Motherboy XXX
Encyclopedia
"Motherboy XXX" is the thirty-fifth episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.
. Tobias is excited about a possible role in Carl Weathers' latest television project, but Lindsay complains that Tobias always blows these chances and that he's not a take-charge husband. Up in the attic, George Sr. has to hide when Maeby and George Michael come up looking for camping gear for George Michael's upcoming Christian
camping trip with Ann. Michael later catches news of the trip from George Sr., who overhears everything while hiding.
Michael tries to talk his son out of going, but when Maeby hears that George Michael would be missing school for this trip, she decides to join him. Michael tells George Michael that he thinks he should spend time with Uncle Buster instead. At the office, Michael runs into Gob, who wants to know if Barry has mentioned his divorce case. He also mentions that his soon-to-be ex-wife is claiming that the seal Gob released into the ocean (which later bit off Buster's hand) was worth $250,000. Michael tells Gob that if he admits he never consummated the marriage, he can have it annulled. But Gob can't admit that, not even to Michael. Barry arrives and announces that the seal has been tracked and caught. If Buster's hand is still intact, a transplant may be possible. Tobias meets with Carl Weathers
at Burger King
. Carl announces that he's directing an episode of Scandalmakers. It will be about the Bluths, and Carl will appear as Ice
. He doesn't want Tobias for a role, only to sign a release, but he is willing to give him the role of George Sr. in exchange for that signature. George Michael spends an afternoon with Buster, and Lucille sees an opportunity to take a new boy to Motherboy.
Michael and Gob set out to find the seal. Buster finds out and joins them. At home, Tobias begins to do some research on George Sr. in the attic. Angry that Tobias can't master his voice, George Sr. appears and threatens Tobias, which makes Tobias see the power in the man. Tobias asks George Sr. to teach him this power. Down at the docks, the search continues for Buster's hand, but they find only the seal's left flipper, which was probably bitten off by a shark. Michael argues that, like Buster, the seal couldn't survive in the real world. They set off to save George Michael from Lucille instead. Lindsay sees Tobias with the raw power of George Sr., which she is immediately attracted to. Buster and Michael arrive at the hotel in which Motherboy is being held. Seeing another matching sailor outfit, Buster knows that Lucille is in her room changing outfits. He also knows that she will make George Michael wait on a balcony. Barry prepares Gob to meet with his wife.
Michael and Buster survey the hotel looking for a bored-looking young man on a balcony. Spotting a Sonny Bono
, Buster decides to zip line over to balcony. But he immediately falls, crashing through a skylight. His hook continues on the line and crashes into Lucille's room. She decides that they need to change rooms and costumes. Tobias begins work on the set of Scandalmakers. At the courthouse, Gob finally meets with his wife. He threatens to lie about not consummating the marriage, which greatly attracts her, and they finally consummate it. Back at Motherboy XXX, Lucille is finding her new partner an asset. Michael and Buster are staking out the ballroom after having retrieved Buster's hook. Buster goes to unplug the lights to create a diversion, but catches his hook on a sandbag. He slides down to the stage just as Lucille and George Michael come out to dance. Michael tries to drag his son offstage, but Lucille won't allow it. Buster, finally hearing the truth about Lucille's desired Motherboy XXX date, offers to dance with her so that Michael can save his son from a life of being sheltered.
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. Which put her wake-up time in the 3:00, 3:30 area." Lucille always has trouble sleeping this time of year because she gets excited before Motherboy, a dinner dance aimed at promoting mother/son bonding. Lucille has gone with Buster over 25 times, and on several occasions they have won "Cutest Couple". But for Motherboy XXX, Lucille wants to take Michael, because Buster has become moody after losing his hand. Michael chides his mother for not being there for Buster the one time that he finally needed her. Lindsay is also up early, upset that Tobias has re-connected with acting coach Carl WeathersCarl Weathers
Carl 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...
. Tobias is excited about a possible role in Carl Weathers' latest television project, but Lindsay complains that Tobias always blows these chances and that he's not a take-charge husband. Up in the attic, George Sr. has to hide when Maeby and George Michael come up looking for camping gear for George Michael's upcoming Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
camping trip with Ann. Michael later catches news of the trip from George Sr., who overhears everything while hiding.
