For a show as complex, well-written and incredibly clever as "Arrested Development,: it's fun to note how often the writers ended up turning to Michael Bluth's love-life for ideas. Sometimes, when shows would resort to this, it would be a cheap excuse to stunt-cast and bring in well-known actors or actresses for boosted ratings. Often enough, the guest-stars weren't fun or didn't mesh well with the cast. And sure, "Arrested Development" brought in plenty of guest stars in its three seasons, but the writers were good at what they did and always made sure the focus on Michael's love life or the introduction of a famous actor into the show wouldn't destroy the integrity of it all.
That whole rant is basically a round about way of saying that "Public Relations" is hilarious and is effortlessly able to balance the weight of bringing us deeper into the Bluth's world and the weight of a romantic subplot. We also see another one of those rare moments when the Bluths coalesce into one unit and become a family.
The shenanigans begin after Michael tries to get George Michael into a private school he attended while young: the Milford Academy. It's a progressive school where apparently, "children should be neither seen nor heard." (Buster was and still is a pro at this). The problem is, the school won't accept Geroge Michael because the Bluth name has a bad reputation. To remedy the situation, Michael hires a publicist that can clean up the family name. But he has a crush on her and doesn't want George Michael to know. The publicist quickly doles out jobs for each member: Michael becomes the face of the family, Tobias attempts to get his doctor's license back, Lindsey advertises vodka at a restaurant and Buster needs to hide from the public eye because he's "weird and distancing." In other words, he needs to be neither seen nor heard.
The episode really bursts to life when the writers go nuts with the jokes. There's a great gag when Gob loses Earl Milford in his Aztec tomb trick while doing charity work and when questioned by the police, and the press, he says, "I didn't kill him. I don't know where Earl Milford is. And don't edit this shot to make it look like I said" and then the camera cuts to a news station hours later with Gob saying "I killed Earl Milford." It's a skit that works best being seen instead of explained. We also get an incredibly guest appearance by Carl Weathers, who plays a weird miserly-hobo type version of himself. Watching him be obsessed with free food was the highlight of the episode for me. Things reach a typical crescendo in that way only "A.D" can pull off, and even if things somewhat go back to normal by the end, the journey from Point A to Point B was perfectly structured making for a good half hour of television.moreless
Episode Summary
EDIT
When George Michael is rejected by a private school due to the family's reputation, Michael hires a publicist from his gym who he's been flirting with to change the public perspective of the Bluths. Meanwhile, Tobias is sent to Boston to reclaim his medical license.moreless
-
GUEST STAR
Jill RitchieJessie
-
GUEST STAR
Carl WeathersHimself
-
GUEST STAR
Jordan OrrEric Snee
-
Jeffrey Tambor
George Bluth Sr. / Oscar Bluth
-
Portia de Rossi
Lindsay Bluth Fünke
-
David Cross
Tobias Fünke
-
Ron Howard
Narrator
-
Jason Bateman
Michael Bluth
-
Jessica Walter
Lucille Bluth
Watch Online
Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
See All-
TRIVIA (3)
ADD TRIVIA-
When Lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn (played by Henry Winkler) is leaving the bathroom, he looks in the mirror and takes out his comb but does not comb his hair, this of course is a nod to Winkler's most famous role, The Iconic Fonz from the sitcom Happy Days, which Narrator Ron Howard was also a star of.
-
Jessie calls George Michael "Opie." Ron Howard (the Narrator) played Opie on the Andy Griffith Show, which is why the Narrator quips "Jessie had gone too far and she had best watch her mouth."
-
When Michael and his son are waiting to be interviewed at the school and Michael says "....and that's the most important thing to me, okay?", you can see that his mouth movements doesn't match what he's saying.
-
-
QUOTES (36)
ADD QUOTES-
Jessie: Well, George Michael, are you happy? George Michael: Well ... I got a bum away from the stand without hurting his feelings. That was pretty sweet.
-
Michael: Look, George Michael, I want you to tell me how you feel, ok? I don't want you to worry so much about hurting my feelings. George Michael: I didn't want to go to that school, and Jessie's a psycho. Michael: It could've saved us a little bit of time.
-
Lindsay: "Lindsay's a combative, entitled princess"? I should hire somebody to kick your ass for that. Lucille: Save your money. Lindsay: You're right. I'll do it myself.
-
Lucille: Let me tell you something, sweetie. We may pick on each other, get into little scrapes, call each other names and occasionally steal from each other, but that's because we are family.
