Episode 1x2 - "Top Banana"
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything...
00:01 - 00:04
and the one son who had no choice...
00:04 - 00:06
but to keep them all together.
00:06 - 00:08
Another setback for the once prominent Bluth family...
00:19 - 00:22
as their frozen banana stand...
00:22 - 00:24
a Newport Beach landmark burns to the ground.
00:24 - 00:26
A delicious whodunit after this.
00:26 - 00:30
A week before the fire...
00:31 - 00:33
Michael Bluth was trying to save the Bluth Company...
00:33 - 00:36
- but his father was making it difficult. - I need the flight records, Dad.
00:37 - 00:40
I'm trying to find some money for the family.
00:40 - 00:42
There's always money in the banana stand.
00:42 - 00:45
I am having a love affair with this ice cream sandwich. Want some?
00:45 - 00:48
- You wanna take a bite? Take a bite. - Please. Please.
00:48 - 00:50
- Come on. Take a bite. Bite. - The S.E.C. has locked up our funds.
00:50 - 00:52
- These guys aren't messing around. - No touching!
00:52 - 00:56
So I need you to tell me. Were you taking vacations in the jet?
00:56 - 00:58
Is that what you're hiding from me?
00:59 - 01:01
I haven't had a vacation in years. This is my vacation.
01:01 - 01:04
I'm exercising. I'm sleeping well.
01:04 - 01:07
- You're doing time. - I'm doing the time of my life!
01:07 - 01:12
- What's up, pumpkin? - Hey. T-Bone!
01:12 - 01:15
- What's up? - Yeah. T-Bone's my roommate.
01:15 - 01:17
- Oh. - He's a flamer.
01:17 - 01:19
- T's checking out today. - Yeah.
01:19 - 01:23
Well, I guess every vacation's gotta come to an end.
01:23 - 01:25
You just made a fool out of yourself in front ofT-Bone.
01:30 - 01:32
Anyway, I want you to give him a job at the company. Sales.
01:32 - 01:36
- I'm not gonna do that. - Why not?
01:36 - 01:38
- Because we don't have any money. - Because he's a flamer?
01:38 - 01:40
- I told you that in confidence. - You don't seem to understand I'm running this company now...
01:40 - 01:43
and I need the flight records, and I'm gonna get them...
01:44 - 01:46
- with or without your help. - All right.
01:46 - 01:49
No touching!
01:49 - 01:53
I got something we can try, all right? It's a little risky.
01:53 - 01:55
- Please. - Open up.
01:55 - 01:58
What do you mean about...
01:58 - 02:00
While George Sr. was losing a roommate...
02:01 - 02:05
George Michael was having a hard time adjusting to his new one.
02:05 - 02:08
Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up.
02:08 - 02:10
- Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. - I'm up!
02:10 - 02:11
Okay, we are just about ass to ankles back here, Maeby.
02:12 - 02:14
Do you wanna hop on your cousin's lap there, please?
02:15 - 02:18
Whoa, bumpy road ahead.
02:19 - 02:21
So, he addressed his problem head-on.
02:27 - 02:29
Dad, I wanna work more hours at the banana stand.
02:30 - 02:32
Wow. Huh. Well, that's great.
02:32 - 02:36
You know, I used to be just like you when I was a kid.
02:36 - 02:39
I used to love it there. - It's gonna be our best summer ever, Mikey!
02:39 - 02:43
Well, I'll tell you what. I'm gonna give you a promotion.
02:45 - 02:48
Welcome aboard, Mr. Manager.
02:48 - 02:50
Wow! I'm Mr. Manager!
02:50 - 02:52
Well, manager. We just say "manager."
02:52 - 02:54
And you can hire an employee if you need one.
02:54 - 02:57
- Do you think I need one? - Don't look at me, Mr. Manager.
02:58 - 03:01
Right. It's up to me now. I'm Mr. Manager.
03:01 - 03:04
- Manager. We just say... - I know, but you just...
03:04 - 03:08
It doesn't matter who.
03:08 - 03:10
I don't know what I expected.
03:17 - 03:19
What's going on? This is exactly where the two of you were when I left this morning.
03:19 - 03:23
- Is nobody gonna even try to get a job? - I have a job, Michael.
03:24 - 03:27
- It's called supporting my husband. - You haven't been shopping.
03:27 - 03:32
The only thing I found in the freezer was a dead dove in a bag.
03:32 - 03:34
You didn't eat that, did you? 'Cause I've only got a couple days left to return it.
03:34 - 03:38
Died right in the middle of a show.
