Storming the Castle

"Storming the Castle"
Arrested Development episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 9
Directed by	Greg Mottola
Written by	Brad Copeland
Production code	1AJD08
Original air date	January 4, 2004
Guest stars
Liza Minnelli as Lucille Austero Patricia Velásquez as Marta Estrella Marc Grapey as Rollo Oliver Patrick Sandino as Amable Casey Sandino as Cortesio
Season 1 episodes
November 2003 – June 2004 Pilot Top Banana Bringing Up Buster Key Decisions Visiting Ours Charity Drive My Mother, the Car In God We Trust Storming the Castle Pier Pressure Public Relations Marta Complex Beef Consommé Shock and Aww Staff Infection Missing Kitty Altar Egos Justice Is Blind Best Man for the Gob Whistler's Mother Not Without My Daughter Let 'Em Eat Cake
All Arrested Development episodes

"Storming the Castle" is the ninth episode of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.

1 Plot
2 Episode notes
3 External links

Plot

While doing some business work at home, the chair Michael Bluth is sitting in collapses. Michael decides he'll get one from work, which George Michael questions. Michael tells his son that taking a leather chair from work isn't unethical, prompting the newly anti-leather Lindsay to voice her concern over the "skinning of cows." They are interrupted by Marta, who is looking for her boyfriend, Michael's older brother, Gob. Michael covers for his brother despite his feelings for Marta; as Lindsay soon points out, he is permanently the good guy who will never win. Maeby decides that if her mother is anti-leather, she'll turn pro-leather. George Michael agrees to go shopping with his cousin, deciding some leather could toughen his image (Maeby had recently pointed out his lack of leg hair). Michael meanwhile is confronted by Rollo, a menacing man in a limousine, who gives him a message: tell Gob to "say goodbye to his legs." Looking for his brother, Michael visits his mother's apartment. There he learns that Lucille Bluth is trying to break up Buster and his newfound love, Lucille's friend and social rival, Lucille Austero. Meanwhile, Tobias, desperate for his daughter's approval, decides to support her apparent newfound interest by getting his own "leather daddy" outfit.

Michael finds Gob at the Playtime Pizza Theater, where the magician has been forced to work since being kicked out of the Magician's Alliance. Michael learns that Gob has been cheating on Marta with the "legs" in his "saw-the-woman-in-half trick" (two women curl up in a box: one is the head and one is the legs). Rollo, it seems, wants the girl who plays the legs. Michael tells Gob that Marta is a "treasure and a once-in-a-lifetime woman" - a line which, as Marta later recounts to Michael, Gob used to prove his affection. Michael hesitates over telling Marta the truth about Gob, but upon realizing that Gob has stolen his watch, he decides it is time to be less selfless. He sets in motion a plan to steal Gob's girlfriend by revealing Gob's affair with the "legs" to Marta during the magic act. And he decides to take that leather chair he wanted.

Michael tells Rollo that he will get his "legs" back only if he allows Gob one last chance to get back into the Magician's Alliance; Rollo agrees and gives him an act at the Gothic Castle. As Michael becomes more selfish, George Sr. takes a more pious path. Stuck in solitary for a brutal two days, he discovers Judaism. When Lucille brings Buster to the prison so his father can disapprove of him dating Lucille Austero, George Sr. supports Buster instead.

The night of the magic show arrives; almost everyone attends. Tobias has a mixup with his cab driver, and instead of being taken to the "Gothic Castle," he finds himself at the "Gothic Arsehole," dressed in his leather daddy outfit. Meanwhile, Gob returns Michael's watch, vowing to become a better brother; that makes Michael regret his plan. Fortunately, "the legs" don't show; however, this leaves them in desperate need of some female legs on short notice. Gob's act begins; when it's time for the "saw the lady in half" trick, Gob is pleasantly surprised to see Marta come on stage. The illusion goes smoothly; George Michael is providing the "women's" legs. After the show, Lucille realizes the importance of love to her children, and finally decides to support Buster in his relationship with Lucille Austero. Her support takes the form of befriending Lucille 2, which freaks Buster out. Meanwhile, Michael watches as Gob and Marta reunite, once again in love. And so, Michael accepts that he is, in fact, the good guy.

