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Arrested Development Bringing Up Buster (2003– ) Online

Arrested Development Bringing Up Buster (2003– ) Online
Original Title :
Bringing Up Buster
Genre :
TV Episode / Comedy
Year :
2003–
Directror :
Joe Russo
Cast :
Jason Bateman,Portia de Rossi,Will Arnett
Writer :
Mitchell Hurwitz,Mitchell Hurwitz
Type :
TV Episode
Time :
22min
Rating :
8.2/10
Arrested Development Bringing Up Buster (2003– ) Online

Lucille suggests that Buster be included in the family activities, but Buster is reluctant to leave his mother's apartment in hopes of avoiding Lucille 2. Meanwhile, Tobias takes over the directing duties for the high school play to rather disastrous results.
Episode cast overview:
Jason Bateman Jason Bateman - Michael Bluth
Portia de Rossi Portia de Rossi - Lindsay Bluth Fünke
Will Arnett Will Arnett - Gob Bluth
Michael Cera Michael Cera - George-Michael Bluth
Alia Shawkat Alia Shawkat - Maeby Fünke
Tony Hale Tony Hale - Buster Bluth
David Cross David Cross - Tobias Fünke
Jeffrey Tambor Jeffrey Tambor - George Bluth Sr.
Jessica Walter Jessica Walter - Lucille Bluth
Leonor Varela Leonor Varela - Marta Estrella
Richard Simmons Richard Simmons - Himself
Justin Grant Wade Justin Grant Wade - Steve Holt
Jim Ishida Jim Ishida - Administrator
Bart Tangredi Bart Tangredi - Coach Jerry

The first three episodes in general earned the show a Red Light from the Parents Television Council (PTC), who took objections to the incest theme between George Michael (Michael Cera) and Maeby (Alia Shawkat), the innuendos used such as "cornholing", "flamer", or Tobias (David Cross)'s homosexual comments, and the common usage of "censoring" expletives with a bleep. However, many fans argue that the innuendos used on the show are fairly vague, and would not be understood by children who didn't already know those terms. Additionally, while the PTC acknowledges that "'bleeps' are scripted into the program", it referred to Buster (Tony Hale)'s speech in this episode as being "censored by the network". Actually, Buster's actual words were anything but vulgar, as actor Tony Hale does not curse. (You can read his lips to see he is reciting the alphabet.)

The title of the episode is a reference to the 1938 movie Bringing Up Baby (1938).

This is one of the only two appearances for Leonor Varela as Marta.

We first see a demonstration of Tobias (David Cross)' self-described "catlike agility" in this episode as he rolls onto the stage.

The song G.O.B. (Will Arnett) plays when he moves into Lucille (Jessica Walter)'s apartment is the Foreigner song "Cold As Ice."

Richard Simmons, a flamboyant American fitness guru, appears in the infomercial for The Cornballer.

This episode is rated TV-PG-DL.

There are a few jokes that allude to the possibility that Tobias (David Cross) may be gay.

  • He is very quick to assume George Michael (Michael Cera) is gay. Later, Maeby (Alia Shawkat) tells George Michael that her father "thinks everyone's gay."
  • He confuses gender repetitively when talking about Steve Holt (Justin Grant Wade), ending with "For the love of God, she's playing a woman."
  • The coach who was previously set to direct the play calls Tobias a "little fruit."
  • When getting the kids to act out the romance in a more mature way, he reminds them that they are playing adults with fully-formed libidos, not "two young men playing grab-ass in the shower."
  • When Michael (Jason Bateman) and Tobias are talking at the model home about George Michael, he is wearing a chain on his glasses like women do.

Maeby (Alia Shawkat)'s name used as forshadowing: When Maeby quits the play that her father is directing, she says "I quit!", to which Tobias (David Cross) responds "Maeby...", forshadowing her return to the play later in the episode. This small joke occurs in other episodes, such as episode 1.20, Замедленное развитие: Whistler's Mother (2004).

Bleeps - This episode features two of the longest bleeps in the series:

  • Buster (Tony Hale) responds to Michael (Jason Bateman)'s ribbing about racing on their bikes with a five second comment almost entirely bleeped, to which Michael responds, "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that."
  • While trading negative comments on their mother, Buster takes things a step too far and horrifies his siblings with a bleeped tirade that lasts for a full eight seconds.

G.O.B. (Will Arnett) feeds a chain of paper clips, a pencil, and slices of white bread into the office shredder.

George, Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) says Buster (Tony Hale) spent eleven months in the womb, indicating that Lucille (Jessica Walter) may have conceived Buster two months after they stopped having sex. George Sr.'s mentioning that the doctor said there were "claw marks" on the inside of her womb may parallel Lucille's manipulation of doctors seen in episode 1.8, Замедленное развитие: My Mother the Car (2003).

