#79. Choking
Season 1, Episode 5
There are a lot of I Think You Should Leave bits that can be boiled down to just Tim being a liar and then going to the most ridiculous lengths imaginable to uphold said lie, through seemingly insurmountable levels of escalating tension. But as Tim's character tries to conceal the fact that he's choking to avoid looking foolish in front of his favorite actor-musician-designer, Caleb Went, the tension kind of crumbles under Tim's bad acting in this sketch. Plus, the whole thing kind of feels like the worst iteration of the "Both Ways" segment that executes the same comedic beats in a much more successful fashion.
#78. Dog Hair
Season 3, Episode 3
This sketch really doesn't have anything to stand on past the ridiculous wig Tim is wearing. You think maybe the guys at the bar telling stories about a close call with a mako shark might lead to something but nope. Just a lame flashback about how Tim's character got his awful hairdo followed by a nonsensical detour into how he wants two girlfriends. Neither of which are funny.
#77. Don Von Darley
Season 3, Episode 6
Tim's character tries to keep up at a 40th birthday party with a group of friends that go way back by imparting his own nostalgia onto the group, since he doesn't have the same shared history they all do. It's a relatable enough scenario, especially when he tries to share an out of date dirty limerick performer that does not hold up to his childhood memories and the performer himself can't even remember the words to his own songs. Like the majority of season 3, it's a fine premise, just lacking in the detailed flourishes that make the first two seasons so memorable. Instead, this bit is punctuated with a desperate attempt at cheap laughter when Don Von Darley invites the group to jack off for some reason...
#76. Street Sets
Season 3, Episode 1
It's such a bummer when regularly funny people get stuck in painfully unfunny sketches. And such is the fate of sketch comedy veteran Fred Armisen in this horribly underdeveloped scenario about a dad trying to scare some respect out of his kids by making a fake video of himself pummeling a pre-teen. I was hoping for more insight into the company that got 15k from Fred or what his kids did to disrespect him but instead all we see is an old man stunt double taking unconvincing fake punches. It's not the worst sketch of season 3 but it definitely feels like the biggest missed opportunity.
#75. 200 Guys
Season 3, Episode 4
The idea of a guy so obsessed with amassing a huge friend group that he's willing to subject himself to penalty fees and dietary restrictions is a great start for this bit but sadly it dies on the vine and ends with an abrupt fart. Literally. In a series littered with dumb fart jokes, this might be the dumbest.
#74. Credit Card Roulette
Season 2, Episode 5
John Early is an incredibly funny guy but you wouldn't know it from this segment which dies right in his lap. The idea of forcing a massive bill onto an individual at a large group dinner as a result of this sadistic game of chance sets the stage for what could have been a hilarious payoff but instead, Early's character predictably just refuses. And not in any particularly funny fashion. Just a simple "That's fucking crazy. It's too much money."
#73. Space Restaurant
Season 2, Episode 5
Tim Heidecker has an uncanny ability to portray unlikable douche bags. The one in this sketch gets weirdly defensive when an animatronic alien in a Rainforest Cafe-style restaurant interrupts his date with a dumb joke. But Heidecker riffs with an onslaught of nonsensical details for an absurdly long time without much of a payoff beyond seeing Tim sporting shoulder length hair and an overly deep V-neck shirt.
#72. Big Wave
Season 2, Episode 6
In the ITYSL subgenre of social outcasts trying desperately hard to fit in at work - this segment is definitely the weakest. After a co-worker jumps up on a conference room table and starts pretending to surf, Tim's character tries to play along and flips the table screaming "Here comes a big wave!" Which I guess would have been funny enough on it's own but then Tim goes on a tangent about how he almost killed himself because he got chode jeans for his 45th birthday. And I know that this show is infamous for taking unexpected dark turns but this one just felt ugly to me. Even if he did say no gag gifts and the chode jeans are fuckin junk.
#71. Dylan's Burger
Season 2, Episode 3
This bit finds a group of college friends reconnecting with an old professor over dinner but when the food arrives, the professor insists that he take Tim's burger while acting like he's only joking. But then proceeds to house the whole thing. And then threatens to black mail the whole table if they tell anyone about it. Which is kinda funny. I guess.
#70. Huge Dumps
Season 2, Episode 6
With this sketch, Tim hires a lookalike employee solely for his ability to take huge dumps and frame a current member of his staff. It worked 150 times. Simple as that. Oh and we get a sidebar on whether or not Jerry (as in the cartoon mouse from Tom & Jerry) had ever sniffed anyone's panties. So that's why this one's down here.
