I once read an article online that focused all of its energies on analyzing and commenting on the names in "Arrested Development" episodes. While it's tough to recall them all off the top of my head ("Gene Parmesian" was one that always made me laugh), watch any episode of the show and pay attention to how weird, unique and sometimes flat-out hilarious they are. "Best Man For The Gob" spends a good amount of time focusing on a character we had never met before: the accountant, Ira Gilligan. Gilligan is an easy name to make fun of, mostly because of how recognizable it is (like if somebody today was named "Bieber."), but "Arrested Development" doesn't go for the broad jokes with the name until the end, and when it does, the show absolutely earns it.
But I digress. The episode isn't all about Gilligan. Instead, the more important plot is the fact that the Bluths need Gilligan to leave the country so he can't testify against them. Instead of just going to the man and talking to him, George Sr. comes up with a ridiculous plan: have a bachelor party for a recently married Gob, hire a stripper who's narcoleptic, get Gilligan super-drunk and when he sobers up, he'll think he killed the stripper (even though she's just sleeping). It's the sort of stupid plan only Gob would agree to go along with.
Taking a short trip away from that for a moment, we also got a quick flashback of Tobias, Lindsey and Maeby when Maeby was just a baby. As it turns out, they played in a band called "Dr. Funke's 100% Natural Good Time Family Band Solution" where they played short jingles of medicines that weren't yet approved by the FDA while Maeby recited the side effects at the end. Tobias believes that getting the band together will bring his family closer, and George Michael wants to get in on the fun. I love it when Michael Cera says with a completely straight face that he should be in the band, playing the wood block, because he has an internal metronome, which makes him a natural percussionist. Equally funny is Tobias' reaction whenever George-Michael tries to butt in on the song.
While Gob is off trying to frame Gilligan and George-Michael is trying to be in his uncle's band, Michael just wants to spend some time fishing with his son although it's more of a ploy to spend time with George-Michael. Michael may be the guy who's supposed to be the smartest and the one who holds the family together, but sometimes, he seems like a crummy dad. For instance, taking your son to go fishing when neither of you like doing it isn't a good fatherly thing to do ("Aw man, what did I do now?" George Michael replies after Michael says they're going fishing)
But the fun of the episode comes completely from Gob's attempted framing of Gilligan. We get an awesome call-back to the "Beef Consomme" episode where Buster wants to get punched in the face. We also get the best line of the episode, where Gob, upon seeing the stripper fell asleep and ruined his plan, panics and tries placing the blame on Gilligan. He says, "Gilligan killed the skipper! I mean, the stripper!" Like I said, it's the only time the show goes for the broad joke with Gilligan's name, but with how good the writing was, it seemed completely natural and earned. Also, Gob punching Michael in the face accidentally was pretty good too. Just a reminder of how screwed up the Bluth family is.
I noticed below that a couple of people said that this episode was just a sub-par episode of the show, but I can't necessarily agree with that statement. At first, I thought it was a bit sub-par, but a second viewing showed me that the show was still remarkably strong here. That opening segment where the group keeps going from the cold conference room to the hot office was random but it was done is that subtle way that the show is so good at. You knew they were going to keep doing it, but when it happened anyways, it was great. Also, something about hearing Gob menacingly say, "So far, it's been all chain and no ball" is hilarious.moreless
Episode Summary
EDIT
George Sr. uses Gob's bachelor party as an opportunity to set up his accountant in a compromising position so that he can blackmail him. Meanwhile, Michael tries to prove he's a fun guy, and the Fnke's reunite their family folk-music band.moreless
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GUEST STAR
Michael HitchcockIra Gilligan
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GUEST STAR
Lauren BowlesStripper
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GUEST STAR
Michael BliedenAgent Cummings
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Jeffrey Tambor
George Bluth Sr. / Oscar Bluth
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Portia de Rossi
Lindsay Bluth Fünke
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David Cross
Tobias Fünke
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Ron Howard
Narrator
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Jason Bateman
Michael Bluth
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Jessica Walter
Lucille Bluth
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
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TRIVIA (6)
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Lupe is seen wearing a "Stanford Institute of Cartography" sweatshirt at the party. In the pilot episode, it was established that Buster had taken $80,000 worth of cartography lessons in his scholarly pursuits.
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During the "Next time on Arrested Development segment...", Gob says to Buster "At least you know what's it like to get punched in the face", a reference to "Beef Consomme", when Buster asks Gob and Michael to punch him in the face as he tried to join their fight.
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The products on the sign at the wellness convention are "Placebojolt", "Erector", "SwallowGold", "Adrenoblast", "Groupug", "The Magnet Suit", "Euphorizine", "Bond", "The Magnot Suit" and "Dog Tease".
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The demonstrations scheduled at the wellness convention are the "Erector Seminar (7-9pm Friday)" and the "Magnet or Magnot? (Saturday)".
