The essential episodes of Arrested Development
Watch these 25 in order and you've got Arrested Development — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Meet the Bluths. In the pilot, Michael decides to take a job in Arizona after being passed over by George Sr. for head of the Bluth Company. George Sr. is jailed, and the family realizes they need Michael.
- 02
Buster realizes that medical marijuana will help cure Lucille 2's vertigo, and pays George Michael to get it for him from Gob. Lindsay sends Maeby to spend a day with Lucille to punish her for bad grades. Michael thinks George Michael is on drugs and attempts to teach him a lesson.
- 03
When George Michael is rejected by a private school due to the family's reputation, Michael hires a publicist from his gym who he's been flirting with to change the public perspective of the Bluths. Meanwhile, Tobias is sent to Boston to reclaim his medical license.
- 04
When Lucille throws an anniversary party for Tobias and Lindsay on Valentine's Day, Michael gives an impassioned speech about love. This makes Marta realize she has feelings for him and Lindsay realize she wants a divorce. Meanwhile, Buster decides to move out of the penthouse and Lucille revels in living alone for the first time.
- 05
After learning that Marta has feelings for him, Michael goes to her and they decide to get permission from Gob before taking things to the next level. Meanwhile, Lindsay and Tobias finally get to the heart of his "never-nude" problem and George Sr. faces his first hearing.
- 06
Michael falls for his George Michael's ethics teacher, whom his son also has a crush on. Meanwhile, Lucille adopts a 14-year old Korean boy, and George Sr.'s "Caged Wisdom" tapes have given him a new admirer.
- 07
When Michael discovers his family has been receiving paychecks without working, he forces them all to get jobs within the company. Lindsay questions his management skills, and Tobias checks himself in at George Sr.'s prison to research a film role.
- 08
Gob steals a file on the government's case against the Bluth Company that Maggie had given to Michael. Tobias is sent to Maggie's house to get evidence, George Michael tries to prove Maeby's fraud, and Lindsay fights to remove the Ten Commandments from the courthouse lawn.
- 09
Gob attempts to make good on his promise to make the family yacht disappear. Meanwhile, Lindsay and Maeby try to track down Lindsay's grandmother, Tobias seeks George Sr.'s respect, and Michael attempts to fire Kitty, who claims to have information that could bring down the company.
- 10
Michael takes Maeby to work with him on Take Your Daughter to Work Day. After being slighted by Michael, Tobias, George-Michael and Gob all go to the mall to prove that they are just manly. Oscar takes Lucille and Buster to Annyong's soceer game.
- 11
When George Sr. is apprehended, the police realize they have mistakenly caught Oscar, George Sr.'s twin brother. With George Sr. at large, Michael is next in line to be prosecuted for the Bluth Co. crimes and must find funds immediately to stay out of jail. Too proud and angry to ask his family members for help, Michael is further vexed to find out that they are doing perfectly well without him - Lindsay and Tobias have decided to have an open relationship, Gob is running the company and Lucille has asked Oscar to move in and be a role model for Buster.
- 12
The One Where They Build a House
Due to Michael's continuing legal troubles, Gob agrees to be the company figurehead while Michael pulls the strings, an arrangement which, of course, ends up driving Michael completely crazy when Gob's showmanship and ludicrous ideas impress the board. Meanwhile, the mistaken identities continue when George Sr. is arrested in Mexico for a crime that Oscar committed, and Oscar takes George Sr.'s place in a way no one could have predicted.
- 13
When the staircar turns up in Mexico, Michael decides to organize the family and go down to pick it up. Gob becomes suspicious of Michael's behavior so he hires a bounty hunter to follow him. Michael discovers this and rehires the bounty hunter to search for George Sr. Meanwhile, Lindsay develops a crush on the bounty hunter and Buster spends time with housekeeper Lupe's family and thinks he's in Mexico.
- 14
When Lucille hires a bounty hunter to find George Sr., he delivers the disturbing news that George Sr. is dead. Each Bluth copes with the pain in a different way: Gob tries to pull off an elaborate illusion, Maeby tries to set up Lindsay with the bounty hunter, and Michael tries to mend his son's relationship. Meanwhile, George Sr. is closer than they all think.
- 15
When Michael reunites with his long lost love, Sally Sitwell, their romance is interrupted by meddling parents. Meanwhile, Gob starts to fall for Lucille 2 and Lucille worries about who will bid on her in the bachelorette auction this year since Buster is dating someone.
- 16
When Lucille abducts George-Michael to take Buster's place at the annual mother-son dance, Michael and Buster try to save him and end up in a compromising position. Meanwhile, Tobias gets a role in which he must act like George Sr., which makes him more attractive to Lindsay.
- 17
Gob and Buster team up for some magic tricks with the help of Buster's fake hand, but when Tony Wonder, a rival magician, starts to mentor them, somebody gets the finger. Meanwhile, Michael is forced to delegate some work when he's hospitalized and Lindsay teaches George Michael how to drive using the staircar.
- 18
When George Michael gives Ann a promise ring, Michael is concerned it's too much, too fast and decides to talk to her parents, the Veals. But when his plan backfires, Michael takes matters into his own hands. Meanwhile, George Sr. enlists Gob's help in abducting Lucille and taking her to renew their vows in order to get her away from Oscar.
- 19
Due to shoddy plumbing on the model home, Michael must call an inspector to check out the house. But when he asks George Sr. to vacate the attic so that he won't have to cover for him, Gob steps in to help and all hell breaks loose. Meanwhile, George Michael helps Ann stage a boycott of the American version of "Dangerous Liaisons" and they inadvertently turn the movie into a bigger hit for Maeby. And when Michael asks Tobias to keep an eye on Kitty, their relationship begins to bloom, much to Lindsay's dismay.
- 20
Michael is back in charge of The Bluth Co. and things appear to be on track. However, when Michael decides to take his son on a trip to the family cabin, his plan goes off course when he decides to track down George Sr. and ends up in Reno. Meanwhile, Lindsay - along with George Michael and Maeby, who are still dealing with the aftermath of their awkward kiss - goes searching for Tobias and discovers he's not blue without her. Gob goes to an event hosted by a group that reunites abandoned sons with their fathers and gets a surprise of his own, while Lucille is up to her old tricks dealing with Buster.
- 21
Trevor tells Rita that Michael must be eliminated; the family tries to trick Japanese investors; George-Michael mistakes a jet pack as a gift.
- 22
Michael tries to keep family members from selling their shares of company stock; George-Michael tells his father about being attracted to Maeby.
- 23
Buster struggles to make it on his own and break away from his overbearing mother.
- 24
Gob acquires a new office for the company with a "premium view." Michael gets a shock when he returns to a place that holds a lot of memories.
- 25
As the Bluths come together to unveil a wall, they once again discover that they deserve nothing more than to be saddled with each other forever.
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