#69. After the Laughs
Season 3, Episode 2
An audience member recording subliminal messages onto a sitcom laugh track is another great setup but once again, the payoff just isn't that funny. A watch that explodes? A limo with a fake wall? It's like the outline for a good bit is here but all of the details are frustratingly subpar. And somehow the slow motion reenactments are even less funny than Tim explaining them.
#68. My Condolences
Season 1, Episode 3
God rest his soul, Fred Willard was a comedic treasure. But this one note bit where Fred plays a fill-in funeral organist breaking plates as he operates some wacky one-man band style instrument falls pretty flat, despite Fred's best efforts. My condolences.
#67. Frankenstein's Chick Sped Up
Season 3, Episode 6
Even with just six episodes per season (at a whopping 15 minutes per episode), season 3 already feels like its treading worn ground. This segment in particular feels like a worse version of Bozo Dubbed Over with the dude from Fri.Day.Night inexplicably yelling and overselling how tormented he is by creating these terrible videos. And is he wearing a goose suit? He looks unreasonably hulked out? The awful video he's so desperate to share is the funniest stuff here though. The performances and one-liners (again) are pretty dull.
#66. Godzilla the Gorilla
Season 3, Episode 5
I hate to sound like a broken record here but again, this feels like a sketch Tim's already done better previously Jason Schwartzman feels underutilized as the straight man trying to refrain from talking about his kids at a party but Tim's struggle to do wilder and wilder things to distract party goers from his faux-pas is mildly amusing none the less. Especially when he offers up the quote - "he was such a big fan of him he wanted to own his life or something".
#65. Biker Guy
Season 1, Episode 2
Most of ITYSL covers pretty mature themes but Biker Guy sticks out like a character from Nickelodeon's All That dropped into an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I can't lie though, as defiantly goofy as it is, this still gets a chuckle out of me every time I see it. Even if the ending goes a little overboard to sell the simple premise.
Season 3, Episode 1
You could feel something strange was coming after Tim's character offered to be a designated driver for anyone in the office - I just don't know if anyone could have guessed the payoff would have involved a sticker of a cigar on his driver's side window. But it's not the hilarious kind of unexpected turn you usually get with Tim. It's more just weird and confusing. But despite that, Tim delivers a pretty stellar performance working in as many quotable lines as he can. I'm sure you'll be seeing memes captioned with "it's toooo good", "I'm so sick of this!" and "I gotta make money on this" imminently.
#63. Photo Wall of Metal The Metal Motto Search
Season 3, Episode 6
In Sam Richardson's third stint as a game show host, this segment feels more like season 1's Chunky sketch than the Little Buff Boys or Baby of the Year contests he hosted previously. And even though the Metaloid Maniac gets his very own animated origin story (including the wall he built himself) - this just pales in comparison to seeing a fuzzy red monster destroy Andy Samberg's laptop.
#62. Club Aqua
Season 3, Episode 3
Tim Heidecker reappears in season 3 as a doctor using his patient's heart monitor to track whether or not said patient has gone to the storied "Haunted House" nightclub without inviting him. Because actually he'd like to go to Haunted House more than Aqua. Actually. It's another funny concept that ends with a thud, as the final punchline is Kim Kardashian's head falling off. And as much as I delight at the thought, that's really the best these comedic geniuses could come up with? Really?
#61. Triples is Best
Season 2, Episode 2
Bringing sketch comedy royalty Bob Odenkirk into the ITYSL universe, this bit features a father fibbing to his daughter about ice cream and relying on a sociopathic stranger for backup. But of course, the stranger stretches that lie into ridiculously unnecessary territory - including a model wife who happens to be terminally ill. But she's gonna get better. And he's rich. And he doesn't live in a hotel.
#60. Wild On
Season 3, Episode 3
Patti Harrison is back for more uncomfortable office shenanigans in season 3 as she spends her bosses surprise 50th birthday/Christmas party tormenting a cardboard cut-out of her superior. And as stellar as Patti's declaration of herself as the "Rat Mom" is, the real star here is the karaoke song "Wild On" and the somber, emotional rendition that plays out as the sketch ends with Rat Mom reflecting on the closure she's achieved this evening.