Michael tries to talk his son out of going, but when Maeby hears that George Michael would be missing school for this trip, she decides to join him. Michael tells George Michael that he thinks he should spend time with Uncle Buster instead. At the office, Michael runs into Gob, who wants to know if Barry has mentioned his divorce case. He also mentions that his soon-to-be ex-wife is claiming that the seal Gob released into the ocean (which later bit off Buster's hand) was worth $250,000. Michael tells Gob that if he admits he never consummated the marriage, he can have it annulled. But Gob can't admit that, not even to Michael. Barry arrives and announces that the seal has been tracked and caught. If Buster's hand is still intact, a transplant may be possible. Tobias meets with Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers
Carl 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...
at Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
. Carl announces that he's directing an episode of Scandalmakers. It will be about the Bluths, and Carl will appear as Ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
. He doesn't want Tobias for a role, only to sign a release, but he is willing to give him the role of George Sr. in exchange for that signature. George Michael spends an afternoon with Buster, and Lucille sees an opportunity to take a new boy to Motherboy.
Michael and Gob set out to find the seal. Buster finds out and joins them. At home, Tobias begins to do some research on George Sr. in the attic. Angry that Tobias can't master his voice, George Sr. appears and threatens Tobias, which makes Tobias see the power in the man. Tobias asks George Sr. to teach him this power. Down at the docks, the search continues for Buster's hand, but they find only the seal's left flipper, which was probably bitten off by a shark. Michael argues that, like Buster, the seal couldn't survive in the real world. They set off to save George Michael from Lucille instead. Lindsay sees Tobias with the raw power of George Sr., which she is immediately attracted to. Buster and Michael arrive at the hotel in which Motherboy is being held. Seeing another matching sailor outfit, Buster knows that Lucille is in her room changing outfits. He also knows that she will make George Michael wait on a balcony. Barry prepares Gob to meet with his wife.
Michael and Buster survey the hotel looking for a bored-looking young man on a balcony. Spotting a Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
, Buster decides to zip line over to balcony. But he immediately falls, crashing through a skylight. His hook continues on the line and crashes into Lucille's room. She decides that they need to change rooms and costumes. Tobias begins work on the set of Scandalmakers. At the courthouse, Gob finally meets with his wife. He threatens to lie about not consummating the marriage, which greatly attracts her, and they finally consummate it. Back at Motherboy XXX, Lucille is finding her new partner an asset. Michael and Buster are staking out the ballroom after having retrieved Buster's hook. Buster goes to unplug the lights to create a diversion, but catches his hook on a sandbag. He slides down to the stage just as Lucille and George Michael come out to dance. Michael tries to drag his son offstage, but Lucille won't allow it. Buster, finally hearing the truth about Lucille's desired Motherboy XXX date, offers to dance with her so that Michael can save his son from a life of being sheltered.
Cultural references
- Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuseAbu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuseBeginning in 2004, human rights violations in the form of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, including torture, rape, sodomy, and homicide of prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq came to public attention...
When Gob's wife presents the picture of the two of them in the office, it resembles one of the images from Abu Ghraib, with Gob's shirt over his head and his wife posed as Lynndie EnglandLynndie EnglandLynndie Rana England is a former United States Army reservist who served in the 372nd Military Police Company. She was one of eleven military personnel convicted in 2005 by Army courts-martial in connection with the torture and prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad during the occupation...
. - Arrested DevelopmentArrested Development (hip hop group)Arrested Development is an American alternative hip hop group, founded by Speech and Headliner as a positive, Afrocentric alternative to the gangsta rap popular in the early 1990s.-History:...
While referring to the Motherboy dance, the narrator says that he is legally required to make the distinction between the dance and the fictional band named Motherboy. This parodies the lawsuit brought against the show by the alternative hip hopAlternative hip hopAlternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
group Arrested DevelopmentArrested Development (hip hop group)Arrested Development is an American alternative hip hop group, founded by Speech and Headliner as a positive, Afrocentric alternative to the gangsta rap popular in the early 1990s.-History:...
. - George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
When Gob's wife says that she "misunderestimated" him refers to a famous BushismBushismBushisms are unconventional words, phrases, pronunciations, malapropisms, and semantic or linguistic errors that have occurred in the public speaking of former President of the United States George W. Bush and, much less notably, of his father, George H. W. Bush. The term has become part of popular...
. - Burger KingBurger KingBurger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
The fast food chain underwrites the Scandalmakers show in exchange for a scene being set there. This mirrors the real-life deal between Arrested Development and Burger King. The episode makes many unsubtle references to this:- Carl Weathers says "Burger King" often during his initial conversation with Tobias. He also asks Tobias if he knew that, "you can get a refill on any drink here? And it's free!" We have already learned that Carl is frugal.
