A brain surgeon (David Mitchell) arrives home to his wife (Olivia Colman), who mentions her brother is coming for dinner and that he was kept late at the space centre. When she asks if they've met, the brain surgeon reveals her brother is a rocket scientist. This leads to an awkward exchange playing on the two professions commonly used in the phrase "It's not brain surgery" and "It's not rocket science." The sketch builds with mounting tension as both men try to one-up each other, culminating in the predictable yet satisfying punchline where they both acknowledge their respective expertise. The comedy comes from the audience anticipating the joke from the moment the rocket scientist is mentioned, yet still finding satisfaction in the inevitable confrontation between these two fields often cited as the pinnacle of human intelligence.
