Read brief synopses from all episodes of Arrested Development. Click the thumbnails on the left of each recap to see screencaptures from that episode, if available.

Contains spoilers!

 

Michael says goodbye to the family business and starts his own. And the life of the family is turned upside down when their mailman Pete dies.

Isla does not appear in this episode.

 

George Sr. comes up with a get rich quick scam after his family falls apart.

Isla does not appear in this episode.

 

Lindsay tries to reclaim her sense of self while traveling and getting back to her political activist roots.

Isla does not appear in this episode.

 

Michael is presented with a new business opportunity that could change his life. Unfortunately, he needs his family to sign off.

Michael meets with movie producer Ron Howard to discuss a new project; during the conversation Michael misinterprets Ron when he is talking about his ‘girl’, Rebel Alley, presuming she is his girlfriend (she is his daughter). After the meeting, Michael literally bumps into a red-headed aspiring actress, and – to impress her – Michael tells her he is a movie producer and he wants to cast her. He doesn’t get her name, though, but later tracks her down at the exclusive showbiz hang-out she invited him to, where she is playing in a Scottish music band. They talk about their children over drinks and Michael tells her more about her part in his movie. However, he still doesn’t manage to ask her her name … then as he looks at the snaps they took while making out in a photobooth, he sees her name tattooed on her arm and realises he is dating Ron Howard’s ‘girlfriend’….

– Rebel: “That’s not too embarrassing walking around with a bunch of photographs of yourself.”
– Michael: “Oh, well, looks like it’s part of your job, huh? – You’re an actress?”
– Rebel: “No, I’m a narcissist.”

– Rebel: “Do you like Scottish music?”
– Michael: “Uh, with the screeching horns and the silly…
– Rebel: “Yeah! I’m in a band.”
– Michael: “I love it – it’s great.”

– Michael: “You seriously would be great for this part. You remind me of the person that it’s based on. Uh, she actually dies on camera.”
– Rebel: “Wow. Make her mentally challenged and I’ll thank you in my Oscar speech.”
– Michael: “There’s a part like that, too, only she comes in later and she’s British, so she doesn’t seem … no one could ever tell that she’s disabled.”

 

Tobias searches for meaning after splitting with Lindsay, only to find that old habits die hard.

Isla does not appear in this episode.

 

George Sr.’s new business hits a rough patch, and he must bribe a politician to get his scam back on track.

As Michael tells his brother Gob about his new girlfriend, we learn more about Rebel. Ron Howard’s illegitimate daughter was named after the placed she was conceived, has been directed by Terrence Malick and Woody Allen, and starred in a shoplifting public service announcement (PSA) directed by her father. The PSA was inspired by a still photograph – her mug shot.

(Reading her Public Service Announcement)
– Rebel: “Next time, don’t pocket it – pay for it. Shoplifting – not cool.”

 

Gob finds a new group of friends after his relationship falls apart and his family abandons him.

While partying at a bar to celebrate the ‘best day of his life’, Gob catches the attention of a wild Rebel Alley. Rebel is at the bar doing research for a PSA she is later required by law to do, about shouting fire in a crowded place. Rebel becomes impressed by Gob’s magic tricks, but quickly leaves the party when paparazzi are spotted, as she is trying to improve her public image. It is revealed that Rebel has also filmed a PSA for alcohol and binge drinking.

– Rebel: (in PSA) “Never yell fire in a crowded place – it’s never funny.”
– Rebel: (after yelling Fire at the bar) “That’s always funny!”

– JBJ: “Oh man, paparazzo!”
– Rebel: “Oh shoot! Great! The last thing I need is to be seen partying with some tweens, I’m trying to clean up my act.”

 

Lindsay continues to push away from being a Bluth by embracing a relationship and finding a new career.

Rebel and Michael are enjoying dinner at an exclusive restaurant, but are interrupted by his half-sister Lindsay and her boyfriend, right-wing politician Herbert Love. Both Lindsay and Michael are using their famous family name to gain access to the exclusive restaurant. During dinner Rebel clashes with Herbert on politics and Ron Howard (everyone still unaware that she is his daughter), ultimately helping Lindsay to rediscover what is important to her.

– Herbert: “Hi-lo.”
– Rebel: “Hi-lo? Just like your plan to hurt the poor.”
– Lindsay: “I thought that was about neglecting the poor?”
– Herbert: “I guess the special tonight is red snapper!”
– Rebel: [to Michael] How do you know this ‘woman’?”
– Michael: “Uh, she is … umm…”

– Michael: “Are you not enjoying your….?”
– Rebel: “It’s just a little hard to sit two feet away from someone who doesn’t believe in paying for a woman’s contraception.”
– Lindsay: “Well, to be fair, no, he does pay for the room.”
– Herbert: “Is there anything better than the great American scallop?”
– Rebel: “Look how he changes the subject! Aren’t you glad your teenager is not here to see this?!”

