8/4/2019 It Was Arrested Development

1/5

It Was Arrested Development

By Nancy McDonald

Frozen bananas. Never nude.The Magicians Alliance. Pop pop in the attic. Ive made a huge

mistake. Her?Arrested Developmentwas so much more than just a story of a wealthy family

who lost everything and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together. The Bluth

family included George (Jeffrey Tambor), Lucille (Jessica Walter), Gob (Will Arnett), Michael

(Jason Bateman), Lindsay (Portia di Rossi), Buster (Tony Hale), Lindsays husband Tobias

Funke (David Cross),George Michael (Michael Cera) and Maeby (Alia Shawkat). With a cast

like that, how could a sitcom fail? When it first aired on Fox in 2003, it was applauded by almost

every critic as a refreshing take on the stereotypical sitcom. Everything about this show was

perfect from the writing to the directing and acting. Unfortunately, nobody was watching. It

didnt matter how many Emmys, Golden Globes, or Screen Actors Guild awards andnominations the show received. Nor did it matter that they managed to get some amazing guest

stars likeZach Braff, Charlize Theron, Ben Stiller, Liza Minnelli, and many, many others. They

even had the shows executive producer, legendary actor/directorRon Howard, brilliantly narrateeach episode. None of this could make viewers tune in. After three seasons, they were cancelled.

Since then,Arrested Developmenthas garnered a cult following thanks to the seasons being

released on dvd. Its so popular, in fact, talks of a movie have been circulating since the last

episode aired. Until then, check out my top five episodes ofArrested Development.

1. Ready, Aim, Marry Me! Season 2, Episode 10

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2/5

The brilliant comedianMartin Short(Father of the Bride, Primetime with Jiminy Glick) guest

stars as Uncle Jack in this episode. Desperate for some extra cash, Michael invites Uncle Jack

over under the guise of just wanting to catch up. Uncle Jack, who used to be in top physical

shape, is now withered and unable to walk. Hes hired a man to carry him around because herefuses to use a wheelchair. Uncle Jack is smitten by Lindsay and a plan is formed to use

Lindsay as bait for a loan from Uncle Jack. Martin Short is hilarious as an old man who once had

it all, but refuses to accept his deteriorating body.

Lucille: Shed like to get at me anyway she could. Thats why shes been flirting with Gob.Shes trying to prove that shes closer to my children than I am, but the jokes on her because she

doesnt know how little I care for Gob.

Michael: Think that makes the joke on Gob.

2. Good Grief Season 2, Episode 4

Upon hearing that George, Sr. has died in Mexico, the family holds a funeral for him. On the

same day, George Michael is dumped by his girlfriend Bland, I mean, Ann. Hes completely

crushed by the break-up and by the loss of his grandfather, until he goes for a walk near their

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3/5

home and finds George, Sr. hiding in the desert likeSaddam Husseinhad done. Im not quite

sure which part of this episode is the best. Gobs failed magic trick at this fathers funeral?

Buster showing up to the funeral in a strippers Army outfit? All of the references toCharlieBrown, hence the title of the episode? Good Grief is a perfect example of how dysfunctional,

and hilarious, the Bluth family could be.

George Michael: Oh my God, thats Ann!

George, Sr.: Who?

George Michael: Thats the girl who ripped my heart out. The girl whose face will always beetched in my mind.

George, Sr.: Her?

George Michael: Shes really funny.

George, Sr. Well, lets hope so.

3. The Righteous Brothers Season 2, Episode 18

The best reason to watch this episode is for the appearance of Gobs puppet, Franklin. Together

they record an album, Franklin Comes Alive!, featuring the original song, It Aint Easy Being

White, and a cover of (Everything I Do) I Do It For You. Its not the only reason to watch thisepisode, but its certainly the funniest.

Gob: Why dont you get Gob to do your dirty work for you? Shall I knock Dad out and chain

him to a pipe somewhere, or should I risk another herpes outbreak with Kitty? Which is it this

time, Michael?

Michael: Well, definitely neither of those two things.

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4. S.O.B.s Season 3, Episode 9

By this time, everybody who worked onArrrested Developmentknew that they were on a

sinking ship and they admit it openly in this episode. Ron Howard even narrates at one point,

Tell your friends about this show. The writers decided to poke fun at some of the techniquesother failing shows have used when their viewership was waning. They used almost every trick

in the book; at the beginning were told that somebody will die by the end of the episode, theres

a live ending, 3-D effects, and loads of cameos. Zach Braff,Andy Richter, Andy Dick, John

Larroquetteand Ben Stiller all appear in this one. Although very funny, it was not enough to

make people watch.

Lindsay: Check it out! I found that canned ham that we had forever and I put it in a pot of

boiling water and guess what Im calling it!

Michael: Soup?

Lindsay: Hot ham water!

5. Bringing Up Buster Season 1, Episode 3

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Buster, whos a little slower and weaker than his siblings, is forced out of his mothers apartment

to go live with his siblings at the model home where they all live. This is one of the few episodes

where all four Bluth siblings unite together in a scene in which they begin to make disparaging

remarks towards their mother (who isnt there, of course). Buster tops them all with a profanity-

laced tirade that is filled with more bleeps than actual words. Also, there are two important

introductions in this episode: the cornballer and Steve Holt!

Buster: Mom dropped me off to spend time with Michael.

Gob: Spend time with Michael or to serve her own menopausal needs?

Michael: Shes always got to wedge herself in the middle of us so that she can control

everything.

Buster: (laughs) Yeah. Moms awesome.

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