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Arrested Development
2003 - 2019 7.9 (1466 votes) 5 Seasons
Official Website
Genres
Comedy
Networks
FOX
Netflix
Created By
Mitchell Hurwitz

Arrested Development

Someone had to get the family back together.

Overview

The story of a wealthy family that lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together.

Key Crew

Top Cast

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

Byron "Buster" Bluth

David Cross
David Cross

Tobias Fünke

Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Tambor

George Bluth Sr.

Seasons

Season 1 poster
Season 1 (2003)

Meet the suddenly penniless, and equally clueless, Bluth family. Accustomed to their wildly affluent lifestyle, they can't seem to grasp the fact that the head of the family is now in the slammer for shifty accounting practices — and he's loving every minute of it. Even worse, since the family assets have been frozen, they may actually have to go out and get jobs! The only one who understands the seriousness of their predicament is Michael, who realizes it's up to him to guide his eccentric family into this new chapter of their lives: Chapter 11.

22 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Pilot
2003-11-02

Meet the Bluths. In the pilot, Michael decides to take a job in Arizona after being passed over by George Sr. for head of the Bluth Company. George Sr. is jailed, and the family realizes they need Michael.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 2: Top Banana
2003-11-09

Michael puts George Michael in charge of the Bluth Bannana Stand, and his son subsequently burns down the stand. Elsewhere, Tobias auditions for a commercial, and Lindsay inadvertantly gets the part.

Runtime: 23 min
Episode 3: Bringing Up Buster
2003-11-16

Michael spends quality time with Buster. George Michael auditions for a school play to get closer to Maeby. Gob breaks up with his girlfriend and has nowhere to go.

Runtime: 23 min
Episode 4: Key Decisions
2003-11-23

Gob decides to lock himself in his father's prison for 24 hours to get back in with the alliance, and to spend quality time with his father. Michael takes Gob's girlfriend to an awards show, and Buster inadvertently flirts with his mother's rival.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 5: Charity Drive
2003-11-30

Michael and Lindsay try to prove their charitable sides to each other. Gob demands George Michael's respect, and Buster continues avoiding Lucille 2.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 6: Visiting Ours
2003-12-07

Michael sets up an "intimate conjugal visit" for his parents, while it is revealed that George Sr. had an affair with Kitty, his secretary who recently slept with Gob. Tobias and Lindsay see a marriage counselor.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 7: In God We Trust
2003-12-14

Michael attempts to fire the family's incompetent, but likeable attorney. George Michael impresses Maeby with a muscle suit for a "Living Classics" pagent. Tobias has a psychological affliction where he is unable to take off his clothes.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 8: My Mother, the Car
2003-12-21

Michael loses his short-term memory, which Lucille uses to her advantage. Gob attempts to use the family yacht before Michael sells it. George Michael and Maeby attempt to see an R-rated movie about cousins having an affair. Buster and Lucille 2 take "the next step".

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 9: Storming the Castle
2004-01-04

Michael cannot go through with his plan to break up Gob and Marta. A thug magician wants to take Gob's "legs". Maeby wears all leather to get back at her mother, and Lucille decides to confront Buster's relationship with Lucille 2.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 10: Pier Pressure
2004-01-11

Buster realizes that medical marijuana will help cure Lucille 2's vertigo, and pays George Michael to get it for him from Gob. Lindsay sends Maeby to spend a day with Lucille to punish her for bad grades. Michael thinks George Michael is on drugs and attempts to teach him a lesson.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 11: Public Relations
2004-01-25

When George Michael is a rejected by a private school due to the family's reputation, Michael hires a publicist from his gym who he's been flirting with to change the public perspective of the Bluths. Meanwhile, Tobias is sent to Boston to reclaim his medical license.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 12: Marta Complex
2004-02-08

When Lucille throws an anniversary party for Tobias and Lindsay on Valentine's Day, Michael gives an impassioned speech about love. This makes Marta realize she has feelings for him and Lindsay realize she wants a divorce. Meanwhile, Buster decides to move out of the penthouse and Lucille revels in living alone for the first time.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 13: Beef Consommé
2004-02-15

