It’s astounding to think of the impact I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson has had on broader pop culture — in certain Twitter-poisoned areas of the Internet, at any rate. Talk to someone who’s never seen a sketch, and chances are they’ve at least seen the meme of Tim Robinson in the hot dog outfit, or the guy from the focus group sketch saying “Stinky!!” or dabbing. The show’s relevance and hilarity transcends its own existence, really; even if you don’t know who Tim Robinson is, his works have had some kind of impact on the way you communicate.
Tim Robinson’s comedic wavelength is very specific: It’s not for everyone, with its esoteric references to old media or Robinson’s deliberately off-putting screen presence (the haunting grins, the random yelling, the alien, childlike syntax of his every line). But for those who can tune in to that particular frequency, a great Tim Robinson sketch feels like speaking (or farting) truth to power, honing in on the everyday foibles we go through on a daily basis and exaggerating them to their fullest, most hilarious extent.
In any given I Think You Should Leave sketch, you’ll see yourself or someone you know: The friend you know is pretending to love the lackluster gift you got them, or the office funny guy who makes you feel small even though he’s just joshing. Assholes of every stripe are laid bare, in all their blinkered selfishness and hidden pain. And through it all, it’s deathly funny from minute to minute.
Now that Robinson and co-creator Zach Kanin have seen fit to gift us with a third season of gut-busting, endlessly rewatchable sketches, we’ve built a comprehensive, unimpeachable ranking order of each one from least best to most bestest. So slap on your Karl Havoc makeup, grab your Carber Hot Dog vacuum, and let’s get rolling.
81. “Don Bon Darley, King of the Dirty Songs” (Season 3, Episode 5)
Best Line: “The dog’s dinner is his cum.”
What the Hell? Don Bon Darley is one of Tim Robinson’s lesser stand-ins, but that’s not to say even the show’s weakest gag is truly terrible. However, like its central character’s half-forgotten dirty limericks, it fades from memory not long after you’ve seen it.
