Arrested Development

Started by Weak2ndAct, October 24, 2004, 12:25:59 AM

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Sleepless

Spoils I guess...

Really disappointing. The hype leading up to this was all about how Netflix allowed people to enjoy marathon viewings of shows and that Arrested Development episodes in particular were often enjoyed back-to-back. I can't disagree with that, but it's telling that even watching three episodes of this new season was a chore. I found this really laborious to get through. Also telling was the fact that the episodes of characters who only got one (tight) episode dedicated to them were far, far superior to any of the others. For me, the Maeby episode was the only decent episode of the season, but I might be overly generous. It moved along at a pace and while it included bits of stories we'd already glimpsed, it didn't linger too long on them. There was enough new stuff there to keep it interesting. Generally, though, this was all pretty terrible.
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

Jeremy Blackman

Was it "laborious" in that you were bored, or overstimulated, or something else?

The density completely worked for me, even when it was punishing. I like that sort of thing. The only parts I found laborious were the less dense passages that had slower pacing and lazier jokes. I think most of that was Lindsay or Michael content.

polkablues

Overall, I've come to the conclusion that it's an ambitious, sloppy, utterly unique, and ultimately successful season of television. Above all else, I'm relieved they actually tried something new and novel; it so easily could have devolved into a greatest hits collection without bringing anything to the table. The one-character-per-episode conceit (which I believe was the solution to production/scheduling issues more than a creative choice) highlighted how much better the show works as an ensemble, but it did have its moments of transcendence. "Colony Collapse" is one of the best episodes in the show's history, and the first Tobias episode is right up there.

I do wish they had put some pacing limitations on themselves within each episode, though. I'm sure the freedom to hit whatever runtime they ended up at was liberating, but it came at the cost of leaving in jokes that could have been cut, letting scenes play long that should have been shorter, and taking a show that always felt like it was over before you knew it and making it drag. Have they learned nothing from the past ten years of Judd Apatow movies?

But yeah, all in all, landmark television. To anyone struggling to get through the first few episodes, press on, then rewatch the whole season when you're done. It was a risky move structuring the season so that so much literally does not make sense the first time through, but it makes that rewatch so unbelievably rewarding.

Side note regarding people's complaints about the characterization of Michael: Michael Bluth was never the honorable, straight-shooting, stable guy you all seem to think he was in the original series. That's how he was introduced in the pilot, and that's what the character had always imagined himself to be, but the show never failed to undercut at every turn that image he had of himself. He's a Bluth to the core, with all the selfishness, pettiness, and lack of self-awareness that that entails. Because this season starts out with him having hit his lowest point, it was free to let that all hang out. The Michael you see in season four isn't a different person than seasons one through three, it's the character he always was, stripped of his delusions. And it's fucking hilarious.

Yes, the Lindsay episodes were weak, though.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Jeremy Blackman

^ I think I agree with all of that.

The Michael question is interesting. It's funny how Mitch Hurwitz keeps saying that George Michael (and NOT Michael) has always been the heart of the show, because it's true (but now even his inner Bluth is blossoming). I didn't have a problem with Michael's Bluthness... but I think the sadness must have deflated some of the humor for me. That, and most of the Rebel Alley material didn't pay off until later. You know, it would be interesting to track Michael's trajectory and all the various subtle ways his Bluthness comes out. Ugh, I really need to rewatch the entire series...

Brando

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on June 25, 2013, 06:05:48 PM
The Michael question is interesting. It's funny how Mitch Hurwitz keeps saying that George Michael (and NOT Michael) has always been the heart of the show, because it's true (but now even his inner Bluth is blossoming).

In previous seasons, Michael has shown his "Bluthness" in episodes. He tried to steal his brother's girlfriend. He tried to break up George Michael and Ann but by the end of the episode he'd come around and do the right thing. Because Michael never has that moment where he comes back to the good guy he really is, along with other open plot points, leaves the season feeling as a first act to a larger story or only a set up for a movie.

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on June 25, 2013, 02:54:22 PM
Was it "laborious" in that you were bored, or overstimulated, or something else?

I as well found it laborious at times. I really like George Michael but remember his episode being laborious to get through. It felt as if I was just waiting around for jokes to pay off cause I already knew where the plot was going. I knew George Michael and Rebel were going to hide out in that photobooth. I knew the reason George Michael fired Maybe was cause his whole thing was a sham. I already knew where the limited plot was heading so the only thing that needed to be filled in were the jokes. There were plot points I thought needed to be filled in but only ended up being jokes. 



If you think this is going to have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.

Sleepless

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on June 25, 2013, 02:54:22 PM
Was it "laborious" in that you were bored, or overstimulated, or something else?

I was bored. It was a real struggle to remain interested.

Quote from: polkablues on June 25, 2013, 03:39:33 PM
I do wish they had put some pacing limitations on themselves within each episode, though. I'm sure the freedom to hit whatever runtime they ended up at was liberating, but it came at the cost of leaving in jokes that could have been cut, letting scenes play long that should have been shorter, and taking a show that always felt like it was over before you knew it and making it drag. Have they learned nothing from the past ten years of Judd Apatow movies?

I agree with this ^
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

diggler

Polka is spot on, this felt like the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions. Sure it's nice to spend more time in this world, but it's at the expense of the story. I don't think it was laborious to sit through though. I'm still happy it exists, especially for John Slattery's character.
I'm not racist, I'm just slutty

pete

I think the mechanics of the show changed. a lot of the joy of the show wasn't the metaness or the layers - a lot of it was because it was so loyal to the screwball tradition, in which a lovable but flawed guy has to fix all the problems and in the process, creates problems that usually come in the form of mistaken identities, misheard things, double meanings, misunderstandings, and lies that began other lies - but paced at a breakneck speed. each episode kicks off right away and you're quickly riding along this really sophisticated and well-constructed farce.

but the new one seemed like a 13-hour version of a Community gimmick episode. it's still good, it's still sophisticated, but the point of a lot of it seems to be about breaking away from whatever you thought Arrested Development was. The episodes that people like and remember are episodes where the characters had some grandiose goal that they have to achieve, a la the first three seasons' Michael. Catching up with the characters by simply showing a sequential summary of what the characters are going through is tedious and not rewarding. It feels like in achieving for all the things that are fun to write about on paper, the spirit of the show has gone missing.
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

Lottery

Did anyone catch the remix of S4 yet?