- Upon hearing of the deal between 'Scandalmakers' and Burger King, Tobias says "So long as you don't draw attention to it", a direct reference to the exaggerated plugging of Burger King in the episode.
- Tobias declares Burger King to be "a wonderful restaurant", which is then seconded by the narrator; the scene transition includes a shot of a poster advertising Burger King's new breakfast menu before cutting to Michael and Barry.
- Barry says that he skipped breakfast and leaves a meeting to eat at Burger King.
- At the end of the episode, Michael and George Michael are drinking from Burger King cups in the staircar.
- Captain HookCaptain HookCaptain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and its various adaptations. The character is a villainous pirate captain of the Jolly Roger brig, and lord of the pirate village/harbour in Neverland, where he is widely feared. Most...
Lucille and Buster pretend that Buster's hook is part of a costume, referring to the villain from Peter PanPeter PanPeter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
. - HouseHouse (TV series)House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
One of Tobias's vanity license plates says "DRHOUSE", referring to the role played by Hugh LaurieHugh LaurieJames Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
, the role that David CrossDavid CrossDavid Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...
had unsuccessfully auditioned for himself. - Jumping the sharkJumping the sharkJumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery....
Barry jumps over a shark on his way to Burger King, a reference to both his character FonzieFonzieArthur Herbert Fonzarelli is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days . He was originally a secondary character, but eventually became the lead...
doing so on Happy DaysHappy DaysHappy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
and the phrase "jumping the sharkJumping the sharkJumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery....
", which describes a point when a television show has run out of ideas and is now no longer considered relevant or has done something gimmicky to increase falling audiences (which originated from the aforementioned Happy Days incident). - Lucille and George Michael dress as the famous husband and wife entertainment duo, Sonny and Cher. Lucille asks George Michael if it's too soon (referring to Sonny Bono's accidental death) to which he replies, "Who?".
Callbacks/Running Jokes
- When Buster has an episode in the middle of the night he partially covers the 'ALARM OFF' on his digital clock so that it says 'ARM OFF'. This is a similar reference to the bench in "Out on a LimbOut on a Limb (Arrested Development episode)"Out on a Limb" is the 33rd episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael and Sally Sitwell are having Sunday brunch at Skip Church's Bistro when he spots George Michael and Maeby at the same restaurant, and Michael introduces Sally to them. Once Michael leaves, Ann arrives...
"
Cameos
- Judge Ping appears briefly in this episode. He presided over the Bluth's trial in Season 1 and Barry's fat case in "Out on a LimbOut on a Limb (Arrested Development episode)"Out on a Limb" is the 33rd episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Michael and Sally Sitwell are having Sunday brunch at Skip Church's Bistro when he spots George Michael and Maeby at the same restaurant, and Michael introduces Sally to them. Once Michael leaves, Ann arrives...
" and "Hand to GodHand to God (Arrested Development episode)"Hand To God" is the 34th episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.- Plot :Michael tells George Michael about Maggie Lizer's baby, whom Michael thinks is his. George Michael gets excited about being a big brother, but Michael lets him know that Maggie wants nothing to do with him...
". - 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:...
appears as himself playing Tobias on an episode of Scandalmakers. - Amy PoehlerAmy PoehlerAmy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
, real-life wife of Will ArnettWill ArnettWilliam Emerson "Will" Arnett is a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II on the Fox comedy Arrested Development. He is also known for his role as Devon Banks on the NBC comedy 30 Rock. Since his success on Arrested Development, Arnett has landed major...
, appears as GOB's wife.
Foreshadowing
- Michael and Buster's "Operation Hot Mother" mission is turned into a movie script in "Meat the VealsMeat the Veals"Meat the Veals" is the 38th episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.-Plot:Oscar wants to throw Lucille a party to celebrate her wedding anniversary. He got the idea from Buster, who said that it would show how Oscar has been there for Lucille while George Sr. has been a...
". The two brothers also undertake "Operation Hot Brother" when rescuing Gob from an Iraqi prison in the Season 3 episode "Exit Strategy". - George Sr. apologizes to Tobias and the dolls whose names he mixed up (Polly and Nellie). The family refers to Tobias as "Nellie", which also is to be the name Stan Sitwell had picked out for Lindsay.