Everything You Need to Know to Watch the New Season of "Arrested Development"

From hop-ons to never-nudes, it's the final countdown.

May 25, 2013

Image via Complex Original

If someone had asked you in 2003 whether you were a fan of the television show Arrested Development, your most likely response would've been "Huh?" Though it was nominated for a slew of Emmy and Golden Globe awards (and even managed to pick up a few), the off-the-wall dysfunctional family comedy, narrated and produced by Ron Howard, never found its audience when it was actually on the airwaves.

Like many great shows before it, after it and some still yet to come, Arrested Development was discovered by the masses at home—on DVD, iTunes, and via frequent airings on IFC. Which makes its resurrection as a Netflix-exclusive series—a full decade after its debut—seem all the more appropriate.

As the Bluth family's legion of fans get ready to queue up the brand-new fourth season this Sunday, we're telling you everything you need to know about the show, its characters, and major plot points to get in on the streaming action, even if you have don't know what a never-nude looks like.

While it's highlighy recommended that you do consume the first three seasons in their entirety, here's Everything You Need to Know to Watch the New Season of Arrested Development.

(Annyong!)

This feature is part of Arrested Development Week at Complex.

Meet the Bluths, an overprivileged—and extremely dysfunctional—family living in Orange County. They run a business, The Bluth Company, which builds and markets high-end homes.

They've been known to cut some corners when it comes to the quality of their construction.

They also operate a thriving frozen banana stand.

The Cornballer is theirs, too. It's banned in most countries because of its tendency to caue third-degree burns.

Every Bluth seems to have his or her own rendition of the chicken dance. Most don't resemble a chicken.

This is the Bluth family stair car. It's been known to attract a hop-on from time to time.

There in the middle, that's George Bluth, Sr., the patriarch. He's gathered his family and company together to make a big announcement: he is retiring.

Middle son—and Bluth Company manager—Michael is sure he's next in line to take over.

But George Sr. has got his eye on another candidate for the role: his wife, Lucille.

Tired of being passed over and undervalued, Michael makes a big decision: He's leaving.

Michael's teenage son, George-Michael, will be leaving, too.

But George-Michael doesn't want to leave. He wants to get to know his family, including his Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Tobias Fünke.

He wants to get to know his cousin, Maeby Fünke, too.

He, like, really wants to get to know his cousin Maeby.

But when the SEC interrupts the retirement party and arrests George Sr. for defrauding investors, Michael has no choice but to stick around and keep his family together.

With the family's assets frozen, Michael seeks the advice of his now-incarcerated father, who reminds him that "There's always money in the banana stand."

If only Michael had understood that his father meant that literally, he and George-Michael might not have torched the banana stand (and the $250,000 in cash lining its walls).

Good thing he entrusted his big brother G.O.B. (George Oscar Bluth), a professional magician, with mailing the insurance check on the banana stand...

It should also be noted that Tobias has a way with words. And by that, we mean "so many poorly chosen words" in one sentence.

The cousins spend even more time together when they both audition for a school play; Maeby lands a lead while George-Michael is a stand-in (and they just may have to kiss).

Tobias believes that Maeby's newfound interest in acting is her way of connecting with her "leather daddy..."

Maeby's interest, however, is in Steve Holt, a jock at school. (Steve Holt!)

Unbeknownst to Maeby, Steve Holt is also her cousin (G.O.B. is his father).

Then there's Buster, the baby of the family. He's very close to his mother. Some might say too close.

But get Buster around his siblings, and he'll unleash a whole lot of mom-bashing. (The old horny slut!)

George has a twin brother, Oscar, who he uses to get out of trouble. And who just may be the real father of George's youngest son.

Buster's romantic status is a little bit complicated, ever since he inadvertendly flirted with Lucille Austero, his mother's neighbor and social rival (he wasn't wearing his glasses).

George Sr. is feeling the isolation of prison life, and expresses this to Michael in the most delicate manner he can muster.

Enter Barry Zuckercorn, the Bluth's longtime—albeit inept—lawyer, who manages to get George Sr. released in order to take part in the city's annual "Living Classics" pageant.

It's a Bluth tradition to re-create Michaelangelo's The Creation of Adam. But George Sr., who is supposed to be playing God, uses the bit of freedom as a chance to escape.

Oh, and those jean shorts George-Michael is wearing? He learned that from his Uncle Tobias, who is a "never-nude." (Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like.)

G.O.B., too, had an unexpected encounter with a previously uknown woman: He married her.

Though still enamored of his cousin Maeby, there's a new woman in George-Michael's life: the totally unforgettable Ann Veal. (Her?)

Kitty neglects to mention that these overseas homes that George Sr. has been building have been in Iraq. Which amounts to "light treason" in George Sr.'s opinion.

Michael vows he will never leave his family again. (He will.)

The very literal Dr. Fishman informs the family that they've "lost" George. What he means is that George has escaped. He's very literal, remember?

George Sr. and his longtime secretary/mistress Kitty have actually fled to Mexico, where he is a well-known pop culture figure because of the Cornballer.

When Lucille is accosted by a Michael Moore-like filmmaker on the street and questioned about her patriotism, she rises to the occasion and volunteers Buster for the Army.

The family needs George Sr. back. And Lucille knows that he's in Mexico, thanks to master of disguise/private dick Gene Parmesan.

While the Mexican authorities believe George Sr. is dead, George-Michael discovers him in a spider hole back at the model home. He hides him in the attic.

Michael eventually learns of his father's whereabouts and agrees to keep him hidden. But George Sr. is bored and thinks that a hot tub might help. (It doesn't.)

Aching to spend time with his estranged daughter, Tobias dons his own disguise: He becomes the Bluth's new Mary Poppins-esque maid, Mrs. Featherbottom (aka Mrs. Fingerbottom).

As the family's legal troubles mount, Gob is excited to learn that his tough-talking puppet, Franklin, may be called to testify.

It's in Wee Britain that Michael meets Rita, a beautiful and fun-loving woman. And an Olympian. What Michael doesn't immediately realize is that Rita is Mr.F (a mentally retarded female).

A new lawyer, Bob Loblaw, enters the picture. But Lindsay and Tobias use up his entire retainer in order to make their separation official. Bob has a blog, Bob Loblaw's Law Blog.

Nobody wants to testify at the mock trial. To avoid it, Lucille and Lindsay enter rehab, G.O.B. goes on a USO Tour of Iraq, and Buster fakes a coma.

Maeby and George-Michael have yet another romantic encounter. Yes, they're still cousins. Or are they...

George-Michael tells his father about his attraction to Maeby. Michael, reluctantly, pushes him back toward Ann (her?). But Ann has moved on to an older man: G.O.B.

Maeby hopes that Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard will be interested in purchasing her life story as a series. He says he sees it more as a movie... which brings us to right now.

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