For five seasons, Comedy Central’s Workaholics has looked at the high-spirited hijinks of a trio of friends, starring co-creators Adam (Adam DeVine), Blake (Blake Anderson), and Ders (Anders Holm), who all seem permanently stalled on the road to adulthood. Years after dropping out of college the three friends live together, work together, and share a lack of motivation when it comes to furthering their lives.
That’s not to say the three of them don’t make the most of it by extracting as much mindless fun out of life as they are able to get away with, though. And with the desire to constantly party comes the necessity for hair-brained ideas and over-the-top pranks. Here now are some of the best for you to daydream about while grinding through another day in the real world, where you’d probably be arrested if you tried to live like Adam, Blake, and Ders.
Infiltrating a high school.
Offenses: Trespassing, theft.
After a misguided understanding of taxes inspires the guys to steal a dragon from a nearby park and place it on their front lawn. Before long, said dragon is soon stolen from them by a group of high school kids. To their credit, the three start things off by trying to talk to the high school principal, but before long, they’re dressing like teenagers, smoking clove cigarettes, and mingling in the halls in an effort to recover their lawn dragon. While it doesn’t go well for them (these pranks rarely do), the fact that all three readily committed to the cause should serve as an inspiration for us all.
Reprogramming a child predator.
Offenses: Aiding and abetting, generally being creepy.
The three set up a sting operation to catch a child predator, Topher (Chris D’Elia), and it works. The only problem is Topher turns out to be the coolest guy in their eyes. Taking that into consideration, they then try to pivot their plan and steer him toward more socially acceptable behavior. Of course the real lesson here is being able to adjust a scheme when the circumstances change.
Staging a backyard wrestling tournament.
Offenses: Kicked out of your home, untold amounts of property damages, probably a few lawsuits and maybe an assault beef.
Unable to come up with rent yet again, the guys come up with a brilliant idea: a front-yard wrestling tournament broadcast on Public Access television. With Blake and Adam playing the wrestlers and Ders taking the role of the slime-ball manager despite constant protests by their landlord (Ben Stiller). While the sheer dedication they put into their resistance to adult responsibilities, to say nothing of their costumes, there’s a nugget of truth to it that gives this scheme a kind of near-plausibility.
Trying to win a year of free pizza.
Offenses: Impersonating an officer, reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance.
This episode starts with the three of them burning their tongues in an effort to improve their chances at a pizza eating contest. Afterward, they find themselves searching for weed — a recurring issue on the show — to help get their appetites going. With their drug dealer, Kyle (show co-creator Kyle Newacheck), not returning their calls, however, they soon find themselves in debt to a new supplier who’s not nearly as easygoing. Despite the danger they find themselves in, it doesn’t phase their next dedicated attempt to scheme their way out of it.
Finding clean urine.
Offenses: Pretty sure asking an minor for their urine constitutes you ending up on some kind of list.
Our first ever look into the Workaholics world starts when the guys are surprised by news of a drug test at their office. When Robbie (Brian Huskey), the “best test in the west” shows up, he makes it clear just how determined he is to out our three heroes as burned out drug addicts. When Ders’ backup plan falls through, thanks to Adam, they’re left to formulate a last-minute plan to save the day — although all they can come up with is begging middle schoolers for their clean urine, which goes about as well as expected. Still, it’s the never-give-up mentality that takes their scheming to the next level.
The difficult quest to dry out.
Offenses: Various company guidelines, most notably drinking on the premises
It’s a situation that we’ve all been in, and a speech we’ve all given to ourselves at least once. A massive party leaves their house, their yard, their pool, and pretty much everything else of theirs completely trashed. In the aftermath, the three make each other a promise to stop drinking — for all of one week. It proves easier to say than to follow-through with, as their mutual struggle for sobriety is plagued with boredom, irritability, and Adam’s attempt to hide a liquor bottle in his headset. Unlike the other schemes on this list, this one has very real consequences, in the form of a meeting with the HR guy, Cool Eric (Mitch Hurwitz). Well, for 2/3s of the guys.