– Rebel: “Um, I am not going to sit here and defend Ron Howard to someone who’s never achieved half of what he’s achieved.”
– Michael: “Are you saying that to him or to me?”
– Herbert: “I forgot how touchy these Hollywood people can be.”

– Rebel: “But what do I know? I’m just some shallow Hollywood – [phone rings] oh, God, I’ve got to get this, it could be my agent. Hello?”
– Herbert: “Now that is one redhead I do not want to have sexual relations with.”

 

Tobias returns to his roots and reunites with his leading lady after a rough few weeks.

Rebel announces that she is leaving the impromptu double date with Michael, and Lindsay and Herbert, because her son is sick. As Michael goes after her, he questions her as to whether she is going to see Ron – her ‘boyfriend’ – and the couple argue about her seeing other people, ending in Rebel walking off. Later, Michael runs his situation by his friend Tobias, saying that if he continues seeing Rebel, her father may find out and kill the movie, so he either keeps the movie and loses the girl, or loses the movie and keeps the girl, but the only reason he did the movie was to get Rebel. They then decide to go and discuss it with Ron. During the meeting Michael discovers that Ron is actually Rebel’s father as opposed to her boyfriend, and that he is the only person that didn’t know that. Ron is not impressed, and informs Michael that Rebel is dating someone else, and that he will do anything in his power to stop her from dating Michael.

– Michael: “Ok, are you off to see him?”
– Rebel: “Listen, if you’ve got a problem with me seeing other people why don’t you just come out and say it?”
– Michael: “No, no, no, no I can, what do you mean? I can handle that! We’ll see each other ‘a la carte’, you know, like the eighteen dollar baked potato you ordered that you didn’t touch.”
– Rebel: “Yeah, you’re not comfortable.”
– Michael: “Yeah, no, well listen, Rebel, Rebel … fine, see you later … say hi to Ron Howard for me!”

 

Lucille finds that her children have already started divvying up her things, and adjusts to her new home.

Isla does not appear in this episode. However, we see Michael go to Rebel’s flat to attempt to get her back onside after he upset her and her father in the previous episode. At her flat, he meets her 6 year old son, Lem, and discovers that Rebel is also dating his brother – Gob – and the mysterious George Maharis. Michael then borrows the family private investigator to follow his brother.

 

GOB accepts a job from his brother, but is distracted by a scheme of his own.

As Michael confronts Gob about dating Rebel, we see a flashback to the night when Rebel and Gob met and partied at the bar. As Rebel got home that night, she flung her bag onto the table, accidentally killing the dove Gob had magiced into her bag. Rebel puts the dove into a paper bag and secretes it in her freezer. In the ‘on the next episode’ segment, we see Rebel on the phone with Michael, agreeing to meet him later … as she’s lying in bed with his son, George-Michael (aka George Maharis).

 

Maeby moves out on her own and reconnects with her cousin, George-Michael.

While at the Opie Awards where she is receiving a Lifetime Achievement award, Maeby bumps into her old friend Rebel, who she knew from their days working at Ron Howard’s production company Imagine. Rebel hates the Opies, but whenever her sister Bryce gets pregnant, Rebel has to attend them. Rebel meets Maeby’s cousin George-Michael – who introduces himself as George Maharis – and she is impressed by George and Maeby’s ‘Fakeblock’ internet company.

– Maeby: “How are you?”
– Rebel: “In hell. I hate the Opies. But whenever Bryce gets pregnant, guess who gets a call?”

– Rebel: “So what is this? Is this another one of these social networking things, because I am so over those. I tried to deactivate my Facebook profile – it’s easier to get out of Scientology.”

 

At UC Irvine things get steamy when George-Michael finds himself in a love triangle with his best friend Ray and his girlfriend Becky.

Rebel turns up to see George-Michael at a pool party his ‘friends’ have thrown him/her. She is taken aback at him throwing her a party, and tells him they need to talk. Rewind to the Opie Awards where George-Michael is attempting to re-unleash his ‘overtly sexual’ persona and meets Rebel, who is intrigued by how his Fakeblock software works. A few days later they bump into each other at an exclusive bar; George-Michael attempts to impress her by adopting a blase attitude, however, it doesn’t work and she calls him a jerk. He apologises and compliments her on her career, and they two get a drink together.

