[7.6/10] This episode reminded me why I wasn’t necessarily a big fan of the Maggie Lizer character on the show. The entire bit with Michael’s love life is pretty rushed here, with him mysteriously dating Sally Sitwell after she previously turned him down, and then him pushing her away and diving into another sticky situation with Maggie for the thinly-established reason that he supposedly wants to fail or suffer or whatever.
It’s an odd storyline that we basically only get half of here. And the fake outs over whether or not Maggie is pregnant don’t do much for me. It’s the one real misfire in this episode, but unfortunately, it’s the biggest story.
That said it does have the side effect of Lindsay and Tobias snooping around Maggie’s house in a fun little romp. Despite the whole marital problems things, the two make for an enjoyable comic duo, and watching them horse around in Maggie’s house was very entertaining.
But my favorite part in the whole thing is the Lucille/Buster storyline. Lucille being in denial that Buster is leaving for war (being convinced that he just wants to play in the ocean) is the gift that keeps on giving. The denial jokes are all great (especially her blistering exchange with Tobias), and the way it loops around to George Sr. trying to get one last moment with his son and inadvertently confirming that Oscar is his father is great.
But the best part is what spins out of it. For one, I love that Lucille’s distress thwarts George Michael and Maebey’s efforts to get Ann to break up with George Michael by subject her to her grandmother. The fact that, instead, Lucille finds religion and prays for Buster to be spared is a great twist. (And I love The Narrator’s line that “this was a big get for God.”)
It also leads to one of the best clockwork moments on the show, as Lucille’s prohibition on Buster playing in the ocean, GOB slacking on his duties to look after his wife’s seal-dealing business, and Buster’s sense of distress at the news that his father isn’t his father, culminates in the event that Lucille was praying for. Buster getting his hand bitten off by a seal, replete with the “loose seal”/Lucille word play, and subtle foreshadowing in the form of George Sr. talking about touching his son’s hand or an “arm off” bus bench are all delightful and clever.
Overall, the Maggie stuff drags this one down, but the Buster/Lucille stuff is Arrested Development’s clever, intricately-constructed comedy at its best.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2018-07-23T02:06:17Z
[7.6/10] This episode reminded me why I wasn’t necessarily a big fan of the Maggie Lizer character on the show. The entire bit with Michael’s love life is pretty rushed here, with him mysteriously dating Sally Sitwell after she previously turned him down, and then him pushing her away and diving into another sticky situation with Maggie for the thinly-established reason that he supposedly wants to fail or suffer or whatever.
It’s an odd storyline that we basically only get half of here. And the fake outs over whether or not Maggie is pregnant don’t do much for me. It’s the one real misfire in this episode, but unfortunately, it’s the biggest story.
That said it does have the side effect of Lindsay and Tobias snooping around Maggie’s house in a fun little romp. Despite the whole marital problems things, the two make for an enjoyable comic duo, and watching them horse around in Maggie’s house was very entertaining.
But my favorite part in the whole thing is the Lucille/Buster storyline. Lucille being in denial that Buster is leaving for war (being convinced that he just wants to play in the ocean) is the gift that keeps on giving. The denial jokes are all great (especially her blistering exchange with Tobias), and the way it loops around to George Sr. trying to get one last moment with his son and inadvertently confirming that Oscar is his father is great.
But the best part is what spins out of it. For one, I love that Lucille’s distress thwarts George Michael and Maebey’s efforts to get Ann to break up with George Michael by subject her to her grandmother. The fact that, instead, Lucille finds religion and prays for Buster to be spared is a great twist. (And I love The Narrator’s line that “this was a big get for God.”)
It also leads to one of the best clockwork moments on the show, as Lucille’s prohibition on Buster playing in the ocean, GOB slacking on his duties to look after his wife’s seal-dealing business, and Buster’s sense of distress at the news that his father isn’t his father, culminates in the event that Lucille was praying for. Buster getting his hand bitten off by a seal, replete with the “loose seal”/Lucille word play, and subtle foreshadowing in the form of George Sr. talking about touching his son’s hand or an “arm off” bus bench are all delightful and clever.
Overall, the Maggie stuff drags this one down, but the Buster/Lucille stuff is Arrested Development’s clever, intricately-constructed comedy at its best.