Michael Bluth
From Arrested Development Wikia
| Michael Bluth Portrayed by Jason Bateman | |
|---|---|
| |
| First Appearance | Pilot |
| Last Appearance | Development Arrested |
| Name | Michael Bluth |
| Age | 40 (born December 14, 1967) |
| Resides | The Model Home |
| Profession | Real Estate |
| Is the Bluths'... | Family member |
| Family Members... | |
Michael Bluth is the main character of Arrested Development, and is charged with keeping his family together.
[edit] Biography
Michael is the second oldest Bluth son, and the father of George Michael Bluth. He has an older brother, G.O.B., a younger half-brother, Buster, and a twin sister, Lindsay (she is later revealed to be adopted). He also has an adopted Korean brother named Annyong, who is about a generation younger.
When their father George Sr. goes to jail in the pilot, Michael becomes head of the family and CEO&president of the Bluth Company, but his authority is constantly undermined. He remained president for all of season 1, but in season 2, he was replaced by G.O.B.. Michael became vice president instead, while being scrutinized by the SEC for his father's crimes, but he still has to do all the work of the president. In season 3, Michael was firmly in charge again, though the sibling rivalry and family interference did not totally recede.
Michael is probably the most functional Bluth and is a source of stability for his family (much to his chagrin). He is responsible, smart, hard working, and mostly self-sacrificing. However, Michael sometimes behaves unethically, has a false sense of superiority, a problem letting go of control, and tends not to listen to his son's feelings when making decisions for him. He is especially critical of George Michael's girlfriend, Ann, often forgetting her name, and frequently referring to her as any number of random, only loosely appropriate adjectives, including "Egg," "Plant," and (with thinly-veiled disappointment) "Her?" His faults become more evident as the show goes on, and he often threatens to leave the family out of frustration.
Michael's wife Tracy died (presumably of ovarian cancer) two years prior to the first season, and she was in a coma for some months before she passed. In the show, Michael is often reluctant to date, thinking that his son would disapprove, and most of his relationships have featured misunderstandings or outright deception. His wife's death is usually the subject of tasteless (but seemingly honest) jokes made by his family members, most notably his father.
In season 3, it is revealed that there is a typo on his birth certificate and that his legal name is Nichael Bluth. Also, Michael discovers the truth about his father's crimes and his sister's identity. In the last episode, Michael and his son, George Michael, try once more to abandon the Bluth family, but they're accompanied by a stowaway, George Sr.
