| Arrested Development Season 2: Afternoon Delight
“Afternoon Delight,” which aired on 12/19/04 and was directed by none other than Jason Bateman himself, opens with Michael using the Bluth Company crane to retrieve the banana stand from the bay, the dumping of the stand being a holiday tradition among the local youth. Michael returns to the model home to get George Michael so that they can engage in their holiday tradition of rebuilding the banana stand, but instead finds G.O.B parading around in one of George, Sr’s suits. G.O.B is happy to finally be filling his father’s shoes as the company president (except the shoes don’t fit and the crotch had to be taken in), but Michael is afraid that G.O.B might be alienating the employees. G.O.B doesn’t think the president has to worry about alienating the employees; after all, these are the people who expect him to pour coffee, hold elevators, and even take a whiz while wearing his ridiculously expensive suits—come on! G.O.B’s confident that Michael will see how much the employees like him when they toast him at the holiday party. Michael, on the other hand, used to take the holiday parties very seriously so that the other employees wouldn’t resent him, so he’s looking forward to having some fun this year with his son. Maeby’s extremely happy that she doesn’t have to go to the party until Lindsay reveals that she’s hoping to meet someone—if Maeby’s there Lindsay will just seem like she’s a mother. Lindsay does want Tobias to go so that men won’t be intimidated by the name “Tobias” when they hear Lindsay is in an open relationship; Tobias, however, will be covered in blue make-up in case the blue man group needs their understudy. George Michael informs his father that he’s planning on going to the Christmas party that Ann’s parents are having (they’re making yams!), but since the Veals are on Bethlehem time(which is pretty early),he offers to make an appearance at the Company party. Michael attempts, rather unsuccessfully, to hide his jealously and disappointment, telling George Michael to be with Yam, and goes upstairs for some hypocritical advice from George, Sr. Unfortunately, their heart-to-heart is interrupted by an urgent phone call from Lucille, who’s shrieking about a hole in the window and a break-in at her apartment; George, Sr. is extremely happy to hear the tension in her voice, taking it to mean that she’s not “getting any” from his brother, Oscar. Michael rushes over to his mother’s apartment to find her armed with a rape horn and poker, so that she can both blow and poke the intruder if he should return. Upon inspection, Michael finds that all the glass is on the outside of the broken window, along with one of his mother’s little statues—Oscar has embarked on his annual pilgrimage to Berkeley in order to recharge his chi (or score his pot and wag his pickle at co-eds) and Michael suggests that perhaps Lucille is lonely and acting out for a little attention. Lucille suggests that Michael move in with her, since she’s sent Annyong to the Milford school and Buster has left for his army training. Unbeknownst to Lucille, Buster has not gone to army training—while getting change for the bus, Buster is distracted by the skill crane machine, which contains plenty of items “that could be good for army.” Twenty yards away, Michael and Maeby work on reconstructing the banana stand; Maeby was signed out of school early so that Lindsay wouldn’t have to pick her up later and be late to the Christmas party. Maeby feels neglected, and Michael, angry about his son’s decision to spend the night with Ann, invites Maeby to go with him to the party. They stop by the office to see if G.O.B needs help setting up for that evening, but G.O.B is concerned by the presence of Maeby—he really doesn’t want people’s kids getting their sticky little fingers all over his 2600 dollar pants. G.O.B also warns Michael not to have too much fun at the party since he’s already invested a lot of energy in a highly graphic sexual harassment speech which included commanding all employees to stay away from Lindsay. Feeling festive, G.O.B decides to start the party right then, in the middle of the work day, ordering everybody to dance (even if they are in their cubicle in the middle of a business call with their headset on). Michael and Maeby begin to cut loose, sticking anything they can find on the back of G.O.B.’s suit, while Lucille shows up hysterical due to another break in. This time all the liquor’s been stolen—what Lucille doesn’t know is that G.O.B stole the liquor in order to cut down on party expenses. Lucille’s lonely, particularly because Buster has led her to believe that he’s doing well at army. Having completely blown off army training, Buster returned home after his day playing the skill crane and passed off the seal and