Selina's staff frantically works on her first major speech as president. Gary questions his worth.
Season 4 opener lands 101 jokes in 36 minutes—Veep's densest premiere, character-driven chaos.
Directed by Chris Addison · Written by Simon Blackwell, Georgia Pritchett
WAR
84.3
Wins Above Replacement
“Joint Session” ranks #49 of 65 Veep episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 77.0 — Great. The episode packs 101 scored jokes at 2.8 per minute, averaging 7.0 on craft and 6.7 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
Can mice levitate, Mike? Can they levitate and fire lasers out of their mouse eyes? No. Well, then we've just asked each other equally ridiculous questions.
Sue Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch Mike trying to be healthy. It's like a potato trying to whistle.
Dan Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Yeah, we just got to do a cock-thumb. What? What did you say? A cock-thumb?
Ben Selina Setup/Punchline Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Callback I don't like to swear, guys, but I think the S is about to hit the F.
Mike Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun All Jokes — 101 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ We're making history. We're the first woman president, right? Well, I am. You're not, Michael.
Selina Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch I'm getting jiggy with it. I'm gonna get that Philip Roth book back to you. I haven't forgotten about it.
Selina Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy This is just noise-shaped air.
Dan Observational Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Mike trying to be healthy. It's like a potato trying to whistle.
Dan Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch If I make it to 50, I can quit fruit for good.
Mike Character Comedy Absurdist How many is that? This would be my second.
Mike Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Great pep talk, man.
Dan Irony/Sarcasm Reaction Beat During which I can sleep and you can squeeze nutrient paste into my mouth.
Selina Absurdist Character Comedy We're looking at a big, fat Greek funeral.
Sue Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive Everything's my fault now.
Selina Observational Character Comedy Harvard education right there.
Dan Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy There are a million young women around here and they all look exactly the same to me.
Dan Character Comedy Observational You big lady racist.
Mike Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Smells like Puerto Rico in here.
Selina Character Comedy Observational That's files Mike11A1 and Mike11A11. That's for my reference.
Mike Character Comedy Absurdist That was the actual President of the United States. It never stops being cool.
Mike Character Comedy Observational For now, just put a marker that just says 'future whatever.'
Selina Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Suckas.
Selina Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort I wouldn't want him to have the shitty experience that I had as veep.
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy You're holding it wrong. You're holding it wrong.
Gary Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Ladies be crying, pimps be dying. It's Jonah Ryan.
Jonah Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy It doesn't reek of moisturizer and vaginal spray anymore. And that was just Dan.
Jonah Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Like a strap-on in a porn dungeon... rock hard and covered in pussy juice.
Jonah Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy You know who won the war? I believe that we... we did? No, not the grunts in the front. It was the fellas behind the scenes.
Like the Catholic Church. Yeah, or an Arkansas wedding.
Oh, no, we're good. We're friends forever. All right, okay, cool. Thanks, Teddy. You're a good man, Jonah. We need guys like you, because this game takes guts. Yeah. Yeah. Right? And it takes balls.
Well, he's not dead, ma'am. No. It's fun for me to say, though.
Ben Selina Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Poor working moms seem to love it for some reason. But they only ever vote with their phones, usually for other poor young moms who can't sing.
Ben Observational Character Comedy Yeah, we just got to do a cock-thumb. What? What did you say? A cock-thumb?
Ben Selina Setup/Punchline Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Callback Okay, well, let's cock-thumb. I really don't care for that term.
Selina Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback The Prime Minister of India has sent you this. Why? I can't really work it out, but I'll put in a time for you to thank him. No, I don't want that. No duck? No. Sue: It's a dead duck.
For example, I love my mother, but I had to put her in a home. And it's actually better for her if I don't visit.
Ben Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch I feel like I've got a hamster wheel in my head. You know that feeling?
Selina Observational Character Comedy Did you ever hear the theory that Reagan hired Hinckley just so he could get two weeks in bed?
Ben Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Maybe we can put Afghanistan on eBay. Get about 10 bucks for that.
Selina Dark/Subversive Observational Chicken and egg scenario. Yeah, but where the chicken is just refusing to ovulate.
Amy Observational Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Austerity or playgrounds?
Don't blame me for this, Amy. Don't shoot the messenger. I just gave you the message. You're being shot by the messenger.
Mike Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy It's like a diet soufflee.
Dan Observational Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Can mice levitate, Mike? Can they levitate and fire lasers out of their mouse eyes? No. Well, then we've just asked each other equally ridiculous questions.
Sue Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch You can just use the FLOTUS window. Looks right down onto the Oval Office. A lot of anxious First Ladies use it.
Gary Dark/Subversive Observational ★ Rewatch I got recognized on the street today. Guy had already met me and then forgot that he met me and then recognized me from TV and then remembered me again.
Mike Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch If any of you new bitch puppies need help finding the mommy teats around here, you can just ask a West Wing vet, 'kay?
