In God We Trust (Arrested Development episode)
Encyclopedia
"In God We Trust" is the eighth episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.
's The Creation of Adam
, although Buster is reluctant to play the part of Adam this year, since he already has plans with Lucille Austero. Tobias, still looking to further his acting career, offers to take the part, but Lucille wants Buster to do it. Michael is determined to drop Barry Zuckerkorn as family attorney for the very businesslike Wayne Jarvis. After the meeting breaks up, Lucille mentioning to Lindsay that Michael called her a "stay-in-bed mom." Her attempt to dissolve their burgeoning friendship works. Lindsay's daughter, Maeby, feeling ignored by her parents, decides teach them a lesson.
Gob, meanwhile, has missed the meeting after being delayed by his girlfriend Marta. While Gob takes Marta for granted, Michael is learning Spanish to impress her. Buster gets George Michael to take over as Adam. Lindsay and Michael realize that their mother is playing them against each other; they drink vodka and air their problems. Lindsay tells Michael that her marital difficulties are partly because Tobias is a never-nude
, and Michael confesses his love for Marta. Tobias asks George Michael if he can play Adam, and George Michael agrees, but says he will give him the suit later, as he is wearing it. Tobias understands this to mean that George Michael is also a never-nude. Michael finally arranges a meeting with attorney Wayne Jarvis, a professional who doesn't like small talk.
At home, Gob wonders why Michael is learning Spanish and hiring a new attorney. Michael and Lindsay get further evidence that their mother is trying to make them angry with each other, and decide to teach her a lesson. When they find out that their lawyer is taking Lucille to the Living Classics pageant, they realize how embarrassed she would be if George Bluth Sr. found out. Maeby, meanwhile, is still trying to get her parents' attention: she prints out a fake airline ticket to Portugal. And while neither Lindsay nor Tobias see the ticket, Gob does, which confirms his suspicions that Michael is planning to flee the country. And George Michael, who is back to playing Adam, gets nervous when he realizes that playing Adam means wearing the "frontpiece," tiny foam genitalia.
George Sr. gets his 24 hours of freedom as the pageant begins. Michael and Lindsay arrive and find Lucille with Wayne Jarvis, not Barry Zuckerkorn. Lucille, meanwhile, is surprised to see Buster with her rival, Lucille Austero. George Michael causes a scandal by appearing as Adam while wearing a pair of cut-off jeans
over his costume. But the biggest scandal comes when George Sr., dressed as God, tries to escape from the pageant. Michael chases his father while Gob (on his Segway) chases Michael; all three knock each other onto the ground. When George Sr. finds out Lucille is on a date, he tries to run back to the pageant but is tasered by a prison guard. The Bluths spend Christmas Eve together at the prison, where Michael is forced once again to rely on Barry. Lucille and Maeby decide that they should spend more time together, and Michael and Lindsay tentatively affirm their allegiance.
Plot
Michael Bluth has called a meeting with his family's longtime attorney, Barry Zuckerkorn, to discuss his father's incarceration. But Barry proves difficult to work with. Michael and his sister, Lindsay, are getting along, which is unwelcome news to their mother Lucille. The over-billing attorney does arrange for the court to release their imprisoned father for "an entire afternoon" so he can participate in the "Living Classics" pageant, which consists of live representations of classic works of art. The Bluths have always been a part of MichelangeloMichelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
's The Creation of Adam
The Creation of Adam
The Creation of Adam is a section of Michelangelo's fresco Sistine Chapel ceiling painted circa 1511. It illustrates the Biblical story from the Book of Genesis in which God the Father breathes life into Adam, the first man...
, although Buster is reluctant to play the part of Adam this year, since he already has plans with Lucille Austero. Tobias, still looking to further his acting career, offers to take the part, but Lucille wants Buster to do it. Michael is determined to drop Barry Zuckerkorn as family attorney for the very businesslike Wayne Jarvis. After the meeting breaks up, Lucille mentioning to Lindsay that Michael called her a "stay-in-bed mom." Her attempt to dissolve their burgeoning friendship works. Lindsay's daughter, Maeby, feeling ignored by her parents, decides teach them a lesson.