gorilla he won as his army awards(for marksmanship and sand racing, respectively), informing Lucille that he had to return to army immediately because they were putting him in the hero squad. Lucille is still under the impression that Michael will be staying with her, and Michael calls Tobias so that he can go stay with Lucille instead. Lindsay’s not having the best time at the party—due to G.O.B’s sexual harassment speech, men are running from her advances, and her daughter is spending all of her time with Michael. George Michael isn’t happy either—having been let out of Ann’s creepy “party” during the second hour of silent prayer, his father neglects him in order to sing karaoke with Maeby. Lindsay and George Michael leave, upset and ignored, missing Maeby and Michael’s inappropriate rendition of “Afternoon Delight,” which, unbeknownst to Michael, is about an afternoon quickie. Upon realizing this, Michael cuts the song off abruptly, giving G.O.B an opportunity to be toasted. G.O.B, however, doesn’t like the sincere toast that his employee, Tom, gives, or the fact that the entire staff is laughing at him, so he makes the executive decision to fire the whole company. Sitting in the aftermath of the disastrous party, Michael and G.O.B decide that it’s best to go back to the way things used to be, with Michael being business-like and G.O.B being the good-time useless party guy. G.O.B suggests having another party to hire back all the employees, since he didn’t get to have any fun at the first one. Michael commissions Maeby to help him set up the new party by the Bluth’s frozen banana stand, and Lucille shows up once more hysterical—she was attacked last night by a colored man. The man, “colored” blue, was actually Tobias, who Lucille blew with her horn and poked with her poker. In trying to figure out how to calm his mother down, Michael remembers his father’s earlier statement regarding Lucille’s tension—perhaps if Lucille was having sex with Oscar, she would leave Michael alone. Michael and Maeby find Oscar outside a local gas station, and Michael suggests that Oscar give his mother a little afternoon delight; Oscar, unfortunately, thinks Michael means “afternoon deelite,” a type of marijuana famous for slowing behavior. George Michael and Lindsay, angry about the time Michael and Maeby have been spending together, decide to go to the second party together. Having decided to put the afternoon deelite in Lucille’s brownie, Oscar proceeds to get Lucille stoned, at which she point she flees the apartment in search of frozen bananas. G.O.B shows up to the party in a 600 dollar banana suit in order to make everybody laugh again; it’s really hot in the banana stand, however, and G.O.B decides to take off his peel and leave outside the stand. George Michael and Lindsay, having missed the performance from the previous party, begin their own rendition of “Afternoon Delight,” which is overshadowed by Lucille rolling up in search of a frozen banana, running over Tobias (who can’t hear due to being blown), hitting G.O.B’s banana peel, and smashing into the banana stand. G.O.B is crushed inside the stand, and Buster uses his newly acquired crane skills to rescue him with the Bluth Company crane. He is, unfortunately, ill-acquainted with lowering gently, and releases G.O.B into the ocean. Michael and his son unite in order to rebuild the banana stand once again; both apologize for being jealous and muse over the inexplicable raunchiness of such a catchy little tune…. “Sky rockets in fight, Afternoon Delight!” Tune in Sndays at 8:30 Fox for Season Two of Arrested Development Tune in Sunday at 8:30 on Fox for Season Two of Arrested Development. |
Quotes from " Afternoon Delight " Lindsay: No, you’re not going to that. See, if I show up with you, it’ll just make me seem like I’m a mother George, Sr.: Don’t get involved, believe me. When I thought your first wife was driving us apart, I did not make a stink. Lucille: I heard about the banana stand, and now there’s been a break-in. But I have a surprise for whoever it is if he comes back--first I blow him, then I poke him. Michael: Didn’t you adopt a child for this very reason, so that you would never be alone? Maeby: My mom signed me out of school early so that she wouldn’t have to pick me up later so then she wouldn’t be late for the Christmas party. G.O.B: And if anybody does anything with my sister, Lindsay, I’ll take off my pants, I’ll shave my [bleep], and I’ll personally [bleep]. Lucille: Buster! Thank God you’re back—there’s no shame in being a coward. Lucille: You have no idea what it’s like to be abandoned by your son. Lindsay: How was your party? Michael: Hey, I thought you were at your party. Oscar: Well sure, the question is…which way do I try to get it in her?
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