Smashed — arresteddevelopment

"Smashed"
Directors: Mitch Hurwitz & Troy Miller — Writer: Dean Lorey & Richard Rosenstock — Aired: May 26, 2013 — ◄ ►

"Smashed" is the ninth episode of Arrested Development's fourth season.

Tobias returns to his roots and reunites with his leading lady after a few rough weeks.

Synopsis

After getting arrested during his appearance on John Beard's To Entrap a Local Predator: Orange County Edition: Super Creep Tobias is sent to prison where he is beaten for being a child predator. He then accept's Lucille Austero's offer to work at her family's Austerity clinic on a work-release program. At the clinic he meets Mark Cherry and Emmett Richter and is most surprised when he discovers that DeBrie has also been admitted to Austerity.

Tobias pitches to — Tobias pitches *Fantastic 4: An Action Musical* to Argyle Austero

The director of Austerity, Argyle Austero refuses to let Tobias be DeBrie's therapist so Tobias appeals to Argyle's love for musical theatre by suggesting they put on a Fantastic 4 musical. Tobias returns to the model home to retrieve some belongings and he finds a dejected G.O.B. and ends up buying a Bluth home. He returns to Austero and begins rehearsals for Fantastic 4: An Action Musical with Mark Cherry writing the music. DeBrie is frightened of the spotlight but Tobias eggs her on. Tobias then suggests to Argyle that they should ask Lucille 2 for $700,000 to do a really spectacular show. Argyle agrees if Tobias can in exchange get the rights to Fantastic 4.

At The Ealing Club, Rebel blows Michael off and Michael, upset that Herbert Love frightened her away tells Lindsay that she's out of the movie. He then runs into the Austero siblings who call in his $700,000 debt. The next day Tobias heads to the model home where Michael tells him about Rebel and Tobias suggests asking Ron Howard directly for permission to see her. They head to Imagine Entertainment and Michael awkwardly asks if he can have Rebel but Ron, being Rebel's father and not her lover like Michael thought, is so put off by Michael he swears to make Rebel not date Michael. Tobias then asks for the rights to Fantastic 4 and when refused attacks Ron Howard. Michael then obtains his film rights and rips them up immediately.

As the show starts to take shape, new Austerity patient Lucille Bluth joins the production and is extra critical of DeBrie. Tobias encourages her until the night of Cinco de Cuatro, the night of the preview performance. At Cinco, Tobias sees children and, being a sex offender, must flee. He gives his Thing costume and role to Buster. DeBrie finds some of Dr. Norman's drugs in the harbor and takes them, passing out in a pile of debris. Lucille 2 sees this and threatens to send Tobias back to prison. Tobias props up DeBrie and tries to find a replacement but ends up covering himself in blue makeup and accidentally gets on Marky Bark's boat. The Fantastic 4: An Action Musical show is put on, and is as expected — horrible.

Appearances

Main Cast

Recurring

Tommy Tune as Argyle Austero
Lonny Ross as Jonah Feinberg
Ron Howard as Himself
John Beard as Himself
Andy Richter as Emmett Richter
Terry Crews as Herbert Love
Isla Fisher as Rebel Alley
Chris Diamantopoulos as Marky Bark
John Slattery as Dr. Norman
Maria Bamford as Debrie Bardeaux
Louisa Velis as Luisa Velez
Liza Minnelli as Lucille Austero
Jay Johnston as Officer Taylor
Scott Vance as Fantastic Four henchman
Daniel Amerman as Mark Cherry
Andrew Secunda as Process server

Guest

Josh Lawson as Astronaut Lovel
Marla Garlin as Marla
Bill Johnson, Ann Lopez, Deb Hiett, Kari Lee Cartwright, and John Bonny as Dancers
Carrie Kemper as Mrs. Astronaut Lovel
Alan Blumenfeld as Floyd the Barber