After learning that Marta has feelings for him, Michael goes to her and they decide to get permission from Gob before taking things to the next level. Meanwhile, Lindsay and Tobias finally get to the heart of his "never-nude" problem and George Sr. faces his first hearing.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 14: Shock and Aww
2004-03-07

Michael falls for his George Michael's ethics teacher, whom his son also has a crush on. Meanwhile, Lucille adopts a 14-year old Korean boy, and George Sr.'s "Caged Wisdom" tapes have given him a new admirer.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 15: Staff Infection
2004-03-14

When Michael discovers his family has been receiving paychecks without working, he forces them all to get jobs within the company. Lindsay questions his management skills, and Tobias checks himself in at George Sr.'s prison to research a film role.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 16: Altar Egos
2004-03-17

Michael attempts to have a one-night stand with an attorney whom he doesn't know is not only blind, but the prosecutor who is trying to put his father in jail. Also, Gob gets married on a dare, Maeby pretends to be a girl with a made up disease, and George Sr.'s admirer turns out to be an undercover SEC agent who has truly fallen for him.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 17: Justice Is Blind
2004-03-21

Gob steals a file on the government's case against the Bluth Company that Maggie had given to Michael. Tobias is sent to Maggie's house to get evidence, George Michael tries to prove Maeby's fraud, and Lindsay fights to remove the Ten Commandments from the courthouse lawn.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 18: Missing Kitty
2004-03-28

Gob attempts to make good on his promise to make the family yacht disappear. Meanwhile, Lindsay and Maeby try to track down Lindsay's grandmother, Tobias seeks George Sr.'s respect, and Michael attempts to fire Kitty, who claims to have information that could bring down the company.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 19: Best Man for the Gob
2004-04-04

George Sr. uses Gob's bachelor party as an opportunity to set up his accountant in a compromising position so that he can blackmail him. Meanwhile, Michael tries to prove he's a fun guy, and the Funkes reunite their family folk-music band.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 20: Whistler's Mother
2004-04-11

Michael deals with numerous requests for some unfrozen money, and chastises Lucille for being too coddling with Buster. Lindsay decides to protest the war to boost her self esteem while Tobias and Gob decide to start a coffee company.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 21: Not Without My Daughter
2004-04-25

Michael takes Maeby to work with him on Take Your Daughter to Work Day. After being slighted by Michael, Tobias, George-Michael and Gob all go to the mall to prove that they are just manly. Oscar takes Lucille and Buster to Annyong's soccer game.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 22: Let 'Em Eat Cake
2004-06-06

In the first season finale, George Sr. has a heart attack, and Maeby is jealous when George Michael likes another girl. Meanwhile, Lindsay decides to leave Tobias until a book he wrote a long time ago becomes a gay bestseller, and Buster and Annyong compete over women.

Runtime: 22 min
Season 2 poster
Season 2 (2004)

Michael Bluth, once again determined to be free of his dysfunctional family, packs up the car and his son George-Michael and heads for Arizona. But he's soon pulled over by the police who tell him that his father, George Sr., has broken out of prison. Due to the company's shady business deal with Iraq, Michael could face prison time, so he returns home to clear his name even as George Sr. secretly flees to Mexico, Tobias decides to be an understudy for the Blue Man Group, and Lucille begins a torrid affair with her husband's twin brother Oscar.

18 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: The One Where Michael Leaves
2004-11-07

Michael and George Michael leave for Phoenix but go back to ensure the family misses them. Lindsay wants to have an open marriage, which causes Tobias to try to join the Blue Man Group under the impression that they are a support group for depressed men. Lucille signs Buster up for the Army after being goaded by a Michael Moore look-alike. Gob becomes president of the Bluth Company.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 2: The One Where They Build a House
2004-11-14

Michael is driven crazy by Gob when he impresses the board as the new company figurehead due to Michael's legal troubles. Meanwhile, George Sr. is arrested in Mexico for a crime Oscar committed, and Buster witnesses something that utterly shocks him.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 3: Amigos
2004-11-21

Michael is increasingly frustrated over being abandoned by the family, and when the staircar is found in Mexico, Michael vows to find his father and give him a piece of his mind. Also, Buster spends time with Lupe's family and thinks he's in Mexico.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 4: Good Grief
2004-12-05

