Another series of 'Arrested Development'... and a movie!

Roar

Episode 1

I'll spoiler this just in case

Spoiler: ummmmm.... ehhhhhh..... hmmmmmmmm

All the pieces are in place, it just doesn't seem like the pieces fit. It looks right, it sounds right (loved Ron Howard's cough at the start of his narration!) but it feels a bit... off.

We get glimpses of Lucille and George Snr, which make you just want more. Not too sure about Kristen Wiig and Seth Rogen playing the younger versions of them.

I watched the first episode in work with two of the lads, and they felt that Jason Bateman was over acting as Michael and it didn't feel right, and I felt the same about Cera as George Michael. His timing was just.. off.

Had a couple of decent laughs in it (the "Da Michael" on the vote post it being one of the big ones) but I left with the feeling that all was not right. Hoping it kicks in to gear.

Another thing, the episodes are all 30 mins plus, and I felt the running time a bit to be honest in episode 1. Gonna try and watch as many as I can tonight, have the lads from work calling over.

wandatowell

Just watched the first episode

It does seem a bit off, something isnt quite right but I think it will all come together after an episode or two.

johnny_ultimate

pixelburp wrote: »

Overall I'm enjoying it - the series that is, not the corset top (that's a given) - it's still as cleverly written as it was back in the original run, even if the laughs aren't as hearty and regular as before. Oh and to be honest, it's already leaps and bounds beyond the fairly horrendous "Mr. F" portion of series 3.

The reason I wanted to see this series is season three was only so-so, if not at times straight up dull, and there's no doubt a better way to send off the characters. As you say, I think it's definitely well above the standard of three's lows so far, and although it isn't constantly uproarious belly laughing material thus far (although I have had some hearty chuckles) it has been consistently witty, smart and operating on a similarly confident tonal level as what came before. I'm going to take my time with it too, but so far it's solidly endearing fun (which TBH is sometimes all Arrested Development was in the first place).

It's a hell of a lot more effective than Red Dwarf X, to take a comparative example.

adamski8

My god i could barely hear the characters speak with the loud background music in the first ep at least, totally ruined it.

(and ive watched the first 3 seasons for the first time the same way over the last month)

Very different from the last 3 and not as good

snausages

Right, on episode 10 and I think that's enough binging for today. I think it's been pretty woeful tbh. Certainly the worst of the four and tbh I think people really overstate how bad the Mr F stuff was in S3. I certainly didn't mind it. It was a good deal funnier and wittier than the bizarelly forced zany nonsense that is S4. The character interactions, even the ones without compositing, are stilted and unnatural, the characters absurd parodies of their former selves. The callbacks to old jokes are less self-assured and subtle than before.

It's all very clever and self referential but it just isn't funny. GOB is an exception.

titan18

Just finished the season and it's not as good as the earlier seasons. It's a mess and barely watchable until Gob's episode at 7. Gets a bit weak again, but has a strong end to the season imo with episodes focused on Gob,Buster and George Michael (who I didn't mind too much). It gets extremely weak when it's focused on the others, and due to the way it's done with each episode being focused on events from that character's perspective, there's a lot of crap in there imo.

adamski8

Wow have watched 3eps and man is it bad. The ten year gap doesnt help things. Lindsey doesnt look like the same person! david cross has enjoyed his cake!

A fan edit could improve things massively from what I've seen in the first 4 episodes, take 5-10 minutes off each one, get them to a 21-22 minute running time. A few sequences could've been gotten rid of altogether, some could have been shortened and a lot of the narration was overdone.

pleasant Co.

can't wait to just enjoy this season, won't be critiquing it myself as it is what it is

Now, to unsubscribe from this thread :P

adamski8

pleasant Co. wrote: »

can't wait to just enjoy this season, won't be critiquing it myself as it is what it is

Now, to unsubscribe from this thread :P

It is what it is? What he hell does that mean? I couldnt wait to enjoy it either but its a pile of crap

lertsnim

Oh ninja please

Giruilla

Wow.. please tell me I'm not the only one who's cringing at this clear cash in. What a disappointment. That second episode was beyond awful.. I didnt laugh once. When the episode ended I'd actually forgot I was watching an arrested development episode...

rossy1044

Giruilla wrote: »

Wow.. please tell me I'm not the only one who's cringing at this clear cash in. What a disappointment. That second episode was beyond awful.. I didnt laugh once. When the episode ended I'd actually forgot I was watching an arrested development episode...

