Forget-Me-Now
Encyclopedia
"Forget-Me-Now" is the 43rd episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.
Meanwhile, Maeby has begun to date Steve Holt, claiming they are getting serious. George Michael interprets this to mean Maeby has become sexually active with Steve Holt, replying that he is happy for her, since older guys have certain expectations. Unbeknownst to him, she is actually dating Steve as a means of avoiding her feelings for George Michael.
Back at the meeting in the model home, Bob Loblaw emphasises the danger of the British evidence. George Sr. suggests shredding the paperwork, but the straightforward Loblaw informs him that it would be a felony to do so.
After Loblaw makes a swift exit, Michael's pressuring of G.O.B. to spend time with his newly found son, Steve Holt, is heard by George Michael, whose incredulity is met with flying aggression from his Uncle G.O.B., an action borne out of confused rage.
Michael meets up with Rita in Wee Britain for the date, which she has chosen to site at an American-themed restaurant. As Rita tucks into the large portions, she and Michael exchange info about their troubles finding a member of the opposite sex, but Michael is distracted by a looming Trevor. Michael tries to dissuade Rita from her wish to meet his family as he recalls their sabotage attempts during other recent dates, and instead tells her that he doesn't have a family. As they leave, Michael gets hit by the Merry Poppuns tourist attraction again, and Rita is under pressure by Trevor to get invited round to Michael's house.
Michael goes back to work at the Bluth Company offices and finds G.O.B. shredding the evidence, under instruction from his father via the surrogate. Michael stops G.O.B. and tells him to put the evidence somewhere that their father can't get to it. Lucille has arrived at the office to go on a date with George Sr., as filtered through the surrogate, and Buster has arrived with a newly won medal, though he knows not what it is for. Tobias tries to persuade Buster to submit to his newly recalled analyst/therapist skills, or an 'analrapist', as Tobias previously had established himself.
George Sr. is formulating a plan for escaping the ankle monitor confines after seeing a bunch of balloons elevating a person on TV, and as this is garbled through by the surrogate, excuses the need for balloons as a catering item for a quickly thought up party for the medal-winning Buster. Michael sees this Balboa Towers-based party as an opportunity to bring Rita to what would be an empty model home, escaping any possible interaction with his family members.
Lindsay is continuing her flirtatious targeting of Bob Loblaw, but Loblaw's matter-of-fact language is mistaken by Lindsay for a returning of her affections. As Michael checks the house for absence of family members, he is frustrated to find Tobias and Buster still there and surrounded by the Bluth family evidence files. Upon noticing family photographs stuck up on the wall, he also realises that Tobias is there and trying to give Buster a therapy session in his own unique way.
Maeby becomes slightly unnerved by the physical expectations of her faster moving relationship with Steve Holt, and tries to cancel their date. Instead, Steve Holt wants to come to the empty model home. Not knowing what to do, Maeby agrees. Meanwhile, George Michael dithers about the knowledge of Steve Holt's paternity but eventually blurts the information out to Steve.
At Balboa Towers, Lucille is preparing for Buster's party as he and Tobias arrive. Buster and Tobias's misinterpretation of Michael's motivations in clearing the house convinces the rest of the Bluths that Michael is shredding the evidence and sacrificing himself by doing such an illegal activity. The family's new-found sense of gratitude towards Michael manifests itself in a misguided attempt to help Michael by picking up Rita for their date, and converting Buster's party into one in her honor.
Michael is back at the house trying to conceal the evidence in the garage and in the car, but picks up a message from G.O.B. telling him of the family's new good intentions. Lindsay and the cabin car are already on their way to picking up Rita from the school, and when Rita enters the cabin, she feels somewhat threatened by the sudden appearance of people introducing themselves as Michael's family, considering that she had been led to believe that they did not exist. Buster suddenly notices Rita's seal backpack, and the recollection of his seal attack leads him to fly in a frenzy at Rita and knock her to the ground.
Rita is lying unconscious but G.O.B. believes that he has a solution to the panicked Bluths' problem: a temporary 'forgettiness' pill that he uses in his magic act to make subjects forget how the trick is done. Tobias recognises the pill as being a rohypnol pill, and the family panic yet again and dump Rita on a bench by the side of the road. An unknowing Michael is preparing a romantic table-setting for his date with Rita, and dashes off to pick her up, leaving the prepared table.
