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The B

"The B. Team"
Directors: Mitch Hurwitz & Troy Miller — Writer: Mitch Hurwitz & Jim Vallely — Aired: May 26, 2013 — Icon-image      

"The B. Team" is the fourth episode of Arrested Development's fourth season.

Michael is presented with a new business opportunity that could change his life. Unfortunately, he needs his family to sign off.

Synopsis[]

To cope with the failure of the Michael B. Company and his $700,000 debt to Lucille Austero, Michael got a job at Google driving a Google Maps StreetView car. During a drive he received a call from Barry informing him that Ron Howard wanted to meet with him. Michael drove up to Hollywood to meet at the offices of Imagine Entertainment when he bumped into Kitty, who was employed by Imagine and who had edged Maeby out of her movie producer career.

4x04 The B

Michael meeting Ron Howard

Ron had seen Michael's in flight magazine article and decided to make a film about the financial collapse and wanted it to revolve around Michael and feature the rocky Bluth father-son relationship. Ron tasked Michael with getting signatures from every member of his family. Upon being named a Producer, Michael ran into a beautiful red-headed actress on the street whom he though would be perfect Tracey Bluth. She slipped away without him learning her name but not before telling him about her bagpipe concert at the Ealing Club.

Michael tried to track down his father for his signature at Balboa Towers and thought he saw him with Lucille Austero on her balcony. In the hallway, upon asking for his signature and extremely hesitantly saying he'd make the character of George Bluth look nice, Michael was told a very firm "go to hell." Michael then met with Kitty in his new and very short office where she threatened to bury him if he made one misstep. He then met with Carl Weathers to see if he could get Carl's Bluth family rights from Scandalmakers but Carl never obtained the rights, thus causing another episode of Scandalmakers about him.

4x04 The B

The creative team behind the Untitled Michael B. Project

Taking a page from Carl's book, Michael met with Stefan Gentles to write the screenplay. Gentiles suggested Philip Seymour Hoffman for the role of George but instead Michael approached Andy Richter, who joined when Conan O'Brien insulted him. The four men tried to meet with Ron but were warned by Kitty that he doesn't like surprises. They were then stuck in the elevator between floors and were at foot level with Ron and Brian Grazer. Ron asked that Michael come back when he had all the signatures. 

Michael was moved down to Orange County Imagine where his father stumbled into his office with Mexican porn. They caught up and Michael mentioned the cute redhead to him so he decided to sign his rights to the film. Outside the Ealing Club, Ron told Michael that he didn't care about George's rights, he needed George Michael's rights to make the father-son dynamic work. Michael was hesitant to invade his son's privacy again. To take his mind off it, he listened to the red-headed girl's concert and the two bonded over their children. They then had sex in a photo booth and Michael finally learned her name from her tattoo: Rebel, whom Michael believed was the mistress of Ron Howard (but was in reality his daughter.)

Appearances[]

Main Cast
4x04 The B

Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth

Recurring
4x04 The B

Isla Fisher as Rebel Alley

Guest
4x04 The B

John Krasinski

  • Conan O'Brien as Himself
  • John Krasinski as Himself
  • Andrew Santino as Employer
  • Rick Federman as Prosecuting attorney
  • Sara Chase as Receptionist
  • Barry Wiggins as Actor portraying Carl Weathers
  • Stephanie Coffey as Andy's stylist
  • Keeshan Giles as Imagine guard
  • Peter Kousakis as Mike Dawkins
  • Constantine Salavas as Charles Dawkins
  • Kevin Walsh as Pitch man
  • Jayme Ratzer as OC Nurse
  • Beth Melewski as Patient's mother
  • Hamish Clark as Band leader 

Recurring themes[]

References[]

  • Happy Days -
  • Imagine Entertainment - Several Imagine films are mentioned including Cocoon, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Splash, Curious George, The DaVinci Code, and Willow.
  • "Simply the Best"- Tina Turner's rock song plays when Michael, Warden Gentiles, Carl Weathers and Andy Richter enter Imagine Entertainment.
  • Variety - Issues of Variety appear in multiple episodes including "Development Arrested".
  • Carrie Fisher - The issue of Variety has a headline "Carrie Fisher Ankles Big, Too." Kitty says "ankles" is a film industry term, implying Carrie Fisher will star in a movie titled Big, Too.
  • The Andy Griffith Show- Ron Howard starred as Opie in The Andy Griffith Show(which was previously mentioned in "For British Eyes Only" and "Public Relations".) Imagine Entertainment is casting to direct an AGSfilm but it's "not a done deal yet", mocking how the ADmovie is not a done deal either and churned for 7 years.
4x04 The B
  • Jerry Bruckheimer -
    • Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Imagine Entertainment have a feud with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Bruckheimer Films.
    • Gentles pitches a Transformers script to Bruckheimer Films, and the producer says "you're not charring my tree", a reference to Bruckheimer Film's logo.
  • Cuba Gooding Jr.-Brian Grazer mistakes Carl Weathers for Cuba Gooding Jr.
  • 4x04 The B
    Moon landing conspiracy - Ron Howard says the 1969 moon landing was faked.
  • iPadStefan Gentles can't use his iPad correctly.
  • Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Warden Gentiles suggests getting a "Phillip Seymour Hoffman-type" to play George Bluth and Michael thinks of Andy Richter.
  • Rocko's Modern Life - Warden Gentiles mentions that he wrote several episode of the 1990s cartoon show.
  • Charlize Theron - Rebel says that turning her character into a mentally challenged woman might win her an Oscar, and Michael is reminded of Rita. Charlize Theron, a previous Oscar winner, played Rita.

