Spring Breakout
Encyclopedia
"Spring Breakout" is the thirty-ninth episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.
Michael suggests to Lindsay that they hold an intervention
for Lucille, but Lindsay resists, flashing back to another intervention the previous year. The family had gotten drunk themselves out of fear, and by the time Lucille had arrived, they were too intoxicated to be effective, and it had turned into a party. G.O.B. appears and suggests rehab instead. Michael asks where he was in the meeting, but he replies that he was off for spring break, even though his reputation has been ruined by "that jerk Phillip Litt" filming his seven flubs in a magic act. Tobias appears and complains about being panned for his performance as George Sr. Maeby is ordered to find out how teenagers actually talk and then revise the dialogue in The Young Man and the Beach
.
Knowing that Lucille won't go to rehab willingly, Michael offers her a trip to a spa (which the Bluth Co. was offering as an incentive to homebuyers). She cannot take Oscar, because his last pair of pants has fallen apart, so Michael promises to go with her instead. Upon arriving, Lucille realizes that she is actually at a rehab facility and tries to flee, only to be subdued by the guards.
Kitty Sanchez finds George Sr. in the attic, clued in by Tobias's line in Scandalmakers ("Perhaps an attic shall I seek"). Angry about being abandoned in Mexico, she kidnaps him, blackmailing him with a "cooler of evidence." Meanwhile, to get ideas for better dialogue, Maeby joins George Michael at the Banana Stand. A Freudian slip
by George Michael reveals his persistent feelings for her. Phillip Litt is using the same area to film his video, Girls With Low Self-Esteem
, despite an ineffectual protest led by Lindsay.
Kitty takes George Sr. to a motel
and screams that he owes her a child. George Sr. yearns for Lucille, as does Buster, alone in his mother's condo. Buster, unable to sleep, begins to drink from a large box of wine, mistaking it for a giant juicebox.
Michael meets with Cal Cullen again, and wins him over by pretending to have fond memories of Sugarfoot
, despite the fact that it was off the air before he was born. However, Kitty interrupts, flashes her breasts, and threatens to "bring this corrupt company down" unless Lucille meets her in a certain bar.
While the family wonders how to get Lucille out of rehab and to the bar, Lindsay complains that her brothers (and Phillip Litt) objectify women. She comes up with the idea for a competing video, Men With Low Self-Esteem. G.O.B. uses Oscar to distract the guards so that they can abduct Lucille, pretending that they're going for new pants. Kitty offers to trade her evidence for a sperm sample from George Sr., and Lucille puts it up to a drinking contest.
G.O.B. finds a cooler in the freezer that looks exactly like the evidence cooler, and he and Michael plan to switch it with the evidence, despite Michael's this to be an ineffective idea. Maeby is frustrated by the immaturity of the teenagers at the Banana Stand. Nearby, her parents try to film Men With Low Self-Esteem, bringing them into competition with Phillip Litt. When Litt accuses Lindsay of being ashamed of her body, Tobias pulls down Litt's pants, exposing him as a never nude. Seeing this, Tobias takes off his own pants, revealing that he's "back into cutoffs."
G.O.B., excited at the thought of spring break, performs a wolf call in the hotel hallway. This inadvertently sets off a response by George Sr., allowing them to find his room. G.O.B. tries to vomit up the handcuff key, while Michael forges the signature of Saddam Hussein
on the decoy cooler, promising to turn it in to the police. George Sr. tells Michael to turn it in, saying that the evidence exonerates him.
George Michael finds Maeby talking to a vapid boy. George Michael says that she is like a "delicate flower" and that he doesn't "want her to be plucked by someone who doesn't even care that [she is] blossoming." Maeby says that this is just what she wanted to hear (as dialogue for her movie), and kisses George Michael on the cheek. Unbeknownst to Maeby, this reignites George Michael's feelings for her and he calls up Ann(her?), saying that they need to talk, presumably intending to dump her.
Lucille wins the drinking contest, despite drinking extra between rounds. G.O.B. regains his self-confidence after the successful rescue of George Sr., but then falls into the pool while holding the cooler, destroying the exonerating evidence. When Michael gets home, he finds out from Lucille that the decoy cooler that they left in Kitty's motel room contained a sperm sample from George Sr.