Gob, meanwhile, has missed the meeting after being delayed by his girlfriend Marta. While Gob takes Marta for granted, Michael is learning Spanish to impress her. Buster gets George Michael to take over as Adam. Lindsay and Michael realize that their mother is playing them against each other; they drink vodka and air their problems. Lindsay tells Michael that her marital difficulties are partly because Tobias is a never-nude
Gymnophobia
Gymnophobia is a fear of nudity. Gymnophobics experience anxiety from nudity, even if they realize their fear is irrational. They may worry about seeing others naked or being seen naked, or both...
, and Michael confesses his love for Marta. Tobias asks George Michael if he can play Adam, and George Michael agrees, but says he will give him the suit later, as he is wearing it. Tobias understands this to mean that George Michael is also a never-nude. Michael finally arranges a meeting with attorney Wayne Jarvis, a professional who doesn't like small talk.
At home, Gob wonders why Michael is learning Spanish and hiring a new attorney. Michael and Lindsay get further evidence that their mother is trying to make them angry with each other, and decide to teach her a lesson. When they find out that their lawyer is taking Lucille to the Living Classics pageant, they realize how embarrassed she would be if George Bluth Sr. found out. Maeby, meanwhile, is still trying to get her parents' attention: she prints out a fake airline ticket to Portugal. And while neither Lindsay nor Tobias see the ticket, Gob does, which confirms his suspicions that Michael is planning to flee the country. And George Michael, who is back to playing Adam, gets nervous when he realizes that playing Adam means wearing the "frontpiece," tiny foam genitalia.
George Sr. gets his 24 hours of freedom as the pageant begins. Michael and Lindsay arrive and find Lucille with Wayne Jarvis, not Barry Zuckerkorn. Lucille, meanwhile, is surprised to see Buster with her rival, Lucille Austero. George Michael causes a scandal by appearing as Adam while wearing a pair of cut-off jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
over his costume. But the biggest scandal comes when George Sr., dressed as God, tries to escape from the pageant. Michael chases his father while Gob (on his Segway) chases Michael; all three knock each other onto the ground. When George Sr. finds out Lucille is on a date, he tries to run back to the pageant but is tasered by a prison guard. The Bluths spend Christmas Eve together at the prison, where Michael is forced once again to rely on Barry. Lucille and Maeby decide that they should spend more time together, and Michael and Lindsay tentatively affirm their allegiance.
Cultural references
- The Creation of AdamThe Creation of AdamThe Creation of Adam is a section of Michelangelo's fresco Sistine Chapel ceiling painted circa 1511. It illustrates the Biblical story from the Book of Genesis in which God the Father breathes life into Adam, the first man...
is a painting by Italian RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
artist MichelangeloMichelangeloMichelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
, and part of his series of paintings depicting Biblical stories from the Book of Genesis on the ceiling of the Sistine ChapelSistine ChapelSistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
. In it, a bearded and robed GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
reaches out to a fully nude Adam, symbolizing God's creation of the first man in his own image. - The "Living Classics" pageant depicted in this episode parodies the real-life Pageant of the MastersPageant of the MastersThe Pageant of the Masters is an annual festival held by the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, California. The event is known for its tableaux vivant or "living pictures" in which classical and contemporary works of art are recreated by real people who are made to look nearly identical to the...
, an annual living masterpiece show where local volunteers reproduce several dozen famous artworks in an evening (with the help of elaborate costumes and makeup). The Pageant (actually located in Laguna Beach, California) is the only show of its type and scale in western North America, and attracts tourists from around the world. - Gob calls Michael "The Boy who Lived Under the Stairs"; this is a reference to Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
and him driving the stair-car.
Character cameos
- This episode marks the first appearance of several recurring characters.
- John Michael HigginsJohn Michael HigginsJohn Michael Higgins is an American actor whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's The Late Shift, and a starring role in the American version of Kath & Kim....
as attorney Wayne Jarvis, who returns as the prosecutor leading the case against the Bluths in "Sad SackSad Sack (Arrested Development episode)"Sad Sack" is the twenty-seventh episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael Bluth is nervous about meeting with the new prosecutor of his father's criminal case, because he had found his father earlier in the week, and is currently hiding him in the attic. George Michael...
". - Henry WinklerHenry WinklerHenry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
would return many times throughout the first and second season as closeted and incompetent attorney Barry Zuckerkorn. - Sam PancakeSam PancakeSam Pancake is a American actor. He is the brother of Catherine Pancake and Ann Pancake, a writer. He graduated from Hampshire High School and currently resides in Los Angeles....
reappears as Barry's homosexual paralegal in "Let 'Em Eat CakeLet 'Em Eat Cake (Arrested Development episode)"Let 'Em Eat Cake" is the 22nd episode of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Synopsis:The Bluth Company is in trouble. Because of the low-carb diet fad , the banana stand has been struggling. Meanwhile, the model home is falling apart because of shoddy workmanship. Lindsay thinks she has a...
