My Mother The Car

Season 1, Episode 8, Aired
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Episode Summary

Michael loses his short-term memory, which Lucille uses to her advantage. Gob attempts to use the family yacht before Michael sells it. George Michael and Maeby attempt to see an R-rated movie about cousins having an affair. Buster and Lucille 2 take "the next step".
9.1
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Fan Episode Reviews (5)

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  • I like this quirky humor so much I sent 3 Seasons to my children in Alabama and California (Irvine). None of them liked it.

    8.8
    "Great"
    By alicecbrown, Oct 23, 2011 Report Abuse
    I thought that since our family was so dysfunctional they would really enjoy this series. But nooooooooooo.

    Having a mother who perpendiculars a car when parking parallel is fantastic comedy. Maybe my kids are actually closet fundamentalists who can't handle the drinking and drugs in here.

    At least this episode was related to reality, no Blue Man in this one. Of course, maybe if we were from L.A., we would all appreciate it more.

    So, now I'm buying/watching the larry David series, also taking place in L.A.
    It's not quite so far out, but definitely quirky: the guy ALSO says what's on his mind. Just as in 'Arrest Development' he gets caught everytime he lies.

    Good Sunday School lessonmoreless

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  • "I'm a horrible mother."

    8.5
    "Great"
    By JaCkKbAuEr2424, Jun 24, 2011 Report Abuse
    "My Mother, The Car" is probably the closest "Arrested Development" could possibly come to filler. I'm not saying the episode is bad or anything. It's simply a... well, simple episode! And simple for "Arrested Development" is still more complicated than anything else that normal television does.

    Lucille is the focus of the episode here. As usual, she spends her time being a generally bad mother and spending her money on things she shouldn't be spending them on. She wants a birthday party to be thrown in her honor, but Michael won't let her spend the money. Instead, she goes behind Michael's back and throws one for herself under the assumption that it was Lindsey's idea. The problem is, nobody but Michael shows up for the surprise party. Michael tries to throw a second party and nobody shows up again.

    Here's where things get interesting: Lucille, who's a horrific driver (she was on "World's Worst Drivers" at one point), gets in a car accident while yelling at who she thinks is Gob on a scooter and Michael gets short term memory loss. Because of this, she makes it look like Michael was the cause of the accident so she doesn't get in trouble. Every time Michael gets close to remembering the truth, she hits him on the head with something. What an awful mother.

    Meanwhile, Gob is spending his time using the company yacht as his own personal home while Lindsey is trying to get the guys in prison to oogle and oggle at her. Both of these plots are pretty minor, but it all ties in together at the end, when they realize they do have a terrible mother, but can't help but console her when she admits it herself. They obviously have a love for each other but find it difficult to come to terms with it.

    As I said before, it's a simple episode, but it's still quite funny. Gob has a lot of great lines, and watching Lindsey deprecate herself almost hints at the means she'll go to in future seasons to get guys to notice her.moreless

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  • My Mother The Car

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Canogaparkcindy, Apr 12, 2011 Report Abuse
    Another superb episode of Arrested Development, we actually got flashbacks on tonight's episode, from the fake protein bars to Lucille busting through the doors which exposed her manipulative ways. The show is just hilarious, I laughed all the way through.

    I really didn't expect George Sr. to pay the inmates to not check out Lindsay, and in the golden bars, much less. The scene in the movie theaters was also hilarious. I'm not sure what they will make of the Buster/Lucille 2 relationship, but it's been pretty funny so far.

    Arrested Development really is becoming one of my favorite shows. It has already found it's angle early in the game, and even the story lines are quite simple, we get well thought out pay offs and story arcs that make the show what it is: Great!moreless

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  • Michael loses his memory

    9.4
    "Superb"
    By jimbo_001, May 28, 2006 Report Abuse
    It's amazing what Arrested Development can do with Lucille's character and this episode is a brilliant example of just how Lucille's almost evil mind works.

    None of the family turning up for both parties and Lucille yelling surprise at her own party were great concepts but the episode kept getting better after Michael was stupid enough to let Lucille drive though once she crashed the car, she tampered so that it looked like her son had caused the crash.

    This was a very funny move and well plotted with Michael losing memory since he got hit in the head and couldn't deny his mother's statement.

    Gob actually saves the day in this episode which I find very funny since the first person to figure out the lie is actually the dumbest member of the family (not including Buster).

    Overall, this episode is an excellent one and develops Lucille quite well.moreless

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  • I'm a horrible mother!

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By ozziefan, Jan 16, 2006 Report Abuse
    This is the first episode where we really get to learn about Lucille Bluth. What we learn is not pretty.

    She crashed the car and moved Michael into the drivers seat and make him believe he was driving.

    Buster makes stride in his relationship with Lucille 2. He has less panic attacks, but when he jumped through the pane of glass it was my favourite part of the episode.

    Of Course Lucille isn't the devil. Her motives weren't completely terrible she just wanted Michael to keep respecting her as a mother and stay on her side.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • Spoiler alert!: When George Michael and Maeby got caught at the movie theater during the "On The Next" segment, Maeby immediately ran out, even though she promised George Michael in "Charity Drive" that she would take the blame the next time they got in trouble. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • For this first 8 episodes, the show was nominated for the 2004 Golden Globe for "Best Television Series-Musical or Comedy". Edit
    • A song, played once as Michael wakes up from the accident and again when Gob learns Michael was in an accident, is from "Joint Security Area," (2000) an internationally-renown South Korean movie. The song is completely identical, except for a saxophone string added in. I have not seen the full credits to the episode, so it's possible that this song may be credited, uncredited, or a very unlikely coincidence. Edit
    • David Cross ("Tobias") does not appear in this episode. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Lucille 2: Excuse me, but I thought my AARP card was good for one and a guest. Buster: Hey, you know what? I knew that society would never accept this, and they never will. Edit
    • Gob: I was halfway to South America, but I couldn't let you get away with it because we're brothers, Mom, and we kind of like each other. Michael: You were going to South America? Gob: I don't think so. Edit
    • Gob: There's no way that you were trying to hurt me. You don't hate me. Mom hates me. You kind of like me. Michael: Yeah, I kind of like you. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • My Mother The Car
      My Mother The Car was a comedy series from 1965 about a mother who was reincarnated as a car, and her son was the only person that could hear her speak. Also, when GOB and Lindsay are shown watching TV, the theme from My Mother the Car can be heard. Edit

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