#59. It's Not Called Gelutol
Season 3, Episode 4
Here we have another fake hair loss product (without the malicious gorilla) presented like another manipulative pyramid scheme. Sorry, I'm not trying to compare every sketch from season 3 to previous seasons but there's just so much undeniably familiar overlap with the same framework of game shows, infomercials, awkward parties, dinners and work functions. And Tim's still really funny at trying to keep his Gelutol secret to himself here. But I need a little more variety...
#58. Blues Brothers
Season 2, Episode 4
This would probably be lower for most people but I too do not understand the appeal of the Blues Brothers. John Landis managed to cobble a pretty decent movie together around the SNL characters but I don't understand what people find funny about them. So I enjoyed seeing Tim's character in this sketch try to lighten the mood by performing a Blues Brothers routine only to confuse and agitate everyone in the room, which in my opinion, would be the proper response to the Blues Brothers for anyone who hadn't seen them in their "heyday".
#57. Supermarket Swap
Season 3, Episode 2
In yet another game show skit, this time we find Tim playing a game called Supermarket Swap, where his character has to grab as many items as he can while wearing a VR headset in a virtual grocery store. Tim's character becomes completely incapacitated in the virtual reality environment, even forgetting to breath and then spiraling into not knowing how to work his own body when back in reality. Simple but effective.
#56. Focus Group
Season 1, Episode 3
Ruben Rabasa doesn't look like your prototypical bully but the way he hijacks this focus group with his terrible suggestions and then turns the room against the unsuspecting Paul is diabolical. Ruben's performance, particularly his dismissive delivery of "Shut up Paul", carries this sketch almost single-handedly.
#55. Lifetime Achievement
Season 1, Episode 4
In the subset of "Tim lies his way through a massive public embarrassment" sketches, this one is pretty minor. Yes, the trip on the stairs is funny and so is his "what is this society?" deflection but overall this feels like filler.
#54. Barley Tonight
Season 3, Episode 1
Kicking off season 3 with this faux-political debate show intro, it felt like we were in for another legendary season. But once Tim's Barley character starts side-barring about his phone, the bit kind of deflates and the momentum falls off hard. I'm not sure if it just went on a little too long or what but somehow this sketch got stale before it even concluded.
#53. Game Night
Season 1, Episode 3
I feel like everybody's had a friend who brought along someone like Tim Heidecker's character in this sketch, who just obliterates the vibe of whatever group outing they're intruding upon. Like I said earlier, Heidecker is the best at being the absolute worst. His old, condescending, out of touch obsession with obscure jazz musicians that appeared on the Colgate Hour is one thing but his insistence on being served gazpacho soup and the manner in which he's way too comfortable belittling his date in front of her friends make him an utter nightmare to endure.
#52. Little Buff Boy
Season 2, Episode 1 (and 5)
Detroiters co-star Sam Richardson has some stellar contributions to the ITYSL universe. But stuck in the shadow of season 1's Baby of the Year sketch, the Little Buff Boy segment can't avoid feeling inferior due to the inevitable comparison. It's like Hawkeye trying to hang with the rest of The Avengers. He's not bad, but he's definitely nowhere near as impressive as the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, etc. And the follow up bit in episode 5 selling Little Buff Boy franchises in a faux infomercial only further denigrates the Little Buff Boy brand.
#51. Jellybean
Season 3, Episode 3
Again, we don't get a ton of the great one-liners or the seemingly improvised adlibs we got in the first 2 seasons, but the construct of a classical theater dork performing silent theater only to be ridiculed by obnoxious frat boys and bachelor parties is pretty funny. It just feels like it should have been funnier...
#50. Shirt Brother
Season 3, Episode 4
The breakout star of season 2 returns in this sequence about a grandpa whose life is turned upside down by a song suggesting there are no rules. But the funniest part of this sketch might be the glossy pop-punk song itself, which feels like it might be an audio Turnstile cameo...
UPDATE: oh shit, it actually was Turnstile
#49. Calico Cut Pants
Season 2, Episode 4
The longest sketch from ITYSL Season 2 definitely kind of feels like it. There are some funny moments but not enough to warrant how long this bit goes on. Honestly, I think the best part for me was the random insistence from Tim's character screaming "HOLD THAT DOOR" from such a far distance. The Calico Cut Pants and the pyramid scheme of donating to keep the bogus website online is all secondary really.
#48. Six? I did like, twenty-five...