Episode notes

This is the episode where George Sr. converts to Judaism, a prominent character change throughout the middle of Season 1. The storyline fizzles out after "Altar Egos", though he does continue to wear his yarmulke throughout the rest of the season.

Callbacks/running jokes

Escape attempt - The narrator mentions that George Sr. had been placed in solitary confinement after a failed escape attempt. In DVD episode order, the incident mentioned is most likely referring to his escape attempt in "In God We Trust".
Freedom sign guy - The man holding the "Freedom" sign from the "Pilot" is seen leaving the Gothic Arsehole. This is his second appearance in the show. The music playing in the club from which he emerges is another version of the song which played during his first appearance.
Gahb Bluth - This is the second and third time someone mispronounces Gob's name as it's spelled (by the announcer of his magic act, and the by the stage-hand, who says, "You better tell 'Gahb' the legs aren't coming.") The first time was in the "Pilot".
Gob sleeps around - GOB is cheating on his girlfriend Marta with a woman from his magic act.
Head injury - Michael hits his head on a fireplace and mentions that he didn't feel it, a possible effect from his injury in "My Mother, the Car".
Hole in his heart - Lucille says that Buster has a hole in his heart, a fact that's mentioned several times throughout the series.
Religious conversion - George Sr. discovers Judaism after the sun casts an image of the Star of David on the cell walls. George Sr.'s habit of converting over coincidental images is later demonstrated again in "The Immaculate Election".
The Gothic Castle - This is the first time the Gothic Castle is mentioned/appears on the show. The Bluths go there again in "Sword of Destiny". The Gothic Castle appears to be based on Magic Castle in Hollywood.
The Final Countdown - This is the first time Gob uses Europe's "The Final Countdown" during his magic show. It later becomes his magic theme, appearing the next time in "Missing Kitty".
Never-nude - Tobias is wearing cutoffs under his leather outfit.
Tobias is gay - More jokes are made about Tobias' sexuality.
- When trying to get at the frozen ice cream, he says, "You have to be some sort of She-Hulk to get this."
- When he refers to selling his wedding ring for money, his "purse" is overflowing with money.
- Tobias dresses up as a "leather daddy" and accidentally ends up at a gay nightclub known as the Gothic Arsehole. At the end of the episode, Tobias reveals he has joined a gay barbershop quartet, "Whip and Snaps," that performs at the Gothic Arsehole.
On the next...: "The Alliance decides to let G.O.B. back in, and Tobias gets some good news."

Hidden/background jokes

"I appreciate your time" - When Gob shakes Michael's hand, he tells him that he appreciates his time. Later on, Michael realizes that Gob stole his watch when he did this, adding a double-meaning to the "appreciate your time" line.
When Rollo threatened Michael, his window roller appears to be broken, so he must pull the window up instead.

Foreshadowing

Buster's genitalia - The first reference to something being wrong with Buster's genitalia comes in this episode. When it is revealed that Lucille Austero changed him as a child, Buster says, "That's why she didn't look surprised." While listing his various physical problems in "The One Where They Build a House" in order to get out of the Army, Buster reveals that his reproductive organ looks like a "lobster tail, but without its shell."
Gob's magic - In the opening to his act, as Gob produces scarves, one is held plastered to his face by an offscreen fan. This happens again in the episode titled "Missing Kitty" at the beginning of his disappearing yacht trick.
When Tobias is shopping for leather, the song "Discipline Daddy" from the season three episode "S.O.B.s" can be heard playing in the background.

External links

"Storming the Castle" at the Internet Movie Database
"Storming the Castle" at TV.com
"Storming the Castle" at The-OP.com