I was a bit unsure after the first two episodes but I think it definitely improves as it goes along. I still would have preferred if they hadn't changed the dynamic and focused the episodes on individual characters but I think it mostly works. It does seems there's a lot less jokes now though.

FreeFallin94

You know what? Even though I am not crazy about the season so far I still think a movie could be great against the background of season 4. All of the characters would actually be together, so we would have those great family interactions which made AD so hilarious in the first place. Or, a season 5 which returned to the original format against the background of season 4. The writing of this season is still really, really clever (I am on episode 9 and I found that once you reach episode 7 everything starts to fall in to place and you can appreciate the first few episodes) so I do think it is entirely possible for AD to be great again if it were possible to get ALL of the cast properly back together again.

pixelburp

FreeFallin94 wrote: »

[...] Or, a season 5 which returned to the original format against the background of season 4. [...]

Very unlikely this will ever happen; many have gone on record saying this show was a tying off of plots and arcs, something they didn't really get a chance with on series 3 (given how unceremoniously it was canned by Fox).

And the sole reason for this focus on one character per episode was simply because the main cast have gone on to have full, varied careers themselves (look at Bateman and Cera, effectively a staple of Hollywood comedies) & logistically it was simply impossible to get everyone into a studio for the shooting of a full season.

KeithM89

Its not as great as the previous seasons but calling it sh1t is harsh, its still better than 90% of other tv comedies. Its a slow start but once it hits 6/7, it picks up greatly. Lots of amazing hidden jokes too (

especially at the funeral

)

The supporting cast is phenomenal, im amazed how many previous bit-part characters returned, from the Veals even to ed helms who appeared for less than one minute in a previous season.

Best moment so far was when Ron said he was picturing a Phillip Seymour Hoffman 'type' actor, then it cuts to andy richter.

FreeFallin94

pixelburp wrote: »

Very unlikely this will ever happen; many have gone on record saying this show was a tying off of plots and arcs, something they didn't really get a chance with on series 3 (given how unceremoniously it was canned by Fox).

And the sole reason for this focus on one character per episode was simply because the main cast have gone on to have full, varied careers themselves (look at Bateman and Cera, effectively a staple of Hollywood comedies) & logistically it was simply impossible to get everyone into a studio for the shooting of a full season.

Oh yeah I know it would be impossible to get the full cast back for a full season, wishful thinking I suppose :L But if the movie does happen then I am gonna be optimistic because at least the actors will all be together properly. I think that has the potential to be great!

johnny_ultimate

snausages wrote: »

the characters absurd parodies of their former selves

Happy to accept this isn't working for some (and even though it's generally working for me it's hardly the pinnacle of television or even or this show), but can't possibly agree with this criticism. Arrested Development has always been about absurd parodies. No-one in it has ever resembled a remotely credible human being, even Michael. Almost more than any other comedy show out there, it's always been about complete, unfiltered farce populated by extreme caricatures. From what I've seen of this season so far it conforms with that general ideology, and can't say any of the characters have in any significant way deviated from their previous identities. I'm still at the early stages, mind.

A Neurotic

Lindsay's face, my god.

Enjoying it so far, but it does feel a little "off". Didn't enjoy Lindsay's episode or Michael's second episode very much. Tobias' is the best so far for me.

lertsnim

The Tobias episode was the best so far for me too. That's as far as I have gotten

Liam O

I'm going to go seemingly against the grain here and say after 5 episodes I'm really enjoying it. 3 was the worst but that's probably because

Lindsay isn't as interesting a character when given her own story, much better like Lucile at being the completely removed from reality person who Michael bounces jokes off.

