As a hostage crisis in Uzbekistan heats up, Selina and Secretary of Defense General Maddox have trouble getting on the same page at their joint appearance at the Marine Corps Base at Quantico. Sue testifies at a congressional hearing on governmental efficiencies; Dan and Gary jockey for the Veep's ear.
Steady escalation carries a mid-tier episode through diplomatic hostage negotiations.
Directed by Chris Addison · Written by Sean Gray
WAR
61.9
Wins Above Replacement
“Hostages” ranks #54 of 65 Veep episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 74.9 — Great. The episode packs 104 scored jokes at 3.0 per minute, averaging 6.8 on craft and 6.4 on impact, with Selina landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Listen, we all know the White House would work so much better if there wasn't a President, but there is.
Kent Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch You just timed out that whole shit analogy for your little ding?
Ben Reaction Beat Escalation Well, I feel like that porn star who had to do 200 men in one day. At least she got to lie down, right?
Selina Setup/Punchline Escalation The leg is just the price of admission to the place you wanted to be.
Amy Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Amy, this is like explaining gravity to a chicken.
Selina Setup/Punchline Absurdist All Jokes — 104 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ I'd be terrible in a hostage situation, even as a hostage taker.
Selina Observational Character Comedy he knows I've got a bigger role in the White House now, which means I've got a bigger dick, which means he can suck it.
Selina Cringe/Discomfort Escalation That's gonna electrify DC. - Oh, it's gonna AC DC.
Robust is a good word. And you don't hear it often, like bumptious.
Mike Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Robust makes me think of wine. It's actually how I like my reds.
You like your reds through a bendy straw, too, right, Mike?
Dan Setup/Punchline Character Comedy You got donut on you, Mike.
Dan Visual Gag Character Comedy VP stands for 'very precious.'
Gary Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Wow. Hope it comes with CliffsNotes.
Cliff Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline That was a play on my name. My name is Cliff.
Cliff Meta/Self-Referential Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Don't do jokes, Cliff. I don't have a sense of humor and neither should you.
Gary Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch How do you make two perfectly pleasant words so irritating?
Ben Observational Character Comedy the man who can't take a leak without polling his balls.
Ben Setup/Punchline Escalation Secretary of Defense Maddox is living up to his name. He's mad as an ox.
Ben Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline He had a pro-strike hawk boner the size of Jonah.
There's cultures that don't even have any numbers and they do just fine.
Ben Absurdist Character Comedy Ben, it seems like you're ill-suited for your job and you should resign.
Kent Deadpan/Understatement Setup/Punchline Yeah, precise and surgical, like your lobotomy, Kent.
Ben Setup/Punchline Escalation No, that's cherry red. - Cerise. - I'm sorry, sir. I must have a very specific form of color blindness.
Oh, the noodle analogy. You guys are gonna love this.
Ben Reaction Beat Cringe/Discomfort I will leave.
Ben Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Any less and they will be flaccid and damp like a lady's hair in the rain.
Kent Absurdist Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Why are we talking about noodles? - No, let me rephrase that. Why the fuck are we talking about noodles?
Ben Escalation Setup/Punchline even though my salivary glands are crying out to me like newly hatched birds.
Kent Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch You just timed out that whole shit analogy for your little ding?
Ben Reaction Beat Escalation That is fucking pathetic.
Ben Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Probably got his head stuck in her ass.
Gary Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort They don't salute indoors, Gary. - They don't salute indoors, Gary.
And did you know in the CD player I've got Ride of the Valkyries? (CHUCKLES) Apocalypse Now.
Selina Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy I was married to a Devil Dog, but he wasn't a Marine. He was more of a devil.
Selina Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Small arms means guns, ma'am. - Oh, really, Gary? Not T-rex hands?
In anger, too, I might add. Ooh, uh-oh!
The gun could literally backfire. That's where the phrase comes from.
Gary Observational Character Comedy You could chip a veneer and I don't really want that to happen.
Gary Character Comedy Escalation Here he is, Kanye West Wing.
Dan Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline I'm the boy named Sue.
Cliff Callback Character Comedy Cliff, when I said no jokes, that wasn't a joke.
Gary Meta/Self-Referential Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback some guy in the hospital with locked-in syndrome.
Dan Dark/Subversive Escalation All right. There speaketh a pricketh.
Selina Setup/Punchline Escalation Oh, Jesus fucking Christ!
Selina Physical/Slapstick Reaction Beat Fastest gun in the West Wing.
Selina Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline With this hostage situation, I don't think you have the intelligence. As in intel, of course, ma'am.
Maddox Misdirection Setup/Punchline Is it four or is it five? Or is it six? Or is it seven? You don't know, do you?
Selina Escalation Character Comedy I pulled that straight out of my ass.
Selina Character Comedy Setup/Punchline He's Iwo Jima. I'm planting a flag right on his head.
Oh, shit a shark.
