In the run-up to the first debate, Selina makes a novel campaign proposal. Comments by Jonah create blowback. Dan and Amy take a road trip.
Political desperation hits peak absurdity as 71 rapid-fire jokes sustain Veep's endgame chaos.
Directed by Morgan Sackett · Written by Rachel Axler
WAR
178.1
Wins Above Replacement
“Pledge” ranks #12 of 65 Veep episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 96.5 — Elite. The episode packs 106 scored jokes at 2.6 per minute, averaging 7.7 on craft and 7.7 on impact, with Selina 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
Selina: God bless America for hating women almost as much as I do.
Selina Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Selina: She is an actual murderer?! Yes! Who drives an import!
Selina Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Jonah: I didn't mean like gay gay or like 'This guy and his husband are gay.' I meant gay like, uh, mentally retarded.
Jonah Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Selina: It sounds like Dr. Seuss fucked Maya Angelou in the yuzz-ma-tuzz and then filled her all up with snoozily-scuzz.
Selina Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Selina: Get that Benedict Ronald McDonald on the phone right now.
Selina Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 106 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Selina: I love you, too, Tom. Go fuck yourself.
Selina Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Unknown staffer · Keith Quinn: The only reason you were hired is because Mr. Tanz told me you were the best and because? Because of my court-ordered chemical castration.
Richard · Unknown: Is chocolate bad for dogs? Oh no, not bad. Deadly. Okay.
Amy: I would like to schedule an appointment. It's for an abortion.
Amy Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive Unknown · Richard: Richard, you can't keep working on both campaigns. But they're both equally good people.
Selina: It sounds like Dr. Seuss fucked Maya Angelou in the yuzz-ma-tuzz and then filled her all up with snoozily-scuzz.
Selina Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Selina · Kent: How is this possibly even working for her? / Socio-politically, protest chants have proved an effective method-- / OK, off.
Selina · Gary: You know what else is huge, Amy? / Not even really showing.
Selina Gary Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort Selina · Crowd: Selina's campaign slogan 'Time to finish the unfinished business of four years ago' being recited back incorrectly by the crowd, followed by her failed 'New Selina Now' correction
Selina Crowd Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Ben: When I say 'shit,' you say 'show.'
Ben Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Ben · Kent: 'Kemi Fever.' Three exclamation points. / It's a pandemic.
Ben Kent Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Selina: Yeah, well, somebody sneezed on our campaign, now we're bleeding out our assholes.
Selina Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Callback Selina: Last thing I need is my picture being taken eating dick-shaped food. I'd rather eat a food-shaped dick.
Selina Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Selina: Maybe somebody should be interviewing the 'Times' about why they write so much about modern dance.
Selina Character Comedy Absurdist Selina · Richard: Thirty-six hours in Snoozeville. / That was my major.
Selina · Catherine: How are we going to RU486 Kemi's campaign? / No offense, Amy.
Marjorie: Kemi is super impressive. And I'm not gonna lie, ma'am, very much my type.
Marjorie Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Selina: My God, pick a lane. Jesus.
Selina Character Comedy Reaction Beat Selina: A good union or, like, teachers?
Selina Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Richard: Actually, my uncle was a shop steward in the 7-4. Asbestos killed him. / Oh, no! / I'm sorry, Richard. / Asbestos was the name of their pit bull. It was a rescue that killed its first owner. That's why you have to go to breeders.
Richard Misdirection Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Dan: Fantastic. Her Achilles cock.
Dan Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Andrew · Selina: Andrew: Monnie and I are still together. Better than ever, in fact. / No. Felicia is my... paralegal.
Selina: Oh, God, we're all goin' to jail.
Selina Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Selina: Can you find me a real green juice somewhere in Iowa? I'm drinking Odwalla like some country lesbian who just got to the big city.
Selina Character Comedy Observational Dan Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Amy · Dan: Oh, my God! / What? Don't they all know?
Amy Dan Character Comedy Reaction Beat Callback Ben: OK, I don't know if I should be sad or turned on.
Ben Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Richard · Marjorie: Actually, I tried to quit last week, and the president gave me a raise. / So quit Jonah. / He gave me a raise too.
Jonah: Jonah Ryan's campaign ad: punching senators, kicking female candidates, 'Undisputed President of the United States!' followed by 'I'm Jonah Ryan, and I wanna suck this message's hot clam.'
Jonah Absurdist Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Jonah · Teddy · Beth: I ad-libbed. / Teddy, improv is Jonah's thing. You should've heard his wedding vows. He did a really funny Chinese voice. / Yeah, I expressed how horny I was.
Campaign staffer · Jonah: Most people are uncomfortable watching a white man kick a black woman in the vagina. / Well, I don't see vagina color.
Campaign staffer · Jonah · Teddy: And, good news-- No, that's bad news. / I'm at less than 5%? / In the plus column, the undercard debate will be first, which means we have no problem getting out of the parking lot. / Oh, no, that's bad news too. It's stacked parking.
Selina · Andrew: Andrew, you said there was nothing illegal about the fund. / I thought we both understood I was lying.
Lee · Andrew: Yeah. 'Don't worry, Lee. You won't get pregnant. I'll pull out and cum on your back.' Again, I thought we both understood I was lying.
Lee Andrew Character Comedy Callback Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback General Stattler: And since your tenure was so unusually brief, I took the liberty of using President Ford's ceremony as a template.
Gary · Selina: Who? / Uh, that's not gonna work. He was lucky not to get dumped out of a pickup truck into a quarry.
Selina · Gary: My vision for when I die... / If you... / No, I am gonna die. / Mm... / More of a sort of a Princess Diana thing. But classy. But no Prince Charles. / Oh, yeah. He's worse than the mother.
Gary: Oh, yeah. [re: Prince Charles] He's worse than the mother.
Gary Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement General Stattler: Ma'am, why don't we just jump right to embalming options to minimize decomp during the rotunda viewing.
Jonah · Teddy: Jonah is doing physical comedy with food at the fair — 'It's shitting in my mouth' / 'He's pretending the potato is pooping in his mouth.'
Jonah Teddy Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Mike · Wendy: Well, ever since I got it, they stopped calling me 'Old Guy.' Now I'm 'Hat Guy.' / It's 'Fat Guy.' / Hey, Mike, have you given any thought to that thing that we talked about?
Mike: Somehow they got the idea I'm a good writer. And I'm not!
Mike Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Mike: I didn't use to be Hat Guy?
Mike Character Comedy Reaction Beat Callback Jonah: Besides, if I was, you'd know. I'd have retard face or whatever.
Jonah Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Kent · Selina: They don't know what that word is. / Good point.
Selina: That's a busy beaver.
Selina Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Campaign staffer · Gary: The current version only asks for donations and, for some reason, deletes your address book. Technically, it's more of a virus. I had it but had to delete it because it was making my phone hot.
Unknown staffer: Of course we do, ma'am. The current version only asks for donations and, for some reason, deletes your address book. Technically, it's more of a virus.
Selina · Mike: Perhaps that kind of thing plays well in 'Nevahda' -- / Nevada.
Selina · Mike: Wow, Mike, you said an actual thing. How the fuck did that happen? It's like 'Flowers for Algernon.' / I understand that reference now. It's a book.
Jonah · Sensitivity trainer Danny: Um... mentally retarded? / No, that-- that's wrong. / I see where your head is at, though, and you are technically correct.
Jonah · Sensitivity trainer: Oh, God, is that like math? / Actually, it's just a way of using empathy to help avoid hurting other people's feelings. / That's so gay.
Jonah: I didn't mean like gay gay or like 'This guy and his husband are gay.' I meant gay like, uh, mentally retarded.
Jonah Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Jonah: Is this guy on his fuckin' period? What is--
Jonah Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Amy · Dan: My dumb slit sister was supposed to be my abortion ride, but now, of course, she is nowhere to be found, so I'm-- / Oh. That makes sense. / Dan: Yeah. / Well, would you mind? / Unless you plan on fucking her again while she's passed out. She doesn't call that rape, by the way, that's just regular sex to her.
Amy Dan Dark/Subversive Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Richard · Selina: She aborted her unborn fetus. — Dock her a day's pay then.
Sophie (Amy's sister, offscreen): Don't wear white pants!
Selina: She is an actual murderer?! Yes! Who drives an import!
Selina Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Selina · Gary: Where is that Fatty McFatty hiding today? She aborted her unborn fetus. [beat]
Unknown man · Selina's companion: These are clearly made with child labor. — Hold this. — I was an agricultural advisor. Nothing more.
Dan: Keep your head down, Ames. I'll part the redneck sea.
Dan Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Selina · Staffer: We gotta spread this news like Kemi's boyfriend's guts all over the pavement! / Actually, he was decapitated.
Selina: Well, why did you morons let me do that?
Selina Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Selina: Is there any way we can accuse Kemi of murdering her boyfriend, but in a positive way?
Selina Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Selina · Unknown person: Selina approached by an unknown person at the fair who seems to grab or startle her — 'What was that? Where's Secret Service?'
Fair barker: Madam President! Guess your age? Guess your weight?
Amy: Yep, 10-4. Body's a wonderland. / Can I just sign the consent form?
Amy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Amy: Oh, yeah? You got any of those darts they use on rampaging circus animals?
Amy Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Amy · Nurse: Less talk, more abortion. — Patient has declined. — I am as sure... as I will be.
Amy Nurse Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Dan: Is that the Berkeley VC-10? That's like the Shelby Cobra GT of vag-vacs.
Dan Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dan: Yeah, I'm the proud father-to-not-be.
Dan Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Nurse · Amy · Dan: I'm sorry, who is this man? — That's Dan. — Yeah, I'm the proud father-to-not-be.
