Justice Is Blind
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| "Justice Is Blind" |
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"Justice is Blind" is the eighteenth episode aired of TV comedy series Arrested Development.
Plot
The episode begins with a recap of events in the previous one, "Altar Egos." At school, George Michael accosts Maeby about her second identity, her ‘twin’ Surely, a wheelchair-using sick girl suffering from "B.S." Meanwhile, Michael is wrestling over whether to read Maggie's case file when Gob comes in. Gob wants to destroy the file, but Michael points out that it is merely a list of what the prosecution has against George Sr. George Michael comes in with Maeby; his arm is in a sling (he sprained it helping "Surely Fünke" up the school bleachers). Lindsay is working on her newest cause: getting the Ten Commandments statue removed from the courthouse. Michael decides to return Maggie's file unopened.
Over drinks, Michael confesses his identity to Maggie, who already knew. Michael and Maggie agree they cannot ethically continue their relationship. Nevertheless, Michael goes home with her again. The next day, they leave Maggie's house and encounter a police officer: Maggie is needed at the office to interview a surprise witness, who turns out to be Buster. Buster offers inside evidence in exchange for George Sr. being kept in prison and Annyong being sent back to Korea, Maggie quickly realizes he knows nothing.
Michael, left with Maggie's seeing-eye dog Justice, discovers that the dog is blind, not Maggie. At the prison, George Sr. meets with Gob, Barry Zuckerkorn and Lucille. Gob had earlier swapped files with Michael; he says there are "boxes of evidence" stashed at Maggie's place. George Sr. says Gob should break in and steal the evidence, but Gob passes on the assignment to Tobias. Tobias uses his cat-like agility to sneak into Maggie's house just as Maggie returns home. He runs to the bathroom and puts on her perfume to cloak his scent. When Maggie surprises him, he panics and sprays her eyes with perfume, temporarily blinding her.
As the family gathers at the courthouse, Surely Fünke addresses a crowd about injustice and Lindsay's group cheers the removal of the Ten Commandments. As the statue is lifted out by a crane, it falls on Barry Zuckerkorn's MGB. In court, Michael attempts to expose Maggie by throwing the Bible at her. He figures she will instinctively duck, and thus blow her cover. But she still cannot see because of the perfume sprayed in her eyes; the Bible smacks her in the face and Michael is led away. Outside, George Michael decides not to expose Maeby's lie because she credits him as her inspiration. Later, Michael reunites with Maggie; she has decided to drop the "blind" pretense and say being struck with the Bible has restored her sight.
Character cameos
- Wife of Gob - This marks the second appearance of Gob's wife, who appeared in the previous episode, "Altar Egos." She will appear in the next two episodes, followed by the Season 2 episode "Motherboy XXX."
- Maggie Lizer - Second appearance of Maggie Lizer, who also first appeared in "Altar Egos." She will not appear again until Season 2's "Out on a Limb."
- Guest stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Ping Wu appeared together on several episodes of Seinfeld, starting with "The Tape." He played Ping, the Chinese food delivery boy who sued Elaine for J-walking in his path while he was on his bike.
Cultural references
- Lindsay lobbies to have a large statue of The Ten Commandments removed from the front of the local courthouse. This parallels the controversy that surrounded Justice Roy Moore's placement of a similar statue in the courthouse of the Alabama Supreme Court.
Callbacks/Running Jokes
- Misquoting holy books - When Michael decides not to look at the prosecution's evidence file, Gob says, "Thou shalt protect thy father and honor no one above him unless it be-eth me, thy sweet lord." Later in the episode, when Michael is apologizing for using a false name, he says: "Thou shalt not make up a name in vain." Maggie adds her own misquote when trying to explain why she and Michael should stay together: "Be true to thine self, and to thine own self be true." (Michael chimes in, "Yeah, number 7.") The line "to thine own self be true" is actually from Hamlet, act 1, scene 3.[1]
- The Cornballer - The infamous Cornballer produced by George Snr. can be seen in Maggie's apartment when Tobias tries to infiltrate it.
Foreshadowing
- As Lucille reviews the summary of evidence that Gob stole from Maggie Lizer's file, she says to George Sr., "Well, it certainly looks like they've got a lot on us.... uhh... you. I was raising the children." The comment implies that she has played a central role in the Bluth company's crimes, although this fact is not revealed explicitly until the series finale, "Development Arrested."
- Maggie lives on "Scenic View Drive," a hint that she can actually see. She also tells Michael that sleeping with him is the "second most unethical thing" she's ever done, foreshadowing the fact that she is pretending to be blind.
- When Maggie confronts Tobias at her home, a black poster can be seen with various key players in her prosecution case, including Carl Weathers and Annyong. In the bottom right corner is a profile labeled "Photo Not Available," possibly foreshadowing the fictitious "N. Bluth," who is first mentioned in the season 3 episode, "Fakin' It."
References
- ^ To thine own self be true eNotes.com