| "Sword of Destiny" | |
|---|---|
| Arrested Development episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 15 |
| Directed by | Peter Lauer |
| Written by | Brad Copeland |
| Cinematography by | Greg Harrington |
| Editing by | Robert Bramwell |
| Production code | 2AJD17 |
| Original air date | March 27, 2005 |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Sword of Destiny" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development . It is the 37th overall episode of the series, and was written by producer Brad Copeland and directed by Peter Lauer. It originally aired on Fox on March 27, 2005.
The series, narrated by Ron Howard, follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family, who made their money from property development. The Bluth family consists of Michael, his twin sister Lindsay, his older brother Gob, his younger brother Buster, their mother Lucille and father George Sr., as well as Michael's son George Michael, and Lindsay and her husband Tobias' daughter Maeby. In the episode, Gob performs the Sword of Destiny illusion as Buster's assistant, and Michael is hospitalized with appendicitis.
Tobias (David Cross) asks Michael (Jason Bateman) to become his assistant, when Michael feels a pain in his side. Gob (Will Arnett) goes to buy erection pills, where he buys the "Sword of Destiny" for his magic act. After visiting George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), who had asked Tobias to be a mole in the Bluth Company, Michael teaches George Michael (Michael Cera) how to drive. Michael goes to the hospital, where he finds out he has appendicitis. Gob asks Buster (Tony Hale) to be help him with his magic act to overshine his rival, Tony Wonder (Ben Stiller), and at the Gothic Castle, Buster and Gob meet Tony.
Tobias, as George Sr.'s mole, fills in for Michael at the company, while Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) lets George Michael drive. During the magic act, Gob knocks off a mechanical hand Buster had, which the audience, and Tony, believe was part of the act. Tony hires Buster and Gob to appear on his DVD, while Michael wakes up from his appendectomy, who is annoyed that George Michael has started driving without him. The doctor (Dan Castellaneta) informs Michael that he has a bacterial infection from the operation, meaning he will need another operation.
Meanwhile, the FBI has located George Sr. from a video he had recorded of himself, and think he is in Iraq. Gob and Buster meet with Tony Wonder, where Gob tells Tony that the real Sword of Destiny trick has yet to be performed. Michael wakes up from his second surgery, but the doctor tells him they might have left a pair of scissors in him. Michael and George Michael head to the office as Tobias and the FBI arrive at his hospital room to prove Michael isn't in Iraq. At the office, Michael finds the company has moved down a floor to save costs. Gob performs the Sword of Destiny act, where Buster swaps the fake sword with a real one and accidentally cuts off Gob's fingers. Michael lets George Michael drive home, and hits Michael with the car.
In the hospital, Michael and Gob become roommates, and the FBI finds footage of George Michael on the video of George Sr.
"Sword of Destiny" was directed by Peter Lauer and written by producer Brad Copeland. It was Lauer's second directing credit and Copeland's sixth and final writing credit. [1] It was the seventeenth and penultimate episode of the season to be filmed. [2]
In the United States, the episode was watched by 4.72 million viewers on its original broadcast, a decrease of over 1 million viewers from the previous episode, "The Immaculate Election". [3]
The A.V. Club writer Noel Murray commented on negatives of the episode, saying "The first two-thirds of Arrested Development's second season is so tightly constructed that by comparison, the last third seems to be more of a mess than it actually is." Murray also commented on the episode feeling "like a grab bag of disconnected scenes, characters, and in-jokes, held together by excessive interjections from The Narrator, some sloppy ADR, and, oh yeah, comedy." [4] Brian Tallerico from Vulture ranked the episode 25th out of the whole series, saying "Ben Stiller delivers one of the best-ever Arrested Development cameos as Tony Wonder". [5]
Brad Copeland was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at the 57th Primetime Emmy Awards for "Sword of Destiny". [6]
"Key Decisions" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It was written by co-producer Brad Copeland and directed by producer Anthony Russo. It originally aired on Fox on November 23, 2003.