Steve Holt arrives just after Michael leaves, planning to end his relationship with his cousin. However, Steve Holt assumes Maeby prepared the table, Maeby is still too worried about letting him down to break things off.
Michael finds that he has missed Rita, and so calls the family to tell them that he is coming to the party. On his way, he happens across a drowsy Rita on the bench, and picks her up. Upon arrival at Balboa Towers, an overly friendly family, bred out of guilt, greet Michael and show him their hastily scrawled 'Family Love Michael' banner. Rita suddenly enters, but the guilt felt by all the Bluths is quickly dissipated as Buster bursts in to tell them that by accepting the medal, he was unknowingly re-enrolled for army duty.
As Michael admits his lie about his family to Rita, Rita leaves, and the family briefly feel superior. The feeling of moral superiority is short-lived however as G.O.B. blurts out what happened with Rita and the rohypnol, but tries to shove a forget-me-now down Michael's throat as a way of covering it up. Buster decides to fling his medal away, over the balcony, but it hits and sets fire to the balloon bundle that George Sr. is using to float down to the ground, evading the ankle monitor detectors. George Sr. thuds to the ground and is swiftly caught by waiting policemen.
Maeby leads George Michael to incorrectly believe that she and Steve Holt have had sex, and so a shocked George Michael tells her that Steve is their cousin. However, he discovers that she has actually drugged him and is now preparing to convince him that they had gone all the way. George Sr.'s crashing balloon fire had caught on to the files that Michael had hidden in the car, which had been parked outside. As Michael tries to reassemble the files, he makes up with G.O.B. after finding out the good intentions behind the family's dealings with Rita.
Synopsis
Michael, G.O.B., Lindsay and Tobias are meeting with the family's new attorney, Bob Loblaw, at the model home regarding the family's legal situation. Lindsay finds an opportunity to be flirtatious with the new lawyer and Michael expresses his anxiety about the amount of damning paperwork in existence. George Sr., still under house arrest at Balboa Towers, has thwarted Michael's plan to keep him out of the meeting by sending a surrogate in his place, wired up to repeat George Sr.'s words and to transmit video back to him. While Bob takes a call, Lindsay and G.O.B. are disbelieving about Michael's upcoming date with Rita, who is shown to be working with the sinister Trevor.Meanwhile, Maeby has begun to date Steve Holt, claiming they are getting serious. George Michael interprets this to mean Maeby has become sexually active with Steve Holt, replying that he is happy for her, since older guys have certain expectations. Unbeknownst to him, she is actually dating Steve as a means of avoiding her feelings for George Michael.
Back at the meeting in the model home, Bob Loblaw emphasises the danger of the British evidence. George Sr. suggests shredding the paperwork, but the straightforward Loblaw informs him that it would be a felony to do so.
After Loblaw makes a swift exit, Michael's pressuring of G.O.B. to spend time with his newly found son, Steve Holt, is heard by George Michael, whose incredulity is met with flying aggression from his Uncle G.O.B., an action borne out of confused rage.
Michael meets up with Rita in Wee Britain for the date, which she has chosen to site at an American-themed restaurant. As Rita tucks into the large portions, she and Michael exchange info about their troubles finding a member of the opposite sex, but Michael is distracted by a looming Trevor. Michael tries to dissuade Rita from her wish to meet his family as he recalls their sabotage attempts during other recent dates, and instead tells her that he doesn't have a family. As they leave, Michael gets hit by the Merry Poppuns tourist attraction again, and Rita is under pressure by Trevor to get invited round to Michael's house.
Michael goes back to work at the Bluth Company offices and finds G.O.B. shredding the evidence, under instruction from his father via the surrogate. Michael stops G.O.B. and tells him to put the evidence somewhere that their father can't get to it. Lucille has arrived at the office to go on a date with George Sr., as filtered through the surrogate, and Buster has arrived with a newly won medal, though he knows not what it is for. Tobias tries to persuade Buster to submit to his newly recalled analyst/therapist skills, or an 'analrapist', as Tobias previously had established himself.
George Sr. is formulating a plan for escaping the ankle monitor confines after seeing a bunch of balloons elevating a person on TV, and as this is garbled through by the surrogate, excuses the need for balloons as a catering item for a quickly thought up party for the medal-winning Buster. Michael sees this Balboa Towers-based party as an opportunity to bring Rita to what would be an empty model home, escaping any possible interaction with his family members.
