Published by Mason Oldridge, 5 September 2024
CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Hey moustache! From Murr acting like a boss and Sal being chased by a giant cat to Q embodying his Tony Gunk persona and Joe searching for Larry, this is certainly a prank show like no other, as the joke is on them!
Impractical Jokers is a hidden camera comedy series in which “four lifetime friends compete to embarrass each other”. Murr, Sal, Q and Joe of the comedy troupe The Tenderloins take part in daring and humiliating challenges, primarily in their home county of Staten Island, New York. The most unsuccessful joker of each episode is the ‘loser’ and has to take part in a mandatory ‘punishment’ decided by the others. As the years have gone on and the show has garnered more popularity, the premise has extended to feature challenges on a wider scale and reached further locations, much to the delight of their die-hard fanbase. With the show having begun its eleventh season this summer, we take a look back at the best punishment of each season.
Joe is out of toilet paper (Season 1)
With a smaller budget and no fanbase, the first season contained rather small-scale punishments such as Butterfly Crime Scene and Joe as a bellydancer. However, in episode seven, Joe has to go to a coffee shop toilet and open the door while using the facilities, asking customers for toilet paper as he has run out. This proved to be a defining moment of the show as this was the first sign that Joe cannot be humiliated and will dare to do anything.
Sal and Joe are the opening act for Imagine Dragons (Season 2)
While season two gave us Strip High Five and Q’s clone Rosie O’Donnell, the funniest punishment has to be when Sal and Joe perform as Senora Lonza (named after their high school Spanish teacher), the fake opening act for rock band Imagine Dragons. With Sal on guitar and vocals and Joe as the drummer, they perform made up songs Look Mommy I’m A Rockstar and acapella Shut Your Face Grandma. In addition to their terrible performance, they have to incorrectly refer to the band as Imagination Dragons and dedicate their set to the people of Pittsburg, calling them their best audience, despite performing in Long Island.
Murr’s skydive (Season 3)
Season 3 contains some of the greatest punishments such as the tattoos, the senior citizen park proposal and bingo, but arguably the most memorable is Murr’s skydive. Under the impression they are filming a challenge pretending to be instructors, the other jokers pull the classic “Well…” twist and reveal the truth. Murr initially point blank refuses and it takes a long time to get him in the plane. Eventually, he jumps but screams the entire time in a truly memorable moment of the show.
Murr the bodybuilder (Season 4)
Season 4 gave us Sal as a children's talent show judge, Murr as a centaur and Joe as Captain Fatbelly, as well as the live tightrope punishment special, though the crowning punishment goes to when Murr had to dress up as a excessively greased-up bodybuilder in revealing briefs and interview his childhood celebrity crush Danica McKellar from The Wonder Years. The funniest part of the punishment is when he has to pose with a serious expression and the experience creeps her out on the whole.
Murr’s prostate exam (Season 5)
Season 5 sees Joe staring at people at a gym, Sal interrupted by his annoying ringtone Whose Phone Is Ringing, Murr’s eyebrows shaved for his driving licence photo and Q being an obnoxious little league dad, as well as the Nitro Circus Spectacular, but the standout punishment is when Murr is given a prostate exam in front of an audience at a health seminar. There is a clear mix of discomfort and embarrassment and this would go on to be referenced in future episodes with the return of Dr Frank.
Joe the Genie (Season 6)
Season 6 features some brilliant punishments such as Joe having to criticise parents at a playground, Murr performing as Dracula in a gospel choir, Joe stealing autographed baseballs and the introduction of Murr’s wig made from Q’s hair, as well as the army-themed G.I. Jokers special. However, the punishment that is the most laugh-out-loud is Joe performing as a genie in a play. He is only allowed to say “Genie does as you wish” and is restrained in a harness, suspended in the air and swung across the stage, crashing and damaging the set design.
Like A Boss (Season 7)
Joe as ‘the manager’, Sal as a lifeguard and Q ruining fans’ autographs of a baseball star are just a few of the highlights from the seventh season, though it is Murr who features in the headline punishment this season as he poses as an employee of Tumblr and continuously interrupts a presentation with obnoxious lines, most notably “like a boss”. The first time he says it he is applauded, making the overuse of the second time all the more cringeworthy.
Murr is Yanni’s cameraman (Season 8)
Winning over Sal as a delivery man complaining over cheap tips, Murr refusing to give prizes to winners at a fairground and Q repeatedly stopping a ride with an emergency break is Murr as Yanni’s cameraman. Murr is a big fan of composer Yanni and has to pose as a cameraman at a concert, capturing poor camera angles. Adding to this punishment is that Murr’s captures are broadcast on the screen so the audience can all see the poor job he is doing.
Dumb Fucks (Season 9)
Season 9 is notable for being affected by the coronavirus pandemic and Joe’s mid-season departure, as well as featuring Q’s Drive, Drive, Drive punishment that inspired the naming of their new tour and Sal’s punishment that saw him be referred to as Prince Herb for several episodes, though the best punishment is in the debut of guest star episodes as Eric André punishes Sal. He must give people a minor surprise, such as pretending their shoes are untied, and then tell them they are on a prank show called Dumb Fucks, suggesting they were gullible. The funniest part is when an uncomfortable Sal has to get them to sign a release to appear on the fake show while trying to play down how they will be portrayed, despite the show’s name.
Weed Cookies (Season 10)
Despite the upset over Joe’s departure, the first season to fully feature guest stars has still included some hilarious punishments such as Murr posing as a stage manager for a gig and Sal telling people that their breath smells. However, the funniest punishment is when Sal has to steal marijuana cookies when the lights go out at a focus group for the product. He hilariously has to deny it was him when the group becomes suspicious and he even blames another participant before leaving while acting under the influence.
The departure of Joe Gatto has undeniably left a hole in the show which simply cannot be filled by guest stars, but this hasn’t affected the quality of the comedy in the series as the trio remain hilarious as they ever have been. As the show moves network and onward with Season 11, it remains to be seen if the show’s overwhelming success will continue. In the words of Q’s alter ego, Gunk out!