Hilary and Carlton volunteer at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving, while the extended family fills up on holiday treats.
WAR
12.9
Wins Above Replacement
“Theres The Rub 1” ranks #144 of 148 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 67.1 — Mixed. The episode packs 60 scored jokes at 3.0 per minute, averaging 6.2 on craft and 6.2 on impact, with Philip landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Philip: Rhubarb. Tart little thing. 1954, I got sloppy. Got busted. 1955, we got a dog. Sparkie. From then on, the dog ate the pie.
Philip Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Carlton: Okay, fine. But before I go, I'm taking the pennies out of my loafers.
Carlton Character Comedy Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Geoffrey: It's a tie. You both lose.
Geoffrey Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Hilary: Beauty is such a curse.
Hilary Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homeless man · Carlton: What kind of a narrow-minded elitist view of the world do you have? You come down here once a year, give a guy a couple slices of turkey... and all of a sudden you think you're better than he is? I had you going.
All Jokes — 60 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Philip · Will: What the hell are you doing down here? Oh, um, I thought I heard somebody breaking in. What you doing down here? Uh, the same thing.
Philip · Will: Pie's in the fridge. Yep. Nothing like sneaking a little pie before Thanksgiving.
Philip: This is not the first Philip Banks pie-jacking. Son, son, I have been jacking pies since, what, Thanksgiving 1953.
Philip Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Philip: Rhubarb. Tart little thing. 1954, I got sloppy. Got busted. 1955, we got a dog. Sparkie. From then on, the dog ate the pie.
Philip Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Vivian: So I guess it's your nose I should've been shoving in the pan.
Vivian Setup/Punchline Callback Callback Will: Well, actually, keeping his nose out of the pan would have been more of a punishment.
Will Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Will: Oh. Grandma Hattie, the pie hider.
Will Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Hilary · Geoffrey: God knows that The Hilary Show could use some publicity. There is no limit to your giving, is there, Miss Hilary? Thank you, Geoffrey, that's so sweet.
Carlton: I called down and put my name on a volunteer list. But I'm not physically going down there. But don't worry, it'll still look good on my résumé.
Carlton Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Carlton: But, Mom, I can't drive through that part of town. There are homeless people down there.
Carlton Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Carlton: Okay, fine. But before I go, I'm taking the pennies out of my loafers.
Carlton Character Comedy Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Aunt Helen: It's like looking in a mirror.
Philip: A regular Mother Teresa.
Philip Irony/Sarcasm Setup/Punchline Vivian · Hattie: No, no, no. For five hours straight, Helen never stopped moving. Well, that's why I've always had a boyfriend.
Helen: You know that's right.
Helen Reaction Beat Character Comedy Ashley · Helen: I can't wait to get elbow deep in them turkey gizzards. Honey, you need to get cable.
Ashley · Helen: Just because I'm a woman, I'm suppose to don an apron on Thanksgiving? I don't think so. Well, I guess somebody burned their training bra.
Will · Ashley: Aunt Helen, you ever heard of traveling light? And that's probably just her makeup.
Helen: Funny, I don't remember voting.
Helen Deadpan/Understatement Setup/Punchline Helen: That's because it's so dry, it'd go up in flames.
Helen Setup/Punchline Wordplay/Pun Vivian: Oh, we all know what a picky eater he is.
Vivian Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Philip: Never take sides when women are arguing. You can't win. Look at me, boy. Lesson number one, whatever you say is wrong.
Philip Character Comedy Observational Will: Well, Mom, I think that your stuffing is the best in the world. Yes. What? Oh, I mean... I'm saying... At least that's what I thought before I tried Grandma Hattie's herb stuffing.
Will Escalation Cringe/Discomfort Philip Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Will: You gonna leave me hanging out here like this, huh?
Will Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Will · Various · Philip: How about y'all make them all? That's a good idea. Hey, yes. Okay, I'm for that. I guess I'll get to cook this year. And you can judge which is best. The both of you.
Hilary: Oh, my God. Have you ever seen so many fashion don'ts in one room?
Hilary Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Hilary · Homeless person: Excuse me. Could you help me? The food's over there. But I'll save a seat for you.
Hilary: Beauty is such a curse.
Hilary Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Carlton: And fit too. You work out, don't you?
Carlton Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Hilary: But really, how famous was Oprah before she was famous?
Hilary Absurdist Character Comedy Hilary: Oh, no, thank you. I'm already fully accessorized.
Hilary Character Comedy Misdirection Philip: He can't catch a cold.
Philip Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Philip: You know, I once told her that the Fiesta Bowl was a three-day event. I didn't have to do anything all weekend.
Philip Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Ashley: Holidays are the reason they should've passed the ERA.
Ashley Observational Character Comedy Philip: Ooh. The student has become the teacher.
Philip Character Comedy Reaction Beat Vivian: Believe me, you don't need my onions to ruin your stuffing.
Vivian Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Helen: You hold on to things like a rottweiler.
Helen Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Philip: I'm glad I never had daughters.
Philip Deadpan/Understatement Observational Will · Philip: What'd I do wrong? You didn't believe.
Nicky: Mommy, Daddy's fallen and he can't get up.
Nicky Callback Setup/Punchline Will · Philip: No, you didn't, Uncle Phil. You said, 'One, two.' But then when... I said, three.
Will: Yeah, yeah. You're probably right, Uncle Phil. And, you know, tonight, while we're all in the dining room having turkey... and four different kinds of stuffing and mashed potatoes... and sweet potato pie, cranberry sauce... And little tiny onions... swimming in a sea of cream sauce.
Will Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Will: Have him mix you up, like, a turkey smoothie.
Will Absurdist Setup/Punchline Will: That time, you definitely said three.
Will Callback Irony/Sarcasm Callback Carlton: Just because somebody stunted your growth... doesn't mean you need to take it out on me.
Carlton Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Server · Carlton: Is that a short joke? Why, did it go over your head?
Server: Maybe you ought to look into community college.
Server Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Homeless man: Look like somebody hit you with an ugly stick.
Hilary: Well, I guess you don't have to be any kind of actress to be a talk-show host.
Will: Actually, I do got a kink right in here, you know. Very tight.
Will Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Helen: Yeah, because they forgot their shoes.
Helen Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Helen: Nine hundred numbers don't count.
Helen Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Geoffrey: It's a tie. You both lose.
Geoffrey Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homeless man · Carlton: What kind of a narrow-minded elitist view of the world do you have? You come down here once a year, give a guy a couple slices of turkey... and all of a sudden you think you're better than he is? I had you going.
Homeless man: You're a gullible little fellow, aren't you?
Philip: Do you have anything a little lower in cholesterol?
Philip Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Philip: I believe the correct term is large.
Philip Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Will: Baby, I will take the special with a side of coleslaw and some extra biscuits.
Will Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Will: Yeah, maybe this is a big deal, Uncle Phil.
Will Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm Callback Top Episodes — The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air