In the U.K. for the 100th anniversary of WWI, Selina’s staff worries about Ray’s growing influence on the Veep. Meanwhile, Dan’s nerves begin to fray as Ben gets news that sends him back to D.C. Later, Jonah arrives in London, U.K. to spy for Team Maddox, and Amy leaks a secret.
102 jokes in 39 minutes—Veep's densest episode maintains character chaos over setup reliance.
Directed by Becky Martin · Written by Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche
WAR
113.7
Wins Above Replacement
“Special Relationship” ranks #10 of 65 Veep episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 84.8 — Elite. The episode packs 102 scored jokes at 2.6 per minute, averaging 7.2 on craft and 7.0 on impact, with Selina Meyer landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
Get weekly comedy rankings
Join comedy fans getting new analyses, score drops, and the funniest moments each week. Free, no spam.
Top Jokes
They're laughing at her like a toddler they taught to swear.
It's like watching a goat trying to use an ATM.
I just got 'Brit-fucked' by that balloon animal.
Wasn't it Oscar Wilde who said, 'Dan's a fucking terrible campaign manager'?
All right. 'Dan Egan, 67, female.' Unemployed campaign manager. '30 different types of semen pumped from stomach, inverted nipples, abnormally high douche readings... chronic cretinism, leprosy, anal bleeding... tiny child balls'?
All Jokes — 102 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ We are running some reverse-'My Fair Lady' shit here. We're showing she's a regular gal.
'Good Mourning, America'... mourning with a 'u.'
that 65-year-old fuckin' intern
He had tickets for a West End musical. Something with a duck or a ghost. I don't remember.
Hey, is FLOTUS having an affair? Not that I would blame her.
Her neck is like stretched cheese. Yeah, it looks bad now. Bad. It's gone bad.
Heroin and Chinese food. Noodles and needles.
I'm nailing pathos to the fricking wall here. Death, glory, folly, tragedy. It's got the four main mood groups.
It's like watching a goat trying to use an ATM.
Because money is just a concept. We believe in it because we're too scared not to. There's no intrinsic value to it. It's not like muscles in your arms.
I try to learn a word a day. I love words very ardently.
And I hope that 'honestly' isn't one of those words that's lost its meaning whilst traveling the Atlantic.
Because the U.S. doesn't spy on its allies. Now I'm relieved. We collect data. Same thing. Oh, no.
Gary likes to keep his cards close to his chest.
I'm just 'collecting data.'
Deputy PM Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Um... I think it's very nuanced. And I think there's a lot of different sides to a lot of different topics that are out there that I think we could spend some time...
Gary Walsh Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Gary, I need that lipstick.
Madam out there hobnobbing, us here in the servants' quarters. It's like 'Downton Abbey.'
McClintock, Lady Selina wishes to eat a Cornish pasty in the paddock this evening. Post-haste, you bugger!
I love that voice. It makes me feel inadequate and horny. The dream.
Gary Walsh Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch '60-Day Shred.' 'Get A Bod Like God,' 'My Name Is Ray, You're Okay,' 'The Greater Glory In 20 Days'
Wasn't it Oscar Wilde who said, 'Dan's a fucking terrible campaign manager'?
I would like to shoot him, but there are no guns in this country.
I'm in London Town, and it's going to be a 'right royal cockney barrel of turnips' when I dish the dirt on Selina Meyer.
I can imagine Harry Potter getting loaded in here.
Well, he's a small child, so, underage.
Although I think the actor is quite a grown man. The actor, yes. But the original, the literary version, which, of course, is the fictional story of a child witch. So... would very much still be considered a minor. Right. Actually, I think it's a wizard.
'Jonah Bond, double-o-fuck off.'
What kind of ham did you say?
We call that soccer, actually. No, here, football. Right. We have football there, and I'm wondering what do you call what we call soccer? That's one thing I don't... Yeah. Football.
I'm joking. He won't. I think you look like a bitter person, maybe.
The vice president is now going to 'pull a pint.' Come on down. I just said that.
'Daniwah!' Okay! 'Daniwah!' Daniwah! Daniwah!
They're eating this up. I think we just landed a catchphrase.
Dan Egan Irony/Sarcasm Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch They're not saying 'Daniwah.' They're saying 'down in one.' Moron.
They're laughing at her like a toddler they taught to swear.
Oh, yeah. Like the Hindenburg.
Okay, 'Daniwah' is trending. It's number 2 under Kate Middleton's bony ass.
Dan Egan Observational Dark/Subversive Callback You know, I thought it was some sort of a Japanese thing that he was saying. Yeah, like 'konnichiwa.'
Siri, how many horses died in the First World War?
Those guys are gonna wish they weren't dead.
Gary Walsh Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Don't you think the other hat is a little too 'hatty'?
Britain is the kingdom of the hats. I have never heard that phrase. Is it?
Or nothing at all. Ooh... what? I don't know what you mean.
