Selina has a secret lunch with a major strategist she may tap as her campaign manager, even as Amy and Dan are openly vying for the job. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Maddox invites the vice president to his country estate; Gary gets bad news about his shoulder; and Mike's colleagues find out he's mixing business with pleasure.
Escalation-driven absurdism sustains momentum despite middling 78.8 score across 54 jokes.
Directed by Becky Martin · Written by Will Smith, Georgia Pritchett
WAR
51.3
Wins Above Replacement
“Fishing” ranks #43 of 65 Veep episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 78.8 — Elite. The episode packs 54 scored jokes at 1.5 per minute, averaging 7.0 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
Dan, watching you try to be nice is like watching a baby smoke a cigarette... it's kind of cool, but also very disturbing.
Amy Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch He's Amy without a conscience and he's Dan without the five percent that needs to be loved.
Selina Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Desperate Dan, flailing Amy, crippled Gary, jizzy Mike.
Selina Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Mississippi is chock-full of assholes. I don't trust the Chinese. I'm not gonna be able to pass a single piece of legislation that's really gonna make any fuck of a difference in your life.
Ben Dark/Subversive Escalation ★ Rewatch I torch cars, you know... give me the nuclear codes.
Selina Escalation Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 54 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ You are going to change America in a way that usually only war and fluoride can.
Kent Absurdist Observational ★ Rewatch Not in a Jewish way, either. In a, like, selected from a very short list of 10 way.
Dan Awkward Silence Cringe/Discomfort Some people say three microwaves is overkill. My response is always, 'Tapas.'
Dan Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch You know that saying, 'Anyone can run for president'? Joe Thornhill is the only reason that that's utter bullshit.
Amy Setup/Punchline Observational My nostrils feel like Vietnam.
Selina Absurdist Observational ★ Rewatch Is this the beginning of the Rapture or what?
Mississippi is chock-full of assholes. I don't trust the Chinese. I'm not gonna be able to pass a single piece of legislation that's really gonna make any fuck of a difference in your life.
Ben Dark/Subversive Escalation ★ Rewatch He's Amy without a conscience and he's Dan without the five percent that needs to be loved.
Selina Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Not the whole bag. A specimen cup full of little Mikes.
Mike Cringe/Discomfort Wordplay/Pun All my 'troops' are in a cold bag now, okay? I just gotta get them to the doctor so he can begin the assault on 'Egg Mountain.'
Mike Cringe/Discomfort Absurdist I'd rather cede control of the CIA to Pakistan than see Dan lead a campaign.
Ben Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch I can't do the 'be nice to people' because that's what Dan's doing. Also, 'cause I can't do it.
Amy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Dan, watching you try to be nice is like watching a baby smoke a cigarette... it's kind of cool, but also very disturbing.
Amy Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch That was quite a long journey for that joke. I admire your stamina.
Ericsson Meta/Self-Referential Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch He'd make a good croupier... Never thought of that. He's very good at reading people, you know? Right, hitting on drunk divorcees, yeah. That's his level.
Oh, but you know, he's my asshole. You need a better asshole.
Someone around here needs to get a new job, and it ain't me.
Gary Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I should be the 'three-mile candidate.' 'Three Mile' has negative connotations. There was a nuclear disaster there. Yeah. Well, there might be one here too.
Peeing in a bush, being talked to on a porch. It's kind of like being a dog.
It's like a flowchart for people who don't know what firearms do.
Dan Observational Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Oh, well... please, by all means, 'Leonardo.'
Selina Setup/Punchline Character Comedy No, they were pre-killed.
Maddox Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist He talks the talk, but all he did in Iraq was wait for the bombing to stop, then post Facebook photos of himself sitting on a gold-plated bidet.
Maddox Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch You fucking idiot.
Maddox Reaction Beat Cringe/Discomfort I could take a dump on it, if you need a clincher.
I also do that with my men.
Amy Cringe/Discomfort Setup/Punchline I've eaten hummus with a pen cap. Don't tell me how I can eat.
Amy Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch 'S.S. Starch.'
Ben Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline Do you think that I'm ruthless enough? I think you have just the right amount of grit in your oyster.
Can I be a complete fucking bitch? Please don't talk about yourself that way.
Mike's masturbating at work... I caught him coming out of the bathroom stall with a bag.
Gary Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Did you bring any extra dressing? I hear the next course is gonna be pulled pork... pork that has been pulled.
Ben Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort Callback So everybody knows that I was in there masturbating into a cup now?
Mike Cringe/Discomfort Reaction Beat Callback I have a sister who was... well, she didn't have the... it kind of all went wrong within the tubing...
Kent Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Please do. Yay me. Yay me.
Amy Deadpan/Understatement Cringe/Discomfort Oh, please do not tell me you are one of those fucking weirdos that celebrates three month-a-versaries.
Amy Character Comedy Observational Oh, please do not tell me you are one of those fucking weirdos that celebrates three month-a-versaries. It's actually a year.
Amy Ed Escalation Character Comedy The spicy burrito juice.
Jonah Character Comedy Absurdist Callback People like me, people hire me, people date me, and people fuck me because I'm triple-A fuckin' awesome and no other reason.
Jonah Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch You know what? The only reason you have a fuckin' job is because your uncle is 'Donald Chump.'
Dan Wordplay/Pun Escalation Selina's gonna lose and President Maddox is gonna have you both executed!
Wake up and smell the fuckin' burrito juice.
Dan Callback Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback I'd rather be shot in the fucking face than serve as vice president again. Seriously, in the fucking face!
Selina Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Desperate Dan, flailing Amy, crippled Gary, jizzy Mike.
Selina Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch I'm gonna shoot Mike and Gary in the head, I'll poison Amy, I'll behead Dan.
Selina Dark/Subversive Escalation That desperate dick covered in medals that he got on eBay, by the way?
Selina Escalation Character Comedy You know what? You stop interrupting me, you stupid fucking interrupty guy.
Selina Escalation Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch I wouldn't spread that around, Gary.
Ben Character Comedy Setup/Punchline I carry around Selina's big, heavy bag of her tampon bullshit.
Gary Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Fuck you, Dan, you minor-league gigolo!
Gary Escalation Character Comedy When I was a kid... a bunch of older kids dared me to kill this stray dog. And I did.
Dan Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I torch cars, you know... give me the nuclear codes.
Selina Escalation Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch We should throw your expired cum at Jonah's door.
Ben Absurdist Cringe/Discomfort Callback 