Selina is rankled when the White House releases an unflattering photo of her. Mike and Kent bond over sailing; Jonah gets an executive parking space; Sue has a job interview. Selina takes steps to keep her staff happy as they prepare for her appearance at the Vic Allen dinner.
Sustained cringe carries an 81-point episode on 2.46 jokes per minute—character work over volume.
Directed by Chris Addison · Written by Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci
WAR
86.1
Wins Above Replacement
“The Vic Allen Dinner” ranks #28 of 65 Veep episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 81.1 — Elite. The episode packs 87 scored jokes at 2.5 per minute, averaging 7.1 on craft and 6.9 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
No, that's true. You don't have a tenth of his charm.
Selina Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch You killed better than Chung killed and he's actually killed.
Amy Dark/Subversive Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch But I didn't even own a car. I just had to sign a two-year lease for the Nissan Cube.
Jonah Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback But at least when I'm crying about it, I am crying about it in my car in West Wing Exec parking.
Jonah Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback I don't make impressions, ma'am. I've literally lived with people who insist I was never there.
Mike Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 87 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ What rhymes with majority? Nothing. Come on, you still working on that funny song about the new Speaker? - Give it a break. - Oh, priority. And authority. Sorority. Oh, my God, there's a million words that rhyme with it.
Dan Mike Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Look where Jonah's coming from. Oh, that grin, the keys. Oh, God. He's been given West Exec parking. Yeah, the holy grail of parking.
Dan Mike Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Good morning, gentlemen. What a delightful day. I was gonna walk to work, but then... - You got West Exec? - It's just a parking spot, Dan. To be jealous of that, you'd have to be a shallow kind of... I don't know, dick, I guess.
Jonah Dan Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Look at the size of his coffee mug. Jeez, you could hide a baby in that thing.
Selina Visual Gag Absurdist ★ Rewatch You look concerned, but steely. - Yeah. - Like a lady soldier.
Gary Selina Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Who the hell is religious as a teenager? I was. I mean, smoke some weed, for Christ's sake, right?
Oh, there are not gonna be any veterans at this teen prayer breakfast thing tomorrow, are there? / No, ma'am. No missing legs.
Selina Gary Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Oh, God, look at the president. - Jeez, he looks so... - He looks jowly. Ah, look at those cheeks. It's like two little clutch bags attached to his face.
Oh, my God, with the bags. It's always bags with you. Got to get out of the bag zone. Come on, Gary.
Selina Running Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Would it be okay if I showed you some ideas I have regarding strategy? No time, Mr. Egan. They're mostly Flash based, but I put them on YouTube. I just said I had no time.
Jonah Kent Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch We're all being hit by deadlines, right, Mike? Yes, sir. They can swing around and smack you like a boom.
Kent Mike Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Nothing fancy, but she gets the job done. You know, like a cast-iron skillet or Kevin Bacon.
Mike Absurdist Observational ★ Rewatch That's real man's sailing. Leaning out in the tack, your big man balls dipping in the salty sea.
Kent Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I have no children and I wish for none, but she's my family.
Kent Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch You know, I once went powerboating on Lake Erie. Amazing rush.
Dan Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch You don't talk powerboating to us sailors, Dan. What's the fucking difference?
Mike Dan Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Jonah, out. Or else I'll see if my pepper spray works.
Sue Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy You've already bugged the shit out of everyone else in the building? I'm sorry, what? Say that again. Jonah, out. Or else I'll see if my pepper spray works.
Amy Jonah Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch 13,000. No, 14,500. Is this the amount of times you've admired yourself in the mirror today? No, I'm guessing that's the difference in salary between this job and the one that you just interviewed for.
Dan Amy Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Simple makeup, higher neckline. Flats don't go with that dress, which means you probably have heels in your bag. Coffee from corner bakery implying you were at one of the lobbying shops on 18th.
Dan Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I think he'll be pulling Bon Jovi out of a burning tank in case we all forgot what a fucking war hero he is.
Amy Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch It looks like I'm tweeting when a guy loses his leg. Yeah, it does, ma'am.
Selina Amy Cringe/Discomfort Observational ★ Rewatch This is Kent's doing. He's trying to screw me. I'm gonna go stab him. I'm stabbing him.
Selina Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I'll start running the acid bath.
Gary Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch This is the photograph? No, just wondering if you think this sweater goes with the dress.
That's how he looks. That's his face. Why didn't you just take the good one of me, Photoshop it in? I can't airbrush history, ma'am. I'm not Joseph Stalin.
No, that's true. You don't have a tenth of his charm.
Selina Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Oh, so now I have to have Dan and Mike, Rodgers and Hammershit, come up with a new song in an afternoon?
Selina Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch It's a thing women can do, like smelling nice and wrapping gifts.
Gary Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch What are you laughing about, Jolly Green Jizzface?
Selina Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch I'm a meme ma'am? What are you talking about? Speak English, boy.
Selina Character Comedy ★ Rewatch If there was a tsunami, you'd be genuinely looking at your phone 'cause you'd be checking the weather.
Gary Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch No, it's just a meme, ma'am. Not a meme ma'am. And usually they flame out after about 48 hours, but sometimes they blow up and become a super meme like Downfall or Gangnam.