"Her?" - In response to Tobias (David Cross)'s casting of Steve Holt (Justin Grant Wade) as the female lead, Michael (Jason Bateman) utters the one-word phrase "Her?" that would become one of the show's catchphrases in the second season.

This is the 1st introduction of the character, Steve Holt (Justin Grant Wade)...he will later play a big part in the Bluth family.

G.O.B. (Will Arnett) is seen reading a book at Lucille (Jessica Walter)'s apartment called Turn of the Century French Erotica.


User reviews

Faugami

Faugami

The third episode in the Arrested Development series, "Bringing Up Buster" is another funny episode. It may be just a tad down from the first two entries, but it still has enough comedy and characterization to be another memorable episode. Plus we have come to care (or not care) about the Bluth family and we like to see every move they make.

This episode has Lucille not happy that Buster is hanging around her so she suggests that he works for the company. Meanwhile, Tobias is directing a school play that has both George Michael and Maeby acting in it.

Overall, this is a funny episode. I really love Tobias as a wannabe show artist and Buster is just too funny. I rate this episode 9/10.
Matty

Matty

A few years ago I set a long-term goal to write a review on all 53 episodes of Arrested Development on IMDb, and now that I'm close to achieving that aim, Netflix is going to be dropping 14 episodes in just one day, and I'll be behind again. I've decided to make an important AD episode, Bringing Up Buster from season 1, the subject of my 300th IMDb review.

In truth, when I first saw the show in 2007, I would have ranked Bringing Up Buster near the bottom among AD episodes. A little bit of time soon altered my perspective and the episode gained in stature in my eyes. Being the third episode, it comes too close to Top Banana, which also ended with sweet Michael-George Michael bonding complete with the Burn It, Aunt Mommy music. But Bringing Up Buster works well as a standalone episode. In it, Lucille grows tired of Buster being around the apartment all the time and drops him off with Michael at the Bluth Company- just as Michael is concerned his own son is pulling away from him. Meanwhile, George Michael and Maeby join a high school play with the moron jock Steve Holt, while Tobias takes the director's chair after threatening to puke all over the principal's head, sir. This is Steve Holt's first episode, about a full year and four months before it's revealed he's actually a Bluth, himself (contrary to some critics' claim that every new character is revealed to be a Bluth two episodes later).

There's humour all over, including physical humour with the Cornballer or Tobias falling over in his director's chair, awkward humour like George Michael shouting out his incestuous kiss question, and GOB looking for a place to live. Incidentally, although Lucille acts cold much of the time, the way she laughs with GOB here suggests they secretly love each other more than they let on. But Buster's the real star of the show, after having been completely left out in Top Banana. We get insight into his personality upon hearing he spent 11 months in the womb, and also learn that although he is a pushover, he will take offence when a bird walks on his pillow. There's no doubt that Bringing Up Buster is a classic.
Wild Python

Wild Python

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
Onath

Onath

Arrested Development

Arrested Development is another take on dysfunctional family; created by Mitchell Hurwitz, with lots of twists and turns and mystery that helps kick the series into another level and stand alone. The narration by Ron Howard that guides the viewers is actually a smarter concept that it actually seems, since the makers doesn't feel the need to explain the situation and momentum through cheesy and additional dialogues; a slick move.

It is short on technical aspects like cinematography, background score and art design although the camera work is plausible and is shot beautifully with pleasing, light and breezy environment.

The writing is strong in terms of the material offered especially since it doesn't feel the urge to push boundaries just to crack a smile, and instead focuses on the irony of it and lets it flow fluently with well barred structure. The amusing concept, enfolding tricks, gripping screenplay, parallel sub-plots that are well edited which later merges in brilliantly are some of the high points of the series.

There is also a lot of going on in mere 20 minutes for the audience to let it sink in which may seem overstuffed at times but it does the work which is to keep the audience tangled into it. The characters are more mature and pragmatic than the audience usually gets in a sitcom where they might not be lovable or even likable at times, but their humane-ness keeps the viewers rooting for them.

The performance is somewhat fragile in here since the protagonist Jason Bateman is in his A game but unfortunately isn't supported to that extent by its supporting cast (Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi and David Cross).

Season 01

The first act in here is somewhat of an introductory section for the character development is handled well enough if not evolved entirely (there is no need to grab the whole bite too). It is also fast paced and evenly distributive among the characters that shares their screen time and factors in with a greater impact than the protagonist.

Bringing Up Buster

A slower yet an essential episode especially through characters' perspective as it helps build an interesting arc by the justifying there existence being and the room and range they can offer in future along with humor.