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Whistler's Mother

‘Whistler's Mother’

Season 1, Episode 20 -  Aired April 11, 2004

Michael tries to keep his family from spending company funds that have just been unfrozen. Meanwhile, George Michael spots somebody who looks like George Sr. with hair.

Quote from Lindsay

Narrator: The next day, Lindsay, having heard about a military exercise joined a protest group and went off to exercise her own First Amendment rights.
Military Officer: This way! Thank you! Right here. This way. I ask you to make sure you're fully inside the free speech zone before beginning your protest.
Lindsay: Free speech zone? This is where we're protesting? This isn't right. Where are the cameras?
Military Officer: They're in the free press zone, and if you could save your comments until you're completely loaded into the cage...
Lindsay: Well, at least the procession will come through here. They'll see us protest.
Hippie: Actually, they're using their right to cut through the lemon grove.
Military Officer: Okay, have fun, enjoy your right to free speech. The armed forces welcomes your dissent.
Lindsay: Well, hopefully somebody will come by we can protest.

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Quote from Lucille

Lucille: Michael?
Michael: Yeah.
Lucille: I hope you're here to bring me a check for Buster's surgery. They made him stop eating after midnight, and he's hungry, and he's in a foreign land and his jaw is clicking, and he's scared.

Quote from Lucille

Michael: I screwed something up, Mom. l-I did it, and Dad is just, you know, furious at me. And he should be, you know? He told me to pay off his brother, and I didn't. Instead, I bought his worthless land.
Lucille: With the lemons and the tanks?
Michael: I know it! First investment I made with the company money, and it's a total disaster. Then I went ahead and lied about it, which is gonna let this board member bring the company down I'm gonna ruin this family, Mom. [Lucille hugs Michael and shushes him] What's this? What's happening? It's going to be all right. Why are you squeezing me with your body?
Lucille: It's a hug, Michael. I'm hugging you.
Michael: Why?
Lucille: Because you need your mother right now.
Michael: But I don't get along with my- Sorry. That was a knee jerk.
Lucille: Michael. You made a mistake. You're a human being. But you're so forgiving to everyone else in this family. Try being forgiving to yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me. Let Mama take care of it.
Michael: No, no. Mom, come on. I don't want you to do anything. Hey! This isn't algebra. I'm a big boy. Mother! Do not make somebody dis- [door closes] disappear.

Quote from Michael

Mr. Jordan: Listen, you've got the money now. And you know my price. You don't need a whistle-blower around here.
Michael: Interesting choice of words, Mr. Jordan. He's right. We don't need a whistle-blower. We need a building full of whistle-blowers. Okay? Whistles! I want this place to be honest. That's exactly why I had these made up for us. When you see something wrong, I wa- [whistle blows] There you go. I want you to report it. I want you to- [whistle blows] Exactly. Just like that. I want us to police ourselves as vigilant- [whistle blows] Let's wait till something actually happens though. [whistles blow] Okay, good fun. All right. Hey. Enough!
[later:]
Michael: 46, 47... Okay, there's still three whistles left out there. Who's got the whistles?
Board Member #1: [blows whistle] He kept one.
Michael: There's a good example of whistle-blowing. But you've kept yours, so it's hurting your case.
Board Member #1: I was in the bathroom when you asked for it back.
Board Member #2: No, he wasn't.
Michael: In any event we are going to be responsible with this money.
Tobias: [enters] Michael, I hope I'm not interrupting anything but I'd love to get a hunk of that new company money. [whistle blows]

Quote from Gob

Narrator: Gob and Tobias, meanwhile, were brainstorming at a local coffee shop.
Gob: I need a cup of coffee to focus.
Tobias: It's so crowded in here. I can't think. Okay. What is it that people need?
Gob: People love to carbo-load. The bagel place.
Tobias: There you go.

Quote from Michael

Michael: Obviously, Dad's in prison now. I'm running the business a little bit differently.
Oscar: You do the best with what you have.
Michael: Yeah.
Oscar: I have lemons, I make lemonade.
Michael: That's a very positive attitude.
Oscar: I hate the lemonade business. I hate the grind. You have to grind so many [bleep] lemons.
Michael: You're not a very metaphorical person, are you?

Quote from Michael

Michael: So I've got too many people watching me too closely. So, if you're willing to work, or if you have something of value...
Oscar: The only thing I have of value is my land. I could give you the rights to "All You Need Are Smiles." That was a song I wrote for David Cassidy. He was gonna sing it on The Mike Douglas Show. But he was too embarrassed to do it in front of John and Yoko.

Quote from Michael

Michael: Tell me about the land.
Oscar: It's a couple hundred acres of lemon groves, right near Camp Pendleton.
Michael: If you're willing to part with that land, Uncle Oscar, I can guarantee you a little bit more than that $10,000.
Oscar: To be honest, I've often thought of giving it up to pursue my my lost love. The love that was taken from me. [passing gas]
Michael: I hope that was the espresso machine.

Quote from George Sr.

George Sr.: Oh, Michael! This guy has got nothing in his life. He wrote one song that made Joan Baez call him "the shallowest man in the world." He has a worthless piece of property. And, yes, a head of hair only because he's never had to work for a living.
Michael: Wait. Now, what piece of property's worthless?
George Sr.: The grove. Where he lives. I mean, you can't build on it. The government has an easement on it.
Michael: Does Oscar know this?
George Sr.: Of course he knows it. I mean, they run their their tanks through there. Occasionally, they stop for a little lemonade, but what's that? That's a buck fifty. You can't make much from that.

Quote from Michael

George Michael: Who- Who's disappeared?
Michael: No one. Why do you ask? Have you seen someone?
George Michael: I've seen no one.
Michael: Then you haven't seen anyone that looks like Pop-Pop.
George Michael: No. Why? Has someone who looks like Pop-Pop disappeared?
Michael: No. Course not.

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