Jonah Observational ★ Rewatch Take all these meaningless syllables with you and just get out.
Selina Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Okay, yeah, that's a cherry on top of this whole turd cake.
That would have made people piss in their pants.
That's not a rhyme. You're just matching a word with the same word.
Dan Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Comedy songs are the mark of a douchebag. You're wrong. You know why? Three words... Weird Al Yankovic. Shit Al Yankoshit.
He's half robot, half robot. - He's a robot.
If the first one bombs, people are gonna be sitting out there thinking, 'Shit the bed, we got 49 more of these to go.'
Amy Observational Character Comedy There was this one girl, smart, who had no interest in me. She wasn't gay either. I checked.
Dan Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch In college there was only one girl that was interested in me. And it turns out she was actually a lesbian.
Mike Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Because he'd be happy if I shot him in the face. He would be. I've actually thought about it.
Selina Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch That's like half of what he should have, right?
Just bought Sue for a dollar. Who's next?
Selina Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I've never eaten with Gary before. I've eaten next to him, but...
Selina Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Yeah, we hated him long before it was even fashionable to hate him.
This is like a wildlife documentary. Jonah in his natural habitat. He might defecate in a bush.
Mike Observational Absurdist ★ Rewatch Yeah, he's just feeling bad. He's... you know, he's sugary. - Yeah. - Or he's not sugary enough.
Jonah Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Yeah, he's got fat wrists. You know?
Jonah Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch You're like an old VCR, but with a bigger mouth.
Dan Character Comedy ★ Rewatch You've been following me like Nancy Drew and his butt-sniffing dog
Jonah Character Comedy ★ Rewatch But at least when I'm crying about it, I am crying about it in my car in West Wing Exec parking.
Jonah Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback I actually wrote it in my diary and stared at it for a full five minutes.
Gary Character Comedy ★ Rewatch ♪ Can Dana come along? ♪ - Oh, really? - No. That was a bad idea.
Now, am I getting older or are you getting younger? We're both getting older. That's the third option, of course. That's great stuff.
Well, they seemed very excited about the possibility of a woman becoming president. Not necessarily you. ( Laughs )
Amy, you should stop eating so much. What the fuck are you talking about? You're stress eating.
Selina Amy Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch I mean, I hope I don't have a cat because, believe me, that poor fucker's dead.
Amy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch I wouldn't want you to become a fat, neurotic freak. Speaking as a friend.
Selina Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Chung's guy had a face like a Christmas ham.
That isn't impressive at all. - He's just spitting, right?
Of course, all she had to do was unlock her bedroom door, but thanks anyway.
You just need to keep in mind that I'm not Selina Dion.
This is imbecilic. You're right. It's asinine. No, keep smiling, Mr. Ryan. I'm smiling falsely. So should you.
You killed better than Chung killed and he's actually killed.
Amy Dark/Subversive Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch I had to pretend not to like it to Kent while pretending to like it like he was pretending to like it, but he didn't actually like it and I actually really liked it.
Ma'am, your song last night made my lips curl. - Uh... ( laughs ) - Upwards.
Kent Selina Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Uh, no, you don't want me, sir. You do want Dan. - He's great. - I've got a big bounce coming on. I can feel it. I'm like you.
Ma'am. Ma'am, please don't let him take me. I don't want to go to numbers camp. / I can't help you. Just let go. / Please. Please. Let go of me, all right?
Mike Selina Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I don't make impressions, ma'am. I've literally lived with people who insist I was never there.
Mike Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I become Mike, you become an ugly me.
Mike Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Isn't that great? Would you ever describe a cheese as dusky? Not in a million years, no. I wouldn't do that.
And they would have made her an offer that she couldn't refuse. Actually, the mafia involvement in the dairy industry is minimal.
Think about it. In 'The Godfather,' no cheese. - Yeah, you're right. - You know I'm right. - Boom! - That's her catchphrase.
A Lev... a new Leviathan! Isn't that great? Does it have the same layout, honey? Because it took you so long to learn the other one.
♪ I love my new bag! ♪ I can just sew some new pockets in. That's okay.
Gary Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback You know, while you're getting to know your own mind, I'm getting to know the rest of you. - ( Laughs ) - And Mama likes. - Excuse me. - Mama like it.
I won't touch anything. Oops, I just started a war with Iran. - Joke. - That's not even remotely funny.
Well, our European visit just got turned into a one-way trip to hell and back. - That's actually a return. - You know what? Could you just shut it just for like two seconds?
I think it's pronounced Georges Denis. I'm not a hick. Screw you, Depardieu.
I just liked the song so much. And I thought you wanted it out there, so I just put it out there.
Jonah Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort I just liked the song so much. And I thought you wanted it out there, so I just put it out there.
Jonah Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Get off the plane. What? - Get off of the plane. - Ma'am, we're taxiing. I don't give a shit. Get the fuck off my plane.
But I didn't even own a car. I just had to sign a two-year lease for the Nissan Cube.
Jonah Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback He should really be on suicide watch. Yeah, make sure he goes through with it.
Gary Selina Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I leased a Nissan Cube from you the other day. What are my options if I don't need it anymore? Can I just give that back? No? ( Sighs ) Paper.
Jonah Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback