Righteous Brothers (Arrested Development)

18th episode of the 2nd season of Arrested Development

"Righteous Brothers"

Arrested Development episode

George Sr. stops a fight between his sons Michael Bluth and Gob.

Episode no.

Season 2
Episode 18

Directed by

Chuck Martin

Written by

Cinematography by

Greg Harrington

Editing by

Richard Candib

Production code

2AJD18

Original air date

April 17, 2005 (2005-04-17)

Running time

22 minutes

Guest appearances

Episode chronology

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"Spring Breakout"

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"The Cabin Show"

Arrested Development season 2

List of episodes

"Righteous Brothers" (also titled "The Righteous Brothers" on the season 2 DVD) is the eighteenth and final episode of the second season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 40th overall episode of the series, and was written by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and co-executive producer Jim Vallely, and directed by Chuck Martin. It originally aired on Fox on April 17, 2005.

The series, narrated by Ron Howard, follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family, who made their money from property development. The Bluth family consists of Michael, his twin sister Lindsay, his older brother Gob, his younger brother Buster, their mother Lucille and father George Sr., as well as Michael's son George Michael, and Lindsay and her husband Tobias' daughter Maeby. In the episode, the model home collapses and Tobias and Kitty head to Las Vegas together.

An extended version of the episode was released as a special feature on the DVD home release. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics. At the 57th Primetime Emmy Awards, Hurwitz and Vallely received the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series award for this episode.

Plot

Having been told that the house is sinking and that a city inspector is on the way, Michael (Jason Bateman) tells George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) that he needs to move out of the attic. Having made a music CD with his puppet Franklin, Gob (Will Arnett) asks Michael if he heard it. Michael assures Gob that he did. Realizing that George Sr. doesn't want to leave the attic, Gob knocks him out with ether, and drives him in the stair car to the police station to turn him in. Seeing that the Franklin CD he made for Michael hasn't been opened, Gob makes it seem as if Michael drove George Sr. to the station.

After signing an affidavit stating that he doesn't know where his father is, Michael is arrested after a security camera photo shows Gob holding a picture of Michael on his face, making it seem as if Michael had met with his father earlier in the day. Meanwhile, George Michael (Michael Cera) and Ann (Mae Whitman) protest the American remake of the film Les Cousins Dangereux, in which two cousins fall in love. Maeby (Alia Shawkat), who created the remake, is told by producers to cut down the movie into a mere 52 minutes. At home, George Michael and Maeby share a kiss on the living room couch, and after jokingly saying that they "didn't get swallowed up into hell," the house fully sinks.

Gob arrives, wanting to retrieve his father who he put underground the house, only to realize George Sr. had escaped earlier in the day. Earlier, George Sr., having escaped, knocked out his brother Oscar (Tambor), shaved his head, and placed him in the police station's bathroom. He then witnessed Gob arriving outside the police station and starting a fight with Michael. George Sr., stopping the fight, stated that he was turning himself in, only to lead the cops into the bathroom where Oscar was located, which resulted in Oscar being arrested.

On the next Arrested Development...

Having burnt his hands on the family Cornballer, which erased his fingerprints, Oscar has trouble explaining to the cops who he really is. Having broken up with Lindsay (Portia de Rossi), Tobias (David Cross) decides to quit his job at the Bluth Company and move to Las Vegas with his new girlfriend Kitty (Judy Greer). Having arrived at Las Vegas, Tobias is told that his dream job has been filled in by a mysterious man, who happens to be George Sr.

Production

"Righteous Brothers" was directed by Chuck Martin, and written by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and co-executive producer Jim Vallely. It was Martin's first and only directing credit, Hurwtitz's 14th writing credit and Vallely's tenth writing credit. It was the eighteenth and final episode of the season to be filmed.

Reception

In the United States, the episode was watched by 5.99 million viewers on its original broadcast.