03:38 - 03:41
What is your return policy, by the way?
03:51 - 03:54
Not that I have to defend myself, but for your information, I did go shopping.
03:54 - 03:58
You spent $68 on hair conditioner?
03:58 - 04:00
A small price to pay for self-esteem, Michael.
04:00 - 04:03
Or are you still jealous that you lost Best Hair to me in high school and got Dorkiest?
04:03 - 04:07
had always overshadowed Michael's.
04:09 - 04:13
I agree with Michael. It's important not to tie your self-esteem...
04:13 - 04:16
into how you look or what people think of you.
04:16 - 04:19
I mean, look at me. I'm an actor.
04:19 - 04:21
An actor, for crying out loud!
04:21 - 04:24
You know how much rejection I face every day?
04:24 - 04:27
But in this business of show...
04:27 - 04:30
you have to have the heart of an angel...
04:30 - 04:33
and the hide of an elephant.
04:33 - 04:36
But you've never actually had an audition.
04:36 - 04:38
Well...
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excuse me!
04:42 - 04:46
Excuse me.
04:49 - 04:52
Some really great spousal support. You know something, Lindsay?
04:52 - 04:54
You might wanna start thinking about the example you're setting for your daughter...
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unless you want her to end up just like you.
04:57 - 04:59
Yeah. Shoot me when that happens.
05:00 - 05:02
Is there a carbon monoxide leak in this house?
05:02 - 05:05
George Michael, you're taking your cousin to work today.
05:08 - 05:11
That's your new employee. I do not want my niece to end up just like everyone in this family.
05:11 - 05:15
Uh-uh. You're not telling my daughter what to do. She's a child!
05:15 - 05:17
No, I'm not. I can work.
05:17 - 05:20
I don't know about this. I mean, it can get pretty hairy in there.
05:20 - 05:25
Fine. Do what you want.
05:25 - 05:27
If I know my daughter, that stand won't be there in a week.
05:27 - 05:29
You stay on top of her, buddy.
05:32 - 05:33
Do not be afraid to ride her. Hard.
05:34 - 05:38
George Michael's attempt to distance himself...
05:42 - 05:44
from his cousin proved unsuccessful.
05:45 - 05:47
I can't tell you how many health codes you're violating right now.
05:53 - 05:56
I can't believe I volunteered for this.
05:56 - 05:58
This is my stupidest rebellion ever.
05:58 - 06:01
Hey, do you wanna go play Skee-Ball?
06:01 - 06:04
Wait... This is the cash drawer.
06:04 - 06:07
My dad's gonna come by at the end of the weekend...
06:07 - 06:09
and the number of bananas has to match the amount of money in here.
06:09 - 06:12
- Oh, so it all has to even out? - Exactly.
06:12 - 06:14
Easy. Banana.
06:14 - 06:18
Buck.
06:18 - 06:20
Banana. Take a buck.
06:20 - 06:23
And Michael went to his mother for the flight records...
06:23 - 06:25
his father wouldn't give him.
06:26 - 06:28
Then why don't you marry an ice cream sandwich?
06:28 - 06:32
- I gotta go. - Who was that? Was that Dad?
06:32 - 06:34
- That was Gob. - Uh-huh.
06:34 - 06:38
- So, Mom, I'm trying to find... - I don't know where they are.
06:38 - 06:40
these flight records.
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You know, it's really more believable if you let me finish.
06:43 - 06:45
Why am I the only one that seems to get how much trouble this family is in?
06:45 - 06:48
Oh, I get it, Michael. I get it.
06:48 - 06:51
But how should I know where the records are kept? Your father's in charge of all that.
06:51 - 06:54
No, I'm in charge of all of that.
06:54 - 06:56
And I think that you do know where they are.
06:56 - 06:59
Oh, it's probably all in a storage unit somewhere.
06:59 - 07:01
Where is the storage unit?
07:01 - 07:03
- I don't remember. - Try.
07:03 - 07:05
Something with "Dale." I don't know. Brookfeather.
07:05 - 07:09
Raintree. It's hot. It's very hot there.
07:09 - 07:11
- I've never been. Get a warrant! - Don't think I won't.
07:12 - 07:14
Mother... Mother, I care about this family.
07:16 - 07:18
And I do, too, my darling.
07:18 - 07:21
That's why I'm worried about Gob. I was on the phone with him this morning.
07:21 - 07:24
You mean just now, right? When I came in?
07:24 - 07:28
Yes, just now, when you came in. And he's upset. He's very upset.
07:28 - 07:33
You haven't included him in the business at all.