" and "Sad SackSad Sack (Arrested Development episode)"Sad Sack" is the twenty-seventh episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael Bluth is nervous about meeting with the new prosecutor of his father's criminal case, because he had found his father earlier in the week, and is currently hiding him in the attic. George Michael...
".
- John Michael Higgins
- Patricia VelásquezPatricia VelásquezPatricia Carola Velásquez Semprún is a Venezuelan actress and fashion model. She is often considered to be the first Latin supermodel.-Early life:...
takes over the role of Spanish-language soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
star Marta Estrella from Leonor VarelaLeonor VarelaLeonor Varela Palma is a Chilean actress, and model. She played the character Cleopatra in the 1999 film Cleopatra...
. - This is the second appearance of BW Gonzales as Lucille's housekeeper Lupe, though she would not have a speaking part until "Marta ComplexMarta Complex"Marta Complex" is the 12th episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael Bluth convinces his mother to throw what she thinks is a Valentine's Day party, but is, in fact, an anniversary party for Tobias and Lindsay. In attendance is Gob's girlfriend Marta, who is impressed by...
".
Foreshadowing/future references
- George Sr. Escape Attempt This is the first instance of George Sr. attempting to escape, a feat he would try again several times during the course of the show, and later succeed in "Let 'Em Eat CakeLet 'Em Eat Cake (Arrested Development episode)"Let 'Em Eat Cake" is the 22nd episode of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Synopsis:The Bluth Company is in trouble. Because of the low-carb diet fad , the banana stand has been struggling. Meanwhile, the model home is falling apart because of shoddy workmanship. Lindsay thinks she has a...
". - There are hints that attorney Barry Zuckerkorn is secretly gay.
- When asking George Sr. about homosexual prisoners, Barry makes the Freudian slipFreudian slipA Freudian slip, also called parapraxis, is an error in speech, memory, or physical action that is interpreted as occurring due to the interference of some unconscious , subdued, wish, conflict, or train of thought...
, "it's never the ones you hope". He then corrects himself to "think." - When Michael calls at the office, Barry's secretary says "Barry's not here, can I give her a message?"
- When asking George Sr. about homosexual prisoners, Barry makes the Freudian slip
- Near the end of the episode, Maeby says "I don't think you're a monster" to Lucille, followed by an ominous sound in the background. She would eventually use Lucille as her monster character in "Making a StandMaking a Stand"Making a Stand" is the forty-eighth episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Synopsis:At a meeting at the Bluth Company, Michael tries to follow his father's wish that Gob be included in the business...
". - "Messy Divorce." When GOB is reading the newspaper at his mother's house, after the scene where Michael meets the new attorney, you can see the headline "Messy Divorce." GOB is talking about Marta while flipping the page, hinting at their breakup later in the season.
- The two flashbacks of Tobias's never-nude condition feature heavy use of blue, similar to the signature tones of the Blue Man GroupBlue Man GroupBlue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
, the group he'd later be obsessed with joining.
Hidden/background jokes
- Lupe's Sweatshirt - During this episode, ostensibly taking place near Christmas, Lucille's maid, Lupe, is seen wearing a Halloween sweatshirt. She would also wear an off holiday sweatshirt in Marta ComplexMarta Complex"Marta Complex" is the 12th episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael Bluth convinces his mother to throw what she thinks is a Valentine's Day party, but is, in fact, an anniversary party for Tobias and Lindsay. In attendance is Gob's girlfriend Marta, who is impressed by...
Episode notes
- Although this episode comes before "My Mother, the CarMy Mother, The Car"My Mother, the Car" is the seventh episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael Bluth, fed up with his mother Lucille's extravagant spending, says she cannot throw a lavish birthday party for herself. But when Lindsay, prompted by Lucille, suggests a surprise party, Michael...
" in both broadcast and production order, it appears after it on the Season One DVD. - This episode does not feature an "On the next Arrested Development..." segment.
External links
- The-OP.com
- FOX
- Quotes for this episode on WikiQuote