Sue Reaction Beat Character Comedy Okay, now she just sounds mentally ill.
Dan Reaction Beat Escalation I'm guessing you have one of those word-a-day calendars. And I know what the word for today is. It's robust.
Hessler Setup/Punchline Observational Well, I'm guessing that you think you have a sense of humor, Mr. Hessler. Which you are wrong about, as you are about the calendar. That is my definition of robust.
Sue Setup/Punchline Escalation ★ Rewatch It's time to robust a nut all over this place.
Mike Wordplay/Pun Cringe/Discomfort Get your own ear, van Gogh.
Gary Setup/Punchline Wordplay/Pun There goes the R-bomb.
Amy Wordplay/Pun Reaction Beat Stick a thermometer up Washington's ass. See how much heat I just created. - Parting the cheeks.
What's the opposite of constipated, Mike? - Relieved. - No. Relieved is not the opposite of constipated, Mike.
VP sister act robusting the moves
Sue made it. - Sure. It's there, too.
Sue only has one name like Pocahontas or Hitler.
Amy Escalation Dark/Subversive What? You're not fucking Sue.
Start popping your popcorn. - Must Sue TV.
It's Gary-oke time. - Gary-oke is done, my friend. It's time for Danny-oke now.
Don't be ridiculous. I'm not famous. Well, maybe only in DC. Oh, yeah, me and Kim Kardashian. Ha ha.
Sue Character Comedy Escalation Does aggressive trump robust? - Well, it's robustier.
robust is like a rock and aggressive is like paper. Oh, shoot, paper covers rock.
Mike Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch His word is 'get-the-vice-president- over-here-right-now-we're-having-a-fucking-meeting.' It's all one word hyphenated.
Oh, I thought you were gonna say diet, Ben.
Selina Misdirection Character Comedy And I don't have to answer to you, Ben. Or to Lara Croft here for that matter.
Selina Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Listen, we all know the White House would work so much better if there wasn't a President, but there is.
Kent Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Calculated? That sounds so... - Calculated? - Pussy-ass, that's what I was gonna say.
She fires a gun one time and she thinks she's Rommel in the desert.
Ben Setup/Punchline Escalation When you do that, I'm gonna start supporting gun control.
Ben Setup/Punchline Escalation Cock-a-noodle-doo.
Ben Wordplay/Pun Callback Callback He's gonna procrasterbate forever.
Ben Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy This is the Vice President. - Yes, it is. - No, no, this is the Vice President.
Set your DVR. I'm thinking of... Okay, you hung up.
Cliff Reaction Beat Escalation Amy, this is like explaining gravity to a chicken.
Selina Setup/Punchline Absurdist You have made a fuck-up the size of France and you are fucking grinning about it.
I'm trying not to. I'm not sure why my face is doing this.
Cliff Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort This is all Cliff's fault, that grinning fucking Ewok.
Selina Setup/Punchline Escalation Callback Well, I feel like that porn star who had to do 200 men in one day. At least she got to lie down, right?
Selina Setup/Punchline Escalation I'm imagining you in a bathtub full of rose petals.
Mike Character Comedy Misdirection Think of me as a cheerleader, Mike. - Oh, God. I'm imagining you in a bathtub full of rose petals.
Did she just make an innuendo? - Yep. Yep.
so help me Brian. - Yes. - I am Brian. - I think you mean, 'So help you God.'
Oh, I wish that was my cousin's name.
Selina Character Comedy Absurdist This is the worst small talk I've ever heard. And I'm including mine in that and mine is horrible.
What in the living Lord of Christ are you doing here?
Selina Escalation Character Comedy Well, that's how the cookie crumbles.
Selina Character Comedy Absurdist That's great. For us, I mean. 'Cause we're done.
Amy Dark/Subversive Setup/Punchline What's time o'clock? - Time o'clock.
Maybe she's pregnant again. - Oh, God. Or she's menopausal. Oh, God, she's gonna want that testosterone gel. I'm out of here.
They all leave me eventually.
Philip Dark/Subversive Character Comedy The men get the situation room, I get the shituation room?
Selina Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline This is so awesome. I'll bet you camera three gets a kill.
Jonah Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy George, comments like that are incredibly inappropriate when people's lives are at stake.
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Yeah! Eggs-shak-a-laka! In your fucking face, eggs.
Ashes to ashes, robust to dust.
Hessler Wordplay/Pun Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Yeah! Semper fucking fee. - Fi. - Fi. Fi, right.
Oh, so they were able to just salvage his foot?
Selina Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort I call that overshadowboxing.
Dan Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline The leg is just the price of admission to the place you wanted to be.
Amy Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Sure, we'll roll out the ramps.
Amy Dark/Subversive Wordplay/Pun I guarantee you they're better than my shitty legs. I hate my legs. In fact, if I had the choice...
Mike Character Comedy Escalation