Thoughts on the new season of "Arrested Development"

At long last, I've powered through the debut season of the new Arrested Development. I've been a fan of the show since a year after it went off the air and discovered its wonders from my peers (did somebody say "wonder"?). Now I'm as big a fan as they come, and AD remains one of the greatest comedies of the 2000s. I expected it to be a little different this time around, what with the different format and the longer episodes. I think it's well-suited to the style of AD, with the interwoven narratives that close the knot (and leave some open for another season...which we may in fact have!). It unfolds much like a novel, with unanswered questions that will get you to read the next volume. On a related note, if this format catches on, we could replace the word "season x" with "volume x" like graphic novels.

Old promo image...

Warning, spoilers....

In this season, each episode focuses on a different character, and at this point the Bluths have gone their separate ways, more or less. Not all of the Bluths are in every episode, so you may miss a character from time to time (I did), but then you'll also realize which characters you missed the most. (Mine: George Sr. and Lucille, GOB,  Maeby, George Michael) The episodes are also longer than 22 minutes, which sometimes bogs down the funny in service of the story. So it's a little slower-paced, with some overextended gags and yet a great deal of information packed in...with some intriguing incomplete moments acting as missing pieces of the puzzle, as it unfolds. The season definitely starts to pick up as it goes on, though, and it's most fun the moments those pieces fall into place.

There are some moments that are a little silly, like Lindsay's beau the Ostrich Man (and his farm), Maeby staying in high school a few years longer than when she should have realized it was a fruitless endeavor, and Michael's downward spiral (as of right now) feels a little far-fetched. But there are some classic Bluth moments, and the new format, in which we follow the story of a single character (and where their paths cross) works quite well considering the fact that all the characters are inter-linked and will interact with one another from time to time. But don't worry, you'll laugh: I laughed out loud quite a few times every episode, and will probably laugh more the next time I get around to watching this season.

New promo image

A lot of critics have mentioned how dark it is, and how unlikeable Michael has become in this season. And I wonder, have they not been paying attention? This family is as unlikeable as they come, and haven't been able to mask it well over the course of the original series. It would only be a matter of time before each of them "got theirs". On the one hand, we feel bad for them, because thanks to the brilliant writing and acting, we actually kind of like these characters, even if they're selfish and racist and generally horrible people. They redeem themselves every once in a while. But on the other hand, the Bluths as a whole are horrible, and do horrible things to others for their own gain, each Bluth varying on levels of pitiability and horriblility. And in this season, the more things change, the more the Bluths stay the same--to a degree. I do feel bad for Maeby and George Michael, though, since they didn't ask to be a part of this dysfunctional family.

The idea that Michael would turn out to be a failure when he struck out on his own and then get into the movie business in a meta-arc is a stretch, but not entirely implausible--like a lot of the situations presented in this season. Michael has made many Bluth-worthy mistakes in the past. I found George Michael and Maeby to be the more relatable characters, anyway, though maybe that's because I'm a young'un. But the dark, cringe-worthy comedy is hardly alien to intelligent American viewers, and sure, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but you would think the critics would get that.

Past meets present

Many of the characters each were given a well-constructed character arc, the end of each one ending on an ambiguous note, but with a sense of completeness, all the same. Take Lindsay, for example. She starts off by distancing off from the Bluth name, then her family, adopting a radical lifestyle--though she becomes discontented with a life of thrift and poor hygiene and begins having an affair with Herbert Love, a conservative candidate for president. (I think it's president) But then he pays her off, and in an act of revenge, she...becomes his proxy candidate for president, embracing her true self: materialistic and selfish, only caring about causes when they directly affected her (as we all know...remember her anti-war protest?) And much like a Bluth. Of course, some felt more incomplete than others: Maeby's arc dropped a bomb at the end, Michael's and George Michael's relationship has just gained renewed tension, Buster's wanted for murder... Well, I can't wait to find out what happens next, right?

One thing I would like to note is that the cast became more diverse this season...even if some of them bordered on stereotypes. Having rewatched the first three seasons recently, I noticed that that the majority of minorities represented were Hispanic/Latino--not surprising, as the show takes place in southern California. Though in this season the Bluths have struck out into the world, beyond their former enclaves, and of course find a much more diverse populace.

That is one of the many different aspects of this new season: the Funkes all travel to India at the same time--by accident,  George Michael is in college, we see the inside of Imagine Studios and LA clubs, and a country club-style jail, among other new locations. And people will be lamenting the lack of Bluth family togetherness and the underuse of this character or that character (except Michael, duh), but maybe the next season will bring the Bluth family together for realz. Let's hope!

Overall, this was a terrific start to a sequel series that will endure for the next decade to come, at least, and I hope that the story will be continued for another season or two. Maybe a movie? 4 stars out of 5.