Bringing Up Buster

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Lore & Background

The episode introduces the Cornballer, a device George Sr. attempted to market in the mid-70s. The machine was made illegal in the United States and several other countries after multiple people burned themselves while using it, but it managed to become popular in Mexico. The Cornballer was a metajoke from series creator Mitchell Hurwitz, who knew the episode would "end with a father-son rapprochement" and originally wanted to include the phrase "That's a little cornball." The prop was made out of parts of a deep fryer and an aquarium. The Cornballer would become a recurring gag, reappearing in "The One Where They Build a House" and "Good Grief." During Buster's swearing rant, his speech is bleeped for a prolonged period; Tony Hale claims he "[screamed] out the alphabet" to make it look like he was actually swearing.

In Their Own Story

In the mid-70s, George Sr. had attempted to market a cornball maker called the "Cornballer," but was unsuccessful, as the machine was made illegal all over the world after multiple people burned themselves while using the device. The Cornballer, however, managed to become popular in Mexico. In the present, Maeby auditions for a play at her school, wanting to get closer to her crush, Steve Holt, who also auditioned. George Michael, wanting to get closer to his cousin Maeby, also auditioned, but only got the part titled "Stand-in for Steve Holt." Tobias, thinking Maeby auditioned so she could be an actress like him, talks to the school and becomes the new stage director, resulting in Maeby quitting the play. After a conversation with Michael, Tobias begins to suspect that George Michael has a crush on Steve, which later results in George Michael quitting the play, only to learn Maeby joined the play once again. At the end of the day, George Michael watches as Maeby kisses Steve Holt, unaware Maeby didn't enjoy the kiss. Because the family funds are frozen, Buster has to cancel his yearly summer studies and stays at home with his mother, Lucille. She becomes annoyed by his presence and begs Michael to spend time with him. Michael reluctantly agrees and spends the entire day with his brother, though he also finds his presence annoying. At the end of the day, Buster returns with his mom, and Michael and George Michael spend the rest of the day making cornballs on the Cornballer.

Reader's Guide

The episode was directed by producer Joe Russo, and written by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and consulting producer Richard Rosenstock. It was Hurwitz's third writing credit for the series, and Rosenstock's first. It was the second episode of the ordered season to be filmed after the pilot. In the United States, the episode was watched by 5.78 million viewers on its original broadcast. It received a 2.6 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. The A.V. Club writer Noel Murray praised the episode's main message overall, stating that "A lot of 'Bringing Up Buster' is concerned with the characters’ opinions of each other’s parenting choices, which means a public family squabble suits the theme." Olivia Armstrong from Decider praised the simplicity of the episode, stating that "As far as television writing goes, 'Bringing Up Buster' is as flawless as it gets." In 2019, Brian Tallerico from Vulture ranked the episode as the twelfth best of the whole series. Tony Hale later screened the episode in 2014 at the Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, to open his talk entitled "Hey Brother! An Evening with Buster Bluth featuring Tony Hale."

Did You Know?

• The episode was the second episode of the ordered season to be filmed after the pilot.
• During Buster's swearing rant, Tony Hale screamed out the alphabet to make it look like he was actually swearing.
• The Cornballer prop was made out of parts of a deep fryer and an aquarium.
• The episode was watched by 5.78 million viewers on its original broadcast.
• In 2019, Vulture ranked the episode as the twelfth best of the whole series.