Arrested Development

Michael Bluth takes a job in Arizona after being overlooked for a promotion at the Bluth Company, which leads to George Bluth's arrest and forces the family to acknowledge Michael's significance.

Michael entrusts George Michael with managing the Bluth Banana Stand, but the stand is later destroyed in a fire. Meanwhile, Tobias tries out for a commercial role, and Lindsay accidentally lands the part.

Michael forms a connection with Buster during a quiet afternoon. At the same time, George Michael auditions for a school play with the goal of impressing Maeby. Gob, following his breakup with his girlfriend, finds himself without a place to live.

Gob enters his father's prison for a 24-hour stay in an effort to strengthen his ties with the family alliance and reconnect with his father. Meanwhile, Michael takes Gob's girlfriend to an awards event, and Buster unintentionally flirts with a rival of his mother's.

Michael and Lindsay participate in a competition to prove who is more charitable. Gob looks to George Michael for validation, while Buster continues to avoid Lucille.

Michael arranges a private visit for his parents, unaware of a past relationship between his father and his mother's secretary, who also had a recent encounter with Gob. Meanwhile, Tobias and Lindsay seek counseling to address issues in their marriage.

Michael attempts to fire the family's inept but likeable lawyer. George Michael gains Maeby's approval by wearing a muscle suit for a "Living Classics" pageant. At the same time, Tobias develops a psychological condition that keeps him from taking off his clothes.

Michael suffers a sudden loss of short-term memory, which Lucille exploits to her advantage. At the same time, Gob attempts to use the family yacht before Michael can sell it, while George Michael and Maeby try to watch an R-rated film about a forbidden romance between cousins. Meanwhile, Buster and Lucille 2 advance their relationship.

Michael struggles with carrying out his plan to separate Gob from his wife Marta. At the same time, a threatening magician warns Gob that he intends to take his "legs," Maeby begins wearing a leather wardrobe as a way to antagonize her mother, and Lucille confronts Buster regarding his relationship with her clone.

Buster believes medical marijuana could help treat Lucille 2's vertigo and enlists George Michael to obtain it from Gob. At the same time, Lindsay sends Maeby to spend time with Lucille as punishment for her poor school performance. Michael becomes suspicious of George Michael's drug use and takes disciplinary action as a result.

George Michael is rejected by a private school, leading Michael to enlist a publicist he has been flirting with at his gym in an effort to improve the Bluth family's image. Meanwhile, Tobias travels to Boston in an attempt to regain his medical license.

Lucille organizes a Valentine's Day anniversary party for Tobias and Lindsay. During the event, Michael gives an emotional speech about love, which causes Marta to reevaluate her feelings for him and leads Lindsay to consider divorce. Meanwhile, Buster decides to leave the penthouse, giving Lucille the opportunity to enjoy her newfound independence.

Michael asks Gob for his approval before beginning a relationship with Marta, while Lindsay and Tobias explore the cause of his unwillingness to be naked, and George Sr. gets ready for his first hearing.

Michael begins to develop feelings for his son's ethics teacher, a dynamic that becomes more complex as George Michael also finds himself attracted to her. Meanwhile, Lucille adopts a 14-year-old Korean boy, and George Sr. attracts a new admirer as a result of his "Caged Wisdom" tapes.

Michael Scott discovers that his family has been receiving company paychecks without working and requires them to take on actual jobs within the office. Lindsay questions his leadership decisions, while Tobias enlists in George Sr.'s prison to prepare for a film role.

Michael arranges a one-night stand with a woman he does not realize is a blind prosecutor working on his father's case. Meanwhile, Gob impulsively marries on a dare, Maeby fabricates a rare illness to manipulate a situation, and George Sr. becomes involved with an admirer who is actually an undercover SEC agent.

Gob Bluth secretly takes a confidential file related to the government's investigation of the Bluth Company, which had been provided by Maggie Lizer to Michael Bluth. Meanwhile, Tobias Fünke is dispatched to retrieve evidence from Maggie's home, George Michael Bluth attempts to expose Maeby Fünke's alleged fraud, and Lindsay Bluth works to have the Ten Commandments removed from the courthouse lawn.

Gob is determined to fulfill his vow to remove the family yacht from the Bluth name. At the same time, Lindsay and Maeby set out to locate Lindsay's grandmother, Tobias makes an effort to gain approval from George Sr., and Michael tries to get rid of Kitty, who poses a threat by potentially revealing damaging secrets about the company.

George Sr. uses Gob's bachelor party as an opportunity to set up a scenario that could be used to blackmail his accountant. Meanwhile, Michael tries to show off his fun side, and the Funkes reunite to revive their family folk-music group.

Michael is dealing with pressure from multiple individuals who are seeking access to funds he has placed on hold, and he expresses frustration with Lucille for being too lenient toward Buster. Lindsay tries to build her self-assurance by organizing a war protest, while Tobias and Gob begin a new business venture by launching a coffee company.

Michael takes Maeby to the office for Take Your Daughter to Work Day, but when he fails to include her in significant decisions, she becomes discouraged. At the same time, Tobias, George-Michael, and Gob go to the mall in an effort to prove their masculinity. Oscar joins Lucille and Buster at Annyong's soccer game.

In the first season finale, George Sr. experiences a heart attack, while Maeby grows jealous of a girl who captures George Michael's attention. Lindsay chooses to separate from Tobias until one of his old books becomes a gay bestseller, and Buster and Annyong develop a rivalry over women.