Visiting Ours: Difference between revisions

 

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| episode_list = List of Arrested Development episodes

| episode_list = List of Arrested Development episodes

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“”’Visiting Ours”'” is the fifth episode{{Efn|The episode is listed as the fifth episode of the season on the DVD collection,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/12729/arrested-development-season-one/|title=DVD Talk|website=www.dvdtalk.com|access-date=2024-07-07|archive-date=2023-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128162319/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/12729/arrested-development-season-one/|url-status=live}}</ref> but originally aired as the sixth episode.}} of the [[Arrested Development season 1|first season]] of the American television [[Satire|satirical]] [[sitcom]] ”[[Arrested Development]]”. It was written by co-executive producer John Levenstein and consulting producer Richard Rosenstock, and directed by [[Greg Mottola]]. It originally aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] on December 7, 2003.

“”’Visiting Ours”'” is the fifth{{Efn|The episode is listed as the fifth episode of the season on the DVD collection,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/12729/arrested-development-season-one/|title=DVD Talk|website=www.dvdtalk.com|access-date=2024-07-07|archive-date=2023-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128162319/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/12729/arrested-development-season-one/|url-status=live}}</ref> but originally aired as the sixth episode.}} of the [[Arrested Development season 1|first season]] of the American television [[Satire|satirical]] [[sitcom]] ”[[Arrested Development]]”. It was written by co-executive producer John Levenstein and consulting producer Richard Rosenstock, and directed by [[Greg Mottola]]. It originally aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] on December 7, 2003.

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 Bluth|Michael]], his twin sister [[List of Arrested Development characters#Lindsay Bluth-Fünke|Lindsay]], his older brother [[List of Arrested Development characters#Gob Bluth|Gob]], his younger brother [[List of Arrested Development characters#Buster Bluth|Buster]], their mother [[Lucille Bluth|Lucille]] and father [[List of Arrested Development characters#George Bluth Sr.|George Sr.]], as well as Michael’s son [[List of Arrested Development characters#George Michael Bluth|George Michael]], and Lindsay and her husband [[List of Arrested Development characters#Tobias Fünke|Tobias]]‘ daughter [[List of Arrested Development characters#Maeby Fünke|Maeby]]. In the episode, needing information from George Sr.’s secretary [[Kitty Sanchez|Kitty]], Michael attempts to use her crush on Gob to get it. Meanwhile, Tobias and Lindsay attend [[couples therapy]] and George Michael attempts to conquer his fear of visiting George Sr. in prison.

The series, narrated by [[Ron Howard]], follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, [[dysfunctional family]], who made their money from property development. , [[ ]] [[ |]], [[ Bluth|]] [[ Bluth|]] , [[Tobias Fünke|Tobias]] [[ |]] [[ ]], and [[ George Michael attempts to conquer his fear of visiting in prison.

== Plot ==

== Plot ==

5th episode of the 1st season of Arrested Development

“Visiting Ours” is the fifth^[a] episode of the first season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It was written by co-executive producer John Levenstein and consulting producer Richard Rosenstock, and directed by Greg Mottola. It originally aired on the Fox Network on December 7, 2003.

The series, narrated by Ron Howard, follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family, who made their money from property development. In the episode, needing information from George Sr. secretary Kitty, Michael attempts to use her attraction to Gob to get it. Meanwhile, Tobias and Lindsay attend couples therapy, and George Michael attempts to conquer his fear of visiting his grandfather in prison, but ends up further reinstating it.

Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) visits his imprisoned father George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), and asks about suspicious bookkeeping, but George Sr. is preoccupied with a softball game. At work, Michael asks his secretary—and George Sr.’s former mistress—Kitty (Judy Greer) about the bookkeeping, but she refuses to answer. Then, Michael’s brother Gob (Will Arnett) comes in, revealing that he is writing a strongly-worded letter to the prison’s warden, after, for a magic-related publicity stunt, Gob checked into the prison, but was stabbed by an inmate, and the warden refused to acknowledge the trick as legitimate. Michael notices tension between Gob and Kitty, and asks Gob to get the needed information.

Michael’s sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and her husband Tobias (David Cross) prepare for a therapy session together, which Lindsay is reluctant to attend. Their daughter Maeby (Alia Shawkat) and Michael’s son George Michael (Michael Cera) follow them to find out where they’re going, and George Michael lies about visiting George Sr. in prison before, despite being afraid. Looking to overcome this, George Michael asks Michael to bring him to the prison. At the therapy session, Tobias and Lindsay argue, and the therapist (Bob Odenkirk) roleplays with Tobias, upsetting Lindsay, who is tired of Tobias’ acting career. After witnessing a murder, George Sr. lashes out at George Michael. To cheer up his son, Michael leaves George Michael in the car while he talks to George Sr, who confesses that he wants sex, and Michael assumes George Sr. wants his wife Lucille (Jessica Walter).