– George-Michael: “Anyway, don’t worry about these guys, they’re not listening to a word we’re saying. How about that kiss?”
– Rebel: “We need to talk.”

– George-Michael: “I’m sorry, you know, I’m in the middle of a whole thing with my dad right now and I didn’t mean to be however I just came off.”
– Rebel: “Badly.”
– George-Michael: “I’m sorry, you know, I’ve never met a beautiful actress before!”
– Rebel: “Oh! So you do know who I am?”
– George-Michael: “Oh god, of course I know who you are, you were in the re-make of Dangerous Cousins! I signed up to Netflix because of that movie. I think I was just thrown that you were interested in who I am.”

– George-Michael: “Hey, we have the same taste in words!”
– Rebel: “Ok, should we get a drink? I’m buying – I don’t want you to think I’m after you for your money.”

 

Buster struggles to make it on his own and break away from his overbearing mother.

Isla does not appear in this episode.

 

George-Michael tries to reconnect with his father, but is finding himself overwhelmed by the responsibility of running his business.

After taking a phone call from his dad, Michael, George-Michael returns to Rebel in the bar. They share their frustrations about their fathers, and as George-Michael notices his walking down the corridor towards them, he asks Rebel if she wants to go into the Photobooth with him – having just spotted her father coming towards them, Rebel agrees. The two sit in the booth awkwardly for a few moments, as their dads unknowingly chat outside the booth, and then they kiss.

Flashback to Rebel and Michael’s previous dinner date with Lindsay and Herbert, and it is revealed that Rebel left the dinner not because her son was sick, as she said, but to go and see George-Michael. Rebel and George-Michael sleep together, and Rebel then asks whether this was where Fakeblock was ‘conceived’ and he lies to her about it – again. The next day she goes to shoot a PSA for texting whilst driving.

George-Michael invites her to his house to show her how successful he had become, and asks her to move in with him; she introduces her son to him and then tells him that things are moving too fast and she wants to end their relationship.

Discovering that both George and George-Michael are dating Rebel Alley – but neither know this – Maeby informs Michael that Rebel has dumped her other boyfriend because he was taking the relationship too seriously. Michael then attempts to further his relationship with Rebel by telling her that he wants to keep things ‘easy’ and fun … and adds that if the fun ends in them walking down the aisle together that’s ok by him – she proceeds to invite him in and sleeps with him. After secretly stealing a photo of what he presumes to be him and Rebel from her apartment, Michael looks at the picture more closely and discovers it is actually of Rebel and her other boyfriend – George-Michael.

After receiving an anonymous note telling him he was going to get screwed, George-Michael presumes it is from Rebel, and goes to try to make up with her. He shows her the note and – thinking he wrote it for her – she invites him in. After sleeping together they make a commitment to take the relationship more seriously. Leaving her apartment, George-Michael bumps into his dad – Michael – and they realise they are dating the same person.

– George-Michael: “Hey – sorry, that was my dad. He can be kind of hard to get off the phone sometimes.”
– Rebel: “Tell me about it. At least he wasn’t drunk and bitching about Don Ameche not knowing his lines in Cocoon.”

– Rebel: “I mean, my dad is the nicest guy in the world, but he just doesn’t get it.
I have to live my life my way. It’s like he’s always checking up on me. Does yours do that?”
– George-Michael: “Yeah, no, once in a while.”

– Rebel: “I thought you were having dinner with your dad?”
– George-Michael: “Well you know, older guys, the night ends for them at 8.”
– Rebel: “I think I could use a break from the old guys. And, I’ve already got some birth control in me that I paid for myself! And I’d hate to let it go to waste…”
– George-Michael: “Well that’s perfect because I’m not quite ready to have children.”

– Rebel: “So this is a dorm?!”
– George-Michael: “This is a dorm!”
– Rebel: “I suppose anything goes in a dorm.”
– George-Michael: “Got that right.”

– Rebel: “You know what really impresses me about you? How little you try to impress me!”

(Shooting a PSA)
– Rebel: “Tweet and drive.”
– Ron Howard: “Yeah that was good, but it’s text – and we need the word ‘don’t’.”

– George-Michael: “Look, I don’t care – I don’t care that you’re seeing someone else. I just want to continue this. I’m ready to try and make this work. I’ll fight anyone I have to for you. I’m not going to pretend I don’t care about you. I’m a grown-up man and I want to get serious.”
– Rebel: “Wow. Serious. Things are getting serious.”
[Narrator] And the girl who was never capable of making a commitment…
– Rebel: “Okay. Okay.”
[Narrator] …suddenly found herself making too many.
– George-Michael: “Okay.”