George is declared dead in Mexico and the Bluth family holds a wake for their dead family member. Meanwhile, George isn't dead and has returned to the USA, only to be found by a newly dumped... Read allGeorge is declared dead in Mexico and the Bluth family holds a wake for their dead family member. Meanwhile, George isn't dead and has returned to the USA, only to be found by a newly dumped George Michael.George is declared dead in Mexico and the Bluth family holds a wake for their dead family member. Meanwhile, George isn't dead and has returned to the USA, only to be found by a newly dumped George Michael.
- Bluth Company Employee
- (uncredited)
- Narrator
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Girl In George Michael's Band
- (uncredited)
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAt about 6 minutes 30 seconds George Michael (Michael Cera) can be seen walking in front of a red dog house with a beagle sleeping on the top of it. This is an obvious reference to the Peanuts character Snoopy who is a beagle that spends a great deal of time on top of his red dog house. The "sad" version of the song "Christmas Time Is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) plays whenever anyone in this episode does the "sad walk". The first time this leitmotif makes an appearance, we see the beagle on the doghouse. Other references to Peanuts in this episode include a sign on the banana stand which reads "The frozen banana maker is currently 'IN'" (a play on the sign hung on Lucy's psychiatric help stand), the music which plays as various characters sulk dejectedly after being humiliated or rejected, and of course the title of the episode itself.
- GoofsWhen the family goes to the attic after the funeral, the blue screen outside the window is clearly visible. It appears that an exterior animation was left out in post production.
- Quotes
George Michael Bluth: That's my ex-girlfriend, Ann. Her face will be forever etched in my mind.
George Sr.: Her?
George Michael Bluth: She's really funny.
George Sr.: Well, let's hope so.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2005)
- SoundtracksChristmas Time Is Here
Composed by Vince Guaraldi
A big thing about this episode, I found, was its handling of grief. Obviously, they are turning it into a comedic drive for the episode, but in many ways, it seems like the creators actually found a way to touch on the deeper levels of grief, even if they were just fleeing moments. Lindsay speaks about how she used to think of her father's death of make her cry, and while it's immediately followed by a joke, it's a great commentary on how we deal with grief. That's but one of the reasons why this episode is so much more than simple fun and games.
The effect of it is awesome and creates this running ascension throughout the episode, that ultimately leads to the person trying to keep the family together put in the position and making the rift even larger. They're definitely doing something with Michael that could be interesting in the long run and will most likely lead the family to a place where there's going to be even more division between them. How George is going to figure into all of this and if the lie of his death is going to last in the family, that's probably for a later time.
With that, the episode obviously also gets a lot of its trademark humor through. A lot of characters speaking over each other and not understand what the actual issue is until later on. The funniest part of this episode was an outlandish trick that Gob was going to perform during his father's memorial, which then obviously goes wrong. It's the great balance of this that makes this show as memorable as it is and has made "Arrested Development" one of those shows that will stand the test of time and always have a loyal fanbase to watch it for eternity.
And it's also a testament to the actors. I think that Jason Bateman has been good in this role, and he makes for a great leader of the family, but this episode brought out that dramatic spark in him that we know he has. Again, I have to say that it's all covered by a layer of comedy, but it's those small notes that we have to look out for, because they give this show all the nuance that we don't see often in comedies. Bateman takes that to the test in this episode with a classy performance as Michael.
"Good Grief!" provides the show with a grain of seriousness and uses its title well as it deals with themes of serious grief through humor. It manages to bring out the light in a dark situation, but still delivers one of the more serious episodes that never failed to make me absolutely love and adore it.
- lassegalsgaard
- Jul 15, 2022
- Permalink
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