Lindsay is continuing her flirtatious targeting of Bob Loblaw, but Loblaw's matter-of-fact language is mistaken by Lindsay for a returning of her affections. As Michael checks the house for absence of family members, he is frustrated to find Tobias and Buster still there and surrounded by the Bluth family evidence files. Upon noticing family photographs stuck up on the wall, he also realises that Tobias is there and trying to give Buster a therapy session in his own unique way.
Maeby becomes slightly unnerved by the physical expectations of her faster moving relationship with Steve Holt, and tries to cancel their date. Instead, Steve Holt wants to come to the empty model home. Not knowing what to do, Maeby agrees. Meanwhile, George Michael dithers about the knowledge of Steve Holt's paternity but eventually blurts the information out to Steve.
At Balboa Towers, Lucille is preparing for Buster's party as he and Tobias arrive. Buster and Tobias's misinterpretation of Michael's motivations in clearing the house convinces the rest of the Bluths that Michael is shredding the evidence and sacrificing himself by doing such an illegal activity. The family's new-found sense of gratitude towards Michael manifests itself in a misguided attempt to help Michael by picking up Rita for their date, and converting Buster's party into one in her honor.
Michael is back at the house trying to conceal the evidence in the garage and in the car, but picks up a message from G.O.B. telling him of the family's new good intentions. Lindsay and the cabin car are already on their way to picking up Rita from the school, and when Rita enters the cabin, she feels somewhat threatened by the sudden appearance of people introducing themselves as Michael's family, considering that she had been led to believe that they did not exist. Buster suddenly notices Rita's seal backpack, and the recollection of his seal attack leads him to fly in a frenzy at Rita and knock her to the ground.
Rita is lying unconscious but G.O.B. believes that he has a solution to the panicked Bluths' problem: a temporary 'forgettiness' pill that he uses in his magic act to make subjects forget how the trick is done. Tobias recognises the pill as being a rohypnol pill, and the family panic yet again and dump Rita on a bench by the side of the road. An unknowing Michael is preparing a romantic table-setting for his date with Rita, and dashes off to pick her up, leaving the prepared table.
Steve Holt arrives just after Michael leaves, planning to end his relationship with his cousin. However, Steve Holt assumes Maeby prepared the table, Maeby is still too worried about letting him down to break things off.
Michael finds that he has missed Rita, and so calls the family to tell them that he is coming to the party. On his way, he happens across a drowsy Rita on the bench, and picks her up. Upon arrival at Balboa Towers, an overly friendly family, bred out of guilt, greet Michael and show him their hastily scrawled 'Family Love Michael' banner. Rita suddenly enters, but the guilt felt by all the Bluths is quickly dissipated as Buster bursts in to tell them that by accepting the medal, he was unknowingly re-enrolled for army duty.
As Michael admits his lie about his family to Rita, Rita leaves, and the family briefly feel superior. The feeling of moral superiority is short-lived however as G.O.B. blurts out what happened with Rita and the rohypnol, but tries to shove a forget-me-now down Michael's throat as a way of covering it up. Buster decides to fling his medal away, over the balcony, but it hits and sets fire to the balloon bundle that George Sr. is using to float down to the ground, evading the ankle monitor detectors. George Sr. thuds to the ground and is swiftly caught by waiting policemen.
Maeby leads George Michael to incorrectly believe that she and Steve Holt have had sex, and so a shocked George Michael tells her that Steve is their cousin. However, he discovers that she has actually drugged him and is now preparing to convince him that they had gone all the way. George Sr.'s crashing balloon fire had caught on to the files that Michael had hidden in the car, which had been parked outside. As Michael tries to reassemble the files, he makes up with G.O.B. after finding out the good intentions behind the family's dealings with Rita.
Episode notes
- 'Forget-Me-Now' is the name given by G.O.B. to his roofie pills and a play on the flower name, "Forget-me-notForget-me-notMyosotis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae that are commonly called Forget-me-nots. Its common name was calqued from the French, "ne m'oubliez pas" and first used in English in c. 1532. Similar names and variations are found in many languages.-Description:There are...
".
Callbacks/running jokes
- Analrapist Tobias says he's an Analrapist (the portmanteau of "analyst" and "therapist", pronounced "uh-NAHL-ruh-pist") for the first time. This comes up several times in this episode, and is later referenced again in "S.O.B.sS.O.B.s"S.O.B.s" is the forty-ninth episode of the TV comedy series Arrested Development. The episode aired less than a month after Variety announced that the episode order for season 3 had been cut from 22 to 13...
". - Banner Lucille's 'You're killing me, Buster' banner, as created in "¡Amigos!¡Amigos!"¡Amigos!" is the 25th episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael tells his brother Gob of his plans to take George Michael to Legoland for the weekend. Gob says he plans to hang out with some of his friends, though Michael doubts that he has any...
", and doctored for the first time in "Hand to God", has this time been quickly changed into 'You're kidding me, Buster' for his party.- The new 'Family Love Michael' banner shows off the Bluth family's pattern of simplistic grammar, later seen in "The Ocean WalkerThe Ocean Walker"The Ocean Walker" is the 46th episode of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael informs George Sr. and Lucille that he plans to marry Rita. Michael's parents are skeptical about his decision....
" and "Family TiesFamily Ties (Arrested Development episode)"Family Ties" is the fifty-first episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Synopsis:Michael thinks he has made a shocking discovery when he finds a picture of himself as a baby with a girl named "Nellie." He shows it to Lindsay and they theorize that their parents had given up...
".
- The new 'Family Love Michael' banner shows off the Bluth family's pattern of simplistic grammar, later seen in "The Ocean Walker
- Forget-Me-Now G.O.B.'s use of the "mainstay of the magician's toolkit" was seen in the previous episode, when spotted behind the mirror in the "Free Chicken" cage. In that scene, he offered the man a "vitamin".
- Franklin As G.O.B. makes up with Michael, puppet Franklin, still bleached from his washing machine encounter in "The Righteous BrothersThe Righteous Brothers (Arrested Development episode)"Righteous Brothers" is the fortieth episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development. It is the season two finale.-Synopsis:Michael is working at home when he notices something unusual: His pen rolls off the coffee table as if rolling downhill...
", reappears to help with the rendition of "It Ain't Easy Being White". - Huge mistake Believing he slept with his cousin Maeby, Steve Holt goes to G.O.B. for advice, saying that he had "made a huge mistake." G.O.B. responds "I know the feeling, I had you."
- Ice Cream Sandwich George Sr. is shown eating an ice cream sandwich when explaining the surrogate to Michael. George Sr. first mentioned that he was "having a love affair with this ice cream sandwich" in Season One, during one of Michael's visits to the prison.
- Marijuana G.O.B. calls George Michael a 'pothead' in a rage, calling back to the drug dealing events of "Pier Pressure".
- Mary PoppinsMary Poppins (film)Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
Michael gets knocked over by the "Poppuns" yet again. His first encounter with the flying tourist attraction had occurred in "For British Eyes OnlyFor British Eyes Only"For British Eyes Only" is the 42nd episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Synopsis:Michael Bluth and George Michael Bluth are having a last chance camp-out in the cabin before it is due to be moved. While they are sleeping, a returning George Sr. drives the cabin away for use...
". - Seal Rita's seal backpack that scares Buster in the cabin car happens to be wearing a yellow bowtie, as did the original seal attacker in "Hand to God".
- Simplistic Phrasing G.O.B.'s titling of the Rohypnol pills 'forget-me-now' recalls the similarly literal naming of magic show audience members as 'howdeydodats', another supposed magician's term as expressed 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...
". - Michael's Dates are Unattractive Michael is seen on dates with a number of very attractive women, contrasting the fact that G.O.B. often criticizes Michael for dating ugly women, a reference to the episode "Shock and AwwShock and Aww"Shock and Aww" is the fourteenth episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael is sharing his bed for the first time in years; unfortunately, it is with his younger brother, Buster. George Michael has developed a crush on his ethics teacher...
". - Tobias is gay
- He refers to himself as an "analrapist", a half-analyst, half-therapist (and Buster is more shocked by the word rather than the pronunciation when Tobias tries to correct it).
- In order to help Buster overcome his inferiority to his mother, Tobias dresses up as her and at one point is seen wearing her bra.
- Tobias grabs and later slaps Michael's buttocks when Michael arrives at the "Family Love Michael" party.
- Police Brutality After a failed attempt to escape house arrest George Sr. is on the receiving end of a police beating. Previously, Oscar was the usual victim.
Hidden/background jokes
- Award speech Buster's prepared note for his reception of his medal at the army base reads: "And most of all Mother (choked up)."
- Fourth WallFourth wallThe fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
Two fourth wall breaking moments can be seen in this episode:- While talking about the American male's potential immaturity to Rita, Michael is the first main character to utter the phrase "arrested development" in the show's history, and the narrator exclaims, "Hey, that's the name of the show." Interestingly, the term "arrested developer" was first used by as a byline on a TV newscast, when discussing the Bluth scandal.
