10 Small Details You Only Notice Rewatching Arrested Development
8. The Iraq Connection Was Clear From The Beginning
The original run of the show centered around some work George Bluth did that landed him in prison. It isn't revealed until the end that he was accused of building mini-mansions in the war-torn country, though he was doing so to help the U.S. Government spy on Hussein (and make some money while he was at it).
There are allusions to this illicit work throughout the first few seasons of the series, though it isn't exactly spoken about outright. In season one, episode 16, there's a scene where George and his secretary, Kitty, are in bed together with a red cooler beside them. The cooler reads "H. MADDAZ," making its reflection in the mirror read, "SADDAM H."
There were also several mentions of "light treason" by George Bluth Sr. to Michael, but there was a bit more suggesting Iraq was the source of that treason. There was a reference that George would come home from business trips smelling of dates, and he once received a severed human toe.
After this, it gets a bit more obvious, especially when GOB finds a contract hidden in the wall, which is actually signed by Saddam Hussein. In the third season, Buster scored a job at FAO al-Jibaaly Muhammed a-Abat, an Iraqi toy store. Another hint came at the revelation that George and Lucille's 40th wedding anniversary was held in Iraq, of all places...