. The thing with the

duck

had me in stitches though.

fruvai

I think Gob's second episode (Episode 11) is even funnier than his first and the best so far (I've only seen up until 11 though ) - it might just be me, but that was the first episode that actually kind of felt like the old series. It's been gathering momentum nicely over the past few episodes.

People have commented on how much Portia and Alia Shawkat (Maeby) have changed but what about

The guy playing Steve Holt /o\:eek:

Lucille episode:

Just realised that the dude dressed as a Chinese lady (Chinese triad gang in Lucille's prison) is Annyong

Agent Smith

Remember who to thank people....

Wompa1

Watched all 15 today. I liked the majority of the episodes but like others have said particularly GOBs and Tobias episodes. Lindsey was never an enjoyable character on the show.

The running gag about how many places Tobias broke his skill in was similar to the gags of old

Living in Phoenix, I found it strange when they had a shot of outside Phoenix Airport and had the Sky Harbor Airport sign with the Phoenix city emblem on it. But a few shots before you could see a shuttle bus with Bob Hope written on the side. Bob Hope Airport is in Burbank California. Phoenix is pretty close to LA, I'm suprized they didn't shoot it at the actual Sky Harbor

johnny_ultimate

Wompa1 wrote: »

I assume I'm not the only one who saw the watermark whenever they showed a flashback from one of the previous seasons? Flashback suggesting they used a trial version of a video ripping software? That was pretty f'in incredibly amateurish.

The software is called "showstealer pro". Pretty sure it was intentional

pixelburp

Yeah, the 'showstealer pro' was a sight-gag, it wasn't an accident by Netflix :rolleyes:

mrkite77

Finished the season, I thought it was great. I think it's a bit unfair to compare it to the previous 3 seasons that people have seen multiple times.

There were a *ton* of jokes and references that you'll only get with repeated viewings.

Here's an example:

Pastor Veal and Father Marsala

Here's another:

Tobias' choices for in-flight movie are: Fantastic Four, Junk, Homeless Dad, and Love, Indubitably

Giruilla

Reminds me a lot of 'The Thick of It' season 4. That came back after fairly long break too.. and now that I think of it also did the same character based episode thing. It also felt like they'd lost it.. jokes coming out too forced and stale.. actors not really fitting back in to who they were.. and generally being over the top zany for no particular reason.

As someone else said too the music seems very off in this series.. too prominent.

Grimebox

I kept my expectations somewhat low. It was never going to live up the nostalgic hype that I had built up for it. With that said I am enjoying it. I don't like the character-per-episode format as I get tired of constantly seeing the same character. Dreadful decision imo. I was worried they would all look old and out of place but only Lindsay looks very different, and then there is Steve Holt which is hilarious how different he looks. I'm already missing jokes so I can really see this getting better as I get further into it and with repeated viewings (Only finished ep 4).

Time to unsubscribe from this thread till I'm finished I think. There's nothing worse than someone else's negative attitude clouding my mind and affecting my opinion. Best to not be overcritical on this, it was never going to live up to the hype

krudler

Watched the first three, don't like the character centric setup either it was much better when they interacted with each other more and they all had their own storylines every episode. But as was already said people's shooting schedules may have meant doing it that way was impossible. It's ok so far, not overly hilarious but definitely had a few laughs, some nice references to the older episodes.

Grimebox

krudler wrote: »

Watched the first three, don't like the character centric setup either it was much better when they interacted with each other more and they all had their own storylines every episode. But as was already said people's shooting schedules may have meant doing it that way was impossible. It's ok so far, not overly hilarious but definitely had a few laughs, some nice references to the older episodes.

