# Arrested Development, 12/05 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216 "2005-12-05T18:45:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/21 "2005-12-06T04:14:59Z")
Yeah, but is the answer really three? Like **Ender** I can only think of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/22 "2005-12-06T04:59:56Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > \*\*Michael: The Brittish have all funny words for things. > > Tobias: Yeah, like when they say “Poofter” for “Tourist”.\*\* > > Hilarious. Yeah that went right over my head. Someone care to explain? ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/23 "2005-12-06T05:10:24Z")
> [@Electronic Chaos](#): > > Yeah that went right over my head. Someone care to explain? Poofter is Big Britain slang for gay. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/24 "2005-12-06T05:30:43Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > Oh God what a great end to the episode. > > … > > My wife and I both rolled our eyes when GOB said it’s not my trick. > But then > > … > > I knew I could count on them!! Just watched this episode. Oh man, that was the funniest part of the whole thing. “No. That’s not my trick, Michael …” “IT’S MY ILLUSION!!!” \ Queue flame to Tobias’ hair. “Why am I not going underwater?!” - Peter Wiggen ---
**Author:** ![PigBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@PigBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigBoy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/25 "2005-12-06T05:51:29Z")
Every time I watch this show I kick myself for not watching more regularly. The ending was great. I rarely laugh out loud at TV, but I sure did this time! ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/26 "2005-12-06T05:58:56Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Yeah, but is the answer really three? Like Ender I can only think of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Upper and Lower, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/27 "2005-12-06T06:02:17Z")
Yeah, it’s a joke within a joke (At least I hope it is, I am part of the commonwealth, I hope I’m right about the upper and lower house). ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/28 "2005-12-06T06:24:19Z")
Could one of you with DVRs check something for me? I could swear that in the opening scene there’s some sort of blur going on around Buster’s wrist, as if his stump was something obscene. This only happened whenever there was a direct shot like you could see directly down his shirtsleeve. I know that the actor didn’t really lose a hand, but I was somewhat distracted and now I’m wondering if I was just seeing things. I like how Job actually begins to plan a trick to deprive Rita of air for 20 minutes. That’s two Threepwoods! ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/29 "2005-12-06T06:29:00Z")
Job? GOB. Sheesh, it’s written on his Segway, for cryin’ out loud. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/30 "2005-12-06T08:10:37Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > My wife and I both rolled our eyes when GOB said it’s not my trick. > But then […] > I knew I could count on them!! > [@sleeepy2](#): > > GOB’s line at the end had me worried for a minute there also- uh oh, AD’s getting sentimental. Should have known better! After the first white-out at the end of the episode, I was thinking that _that_ is exactly why “Arrested Development” is just too good a show to be on television. Somehow, they’d managed to take a storyline that was filled with multiple-layer jokes, plot twists, subtle humor, cheap shock-value humor, sight gags, brilliant farce, topical references, real continuity and character development, all from a story about a guy trying to have sex with a retarded woman and his family’s lying to him about it in order to steal her money. And _then_, they added yet another layer to it by giving it an ending that was genuinely sweet and romantic without descending into schmaltz or over-sentimentality. It was just perfect. But then they added the “next on…” bit, which just went back to the show’s in-jokes and backwards-references and screaming farce. Because they’ve gotta maintain their street cred, and stay edgy or else the fans will think they’re being “PC” or “corny”. It was still funny, but knocked it just short of perfection. (Because they’ve still got perfect timing, and kept the obvious punchline after the break.) As Ron Howard said, “it would’ve been such a nice moment.” ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/31 "2005-12-06T08:13:23Z")
> [@BraheSilver](#): > > Could one of you with DVRs check something for me? I could swear that in the opening scene there’s some sort of blur going on around Buster’s wrist, as if his stump was something obscene. This only happened whenever there was a direct shot like you could see directly down his shirtsleeve. I know that the actor didn’t really lose a hand, but I was somewhat distracted and now I’m wondering if I was just seeing things. No, they really did do a pixelation effect on his stump. I think the implication wasn’t that it was obscene, just that a dismembered hand would be too graphic to show on television. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/32 "2005-12-06T08:31:38Z")
I just finished rewatching most of the first two seasons, and while doing so, noticed how much incredible comedy mileage they got out of one word: “Her?” They used it a LOT, and it was hilarious every time. It was mostly referring to Ann, but they used it other times, too. Tonight, Lucille said it when Michael announced he was marrying Rita, and I nearly died. Brilliant writers on this show. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/33 "2005-12-06T08:53:14Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > No, they really did do a pixelation effect on his stump. I think the implication wasn’t that it was obscene, just that a dismembered hand would be too graphic to show on television. No, I think the implication was “Oops we forgot to put some kind of cover up on his hand, and you can clearly see it kind of poking out, so we’ll have to do something to draw attention away and/or to this.” ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/34 "2005-12-06T09:42:12Z")
> [@Electronic Chaos](#): > > No, I think the implication was “Oops we forgot to put some kind of cover up on his hand, and you can clearly see it kind of poking out, so we’ll have to do something to draw attention away and/or to this.” Which had the reverse effect as it drew my eye right in with “What the heck’s going on with his stump?” Why do I keep looking at/for pixelated areas? Something’s wrong with me. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/35 "2005-12-06T10:32:06Z")
> [@Electronic Chaos](#): > > No, I think the implication was “Oops we forgot to put some kind of cover up on his hand, and you can clearly see it kind of poking out, so we’ll have to do something to draw attention away and/or to this.” Nah, I thought it was a deliberate joke, personally. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/36 "2005-12-06T12:37:12Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > After the first white-out at the end of the episode, I was thinking that _that_ is exactly why “Arrested Development” is just too good a show to be on television. Somehow, they’d managed to take a storyline that was filled with multiple-layer jokes, plot twists, subtle humor, cheap shock-value humor, sight gags, brilliant farce, topical references, real continuity and character development, all from a story about a guy trying to have sex with a retarded woman and his family’s lying to him about it in order to steal her money. And _then_, they added yet another layer to it by giving it an ending that was genuinely sweet and romantic without descending into schmaltz or over-sentimentality. It was just perfect. You didn’t think it was schmaltzy or over sentimental when Rita _WALKED ON WATER_? I think the “On The Next AD” was perfect, and had it not been there, people would be throwing around “Jumped the shark” nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/37 "2005-12-06T12:41:58Z")
It’s a deliberate and reoccuring joke - they’ve been pixilating his stump for quite a few episodes. "And I’m wearing an inside-out bridesmaids dress…) ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/38 "2005-12-06T12:53:51Z")
> [@sleeepy2](#): > > I think the “On The Next AD” was perfect, and had it not been there, people would be throwing around “Jumped the shark” nonsense. When all _real_ AD fans know the show officially jumped the shark on March 13, 2005, episode “Motherboy XXX”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/39 "2005-12-06T13:00:06Z")
Buster was hilarious in this episode, perfectly played. I loved that Lucille added yet MORE vodka to her bloody mary while talking to Michael. Also: “Michael was worried, his mother may just have been talking sense” Tobais videotaping Michaels nuptials Linsay speaking in a British accent “he covers her with club sauce” ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216/40 "2005-12-06T13:13:09Z")
Also: When Michael is talking to George, you see him start an abortive attempt to pretend to be Rita before giving it up “Rita corny Michael!” “A fifteen dollar thing of candy beans” GM’s encyclopedic law of cousin marriage Trevor is wearing a LegoLand tshirt to the wedding I also didn’t get the Tiny Teddy thing until the 2nd viewing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-12-05/334216.md?page=3)