-
Jessie: Hi, George Michael. Proud of yourself? George Michael: Yeah, actually. I got a bum away from the stand without hurting his feelings. That was pretty sweet. Jessie: No, I mean about your father. About denying him his chance to be happy? Maeby: You're into that, too? I'm rubbing off on you, huh?
-
Michael: Jessie ... No, I was just saying your name as you walked away. I didn't ... I have no follow-up.
-
George Michael: He's my dad. I don't want to disappoint him. Maeby: You and I are so different. It's like we're not even related. George Michael: That would be amazing.
-
Jessie: (to photographer) Oh, good. Get one of Michael and me on a date. Thank you. Michael: A date? This is a date now? I thought this was just business. Jessie: Can't it be a little bit of both?
-
Narrator: Meanwhile, Gob was beginning his charity work at a local nursing home. Gob: I'm going to need a volunteer for my next illusion: The Aztec Tomb. Woman: A tomb? Gob: Or box. Box is ... fine.
-
Jessie: Buster. Buster: Right here, ready to go, at your service, get me out there. Jessie: I want you to stay in. People find you odd and alienating. You make them uneasy. Stay out of the spotlight.
-
Jessie: I think it's best if you got a job. Lindsay: Oh, come on! I'm a parent, I care about my daughter every bit as much as Michael cares about his son. Maeby: What grade am I in? Lindsay: What kind of job?
-
Jessie: Your father's religious now? We'll play that up. It's very sympathetic. Lucille: Yeah. Who doesn't love the Jews?
-
Buster: Uh, I'm unclear about what it is exactly you do. Jessie: Excellent question. What a publicist does ... Buster: No, no, I was talking to George Michael. When did you get a job? George Michael: At the banana stand. Buster: Oh, duh. I thought you meant, like, a plumber or something, and I was, like, when did that happen?
-
Lindsay: (to Jessie) Instead of us getting jobs, why don't you do your job and tell everyone we've got jobs?
-
Michael: I met a publicist today. I'm going to hire her. We need somebody to make us look good. Lucille: And I say it's a waste of money. We're-we're plenty sympathetic as we are. Is this your onion? Lupe: Yes. Lucille: What's in the foil? Lupe: Nothing. It's a ball of foil for my son. Lucille: Have a great day, sweetie.
-
Lindsay: (sobbing) How can you treat me this way?! Lucille: Oh, please! Everything I've said about you can be covered with makeup and a lie about a thyroid problem. Good grief almighty! You think I'm enjoying my slide into poverty?
-
Waitress: Welcome to Klimpy's. Anywhere you like. Lucille: This does not bode well.
-
Hostess: Mrs. Bluth, there's absolutely no room. Lindsay: Come on. I've suddenly lost my appetite. Lucille: Oh, who's going to believe that?
-
Lucille: If I still had money, I'd buy a Klimpy's just to burn it to the ground.
-
Michael: I can assure you that my family is back on track and no longer in any trouble. Charles Milford: Not according to today's paper. Michael: Oh, God, what have we done this time?
-
Michael: Are you talking about the fact that my father is in jail? Because I don't like to be compared to my father, either. George Michael: I don't mind being compared to my father. Michael: Save it for the talk room, son.
-
Charles Milford: Things have changed around here. We have talking sessions throughout the day. We even have a talking room where students are encouraged to go in and talk to their heart's content. George Michael: Sounds like fun. Michael: First thing he's said all day.
-
Narrator: On the next Arrested Development, Buster moves to the kitchen.
-
Lindsay: You seem like a man of taste and class. Man at bar: I'll give you $2,000 to touch me. (Tobias and Carl Weathers enter bar) Lindsay: Oh, my god, my husband. Man at bar:You're married to Carl Weathers? S***!
-
Various Characters: You can always tell a Milford Man.
-
Michael: Murdered, huh? Who died? Gob: My career. Michael: I'm going home now.
-
Jesse: It allows me to put Michael front and centre, he needs to be the new face of this family. He is the only likeable one in the bunch, no offense. Michael: None taken. Gob: I'm sorry. Isn't Michael the least likeable one in the family?
-
Michael: Okay sure she's cute, I suppose. I mean now that you're making me think about it, uh, she's cute. She's a cutie. Little cutie pie. But I never really noticed.
-
Narrator: Buster so excelled at being neither seen, nor heard, that he remained at the school, undetected for a full two semesters after he was supposed to graduate.
-
Jessie: And Tobias, you're a medical doctor and you're living an absurd fantasy as an actor. It's time to get real. Tobias: Wow. It's a tough talk, but I like it. You're saying, "land a major film".
-
Jessie: There are very few intelligent, attractive, and straight men in this town. Tobias: Well, that certainly leaves me out. She said single.