Frankly I don't give a sh!t about their working schedules if it means they are ****ing up the show

OwaynOTT

I honestly think its good and really,does improve as the last episode nears. The Tobias and Gob stuff being top notch but I also enjoyed the others.
The show does suffer from a lack of family interactions but it is countered by a surprising amount of side characters showing up, The B Team being a great example.
Buster really isn't in though and I remember reading he was one of those most wary of doing season 4.

krudler

Grimebox wrote: »

Frankly I don't give a sh!t about their working schedules if it means they are ****ing up the show

Good point, either do it right or not at all

FreeFallin94

Every episode after 7 is really, really good. And everything is coming together. It is actually quite genius. I love ep. 10! I needed to see more of Lucille!

johnny_ultimate

I would suggest the 'character episodes' are a much more suitable fit for Netflix than just an unadapted emulation of the first three seasons would have been. You can just throw up a show that's just like a standard TV show, but more interestingly will be how more creative forces will adapt the 'instant' structure of Netflix to formally experiment a bit. On traditional TV, most have to operate with the knowledge there'll be a week gap between episodes, and even great shows struggle utilising their whole ensemble week after week. Audiences can feel hard done by when there's episodes not directly focused on advancing the main narrative or relegating interesting material to the sidelines.

The delivery structure of Netflix, though, means the next episode is not even a click away, which theoretically should give many creators a chance to experiment with their storytelling and characters more effectively - and without strict broadcast hours. If you have a neat little subplot for a character, why not a ten minute episode that doesn't mess with the pacing of a different one?

Arrested Development is a great ensemble comedy, so there's the argument it was perhaps not the show to kickstart this experiment (and there's a few hangovers that assume most will be taking big gaps between episodes). But unlike House of Cards, it shows more willingness (if a schedule mandated willingness) to embrace its unique form. Hopefully that spirit will be adapted and improved upon by subsequent Netflix Originals.

D3sperado

I didn't really enjoy the first couple of episodes, but they have definitely picked up and the last one i've watched so far was Gob's which i thought was fantastic

the Entourage parody was very clever, particularly the club called "and Jeremy Piven"

.

I really like that they have tried something different with the format, it's like a 7 hour movie and there are so many interconnected threads running through the episodes that its likely that the earlier episodes will be better on a second viewing.

That said, the character centric formula obviously falls down when the focus is on one of the weaker characters like Lindsay.

Some of their best moments

such as the watermark on the old clips and the fact that they used how different Steve Holt looks as a joke by not having Gob recognise him

shows that they haven't lost their touch at doing very clever comedy.

snausages

It ends on a high note I think, although also an ambiguous one. I definitely agree that it gets better as it goes along but for AD reruns I don't see myself rewatching S4 unless it's just the GOB episodes. Humour is definitely playing second fiddle to plot. Given that it's an extended movie prelude I think it could have been much shorter. Looking forward to that movie though.

The Maebe episode was the lowpoint for me. Too much back and forth in that one to properly enjoy it.

trouttrout

Three episodes in and I'm struggling through them

snausages

Some reviews are coming in. Slightly relieved to see I'm not the only one who found it tedious. The plot is so overwrought that the quickfire wit of the old series is completely lost. Surprised to see so many people saying that this is better than S3, S3 was nowhere near as drawn out and repetitive as this.

Mr.Saturn

snausages wrote: »

Some reviews are coming in. Slightly relieved to see I'm not the only one who found it tedious. The plot is so overwrought that the quickfire wit of the old series is completely lost. Surprised to see so many people saying that this is better than S3, S3 was nowhere near as drawn out and repetitive as this.

Yes, but in the 13 eps it had to work with, it wasted half in tedious, cringe-inducing plot about a fake UK and Rita.

I'm digging S4 so far, it's rife with the flash-forwards/backs, jokes-a-minute and delicate, mechanical plotting that buoyed the original run.

Granted, the character-eps format means that the entire run maneuvers everyone into the same place over the course of the season, instead over just one ep as was the case with S1-3. A result of scheduling conflicts and the demands that places on the format, of course, but I'm guessing the true dividends are coming with the movie, when we've got the entire crew to play off each other for extended periods.

Still, for a prelude, I feel like I've gotten a fine return on investment, and I'm only three-quarters of the way through.