Season 3, Episode 2
Season 3 packs another solid batch of uncomfortable workplace situations and as basic as this one might be, the way that Tim delivers the line "It's got a bush? What the hell?" might have made me laugh harder than any other single piece of dialogue in the entire season. Also, it feels like he worked "what the hell?" into every episode at least once - but this is the very best instance.
#47. Volcano
Season 3, Episode 5
You guessed it, another uncomfortable office setting, this time featuring Tim as a co-worker who will take any praise thrown his way and stretch it as far as he can. Eventually his supervisor has to pull the woman who paid him a compliment aside and warn her not to make him think he's creative or interesting in any way or he wont stop trying to get more validation. We all went to school with a kid like this right? Don't laugh at his horrible joke or he'll just keep going FOREVER. The icing on the cake though is when Tim's colleague places her hand on his to see the world the way that he does. Pure magic.
#46. Parking Lot
Season 2, Episode 5
It's a pretty simple premise but the unexpected way that Tim's character reacts here is just so phenomenal. Angry yelling Tim may be the show's selling point but emotionally devastated Tim may be the unsung hero - particularly in Season 2.
#45. Party House
Season 1, Episode 6
Kate Berlant is hilarious in this sketch where she volunteers her home to host an intervention for a friend. She of course fails to mention that her house is hilariously themed after Jim Davis' iconic cast of cartoon characters from the comic strip, Garfield. Which then makes it virtually impossible for anyone to take the incredibly serious intent of the evening seriously at all.
#44. Darmine Doggy Door
Season 3, Episode 2
At this point we've seen Tim do the unhinged infomercial pitch man routine a number of times. But the detailed account of a pig wearing a Richard Nixon mask sneaking into his home through a doggy door while Tim was sleep-deprived due to a swing dancer flipping his wife upside down at a wedding - is top notch ITYSL material. I wish there were more of those ridiculous details in Season 3.
#43. Pacific Proposal Park
Season 3, Episode 4
The idea of a designated park designed for proposals being taken over by professional wrestlers utilizing the area's specifically soft grass for training is great enough on it's own. But toss in wrestlers named Toilet Truck and Baby Duck and you've got yourself comedy gold. It doesn't really even matter what else happens after you introduce me to a character named Toilet Truck, I'm sold.
#42. Ghost Tour
Season 2, Episode 1
This might get my vote for the most overrated segment in ITYSL. But the thing that saves it is just how upset (not screaming angry for a change, but actually emotionally distraught) Tim plays the character who just wants to say nonsensically vulgar phrases. He's so heartbroken when he's taken aside by the tour guide and then you feel even worse at the skit's conclusion when his mom picks him up outside and asks if he made any new friends. Poor guy. He just wants to know if any of these fuckers ever have a big messy shit...
#41. Pay It Forward
Season 3, Episode 3
Another one of Tim's best performances from Season 3 can be found in this familiar scenario where a good samaritan attempts to start a chain reaction of "Pay It Forward" customers in a fast food drive-thru with the malicious intent of getting back in line just to make the person in front of him pay for an obnoxious amount of food. Of course Tim's character is caught and the spectacular outro of the bit with Tim deciding to just run away is stupendous.
#40. Pink Bag
Season 1, Episode 2
Tim Robinson is the Michael Jordan of turning a mildly funny line into something so funny you'll cry, simply by shouting it like a psychopath. The way his character unravels with indignance over the fact that a prank has been pulled on him is just phenomenal. I mean what's the joke exactly? Just a dude screaming about the fact that someone put a whoopie cushion on his chair? But it works. Especially the way the sketch is punctuated with "This is a betrayal on levels that no one's ever seen!" - which may be one of my favorite quotes from the entire series.
#39. I CAN DO. WHATEVER I WANT
Season 3, Episode 2
Here we get the return of Will Forte with another petty grievance (and another stunning wig) as he bemoans a neighbor who parks her car over the sidewalk. It's such a benign everyday occurrence and yet Forte plays it brilliantly as if his life is at stake.
#38. Team Building Workshop
Season 3, Episode 1
For most ITYSL bits, it's almost always Tim himself who takes a joke way too far. Which I suppose is why Steve Moulton's incredible outburst caught me so off guard after being prompted by Tim's pantomiming that he was throwing water on his mortal enemy for interrupting an orgy dream. He just got too hyper.
#37. Sloppy Steaks
Season 2, Episode 2
This sketch poses some very valid questions. What the hell are you supposed to do when you're holding someone's baby and they inexplicably start crying? Do they actually know you used to be a piece of shit? Does the baby think that people can't change? And how many servers do you think have seen someone recreating a Sloppy Steak at their table since this sketch aired?
#36. Wilson's Toupees
Season 1, Episode 2
I love the idea of a company sending you toupees with increasing amounts of hair to disguise the fact that you went from totally bald one day to full head of hair the next. It's a fabulous concept. But the gorilla bit just takes it to a whole nother level.
#35. Back Away Banana Breath
Season 3, Episode 6
I think maybe one of my primary issues with season 3 was that there was simply too much Tim. But in this sketch, a star is born in Alison Martin, as she is simply delightful to watch amuse herself with her ham-fisted joke during an HR training session. She's so pleased with herself, basking in the glow of her clunky joke and coordinating group t-shirts to commemorate the occasion. It's adorable to watch how funny she finds herself.
#34. Which Hand
Season 1, Episode 3
Cecily Strong is spectacular in this sketch, tearing down her husband after he volunteers to go on stage during a magic show. Which then of course forces Tim's character to earn back his wife's respect and prove that he doesn't have a little-boy dick. Cecily plays needlessly outraged so well, I really hope she returns for another sketch down the road. And Tim, who typically plays the needlessly outraged role, is actually really good at playing the straight man here.
#33. Tammy Craps
Season 2, Episode 6
As much as I love the frequent recreation of cheap 90's infomercials on ITYSL, I kind of love it when the sketch has such a high production quality that you could be fooled into thinking it was an actual promotional piece. But featuring some of the weirdest shit you've ever heard, like doll heads that smell like farts. And then have it sold to you like any other commercial you'd see on TV. Great stuff.
#32. Baby Shower
Season 1, Episode 6
Trying to unload a bunch of unused gangster movie props on a baby shower is definitely funny but the funniest thing about this sketch might just be Tim's hair. And then of course, when one of the women finally feels sorry enough for him to offer to take 7 Stanzo-brand fedoras off his hands, he snaps back demanding a bulk order. "It's gotta be quality on my end, otherwise no fuckin deal".
#31. Jamie Taco
Season 2, Episode 4
It's nice to see Paul Walter Hauser staring in prestige dramas for Apple+ and receive award accolades and such; but he's got such great comedic timing and I'm happy to see that he hasn't outgrown stuff like I Think You Should Leave. This sketch goes on such an unexpected journey that by the time it ended, I'd kind of forgotten about the poker party setting where it all started. A+ storytelling.
#30. Both Ways
Season 1, Episode 1
The very first sketch of the entire series establishes the two most frequently revisited hallmarks for what to expect in an ITYSL bit - public embarrassment coupled with perpetuating an obvious lie. And the fact that pulling on a push door is such a stupid thing to lie about makes it all the funnier. Especially when Tim's character powers through with veins bulging out of his temple and drool running down his face as he rips the door off it's hinges to avoid conceding the understandable mistake he's made in front of a potential employer.
#29. Fenton's Stables and Horse Ranch
Season 1, Episode 6
Like Tammy Craps, it's the sincerity with which this bat-shit crazy concept is delivered that makes it so funny. As if having your partner compare your penis to a horse's is some kind of societal epidemic and Fenton's Stables and Horse Ranch has developed the breakthrough cure.
#28. Johnny Carson
Season 2, Episode 5
If hiring a Johnny Carson impersonator for a party wasn't random enough, leave it to Tim to take it even further by explaining that at the low, low price point he was brought in at - this Johnny Carson impersonator can hit. HE CAN. All of these unbearably uncomfortable house party sketches make me wonder what Tim's like in real life at parties? Is he this socially awkward that his mind just naturally takes him to these ridiculous scenarios? I need a first hand account of his college years, asap.
#27. What Did I Sign Up For?
Season 3, Episode 5
Known primarily for his smooth talking SNL character, The Ladies Man, I never knew Tim Meadows could excel at playing an enraged father of the bride so beautifully. He goes from 0 to 100 in an instance, positively chagrined over the lack of time he was given to come up with a silly pose for a photo. His outrage alone is one of the biggest highlights of Season 3 and perhaps the most unexpected guest star to thrive in the ITYSL universe.
#26. Nachos
Season 1, Episode 4
Another pretty simple premise but this one just resonates with me probably a little too much because of the fact that my wife always complains about me hogging all the "fully loaded ones" when we order a shared order of nachos. And the fact that Tim's character can't stand up to his date and just address the issue head on is phenomenal. Forcing the server to pretend it's a bogus policy is comedic brilliance and makes the situation so much worse than it would have been had he just talked to his date.