-
Reporter: Where's Earl Milford? Gob: I-I don't know. I put him in a box. I didn't kill him, alright? And don't edit this for your broadcast so it looks like I'm screaming, "I killed Earl Milford!" (Cut to Fox6 News) John Beard: Startling confession tonight at 11:00.
-
Lindsay: (to Michael) So, you didn't get any while you were in high school, and now you're not going to get any while George Michael's in high school.
-
Lucille: I'll have the Ike and Tina tuna. Waitress: Plate or platter? Lucille: I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it.
-
George Sr.: Gentlemen, we do not wave our genitals at one another to make a point!
-
Jessie: Daddy lost his shot at happy and it's all your fault, Opie. Narrator: Jessie had gone too far and she had best watch her mouth.
-
-
NOTES (6)
ADD NOTES-
This is the first of three episodes featuring Carl Weathers as himself, characterized as a money-saving swindler.
-
At the beginning of the episode, Michael and George Michael are waiting for an interview at the Milford Academy. Also waiting there is the Bluth's would be attorney, Wayne Jarvis and his son.
-
Lindsay says "Blah, Blah, Blah" when talking to Michael. A name they would use later for their future lawyer, Bob Loblaw.
-
This episode was #31 on thefutoncritic.com's list of 2004's 50 Best Episodes on TV.
-
On the newspaper with the headline "Cold Hard Bluths," lower down in the paper, there is an article titled "Bum Gets Balloon." George Michael had just told Michael that he managed to get rid of a bum at the frozen banana stand.
-
On the newspaper with the headline "Bluth Matron In Brawl At Klimpy's Family Style Restaurant," lower down in the paper, there is an article titled "Musician sues restaurant over use of name." This is a reference to the group Arrested Development suing over the name Arrested Development.
-
-
ALLUSIONS (3)
ADD ALLUSIONS-
Narrator: (after Jessie refers to George Michael as "Opie") Jessie had gone too far and had best watch her mouth.
Opie is a character from The Andy Griffith Show - the inside joke being that Ron Howard who played Opie is also the "Narrator." -
Tobias: Maybe my wife was right. I don't know if I'm cut out to be a De Niro, a Regis, even a Pinkett-Smith. Reference to 3 actors--award winning and well respected Robert De Niro, star of Casino, Cape Fear, etc. --Regis Philbin, talk show host and actor. --and Jada Pinkett-Smith, wife of Will Smith, and star of movies like Matrix Reloaded and Set It Off.
-
Lucille: I'll have the Ike and Tina Tuna. This is reference to singers Ike and Tina Turner. Tina Turner had a very successful solo career after divorcing Ike for domestic abuse.
-
-
Overview Status Updates That Need Confirmation
05/20/121
-
Gob insults grandmother
03/14/121
-
How would you rank Arrested Development amongst the top shows of the decade?
01/23/1225
-
Best one liners from Arrested Development
01/22/1287
-
New season AND movie???
01/15/129
-
Development Arrested
S 3 : Ep 13
Aired 2/10/06 (22:23)
-
Exit Strategy
S 3 : Ep 12
Aired 2/10/06 (22:01)
-
Family Ties
S 3 : Ep 11
Aired 2/10/06 (21:47)
-
Fakin' It
S 3 : Ep 10
Aired 2/10/06 (21:57)
Related Shows
Season 1 Episodes
See AllEp 22
Let 'Em Eat Cake (1)
Ep 21
Not Without My Daughter
Ep 20
Whistler's Mother
Ep 19
Best Man for the Gob
Ep 18
Missing Kitty
Ep 17
Justice Is Blind (2)
Ep 16
Altar Egos (1)
Ep 15
Staff Infection
Ep 14
Shock and Aww
Ep 13
Beef Consomme
Ep 12
Marta Complex
Ep 11
Public Relations
Ep 10
Pier Pressure
Ep 9
Storming the Castle
Ep 8
My Mother The Car
Ep 7
In God We Trust
Ep 6
Visiting Ours
Ep 5
Charity Drive
Ep 4
Key Decisions
Ep 3
Bringing Up Buster
Ep 2
Top Banana
Ep 1
Pilot
-
Silver_Sword_14 EDITOR
User Score: 895
-
TV-Tome-Vits
User Score: 588
-
annaloreli
User Score: 311
-
Stikky
User Score: 272
-
eatcacti
User Score: 251
-
bbrimacombe
User Score: 211
-
jekyll
User Score: 151
-
Hendrix4747
User Score: 151
-
mrn71
User Score: 80
-
HilljaFuFu
User Score: 80
More
Less
