[2][3] The series, narrated by Ron Howard, follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family, who made their money from property development.
Michael and Lindsay remember how George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) used a one-armed former employee named J. Walter Weatherman (Steve Ryan) to scare his children into learning life lessons.
Lucille (Jessica Walter) asks Michael and Lindsay to help her doctor receipts before handing them in to the SEC, to which they both decline, with Maeby being forced to help as punishment.
At the banana stand, Buster (Tony Hale) tells George Michael that Lucille Austero (Liza Minnelli)'s vertigo is acting up, and asks to obtain some marijuana for her.
Lindsay finds out that her daughter got the brooch she always wanted, but when Lucille begins to criticize Maeby, she decides she's spent enough time with her grandmother.
Club writer Noel Murray praised the episode, saying "Arrested Development kicked off 2004 in impressive fashion with “Storming The Castle,” and then cemented its place as the best sitcom on the air with ["Pier Pressure"].
[9] Series creator Mitchell Hurwitz ranked "Pier Pressure" as his joint-favorite episode of the show with "Making a Stand".
[1] At the 57th Writers Guild of America Awards, Mitchell Hurwitz and Jim Vallely won Best Episodic Comedy for "Pier Pressure".