#25. Laser Spine Specialists
Season 1, Episode 3
One of many fake infomercials on ITYSL, the testimonial ad for Laser Spine Specialists is funny enough on it's own but what sets it apart is the unexpected place the sketch ends up with record producer Robby Star scamming adults into thinking they're stars. I'd love to hear the full version of "Mountain River Rock" though. It does sound like a guaranteed hit.
#24. Claire's
Season 2, Episode 6
It feels like there's an ongoing aura of sadness lying under the surface of every great ITYSL skit. And the Days of Our Lives regular, Richard Wharton, sells that spiraling despair brilliantly in his vignette for a Claire's corporate video being shown to would be recipients of an ear piercing. However, the actors watching the video kind of undercut the brilliance of the rest of the sketch with their "boring" commentary. But it's still pretty great regardless.
#23. Driver's Ed
Season 2, Episode 6
Part of the fun of watching I Think You Should Leave is trying to piece together where you think the sketch will end up and being totally surprised by how wrong you are, almost every time. This skit encapsulates that experience to a tee as a group of befuddled driver's education students try to solve the mystery of what the hell this lady is talking about with all these tables in their instructional video and what do Eddie Munster or Freddy Krueger have to do with anything?
#22. Chunky
Season 1, Episode 6
I don't know if it's the game show set dressing or cameo appearance from Andy Samberg but this sketch feels like the one that would fit in best on Tim's alma mater, Saturday Night Live. And I don't mean that in any disparaging way, it just feels like the most traditional segment of the series. But it's undeniably effective thanks to Tim's signature display of outrage.
#21. Summer Loving
Season 3, Episode 1
There weren't a lot of high production pieces in Season 3, which may be why this pastiche reality dating competition stood out as the season's best sketch. The presentation is incredibly convincing and the simplicity of a reality contestant solely interested in the zip-line on set while secretly dreaming of living alone his whole life rather than competing for the affection of the prized bachelorette is sensational. Paired with the super-cut of all of the hyper focused zip-line rides Tim's character took while on the show, this was easily the highlight for Season 3.
#20. The Babysitter
Season 1, Episode 5
I'm not trying to disparage every parent out there but just know, once your friends start having kids, they're going to be late to everything. And the most convenient excuse, which shifts all of the blame to a faceless third party, is that the babysitter was late. "Fucking babysitter fucking fucked us". But obviously, it wouldn't be a great sketch if Tim didn't stretch that lie to unnecessary extremes with hilarious consequences. Well, hilarious for everyone except Barry.
#19. Dan Flashes
Season 2, Episode 2
I've definitely worked with people like Tim's character here, who would prioritize spending money on something ridiculous like a limited edition shirt that looks like a screen saver from Windows95 even if it meant they couldn't afford to feed themselves. So as stupid as this bit might seem, it definitely echoes some sad truths about our culture of mass consumerism. Plus the shirts are just so terrible looking, they might be the funniest part of the whole thing. The production crew on this show doesn't get enough credit.
#18. Hot Dog Car
Season 1, Episode 5
Maybe the most meme-able segment of ITYSL, Tim dressed in a massive hot dog suit crying out "We're all trying to find the guy who did this" is just iconic at this point. It's a stellar bit and series co-creator Zach Kanin cameoing in hot dog colored business attire is just spectacular. Throw in Tim's speech about everyone being buried in their phones in a transparent attempt to distract from the situation and you've got the entire show pretty much summed up in one sketch.
#17. Bozo Dubbed Over
Season 1, Episode 6
The uniquely millennial phenomenon of sharing YouTube videos with your peers and trying to one-up whatever video you've just been shown is captured perfectly in this sketch where Tim's character goes to the effort of creating his own video to be a part of his co-workers' conversation. And watching him squirm as the video elicits more confusion than laughter just puts the whole thing over. We all know that uncomfortable silence after an oversold video flops like a naked corpse busting through shit wood and hitting pavement.
#16. Has This Ever Happened To You?
Season 1, Episode 1
The Turbo Team deserves to be locked up, plain and simple. Trusting paid professionals to clear up a termite problem and then ending up with a joke toilet that can only suck down farts is absolutely criminal. An absolute atrocity. I actually don't think Tim gets mad enough in this sketch. Fuck the Turbo Team. Fuckers.