"In God We Trust" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It was written by Abraham Higginbotham and directed by producer Joe Russo. It originally aired on Fox on December 14, 2003.
"¡Amigos!" is the third episode of the second season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 25th overall episode of the series, and was written by producer Brad Copeland and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel. It originally aired on Fox on November 21, 2004.
"Motherboy XXX" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 35th overall episode of the series, and was written by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and co-executive producer Jim Vallely, and directed by Joe Russo. It originally aired on Fox on March 13, 2005. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics, with it being Hurwitz's fourth favorite episode.
"Storming the Castle" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It was written by co-producer Brad Copeland and directed by Greg Mottola. It originally aired on Fox on January 4, 2004.
"Prison Break-In" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 47th overall episode of the series, and was written by Karey Dornetto and directed by Robert Berlinger. It originally aired on Fox on December 12, 2005. Series star Jessica Walter said this was one of her favorite episodes of the series.
"Public Relations" is the eleventh episode of the first season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It was written by Courtney Lilly and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel. It originally aired on Fox on January 25, 2004.
"Marta Complex" is the twelfth episode of the first season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It was written by co-executive producer John Levenstein and consulting producer Jim Vallely, and directed by producer Joe Russo. It originally aired on Fox on February 8, 2004.
"Beef Consommé" is the thirteenth episode of the first season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It was written by supervising producer Chuck Martin and co-executive producer Richard Rosenstock, and directed by Jay Chandrasekhar. It originally aired on Fox on February 15, 2004.
"Exit Strategy" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 52nd overall episode of the series, and was written by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and co-executive producer Jim Vallely, and directed by Rebecca E. Asher. It originally aired on Fox on February 10, 2006, along with the two previous episodes, and the following episode in a two-hour block against NBC's coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
"Making a Stand" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 48th overall episode of the series, and was written by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and co-executive producer Chuck Tatham, and directed by Peter Lauer. It originally aired on Fox on December 12, 2005. The episode is Hurwitz's joint-favorite episode, the other being "Pier Pressure", while also making the Parents Television Council's Worst Primetime TV Show of the Week list for the first week of 2006 due to its "graphic violence and dysfunction."
"Sad Sack" is the fifth episode of the second season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 27th overall episode of the series, and was written by supervising producer Barbie Adler and directed by Peter Lauer. It originally aired on Fox on December 12, 2004.
"Staff Infection" is the fifteenth episode of the first season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It was written by co-producer Brad Copeland and directed by John Fortenberry. It originally aired on Fox on March 14, 2004.
"Best Man for the Gob" is the nineteenth episode of the first season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It was written by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and co-executive producer Richard Rosenstock, and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel. It originally aired on Fox on April 4, 2004.
"Spring Breakout" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 38th overall episode of the series, and was written by supervising producer Barbie Adler and executive story editor Abraham Higginbotham, and directed by Anthony Russo. It originally aired on Fox on April 10, 2005.
"Meat the Veals" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 38th overall episode of the series, and was written by supervising producer Barbie Adler and co-executive producer Richard Rosenstock, and directed by Joe Russo. It originally aired on Fox on April 3, 2005.
"Queen for a Day" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 30th overall episode of the series, and was written by producer Brad Copeland and directed by Andrew Fleming. It originally aired on Fox on January 23, 2005.
"Ready, Aim, Marry Me!" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 32nd overall episode of the series, and was written by co-executive producer Jim Vallely and series creator Mitchell Hurwitz, and directed by Paul Feig. It originally aired on Fox on February 13, 2005.
"Colony Collapse" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It is the 60th overall episode of the series, and was written by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and executive producer Jim Vallely, and directed by executive producer Troy Miller and Hurwitz. It originally released on May 26, 2013 with the rest of the season, and was distributed by Netflix. The episode was positively received, with particular praise for Will Arnett's portrayal of Gob.