20.1.16

Another Arrested Development Mystery!

Among Arrested Development's many virtues, their deeply layered callbacks and obscure jokes may be my favorite. The Colonel Mustard/Gene Parmesean thing, the fact that Tobias is a black albino, the fact that George Michael's entire storyline for Season 4 is an extended dig at Michael Cera's questionable career choices, the never-explained-in-show hilarity of the name 'George Maharis'. It's all amazing. Only my latest trip through the show, however, I noticed something I'd never seen before-

That is the boat where Fantastic 4: The Musical is being performed during the festivities on Cinqo de Quatro. Note the 'Rock Monster' costumed person portraying 'The Thing'. Here's the mystery - who is in that suit? Originally it was supposed to be Tobias, but then he decided to take over the roll of Sue Storm - and because he wound up on the exploding boat with Marky Bark, there is no Sue Storm onstage. There is, however, a Ben Grimm - but how is that possible? Tobias hands the costume over to Buster-

But Buster never puts it on. He knocks out Herbert Love, then races away in fear and stumbles onto Lucille 2's body. The show is even careful to pan down as Buster runs off, showing the costume-

Sitting on the ground, next to Gene Parmesean's Donkey Punch stand. This shot wasn't left in the show accidentally - the framing of the costume is 100% deliberate. Which brings me back to the question - who is that on the barge, dressed as The Thing?

All we can tell is that it's a white guy without glasses, wearing silver running shoes. Beyond that there are no visual clues in the show that I can spot. Is this a solvable mystery, or just another item beautifully layered in for them to pick up in season seven?

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