07:33 - 07:35
He's your older brother. You could find a little job for him.
07:36 - 07:38
- Make him feel special. - But he's not special, Mother.
07:38 - 07:42
No.
07:42 - 07:44
But he loves you. We all love you.
07:45 - 07:48
- Where's the storage unit? - It's with your warrant.
07:48 - 07:51
Luz, that coat cost more than your house!
07:53 - 07:55
Oh, that's how we joke. She doesn't even have a house.
07:57 - 08:00
The next day, Tobias looked for work.
08:03 - 08:06
Hmm. Actor Pull.
08:06 - 08:08
Ooh.
08:13 - 08:15
Oh, look at all these parts!
08:17 - 08:19
Tobias, nice to see you off the couch.
08:23 - 08:25
I was looking for work, and I blew it, Michael.
08:25 - 08:29
Yes, I have. Oh, right. This one.
08:32 - 08:35
Yeah, I'll call them again, I guess.
08:35 - 08:38
I'll give them one more shot.
08:38 - 08:40
And that's when Michael figured out how to get his mother...
08:40 - 08:43
to lead him to the storage unit where the flight records were kept.
08:43 - 08:47
- Hello. - Hey, Mom, it's Michael. Listen.
08:49 - 08:52
Before I forget, I talked to the I.R. S...
08:52 - 08:54
and they wanna come by your apartment today...
08:54 - 08:56
to see if you charged any big-ticket stuff to the company.
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Furs or...
08:59 - 09:02
I don't know. just a heads-up.
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Oh, that poor woman.
09:06 - 09:09
So Michael followed Luz...
09:11 - 09:14
who had been sent to hide the evidence.
09:14 - 09:16
Meanwhile, Tobias had arranged an audition for a local commercial.
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Lindsay came along to appear supportive.
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- This could take a while. - Honey, it's one line.
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Not if I do my job right.
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First of all, I love it. Quick question though.
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Am I panicked about the fire, or am I being brave for everyone else?
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The fire... It's... It's a fire sale.
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Oh. Oh.
09:44 - 09:46
Okay, I didn't, um...
09:46 - 09:48
Well, let's give it a shot.
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Oh, my God! We're having a fire... sale.
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Oh, the burning! It burns me!
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Evacuate all the schoolchildren!
10:00 - 10:03
?? This isn't a fever!
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I can't even see where the knob is!
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And scene.
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Um...
10:21 - 10:24
Would you like to try that a little simpler maybe?
10:24 - 10:27
No.
10:29 - 10:31
Okay. Anybody else? Anyone?
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Lindsay Bluth?
10:37 - 10:39
- It's Fünke. - Roger Danish.
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Look at you. I can't believe it's Lindsay Bluth.
10:41 - 10:44
- Oh! - Fünke.
10:44 - 10:45
Roger was my male counterpart in high school.
10:45 - 10:48
Remember how crazy our hair was back then?
10:49 - 10:52
What were we thinking? So what are you doing now?
10:52 - 10:55
- He's, uh, casting my commercial. - Oh...
10:55 - 10:57
Yeah, trying to. The South Coast Boutique is having a fire sale.
10:57 - 11:00
South Coast Boutique? They're having a fire sale?
11:00 - 11:04
Meanwhile, Michael was still following his mother's housekeeper.
11:09 - 11:13
And she did finally lead him to the storage unit.
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Unfortunately, it was on fire.
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Somebody wanted this place to go.
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- Yeah? What do you mean, arson? - Oh, definitely the work of a flamer.
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It shoots tomorrow, and are you ready for this?
11:59 - 12:02
- It pays 1,000 bucks! - Mmm. I thought that was Tobias's part.
12:03 - 12:07
Yes. No. No, I did not book this one.
12:07 - 12:10
I, uh... I think I made the, uh, fire too real, uh, for them...
12:10 - 12:13
and, uh... and probably failed to highlight the sale.
12:14 - 12:17
So, good for her. And, uh, will you excuse me, please?
12:17 - 12:21
Well, that's great, but I've got my own problems.
12:24 - 12:26
The flight records? They burned up.
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That's fine. That's over with. But I think Dad is behind it.
12:29 - 12:32
I think Dad is trying to run the business from prison.
12:32 - 12:36
Well, isn't that ironic? I'm making a fortune at my newjob...
12:36 - 12:39
and you don't even have the job you thought you did.
12:39 - 12:41
But you don't have a job. You've got a job offer. Anybody can get a job offer.
12:41 - 12:45
So, I'm gonna go see Dad, because this is my business to run now.
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Your business?