Selina: What is up with the Clubfoot Cunt-tessa?
Selina Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Selina · Unknown: What is up with the Clubfoot Cunt-tessa? I think she's worried that you might beat her up in the girls' bathroom, give her a swirly. Oh, no. Yeah, you would've. OK.
Selina: Fresh-squeezed Billy Carter juicy.
Selina Character Comedy Observational Selina · Tom James: No. Forget it. This never works. / What am I thinking? / No, no, no, no. / Selina, listen, you got no reason to trust me, based on... / Yeah. Trying to screw me out of the presidency, then trying to actually screw me, then screwing me, then writing a book about screwing me. / Also discussed it on television. / Lovely.
Jonah: Jonah is caught on tape saying 'retarded' again immediately after his apology — 'What is wrong with you? Are you fuckin' retarded?!'
Jonah Character Comedy Escalation Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Jonah · Beth: One voter at a time, Teddy. / But Jonah, there were two of them.
Jonah Beth Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Mike: Thank you! 'I've had enough, Andrew! Mike McLintock has had enough!'
Mike Character Comedy Absurdist Richard: Novelty mayors are Iowa's number one source of tourism. After tornado-chasing. And coming into town to buy Sudafed.
Richard Character Comedy Observational Deadpan/Understatement Catherine · Richard: Is that a mayor as well? / That's just a cat. / Could you imagine? / This isn't Nebraska.
Richard: Would you like me to neuter the new mayor?
Richard Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jonah: What the fuck? I gotta debate Dumbledong?
Jonah Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Teddy: You have to be more PC than a clit ring made out of wheatgrass.
Teddy Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Debate moderator: Brie Ramachandran-Shulhoff
Jonah · Clark (debate staffer): I'm sorry, you can't say that. / Say what, 'Niger'? / It doesn't matter how you pronounce it, we now know that it is wrong.
Jonah · Clark: Jesus, Clark, you're standing right next to the guy. / What did he say? / No, he said it, not me. / But for the record, I think that the United States should send troops into countries like N-word, and I think it would be best if those troops were black.
Jonah Clark Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Wizard candidate · Jonah staffer: Can I just say, making friends overseas is powerful magic. / You ask him any question, it's gonna be 'powerful magic.' / I'm gonna ask him a question. What's your solution to fix our failing public education system? / Well, longer school years, free breakfast... and magic!
Catherine · Marjorie: Little Richard will be very happy for his daddy-- the new mayor of Lurlene. / Catherine, he won't be making memories for another 22 months.
Selina · Jonah · Beth · Gary: Oh, look at this. Congressman Ryan! And this must be Mrs. Ryan. Or do you go by your maiden name: Mrs. Ryan? / Oh, either is fine. / No, ma'am, she's my half-sister. / Step. / Gary: She's his step-sister.
Richard · Selina · Jonah: It seems I have been appointed the new Mayor of Lurlene. / Oh, congratulations! / Mayor Splizzle in the hizzle! / Wow. All right. / But don't you have to be a dog? / Well, legally, yes, but it's unenforceable.
Selina: What?! Mike's entire life savings? So we're talking about, what, $6?
Selina Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Kent: The term 'Fonzie scheme' is referenced. And the article as a whole is not cool.
Kent Deadpan/Understatement Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Selina: Get that Benedict Ronald McDonald on the phone right now.
Selina Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Lizzie · Selina · Mike: Fat Guy's phone. / Selina: Mike, what the backstabbing fuck?! / Dude, your mom's on the phone. She sounds pissed.
Tom James · Unknown · Selina: Did you know that President Meyer had a heart attack a couple of years ago? Just covered it up! — Well, you had a heart attack. — This was a minor prostate procedure.
Selina · Unknown · Ben: Olu-wakemi Talibah Talbot. — Oh. — That sounds like a terrorist to me, folks. — Talibah, Taliban. — Taliban. That's an old chestnut.
Selina: God bless America for hating women almost as much as I do.
Selina Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Amy: Feels like someone shoved a red-hot pair of barbecue tongs up my joy trail.
Amy Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Dan · Amy: Frozen maxi-pads soaked in comfrey extract. My own personal recipe. / That is so nice. / And also... cold and disgusting.
Dan Amy Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Dan: I'm gonna need that back when you're done, 'cause Leon will pay big bucks for it.
Dan Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Amy: See? When you do good things, good things happen to good people. / I'm such a good person.
Amy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Selina · Gary: Can you make me a waxing appointment? I'm feeling patriotic. Full bald eagle.
Jonah · Teddy: I just found out from my stupid stepfather-- / Father-in-law! / From my stupid stepfather-in-law, that math was created by Muslims.
Selina · Unknown politician: I would really love to be able to count on your endorsement. — You gonna make me say it? We got race in the race.
Selina · Southern politician: I would really love to be able to count on your endorsement. / You gonna make me say it? We got race in the race.