Critical reception

The A.V. Club writer Noel Murray wrote that the season finale didn't feel much like a finale, saying that "there's a fumbling-for-an-ending aspect to "Righteous Brothers" that keeps it from being one of the classic Arrested Developments. Chalk it up to the reduced episode order, which makes this finale feel like a big finish and just an ordinary episode, all at once." In 2019, Brian Tallerico, writing for Vulture, ranked the episode 42nd out of the whole series.

Accolades

"Righteous Brothers" was honored at the 57th Primetime Emmy Awards. Mitchell Hurwitz and Jim Vallely received the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series award for writing the episode, and Jeffrey Tambor was nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series award for his supporting role as George Sr.

References

"Arrested Development: Season Two". DVD Talk. October 16, 2005. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
"Arrested Development". directories.wga.org. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
"20th Century Fox - Fox In Flight". October 30, 2011. Archived from the original on October 30, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
"Disney General Entertainment Press – Disney General Entertainment Press". Retrieved July 21, 2024.
Murray, Noel (August 22, 2012). "Arrested Development: "Spring Breakout"/"Righteous Brothers"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
Tallerico, Brian (March 18, 2019). "Every Episode of Arrested Development, Ranked". Vulture (Press release). Archived from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
"2004-2005 Primetime Emmys for Programs and Individual Achievements at the 57th Annual Emmy Awards" (Press release). The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. September 18, 2005. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2020.

External links

"Righteous Brothers" at IMDb

Arrested Development

Episodes

Season 1	"Pilot" "Top Banana" "Bringing Up Buster" "Key Decisions" "Visiting Ours" "Charity Drive" "My Mother, the Car" "In God We Trust" "Storming the Castle" "Pier Pressure" "Public Relations" "Marta Complex" "Beef Consommé" "Shock and Aww" "Staff Infection" "Missing Kitty" "Altar Egos" "Justice Is Blind" "Best Man for the Gob" "Whistler's Mother" "Not Without My Daughter" "Let 'Em Eat Cake"
Season 2	"The One Where Michael Leaves" "The One Where They Build a House" "¡Amigos!" "Good Grief" "Sad Sack" "Afternoon Delight" "Switch Hitter" "Queen for a Day" "Burning Love" "Ready, Aim, Marry Me!" "Out on a Limb" "Hand to God" "Motherboy XXX" "The Immaculate Election" "Sword of Destiny" "Meat the Veals" "Spring Breakout" "Righteous Brothers"
Season 3	"The Cabin Show" "For British Eyes Only" "Forget-Me-Now" "Notapusy" "Mr. F" "The Ocean Walker" "Prison Break-In" "Making a Stand" "S.O.B.s" "Fakin' It" "Family Ties" "Exit Strategy" "Development Arrested"
Season 4	"Flight of the Phoenix" "Borderline Personalities" "Indian Takers" "The B. Team" "A New Start" "Double Crossers" "Colony Collapse" "Red Hairing"
Season 5

