Monday, May 27, 2013

Review of Arrested Development Season 4 (NO SPOILERS)

OK, I just mainlined the whole forth season of “Arrested Development” on Netflix and while the reaction has been mixed, I personally loved it!  This needs to be approached, not as a TV show, but as a seven and a half hour movie.  So I plead to those who aren't thrilled by the first few episodes, DON'T TURN IT OFF!!! That would be like turning off a movie if you are only a quarter of the way through it. 
Trust me, it just has to set up the stories.  Once they’re set up, the fun is watching how all the stories interweave.   The narrative is so complex and ambitious that it's almost as entertaining as the comedy itself.  
However, I am disappointed in one thing:   I was expecting everything to culminate to something much bigger and grandiose…instead it just kinda ends.  Sure, it does end with a bit of a cliff hanger, but still.  
Finally, I will say that if there does end up being another season on Netflix, I really hope they decide to go back to the original format, with Michael being the anchor for the show, with the craziness and lunacy of the characters swirling around him.  That’s what works the best for the show. 
Focusing on specific characters was an intriguing and creative way to be reintroduced into the Bluth family, but I want to see the Bluths all together again, interacting with each other.    
My wish is that this all leads up to a movie (After all, they should be able to make a movie on the cheap).  
Either way, I am glad they decided to bring “Arrested Development” back…and unlike what others are saying, I don’t think they made a huge mistake.   

3 comments:

  1. i was really disappointed......only a handful of laugh out loud moments in my opinion. It just felt too...forced.I totally agree about revolving the show around Michael..Another thing,,,and this may be just me.....but lindsey tried to cheat on tobias for 3 seasons and never could go through with it,it was actually kind of sweet in a weird way.......... but now shes having sex with some other dude within 15 mins of her episode.Just one of many things i felt was lackluster. I really hope there is another season, and things get back to the way they were.....and i dont want to hear this 'logistics' reason for all the cast not being there together...i mean seriously ,Arrested Development was the height of their greatness.Also , im not sure i would call the ending a cliffhanger, more an abrupt ending.

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  2. Yeah, I am actually rethinking that this maybe shouldn't be a movie, but instead there should be another season, back to it's normal structure.

    I will say, one of the high points of this season, is watching Alia Shawkat (the actress that plays Maeby), grow into a funny, talented comedy actress. She seriously needs her own show.

    I thought her episodes were some of the best.

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  3. Arrested Development: Winner of the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy its first year out, Arrested Development is the kind of sitcom that gives you hope for television. It's one of those shows where you can watch over and over and still laugh at every joke.Arrested Development Seasons 1-3 dvd box set follows the fictitious Bluth family, a formerly wealthy and habitually dysfunctional family, and is presented in a continuous format, incorporating handheld camera work, narration, archival photos, and historical footage.

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