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Hey, there you are, Gob.
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I have been looking all over for you.
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I could really use some help.
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Well, I was gonna return this dove.
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What are you... You want me to run a meeting for you or something?
13:08 - 13:11
Or, even better, could you mail this letter for me?
13:11 - 13:14
You can't just give that to a mailman?
13:14 - 13:17
I can't trust a mailman with this. This is important.
13:17 - 13:21
Gob was intrigued. He also suspected...
13:21 - 13:23
he couldn't return a completely frozen dove to a pet store...
13:23 - 13:26
and get the full refund he felt he was entitled to.
13:26 - 13:29
I'll mail that letter. - Michael then went to confront his father.
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You are not going to keep running the company from in here, okay?
13:34 - 13:37
That's why you wanted me to give T-Bone a job?
13:37 - 13:39
- To pay him back for burning down the storage unit? - Michael, that's ridiculous.
13:39 - 13:43
Well, I'm not hiring him. No. We don't have the money, Pop.
13:43 - 13:46
There's always money in the banana stand.
13:46 - 13:49
The banana stand! You know, that's exactly what this feels like. Huh?
13:49 - 13:54
Like I'm still stuck in that hot booth all summer with you pulling the strings.
13:54 - 13:57
What was I gonna do, put a kid in charge of a frozen banana stand?
13:57 - 14:00
Sure. That's what I did. I just made my son the manager.
14:00 - 14:02
George Michael is running the frozen banana stand now?
14:04 - 14:07
That's right. Yeah. You sit with that. You think about that for a while.
14:07 - 14:12
George Sr. did think about that.
14:12 - 14:14
Well, now that we've got an employee, we can go have dinner.
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We throw away a banana for every buck we take so no one finds out.
14:24 - 14:28
Wait a minute. I think you should do that math again.
14:28 - 14:30
- Why? Is it wrong? - It's fine.
14:30 - 14:33
He's an arsonist, not an embezzler.
14:33 - 14:37
Meanwhile, Michael got an urgent call from his mother.
14:37 - 14:40
Gob is unhappy.
14:40 - 14:42
Again? I tried to include him. I gave him a job.
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- You gave him a letter to mail. - Don't tell me that was too much for him.
14:45 - 14:49
No, Michael, he mailed the letter. That's not the point.
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Gob had not mailed the letter, but, in an act of defiance...
14:52 - 14:55
dramatically hurled the letter into the sea.
14:55 - 14:58
This proved a more difficult dramatic gesture than he'd anticipated.
15:00 - 15:04
- So what do you want me to do about it? - Don't take that tone.
15:17 - 15:19
He's my son. I want you to make him stop calling me.
15:19 - 15:24
Am I the only one who works in this family?
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Yes, that's my gal.
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Who would have imagined... two actors in one family?
15:29 - 15:33
We're like the Lunts!
15:33 - 15:35
- You see... Excuse me. - Mama.
15:36 - 15:41
And so, Lindsay and Maeby separately went to the same restaurant...
15:41 - 15:45
with money they hadn't actually earned.
15:48 - 15:51
Did you enjoy your meal, Mom? You drank it fast enough.
15:51 - 15:54
- Hi, Lucille! - Not as much as you enjoyed yours.
15:54 - 15:56
You want your belt to buckle, not your chair.
15:56 - 15:58
Okay, this is what I told Tobias you'd do.
15:58 - 16:01
Say what you will about him. At least he's happy for me.
16:01 - 16:04
You know, I think we might be doubling our losses here.
16:09 - 16:12
Because, I mean, for every dollar you take, you're actually taking two dollars...
16:12 - 16:16
because we paid for the bananas.
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Oh, my God, you're right.
16:19 - 16:21
I am? Oh, God, I've screwed this up! Okay, we gotta go.
16:21 - 16:26
- Oh, my God! It's your mom and Gangy. - What are they doing here?
16:26 - 16:31
They're grown-ups. They're allowed to have fun whenever they want.
16:31 - 16:33
We're kids. We're supposed to be working. Now they're gonna tell my dad...
16:33 - 16:36
and he's gonna come check the totals and know we took the money.
16:36 - 16:39
- Oh, God, this is bad. What are we gonna do? - Look.
16:39 - 16:41
Pop-pop, he's a business man. What would he do?
16:41 - 16:45
Bananas Foster.
16:46 - 16:48
You might wanna let that fire go out before you stick your face in it.
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That's funny, 'cause I was gonna say, "You might wanna lean away from that fire...
16:56 - 16:58
since you're soaked in alcohol."