Recurring themes

References

Smash - The 2010-2013 NBC show Smash was a musical.
The Fantasticks - Argyle and Lucille 2 starred in a community theatre rendition of the 1960s play The Fantasticks which tells the story of two neighbors who fake a feud to get their children to fall in love.
MST3K - The Mystery Science Theatre 3000 characters appear in front of a low budget space movie. The also appeared in "A New Start".
Arrested Development Season 4 as part of a three act story - When discussing Fantastic 4: An Action Musical Tobias and Argyle express the need for a villain. Argyle remarks, "that way, we'd have a second act." Emmett Richter chimes in, "Lucia, right? I mean that's their foe, Lucia Von Bardas?" Mitch Hurwitz has repeatedly stated Season Four functions as act 1 of a three act structure. The similar sounding Lucille (Austero) serves as the villain in Season Four.
MARVEL - A Broadway musical production of another MARVEL character, spiderman, has had a lot of trouble with accidents, recasting, financing and copyrights. Legal battles over copyrights on comicbook characters are notorious in Hollywood, often resulting in studios releasing mediocre projects to maintain control over a franchise.
Andy Griffith Show - Ron Howard claims to refer to his all his barbers as "Floyd". Howard McNear played Floyd the barber in the Andy Griffith show. The name could also be a reference to the Nirvana song "Floyd the Barber".

Callbacks/Running Jokes

ANUSTART -
- A prison guard calls Tobias "ANUSTART" in prison.
- Lucille Bluth calls Tobias "Anus tart" and the narrator mentions she's never seen the license plate.
Prison - Tobias is admitted to prison, where he previously studied for the role of Frightened Inmate Number Two.
"I just blue myself" - Tobias says again the notorius phrase
John Beard's To Entrap a Local Predator: Orange County Edition: Super Creep - Tobias' episode plays in the TV in the prison holding cell.
Analrapist - In prison, Tobias learns to call his "analrapist" title a "theralyst".
Bees - Mark Cherry mentions bees as being a reason he's been admitted to Austerity.
"Getaway" - When Mark Cherry mentions he wants to getaway from drugs the support group and Tobias sing "go away getaway, get away getaway", as seen sung in "Colony Collapse".
Emmett Richter - Tobias confuses Emmett to be Andy Richter. Emmett's face is always blurred, as first seen in "S.O.B.s". Emmett is in Austerity because he is a hoarder.
Is Tobias gay?
- After Tobias arrives at Austerity, he notices singer Mark Cherry and asks "How old are you?" When Mark Cherry says "23", Tobias responds "Ah, well within my rights."
- Tobias tells Michael: "Just walk away, and we'll lick each other's wounds."
- Tobias says: "And maybe I'll do my famous gay character. I don't think you've seen that character." Michael replies: "I think I have."
- The signs on the stage of the Fantastic Four play read: "POOF!" "FIST!" "STAB!" "DRILL!"
Tobias' acting reel - Tobias's reel has many of his past performances seen in the series:
- His role of Frightened Inmate Number Two
- His participation in two episodes of Scandalmakers
- Tobias auditioning for House, M.D. and talking about Graft Versus Host
- Training: Carl Weathers
Hot Cops - The music for Tobias's acting reel is a theme song for the Hot Cops.
"Mr. F" music - When Argyle mentions that people used to call him Mr. Fantastick, and when he threatens Michael, the "Mr. F" theme music plays.
"I don't like it... I love it!" - Argyle uses the same expression his sister used in "Marta Complex"
Parmesan cheese and mustard - G.O.B. eats this at the model home with Tobias, as he also did in "Colony Collapse"
"You're out of the movie!" - Michael tells Lindsay and later Tobias they're out of the movie.
Gorilla suit - Argyle tells Michael that he can't hide in his gorilla suit. Buster was the one who wore a gorilla suit in a cover of Balboa Bay Window, as seen in "Indian Takers".
The C-Word - Argyle jokes that Lucille is the "C-word from the B-ward"
Intellectual property rights - Tobias must get the rights to Fantastic 4 as Michael must do with his family.
Cutoffs - Tobias wears cutoffs while painting himself blue to play Sue Storm.
Blue Man Group - Tobias wears blue paint as a Sue Storm costume and tells someone in the bathroom that he blue himself for the first time in 5 years.
The wrong boat - The narrator notes that it's not the first time that Tobias has gotten on the wrong boat - he did the same thing in the "Pilot".