Characters

Michael Bluth

Awards and nominations

v t e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
1950s	James Allardice & Jack Douglas & Hal Kanter & Harry Winkler for The George Gobel Show (1955) Arnold M. Auerbach & Barry Blitzer & Vincent Bogert & Nat Hiken & Coleman Jacoby & Harvey Orkin & Arnold Rosen & Terry Ryan & Tony Webster for The Phil Silvers Show (1956) No Award (1957) Billy Friedberg & Nat Hiken & Coleman Jacoby & Arnold Rosen & A.J. Russell & Terry Ryan & Phil Sharp & Tony Webster & Sydney Zelinka for The Phil Silvers Show (1958) George Balzer & Hal Goldman & Al Gordon & Sam Perrin for The Jack Benny Show (1959)
1960s	George Balzer & Hal Goldman & Al Gordon & Sam Perrin for The Jack Benny Show (1960) Dave O'Brien & Martin Ragaway & Sherwood Schwartz & Al Schwartz & Red Skelton for The Red Skelton Show (1961) Carl Reiner for The Dick Van Dyke Show (1962) Carl Reiner for The Dick Van Dyke Show (1963) No Award (1964) No Award (1965) Sam Denoff & Bill Persky for "Coast to Coast Big Mouth" (1966) Buck Henry & Leonard B. Stern for "Ship of Spies: Parts 1 and 2" (1967) Allan Burns & Chris Hayward for "The Coming Out Party" (1968) No Award (1969)
1970s	No Award (1970) James L. Brooks & Allan Burns for "Support Your Local Mother" (1971) Burt Styler for "Edith's Problem" (1972) Lee Kalcheim & Michael Ross & Bernie West for "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (1973) Treva Silverman for "The Lou and Edie Story" (1974) Stan Daniels & Ed. Weinberger for "Will Mary Richards Go to Jail?" (1975) David Lloyd for "Chuckles Bites the Dust" (1976) James L. Brooks & Allan Burns & Stan Daniels & Bob Ellison & David Lloyd & Ed. Weinberger for "The Last Show" (1977) Harve Brosten & Barry Harman & Bob Schiller & Bob Weiskopf for "Cousin Liz" (1978) No Award (1979)
1980s	R.J. Colleary for "The Photographer" (1980) Michael J. Leeson for "Tony's Sister and Jim" (1981) Ken Estin for "Elegant Iggy" (1982) Glen Charles and Les Charles for "Give Me a Ring Sometime" (1983) David Angell for "Old Flames" (1984) Ed. Weinberger & Michael J. Leeson for "Pilot" (The Cosby Show) (1985) Barry Fanaro & Mort Nathan for "A Little Romance" (1986) Gary David Goldberg & Alan Uger for "A, My Name is Alex" (1987) Hugh Wilson for "The Bridge" (1988) Diane English for "Pilot" (Murphy Brown) (1989)
1990s	Bob Brush for "Good-bye" (1990) Gary Dontzig & Steven Peterman for "Jingle Hell, Jingle Hell, Jingle All the Way" (1991) Elaine Pope & Larry Charles for "The Fix-Up" (1992) Larry David for "The Contest" (1993) David Angell & Peter Casey & David Lee for "The Good Son" (1994) Chuck Ranberg & Anne Flett-Giordano for "An Affair to Forget" (1995) Joe Keenan & Christopher Lloyd & Rob Greenberg & Jack Burditt & Chuck Ranberg & Anne Flett-Giordano & Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo for "Moon Dance" (1996) Ellen DeGeneres & Mark Driscoll & Dava Savel & Tracy Newman & Jonathan Stark for "The Puppy Episode" (1997) Peter Tolan & Garry Shandling for "Flip" (1998) Jay Kogen for "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz" (1999)
2000s	Linwood Boomer for "Pilot" (Malcolm in the Middle) (2000) Alex Reid for "Bowling" (2001) Larry Wilmore for "Pilot" (The Bernie Mac Show) (2002) Tucker Cawley for "Baggage" (2003) Mitchell Hurwitz for "Pilot" (Arrested Development) (2004) Mitchell Hurwitz & Jim Vallely for "Righteous Brothers" (2005) Greg Garcia for "Pilot" (My Name Is Earl) (2006) Greg Daniels for "Gay Witch Hunt" (2007) Tina Fey for "Cooter" (2008) Matt Hubbard for "Reunion" (2009)
2010s	Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd for "Pilot" (Modern Family) (2010) Steven Levitan & Jeffrey Richman for "Caught in the Act" (2011) Louis C.K. for "Pregnant" (2012) Tina Fey & Tracey Wigfield for "Last Lunch" (2013) Louis C.K. for "So Did the Fat Lady" (2014) Simon Blackwell & Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche for "Election Night" (2015) Aziz Ansari & Alan Yang for "Parents" (2016) Aziz Ansari & Lena Waithe for "Thanksgiving" (2017) Amy Sherman-Palladino for "Pilot" (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) (2018) Phoebe Waller-Bridge for "Episode 1" (2019)
2020s	Dan Levy for "Happy Ending" (2020) Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky for "There Is No Line" (2021) Quinta Brunson for "Pilot" (Abbott Elementary) (2022) Christopher Storer for "System" (2023) Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky for "Bulletproof" (2024)

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