Ep 1. The One Where Michael Leaves

Michael plans on leaving his family's company to start his own, but his plans are delayed by his father's plans for a lavish retirement party. Meanwhile, his mother and brother are busy with their own agendas, and George Sr. is holed up in the attic. As Michael tries to juggle everything, he begins to realize the depth of dysfunction in his family and how difficult it will be to truly leave them behind.

The episode opens with Michael (Jason Bateman) meeting with his sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) to discuss his plans to start his own company. Lindsay is skeptical, but Michael is determined to strike out on his own and leave the family business behind. However, he quickly realizes that it won't be that easy when he gets a call from his mother, Lucille (Jessica Walter), insisting that he attend a meeting with his father, George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), to discuss the upcoming retirement party.

Michael reluctantly goes to the meeting, where he quickly learns that the party is going to be an extravagant affair with a guest list that includes many of the family's wealthy friends. George Sr. wants to use the party to show off his success and cement his legacy, but Michael is more interested in moving on with his own life.

Later, Michael meets with his brother, GOB (Will Arnett), who is trying to convince him to stay with the family company. GOB argues that Michael is the only one capable of keeping the business afloat, but Michael is not interested in being tied down any longer. Meanwhile, Lindsay is busy trying to find a way to discredit their father and take control of the company herself.

As all of this is going on, Michael realizes that his father is no longer living in the penthouse with the rest of the family. He goes up to the attic to investigate and finds George Sr. hiding out with a makeshift bed and a stash of magazines. Michael confronts him about his hiding place, but George Sr. claims that he is the only one who knows what's really going on in the family.

As the retirement party approaches, tensions between the family members continue to escalate. Michael is torn between trying to start his own business and dealing with his father's demands, while Lindsay and GOB each have their own agendas. Meanwhile, Buster (Tony Hale) is still recovering from losing his hand in a seal attack and struggling to find his place in the family.

In the end, the retirement party is a disaster, with various family members getting into arguments and causing scenes. Michael is left feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by the dysfunction of his family. As he leaves the party, he realizes that he may never truly be able to leave his family behind, no matter how badly he wants to start his own life.

Overall, "The One Where Michael Leaves" is a strong start to the second season of Arrested Development. The episode does a good job of establishing the conflicts that will drive the season, with Michael's desire to start his own company pitted against his family's dysfunction and his father's demands. The humor is sharp and biting, with standout performances from the entire cast. It's clear that the show is continuing to build on the excellent foundation established in the first season, with plenty of surprises and twists still to come.