#15. River Mountain High
Season 1, Episode 2
Another example of just how well the ITYSL team can convincingly replicate the shows or commercials they're mocking; this parody of a CW high school drama is executed to perfection. And the delightfully strange product placement of TC Tuggers shirts just elevates the proceedings to even greater comedic heights. While most of this show's sketches are better off brief and spontaneous, I wouldn't mind a follow up River Mountain High episode in an upcoming season.
#14. The Day Robert Palins Murdered Me
Season 1, Episode 5
Like an improv comedy session where one dude is unable to pickup on anyone else's ques and is hellbent on doing his own random shit, Tim's oblivious bassist character ruins this song spectacularly. When the Johnny Cash-like frontman is put on the spot to sing an original song, the bassist takes the invitation to riff way too literally and just starts spouting about skeletons and how the worms are their money and yet bones are also their dollars. A total moron savant. Oh and check out this incredible cover from Murder by Death:
#13. Capital Room
Season 2, Episode 2
Everything about this Shark Tank spoof intro is absolutely incredible. But while the production lobs up the alley-oop, it's Patti Harrison who slam dunks every line delivery she has in this segment. Sandwiched between wealthy moguls spouting ultra serious, grind culture clichés - Patti's character explains how she's not used to being rich and only has money because she sued the city after being sewn into the pants of a Charlie Brown parade balloon. It's just that amount of money until she dies. Sensational.
#12. Hot Dog Lunch
Season 2, Episode 1 (and 3)
I Think You Should Leave Season 2 kicks off with one of the best sketches of the season as Tim's character tries to sneak a hot dog inside of his sleeve during an office meeting called during lunch hour. I mean, are they even allowed to do that? Only an asshole would call a meeting during lunch and not offer to provide something for the group. Tim's solution was the only rational course of action. Paired with the infomercial for the HD Vac and his misguided sidebar railing against cancel culture, Tim's legacy of elite hot dog themed comedy is unparalleled.
#11. A Christmas Carol: Judgement Day
Season 1, Episode 4
Sometimes you never know that you needed something until you actually see it. And Sam Richardson growling one liners like an action hero in a A Christmas Carol adaptation with a strange Terminator themed twist - highlighted by Richardson calling Scrooge an idiot while smashing bonies from escaping through his portal from the future - is absolutely one of those things. It's a pitch perfect encapsulation of our current obsession with forcefully recreating old stories in the most asinine ways. But for real, I need to see Sam Richardson in a ridiculous action movie sometime soon because he's way too good in this.
#10. Fri. Day. Night.
Season 1, Episode 4
One of my personal favorite people-watching adjacent pastimes is observing the ridiculous things people decide to plaster on their cars, either by way of bumper sticker or vanity license plate. What kind of response are you hoping to elicit with a "Honk If You're Horny" bumper sticker? Or a decal of Calvin from Calvin and Hobbs pissing on Jeff Gordon's number 24? Or a stick figure family where everyone is holding an assault rifle while being eaten by a dinosaur? This sketch lays out what happens when someone takes the insinuated invitation of a "Honk If You're Horny" bumper sticker way too literally and things just spin out of control beautifully from there.
#9. Santa Shoulda Wrapped It
Season 1, Episode 5
In comedy, timing is everything. And yet intentionally miss-timing something is somehow even funnier. Desperately trying to win over her office co-workers with hundreds of on-par, if not better, Christmas themed jokes - Patti Harrison's meltdown in this scene is absolutely fantastic. Every pathetic line she delivers to try and force her way into her peers' conversation is just impeccable. 10/10, no notes, A+ socially awkward discomfort perfected.
#8. Corncob TV
Season 2, Episode 1
Tim's performance here as a spokesman trying to save an obscure cable network while defending their flagship program, Coffin Flop, is Oscar worthy. I mean, I know they're saying it's not a real show and that it's just bodies busting through shit wood and hitting pavement but he's convincing enough that I'm ready to die for his cause. As somebody whose spent an embarrassingly large amount of time watching trash tv, I don't think I can honestly sit here and tell you that I wouldn't watch AT LEAST a season's worth of Coffin Flop. Even if the corpses are naked. They can show em nude cause they got no souls.
