Finished episode 14. I'm so excited to see what happens next but I'm also sad that it's about to end. I'm trying to milk it for all its worth right now.
Here's my updated rankings off of the first watch:
Episode 1 - Michael: B-
Episode 2 - George Sr: C+
Episode 3 - Lindsay: B+
Episode 4 - Michael: C+
Episode 5 - Tobias: A
Episode 6 - George Sr: A
Episode 7 - Gob: A+
Episode 8 - Lindsay: A+
Episode 9 - Tobias: A+
Episode 10 - Lucille: B+
Episode 11 - Gob: A+
Episode 12 - Maeby: A+
Episode 13 - George Michael: A+
Episode 14 - Buster: A
Overall this season is just phenomenal. However the payoff for the jokes and plot doesn't really start until episode 5, and I think that's what holds this season back just a little bit.
It's really a testament to the genius of Hurwitz and the cast/editors that they were able to retain the spirit of the original series through a completely different format. We can't even count the number of shows that will completely lose track of themselves by the third or fourth season, and that's with just 6 or so months of a gap. But 7 years?? And on an untested format? The fact that they pulled out of these potential caveats and made it work for them is just unbelievable. Absolutely unreal.
The key difference between season 4 and its predecessors is that the former is really just one giant episode with individual puzzle pieces that need to be connected. The original three seasons are very episodic as well but each episode by itself is much more approachable, and can stand on its own regardless of how attuned the viewer is to the overall plot. These episodes however will completely stump a new viewer who wasn't watching the series originally. The fact that they closed the season off to non-fans however gives the season incentive to be smarter, more ambitious, more confusing, and more referential to its past. And the new season utilizes these strengths to the fullest.
It took four or so episodes to get used to the longer scenes, and to get used to the fact that it's okay to go 20-30 seconds without a laugh. That old TV 20 minute format forced the show to be faster and quippier than it maybe needed to be, and that fast energy is lost with these episodes. By episode 5 however you start reeling in its strengths and validating its weaknesses.
As mentioned, my only real criticism of the new season is its approachability to non-fans. Since every episode after 3 or 4 is heavily reliant on the assumption that you've watched the preceding episodes, if you miss a beat you're most likely going to miss a joke. More importantly perhaps, if you lose any attention to detail in this season you're probably going to miss a very important revelation later on pertaining to the plot.
The story is large and complex and it jumps back and forth through time and interconnects on such an intricate level that re-watches are sort of mandatory now. However I wonder now how many more jokes I'll get from the earlier episodes now that I understand every little background noise and cue. Is the loss of that mystery a good thing because of the gained insight I have, or will it drain the experience as nothing more than just background noises that I can identify? I'm excited to see how different the experience will be the second time.
There are still plenty of plot holes that I haven't filled in yet since I haven't watched the finale, but overall I think the show does a good job of pacing its plot for the viewer. We'll see how much clearer the bigger picture is by episode 15.