Hidden/Background Jokes

Austerity Clinic - The sign for the clinic reads "Austerity: A Full Service Way to Live Without".
Imagine Generic - The film company owned by Imagine Entertainment makes cheap movies so studios don't lose the rights to production.
Tobias is black - Tobias' middle name is revealed as Onyango. Onyango is a name used by Luo People in Kenya and Uganda. Notably, Barack Obama's father's middle name is Onyango.
Debris - DeBrie is found in a pile of garbage, and the dumpster next to her reads "debris"
Signs - Signs on the set of Fantastic 4: An Action Musical have double sexual meanings: Fist! Poof! Drill! Stab!
Argyle Austero wears argyle (diamond patterned) sweaters.
Mrs Featherbottom. Tobias uses Featherbottom's voice for that of Sue Storm as he gets onto the boat at the end.
Actor David Cross auditioned for House M.D.
The production of the Broadway production of a show about another MARVEL owned character, Spiderman the Musical has been troubled by many misfortunes like (fatal) accidents, recasting, financing problems and copyright issues. The movie/tv/musical-rights to various comic book characters are a hot topic in Hollywood, and often projects are greenlit and rushed just to keep control over a franchise.

Foreshadowing/Future References

G.O.B. refers to the "sort of celebrity" he's dating (actually Tony Wonder) as "this person" rather than specify a gender.
Lucille in Fantastic 4 - Lucille appears at Fantastic 4: An Action Musical rehearsals.
Motive for killing Lucille 2 -
- Lucille 2 and Argyle call in Michael's $700,000 debt and Argyle threatens violence.
- Lucille 2 finds DeBrie on a pile of debris and threatens to send Tobias back to prison.

In Comparison to the Remix

In the chronological re-cut of season 4, footage from Smashed is used in 7 different episodes. The original cut of Season 4 is slightly longer than the re-cut version. Because of this, various lines of dialogue and sometimes even scenes are cut. These changes, as well as which scenes appear in which remixed episode, are listed below:

