Gob promises a model house for a new development in only 2 weeks, so everyone in the family helps to build a fake house that is empty on the inside. Lindsay buys a cream made of powdered diamonds.
The Arrested Development episode "The One Where They Build a House" provides examples of:
- Aside Glance: Jason Bateman in the infamous "mayonegg" sequence.
- Bait-and-Switch: After Michael asks who Ann is, George-Michael retorts that he's met her, and the narrator adds, "Michael had met Ann", appearing to set up a Cutaway Gag. Instead, the scene continues with George-Michael saying "You let her in", and then it's revealed that she's sitting behind him.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: George, regretting an affair with Kitty in Mexico, borrows GOB's "I've made a huge mistake."
- By Wall That Is Holey: Played with - Buster, attempting to get injured to get out of
theArmy, runs under a falling wall (Mimicking another Buster). - Continuity Nod: Thomas Jane's movie Junk is noted in the poster to be directed by the same people who did Les Cousins Dangereux, the movie about Kissing Cousins that George Michael and Maeby tried to watch several episodes ago.
- Feedback Rule: When GOB's sexy model announces him at the ribbon ceremony, the mic gives off a slide feedback.
- Mondegreen Gag: Gob's "Solid as a rock" slogan is noted In-Universe to sound almost identical to "solid as Iraq", which, naturally, is an association that would be better for the company to avoid.
- Recognition Failure: When Lindsay is trying to meet men, she is enticed by a bearded homeless fellow described as having the rugged, unkempt appearance of a movie star. When she finds out he's just homeless, she leaves. However, it turns out that the homeless man is actually Real Life actor Thomas Jane, doing some
Method Acting character research for a couple upcoming movies by posing as homeless. When Lindsay finds this out, she is enticed again. Tom Jane is confused that she doesn't know who he is, but seems pleased that she thinks he's gross. - Shout-Out:
- Buster refers to his genitals as "Charlie Browns". Lucille pokes fun at this.
- An insert of a movie poster reveals that one of the movies Thomas Jane starred in is called They Shoot Heroin Don't They?
- Take That!: The whole episode is one big one of these to the Bush administration in general but the “Mission Accomplished" banner takes the cake. It’s is a reference to a banner hung up by the administration during the second Iraq war. Combat continued in the conflict for several years after the banner.
- Tempting Fate: "A house truly solid as a rock" — (the house falls apart)
- Unknowingly in Love: Played for laughs when Gob is trying to explain his feelings towards his recently discovered teenage son. When Michael suggests that it could be love, Gob dismisses the idea, saying he knows what an erection feels like.
