"Arrested Development"
Prison Break-In (2005)

Director:

Robert Berlinger

Writers:

Mitchell Hurwitz (creator) and
Karey Dornetto (writer)

TV Series:

"Arrested Development" (2003)

Original Air Date:

12 December 2005 (Season 3, Episode 7)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The family plans their annual fund raiser, and they actually have a cause this time - Tobias is ailing due to his transplanted hair plugs...

Plot Keywords:

Father Son Relationship | Self Referential | Narrator | Narration | Handheld Camera

Cast

Jason Bateman	...	Michael Bluth
Portia de Rossi	...	Lindsay Bluth Fünke
Will Arnett	...	George "Gob" Bluth II
Michael Cera	...	George-Michael Bluth
Alia Shawkat	...	Mae "Maeby" Fünke
Tony Hale	...	Byron "Buster" Bluth
David Cross	...	Tobias Fünke
Jeffrey Tambor	...	George Bluth Sr. / Oscar Bluth
Jessica Walter	...	Lucille Bluth
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rosemary Garris	...	Charity Guest
Sema Jay Hall	...	African-American Boy Inmate
Mackenzie Hannigan	...	Boy Gentles
Toby Holguin	...	Prisoner #1
Kenneth Kimmins	...	Doctor Carr
James Lipton	...	Warden Stefan Gentles
Hector Atreyu Ruiz	...	Prison Guard
Andrew Vo	...	Boy Prisoner #2

Goofs:

Continuity: When Michael drops his guitar, the music stand falls to the ground. A later clip in the scene shows the music stand back in place.

Quotes:

Tobias Fünke: Goose Chill! repeated line

Movie Connections:

References "Prison Break" (2005)

Proof that it's possible for Arrested Development to be bad

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is the episode that demonstrated it's possible to use Arrested Development characters and actors and still wind up with a bad episode. The key ingredient is a new writer who, thankfully, never wrote another episode. And unlike other episodes that improved upon second viewing, this one worsened.

I've heard of fans who disliked this because the ill Tobias came across as disgusting. More disgusting still was a dried, dead turtle seen falling apart. Previous jokes about dead animals in good episodes were never so graphic; they didn't need to be. The turtle belongs to Buster, who named it Mother, so here we see the motherboy turned to Norman Bates. Not appealing.

The main plot of the episode, though, is whether Lucille will have an affair, but none of the characters except Michael actually care. Their apathy spread to me. Part of that related to George plotting another ridiculous escape, and here he does it in a completely unoriginal way (the same way from the season 2 finale). Here's a question left unanswered: If Michael cares about his parents' faithfulness, why did he suggest she go on a date in the first season 3 episode? Michael even says it's his duty to keep the family together. Taken right from the opening credits.