Callbacks/Running Jokes[]

  • 4x04 The B
    Banners - Michael knocks down a Herbert Love banner with the Google StreetView car.
  • "Her?" - Michael says "Them?" about his family to Ron Howard.
  • "He's Very Good" - Barry's slogan is said by a young Lucille in 1982.
  • Scandalmakers - A flashback of Carl Weather's episode "Blurred Truth" of Scandalmakers is shown. Also, a new episode about Carl Weathers is shown, which is based on the story of Carl's failure to procure the Bluth family rights for the original episode of Scandalmakers, titled "Weather's Permit-ing: The Scandalmaker's Maker's Scandal".
  • Ostrich - The Google employees call StreetView car drivers "ostriches".
  • "Get this - Beverly Hills" - Barry tells Michael that Ron Howard wants to meet with him in "— get this — Beverly Hills." Narrator later describes the headquarters of Imagine being located in "— get this — Beverly Hills."
  • Rhyming legal advice -
    • Bob Loblaw says "If he can't reach, this trial's a breach!"
    • A young Barry tells the Bluths "If you don't sign, you'll be fine!"
  • Bob Loblaw law bomb - After the prosecutor says "That's a low blow loblaw" he replies "Bob Loblaw law bomb!" Loblaw lobbed a law bomb at the Bluth family in "S.O.B.s".
  • 4x04 The B
    Flashing - Michael assumes Kitty is going to flash him. She is seen flashing in her ID card photo.
  • Photo montage - A photo montage shows Kitty and Ron Howard bonding, mirroring her montage with George in "Visiting Ours".
  • Phoenix - Ron has been traveling to Phoenix to see his sick aunt.
  • Prayer hands - Ron decided to make a movie about the real estate market crash based on Michael's begging photo in the Altitude magazine.
  • Tracey Bluth - Ron Howard wants to alter the story of Michael's deceased wife to make a better movie and to cast Rebel. Michael mentions Tracey had red hair when he meets Rebel on the street.
  • Health insurance - Imagine Entertainment does not offer it's employees health insurance.
  • "Baby, you’ve got a stew going" - In Carl's Scandalmakers intro, stew is seen in the background.
  • Mr. Bananagrabber - In Carl's Scandalmakers intro, Mr. Bananagrabber can barely be seen.
  • Hot ham water - Michael reminds Andy of the "Save Our Bluths" dinner which served "chicken and ham water", from "S.O.B.s".
  • Bees / Ashamed of their name - Michael's film is called the Untitled Michael B. Project, just as his solo real estate company was called the Michael B. Company and his father wanted to be called "Father B." and the episode title "Queen B." is about Lucille.
  • Repulsive - While Kitty's hair got better since "Visiting Ours," she still goes cross-eyed when she takes off her glasses, as seen when she lowers her glasses and winks at Maeby.
  • Rita Leeds - When Rebel suggests making her character a mentally disabled woman, Michael responds, "there's a part like that too", and tries to excuse himself again for his past obliviousness.
    4x04 The B
  • Sheep / Photo montages - While looking over the Photos of Michael and Rebel from the Ealing Club's Photo Booth, a sheep can be seen intruding on the couple, similar to Buster's incident in the series one episode, "Staff Infection", in which a Sheep interrupts him in a photo booth.
  • "[synonym for arrested] Development" - Kitty puts Maeby's script in a box labeled "Not going forward development".
  • Tips - Michael doesn't tip the two black men who delivered the table for his office, like his father does.