I am 'Dan With A Plan' Egan, so if I can't work, then you can't work
Dan Egan Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch That's... I was doing a little role-playing. Like the Charles Manson defense?
Nicely done, 'Obi-Wah Kenobi.'
I can chop this thing in two like a disputed kitten.
Dan Egan Absurdist Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch As I do everything I write for you.
It's just a little bit too 'effy' for me, do you know?
I could 'normalfy' this for you.
Everything was much easier when it was just floppy discs.
There's a whole lotta guys who never came home. Good guys. Here's to those guys.
Holy fuckin' Christ. What is that, Ray?
What? Were you there the whole time? Yeah, yeah.
Oh, thank you. Actually, I don't run it anymore. Oh, what a shame. I was going to give you a story about Ray Whelans. You know, I do still run it.
I feel like Shakespeare when that monkey tried to make fun of him. What? I think that might have been a cartoon.
I'll hold off that long streak of deputy piss while she's in there.
Let's remember the guys who never came home. Here's to the good guys. Boy, they were good guys, weren't they? They were.
I'm not waiting on a guy to have sex with. I am waiting on a guy to talk... he's a reporter.
Jonah Ryan Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I don't know, I just thought 'Watergate, Deep Throat.'
Eight pounds for two coffees? Thank you, America.
No, I've got a super hot British source with a super sexy voice. She sounds like Mary Poppins on all fours.
You do realize Mary Poppins would be over 100 by now? Yeah, and I'd love to sweep her chimney, eh?
So you Googled it. I didn't just Google it. I found this thing called the 'Internet Archive'... So you Googled it.
Obesity is a punishment for sins committed in a previous life. Fat people have to learn self-discipline until they are rid of the demon that lives within them.
Right. I saw the German chancellor just now heading toward the Lady Chapel. Yeah. He was going in there to pray privately.
Yes... ja, as they say in Germany.
Ich muss wieder zur schule gehen. Absolutely.
I said, 'I should go back to school.' Yes. Well, the thing about German is once it's with you, it stays with you. It's like riding ein bike.
I'll tell you how I know, because I remember when I first saw it, thinking to myself, 'What a hideous hat.' It is like she stuck her head in a swan and it's exploded.
Well, du lugst. Hilarious. I know.
Okay, so unelected loony has the ear and minge of the vice president.
All of America is fat people. That's all we have. All of our children weigh 300 fucking pounds.
We'll get photos of her being surrounded by fat kids dressed as devils.
Way to go, Dan. Way to go, Ray. Yeah, just throw the blame around. Not at me, though. It's not my fault.
Yeah, well, Buddha's got a big fat ass, Ray.
Amy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch I write a lot of 'treatii.' 'Treatises,' Ray. The normal plural.
Text the details to my cell... mobile.
Jonah Ryan Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch I have always been a friend of the fa... full-figured folks.
Get your hands off me, all right? I don't want to catch your fucking idiocy.
Dan Egan Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Is that that egg with the sausage wrapped around it? Never mind. Not important.
Yeah, they think folks who are physical can't be cerebral. They think those two things are separate, that they're not symbiotic.
You know, the brain is a muscle. No, it isn't.
I don't panic. I'm the fucking iceman. That's why I'm the campaign manager.
Dan Egan Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch This is like the Queen's china. They're never gonna let us back into England again.
You really don't get it, so I'm going to keep this very simple. You're fired. I get you. Very simple.
Fat people don't even vote. They can't even be bothered to get out of the house, you know? There's no food in the voting booth.
And there's five fat kids outside dressed as Satan.
You ask what temperature it is, you get some tiny little number. I don't know what... What? What is that supposed to mean? Even the plugs here are bigger than the things that they power.
I just got 'Brit-fucked' by that balloon animal.
I mean, my God, Dan only hired him as a sex slave. What? Dan, he hired Ray as a... as a sex slave, did you not know?
I gotta say, Amy. You're like an actual friend. I mean, throughout all this... you know, me being made campaign manager over you... I mean, you could have been a real bitch, and you've been great. Well, I guess I'm a team player.
No, those are for my 'filthy Mary Poppins' and I'm gonna give her a 'spoonful of sugar.'
Jonah Ryan Callback Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Selina just fired you as campaign manager, so take as long as you need. Take longer.
You have put me in a hideous situation. Remotely, I might add. So from now on, remotely is how we will interact.
Running machines don't go anywhere.
Ray Whelans Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I couldn't help but overhear, but I always thought that lady was a little damaged.
Okay, let's get the merrie olde fuck out of merrie olde England. I need to be driven to the airport at 'Diana speed,' okay? Just more carefully, though, please.
All right. 'Dan Egan, 67, female.' Unemployed campaign manager. '30 different types of semen pumped from stomach, inverted nipples, abnormally high douche readings... chronic cretinism, leprosy, anal bleeding... tiny child balls'?
