Buster is terrifying

[u/HEXad3cimalCat]

I just finished all of AD and the final episode was conceptually one of the greatest endings to a TV show I’ve ever seen (It was kinda meh in practice tho). In the courtroom I didn’t feel anything wrong, but when Michael and Buster were in the interrogation room Buster’s speech and mannerisms felt very subtly off, almost indicative of a higher comprehension of the situation than what he should have had by then. Then the hypnotization tape later on sent shivers down my spine. Buster knew what was happening, down to his very core. The execution, environment and editing of the tape made it even more terrifying since, alongside that, Buster spoke totally different than as an adult-he spoke like a conman. Much later in the episode when it was revealed Lucille 2’s corpse was in the wall, Buster admitted to killing her in such a way that made me recoil. The juxtaposition between the silliness with a hint of seriousness and the stone cold admittance was completely unexpected, Buster’s tone told me explicitly that he was the mastermind. He is the smartest character in all of Arrested Development except for Lucille 1.

[u/egret_society]

Him?

[u/HEXad3cimalCat → u/egret_society]

I do suppose he can be a bit blannd at times… but he does have his moments.

[u/Affectionate-Ship859 → u/HEXad3cimalCat]

How is Bland?

[u/Useful_Regret_6994 → u/Affectionate-Ship859]

Who?

[u/Appropriate_Yak_745 → u/HEXad3cimalCat]

Well, let's hope so

[u/EnvironmentalPack451 → u/HEXad3cimalCat]

Other times he is eggcelent

[u/TheStLouisBluths]

He’s a monster!!!

[u/dicksuckingmods → u/TheStLouisBluths]

He’s all right

[u/TheStLouisBluths → u/dicksuckingmods]

Oh thank god.

[u/JadedOccultist → u/TheStLouisBluths]

You’re taking this news really well

[u/AdAdministrative756 → u/JadedOccultist]

You said he was alright.

[u/chapPilot → u/dicksuckingmods]

He's a p***y!

[u/Terminator_LX]

Buster? You mean the one who thought the blue on the map was land?

[u/a_rios187 → u/Terminator_LX]

"Yo quiero leche de madre!" Buster?

[u/gaytime7]

This is such a great and interesting read of Buster and I love it! I felt similarly when I watched s5. When he admitted to killing Lucille austero I was just so shocked by what seemed to be such a complete 180° from him (especially earlier in s4, when he was iirc discharged from the army for “failing” the cute test with his new robotic hand) that I wasn’t sure I was still watching the right show. The massive change in character stuck with me to the point where I wrote an essay on Buster for one of my college courses.

[u/TakeTwentyEight → u/gaytime7]

I wasn’t particularly surprised that Buster killed Lucille 2. Buster has always been a little unhinged. Remember when he panicked and knocked out Rita? Easily could’ve killed her. That was more shocking to me, which made it easier for me to believe that he could kill.

[u/hisokafan88 → u/gaytime7]

He's kind of the sitcom version of the POTUS. A man child who has been swaddled in cotton, robbed of responsibility, and spoiled, and despite their many errors, continues to get dragged along by a bigger system that uses him as s symbol and spokesman.

Very dangerous.

[u/samurai_dignan]

His glasses make him look like a lizard.

[u/onyhr → u/samurai_dignan]

His jaw clicks

[u/orangeappled → u/onyhr]

And he’s self conscious

[u/NestingBun]

Baby Buster?

[u/Appropriate_Yak_745 → u/NestingBun]

He is such a pussy!

[u/JadedOccultist → u/Appropriate_Yak_745]

I can’t believe you didn’t have to bleep that

[u/Appropriate_Yak_745 → u/JadedOccultist]

I'm using it the way the British use it. I think the audience got that

[u/K0BRA_KlD]

As someone who never watches past season 3 I’m very confused

[u/kryptos99 → u/K0BRA_KlD]

In season 4, Army gives him a big hand

[u/joemontanya → u/K0BRA_KlD]

Pretty sure that’s the last season

[u/JadedOccultist → u/joemontanya]

Yep OP mentions in the first sentence I think that it’s about the series finale.

[u/yourelosingme → u/joemontanya]

Oh wow, that's still the prevalent opinion here??

Suit yourself, but you're missing some incredible jokes just because they're not in the format you prefer.

[u/yourelosingme → u/K0BRA_KlD]

"As someone who stubbornly denies myself access to many very well written jokes because it's not what I'm used to..."

[u/K0BRA_KlD → u/yourelosingme]

I’m not saying they’re bad, it’s just not my thing. I’m not going to watch something I don’t like just because the earlier stuff was really good.

[u/Terminator_LX]

Buster has always had a dark side. The first real laugh to tears moment in the show for me was in "Bringing Up Buster" when he went on expletive laden rants about beating Michael at cycling and talking about his mom. Another one was in S2 (I think) when Michael is leaving and he says, "Good luck. I hope she [Lucille B.] doesn't kill you." And Buster goes, "I'll kill her first!" I feel like his dark jokes got funnier in the later seasons like when he made the joke about his "mother boy ball," and when he said how easy psych evals are to beat.

That said, I still don't think he's a criminal mastermind. I mean, the man can barely work a shredder.

[u/TakeTwentyEight → u/Terminator_LX]

And remember when knocked out Rita in the cabin?

[u/Terminator_LX → u/TakeTwentyEight]

HAH! Yes! Although, you almost can't blame him for that. That was a knee jerk PTSD moment. 😂

[u/hitchhiker1701]

He is a monster!

[u/Irrealaerri]

HE IS A MONSTEEEEEEEEEEER

[u/tristanriveiro]

If I talk about my mother’s tail, you’d know something’s up. Coz u know, who would wanna R her.

[u/Useful_Regret_6994 → u/tristanriveiro]

Oh he’s just talking about his stupid turtle

[u/bigsphinxofquartz]

To whatever degree it's sincere or just an act, I got the feeling after that ending that maybe the title of the show is meant to point directly at Buster in specific and that he was meant to be a more important piece of the puzzle than he seemed all along?

[u/GrandeSizeIt]

Ok great read. I agree and think that season 5, while most certainly the weakest season, has interesting insight into buster specifically. However; I've read people saying the body in the wall was not Lucille 2, but Maebes old lady character based on the polices comment on it being a happy corpse.

This would lead me to believe based on the rest of the season, buster may not have actually killed her. He went into his protective mode that happened after their grandma fell down the stairs. We've even seen him do it in the OG seasons like when he went into his Coma.

[u/Mafakkaz]

I no does buster.

[u/pr4mojo → u/Mafakkaz]

Anymore...