Hidden/Background Jokes[]

  • 4x04 The B
    Scripts - There are multiple funny movie scripts seen in this episode in the Imagine offices. In the Lunar Lander there are three scripts entitled Three Men and Two Babies, Tell it to the Hand and Backgammon!. Later on when Michael is stuck in the elevator Brian Grazer is seen holding a script for a movie called Cap'n Crunch.
  • 4x04 The B
    Imagine Entertainment Offices - While Michael walks through the Imagine Entertainment building for his first meeting there, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's offices are seen, Ron's has a wooden carving of a baseball cap above the door (a reference to the fact he often wears the hat) and Brian's has a carving of his own hairstyle.
  • LEM - Ron invited Michael to talk inside the LEM (Lunar Excursion Module). Rebel's son is named Lem.
  • 21st Century Family - The title of Maeby's project for the Bluth family film was 21st Century Family. This is a possible reference to the show Modern Family.
  • 4x04 The B
    Orange County Imagine movie posters - Includes 3 Ron Howard & Brian Grazer films with poor Spanish translations and one made up sequel.
    • Agua - Means "Water" in Spanish. The actual poster is from Splash.
    • Señor Princesa - Means "Mr. Princess" in Spanish. The poster is actually from Cinderella Man.
    • "Dos hombres, uno ve a una mujer con otro hombre que no es el primer hombre. ¿Que hara? ¿En caso de que le diga?" - Means "Two men, one sees a woman with another man who is not the first man. What will he do? What will he say to her in that case?" in Spanish. The poster is from The Dilemma.
    • Angeles Y Diablos: ¡Mas! ¡Mas! ¡Mas! - Means "Angels and Devils: More! More! More!" in Spanish. Appears to be a sequel of Angels and Demons staring Tom Hanks's "Bosom Buddy" Peter Scolari.

Foreshadowing/Future References[]

4x04 The B
  • High-tech sector - Michael gets a job in the high-tech sector after the housing market crashed. George Michael, Maeby, and Mort all get jobs in high-tech during Season Four.
  • India - A shot of Maeby "on location" is explained in "Señoritis"
  • G.O.B.'s limo - Michael is nearly hit by a limo, which is later seen to be driven by G.O.B.
  • Oscar with Lucille 2 - Michael assumes his father is fooling around with Lucille 2, but it turns out to be Oscar in "Double Crossers".
  • DeBrie's heart stopping - On the set of Scandalmakers DeBrie's heart stops. When Tobias rushes her to the hospital, he knows the staff. This is later revealed to be the second time he's rushed her to the hospital for the same reason, as revealed in "A New Start".

In Comparison to the Remix[]

In the chronological re-cut of season 4, footage from The B. Team is used in 8 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:

  • Michael is on the phone with Barry, Barry is on trial (4x12 Moving Pictures)
    • This exchange is cut:
      • Michael: Did you get any other information?
      • Barry: Apparently, he directed a movie called Cocoon.
      • Person: Look at me!
      • Michael: Sorry. I was unclear about why he wants to meet with me.
      • Barry: I don’t know.
    • Michael: Barry, I will meet with him. (cut dialogue in italics)
    • This exchange is cut shorter:
      • Barry: I can’t reach it. I can’t reach the knob.
      • Bob Loblaw: Why is that, Mr. Zuckerkorn?
      • Barry: I’m not tall enough. I-
      • Bob Loblaw: You’re not tall enough.
      • Barry: I can’t reach the Chachi. Hey, should I try tippy-toe? Look, I’m on tippy-toes.
  • Michael speaks with Kitty at Imagine Entertainment (4x12 Moving Pictures)
    • This exchange is cut:
      • Narrator: Also, Imagine provided no health benefits.
      • Michael: Great for you. How’d you get this job?
      • Kitty: Women can be movie executives, you pig. I knew people.
      • Michael: You’re probably going to call me a pig for this, too, but are you sure that you meant to say “knew”?
  • Flashback to Maeby and Kitty (4x7 One Degree of Separation)
    • A lot is cut from this conversation although some of Kitty’s dialogue is difficult to hear under the narrator’s lines:
      • Maeby: Great!
      • Kitty: ’Cause I can get you smack or hash or Special K…
      • Kitty: (under narration) You don’t want to end up with a K-hole though.
      • Narrator: Unfortunately, when Maeby was shooting out of town on a picture, Kitty saw to it…
      • Maeby: (under narration) Do we have hair and makeup with us?
      • Kitty: (under narration) I’m going to let her go cry in her pie.
      • Kitty: She didn’t even get releases from her family.
      • Kitty: (under narration) And I begged her to.
      • Narrator:…that Maeby’s was one of the bodies that was buried. And the project got thrown on the back burner.
      • Kitty: (under narration) Honestly, Ron, she been in a K-hole since she got here.
  • Michael talks to Ron Howard (4x12 Moving Pictures, flashbacks in 4x13 Get on Up, 4x14 What Goes Around, 4x17 Dire Straights)
    • Ron Howard: No, no, 1969. I’ll tell you about it inside the LEM. It’s soundproof in there. And it’s a national secret. So, NASA did go to the moon in ’71. That one was real. But in ’69, they weren’t ready, so they faked the whole thing on the soundstage of Gentle Ben.
    • This exchange is cut down:
      • Michael: Oh!
      • Luisa Velez: Health plan is not another one, by the way. No health plan.
  • Michael is on the phone with Barry again & flashback (4x12 Moving Pictures)
    • This exchange in the flashback is cut:
      • Young Lucille: He’s very smart.
      • Young George, Sr.: He’s very good.
      • Herb Zuckerkorn: Can you feel your hands? I can’t feel my pinky or this one.
  • Michael bumps into Rebel Alley (4x12 Moving Pictures, flashbacks in 4x13 Get on Up, and 4x14 What Goes Around)
    • Rebel Alley: (after dropping photos of herself) No, I'm a narcissist.
  • Michael sees Oscar with Lucille 2 at the apartments (4x13 Get on Up)
    • Narrator: Michael was actually relieved. He had no idea how he was going to make his father seem nice.
  • Kitty shows Michael to his Imagine Entertainment Office, meets Carl Weathers (4x13 Get on Up & 4x9 Modern Marvels, flashbacks in 4x17 Dire Straights)
    • Michael: You know, we’re making a movie about the family […]
    • The flashback to Tobias finishes at “Hey Dave, you shaved, I like it” in 4x13 Get on Up but the entire flashback in the hospital is shown in 4x9 Modern Marvels.
    • Michael: But, Carl, the whole point of the movie is that it’s a true story, so I need the rights. Don’t I?
  • Michael talks to Warden Gentles, Andy Richter, then they go to Imagine Entertainment together (4x13 Get on Up)
    • No onscreen captions appear to say “later”.
    • In the elevator, Andy no longer says “I’m out” after Ron Howard says “I really do insist on controlling the casting myself.”
  • At Michael’s new office (4x13 Get on Up)
    • This exchange is cut:
      • Michael: So right out this way, sir, thank you.
      • Visitor: But can I leave a sample?
      • Michael: It’s generous of you, but they’re gonna be much better with it down there at imaging.
      • Narrator: And that’s when Michael got his most unexpected visitor.
    • George Sr.: Yes, and I brought you a peace offering.
  • Michael and George Sr. talk outside (4x13 Get on Up, flashbacks in 4x14 What Goes Around)
  • Michael and Ron Howard at the Ealing Club (4x14 What Goes Around)
  • Michael and Rebel talk after her show (4x14 What Goes Around, flashbacks in 4x17 Dire Straights, 4x19 Fast Company, and 4x22 Cinco de Cuatro III)
    • This exchange is cut:
      • Michael: Yeah, you shouldn’t worry about that, you’re gonna get something. You know, sometimes even students make films.
      • Rebel Alley: Yeah, that’s really funny.
    • Michael: There’s a part like that, too, only she comes in later and she’s British, so she doesn’t seem… No one could ever tell she’s disabled.
    • This exchange is cut:
      • Rebel Alley: Of course it’s a great idea.
      • Michael: ’Cause there’s a lot of people out there.
      • Rebel Alley: Nobody’s watching.
  • Michael tells a patient to go the hospital (4x13 Get on Up)
  • Rocky replaces Andy on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (4x13 Get on Up)

Quotes[]

Ron Howard: I think it's a lot more fun to see her die.

 

Producer: Sorry, you're not charring my tree.

 

Warden Gentiles: It's a slideshow of my granddaughter's daughter's graduation from college... or was it high school?

 

→ See more quotes from "The B. Team" at Transcript of The B. Team.

Notes[]

  • In the opening credits, Michael's instrument is a trumpet.
  • Lindsay, George Michael, Buster, and G.O.B. do not appear in this episode, making it have the least amount of main characters out of all 76 episodes.
    • However, Lucille does appear, but is played by Kristen Wiig as her younger self in a  flashback only, not by her actual portrayer, Jessica Walter.

Goofs[]

  • While walking Michael to his office, the censoring "bleep" is played above a section of Kitty's apparent bad language, despite the fact that you can hear her say just the letter "F" before the bleep.

Images[]

→ See 137 pictures from The B. Team at Images from The B. Team.
SEASON FOUR EPISODES

1. "Flight of the Phoenix"
2. "Borderline Personalities"
3. "Indian Takers"
4. "The B. Team"
5. "A New Start"

6. "Double Crossers"
7. "Colony Collapse"
8. "Red Hairing"
9. "Smashed"
10. "Queen B."

11. "A New Attitude"
12. "Señoritis"
13. "It Gets Better"
14. "Off the Hook"
15. "Blockheads"

Season OneSeason TwoSeason ThreeSeason FourSeason Five
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