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Afternoon Delight

"Afternoon Delight"
Directors: Jason Bateman — Writer: Abraham Higginbotham & Chuck Martin — Aired: December 19, 2004 — Icon-image      


"Afternoon Delight" is the sixth episode of Arrested Development's second season.

G.O.B. stages mass firings after being inadvertently roasted at the Bluth Company Christmas party. Plus, Michael is forced to rebuild the Banana Stand, and Buster plays hooky from the Army at an arcade game.

Synopsis[]

President G.O.B.'s Christmas party[]

Michael Bluth finds the frozen banana stand vandalized by teenagers, a local holiday tradition, and ask his son, George Michael, to help him rebuild it. He finds his son planning to attend Ann's family Christmas party, too busy to help his father or attend the Bluth Christmas party. George Sr., still in the attic, warns Michael that George Michael is pulling away from him. Lindsay wants to find a man at the party and tells her daughter Maeby not to attend. Michael and Maeby bond over feeling abandoned by George Michael and Lindsay, respectively, and make plans to attend the Christmas party together as she helps him rebuild the banana stand.

G.O.B. is excited for the Bluth celebration, because he believes his co-workers are going to toast him, but he has been alienating the employees by boasting about his expensive suits. He is insecure about his dignity and self-image, warning the attendees not to have too much fun. As Michael and Maeby entertain themselves by sticking candy to the back of G.O.B.'s suit, Lindsay finds the party less enjoyable. G.O.B. has given a stern and explicit warning to the employees against flirting and carrying on, scaring them all away from flirting with Lindsay. George Michael shows up after a creepy experience with Ann's religious family. As George Michael and Lindsay watch Michael and Maeby perform karaoke together on stage, they feel abandoned in turn and leave the party.

Shortly thereafter, Michael and Maeby discover that the song "Afternoon Delight" isn't as innocent as the melody suggests and cut the song short. G.O.B. is eager to hear his employees toast him. He calls up a worker, Tom, but Tom is lukewarm in his praise and the other employees laugh at G.O.B., who summarily fires them all.

Calming Lucille down[]

When Michael receives a call from a stressed Lucille, George Sr. opines that she must not be "getting any" from his brother, Oscar. Michael visits his mother, finding her lonely, with Buster gone to Army, Annyong sent to the Milford Academy, and Oscar again attempting a 420 mile walk along the coast (though he's never made it past UC Irvine).

Michael decides to send Tobias over to Lucille's to keep her company, but she mistakes him for a blue intruder and blows her rape horn into his ear, damaging his hearing. Finally Michael retrieves Oscar and asks him to give Lucille some "Afternoon Delight" to relieve her stress. Oscar mistakenly believes that Michael is referring to a particular kind of marijuana ("Afternoon Deelite") and tells Michael that he'll put it in her brownie.

Buster's crane[]

Buster tries to pay for a bus ride to Army with a $100 bill, but has to change it for a plethora of quarters. He gets distracted and spends hours playing with the nearby Skill Crane machine. Later he visits his mother and lies that the stuffed animals he has won are Army awards for marksmanship and sand racing.

The second party[]

After the debacle of the first party, Michael and G.O.B. decide to throw a new party and to return to their old way of doing things (Michael handling the business and G.O.B. being the fun party guy). Michael rehires the employees and G.O.B. clowns around in the family's banana suit, trying to make his employees laugh with him rather than at him. Lindsay and George Michael decide to perform karaoke, but awkwardly discover—as Michael and Maeby did previously—that "Afternoon Delight" is an adult-themed song.

Lucille, very stoned on Oscar's "Afternoon Deelite", plows her car through the party, running over the deafened Tobias and crushing the rebuilt banana stand with G.O.B. trapped inside. Buster, playing at the nearby skill crane again, seizes control of a real dock crane and plucks G.O.B. out of the wreckage. As he is lifted up out of the stand, G.O.B. hears the sweet sound of laughter from the employees. Since the skill crane did not teach Buster how to lower gently, he drops G.O.B. abruptly into the ocean.

Michael begins rebuilding the banana stand again, happy to find that this time his son is by his side. Michael apologizes, acknowledging that George Michael has a right to spend time with Ann. The two reconstruct the stand while singing "Afternoon Delight" before realizing that, despite its catchiness, it's not the most appropriate song to sing.

Appearances[]

Recurring
Guest
  • Jim Gaines Sullivan as Bus driver
  • Al Eisenmann II as Al the maintenance man

Recurring Themes[]

References[]

  • 420 - According to the Narrator, Oscar attempts a 420-mile walk from Newport Beach to Berkeley, California. 420 is slang for marijuana.
  • Afternoon delight - This episode is named after (and features) the sexually suggestive song from the Starland Vocal Band.
  • Blue Man Group - Tobias mistakes caller ID for the "Bluth" company (written "BLU") as the Blue Man Group. Thinking they're calling him for a role, he paints himself blue in preparation.
    • At the end of the episode, the Blue Man Group does call Tobias with a life-changing role, however, Tobias cannot hear the phone.
  • The Simpsons - A Bart Simpson doll can be seen in the crane machine that Buster uses. Buster attempts to pick up this doll, but fails.

Callbacks/running jokes[]

  • Thick Arms - Lucille yet again makes Maeby feel self-conscious about her arms by calling them "thick" while she's asking for someone to protect her. She also does this in "Pier Pressure"  when she says Maeby has "chubby little wrists" that were "testing the tensile strength" of her bracelet.
  • Banana Suit - This is the first appearance of the banana suit, which would later be seen again in "Making a Stand".
  • Big Yellow Joint - The song from "Pier Pressure" is heard repeatedly (due to this episode's use of marijuana), and in new arrangements.
  • Bleeps - G.O.B.'s bleep-filled sexual harassment speech is a callback to Buster's highly censored tirades in "Bringing Up Buster". It was later mirrored in a nearly identical scene in "Family Ties". When a character is on one of these tirades, a view of their mouth is continually obscured to mask what the actor is actually saying.
  • Blow Myself - Tobias says, "Oh, I got blown," referring to Lucille's rape horn.
  • Come on - G.O.B.'s "Come on!" is heavily used by himself and other characters through the remainder of the show. It is used again in "Switch Hitter".
  • Egg - Michael once again forgets Ann's name, referring to her as "Yam."
  • Family First - Michael says that it's "family first" during the holidays.
  • Hammer - The family's inability to use a hammer (first displayed by G.O.B. in "Top Banana") is demonstrated again when Maeby damages the Banana Stand by swinging a hammer through the door. Michael can also be seen failing to hit a nail in the same scene.
  • "Hey" - G.O.B. greets Buster with "Hey, Buster" to which Buster replies "Hey, brother."
  • Incest - G.O.B. once again makes an unknowingly incestual comment when he says that he finally got into his dad's pants. He had previously made a comment about Lindsay sounding sexy on the phone in "Staff Infection". Also, Michael and Maeby sing (and later Lindsay and George Michael) sing "Afternoon Delight," a song with sexual content. G.O.B. refers to Michael "dirty dancing with his niece."
  • Marijuana - Oscar is the source of many marijuana jokes throughout the series. His favorite brands of marijuana (in this case, "Afternoon Deelite"), come up again in "Prison Break-In" when he asks for some "Sweet Freedom."
  • Missed Phone Call - This is the second time that Tobias misses an acting opportunity because he can't hear the phone ring. It first happened in "Top Banana".
  • Teaching Lessons - G.O.B. says he fired everyone to teach a lesson "to the others."
    • Lucille says that she adopted Annyong to teach Buster a lesson and sent Annyong to Milford Academy to teach him a lesson.
  • "They're laughing with me" - This is the first use of G.O.B.'s line "They're laughing with me," later heard in "Spring Breakout".
  • Tobias is black - Tobias possibly being black is referenced twice in this episode.
    • First, Lindsay comments that the name Tobias reminds people of a "big black guy."  Tobias then points out that he is "not a big guy" but says nothing about not being black.
    • Later, Lucille tells Michael of a "colored man" in her kitchen. She clarifies that he was painted blue, but her use of "colored" is initially ambiguous.
  • Tracy - George Sr. refers to her death as things "working themselves out". Dialogue treating Tracy with very little respect is delivered by Tobias in "¡Amigos!", Lindsay in "For British Eyes Only and George once again in "Prison Break-In".
  • "Who wants to go to the hospital?" - Tobias is forced to go to the hospital twice in this episode. This is the fourth episode of the season in which Tobias goes to the hospital.
  • Wink - Michael winks after telling George Michael that they "might even snatch a gift from the charity barrel", and George Michael shows discomfort similar to Michael's discomfort when Lucille winks at him.
  • When Lucille runs over Tobias at the banana stand, she says, "What the hell was that?", exactly like Barry Zuckercorn in "The One Where Michael Leaves".

