Arrested Development: Season 1, Episode 3 "Bringing Up Buster"

Arrested Development: Season 1, Episode 3 "Bringing Up Buster" 

 Release Date: November 16, 2003
When the offspring of a parent is given independence for the first time, how does parents/offspring alike react? That is the question that the extremely-detailed writers try to answer this this incredibly funny and uproarious third episode in Arrested Development’s first season. After staying out of the spotlight in the second episode, Buster Bluth makes a triumphant return in this episode, titled “Bringing Up Buster” (yes, you have noticed this title was ripped off the 1938 screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby.). There are two important things introduced to us in this episode: fan favorite Steve Holt (!) and the infamous Cornballer. Steve Holt (played brilliantly by Justin Grant Wade) is the high school quarterback whom Maeby has a giant crush on even though Steve Holt is basically a brainless…ahem dolt. Every time we see the guy, he always says his name with the exclamation point. Another brilliant idea from the writers and Mitchell Hurwitz is the Cornballer, which is a deep fat fryer made illegal in the United States and Mexico because it splatters the user with super-hot batter which causes a long parade of profanity. As Michael likes to say when using the Cornballer, “Don’t touch it!” These “props” are very important, famous, and funny.

Lucille can not afford to keep Buster at college anymore, so he has been staying with Lucille annoying her. She forces Michael to get Buster more involved in the family. While Michael is at board meetings, we see Buster keeping “busy.” Continuing on the theme of parents invading the lives of their children, Maeby decides to join the school play to get closer to Steve Holt. Tobias takes that as a sign that Maeby wants to get closer to him because of his acting profession and signs up to be the director of the play much to Maeby’s chagrin. Meanwhile, George-Michael wants to join the play to get closer to Maeby and he tells his father that he can choose whatever he wants to do in his spare time.

I really enjoyed this episode. The performances are really funny and I particularly liked some of the deadpan shown between George-Michael and Maeby. Visual motifs are present over the course of the episode. My favorite motif is when we see members of the Bluth clan arguing with each other in close-up mode, but the camera dials back to see they are actually arguing in front of a crowd of people. That motif is used in my favorite scene towards the end where Michael says, “You were flying today, buddy.” Buster responds, “Yes, but I was a little too close to the sun.” Then Lucille shrieks, “You let him near the sun?” Then, the camera backs up and reveals they have this talk in the board room. Such a classic moment! This is a very funny episode in this young season so far. There is also a running subplot where Lindsay attempts to trick her mother into purchasing expensive items. I like how she does not know how to get a job or earn her own money. She quotes, “I have purchased my own items….with the company’s credit card.” Another classic quote!


My Grade: A

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