Synopsis
The company has a meeting with landowner Cal Cullen, who comments that the Bluths "did not come off well on last night's Scandalmakers." (Clips from Scandalmakers are then shown, including Tobias, as George Sr., giving away his hiding place.) Michael says that they are "scandal-free", at which point Lucille walks in drunk, having taken Buster's pain medication for a hangover and then misreading an alcohol warning as an alcohol suggestion. Cullen refuses to do business with the Bluths, saying that he "couldn't afford to end up on Scandalmakers." Lucille taunts Cullen by doing her "chicken dance" and passes out in her chair. Cullen leaves in disgust and Michael ends the meeting.Michael suggests to Lindsay that they hold an intervention
Intervention (counseling)
An intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one, or often many, people to get someone to seek professional help with an addiction or some kind of traumatic event or crisis, or other serious problem. The term intervention is most often used when the traumatic event involves addiction to drugs...
for Lucille, but Lindsay resists, flashing back to another intervention the previous year. The family had gotten drunk themselves out of fear, and by the time Lucille had arrived, they were too intoxicated to be effective, and it had turned into a party. G.O.B. appears and suggests rehab instead. Michael asks where he was in the meeting, but he replies that he was off for spring break, even though his reputation has been ruined by "that jerk Phillip Litt" filming his seven flubs in a magic act. Tobias appears and complains about being panned for his performance as George Sr. Maeby is ordered to find out how teenagers actually talk and then revise the dialogue in The Young Man and the Beach
The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea is a novel written by American author Ernest Hemingway in 1951 in Cuba, and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway and published in his lifetime. One of his most famous works, it centers upon Santiago, an aging fisherman who...
.
Knowing that Lucille won't go to rehab willingly, Michael offers her a trip to a spa (which the Bluth Co. was offering as an incentive to homebuyers). She cannot take Oscar, because his last pair of pants has fallen apart, so Michael promises to go with her instead. Upon arriving, Lucille realizes that she is actually at a rehab facility and tries to flee, only to be subdued by the guards.
Kitty Sanchez finds George Sr. in the attic, clued in by Tobias's line in Scandalmakers ("Perhaps an attic shall I seek"). Angry about being abandoned in Mexico, she kidnaps him, blackmailing him with a "cooler of evidence." Meanwhile, to get ideas for better dialogue, Maeby joins George Michael at the Banana Stand. A Freudian slip
Freudian slip
A 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...
by George Michael reveals his persistent feelings for her. Phillip Litt is using the same area to film his video, Girls With Low Self-Esteem
Girls Gone Wild
The Girls Gone Wild franchise, created by Joe Francis, is a video series by the production company Mantra Films, Inc., which is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.-Content:...
, despite an ineffectual protest led by Lindsay.
Kitty takes George Sr. to a motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
and screams that he owes her a child. George Sr. yearns for Lucille, as does Buster, alone in his mother's condo. Buster, unable to sleep, begins to drink from a large box of wine, mistaking it for a giant juicebox.
Michael meets with Cal Cullen again, and wins him over by pretending to have fond memories of Sugarfoot
Sugarfoot
Sugarfoot is the title of a TV western that aired from 1957 to 1961. The series featured Will Hutchins as fledgling frontier lawyer Tom Brewster and Jack Elam as sidekick Toothy Thompson...
, despite the fact that it was off the air before he was born. However, Kitty interrupts, flashes her breasts, and threatens to "bring this corrupt company down" unless Lucille meets her in a certain bar.
While the family wonders how to get Lucille out of rehab and to the bar, Lindsay complains that her brothers (and Phillip Litt) objectify women. She comes up with the idea for a competing video, Men With Low Self-Esteem. G.O.B. uses Oscar to distract the guards so that they can abduct Lucille, pretending that they're going for new pants. Kitty offers to trade her evidence for a sperm sample from George Sr., and Lucille puts it up to a drinking contest.
G.O.B. finds a cooler in the freezer that looks exactly like the evidence cooler, and he and Michael plan to switch it with the evidence, despite Michael's this to be an ineffective idea. Maeby is frustrated by the immaturity of the teenagers at the Banana Stand. Nearby, her parents try to film Men With Low Self-Esteem, bringing them into competition with Phillip Litt. When Litt accuses Lindsay of being ashamed of her body, Tobias pulls down Litt's pants, exposing him as a never nude. Seeing this, Tobias takes off his own pants, revealing that he's "back into cutoffs."
G.O.B., excited at the thought of spring break, performs a wolf call in the hotel hallway. This inadvertently sets off a response by George Sr., allowing them to find his room. G.O.B. tries to vomit up the handcuff key, while Michael forges the signature of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
on the decoy cooler, promising to turn it in to the police. George Sr. tells Michael to turn it in, saying that the evidence exonerates him.
George Michael finds Maeby talking to a vapid boy. George Michael says that she is like a "delicate flower" and that he doesn't "want her to be plucked by someone who doesn't even care that [she is] blossoming." Maeby says that this is just what she wanted to hear (as dialogue for her movie), and kisses George Michael on the cheek. Unbeknownst to Maeby, this reignites George Michael's feelings for her and he calls up Ann(her?), saying that they need to talk, presumably intending to dump her.
Lucille wins the drinking contest, despite drinking extra between rounds. G.O.B. regains his self-confidence after the successful rescue of George Sr., but then falls into the pool while holding the cooler, destroying the exonerating evidence. When Michael gets home, he finds out from Lucille that the decoy cooler that they left in Kitty's motel room contained a sperm sample from George Sr.
Hidden/background jokes
- Mr. Banana Grabber Mr. Banana Grabber can briefly be seen in the introduction to the fictional show Scandalmakers.
- Michael's hair Michael is wearing Franklin's wig in the "intervention".
- Franklin Gob can be briefly be seen talking to his puppet Franklin while intoxicated during what was supposed to be an intervention for Lucille.
- Buster's hand:
- Buster "plays" the piano in the "intervention" with only his right hand.
- Lucille uses Buster's hook to break a block of ice. Buster is seen shortly thereafter with a stub.
- Buster carries around his prosthetic arm when he's drunk on box wine.
- "I want to marry my mother" Buster picks up this magazine briefly when he's left home alone. In a later scene, Buster says that Lucille is better looking than the escorts G.O.B. dates.
- When Tobias and Phillip Litt pull down their pants, a nearby girl looks at their legs and starts laughing.
- Narrator The narrator of Arrested Development repeatedly comments on the poor narration in the episode of Scandalmaners. He finishes the episode by saying, "And that's how you narrate a story."
- Flowers:
- While drunk on box wine, Buster sings into a flower as he lays writhing on the dining room table. Later, when Buster accidentally hits himself on the head with a coconut after his comment on how Tobias "just wants to see boys' Linuses," there's a flower vase behind him.
- Lucille's room at Shady Pines is filled with wilted flowers because the vases are filled with smuggled-in alcohol (a joke that's more obvious in the deleted scenes).
- George Michael tells Maeby that she's like a flower and doesn't deserve to be "plucked" before she blossoms.
- The FOX Network: Fed up with an idiotic customer who she is using as a way to get inspiration for her newest movie, Maeby remarks, "Why are we even going after this idiot demographic?", which mirrors one of the conflicts that the writers for Arrested Development had to endure with Fox.
- Motherboy: The eponymous song first heard in the episode "Motherboy XXXMotherboy XXX"Motherboy XXX" is the thirty-fifth episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:"Michael Bluth got up early in the hopes of avoiding his family. His mother, however, was already dressed, made up and waiting for him...
" plays in the scene depicting Buster in the house, unguarded by Lucille while she is at rehab. - Buster, while drinking Lucille's wine, is listening to the song "Rose's Turn" sung by Liza Manelli, who plays his ex girlfriend Lucille 2. Lucille Bluth listens to the Ethel Merman version of the same song when she has the apartment to herself in an earlier episode.
- When Kitty flashes Michael, amid everything else being said Cal Cullen utters disappointedly, "Oh, they're crooked."
- Tobias frequently appears under the chimney in this episode.
- When George Sr. is shown looking at his medicine bottle, he winks, similar to how Lucille did earlier in the episode. This implies that he also doesn't understand the meaning of the drowsy eye alcohol warning.
- When the narrator comments on the "unfocused" nature of the narration in Scandalmakers, the shot of Dave AttellDave AttellDave Attell is an American stand-up comedian and the host of Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell and The Gong Show with Dave Attell.-Stand-up beginning:...
's pants is unfocused. - Lucille tells Michael that the cooler he used for the "switch and bait" (found in the freezer at the banana stand) was where she was hiding George Sr's sperm specimen. It's reminiscent of when Michael accidentally loses $250k when he burns the banana stand when she exclaims, "There were 250ccs of your father in that banana stand!"
- Michael tells Gob that switching out coolers will buy them "like, one second?" When Kitty sees that George Sr. is missing, she checks the cooler, which we are told takes place "2 seconds later."
Callbacks/running jokes
- Tobias is gay
- When Lindsay says she'll create "Men with Low Self Esteem" Tobias thinks it's a great idea.
- Lindsay and Tobias go to the boardwalk to film Men with Low Self Esteem and Tobias shouts, "Come on! Let's see some bananas and nuts! Oh, perhaps we should just pull their pants off."
- Buster comments on how Tobias "just wants to see boys' Linuses,"
- Scandalmakers -- The Scandalmakers episode based on the Bluths figures prominently into the plot.
- Chicken dance -- This is the introduction of Lucille's chicken dance.
- Never-nude
- Tobias is seen wearing only his cutoffs in the intervention flashback.
- The affliction is mentioned in relation to how Scandlemakers portrayed Tobias.
- Phillip Litt is "revealed" to be a never-nude.
- Tobias says that Phillip didn't see him at the never-nude convention because he was with the never-nude contingent in Germany. This is a reference to Beef ConsomméBeef Consommé"Beef Consommé" is the thirteenth episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael Bluth, Lucille, George Sr., and their attorney, Barry Zuckerkorn meet at the prison to discuss George Sr.'s arraignment the next day. Barry tells them they should all show up and appear loving and...
in which Tobias says that he knows of at least two Germans who suffer the same affliction.
