Public Relations (Arrested Development)

Template:Infobox Arrested Development episode

"Public Relations" is the eleventh episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development.

Plot

Michael takes his son to an interview at the prestigious Milford School, an institution famous for its credo that children should be neither seen nor heard. The dean is unwilling to associate the school with the tarnished Bluth name, producing a recent newspaper headlining Lucille's brawl at a Klimpy's diner. After Lucille and Lindsay were denied a table at a swanky restaurant, they went to a greasy spoon, where a few glasses of wine turned into a screaming match and a visit by the cops. Fearing the family's bad press could affect George Michael's future, Michael decides to hire Jessie, a publicist whom he met at the gym, to improve the family's image. Jessie tells the Bluths that Michael is going to be trumpeted as the head of the family, G.O.B. will start doing charity work, Lindsay will get a job promoting a fancy vodka in bars, and Tobias needs to get his medical license back. Jessie wants Buster to stay out of the public eye from now on, a task he's likely to excel at after graduating from Milford.

Each Bluth sets about redefining their image. Tobias, who has a hearing to review his medical license in Boston, meets actor Carl Weathers on the ride-share van to the airport. Instead of going to Boston, Tobias petitions Carl to teach him acting. Carl Weathers, who now spends his days getting bumped from flights and pocketing the $300, accepts. Meanwhile, G.O.B. conducts his first charity magic show at the old folks home, and Michael takes Jessie out for dinner, where she indicates her romantic intentions. Michael asks George Michael how he feels about Michael starting a relationship with Jessie. George Michael, who hopes Jessie's public relations will fail because he doesn't want to attend a different school from his cousin Maeby, says he doesn't like her. Concerned by George Michael's doubts, Michael suggests to Jessie they take a step back and Jessie quits as the Bluth's publicist. Michael feels bad, but he feels worse when he gets a call from G.O.B. saying he needs Jessie to spin a story for him: murder. During his charity magic show, G.O.B. had made Earl Milford, founder of the academy, disappear into the Aztec Tomb - permanently.

The next day, Jessie drops by the banana stand and blames George Michael for destroying her relationship with Michael, and threatens to portray the Bluths as the worst family in town. G.O.B. unloads his equipment and makes a surprising discovery: Earl Milford, hiding in one of his trunks in order to escape from the rest home. Later that night, Tobias and Carl Weathers visit Lindsay at the restaurant where she works hoping to get free food — the same restaurant where Michael is meeting Jessie to patch things up. Lindsay and Lucille want to fight Jessie because they saw the planted story in that day's paper, and Michael tries to prevent the melee. But when he learns that Jessie threatened George Michael, Michael steps back and a free-for-all breaks out in the restaurant.

Cultural references

Jessie calls George Michael “Opie.” Ron Howard (the Narrator) played Opie on The Andy Griffith Show, which is why the Narrator quips "Jessie had gone too far and she had best watch her mouth."
On the newspaper with the headline “Bluth Matron In Brawl At Klimpy’s Family Style Restaurant,” lower down in the paper, there is an article titled “Musician sues restaurant over use of name.” This is a reference to the band Arrested Development suing the show over the name.
When GOB is performing his Aztec Tomb illusion, the music that can be heard is the opening to The Beatles song "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill"
"Milford Academy" may be a reference to the preparatory high school, Milton Academy, in New England.

Character Cameos

This is the first of three episodes featuring Carl Weathers as himself, characterized as a money-saving swindler.
Stacey Grenrock-Woods returns as reporter Trisha Thoon.
John Beard appears as the fictional local affiliate Fox 6's TV anchor.

Episode notes

The title refers to both the fact that the Bluths get a new publicist (also known as a P.R., which stands for "Public Relations") and the fact that Michael has a relationship with her.
This episode was #31 on thefutoncritic.com's list of 2004's 50 Best Episodes on TV.
While trying not to be seen or heard, the print of Buster's shirt matches the wallpaper
The story that Lucille shows to Michael at the restaurant under the headline “The Cold Hard Bluths” begins,

“Michael Bluth, whose stairs to his private jet are always at hand, doesn’t care who he hurts. He’s a two-faced womanizer who lives large at other people’s expense. If Michael is two-faced, his mother Lucille, now on her fourth face, makes Michael look like a saint. If Lucille is concerned about charges that she rented out corpses to motorists to enable them to take advantage of special fuel preferences given to hearses. A physician and an assistant at a public hospital were arrested on…”

The line about the stairs to his private jet is in reference to the staircar which is the Bluth’s primary method of transportation during the series.

Another headline in the paper with "The Cold Hard Bluths" said "Bum Gets Balloon." This was a reference to earlier in the episode when George Michael said he "got a bum away from the (banana) stand without hurting his feelings." The camera then cut to a bum holding a balloon that said "Bluth's Bananas."

Callbacks/Running Jokes

Tobias is Gay - Referring to Michael, Jessie says "There are very few intelligent, attractive, and straight men in this town." Tobias replies "Well that certainly leaves me out." Everyone looks at him, and he nervously says "She said single. You did say single, correct?" Later, Tobias tells Weathers "I don't know if I'm cut out to be a De Niro, or a Regis, or a Pinkett Smith or a what-have-you..." - a reference to Actress Jada Pinkett Smith.
The Milford Academy - This episode marks the first appearance of the Milford Academy, where children are neither seen nor heard. References to it would continue on throughout the series.

External links