Meat the Veals (3 Apr. 2005)

Michael thinks George-Michael has set the bar too low with his dating standards, so he sets up a meeting between Ann's ultra-conservative parents and his family, hoping that would break ... See full summary »

Director:

Joe Russo

Writers:

Mitchell Hurwitz (creator), Richard Rosenstock,

Stars:

Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Bateman	...	Michael Bluth
Portia de Rossi	...	Lindsay Bluth Fünke
Will Arnett	...	Gob Bluth
Michael Cera	...	George-Michael Bluth
Alia Shawkat	...	Maeby Fünke
Tony Hale	...	Buster Bluth
David Cross	...	Tobias Fünke
Jeffrey Tambor	...	George Bluth Sr. / Oscar Bluth
Jessica Walter	...	Lucille Bluth
Ione Skye	...	Mrs. Veal
Alan Tudyk	...	Pastor Veal
Mae Whitman	...	Ann Veal
Simon Helberg	...	Jeff
Mather Zickel	...	Executive
Mario Joyner	...	Mario

Storyline

Michael thinks George-Michael has set the bar too low with his dating standards, so he sets up a meeting between Ann's ultra-conservative parents and his family, hoping that would break them up. But the plan backfires when Michael realizes Ann's family is just as screwed up as his.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Release Date:

3 April 2005 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 5, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mrs. Featherbottom (Tobias) says his car was shipped over from Blackstool. Blackstool is not a place in England, but a medical condition which human feces are an unusual color, usually black (hence the name).

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Goofs

In the final scene when Buster is using Franklin as a replacement arm you can clearly see a cameraman on the right of the screen.

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Quotes

George Sr.: Soak the puppet's mouth with ether, and have Franklin give Lucille a kiss to knock her out.
Gob: [as Franklin] I ain't kissin' that ol' bitch!
George Sr.: [starts to choke Franklin] That's my wife, you bastard!
Gob: Dad, that's my wrist!
George Sr.: [chokes Gob]
Gob: [as Franklin] Hey, that's his neck!

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Soundtracks

"End Credits Theme"
Composed by David Schwartz

User Reviews

This is it, the peak of the series....

Maybe not the best episode, but close, one of the most consistently laugh-out-loud episodes of Arrested Development. It was never this funny again- though it was still good.

Here, Michael Bluth learns his son George Michael is ready to propose to his girlfriend Ann, who Michael always disliked. Michael then tries to scare away Ann's parents by introducing them to the Bluth family, but the plan doesn't quite work out the way he hoped.

Among the strong points of the episode is a puppet named Franklin, operated by GOB who unwittingly makes it a racist stereotype of black Americans; and Tobias keeps up an unconvincing disguise as an English nanny a la Mrs. Doubtfire. But there's more to the episode than this. Michael's dislike for Ann is a great source for comedy, George's decision to renew his marriage comes to funny, chaotic results and odd wedding vows, and Maeby keeps up a double life more successfully than her father Tobias. With strong innuendo, physical humour and irony, and a climactic point in Ann's storyline, this episode is a winner.