Hidden/Background Jokes[]

  • Acting: Like a Man - Tobias is reading the same book from "Whistler's Mother".
  • After Tobias has been blown, he tells Lindsay he can't go to sleep for five hours or he might "die, or something." When Tobias falls asleep shortly after Lindsay, she lowers her voice instead of waking him up.
  • Blue Man Group - A Blue Man Group advertisement at the gas station reads "Coming to Orange County".
  • Change machine - The text on the change machine indicates it can return one or two $10 rolls of quarters. Buster puts in a $100 bill and loses $90.
  • Cloudmir - G.O.B. takes boxes of alcohol (including Cloudmir) from Lucille's for the office party. At the party, after Lucille sees one of the Bluth company employees walk by with a case of Cloudmir vodka, she says, "Thank God they've got my brands here."
  • Go Lean - Tobias is drinking a can of "Go Lean."
  • G.O.B.'s suit - The price of G.O.B.'s suit gets progressively higher throughout the episode, from $3,000 to $4,000 to $5,000 to $6,300 to $7,000, until the Christmas party disaster where it goes down to $3,600.
    • When getting out of the cab, G.O.B. mentions that his banana suit costs $600.
  • Hornblower - When Michael and his son reunite to rebuild the banana stand, a "Hornblower - Events and Cruises" ship can be seen in the background, possibly a reference to Lucille's rape horn.
    • Hornblower was also the name of the ship the Bluth company had their party on in the Pilot.
  • Oceanside Wharf - Unlike the goof in "Top Banana", the signs at Fisherman's Village (where the banana stand scenes are shot) have been replaced with "Oceanside Wharf" signs.
  • Poof - Lindsay is thumbing through the pages of Poof magazine.
  • Sign - When Michael is trying to talk Oscar into giving Lucille some Afternoon Delight, a sign reading "PARKING IN REAR" can be seen in the background when Oscar says, "Maybe I'll put it in her brownie."
  • Song Lyrics - When G.O.B. tries to get everyone to dance at the Christmas party, he says: "Everybody dance now" matching the lyrics of the disco song being played. This also happens in Series 3's S.O.B.s with Tobias and the song 'Discipline Daddy'.
  • Timeline - This episode's flashbacks tie into one another.
    • First, someone breaks into Lucille's house (later revealed to be G.O.B. stealing the liquor).
    • When Buster returns to the penthouse, G.O.B. can be seen quickly going past the screen with Lucille's liquor.
    • G.O.B. can be seen with Lucille's liquor at the Bluth company, saying "—cking sixty-three-hundred-dollar suit. Come on!" to Al. In a later flashback, Al offers to carry the alcohol, and G.O.B. replies, "No, Al. I want to spill booze all over my fu—"
    • At the party Lucille says she needs a drink, and then says, "Thank God they've got my brands."
  • Zanotab - There is a can of Zanotab, the drug which the Fünkes pushed in "Best Man for the Gob", on the company refrigerator.