16:58 - 17:01
Mine was better.
17:01 - 17:03
Mine was better.
17:03 - 17:04
Welcome to Bluth Bananas, where bananas are our business.
17:04 - 17:06
May I interest you in a banana this day?
17:06 - 17:08
- T-Bone, what are you doing here? - Your dad gave me this job.
17:08 - 17:12
Michael realized that his father had even taken control...
17:12 - 17:16
of the banana stand.
17:16 - 17:18
But he still had some unanswered questions...
17:18 - 17:20
so he did a little detective work.
17:20 - 17:22
- You burn down the storage unit? - Oh, most definitely.
17:22 - 17:24
Michael, having a nice day at the beach...
17:29 - 17:32
while the rest of us are busting our asses to deliver your mail?
17:32 - 17:35
What do you want me to say? You go and complain to Mom...
17:35 - 17:39
- and I tried to include you. - Include me?
17:39 - 17:41
- Yeah. - I should be in charge. I'm the older brother.
17:41 - 17:44
- Please, do you even wanna be in charge? - No! But I'd like to be asked.
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This is just like when we were kids, and you were the only one...
17:48 - 17:51
- he let work in the banana stand. - Well, I got news for you.
17:51 - 17:54
Dad still doesn't trust me to this day. He treats me like a low-level employee.
17:54 - 17:57
Better than being treated like the goofball...
17:57 - 18:00
the joker, the magician.
18:00 - 18:03
I thought you were gonna do, like, a trick there.
18:06 - 18:07
- A fireball or something. - I was. It didn't go off.
18:08 - 18:09
These things never go off when you want them to.
18:10 - 18:11
- My least consistent trick. - Hang on one sec. Hello.
18:12 - 18:14
- Hey, Uncle Michael, it's me, Maeby. - Where's George Michael?
18:14 - 18:17
At the banana stand. He's about to do something really irresponsible.
18:17 - 18:22
You think it's irresponsible? I'll be right there.
18:22 - 18:25
- I'm gonna get blamed for this. - George Michael.
18:26 - 18:29
- Dad. - Hey, what are you doing?
18:30 - 18:32
I was just, uh... I was burning down the banana stand.
18:32 - 18:36
- What? - I'm sorry. I screwed it all up.
18:36 - 18:39
I've got no right to call myself Mr. Manager.
18:39 - 18:41
- Manager. - Manager. I'm sorry, Dad.
18:41 - 18:43
- Oh, George Michael. - I am. But I'll make it up to you.
18:43 - 18:46
I'll work weeknights. I'll lay people off.
18:46 - 18:48
I'll give up my summer, all my summers.
18:48 - 18:50
just just tell me what to do, and I'll do it.
18:50 - 18:52
Michael realized he had done to his son what his father had done to him...
18:52 - 18:57
so he came up with a solution.
18:57 - 18:59
- Burn it down. - What?
18:59 - 19:02
Let's burn this son of a bitch.
19:02 - 19:05
This is gonna be our best summer ever, buddy.
19:15 - 19:17
And so, Michael, his son and his brother together enjoyed...
19:22 - 19:26
the cathartic burning of the banana stand.
19:26 - 19:28
The next morning, Lindsay woke up late in the day...
19:47 - 19:49
hungover from celebrating her one day of employment...
19:49 - 19:51
which, it turns out, she had slept through.
19:51 - 19:54
All right, Lindsay, forget it. We'll get someone else.
19:54 - 19:57
Tobias was next on the call list...
19:57 - 19:59
over the sound of the shower.
20:01 - 20:05
He did, however, use Lindsay's conditioner...
20:05 - 20:07
- and was surprised to find that it did help his self-esteem. - Mornin'.
20:07 - 20:10
- You look nice. - What?
20:10 - 20:13
You look very handsome today.
20:13 - 20:15
Thank you, Lindsay.
20:15 - 20:17
And Michael finally got to show his father who's boss.
20:19 - 20:21
- You what? - Burned it right down to the ground.
20:22 - 20:24
Are you crazy? There was money in that banana stand.
20:24 - 20:28
Well, it's all gone now, Dad, and it was my decision.
20:28 - 20:31
So the next time you wanna have a little power struggle...
20:31 - 20:33
just remember that you're playing with fire.
20:33 - 20:36
There was $250,000 lining the walls of the banana stand.
20:36 - 20:40
- What? - Cash, Michael.
20:40 - 20:43
- Why didn't you tell me that? - How much clearer can I say...
20:43 - 20:46
"There's always money in the banana stand"?
20:46 - 20:50