#7. Brian's Hat
Season 2, Episode 3
I feel like innocent bystanders catching strays through the reading of text messages in court documents has been somewhat of a recent phenomenon. A hilarious one at that. And the way that Tim's character, Brian, just gets completely annihilated by his co-workers for his atrocious safari flapped fedora coupled with the devastation on his face as he hears it all read aloud for the first time is unbelievably funny. Even after he was humiliated at work with his botched Fred Astaire impression, he's so oblivious that he's still sitting there in court, wearing that fucking hat...
#6. Instagram
Season 1, Episode 1
We're a little over a decade into this whole social media thing and the etiquette with which it's used has gotten so utterly stupid. And that's illustrated brilliantly in this sketch where Vanessa Bayer's character tries to follow the lead of her lard carcass companions by posting a self deprecating caption on her brunch selfie but takes things way too far. "Eating crap with these sacks of shit, if they died tomorrow no one would shed a tear" is pretty stellar but there's so many great lines here it's hard to pick just one. And I can't use Instagram anymore without this sketch popping into my head. They're forever linked. Like Tom and Myspace. Elon and Twitter. Facebook and Russia. And now Instagram and Pig Dicks.
#5. Baby of the Year
Season 1, Episode 1
Another testament to the genius of Sam Richardson, his range here as the host of this insane contest is incredible as he pivots between deadpan sincerity and flamboyant showman seamlessly. But honestly the thing that kills me every time I see this sketch is the hysterical roll call of names. Not just of our three finalists: Michael Patrick Porkins, Taffy Lee Fubbins and Bart Harley Jarvis (one of the most aggressive babies you'll ever meet); but the in-memorium portion of the ceremony is just filled to the brim with relentless hilarity. Especially given the fact that they also include the cause of death. Like poor Tiny Dinky Daffy, who was pancaked by a drunk dump truck driver.
#4. Detective Crashmore
Season 2, Episode 3
Biff Wiff is a comedic powerhouse in this two-pronged attack featuring a fake trailer for an over the top renegade cop movie called Crashmore, followed by an interview segment with the cast of Crashmore hosted by an AOL Blast correspondent pulling some unprofessional bullshit. I honestly don't know which half I like better: the insane parody trailer that boasts killer lines like "I don't care if I die, everything has sucked lately" or the indignant Santa Claus refusing to talk about Christmas while musing about cosmic gumbo and denouncing tattoos. It's all fantastic really.
Listen to our interview with Biff Wiff HERE
#3. The Man
Season 1, Episode 2
Will Forte is god-tier in this sketch but I think what really puts it over for me is how well the sound and editing mimics the cliché staples of modern horror to package it all as if this could be the trailer for the next Blumhouse movie. But as the plot for revenge unravels at the hands of a meager flight attendant asking Forte to return to his seat and his demeanor shifts from a menacing super villain to a petulant nimrod, you really get to experience the full gamut of Forte's abilities. He fits in perfectly here and hopefully he'll be utilized regularly throughout the series.
#2. The Gift Receipt
Season 1, Episode 1
So many of these bits start off simple and devolve into utter chaos but perhaps none more cinematically profound than this uncomfortable gift exchange that results in a man's death. And honestly, with how easy it is to search for and buy anything you could possibly want with the click of a button, the whole procession of buying someone a gift and then watching them have to awkwardly open it in front of a live audience with feigned enthusiasm just feels so unnecessary and archaic at this point. But the insane way that Tim's character is able to project his insecurity about his gift choice onto the entire group and bring them all spiraling with him into his paranoid delusion is sheer brilliance. It makes you feel like there isn't any other logical solution here but for someone to eat that receipt. Even though the most logical person in this situation is actually Steven Yeun, who's somehow treated like as if he's the unhinged maniac.
#1. Karl Havoc
Season 2, Episode 1
It's been a long time since any show has made me laugh as hard as this segment did. From the deconstruction of the absurd lengths that hidden camera prank shows are willing to go to; to the existential crisis of a man drowning in hideous prosthetics that make him look like Stretch Armstrong melted on the dashboard of a car parked out in the blazing sun for 16 years and then had reconstructive surgery and moved to Phoenix - this is the funniest thing I've seen in my adult life. Sheer perfection. It's everything a great ITYSL sketch should be. And deep down, aren't we all Karl Havoc? Just caking ourselves in too much artificial shit to try and elicit some form of misguided validation? Meanwhile our souls are starving for a deeper affirmation under the superficial pretense of grabbing attention in a mall food court? Getting fast food laughter and likes, but never what we truly desire - to be loved?
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