Michael anticipates becoming the new president of his father's homebuilding company, having put up with his family for years in order to achieve it. Instead, the position is given to his mother, Lucille-just before his father George Sr. is arrested by the SEC. When his family proves unable to run the company, Michael reluctantly returns to help. Meanwhile, Gob's magic career is derailed and George Michael develops a crush on his cousin Maeby.
The Season One DVD contained an "Extended Pilot" with several differences from the original aired version, including extended scenes: Several bits of dialogue that have been cut for time from the aired version are reinstated here. For instance, while citing people who have already explored the world, Michael mentions NASA to Buster; Lindsay's conversation at her "Stop the Hunger" fundraiser and George Sr.'s speech are heard in their entirety; John Beard jokes about the boat chase being "slow as molasses" before announcing George Sr.'s arrest etc. Instead of saying that "a trick is something a whore does for money... or candy", Gob ends the line with "... or cocaine". George Sr. is seen going through, as Michael puts it, "a little bit of a cowboy phase": he has been calling Michael "pard'ner", wears a cowboy hat on the boat, starts his speech with "it's time for me to mosey on", not to mention the banner behind him that says "Happy Trails, Pard'ner". At the end of the episode, Michael advises George Sr. to "tone down that cowboy act" now that he's in jail. Only the hat and the banner remained in the aired episode. An extended conversation between Michael and George Michael at the beginning of the episode: Michael is confident about being promoted to a partner because George Sr. has been calling him "pard'ner", George Michael takes Michael aback by criticizing Lindsay and Tobias for never working (although he is only quoting Michael himself, and in fact Michael later tells them the exact same thing in almost exact same words) , and mentions they only come to visit once every couple of years. As they prepare to leave the model house, a couple enters to check it out, and Michael and George Michael pretend to be interested in buying it. The aired episode omits these pieces of dialogue, but instead features an additional line of narration, stating that Michael and Lindsay haven't spoken for a year. An additional scene between George Michael and Gob, in which Gob asks George Michael for a twenty dollar bill, gives him an incomplete game of Monopoly, chit-chats with him, and then leaves, refusing to give back the money. (The inclusion of this scene makes it humorous that George Michael is later shown packing up to leave and stacked next to him are numerous boxes of Monopoly. Clearly his uncle has cheated him out of $20 numerous times.) The conversation between Michael and Gob about Gob performing a magic show on the boat is preceded by a scene where Michael makes arrangements for the party with the boat's captain. Gob arrives and interrupts them, leading to an awkward pause, after which the captain leaves. Maeby's introduction features a cutaway scene showing an example of Maeby's unique ways to rebel: as Lindsay suggests she should get a tattoo, Maeby, wearing a dress, replies that she wants to enter beauty pageants. Before George Sr.'s speech, George Michael tells Maeby that he feels like it's important for him to work weekends, as "there aren't enough young people today with a work ethic", but can't explain what it means. Both the scenes after Buster collapses in the meeting room and during the intervention at Lucille's are longer: it is shown that the intervention is Tobias' idea, and at first, Gob tries to make it look like an actual intervention, suggesting that everyone should tell Michael what they don't like about him, before Michael interrupts him. During the "On the next" segment, the narrator says "Many find work for the first time": in addition to Gob interviewing at the Sitwell Housing Inc, Lindsay is seen being explained her new job as a saleswoman at a jewelry store, but then decides to shop instead. Both uses of the F-word are uncensored. See more »
[first lines]
Narrator:
This is Michael Bluth. For ten years, he's worked for his father's company waiting to be made a partner. And right now, he's happy.
See more »
Alternate Versions
The first season DVD features a longer version of the pilot. Several scenes are longer, the two uses of "fuck" are not bleeped out, and Gob has a different follow up to "A trick is something a whore does for money." See more »
Here it is! The beginning of one of the most fantastic And intelligent comedies Ever created.
This first episode does a good job of introducing us to the main characters and their individual quirks. Also introduces us to the idiosyncratic style of the show, with narration and witty mini scenes interspersed throughout.
As far as comedies go, you can tell straight away that this show is something completely special and unique. It's hard to appreciate the originality now that I've seen it many times.
It isn't quite up to the levels of hilarity that it will eventually achieve - but you can see the ideas taking root. Feels like watching a special piece of history to go back to it now.
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Here it is! The beginning of one of the most fantastic And intelligent comedies Ever created.
This first episode does a good job of introducing us to the main characters and their individual quirks. Also introduces us to the idiosyncratic style of the show, with narration and witty mini scenes interspersed throughout.
As far as comedies go, you can tell straight away that this show is something completely special and unique. It's hard to appreciate the originality now that I've seen it many times.
It isn't quite up to the levels of hilarity that it will eventually achieve - but you can see the ideas taking root. Feels like watching a special piece of history to go back to it now.