Lucille hires a bounty hunter, Ice, to find George Sr., who may be closer than everyone thinks. Gob tries to pull off an elaborate illusion, Maeby tries to set Lindsay up with Ice, and Michael tries to mend George Michael's broken relationship.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 5: Sad Sack
2004-12-12

George Sr. fears he's losing Lucille to Oscar. Gob motivates Buster for the Army while Lindsay spends more time with Maeby to get closer to Steve Holt and Tobias starts working out.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 6: Afternoon Delight
2004-12-19

Gob stages mass firings after being inadvertently roasted at the Bluth Company Christmas party. Michael is forced to rebuild the Banana Stand, and Buster plays hooky from the Army at an arcade game.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 7: Switch Hitter
2005-01-16

The Bluths rival development company hires Gob, who finds the company president a father figure, in preparation for the Bluth-Sitwell softball game; Lindsay hallucinates from taking anti-depressants.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 8: Queen for a Day
2005-01-23

Michael sells a portion of his stock in the Bluth company to buy a car, and Lucille 2 returns, only to discover that Buster is dating the company secretary Starla.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 9: Burning Love
2005-01-30

Michael reunites with his long, lost love Sally Sitwell, but faces interference from parents. Meanwhile, the two Lucilles need someone to bid on them at the bachelorette auction with Buster already in a relationship.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 10: Ready, Aim, Marry Me
2005-02-13

With the company in dire financial straits and the Bluths no longer the primary shareholders, Michael must turn to old family friend "Uncle" Jack Dorso for financial assistance. Uncle Jack, however, wants something in return.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 11: Out on a Limb
2005-03-06

Just as Michael's relationship with Sally starts to flourish, Maggie Lizer returns nine months pregnant, and Michael immediately assumes he's the father. George Michael attempts to break up with Ann, and Buster learns he's being deployed to Iraq.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 12: Hand to God
2005-03-06

Michael tries to find out who's the father of Maggie's baby, or if it's just another of her lies; Gob tries to find out whether he was responsible for Buster's accident.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 13: Motherboy XXX
2005-03-13

Lucille abducts George Michael for a mother-son dance, Buster adjusts to having a hook for a hand and Gob reunites with his estranged wife. Also, Tobias stars as George Sr. in a biopic about the Bluth family, which causes Lindsay to become more attracted to him.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 14: The Immaculate Election
2005-03-20

George Michael runs for student body president, which Gob manages to ruin. Buster has an affair with Lupe, who is being sought after by Lindsay and Tobias attempts to move out of the model home, then develops a new persona when he regrets his decision.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 15: Sword of Destiny
2005-03-27

Gob and Buster team up for some magic tricks with the help of Buster's fake hand, but when Tony Wonder, a rival magician, starts to mentor them, somebody gets the finger. Meanwhile, Michael is forced to delegate some work when he's hospitalized and Lindsay teaches George Michael how to drive using the staircar.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 16: Meat the Veals
2005-04-03

George Sr. tries to find a way to attend an anniversary dinner for Lucille while Michael deliberately offends Ann's devout Christian parents. Tobias goes overboard performing his "Mrs. Featherbottom" persona.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 17: Spring Breakout
2005-04-10

Gob confronts the editor of the videos that showcased his magic mistakes. Michael tricks Lucille in to rehab, and then attempts to get her out after George Sr. is kidnapped.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 18: The Righteous Brothers
2005-04-17

Gob hides George Sr. while the model home's plumbing is checked; George Michael helps Ann protest Maeby's new movie; Tobias takes a liking to Kitty after Michael asks him to keep an eye on her.

Runtime: 22 min
Season 3 poster
Season 3 (2005)

Michael Bluth finally realizes that it's his Uncle Oscar serving time in prison, not his father. Reluctant to spring Oscar due to the effect it may have on the family business, Michael decides that the only fair thing to do is to find his father and place him under house arrest. Yet once found, George Sr. insists he was tricked into working with the Iraqis, leaving Michael no choice but to investigate his father's outrageous claim. But it isn't until Michael and Buster go to Iraq on a rescue mission to save Gob that the depth of the devious plot is revealed — and Michael learns which family member is the real brains behind all the madness.

13 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: The Cabin Show
2005-09-19

Michael learns that it's actually George Sr.'s twin brother Oscar serving time in prison, not George. After getting a tip from Barry, Michael heads to Reno to find George, but that costs him a camping trip he promised his son.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 2: For British Eyes Only
2005-09-26

Investigating his father's claim that a British group set him up, Michael goes to "Wee Britain" and is smitten with a beautiful woman named Rita. Lindsay attempts to seduce the new family attorney, and Gob goes to extremes to avoid his newly discovered son.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 3: Forget-Me-Now
2005-10-03

George Sr. is placed under house arrest by the family's new attorney Bob Loblaw, and finds that it's not exactly a walk in the park. Michael sets up his first date with Rita, but Rita has an unfortunate encounter with the family beforehand.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 4: Notapusy
2005-11-07

To prove he's a man to Rita, Michael and his nephew Steve Holt compete in the Church And State Fair's annual triathlon. George Sr. tries to scare some at-risk youth, and Tobias tries to help George-Michael's girlfriend Ann to compete in the fairs' "inner beauty" pageant.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 5: Mr. F
2005-11-07

Michael must deal with a huge mole problem in order to salvage a major real estate deal with Japanese investors. In an effort to help Michael, Gob and Buster team up with George Sr.'s surrogate, Larry, to devise a plan and save the deal, but their plan falls apart in a big way. Meanwhile, Tobias mistakes a CIA agent for a CAA agent and inadvertently betrays the family, and Michael makes Rita a proposal she can't refuse. Frankie Muniz makes a cameo as himself.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 6: The Ocean Walker
2005-12-05

After Michael announces he's marrying Rita, George Sr. worries that she's after the family's money. But when Rita's Uncle Trevor tries to stop the wedding by revealing some surprising information about Rita, Michael must decide if he wants to walk down the aisle.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 7: Prison Break-In
2005-12-12

The family plans their annual fund raiser, and they actually have a cause this time. Tobias is ailing due to his transplanted hair plugs, which appear to be rejecting him. Lindsay uses the illness as her ticket back into high society, and Michael learns of the prison warden's true intentions with his mother after reading the warden's screenplay.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 8: Making a Stand
2005-12-19

Michael is tired of his father always having Gob compete with him, so Michael gets Gob his own banana stand franchise, only to find that Gob has set it up 20 feet from the old one. After the two compete, they decide to teach their father an elaborate lesson, and Buster refuses to use his handicap to scare kids. Meanwhile, Maeby uses Lucille's surgery in a horror film.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 9: S.O.B.s
2006-01-02

George Sr. suggests a last-ditch effort to save the family by holding a fund raiser to raise money to pay their legal expenses. Michael suggests to Lindsay that she take over the house work, and he sends George-Michael to an expensive boarding school. Meanwhile, Maeby has trouble with a snowboarding film and Tobias tries to be a "discipline daddy".

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 10: Fakin' It
2006-02-10

George, Sr. hires a new attorney who asks the Bluths to participate in a mock trial to help prepare them for the real thing. The attorney gets actor Judge Reinhold to preside over the mock case. Meanwhile, Buster fakes a coma to get out of testifying, and George Michael and Maeby participate in a mock wedding to entertain hospital patients. Back at the office, Michael discovers that he may have a long-lost sister named Nellie Bluth.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 11: Family Ties
2006-02-10

In an effort to get to the bottom of things, Michael tracks Nellie down and hires her as a consultant for the Bluth Co. Unfortunately, Michael discovers Nellie's hands-on approach is more than he bargained for.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 12: Exit Strategy
2006-02-10

Gob goes to Iraq to perform his Christian magic act on the USO tour and ends up incarcerated. Michael learns George, Sr. sent Gob to Iraq to burn down the model home he built there, so Michael and Buster fly to Iraq to spring their brother from prison.

Runtime: 22 min
Episode 13: Development Arrested
2006-02-10

After returning home from Iraq, George Sr. is finally cleared of all charges, and Michael is relieved to be the head of a successful company for a change. The real brains behind the madness is revealed, and just as the family begins to celebrate their victory, a whole new set of problems emerge.

Runtime: 23 min
Season 4 poster
Season 4 (2013)

The dysfunctional Bluths embark on separate journeys -- but always find a way back into each other's lives.

