Arrested Development (season 3)

Arrested Development (season 3)
DVD cover
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	13
Release
Original network	Fox
Original release	September 19, 2005 – February 10, 2006

The third season of the television comedy series Arrested Development aired between September 19, 2005 and February 10, 2006, on Fox in the United States. It consisted of 13 episodes, each running approximately 22 minutes in length. The third season was released on DVD in region 1 on August 29, 2006, in region 2 on April 23, 2007 and in region 4 on December 6, 2006.

The show's storyline centers on the Bluth family, a formerly wealthy, habitually dysfunctional family and is presented in a continuous format, incorporating hand-held camera work, narration, archival photos, and historical footage.

Plot

Michael again searches for his runaway father, George Sr. Gob receives an invitation to a father/son reunion outing, and believes it to be George Sr. trying to contact him. In reality, the invitation was meant to reunite Gob with Steve Holt, son of Eve Holt, a girl Gob slept with in high school. Meanwhile, George Michael and Maeby deal with their kiss by avoiding each other. Gob is excited to find out that he managed to get his puppet, Franklin, officially "in the system", meaning Franklin may be called for jury duty or be called to testify at a trial.

In an attempt to remain in disguise, George Sr. joins the Blue Man Group. Michael discovers this and arranges to have his father placed under house arrest. George Sr. claims that he was set up by an underground British group. Michael goes to Wee Britain, a fictional British-themed city district, to investigate, where he meets Rita Leeds (Charlize Theron). Michael and the audience are led to believe that Rita is a mole for the underground British group, working for a man named "Mr. F". However, love-struck Michael proposes to her, and the couple run off to wed. Finally, it is revealed that Rita is actually an "MRF", or "mentally retarded female". Despite Rita's "condition", the family pushes him to go forward with the marriage because Rita is wealthy and they want her money. Michael is not persuaded and gently ends the relationship just as he and Rita are about to walk down the aisle. Meanwhile, Tobias and Lindsay seek legal help from Bob Loblaw (Scott Baio) concerning their troubled marriage.

With the family's retainer used up because of Lindsay's and Tobias's advances, Bob Loblaw chooses to no longer represent the Bluth family. Attorney Jan Eagleman offers to take over, on the condition that they participate in a mock trial in a new reality courtroom show called "Mock Trial with J. Reinhold". Musical accompaniment for the show's theme song and perceived jokes from testifying witnesses is provided by "William Hung And His Hung Jury". Michael uses an illegal threat from prosecutor Wayne Jarvis to have the mock case "dismissed". Gob and Franklin briefly appear in another courtroom show presided over by Bud Cort. Meanwhile, Maeby and George Michael perform a mock wedding for Alzheimer's patient which is accidentally conducted by a real priest; the two become legally married.

The family members are afraid to testify at the mock trial and at the real deposition; Buster fakes a coma, Lindsay and Lucille fake entering rehab, and Gob flees the country to perform in a USO Tour in Iraq. The deceptions are all are uncovered by the prosecution, and in Iraq Gob is arrested for inadvertently inciting an anti-US riot. Buster and Michael travel to Iraq to rescue Gob, and while there, uncover evidence that the mini-palaces George Sr. built in Iraq were actually ordered and paid for by the CIA for wiretapping purposes, but the operation was accidentally mothballed and forgotten due to a lack of internal communication in the organization. After this discovery, the US government drops all of the charges against George Sr. In the general confusion, everyone except George Michael forgets Maeby's sixteenth birthday. But this also causes him to unwittingly get her fired from the job as film-executive she had conned her way into, as he letters invitations to the studio revealing her real age. Trying to console Maeby, George Michael ends up passionately kissing with her, making things even more awkward between the two.

To celebrate their victory in Iraq, the Bluths throw a shareholders' party on the RMS Queen Mary. During preparation for the party, it is revealed that Lindsay was adopted, meaning that George Michael and Maeby are not blood relatives. At the party, the Bluths' other adopted child, Annyong, reappears. He reveals that he is there to avenge the Bluth family's theft of his grandfather's frozen-banana idea and the cause of his subsequent deportation, an event orchestrated many years earlier by Lucille Bluth. Annyong has turned over evidence implicating Lucille in the Bluth Company's accounting scandals. Before the police arrive, Michael and George Michael flee on Gob's yacht, the C-Word, and depart to Cabo with half a million dollars in cashier's checks, finally leaving the family to fend for themselves. However, it is revealed in the epilogue that George Sr. is also on the yacht, having lured his brother Oscar into taking his place once again. Also in the epilogue, Maeby tries to sell the television rights to the story of the Bluth family to Ron Howard, who tells her that he sees it as a movie rather than a series.