Foreshadowing/future references (Major Spoilers)[]

  • "Afternoon Delight" - "Out on a Limb"/"Hand to God" parallels
    • "Afternoon Delight":
      • Buster waits at the bus stop to go to Army (for the first time).
      • Buster finds a distraction: plays the claw game.
      • Wins a stuffed seal.
      • Problem: G.O.B. is trapped. Reason: Lucille's appetite for munchies.
      • Buster handling of claw saves G.O.B..
      • Conclusion: G.O.B. takes a dive in the ocean.
    • "Out on a Limb"/"Hand to God":
      • Buster waits at the bus stop to go to Army (for the last time).
      • Buster finds a distraction: takes a dive in the ocean.
      • Meets a hungry seal.
      • Problem: Buster's hand is bitten off. Reason: a loose seal's appetite for mammal blood.
      • G.O.B.'s handling of seal did this to Buster.
      • Conclusion: Buster has to wear a claw.
  • Annyong's Revenge - When the Banana Stand is being pulled up from the water, graffiti on it reads "I'll get you Bluth - Hello." In Season 3's finale "Development Arrested", it is revealed that Annyong's real name is "Hel-loh," and that he had a secret agenda to bring down the Bluth company after they stole the idea for the banana stand from his grandfather.
    • It is also revealed in "Development Arrested" that "Hel-loh" translates to "One Day," so the graffiti on the Banana Stand can also be read as "I'll get you Bluth - One Day."
  • Crane - The episode reveals that the Bluths have their own crane machine located near the Banana Stand. It is later revealed in "Out on a Limb" that the bus stop in which Buster waits to go to Army is near the beach, and we learn in this episode that the arcade the skill crane is located in is right near the bus stop, therefore the skill crane is just a few seconds away from the Banana Stand. These two things are important for the episode's pay-off, in which Buster rushes from the skill crane to the banana stand to pull G.O.B. up using an actual crane machine.
  • Scream - When Lucille calls Michael to complain, she starts the conversation by screaming. Lucille does this again in "Hand to God", to which Michael tells her that she has to stop starting her phone calls that way.
  • Seal attack - Buster sees a plush seal in the skill crane, wearing a shirt that says "Good Luck." Buster then points to the seal and says, "That could be good for Army," implying that a seal with clothing will help him get out of the army, something that later happens in "Hand to God".
    • The Narrator later says that Buster had "gotten hooked playing the skill crane," placing particular emphasis on the word "hooked". This foreshadows Buster's hand being replaced with a hook in the same episode.
    • When playing the crane game, Buster imitates the motion of the hook with his hand, further foreshadowing that his hand will end up being replaced by a hook.
    • The first stuffed animal shown is a white seal wearing a teal shirt that says "Good Luck." Buster wins this seal and claims it is an award for marksmanship from Army.

Quotes[]

→ See more quotes from "Afternoon Delight" at Transcript of Afternoon Delight.

Notes[]

  • J. J. Wall makes his first appearance as Ann's uncle Paul. He returns in "Burning Love" and "Development Arrested".
  • This is the first appearance of the awkward Bluth employee Tom (the man whom George Sr. fired in the flashback). Tom is played by staff member Tom Saunders, who wrote the Season 3 episode "Forget-Me-Now".

Goofs[]

  • Michael is seen "dialing" a Sidekick II phone without opening it to reveal the keypad that would enable him to do so. Also, while having a conversation on it, it is actually upside-down.
  • In the earlier episode, "Top Banana", George, Sr. made the statement, "There's always money in the banana stand," referring to the walls being lined with $250,000. If the walls were lined as such, and wrecking / rebuilding the stand is traditional, the vandals who annually wreck it would have stolen the money, or at the very least Michael and George Michael would have found the money while rebuilding the stand.
  • When G.O.B. closes the taxi door it is clear that it shut without catching his banana suit.

Images[]

→ See 71 pictures from Afternoon Delight at Images from Afternoon Delight.
SEASON TWO EPISODES

1. "The One Where Michael Leaves"
2. "The One Where They Build a House"
3. "¡Amigos!"
4. "Good Grief"
5. "Sad Sack"
6. "Afternoon Delight"

  7. "Switch Hitter"
  8. "Queen for a Day"
  9. "Burning Love"
10. "Ready, Aim, Marry Me"
11. "Out on a Limb"
12. "Hand to God"

13. "Motherboy XXX"
14. "The Immaculate Election"
15. "Sword of Destiny"
16. "Meat the Veals"
17. "Spring Breakout"
18. "Righteous Brothers"

Season OneSeason TwoSeason ThreeSeason FourSeason Five
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