The fourth season of Arrested Development is still reverberating through the halls — and, hey, they even just announced the possibility of a fifth season — so we’re going to trudge along with yet another post full of Easter eggs and callbacks you might have missed. We’re up to episodes seven and eight. Did you happen to miss our thorough examinations of episodes one through six? Here you go. And here we go …
Episode 7, “Colony Collapse”
Tagging along as a member of Mark Cherry’s posse, G.O.B. rolls up in front of one of L.A.’s hottest clubs, “and Jeremy Piven,” a nod to the opening credits of Entourage.
And Jeremy Piven himself also got the joke, apparently.
This isn’t the first time G.O.B. has made a major announcement on a talk show.
If you squint, you can see that Tony Wonder’s spread in Attitude (the same magazine that name-checked George Michael vis-à-vis Boy George on its cover in an earlier episode) features a wonderful write-up.
The movie he’s referring to? Terrence Malick’s To the Wonder. Rhymes with Tony Wonder.
There are many different nicknames for Ann Veal this episode. G.O.B. calls her “my darling Plant,” “Egg,” “Blank,” and “And” — while Michael manages to call her “Mouth.”
G.O.B.’s stuttering about the prices of the clothes Ann bought in this scene ends with “Come on!” hearkening back to the season-two episode “Afternoon Delight,” where the catchphrase that he would use again and again and again debuted.
By saying “Howd he do dat?” Tobias is both asking about G.O.B.’s mice “illusion” but also displaying the incredulous glee of audience members at magic shows, as cynically described by Tony Wonder in season two’s “Sword of Destiny.” (Wonder: “The How’d He Do Dat’s ate it up. Sorry, that’s what we call the audience.”)
Notice the ticker above John Beard’s head: “Outwest Magazines available only to ticketed passengers (while in flight!) except in bulkhead seating.”
Tobias’s acting résumé is riddled with no-name characters. He’s played Frightened Inmate #2 and Confidence Man #2, and now he adds Roman Centurion #2 with his incredible performance at Ann and G.O.B.’s wedding, as well as these three winners:
Right before their wedding, Ann offers her family to G.O.B., to which he responds, “I don’t want these.” This is the same thing George Sr. had said when presented with Oscar’s friends in “Borderline Personalities.”
“Her?” is another of Ann’s many nicknames. The letters here stand for Holy Eternal Rapture, the church where Ann and G.O.B.’s nuptials are being held. The question mark is just a shepherd’s staff.
The Locker Hawkers: Something Smells Terrible Edition episode in which G.O.B. is found eating Red Vines in a storage container mimics Storage Wars, one of A&E’s most popular shows. As someone on Reddit noticed, there’s even a guy dressed to look like Barry Weiss.
Oh, look, it’s Steve Holt! He hasn’t aged a bit, has he? (“Wow!” said Steve Holt in the season-two episode where he learns that G.O.B. is his real father. “Is that what’s gonna happen to my hair?”)
Even the spider in the Steve Holt! Pest Control logo is doing Steve’s signature “Steve Holt!” pose.
Written on G.O.B.’s mirror for quite a few days during his vicious roofie cycle: “Hey Joe Withabee — Fun nite. P.S. — I have sifulus.” This cryptic note by a mystery one-night stand references both the confusing nature of G.O.B.’s name as well as his bee business.
“Vendemos Olvidame-Ahorita” means “We sell Forget-Me-Now.”
There are lots of bee businesses in Arrested Development, but perhaps Johnny Bark, who you might remember as the tree-hugging activist played by Ron’s brother Clint Howard, is the most successful.
Just like his dad, George Sr., G.O.B. loves coconut shrimp.
It looks like Mort Meyers’s new company, Schnoodle, has hired Tony Wonder to do the keynote for its big event. Notice the newly gay Wonder is performing his “escape from the closet” illusion. And what exactly does the word schnoodle mean? Ah-ha.
Episode 8, “Red Hairing”
Lindsay and Sally have a rivalry that goes all the way back to high school. Sally even goes so far as to point out Lindsay’s nose job in her campaign poster. Lindsay’s slogan is displayed, naturally, on a banner.
Speaking of banners, Lindsay appears to have re-used the “You’re killing me, Buster” banner for her Lucille 2 campaign banner.
Lindsay mistakes the check Lucille sends to Maeby for Gangie 4: Facelift as being for plastic surgery.
The assumption isn’t too far-fetched, however, as Lucille did once write a check for Lindsay’s nose job. Or, as she describes it in the memo field, for “a new nosey.”
When Lindsay meets Herbert Love while she’s unknowingly staking out his event, she introduces herself as Cindy Featherbottom. She comes from a long line of wig-wearing Featherbottoms. Michael also once called himself Chareth Cutestory to Maggie.
And speaking of Mrs. Featherbottom, Lindsay’s boyfriend Marky blues himself with his own paint bomb, causing him to look an awful lot like Tobias in Blue Man Group makeup.
After their rendezvous, Herbert finishes Lindsay’s sentence with “sandwiches,” just as she did to Michael back in season three’s “Family Ties.”
Herbert Love pulls a Pretty Woman and snaps the jewelry box on Lindsay’s fingers, just as Rita Leeds’s Uncle Trevor did to her in “Mr. F.”
Love got that very ring from the Brothers Brothers pawn shop, a reference to “Hey Hermano!” and the many brotherly names Buster has for his siblings. “I can’t believe it’s not Jewelry” and “Caught cheatin’!” the signs read — referring to Love’s wife.
Were you worried Annyong wouldn’t show up? Lucille’s adopted son appears to be attempting to use the Bluth name at the Balboa Club, much like his estranged siblings do. Alas, he is given the giant bill and thus deported. “Good-bye, Annyong,” the narrator reads — a play on his name.
