3x02 For British Eyes Only

[8.0/10] I don’t want to give anything away regarding the Rita story, so I’ll just say that I love the layers of it. The James Bond-inspired hints of mystery and intrigue are inspiring, and I love how so much of what Rita says to Michael has a double meaning. There’s an inherent comedy to Michael feeling like he’s a romantic comedy when there’s other things afoot, and the episode pulls it off really well.

Honestly, Michael is a comedy machine in this one despite being the closest thing in the show to a straight man. His initial line about “more touching” when he gets George Sr. sentenced to house arrest with Lucille is a hoot. His lines about his breakfast coming back when his mother talks about her renewed “friskiness” are very funny. And his terrible attempts to pick up Rita are side-splitting in his self-conscious ineptness. (Seriously, a Jack the Ripper come on?)

The whole Wee Britain thing is just absurd enough to work. My wife and I still laugh at the goofiness of “the Poppins” and the whole concept of this miniature England hiding in Orange County tickles the funny bone. It ties in nicely to George Sr.’s latest claim that he’s a patsy set up by the Brits which, combined with the silly roadside threat Michael receives from Dave Thomas, sets up some nice exaggerated intrigue.

I’m also a big fan of GOB’s storyline here. His efforts to evade Steve Holt as his son, then seemingly welcoming the kid with open arms when he learns Steve loves magic, only to use the trick to escape through the storm drains like his own dad was going to do, is a great series of comic reversals. Likewise, Tobias trying to be GOB’s double to prove he’s capable of landing some “meaty leading man parts” leads to some of the usual amusing double entendres and great oblivious Tobias shtick.

Otherwise, the jokes in this one are great all around. The attempted use of actors from courtroom TV shows is brilliantly funny, and I appreciate Harry Hamlin’s cameo a lot more now than I did when I first watched this show. (Hello, fellow Veronica Mars and Mad Men fans!) Plus Ron Howard emphasizing that they weren’t making fun of Andy Griffith is great. GOB’s “Free Chicken”/”Freebird” mixup is a hoot, and him switching his penny suit and his dove suit was a great setup and payoff. Lucile tasering George is a laugh, and Buster feeling put out when George Sr. returns leads to some great laughs. (Just the way Tony Hale says “I’m going to run this again on pots and pans” got a big guffaw out of me.)

All in all, this is more joke-a-minute humor and clockwork storytelling, from when Arrested Development was absolutely pitching its fastball. Great stuff!