Dan Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort It's great. Why are you even asking? I mean, it's so good. It's fucking... it's great. Me, Doyle. I mean, come on, Teddy. Of course, Teddy. So good over there, guys. So good.
Jonah Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy For a lonely suicide or an affair with your secretary. It's discreet. There's no DC people here.
Was Vladimir Draw-Attention-To-Myself already taken?
Amy Setup/Punchline Wordplay/Pun Illinois Institute of Technology.
Richard Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Good, 'cause that last minute was a very long minute.
Amy Observational Reaction Beat Why would you do that the fuck for?
Amy Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Does he realize that or is he gonna find out on ESPN?
Amy Observational Character Comedy No, he's very, very stupid.
Ericsson Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Your job is very interesting. Challenging. Very exciting job. My job, yes, it is. The job I have is a very good job.
Richard Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Do you know what? I have never looked at her from this angle. And she still just radiates... okay.
Gary Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort He could have your job. You know, I'm saying all this out loud and I probably shouldn't be.
Amy Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential Oh, I have a sixth sense. And a seventh for when I need it.
Gary Character Comedy Absurdist It's like Colombian tongue sex.
Gary Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort I've never actually seen it, but as I understand, there's a scene where they all walk in a row like this.
Ben Observational Character Comedy I'm used to dealing with angry, aggressive, dysfunctional men, i.e., men.
Selina Observational Setup/Punchline That and farting during first Communions.
Ben Character Comedy Dark/Subversive It's funny... I don't really think of you as a man.
Selina Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort I understand you're on the warpath. I get that. I think it's your favorite path.
Selina Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Vampires! God, stop! If I was a ninja, you'd be dead right now. That's a life lesson courtesy of Jobi-Wan Kenobi.
Jonah Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Yeah, but here I am. I'm thinking it. The only unthinkable thing is that anything is unthinkable.
Selina Observational Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Kent majored in fortune cookies.
Ben Character Comedy Observational Yeah, that's horse hockey. Forgive me, ma'am. No, no. No forgiveness needed. I mean, at least you didn't say that's fucking bullshit.
It was designed for an outdated Cold War scenario that's gone the way of the fax machine and the VCR.
Five-zero followed by a bunch of zeroes? Nine.
I think Lassie is trying to tell us something.
Ben Observational Reaction Beat That wasn't a cock-thumb. That was a cock-cock.
Ben Callback Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Get it in here in five-dollar bills. I'm gonna climb it and see if I get frostbite.
Selina Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Well, you know what? You're in phenomenal shape. For a man of your age, it's just extraordinary.
Selina Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort It's '50 Shades of Great.'
Selina Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy It looks like you have a penis. Which you can totally pull off if you had... if you had to.
Gary Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort I don't like to swear, guys, but I think the S is about to hit the F.
Mike Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun The shit is gonna hit the fuck? No, F is for fan, Mike, not fuck. Why would shit hit fuck? Shit doesn't hit fuck.
Dan Mike Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch 10 fucking points to Elsa the ice queen.
Furlong Character Comedy Observational We may as well have an anti-unicorn strategy.
Ben Observational Absurdist ★ Rewatch You think the whole sub is made in one place? Because the fin, or whatever the fuck, it comes from one factory in one state. And then this little round fucking window comes from another place.
Furlong Character Comedy Observational So take the periscope out of your asses and look at the warhead of shit that's coming at you.
Furlong Character Comedy Observational Hey, Dobby the house elf, we've had enough.
Furlong Character Comedy Observational You can wave bye-bye to the Families First bill because the lawmakers in these districts are going to Vulcan death grip you to fuck. Live long and fuck off.
Furlong Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Popped your cardiac cherry, huh, Mike?
Dan Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Oh, see, you're being sarcastic, Jim. Absolutely thrilled, really. Oh, no, see, that's sarcasm. That is sarcasm. It is, I see it.
Selina Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential What's with that Deputy Dawg face you got going?
Selina Character Comedy Observational That's the long and shit of it.
Ben Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Just end high school in ninth grade or something.
Selina Absurdist Character Comedy I'm looking at you, but I'm shaking somebody else's hand. It's the strangest feeling.
Selina Observational Character Comedy How come you type with only two fingers? You're not a sloth.
Dan Character Comedy Observational Why have you blinded the president, Gary?
Dan Character Comedy Escalation No one hates me more than I hate myself.
Gary Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch You're wrong there.
Dan Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Ha ha ha! I've done it! I rule so hard.
Mike Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm There are literally no words.
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch My entire career just flashed before my eyes. It was incredibly impressive.
Mike Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch She's bebop speaking.
Dan Observational Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch I detest jazz, but this is impressive.
Ben Character Comedy Observational Callback Well, she just announced a dead guy's plan. He's not fucking dead.
Ben Mike Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Instead now, that money is going to fund obsolete, metal, giant dildos.
Selina Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Just to let you know that two of the hikers are dead.
What hikers?!
Selina Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback