The Immaculate Election
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| Arrested Development episode | |
| "The Immaculate Election" | |
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| Episode No | 2AJD14 |
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| Airdate | March 20, 2005 |
| Writer(s) | Barbara Adler and Abraham Higginbotham |
| Director | Anthony Russo |
| On the next: | “Lucille finds a housekeeper that she won’t lose her son to, and Steve Holt finally tracks down his real father.” |
| Guest star(s) | Mae Whitman as Ann Veal BW Gonzalez as Lupe Justin Grant Wade as Steve Holt Abraham Higginbotham as Gary |
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Arrested Development Season 2 |
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| All Arrested Development episodes | |
"The Immaculate Election" is the thirty-sixth episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Michael is surprised to find the house still a mess a week after the fumigation, which Michael had Lindsay call and arrange. But long before Michael had begun hiding his fugitive father in the attic. Michael complained about Lindsay’s laziness, but she was preoccupied, having finally kicked Tobias out of the house, telling him he would never work as an actor and their relationship wouldn’t work either.
Nowhere to go, Tobias ends up at the studio where he occasionally works as a guard and takes up residence in the apartment of Det. Frank Wrench on the set of Wrench. Meanwhile, Lindsay hasn’t told Maeby yet and Gob is concerned that Tobias took the video camera with him because he needs it to make a magic video of tricks around the office. Michael wants G.O.B. to concentrate on work more, needing him for an upcoming project vote. G.O.B. then laughingly mentions the time George Michael used the video camera to recreate a Star Wars battle in the garage.
Realizing that George Michael might be having self-esteem issues, Michael talks to his son. Only to hear Ann has beaten him to it by suggesting George Michael run for student body president. She offered to run his campaign and create his campaign video. While George Michael was gaining self-esteem, Buster was losing what little he had. And as Lupe takes pity on Buster for losing his hand, Lindsay feels sorry for herself for her loss of Lupe. Because Lindsay now has to clean the model home by herself.
While looking for a spot to store all the garbage she’s collected, Lindsay goes into the attic and comes upon an old friend, the doll she had as a girl. Which had become George Sr.’s only friend in the world. Over at the office, Michael has come to regret having given G.O.B the video camera. G.O.B performs his first trick during the meeting for the latest project. Michael, frustrated that G.O.B didn’t show to give his vote in support of the project, fires his brother. Then Michael runs into Maeby, who was using the office copier to make campaign posters for Steve Holt. Michael, now informed that George Michael isn’t as popular as he once imagined, heads to the school to prevent his son from signing up for the presidential race. Having been defeated himself in his own high school race, Michael knows what a devastating blow this could be.
While Michael is rushing to save his son, Lucille finds hers in bed with Lupe and promptly fires the maid. Lindsay then comes upon a just-fired Lupe, but Lupe still won’t work for Lindsay. Michael arrives at the school to talk his son out of running for office; but George Michael has already collected the signatures and is excited to run. And Ann is hanging posters highlighting George Michael’s chaste nature. G.O.B arrives at Lucille’s to complain that Michael has fired him. At the model home, Lindsay is about to find a replacement maid as well. Tobias. Dressed like Mrs. Doubtfire. He borrowed the costume from the studio in an attempt to see his daughter and prove to his wife that he has what it take to become an actor.
A few hours later, Michael returns home. He and Lindsay both immediately recognize Tobias in his costume, but neither say anything to him. Michael is more concerned with his son being crushed by Steve Holt in the school election. Lindsay says it’s too bad George Sr. isn’t around because they could’ve used some of his dirty tricks to rig the election for George Michael. Unfortunately for Michael, George Sr. stumbles across a religious pamphlet left behind by Ann and cleaned up by Lindsay and has a profound realization. So Michael goes to G.O.B, who he fired earlier that day. G.O.B agrees on the condition that Michael re-hire him.
Michael, G.O.B, Ann and George Michael meet to discuss the campaign. G.O.B asks for every awful rumor about Steve Holt, which causes Ann to walk away from the campaign. Meanwhile, Maeby is meeting her new singing nanny, which doesn’t go well. After a few days, G.O.B is ready to unveil George Michael’s new message. After the Indian kid plays his campaign video, it’s time for Steve Holt to play his, which had been produced by his new campaign manager, Ann. In the Christian-themed video, Steve says that although he didn’t know his father, he felt like he had a new father, Jesus. Then it’s time for George Michael’s video, which is a hit piece mocking the fact that Steve Holt doesn’t know his own father. And then George Michael’s Star Wars scene is played.
In the end, Steve Holt drops out of the race to find his own father. The Indian kid wins with 97% of the vote and Ann is wowed by George Michael’s mock lightsaber skill.
[edit] Episode notes
- This episode contains a jarring opening, recounting the fumigation of the model home that was never depicted in any other episode. Many fans theorize that this was one of the storylines sacrificed when Fox cut the episode order from 22 to 18.
- The title is a play on the Christian feast The Immaculate Conception, referring to G.O.B.’s fathering of Steve Holt.
[edit] References
- 2004 U.S. Presidential election – Many references are made comparing the school election depicted in this episode and the real presidential election that took place in the preceding fall.
- When Michael remembers his participation in the race, he says that there were many in the school that wanted to overturn the decision, but didn’t want to put the school through that, parodying Al Gore.
- After Steve Holt’s religious-themed video garners the sympathy of the voters, Michael says that they underestimated the religious vote. George W. Bush won the 2004 election largely due to his dominance of the religious vote.
- The Indian student running against Steve Holt and George Michael is named Rav Nadir, similar to Ralph Nader, the Green Party candidate in the 2004 election.
- Steve Holt’s supporters chant “Four more years!” at his rally, echoing the rally cry of the 2004 Republican Convention.
- Chicago – Buster is shown dancing to the hit musical, his favorite movie.
- Christopher Lowell - When Tobias moves out, Michael mentions that he noticed they stopped Tivoing the Christopher Lowell show, an interior decorating show hosted by an openly gay man.
- Fen-phen - Tobias tells Maeby to "take your Fun-fun", referring to the anti-obesity medication banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Goofus and Gallant - After his religious awakening, George Sr. compares G.O.B. and Michael to the "biblical brothers, Gallant and Goofeth."
- The wedding anniversary video with the living statue is a parody of the famous birthday party video used by prosecutors in the Dennis Kozlowski trail during the Tyco scandal.
- Mary Poppins - Tobias's song he sings as Mrs. Featherbottom is an obvious ripoff of a Mary Poppins song.
- Mrs. Doubtfire - Tobias disguises himself as a British nanny in order to spend time with his daughter. It is the exact plot of the movie Mrs. Doubtfire.
- Tootsie - Although dressing up as a nanny is an obvious reference to Mrs. Doubtfire, Tobias's attempt to prove how good an actor he is while doing so is more along the lines of Tootsie.
- Roomba - After firing Lupe, Lucille replaces her with one of these robotic maids.
- Star Wars – George Michael’s video reenacts one of the lightsaber duels in the Star Wars saga, where Luke Skywalker loses his hand - similar to Buster losing his hand.
- Star Wars kid – George Michael’s video also parodies the Star Wars kid video, a video of a young boy named Ghyslain Raza reenacting a lightsaber duel that gained internet fame in 2003.
[edit] Callbacks/running jokes
- Missing Limbs - During the flashback showing the first viewing of George Michael's Star Wars video, after George Michael 'loses his hand', the camera flashes to Buster, who has an uncomfortable face.
- A Huge Mistake - G.O.B. utters his signature phrase after seeing Steve Holt's religious campaign video.
- Company Phone - G.O.B. demonstrates his inability to operate the office phone for a third time when trying to call security.
- Dead Doves - G.O.B. rips open an employee's lunch bag to release a dead dove, a frequent malfunction in his magic act.
- Dolls in the Attic - George Sr. covers one of the doll's mouths during the fumigation, and is upset when Lindsay takes one to sell on eBay.
- George knocks himself out - When Lindsay takes the doll, George knocks himself out on a pipe coming after her.
- The Final Countdown - G.O.B.'s signature song plays when Steve Holt learns that G.O.B. is his father.
- "Hole in his Heart" - Buster can't fit the aorta into the model of a heart he is building, a reference to his perforated heart.
- "I'm a Monster!" - Buster screams this for the third episode in a row after being caught in bed with the Roomba.
- "Marry Me!" - Maeby accidentally uses her standard deflection on Michael when he asks why she isn't in school.
- Religion - After George Sr. hits his head on a pipe, it leaves a mark in the shape of a cross and he becomes a devout Christian. This echoes the Season 1 episode Storming the Castle when the Star of David appeared to him and he became Jewish.
- Saddam Hussein - Michael notices Qusay Hussein while watching the video of George Sr.'s anniversary party, a reference to George's business dealings with the Saddam regime.
- Slut Shirt - Lindsay's "Slut" shirt makes its third appearance in George Michael's campaign video.
- Tobias is Gay
- When approached by Lindsay trying to save their relationship, Tobias is reading the "Poof" magazine.
- When Maeby meets Mrs. Featherbottom, she calls him Mr. Finger Bottom, and he only corrects her calling him "Mrs"
- He refers to himself as "she" when disguised as Mrs. Featherbottom, he tells Maeby, "I'm sure wherever your father is right now, she loves you very, very much."
- The name Tobias makes up for himself is "Felitia Featherbottom," the first name being very similar to the word fellatio.
- Tricks/Illusions - G.O.B. refers to his magic as 'tricks' and titles his video 'tricks around the office', showing his poor memory, as he usually corrects others calling his magic 'tricks' by saying they are 'illusions'
- "Wrench" - Tobias sleeps on the couch on the set of the popular television show.
- "Double Negative" - After firing G.O.B., Michael tells Maeby "Your uncle doesn't not work here anymore," continuing the Bluth family's habit of speaking in double negatives.
- "Immediate Contradiction" - When watching the scene explaining George Michael's use of the video camera, you hear George Sr. say the business party didn't cost them anything. Moments later, after having watched George Michael's portion of the video, George Sr. says "I spent 2.1 Million dollars of good company money and end up with this?"
[edit] Hidden/background jokes
- G.O.B.’s campaign video for George Michael includes subliminal images of the devil, a pentagram, and Mr. Bananagrabber.
- The unflattering photo of Michael in the campaign video is taken from a scene in Switch Hitter.
- In his Star Wars sword fight video that the family is shown watching a year earlier, George Michael pretends his hand gets cut off and yells out "My hand! You cut off my hand!" and we then get a close up of Buster a bit worried when seeing that part.
- Lindsay's exchange with Lupe is a play on words; Lindsay wanted Lupe to "dust buster" in the house, which Lupe mistook for "does Buster."
[edit] Character cameos
- Gary, the gay employee at the Bluth Company, makes his second appearance, operating the camera for G.O.B.’s “Tricks Around the Office” video.
- Moses Taylor (playing Frank Wrench) is heard off screen while Tobias is using the bathroom of the Wrench set.
- Phyllis Smith makes a brief credited appearance as "Carla" during the office meeting, but has no lines. Within several weeks of this episode's air date she would begin appearing regularly in a similar role on NBC's "The Office."
[edit] Foreshadowing/future references
- There are numerous instances within the episode that foreshadow the reveal at the end of Steve Holt’s paternity. All of them are accompanied by dramatic foreshadowing music.
- G.O.B. says that if a religious woman gets pregnant, she stays pregnant. He knows because he dated a girl like that in high school.
- When Michael enlists G.O.B.’s help for the campaign, he says that Steve Holt is basically a young version of G.O.B.
- Upon seeing Steve Holt for the first time, G.O.B. says that he looks like a girl he did in high school.
- The story of Steve Holt and G.O.B.’s relationship would be explored in much greater detail in Season 3 of the show.
- This episode begins Tobias’s Mrs. Featherbottom storyline, which would continue for three episodes.
[edit] Goofs
- The Immaculate Conception, which the title of this epsiode is parodying, refers not to the conception of Jesus Christ by the Virgin Mary, but to the sinless conception of Mary, according to Catholic dogma. Therefore, the selection of that title— a reference to Steve Holt not knowing who his father is— makes no sense.
