It's Take Your Daughter to Work Day and Michael decides to take Maeby to the Bluth Company office, determined to be a better role model for her than her actual parents. In this episode, Michael is especially unhappy with Lindsay for shoplifting her new outfits, although the truth is she paid for them after getting a job at the clothing store and is too embarrassed to tell her family about it. This is a precious depiction of Lindsay. Maeby tries to run (as do a few other daughters in this episode), but Michael and Maeby work well together, as we'll see again in season 2's Afternoon Delight.
Brilliantly crafted, everything comes together perfectly in Arrested Development, particularly in its first season, and Not Without My Daughter is no exception. AD is a highly detailed show and the bits and pieces fit even more intricately than Greek mythology. The characters interact wonderfully, from Annyong's "go fatty" to Lindsay calling Lucille "old thing" to Buster and George talking sports, a hilariously savagely honest scene in which Buster becomes uptight about George's language. Buster's description of Lucille as happy but mean is spot on, and Barry is priceless, not whispering to Michael and singing to a police officer's baby. The episode ties in with other episodes, especially building on Missing Kitty. Within the episode, there are overarching themes of self-esteem (including from the prison guard's daughter) and characters feeling insecure about their manliness (GOB, George Michael, Tobias and Buster all grapple with the problem here; the concept came up again in season 3's Notapusy).
Among the elements that come together well is the hilariously awkward scene in which George Michael loses the interest of a 13-year-old girl at the store with her father. (This is, in fact, an even more awkward episode for George Michael than usual). Tobias also gets a job as a security guard at the store, losing it in the end after trying to shoot the mice GOB freed. Other scenes that work include the police questioning Michael about Kitty's disappearance (with flashbacks to Missing Kitty), which takes a dramatic tone but with some absurdity shining through. Writers Mitch Hurwitz and Richard Rosenstock did a good job here; their self-esteem must be through the roof.
Brilliantly crafted, everything comes together perfectly in Arrested Development, particularly in its first season, and Not Without My Daughter is no exception. AD is a highly detailed show and the bits and pieces fit even more intricately than Greek mythology. The characters interact wonderfully, from Annyong's "go fatty" to Lindsay calling Lucille "old thing" to Buster and George talking sports, a hilariously savagely honest scene in which Buster becomes uptight about George's language. Buster's description of Lucille as happy but mean is spot on, and Barry is priceless, not whispering to Michael and singing to a police officer's baby. The episode ties in with other episodes, especially building on Missing Kitty. Within the episode, there are overarching themes of self-esteem (including from the prison guard's daughter) and characters feeling insecure about their manliness (GOB, George Michael, Tobias and Buster all grapple with the problem here; the concept came up again in season 3's Notapusy).
Among the elements that come together well is the hilariously awkward scene in which George Michael loses the interest of a 13-year-old girl at the store with her father. (This is, in fact, an even more awkward episode for George Michael than usual). Tobias also gets a job as a security guard at the store, losing it in the end after trying to shoot the mice GOB freed. Other scenes that work include the police questioning Michael about Kitty's disappearance (with flashbacks to Missing Kitty), which takes a dramatic tone but with some absurdity shining through. Writers Mitch Hurwitz and Richard Rosenstock did a good job here; their self-esteem must be through the roof.