Cast

• Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth
• Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Fünke
• Will Arnett as Gob Bluth
• Michael Cera as George Michael Bluth
• Alia Shawkat as Maeby Fünke
• Tony Hale as Buster Bluth
• David Cross as Tobias Fünke
• Jeffrey Tambor as George and Oscar Bluth
• Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth
• Ron Howard as Narrator (uncredited)

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code [1]	U.S. viewers (millions)
41	1	"The Cabin Show"	Paul Feig	Mitchell Hurwitz & Jim Vallely	September 19, 2005	3AJD01	4.62[2]
When Michael realizes that Oscar, not George Sr., is serving time in prison, he sets off to find his father while trying to find time to reconnect with his son at the family's cabin. Gob learns he has a son.
42	2	"For British Eyes Only"	John Fortenberry	Mitchell Hurwitz & Richard Day	September 26, 2005	3AJD02	4.02[3]
Michael falls for a British woman named Rita while investigating a claim by George Sr. that a British construction firm tricked him into doing business with the Iraqis.
43	3	"Forget-Me-Now"	John Amodeo	Tom Saunders	October 3, 2005	3AJD03	4.47[4]
The family's new attorney works on George Sr.'s defense as he plans his escape. Michael tries to destroy all evidence of his family so he won't have to introduce them to Rita. Gob demonstrates his "Forget-me-now" pills.
44	4	"Notapusy"	Lev L. Spiro	Ron Weiner	November 7, 2005	3AJD04	4.19[5]
Michael volunteers to participate in the father-son triathlon with Gob's son to prove his masculinity to Rita. Maeby attempts to expose the hypocrisy of an "Inner Beauty Contest" by appearing as her disabled alter-ego Surely. George Sr. mistakenly delivers a "Startled Straight" lecture to a gathering of gay men.
45	5	"Mr. F"	Arlene Sanford	Richard Day & Jim Vallely	November 7, 2005	3AJD05	3.94[5]
Gob tries to trick the company's Japanese investors by building a "Tiny Town", but Tobias ruins everything after he mistakes a CIA agent for a talent agent from CAA.
46	6	"The Ocean Walker"	Paul Feig	Jake Farrow & Sam Laybourne	December 5, 2005	3AJD06	4.09[6]
When Michael decides to marry Rita, his parents oppose the idea–until they learn she's worth millions of dollars. His second thoughts come when he discovers that she's mentally retarded.
47	7	"Prison Break-In"	Robert Berlinger	Karey Dornetto	December 12, 2005	3AJD08	3.91[7]
Michael is worried when he finds out that the prison warden is dating his mother and that the Bluth Foundation dinner is being held in the prison's new wing.
48	8	"Making a Stand"	Peter Lauer	Mitchell Hurwitz & Chuck Tatham	December 19, 2005	3AJD07	4.14[8]
After yet another instance of George Sr. pitting Michael and Gob against each other, Michael decides to teach his father a lesson.
49	9	"S.O.B.s"	Robert Berlinger	Richard Day & Jim Vallely	January 2, 2006	3AJD09	4.16[9]
To get enough money to hire a new family lawyer, everyone has to pitch in to prepare for the upcoming company fundraiser, aptly named "Save Our Bluths".
50	10	"Fakin' It"	Lev L. Spiro	Dean Lorey & Chuck Tatham	February 10, 2006	3AJD10	3.14[10]
George Sr. finally gets a lawyer, but Michael learns of a mysterious witness. Buster pretends he's in a coma so he doesn't have to testify.
51	11	"Family Ties"	Robert Berlinger	Ron Weiner	February 10, 2006	3AJD11	3.18[10]
Michael hires a woman who may be just what the company needs–and who might also be his long-lost sister, Nellie (played by Jason Bateman's sister Justine).
52	12	"Exit Strategy"	Rebecca E. Asher	Mitchell Hurwitz & Jim Vallely	February 10, 2006	3AJD12	3.47[10]
George Michael's surprise birthday party for Maeby lands her in big trouble; Michael and Buster make a startling discovery when they go to Iraq to rescue Gob.
53	13	"Development Arrested"	John Fortenberry	Story by: Mitchell Hurwitz & Richard Day Teleplay by: Chuck Tatham & Jim Vallely	February 10, 2006	3AJD13	3.43[10]
Michael is relieved to have all the charges against his father dropped and shocked to learn who holds the real power in his dysfunctional family.

Reception

Awards and nominations

In 2006, the third season received four Emmy nominations, for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Will Arnett), Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the series finale "Development Arrested".^[11]

Home media releases

The third season was released on DVD in region 1 on August 29, 2006,^[12] in region 2 on April 23, 2007^[13] and in region 4 on December 6, 2006.^[14] Special features include commentary by creator Mitchell Hurwitz and cast members on "Forget Me Now", "Mr. F" and "Development Arrested"; deleted and extended scenes; blooper reel; "The Last Day on Location" featurette.^[15]

References

1. "Arrested Development". Fox in Flight. Fox Broadcasting Company. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
2. "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. September 27, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
3. "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. October 4, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
4. "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. October 11, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
5. "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. November 15, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
6. "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. December 13, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
7. "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. December 20, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
8. "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. December 28, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
9. "Nielsen ratings report: Jan. 2-8, 2006". Variety. January 11, 2006. Retrieved August 31, 2012.  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required)
10. "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. February 14, 2006. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
11. "2005 - 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations" (Press release). The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. July 6, 2006. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
12. "Arrested Development - Season Three (2003)". Amazon.com. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
13. "Arrested Development - Season 3". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
14. "Arrested Development - Season 3". dvdloc8.com. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
15. "Arrested Development: 3". DVD Talk. August 16, 2006. Retrieved July 29, 2011.

External links

• List of Arrested Development episodes at the Internet Movie Database
• List of Arrested Development season 3 episodes at TV.com