Opening - Tobias at Austerity, cut dialogue in italics (4x14 What Goes Around, flashbacks in 4x20 Cinco de Cuatro I)
- Tobias: (ripping sound as he straddles chair) Lucille Austero has given me the opportunity to pay my debt to society. I'm doing this pro bono, but that doesn't mean…
Tobias & John Beard flashback (4x14 What Goes Around, 4x10 Recurring Dreams, flashbacks in 4x20 Cinco de Cuatro I)
- Tobias: Oh, hey, officers, are you here for the raccoon? Oh! No, I'm not a raccoon! I'm...
Tobias in jail (4x14 What Goes Around)
Tobias at Austerity continued (4x14 What Goes Around & 4x15 Locked and Loaded)
- Tobias: I want everybody just to sit back and relax where they are, and let's learn about each other […]
- Tobias: Yes, why don't you, uh, take the comfortable chair? And, um, […]
- This exchange is cut shorter:
  - Tobias: I have a bit of a wit. Sometimes I have to tell people 'cause they can't figure it out from when I say the things that I... But please, Mr. Cherry, first names only.
  - Mark Cherry: So, I got involved with drugs, and there were bees and drinking, and, and... I just decided it was time to get away. In fact...
  - All: (singing) Go away, Getaway, get away, Getaway...
  - Tobias: All right, all right, all right. We're not doing a musical here.
  - Mark Cherry: Thank you.
  - Tobias: (singing) "You’re hopelessly hopeless!" Hmm. And speaking of hopeless, […]
- This exchange is cut down and split between the two remix episodes:
  - Tobias: Simon says you're out! (Emmett leaves) No, I was being witty. Wh-what's wrong with you?
  - Emmett: (taking vase of flowers on his way out) I hoard.
  - Tobias: Now that's what we call a breakthrough.
  - Emmett: That wasn’t a breakthrough!
  - Tobias: First sign of a breakthrough.
- Mark Cherry: She reminds me of my grandma, like a real sick version.
Tobias & Argyle talk about DeBrie and making a musical (4x14 What Goes Around, flashbacks in 4x15 Locked and Loaded, and 4x17 Dire Straights)
- Tobias: Well… Well. When it comes to DeBrie […]
Tobias encourages DeBrie to be in the musical (4x14 What Goes Around)
- Tobias: Please, DeBrie. You’ve got to do this.
- Tobias: They won’t let me be your therapist, but they’ll let me be your director.
Tobias and G.O.B. at the model home (4x15 Locked and Loaded)
Creating the musical [4x15 Locked and Loaded, flashback in 4x21 Cinco de Cuatro II)
- Tobias: And Mark Cherry is going to be doing the music for us.
- Tobias: Right, let's get up! Let's do a tension flounce. Let's do a tension flounce. Loosen it up. Loosen it up. Very good, very good.
- Argyle: Back, step. Out, back, step, back, step. Out. Now, try that. Out, back, step, shuffle...
- This exchange is cut shorter:
  - DeBrie: (falls off the stage) Oh, God.
  - Tobias: DeBrie! Are you all right?
  - DeBrie: Yes. Yeah.
  - Tobias: Baby steps, Argyle. She's brittle.
  - Argyle: Tobias, it does not get babier than this.
  - DeBrie: Maybe I can't do this.
  - Tobias: You can do it.
  - Rachel: Tobias, I can do it, I used to be a hoofer.
  - Tobias: Yeah, well, now you're a huffer, and that's... not that. Rachel can't sing. Okay. Okay, Rachel, thank you so much for offering. (to DeBrie) You can do it.
- Tobias: And we'll just follow her lead. When she comes up, we come up as a group! ...So, DeBrie, when you come up, we shall rise with you.
- Tobias: As your therapist, I'm, I'm happy that you're expressing yourself. But as a director, I don't have to like it. And I don't. But, also, good for you. Therapist now speaking. But also, no.
- The section from DeBrie’s “I’m gonna stomp” to Tobias’ “good for you” is shown as a flashback in 4x21 Cinco de Cuatro II despite not being in the remix before.
- This scene is cut:
  - DeBrie: Tobias, I just do this now. Just... (nods)
  - All: (singing) It's not over. It's not. Doing the job. It's not. Ooh, baby...
  - DeBrie: One, one move.
  - Tobias: Let's work with that. Let's use that.
  - DeBrie: Or no move.
  - Tobias: Good. The, the power.
  - Argyle: And she's disappearing as we dance.
  - All: (singing) Ooh, baby.
  - Argyle: And big finish right to her!
  - DeBrie: Tobias? It's bleeding again.
  - (Tobias plugs her nose for her)
More rehearsals and pricing the musical (4x17 Dire Straights, flashbacks in 4x20 Cinco de Cuatro I)
- Argyle: To do a Broadway-level production […]
- Tobias: (whistles) Hey! I can whistle. Ooh, we have to use that in the show.
- DeBrie’s “we don’t have the rights” becomes “you still don’t have the rights” in the remix.
