Arrested Development Season Four Netflix: 10 Most Hysterically Funny Running Gags

Culture

Arrested Development is perhaps most well known for its Nabokov-like penchant for witty cross references and ongoing jokes.

Needless to say, when the beloved show was resurrected on Netflix this morning, geeky viewers everywhere perked up for a few of their favorite bits. For a list of just a few of these old chestnuts, look below. Feel free to add your own in the comments.

1. "Family is the Most Important Thing"

Michael's fruitless attempts to care for the other Bluths is the central motivator for the show, and perhaps the most prevalent gag.

When Michael asks George Michael for his wifi password, he responds "C'mon, dad, what do we say is the most important thing?"

"I've tried 'family,' it doesn't work for me," Michael laments.

2. "The Seal!"

Seals, the adorable sea creature, and their homonyms, have a violent bent on Arrested Development.

In a flashback, a young Michael is stage flying in a production of "The Trial of Captain Hook" when crashes into his school’s emblem. "Watch out for the seal!" someone cries, "Loose Seal!" Meanwhile, the other end of the double entendre, Lucille — played by Kristen Wiig — does not care.

3. Buster’s Hook

"Let's let him off the Hook ... sorry, Buster," Michael says. Buster's hook is bedazzled.

But, you know ...

4. Lucille 2’s Vertigo/Falling/Affairs

She has three different sexual moments with Bluths, as is her wont, and each time she gets dizzy, shoved, or both.

5. G.O.B.'s Forget Me Now's / Sex With Someone He Shouldn't

G.O.B. takes roofies ... to forget. One time he forces Michael to take them when he sees the mysterious person with whom G.O.B just got intimate. I'll bet this is a bit of foreshadowing, which is part and parcel of AD style.

6. "Always Leave a Note"

Michael gets ostracized from his son's dorm by a vote on post-it notes. When he leaves, he inadvertently follows this piece of Bluth wisdom, by leaving one note unread and in the room.

7. Meta guest appearances.

Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, and Anders Holm make an appearance as airline attendants. They play their roles in a way that is strikingly similar to their characters on Comedy Central’s “Workaholics.” This self-referential moment for cast members is almost as common as the celebrity appearances themselves.

8. It Ain't Easy Being White

This one kind of speaks for itself.

9. Bluth Family Chicken Dances

"Has anyone in this family ever seen a chicken?"

10. A New Gag: Netflix-Themed Flashbacks

Transitions into flashbacks are now done with a Netflix style user interface. My guess is this will be an essential re-appearing entry to the M.O.