Plot
Michael Bluth, fed up with his mother Lucille's extravagant spending, says she cannot throw a lavish birthday party for herself. But when Lindsay, prompted by Lucille, suggests a surprise party, Michael agrees on the condition that Lindsay visit George Sr. in prison. They have been somewhat estranged for the last several years; she thinks he only recognizes her good looks. At the prison, no one notices her; thinking perhaps she has lost her touch, she goes shopping for an outfit to wear for tomorrow's prison visit.
Meanwhile, George Michael is finally getting beyond his crush on his cousin Maeby; the two sneak into an R-rated movie. Then a trailer plays for a French movie about love between two cousins. George Michael decides to get a fake ID from his uncle Gob so he and Maeby can see the French cousins movie. Meanwhile, Michael drives his mother to her surprise party; nobody else shows up. Lucille is hurt, so Michael arranges a second surprise party, insisting that all his siblings be there. When no one shows up for that one either, Michael and Lucille bond, both feeling unappreciated by their family. Feeling sorry for his mother, Michael agrees to let her drive, even though her license has been revoked for multiple accidents and reckless driving. When Lucille sees a man riding a Segway, she assumes it is Gob and decides to "give him a scare." The car wrecks; Lucille drags an unconscious Michael into the driver's seat so that she won't be blamed. Michael has hit his head on the giant rock Buster had left in the backseat and suffers short-term memory loss.
Worried that her son will regain his memory of the accident, Lucille insists that he recuperate in her apartment; she bribes their family doctor to give him the powerful painkiller fentanyl which Lucille says is children's aspirin. Next door, Buster, who is secretly dating his mother's neighbor and rival Lucille Austero, also gets injured when, from Austero's balcony, he spies his mother on her own balcony and jumps through the window to get out of sight. Meanwhile, George Michael tells Gob about Michael's accident while asking for the fake IDs; Gob decides to take the yacht to South America for the summer. Lindsay continues to visit her father in prison, growing increasingly frustrated that none of the inmates take note of her sexy outfits. On her third visit, George Sr. begs her to stop, and reveals that he had been paying off the inmates with gold Krugerrands to behave in Lindsay's presence; but her repeated visits are bankrupting him. Touched by her father's gesture, Lindsay finally reconnects with George Sr.
Michael remembers seeing Gob on the road and trying to scare him, but still thinks that he was the one behind the wheel. Feeling guilty, he calls his brother and tells him he can live on the yacht. Gob realizes that Michael has been duped by Lucille, and cancels his escape plans. With Gob's help, Michael remembers the truth. They confront Lucille, who admits her guilt and says that she was afraid of losing Michael's new-found respect and admiration. Michael suggests that she stop manipulating her children, but Lucille decides that manipulation is easier.
Read more about this topic: My Mother, The Car
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