Imagine Generic (4x17 Dire Straights)
- Mrs. Astronaut Lovel: Maybe it's a way of punishing us for loving each other so much.
Michael, Lindsay, Herbert Love, and Rebel Alley at the Balboa Club (4x17 Dire Straights, flashbacks in 4x22 Cinco de Cuatro III)
- This exchange is cut:
  - Rebel Alley: I just want to say that, uh, Ron is not like that at all. He's actually a very nice guy.
  - Narrator: Of course, Michael thought that Ron was Rebel's boyfriend.
  - Rebel Alley: In fact, he's almost too generous.
  - Michael: Sounds like the Ron Howard Man of the Year Awards, though, you know?
  - Narrator: And the evening broke up of its own accord.
- Narrator: And perhaps because neither Michael nor Lindsay could handle rejection, they blamed each other.
- This exchange is cut:
  - Michael: Good night.
  - Lindsay: Good night.
- Michael: I've got to make a phone call. See you later. Good night.
- Michael: (on phone) Good luck. Careful on the...
Michael, Lucille 2 & Argyle at the Balboa Club (4x17 Dire Straights)
- Michael: It should be flipped, right?
- Argyle: No, because here’s another joke.
Back at Austerity (4x15 Locked and Loaded, flashbacks in 4x20 Cinco de Cuatro I)
- This exchange is cut:
  - Argyle: He's a producer, and he says he'll pay up. Any progress on the rights?
  - Tobias: I'm in talks with Imagine.
  - Narrator: Well, kinda.
  - Louisa: (on the phone) Ron Howard's office.
  - Tobias: Yes, this is Tobias Fünke. I'm a registered sex offender, and I'd like to talk to Ron... (she hangs up)
  - Argyle: Well, then you're gonna have to work with our new patient.
Tobias & Michael at the model home (4x17 Dire Straights)
- Tobias: I guess I'm just going to have to give up my dream and my love forever.
- This exchange is cut:
  - Michael: You just told me the exact opposite.
  - Tobias: Reverse psychology. It didn't work.
Tobias & Michael at Imagine Entertainment (4x17 Dire Straights)
Rehearsals (4x20 Cinco de Cuatro I, flashbacks in 4x17 Dire Straights & 4x21 Cinco de Cuatro II)
- This exchange is cut:
  - Argyle: (singing) I can reach you...
  - DeBrie: (singing) No one can reach me...
  - Argyle: (singing) I can reach you...
  - Narrator: Yes, Lucille had found someone to mother.
  - DeBrie: No one can reach me.
  - Lucille: "No one can reach me"? Is that how she's going to say that line? "No one can reach me"?
  - DeBrie: I...
- Despite being a flashback, the group singing “Even if my heart won't snap back into place - Fantastic Four” only appears in 4x17 Dire Straights and no other remix episode.
- This exchange, when DeBrie falls off the stage, is cut:
  - DeBrie: Or ankle or... knee. I think I, I need some drugs.
  - Tobias: No, it's okay, that's okay, no drugs are necessary. We all want drugs, but that's a no-no, yes?
Cinco de Cuatro (4x20 Cinco de Cuatro I, 4x21 Cinco de Cuatro II, flashbacks in 4x22 Cinco de Cuatro III)
- This exchange is cut:
  - Lucille: In case you didn't know, the stage adds seven pounds. Two words. Diet pills.
  - DeBrie: (whispering) Do you have any?
- The reveller is no longer singing “The cockroach, the cockroach! Da da da da da!” and instead says “Yeah, sorry. Cinco de Mayo. (breaks guitar) Cuatro.”
- Tobias: Hmm. I’m sure they think of this as an homage.
- This exchange is cut:
  - Kid #1: Fantastic Four!
  - Kid #2: Fantastic Four!
  - Tobias: What? Oh, no.
  - Kid #3: Fantastic Four!
- Tobias: Please, we need you. Butch it up and “Thing” your heart out.
- This exchange is cut:
  - Tobias: Oh... how could you do this to me? Or did I do this to you?
  - DeBrie: You to me.
  - Tobias: I should have left you happy and healthy and sober in that rehab, instead of trying to rekindle the career that brought you there in the first place.
- This exchange is cut:
  - Lucille 2: Where's Argyle? It's his addicts-
  - Tobias: I, I, I can't let you blame Argyle for this. It would destroy his confidence, and... he's a little shaky on the lyrics as it is. (whispering) He's not very good.
  - Lucille 2: Fine, then I blame you. Someone has to pay for this.
- Jonah Feinberg: And you certainly can’t wear a four in a logo.
- This exchange is cut:
  - Narrator: And perhaps it was his muscle memory that led to this.
  - (Tobias looks at his blue-daubed face in the mirror.)
  - Tobias: Tobias, what are you doing?
- Most of the credits (where the musical is performed) is cut out including this spoken section:
  - Emmett: The only thing that can destroy me. Water!
  - Argyle: Nice ad-lib!
  - Emmett: Not an ad-lib - I can't swim!