6. "You were in the remake of Dangerous Cousins, I signed up to Netflix because of that movie" -Arrested Development
This is an excellent example of the continued density of the comedy writing in the show, delivered with adolescent vigor by George Michael, excuse me, George Maharis. Self-reflexivity and meta-commentary has become more commonplace on TV since AD first aired in 2003, and it sometimes gets a bad rep because certain shows become over-reliant on references rather than jokes (see Community's fourth season). But Mitch Hurwitz and the gang were back to show the world how much fun an insanely intricate structure could be to play with for a full season. This line is a reference not only to the show's move from Fox to Netflix (one of many overt references the show made to its new overlord), but to Les Cousins Dangereux, the movie George Michael appreciates for it's lax stance on incestual relationships. Ah, the French. Basically, he's hitting on Rebel Alley (Ron Howard's daughter) by indirectly saying that she reminds him of his infatuation with his cousin Maeby. Furthermore, his dalliance with her is given an added incestuous tinge because Rebel is also sleeping with George Michael's father. For those of you who haven't watched the fourth season yet, I swear it is a comedy and not a messed up soap opera. For a show that's loaded with callbacks, callforwards, segues, and Segways, this line captured the dizzying levels that the show continues to work on.
Bryan Hickman is a WhatCulture contributor residing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Bryan's passions include film, television, basketball, and writing about himself in the third person.