- Joy in solitude -- The montage of Buster enjoying having the condo to himself parallels Lucille's scene 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...
. - Magician lingo -- Gob calls Michael a "Howdy Do Dat", a reference to what Magicians call their fans first used by Tony Wonder in Sword of DestinySword of Destiny"Sword of Destiny" is the 37th episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Synopsis:Michael Bluth is stunned to discover that a contract his company was counting on is being cut back, and is on the phone trying to persuade the client to honor the original order when Lindsay marches in...
. - Police brutality -- As Oscar attempts to escape from Shady Pines a security guard can be seen about to club him much like what frequently happened when Oscar was mistaken for George Sr. by the police throughout the second season.
- Wolf call -- Gob and Michael locate George Sr. when they hear his wolf call, a reference to his howling in Burning LoveBurning Love (Arrested Development episode)"Burning Love" is the 31st episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:George Michael asks his father if they have any music he can use for the Christian music bonfire which he and Ann are planning to host at the model home...
. - "I swallowed a key" -- Once again Gob has swallowed a key, a feat first shown in Key DecisionsKey Decisions"Key Decisions" is the fourth episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.- Plot :When Gob ditches his girlfriend, Marta Estrella, for a publicity stunt at the penitentiary that holds his father, Michael is left to accompany her to the Desi Awards...
. This time, however, he is able to retrieve the key and use it to free George Sr.. - Lucille tells Michael that the cooler he used for the "switch and bait" (found in the freezer at the banana stand) was where she was hiding George Sr's sperm specimen. It is reminiscent of Michael losing $250k by burning the banana stand in Top BananaTop Banana (Arrested Development episode)"Top Banana" is the second episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development. The story takes place a week before the banana stand is burned down. George Sr. attempts to control the Bluth company from prison using his cellmate T-Bone.-Plot:...
when she exclaims, "There were 250 ccs of your father in that banana stand!" - No touching! -- When Lucille shoves Michael against the wall he says "No touching," a phrase commonly used when the family visited George Sr. in prison during Season One.
Cameos
- Carl WeathersCarl WeathersCarl Weathers is an American actor, as well as former professional football player in the United States and Canada. He is best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky series of films...
and Dave AttellDave AttellDave Attell is an American stand-up comedian and the host of Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell and The Gong Show with Dave Attell.-Stand-up beginning:...
can be seen in a flashback to the making of Scandalmakers. - Zach BraffZach BraffZachary Israel "Zach" Braff is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, comedian, and director. Braff first became known in 2001 for his role as Dr. John Dorian on the television series Scrubs, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.In 2004, Braff made his...
as Phillip Litt - Dick Van PattenDick Van PattenRichard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten is an American actor, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television sitcom Eight is Enough. He began work as a child actor and was successful on the [New York] stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager...
as Cal Cullen, the potential investor.
Goofs
- In the episode, it is stated that SugarfootSugarfootSugarfoot is the title of a TV western that aired from 1957 to 1961. The series featured Will Hutchins as fledgling frontier lawyer Tom Brewster and Jack Elam as sidekick Toothy Thompson...
ended twelve years before Michael was born. It actually aired from 1957 to 1961, making its end six years before Michael was born. - The narrator mentions that the box of wine was the first taste of alcohol Buster had since he was breastfed as a baby, despite that in "Altar EgosAltar Egos"Altar Egos" is the seventeenth episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael Bluth and family gather to discuss George Sr.’s upcoming trial. They've received a plea offer, but lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn hasn’t read it yet because he is too busy picking up cross-dressing...
", Lucille claims she could not breastfeed the children due to George Sr.'s "tweaking." - In the motel scene where Kitty kidnaps George Sr. she kicks the H. MADDAS cooler towards the sliding glass door. The camera then cuts to George Sr. so he can deliver the "Never promise crazy a baby" line. When the camera returns to the shot of the sliding glass door the cooler is missing.
- George Sr.'s sperm was supposedly in the banana stand for a number of years (at the very least, since before his incarceration.) The banana stand was burned down by Michael and George Michael in the Season 1 episode Top BananaTop Banana (Arrested Development episode)"Top Banana" is the second episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development. The story takes place a week before the banana stand is burned down. George Sr. attempts to control the Bluth company from prison using his cellmate T-Bone.-Plot:...
, and therefore it is difficult to believe that the cooler and its contents survived the fire. The banana stand was also a target of several attacks by spring break students. - In the scene in which Michael meets with Lucile in rehab, there is a vase of flowers shown on Lucile's right side when she is seen from Michael's perspective and a different vase of flowers on Lucile's left side when shown from Lucile's point of view.