'I didn't mean to hurt anybody...'
How many times do you suppose they use a variation of the phrase "I didn't mean to hurt anyone" in this show?
And have you noticed how everyone acts like it's no big deal once they say that?
Late response but I'm doing a binge rewatch and noticed that. I think it is probably a running gag.
Just like in Lost the phrase "why are you telling me this?" seemed to be used nearly every episode as well as a ton of "don't tell me what I can't do" and variations as well.
I'm not saying Arrested Development invented it, but that was the first show I watched and noticed everyone thought they made a huge mistake.
It's more subtle in more dramatic shows like Eureka and especially Lost, but I would be very surprised if the writers didn't realize what they were doing.