The Bluths organize a Family of The Year award ceremony, with the intention of giving the award to themselves as part of Lindsay's campaign, but absolutely nothing goes as planned, and Lindsay leaves town.
Michael sets out to leave town on a scuba diving expedition, George Michael tries and fails to break up with Rebel, and father and son finally reconcile.
Michael learns his plans to lure the family by declaring Buster a missing person backfired and Buster is in jail for tampering with evidence pertaining to Lucille 2's disappearance.
Tobias finally reveals the young actor he's been spending all his time lately is his illegitimate son, Murphybrown "Murph" Fünke, much to Maeby's disgust.
The Arrested Development episode "Sinking Feelings" provides examples of:
- Air Quotes: Buster tries to make them when being visited in prison by Michael but he cannot do the hand movement because they metal-strapped his hook hand.
- Cue Card Pause: Tobias does it twice while making a speech at the family party.Tobias: I feel like I should apologize to maybe...(Maeby looks up)...half the people in this room, but maybe most of all...(Maeby looks hopeful again)...Mother Bluth...
- Dirty Cop: Michael suspects Agent Toddler to be this because he cannot imagine how her salary would pay for an apartment in the same complex where Rebel is staying.
- Exact Words: The Narrator say's Maeby wouldn't let her mother leave without one final kiss. By which he meant a kiss with George Michael as a last ditch attempt to humiliate her.
- Put on a Bus: Lindsay leaves town to look for her birth parents to accommodate for Portia de Rossi's retirement from acting.
- Springtime for Hitler: George Micheal's plan to get Rebel to dump him by showing up at her door after not seeing her for two months for a booty call backfires when it turns out Rebel has been away for those two months, so it looks like George Micheal has simply been waiting for her to return, and his attempt to improvise when it turns out quick sex is what she's currently in the mood for just makes him seem more accommodating to her busy lifestyle.
- Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Maeby and George Michael. The latter now is focused on fixing his relationship with his father while continuing dating Rebel while Maeby now wants to at least kiss him again.
