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Some shows come to an end, and though their fans are sad to see them go, they fold peacefully into pop culture history. Conversely, other shows claw back into the limelight, shaking off their cancellations and as if they were merely suffering from a flesh wound. Arrested Development firmly falls into the latter category.
Though the show was cancelled by Fox in 2006, it still continues to top current conversations about comedy. There’s even talk of a Season 5 revival to possibly come later this year — a decade after the Bluths’ cancellation. When you consider all of the shows that have risen and vanished in television history over the course of a decade, it’s shocking that this cult comedy remains so beloved. However, all you need to do is watch the pilot to understand why. Arrested Development is one of those rare comedies that refuses to dumb itself down for audiences, preferring to jam every minute with as many jokes, backs, and obscure plot continuations as possible. Think you know everything about Arrested Development? You’re probably wrong.
WHAT’S THE THEORY?
According to this Reddit thread, executive producer, narrator, and father of Rebel Alley, Ron Howard, is actually George Michael’s (Michael Cera) grandfather. That’s right; Ron Howard could be the father of Michael’s dead wife.
WHY IT’S NOT THAT CRAZY:
This theory speculates that the deceased Tracy, Michael’s (Jason Batman) first wife, was the illegitimate daughter of Ron Howard. This is definitely possible. Ron Howard was established in Season Four as a character on the show, and that character isn’t the most responsible father. He has a pattern of fathering illegitimate redheads (Rebel Alley, Bryce Dallas, and Paige Carlyle are all in-show examples). We also learn in Season Four that Tracey was a redhead. When Ron Howard (the character) is speculating about who could play Michael’s wife in the Bluth movie, he points to his daughter Rebel. That’s when it’s revealed (Season Four, Episode Four) that Tracey also had red hair.
However, the best clues come from the series as a whole. Arrested Development is a show that is practically fueled by incest. In Season One, all three Bluth brothers fall in love with the same woman, Marta, and George Michael’s inappropriate relationship with his cousin Maeby (Alia Shawkat) has been an ongoing joke from the first episode. Toward the end of Season Three, Michael and Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) almost hook up. I could probably list dozens more examples, from strategically chosen movie titles to phrasing to song choices (“Afternoon Delight” anyone?), but the point is, Arrested Development has no problems with embracing the incest of it all. If this fan theory was true, it would mean that Michael has hooked up with his wife’s half-sister. But becasue this is one of the most brilliant comedies to ever exist, that’s not all. Guess who else hooked up with Rebel? George Michael, which would mean he has slept with his half aunt. Oh god.
WHY IT’S QUESTIONABLE:
Though the show loves to run across taboo lines, Arrested Development has typically stopped short of actual incest. However, I’m mostly talking about Seasons One through Three, when the show had a network to please. Netflix’s Season Four is markedly darker, with both Maeby and unsurprisingly Tobias (David Cross) becoming registered sex offenders. Honestly, I don’t just think this theory has merit; I desperately want it to be true. When Season Five premieres and we learn that the narrator has been a Bluth this whole time, we’ll have RobRockly to thank for showing us the light.
[Where to stream Arrested Development]
Photos: Everett Collection
