3x11 Family Ties

[7.3/10] This wasn’t quite the boffo outing that the last few episodes have been, but it’s still enjoyable. I like the stunt casting of having Justin Bateman’s real life sister play his possible fictional sister, in an episode named “Family Ties” no less! Justine Bateman does a good job, and while Michael’s obliviousness to the fact that this “Nellie” is, in actuality, a prostitute rather than a corporate consultant strains credulity, the show finds lots of musing double entendres to have fun with the situation.

I’ll also confess that GOB being Nellie’s pimp feels like a bridge too far into ridiculousness for me. The notion that Michael wouldn’t recognize his own brother’s bad puppet voice on the phone is a little too much, and GOB having backslid into being a pimp for Nellie plays as a little too much commitment to a side hustle than GOB’s ever shown. That said, I did like that what finally clued Michale in to the identity of “Frank” was him saying that Nellie “turns illusions.”

I wasn’t crazy about the Lindsay/Tobias stuff either here. While I enjoyed the couple’s awkward attempts to rekindle their physical relationship, the presence and depiction of “Girl Michael” here is a little uncomfortable, and part of the strain of Tobias humor that hasn’t aged well. That said, I did get a kick out of the suggestion that this new Michael thought Lindsay and Tobias planned this as a “holy trinity.”

Speaking of which, I also still enjoyed the continuing shtick involving GOB’s unseen religious girlfriend, and the running gag of how so many people among the Bluths just spend their would-be intimate time crying and griping. It leads to more fun bits involving Nellie, and the entire mystery of who the “N. Bluth” account is for and the confusion between whether there’s a really Nellie Bluth or it’s just a term George Sr. and Lucille use for “sissies” makes for some good gags and mysteries.

That just leaves the Buster storyline. I did get a kick out of him continuing to fake the coma because of the day nurse who’s sweet on him, but only because he’s “pure” in his unconsciousness. That said, the Rob Riggle-played congressman who’s defending his right to life but is secretly attracted to Buster feels like too easy/hacky of a gag.

All-in-all, this is more of a mixed bag than the usual Arrested Development outing, but there’s some bright spots, particularly in the main story with Michael and Nellie’s interactions and Nellie’s surprising effectiveness at the Bluth company.