¡Amigos!
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| Arrested Development episode | |
| "¡Amigos!" | |
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| Episode No | 2AJD03 |
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| Airdate | November 21, 2004 |
| Writer(s) | Brad Copeland |
| Director | Lee Shallat-Chemel |
| On the next: | “Buster reclaims his favorite chair, but the victory is short-lived; and Tobias gets medical attention.” |
| Guest star(s) | Mae Whitman as Ann Veal Justin Lee as Annyong Bluth Judy Greer as Kitty Sanchez Mo Collins as Starla Martin Mull as Gene Parmesan Malik Yoba as Ice |
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Arrested Development Season 2 |
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| All Arrested Development episodes | |
"¡Amigos!" is the twenty-fifth episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Michael arrives at work to find his brother, G.O.B., adjusting to his new job as president of the Bluth Company. Michael tells G.O.B. of his plans to take George Michael to Legoland for the weekend. G.O.B. replies that he plans to call some of his friends, though Michael doubts he has any.
Lucille finds Michael in his office and lets him know that she has hired her faithful private detective, Gene Parmesan, to find George Sr.. Gene enters the room, disguised as a janitor, and after setting off the smoke alarm, tells Michael that the staircar, which George Sr. used to escape, was seen in Encanta, Mexico. G.O.B., however, overhears, and suspects that Michael is escaping to a foreign country, leaving the failing business behind. He calls upon Ice, a bounty hunter, to track Michael.
In the meantime, Michael asks George Michael to accompany him to Mexico, but is told that his son has plans with his girlfriend Ann. Michael comments that he hasn’t had time to get to know Ann, and tells George-Michael that they will be going to Mexico.
Michael, still searching for another driver to Mexico, asks Tobias, but is turned down due to Tobias being on standby for the Blue Man Group. Lindsay agrees to go to Mexico to spend quality time with Maeby.
Later, at the party that Lucille throws for Buster, it is clear that Buster does not approve of his mother’s affair with Oscar, and that Lucille does not approve of Buster going into the Army. In fact, Buster does not wish to enlist in the Army, and begs Michael to help him get out of it. Upon hearing that Michael is going to Mexico, Buster plans to stowaway. George Michael tells his father that he invited Ann along, and Michael reluctantly accepts. Michael drops off Lupe at her house in Santa Ana, and Buster hops out of the trunk of the car, thinking he is in Mexico.
After realizing that Ice doesn’t see him as a friend, G.O.B. seeks out companionship, but finds none in any of his family members. Lucille, suspicious of G.O.B., tells Gene to follow her son and report on his doings.
Michael and company find the staircar in Mexico, but not George Sr.. Unbeknownst to Michael, George Sr.’s funeral is underway in the nearby church, with Kitty in attendance. George Michael, wanting his father to become friends with Ann, requests that the two ride back together. Ice finds Michael, but accepts his offer to look for George Sr. instead. Lindsay, wanting a chance to hook up romantically with Ice, pretends to know about her father’s whereabouts to garner interest from the bounty hunter. Maeby, disgusted by her mother’s flirting, decides to ride back with Michael. A misunderstanding results in Maeby riding with Michael, George Michael riding with Lindsay, and Ann stranded in Mexico.
Buster, in the meantime, is living with Lupe’s family in Santa Ana, still under the impression that he is in Mexico. When the men leave for work, Buster decides to go along, stating, “I am one of you now.”
The family arrives back at the model home, only to realize that they forgot Ann in Mexico. Michael and George Michael race back to Mexico. Ice, thinking that Tobias is George Sr., tackles Tobias. Lindsay clears up the situation, and Ice, thinking Michael set him up, returns to Mexico. G.O.B. also sets off for Mexico, thinking that Michael paid off Ice.
Michael finds Ann, but is confronted by G.O.B.. Gene Parmesan also shows up, having followed G.O.B. at Lucille’s request. G.O.B. confesses that he has no friends, and Michael and G.O.B. realize that they have each other’s backs. Just then, Ice tackles Michael, and Michael, feeling sorry for his brother, hires the bounty hunter and the detective to be G.O.B.’s friends for the weekend. Michael decides to get to know Ann, and ultimately decides that he doesn't like her.
Buster, hard at work in what he thinks is Mexico, is assigned to deliver drinks to an apartment, only to discover that the apartment is his mother’s. Buster catches Lucille and Oscar fooling around in the kitchen and storms out in disgust.
[edit] Episode notes
- This episode is titled "¡Amigos!" on the Season 2 DVD, though no press releases listed the exclamation marks in the title when the episode was broadcast.
- This is the first episode where the Bluths visit a different country, which later happens again in Exit Strategy.
- As in the previous episode, Tobias is painted blue in every scene in which he is present.
- This is George Sr.'s smallest role in an episode to date, with just one, brief non-speaking appearance.
[edit] References
- Friends - This episode continues the titular references to Friends used in the first two episodes of the season, as “amigos” is Spanish for “friends.” It also refers to the fact that G.O.B. is searching for a friend, and how quite a bit of the episode takes place in Mexico.
- Abu Ghraib - Lucille talks about Buster being in a “naked pyramid,” a reference to the photos taken in the Iraqi prison.
