Selina rushes to the hospital while attempting to win the presidency. Amy and Dan discover the O'Brien camp has staged a fake protest, and task Jonah and Richard with organizing their own pro-POTUS demonstration. Mike and Wendy meet with a potential surrogate.
Selina's maternal chaos drives 71 jokes in 29 minutes—character comedy at peak dysfunction.
Directed by Dale Stern · Written by Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck
WAR
69.2
Wins Above Replacement
“Mother” ranks #31 of 65 Veep episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 80.6 — Elite. The episode packs 71 scored jokes at 2.4 per minute, averaging 7.2 on craft and 6.8 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
if you will, a 'death bump.'
Kent Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Thomas fucking Kinkade couldn't paint Mee-Maw in a positive light.
Selina Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Honey, if I wanted to talk to an unconscious person, I'd book myself on Charlie Rose.
Selina Setup/Punchline Observational ★ Rewatch Lord, let her daughter, Thy humble servant, be the first woman elected President of the United States.
Selina Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Mee-Maw's favorite song is whatever is playing in the background at Neiman Marcus.
Selina Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 71 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ You know, Wendy and I have been meeting with surrogates. She is so excited about my sperm being in another woman. It's weird.
Mike Cringe/Discomfort Observational ★ Rewatch Why is my hair all spinning around and these things, like you, are doing nothin'?
Selina Character Comedy Observational Is it too late to turn them into oil derricks?
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Again?
Selina Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch She's been at death's door like five times
Gary Observational Deadpan/Understatement It's just your toothy smile.
Selina Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Looks weirder if you don't show your teeth.
Unknown Deadpan/Understatement Observational Oh, call Kent.
Selina Reaction Beat Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Wait a second, that's the O'Brien nimrod from the recount table.
Unknown Character Comedy Observational A fake protest. That is classic O'Brien. It's such a scumbag move.
Unknown Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Yep, I'll raid petty cash.
Unknown Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Amy, I thought you were talking about the recount. Don't ever, ever scare me like that again.
Selina Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch I'm sorry, is there a kettle or clothing steamer in here?
Gary Character Comedy Observational But I made sure he had nowhere to sit.
Sue Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch You brought a date. / I don't know her.
She's a smart one. You can maybe pick up something from her.
Andrew Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I just want to say my wife is obsessed with your spiced eggnog. We drink it year-round. / It makes a really yummy ice cream. / Shut up.
No, I definitely didn't give you that sweater. Not that color. No, I didn't.
Monica Cringe/Discomfort Escalation She calls me 'Monnie.' Sounds like 'mommy.'
Monica Cringe/Discomfort Observational I mean, the campaign's over. I don't have to pretend to like country music anymore.
Selina Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Mee-Maw's favorite song is whatever is playing in the background at Neiman Marcus.
Selina Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Honey, if I wanted to talk to an unconscious person, I'd book myself on Charlie Rose.
Selina Setup/Punchline Observational ★ Rewatch She always wore dishwashing gloves when she gave me my bath. Which is why I don't do dishes. I just now realized that.
Selina Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch So she's not gonna bounce back?
Selina Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive It was just a cold sore, honey. I don't want to pay 40 grand for a herpes baby.
Mike Cringe/Discomfort Observational Yes... yes. I mean, a lot of people think that I'm Jewish, but that... no.
Mike Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Our Lady... / ...of the Holy Womb... / ...of the Holy Womb. / ...Womb of Jesus.
There's not really a plug.
Oh, 'Stephen Hawking' here is indisposed, so I'll just...
Selina Character Comedy Observational I just needed to get a break from the Hindu Grim Reaper out there.
Selina Character Comedy Observational How is half a percentage point in the polls supposed to sweeten that shit biscuit?
Selina Character Comedy Observational if you will, a 'death bump.'
Kent Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Well, that is some wild and heavy stuff. / Indeed. / Yeah. I got some real soul-searching to do.
I can turn around, ma'am.
Mike Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy They were in the card your wife sent me when my cat Fibonacci passed.
Ben Callback Character Comedy Jesus, lose the fucking badge, man.
Unknown Character Comedy Observational What is that? What's 'totes'? / Totes, like all. Count all the votes.
18 to 34-year-old women are gonna be distracted by that. The only thing that women 18-34 are gonna do when they see you on camera is file a restraining order.
Unknown Setup/Punchline Character Comedy What do you pray for? / You, you know...
'O Lord God, it's me, Selina.' O Lord God. It's me, Selina...
Lord, let her daughter, Thy humble servant, be the first woman elected President of the United States.
Selina Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch No, I mean actually lift me up 'cause my heel is stuck in this thing.
Selina Misdirection Physical/Slapstick Sounds like you shoplifted a bunch of vibrators.
Oh, my prayer worked, right?!
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback You pulled the plug without me? / It wasn't a plug. It was a ventilator tube that they just...
We got good news about Nevada. - Wait, what? - We got good news from Nevada. - Mom?
Thomas fucking Kinkade couldn't paint Mee-Maw in a positive light.
Selina Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch what it was like to be the only daughter of a pathological narcissist. I mean, all this woman did was criticize me or ignore me.
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Really? Protesters? This country's just lost its sense of decency. - Well, they're animals. - No, no. Heavens, no. - They're well-wishers.
Oh, my goodness. I feel like a bride. A sad bride because, of course, this is a day of grief.
Selina Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Oh, my goodness. I feel like a bride. A sad bride because, of course, this is a day of grief.
Selina Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Did Eleanor Roosevelt eat pussy? / Oh, Jesus. / Did she eat pussy or did she just fingerbang her way down Pennsylvania Avenue?
Did she eat pussy or did she just fingerbang her way down Pennsylvania Avenue? Fuck my mouth. I'm doing it again.
Amy Escalation Cringe/Discomfort Apparently our born-again surrogate is super against DNR, so when POTUS pulled the plug on MOTUS, she started having second thoughts.
Billy Joel is gonna sing.
Selina Character Comedy Observational You're gonna cancel this recount like Anne Frank's bat mitzvah.
Selina Dark/Subversive Observational though I think the DJ already spent the deposit.
Dan Callback Absurdist Callback Maybe I'll get assassinated.
Selina Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement So who's fisting the American economy while he's here?
Selina Character Comedy Observational How soon after meeting you did he ask you to invest in his latest venture? - 17 seconds. - Really? - I timed it.
Some can't-lose scheme about the third largest hotel chain in Brazil. / 'Can't lose.' / Can't lose. / Got to see if I still have my wallet.
When do you have the time, then, Mom? When? Because you don't like Tim McGraw, then nobody is supposed to like Tim McGraw. Catherine, you are forbidden from saying the words 'Tim McGraw' ever again.
Unbelievable. Mee-Maw was so right about you.
They're into ass play? No, they have a gift for sensing prevailing political winds.
They're wet-fingered. / They're into ass play?
We lost the popular vote. / Oh, God.
My mother had a good piano.
Selina Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback I have lost... so much.
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Catherine, play the Tim McGraw thing.
Selina Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback your mother decided to leave the bulk of her estate to Catherine. / The bulk?
I hated my father.
Tom Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement