Callback Will: But my jacket is a fashion miracle, though, isn't it?
Will Character Comedy Misdirection Ed · Will: And your hat is on backwards. / We frown on that at Princeton. / Y'all frown on a lot of stuff at Princeton.
Ed Will Callback Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Ed · Will: Princeton has some of the most intelligent young women in the country. / There's no way I would make a crass generalization about such a diverse group. / Any cute honeys? / No.
Ed Will Setup/Punchline Misdirection ★ Rewatch Will: Will solves the Rubik's cube
Will Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Will Character Comedy Observational Will: I don't know, the size of Barry White's hot tub.
Will Absurdist Observational ★ Rewatch Will: I'm guessing that one wasn't Madonna.
Will Misdirection Observational Will: I told him about the hood back in Philly. And he told me about some stuff called Spam.
Will Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Will: Did my lips say Volvo? My lips meant to say Jag.
Will Escalation Character Comedy Carlton Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Carlton: You don't have to call me Mr. Banks. My posse calls me Rap Master C.
Carlton Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Carlton: Rap Master is my name. Ask me again and I'll tell you the same.
Carlton Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Carlton: Didn't mean to dis you, can I get you a tissue?
Carlton Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Wordplay/Pun Carlton: Let me teach you how to vogue. Strike a pose.
Carlton Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Ed: Mr. Banks, are you on some sort of medication?
Ed Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Ed: Unfortunately, at this time... Princeton doesn't accept the clinically insane.
Ed Setup/Punchline Escalation ★ Rewatch Carlton: See where Princeton comes in? Right after 'lose virginity.'
Carlton Visual Gag Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Carlton: You know, my sister Hilary's not bad-looking and after two drinks or so... she'll do just about anything
Carlton Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Carlton: Big friends with lots of body hair and mozzarella on their breath. Capisce?
Carlton Character Comedy Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Will: Because Carlton doesn't have any friends... and I'll have to dance with him.
Will Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Will: 'Cause I don't say stuff like 'big poopy'?
Will Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Carlton: No offense, Tom, but I always thought my guardian angel would be black.
Carlton Observational Character Comedy Tom Jones: Well, I knew Otis Redding.
Tom Jones: But I could probably pull some strings and have you moved opposite Roseanne.
Tom Jones Meta/Self-Referential Observational ★ Rewatch Will: 'Good morning'? You sure you don't mean, 'Die, you gravy-sucking pig'?
Will Callback Escalation Callback Will: Go easy on him, Uncle Phil. He's a moron.
Will Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Uncle Phil: I could never like Will. Well, I mean, I like him... Wait a minute, here I am lying to you.
Carlton: There's no need to be cruel.
Carlton Reaction Beat Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Top Episodes — The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air