Michael tells this to Lucille, who is confused why her son is asking, but agrees. Gob reveals to Michael that he had sex with Kitty, confusing Michael, who only wanted the bookkeeping information, which Gob neglected to get. Michael checks with his father in the conjugal trailer, but realizes that George Sr. assumed he’d be having sex with Kitty. On the basis that George Sr. would give him the information, a repulsed Michael distracts Kitty with Gob, who is at the prison, delivering his letter. Gob tries to sneak away, but the warden finds his letter, and detains him against a trailer window, in which George Sr. and Lucille are having sex, forcing Gob to watch. George Michael tells Michael that’s worried he might go to prison some day, but Michael assures him that only guilty people like George Sr. are imprisoned, comforting George Michael.

“Visiting Ours” was directed by Greg Mottola and written by co-executive producer John Levenstein and consulting producer Richard Rosenstock.^[2][3] It was Rosenstock’s second writing credit for the series,^[3] and was the third episode of the ordered season to be filmed after the pilot.^[4]

Bob Odenkirk, a friend of David Cross, appeared in the episode as Lindsay and Tobias’ marriage counselor. Odenkirk and Cross previously collaborated together on the series Mr. Show with Bob and David.^[5] Although the shorts had appeared before,^[2] the episode contains the first official acknowledgment of Tobias’ “never nude” condition, which causes him to always feel the need to be wearing cut-off shorts and never be fully nude.^[6] The shorts were chosen by costume designer Katie Sparks, who was shopping at Neiman Marcus when she saw a pair of women’s cut-offs, the fact they were intended for women added another layer to the joke, and so they were chosen for the series.^[7]

The use of Tobias’ cut-off shorts in the episode has been likened to the use of clothing to distinguish sexuality in television programs like Arrested Development. His fear of being naked, which is similar to gymnophobia, according to author Navid Sabet, and reliance on the “non-heteronormative” cut-off shorts are early indicators for the series that Tobias’ struggle with his sexuality is more complicated than most would assume. After Lindsay questions him on the cut-off shorts, he quickly runs into the closet, and his fast movement implies that the shorts have caused tension in their marriage before, adding an extra comedic layer to the gag.^[6]

In a society of “established sexual norms”, George Michael’s crush on his cousin Maeby is unorthodox and his struggle with it is a common theme of the series. Similar to Tobias, George Michael’s confusing regarding his sexuality parallels Tobias’, although George Michael’s is without the homosexual element. This is seen when he tries to act like someone different from his true self throughout the episode—something Tobias does frequently—and pretends like he isn’t afraid of visiting George Sr. in prison, despite being terrified at the very notion.^[8] Gob’s decision to live as a “bum” will often lead him to showcase his signature dishonest side, causing him to lie to people to get his way, as seen when he agrees to seduce Kitty just so Michael will let him continue to support him, maintaining his role as the family’s “mooch”.^[9]

The episode reiterates the common theme of the series that charitable acts are not too far off from criminal activity, as first seen in “Pilot“. Author Kristin Distel notes this with George Sr.’s admission that he committed “light treason”, foreshadowing his later-revealed involvement in building model homes for Iraq; he does the Iraqis a favor by building them the homes—his charitable act—and is condemned for it by the United States government—tying the act to criminal activity.^[10] Scholar Matthew Dugandzic compares the “light treason” line to the concept of a “grave sin”, and how any sin that fits in that category would be considered consequential, no matter the severity of it, and so George Sr. calling his treason—a severe crime—”light” is a comedic juxtaposition of this.^[11]

In the United States, the episode was watched by 6.31 million viewers during its original broadcast on December 7, 2003.^[12] It marked an increase in viewership from the previously aired episode, “Charity Drive“, which drew in 6.77 million viewers.^[13]

The A.V. Club writer Noel Murray praised the episode, but stated that it starts to “show some seams”, though notes that it “is relative to the show’s peaks.”^[2] In 2015, Megan Walsh from Screen Rant ranked the episode as one of the top ten best of the series.^[14] In 2019, Brian Tallerico from Vulture ranked the episode as the 18th best of the whole series.^[15]