15 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Flight of the Phoenix
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 32 min
Episode 2: Borderline Personalities
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 29 min
Episode 3: Indian Takers
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 29 min
Episode 4: The B. Team
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 32 min
Episode 5: A New Start
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 29 min
Episode 6: Double Crossers
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 32 min
Episode 7: Colony Collapse
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 36 min
Episode 8: Red Hairing
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 38 min
Episode 9: Smashed
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 34 min
Episode 10: Queen B.
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 35 min
Episode 11: A New Attitude
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 37 min
Episode 12: Señoritis
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 35 min
Episode 13: It Gets Better
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 34 min
Episode 14: Off the Hook
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 36 min
Episode 15: Blockheads
2013-05-26

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

Runtime: 34 min
Season 5 poster
Season 5 (2018)

As the Bluths continue to make a mess of their personal and professional lives, Michael again can't quite abandon the family that makes him miserable.

16 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Family Leave
2018-05-29

Surprises greet Michael at the penthouse and Sudden Valley. George-Michael confides in Maeby, who's trying to avoid Sudden Valley.

Runtime: 27 min
Episode 2: Self-Deportation
2018-05-29

For varying reasons, most of the Bluths (even Steve Holt) feel compelled to run off to Mexico. Michael tries to convince Buster to go to the police.

Runtime: 29 min
Episode 3: Everyone Gets Atrophy
2018-05-29

The family unites behind Lindsay’s campaign, but Michael senses that something is amiss. Maeby has an idea that George-Michael likes a little too much.

Runtime: 28 min
Episode 4: Old Start, An
2018-05-29

Gob acquires a new office for the company with a "premium view." Michael gets a shock when he returns to a place that holds a lot of memories.

Runtime: 29 min
Episode 5: Sinking Feelings
2018-05-29

The Bluths receive/present their award, but it weighs on George Sr. and creates new problems. Michael and George-Michael have a deep conversation.

Runtime: 28 min
Episode 6: Emotional Baggage
2018-05-29

Michael attempts to bail out Buster. George-Michael finally meets the Howards, and Ron informs Michael that his plans for the movie have changed.

Runtime: 34 min
Episode 7: Rom-Traum
2018-05-29

George-Michael thinks he's being lied to by Michael, who thinks he's being lied to by George Sr. Gob hires guys to help with his "closet conversion."

Runtime: 31 min
Episode 8: Premature Independence
2018-05-29

As the Second of July parade approaches, Sally steps up her campaign against Lindsay while the Bluths again struggle to keep their stories straight.

Runtime: 37 min
Episode 9: Unexpected Company
2019-03-15

Buster fails to show for his own prison release party. Michael examines company financial records. George-Michael seeks Anonymous help to deceive Rebel.

Runtime: 28 min
Episode 10: Taste Makers
2019-03-15

Michael jumps at a chance to spend more time with George-Michael, who seeks a clueless president for Fakeblock. Tobias relocates his makeshift family.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 11: Chain Migration
2019-03-15

As George Sr. attempts to win back Lucille, Michael assembles a mold of their scheme. Meanwhile, Buster gets caught up in Tobias and Gob's business.

Runtime: 24 min
Episode 12: Check Mates
2019-03-15

George Sr., Lucille and Maeby give honesty a try. Good news becomes bad for George-Michael. Michael remembers there's always money ... somewhere.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 13: The Untethered Sole
2019-03-15

Buster's brief appearance in a TV weather report puts the Bluths back in hot water, but Michael has a plan involving his son's definitely real company.

Runtime: 29 min
Episode 14: Saving for Arraignment Day
2019-03-15

As the trial kicks off, the Guilty Guys throw the family for a loop. Lucille learns surprising news about Dusty. George-Michael plots a distraction.

Runtime: 29 min
Episode 15: Courting Disasters
2019-03-15

George and Lucille overestimate their new lawyer's expertise in the courtroom. Two familiar faces testify, and a video sheds more light on the case.

Runtime: 31 min
Episode 16: The Fallout
2019-03-15

As the Bluths come together to unveil a wall, they once again discover that they deserve nothing more than to be saddled with each other forever.

Runtime: 48 min

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