- Blue Man Group - Tobias continues to color himself blue for a chance to work with the performance group. The Blue Man Group's performances start at 8:00pm, and Tobias paints himself blue and counts down to 8:01pm on his watch every night just in case they need him as an understudy.
[edit] Callbacks/Running Jokes
- Banner - The first of many of the Bluth family’s suggestive banners, which says “You’re killing me, Buster” can be seen at Buster’s party. This banner later appears again in Hand to God.
- "Blue myself" - Tobias mentions that he "blue himself early so he'd be nice and relaxed for a 9:00pm dinner reservation." Tobias first used the term "blue myself" in The One Where Michael Leaves.
- Buster's real father - Oscar hints that he is Buster's father, saying that Lucille is not having an affair with Buster’s “uncle.” Overly dramatic music plays after this is said.
- Charlie Brown - Lucille and Buster refer to testicles as “Charlie Browns.” Buster first did this in The One Where They Build a House. He later refers to his penis as his "Linus" in Out on a Limb.
- Chicken dance – G.O.B. does his chicken dance for the first time since Staff Infection. The chicken dance would later become a big running joke in the show.
- Circumvent - This is the first instance where G.O.B. fails to pronounce the word "circumvent" properly. This later becomes a running gag, and eventually spreads to other words too.
- Come on - Gene Parmesan remarks “Come on!” after counting his money. "Come on!" becomes a recurring phrase later in Afternoon Delight.
- Her? - This episode continues the running gag of jokes made at the expense of George Michael's girlfriend, Ann.
- When George Michael mentions wanting to spend time with Ann, Michael has no idea who he is talking about.
- When George Michael calls Ann his girlfriend, Michael replies, “Her?”
- Michael calls George-Michael an “Ann-hog,” in reference to him spending all his time with his girlfriend. This nickname transfers to Ann herself and is mentioned multiple times in the episode.
- Lindsay says to Michael "Check out who's on that hog in the rearview mirror." Referring to Ice on his motorcycle. Michael screams out "George Michael!" believing the hog Lindsay was talking about was Ann.
- After returning to Mexico to find Ann, Michael still doesn’t recognize her.
- Michael refers to Ann as “Plant” after George Michael says "Way to plant, Ann!"
- "I've made a huge mistake" - G.O.B.’s inspirational poster is in response to his denial of making mistakes in The One Where They Build a House.
- Labeling - G.O.B.’s laptop bears his name, in similarity to his Segway.
- Legoland - Michael states that he is going to buy tickets to Legoland for him and his son, later in season 3, Lucille tells Uncle Trevor that she thought she heard Michael saying he was taking Rita to Legoland
- Michael the murderer - Michael's comment about putting people in the trunk, and Lupe’s facial expression is a reference to the misunderstanding in Charity Drive.
- Stair car - Mexicans use the stair car to jump over the border, just like the prisoner tried to use the stair car to jump the prison fence in Visiting Ours.
- Tracy - Another joke is made at the expense of Michael's dead wife Tracy, again proving how insensitive the Bluths are.
- "Who wants to go to the hospital?" - Tobias is again injured when Ice tackles him.
- Yawning - While Buster prepares a videotape telling Lucille of his escape to Mexico, he begans to yawn in the middle of his sentence. This is a reference to the Season 1 episode Bringing up Buster, in which Buster often did the same thing.
[edit] Hidden/Background Jokes
- Blue paint - Blue hand-prints can be seen in various places in the model home.
- Cloudmir - A Cloudmir sign is seen in Mexico, reading “La feliz beber: hay Cloudmir si tienes sed” (“the happy drink: there's Cloudmir if you’re thirsty.”)
- Hole in the wall - Patches of spackle can be seen covering GOB’s office after he used a sledgehammer to destroy the walls in the previous episode.
- Maeby - Lindsay comments that she has “sensed [Maeby] feeling a little left out lately,” in reference to the small role Maeby played in the first two episodes of the season.
- Mentally challenged - Lupe remarks “Ahora tengo que cuidar para retardo,” which the subtitle translates to, “So now I must take care of Buster” but actually means “Now I have to take care of retard.”
- Quincy Jones - Starla is wearing a “Q” necklace, in reference to her love of Quincy Jones.
- The Cornballer - The Cornballer, the Cornballer box, and a box of Cornballer mix can be seen in Michael’s office.
- A Cornballer advertisement can be seen in Mexico.
[edit] Character Cameos
- The angered Mexican, the chicken-dancer and the piano player in the black-and-white video are played by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Tony Hale, respectively.
- Gene Parmesan makes his first and only appearance in the show with this episode, though is mentioned again several times throughout the series.
- Ice makes his first appearance in this episode, making a brief cameo later in the next episode, Good Grief.
- This is the first episode where Mae Whitman has a speaking role as Ann.
[edit] Foreshadowing/Future References
- Blue Man Group - The blue picture of George Sr. foreshadows him joining the Blue Man Group in Righteous Brothers.
- Buster’s Hand - Upon seeing his former “hand chair,” Buster comments, “I’d never thought I’d miss a hand so much.” He then touches the chair with the hand he later loses in Out on a Limb.