Also, there's been a couple of five-star lines so far.

Tobias- Boy, you look like I feel.

GOB-........Gay?

---

GOB- It'll be our nest, Egg...Ann

snausages

Mr.Saturn wrote: »

Yes, but in the 13 eps it had to work with, it wasted half in tedious, cringe-inducing plot about a fake UK and Rita.

I've never quite understood what was meant to be so bad about that plotline. It seems almost a basic truism amongst fans to say that that was the moment when AD when 'bad', but I've never seen it that way. It's definitely a shark-jumping moment but it's nowhere near as tedious as the wall plot in season 4 or Oscar and George Sr's sweat lodge or the dorm room stuff.

A Neurotic

I was really surprised at the hate for S3 as well. I still burst my sh*t laughing whenever "For British Eyes Only" or "Mr. F" play in the background.

Pepe LeFrits

Gave up half way through episode 5. Might come back to it later, but so far it's pretty terrible.

pixelburp

Hmm, how about that; I appear to have turned off Netflix midway through the 8th episode - I never did that before with Arrested Development! I really can't watch this more than one or two episodes at a time - the padding in them so far really makes the time crawl by. The lustre is definitely beginning to wear off a little.

Oh and whoever did the audio mix at Netflix should be shot; some of the dialogue is unintelligible, be it drowned out by the (ambient) music or simply because it's mumbled.

DjFlin

A Neurotic wrote: »

I was really surprised at the hate for S3 as well. I still burst my sh*t laughing whenever "For British Eyes Only" or "Mr. F" play in the background.

Don't forget "Could this be the work of the Itsy Bitsy IRA?"
Probably my favorite line of the whole show.

adamski8

pixelburp wrote: »

Hmm, how about that; I appear to have turned off Netflix midway through the 8th episode - I never did that before with Arrested Development! I really can't watch this more than one or two episodes at a time - the padding in them so far really makes the time crawl by. The lustre is definitely beginning to wear off a little.

Oh and whoever did the audio mix at Netflix should be shot; some of the dialogue is unintelligible, be it drowned out by the (ambient) music or simply because it's mumbled.

how anyone can not notice the background music totally drowning out the dialogue is insane! wtf are rhey thinking, i dont think ive ever seen that in any series ever. that alone would ruin the whole

wandatowell

Just finished Episode 5, all isn't well

johnny_ultimate

Watched up until the fabled seventh episode. Thought the Tobias one was good fun, the George Sr. a bit meh but the Gob one had some genuinely excellent comic setpieces. The

wedding

was superbly staged. That said, it's also the most obvious episode yet to suffer from 'not in same room' syndrome. The

Tony Wonder

bits are particularly absurd in that regard, and in the aforementioned scene it's extremely obvious Tobias isn't there for the entirety. Also:

John Ralfio! Terence Malick and MSTK3K gags, plus a sly dig at the ****ty recent Spiderman film! A really strange looking Steve Holt!

Even though I thought it was a lot of fun, definitely feel that episode could have been cut in half, like a couple so far. I think Arrested Development functions better at a breakneck, gag-a-second speed and there's definitely a clunkiness here. I still think there's a lot to like, but as I said above I'd love if they had have embraced the fact that they're not tied to the 22 minute running time, and actually scaled back and forward as appropriate, rather than a nearly half hour minimum. Larry David can manage it with his controlled, slow-burning humour. Arrested Development needs to be in a constant sprint.

Not significant enough to majorly impact my enjoyment of it, but definitely don't think this is a season that would benefit from binging. I'm enjoying tackling it at my own pace, and will probably stick with one or two a night from here on in.

lertsnim

Absolutely loved the 2nd Tobias and 1st Gob episodes. So funny

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Just finished episode 10... There were a few slow ones in the beginning (although I still felt they were good), but really think it has hit its stride in the past few episodes... From the Gob episode (think its episode 7) onwards thought they've been especially good and love how everything is coming together now. It's really clever.