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The bar at Gob's bachelor party includes a bottle of "Cloud Mir" vodka. In the previous episode, "Cloud Mir" is a sponsor of the Spring Break, as signs are seen during the festival and Kitty is wearing a "Cloud Mir" shirt while in the restaurant. In "Public Relations", "Cloud Mir" is the drink Lindsay was hired to promote.
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George Michael tells Maeby their conversation lasted exactly 28 seconds, which is actually how long the conversation lasted in real time.
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QUOTES (18)
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Gob: Gilligan killed the skipper ... stripper!
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Gob: Yeah, I think that they're going to know that Annyong's not your -- Annyong: Annyong. Gob: Would somebody please tell this insufferable child ... to ... God!
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Narrator: And Michael arrived home determined to prove that he was, in fact, fun. Michael: I just booked us a little fishing trip. George Michael: Why, what did I do?
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Tobias: This family is not about to start using. We are pushers, not takers.
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Michael: I thought Zenotab was supposed to make everything a little bit better. Lindsay: For fifteen minutes. Then, it burns when you pee and your marriage goes to hell.
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Michael: Let me tell you something. You may not be a father, but you are my brother. Gob: I might be a father.
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Buster: Where'd Annyong get that juice box? Annyong: Annyong. Lucille: Those are for his soccer team. No sugar for you. You just get more awful.
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Lindsay: I'm tired of trying to find happiness through lies and self-medicating. If you need me, I'll be at the bar.
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Gob: Lie to her. Tell her that I'm insensitive and unreliable. Michael: Maybe something about how you can never confront people and you need someone else to clean up your messes. Gob: See, that's great ... And that's just off the top of your head.
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Narrator: And Michael tried to find the money the accountant said was missing. George Sr.: I don't know. I probably stole it. I mean, if he says it's missing, it is. Unless he stole it. Hey, maybe he stole it. Michael: He's the one who said it's missing. George Sr.: Yeah, I probably stole it.
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George Sr.: Gilligan has promised me that all this money will be safe in IRAs. Ira Gilligan: It's Ira, sir. George Sr.: Oh, I'm sorry, Gilligan. Will be safe in Ira's.
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Gob's Wife: Gob. I want out. I'm in love with your brother ... Gob: What?! (turns to Michael) You did it again, you son of a bitch! (punches and knocks out Michael) Gob's Wife: ... In-law. Tobias. Sorry. I should have finished that thought.
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(Sees Buster and the stripper both knocked out) Michael: I'm calling the cops. Gob: No! Bix: We're changing again, guys. Gob: No. No cops!
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George Michael: The-the problem I'm having is, uh ... I have a pretty finely tuned internal clock ... Michael: Mm-hmm. George Michael: ... Which is actually why I'm such a good natural percussionist ...
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Michael: Not everything is strippers and booze and buckets of blood. Why do you guys have buckets of blood? Gob: It's not real blood. It's, um, corn syrup and red dye. Juice. Buster: We have unlimited juice? (laughs) This party is going to be off the hook.
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Michael: You're making Dad your best man? That's great. I guess being your brother and solving all your problems for you doesn't qualify me as your best man. Gob: Hey, if he wants to support me, I'm not going to tell him to go to hell. Don't worry. You're still ... Michael: What, invited? Gob: No, I was going to say you're still the guy I want solving my problems. But, yeah, let me talk to Dad about that invite ... Situation.
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Gob: I've got the marriage and none of the good parts. It's like so far, it's been all chain and no ball.
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Tobias: As you may or may not know, Lindsay and I have hit a bit of a rough patch. Michael: Really? When did that start? Tobias: Well, I don't want to blame it all on 9/11, but it certainly didn't help.
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NOTES (1)
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Rating: 4.2/7
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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There a bunch of allusions to Gilligan's Island: -The character named Ira Gilligan. -Ira Gilligan bumps into George Sr. from behind, causing him to say "Gilligan" angrily, just like the Skipper would say to Gilligan. -Gob said "Gilligan killed the Skipper--Striper!". -At the end of this episode, Ira Gilligan was floating on a raft wearing Gilligan's trademark hat and red shirt.
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Overview Status Updates That Need Confirmation
05/20/121
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Gob insults grandmother
03/14/121
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How would you rank Arrested Development amongst the top shows of the decade?
01/23/1225
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Best one liners from Arrested Development
01/22/1287
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New season AND movie???
01/15/129
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Development Arrested
S 3 : Ep 13
Aired 2/10/06 (22:23)
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Exit Strategy
S 3 : Ep 12
Aired 2/10/06 (22:01)
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Family Ties
S 3 : Ep 11
Aired 2/10/06 (21:47)
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Fakin' It
S 3 : Ep 10
Aired 2/10/06 (21:57)
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