- Next, after Tobias compares his emotional moment with Buster to a potential act break moment in a Lifetime movie, a typical Arrested Development segment end music string follows but is quickly rebutted with a narrator's "But it wasn't." The actual act break follows Tobias's exclamation, "Now that's an act break", later on.
- Marta The third of Michael's dates in his recollection, as sabotaged by his family, is subtitled 'Marta', and is played by a new actress. This forms the continuation of the swapping of Martas, as discussed during the DVD commentary on "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...
" when the cast and Mitchell HurwitzMitchell HurwitzMitchell D. Hurwitz is an American television writer and producer. He is best known as the creator of the television sitcom Arrested Development as well as the co-creator of The Ellen Show, and a contributor to The John Larroquette Show and The Golden Girls.-Birth and early life:Hurwitz was born...
were talking about the replacement of Leonor VarelaLeonor VarelaLeonor Varela Palma is a Chilean actress, and model. She played the character Cleopatra in the 1999 film Cleopatra...
by 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:...
in the character of Marta, and the possible extension of that into constant revolving of Martas for comic effect. - Fat Ammy's The "American Styled" restaurant that Michael and Rita are at for their date is called Fat Ammy's. When Rita is riding the space shuttle there is a sign for the restaurant with a bulky depiction of Uncle SamUncle SamUncle Sam is a common national personification of the American government originally used during the War of 1812. He is depicted as a stern elderly man with white hair and a goatee beard...
that reads: "I'm Still Eatin' at... Fat Ammy's. American Style Restaurant." - Wee Brain In the scene where Michael discovers Rita passed out on the bench, she sits up in way so that "Wee Britain", which the bench says, is covered so that it says "Wee Brain", a reference to the fact that Rita is mentally challenged. (Coincidentally, she also sits in the middle of the letters RITA, her own name.)
- The name of George Sr.'s surrogate is "Mittleman", a play on the word "middleman."
- Lindsay asks when Bob Loblaw leaves the room if he got the "two meanings" when Lindsay suggested she could be one of his partners. This is in reference to the fact that large portions of the comedy within the show come from double entendre.
Character cameos
- Scott BaioScott BaioScott Vincent James Baio is an American actor and television director, best known for his roles as Chachi Arcola on the sitcom Happy Days and its spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi, and as the title character on the sitcom Charles in Charge....
's Bob Loblaw is introduced in this episode as the replacement for 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...
's Barry Zuckerkorn. Winkler had left the show to join CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's 'Out of Practice', just as Scott Baio had been brought onto Happy Days, which starred Henry Winkler, as an appeal to younger viewers. - Bob EinsteinBob EinsteinStewart Robert "Bob" Einstein is an American actor and comedy writer best known for his portrayal of the fictional stuntman Super Dave Osborne.-Life and career:...
, better known as Super Dave OsborneSuper Dave OsborneSuper Dave Osborne is a character created and played by comedian Bob Einstein. He is a naive but optimistic stuntman who is frequently injured when his stunts go wrong.-Appearance history:...
, begins his deadpan run as George Bluth Sr.'s surrogate.
Foreshadowing/future references
- Further clues to Rita's possible mental state are evident:
- The literal greeting at the restaurant, "I've been having such fun on this spaceship" is wrongly interpreted by Michael as Rita's sarcastic expression of frustration at his tardiness.
- Rita tucks her napkin into the top of her shirt as though it were a bib, rather than spreading it on her lap as Michael does.
- Rita shoves food down her throat, and speaks with her mouth full.
- Rita tells Michael that she too hasn't been on a date in a long time, and complains that she only seems to meet little boys who think the stupidest things are funny, referring literally to her peers at school.
- Rita points the raccoon tail of her hat towards Michael, making it appear as though it were a listening device, but it later transpires that she is instead just being playful.
- Rita is standing in line holding hands with the first graders waiting to be picked up appearing to be the teacher, but we later learn that she is a student. There is someone who at first appears to be a mother at the end of the line, but is likely the actual teacher.
- As she sits in front of an advertising board for 'Wee Britain', Rita happens to obscure the middle letters leaving the phrase 'Wee Brain' visible.
- Also present is a clue to Tobias' graft versus host disease: he misses when he tries to toss a candy bean into his mouth.