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Arrested Development |OT| Season 4 - May 26 - Netflix Unmakes A Huge Mistake

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Surface of Me

I'm not an NPC. And neither are we.
I like how everyone this season has been developed to the point of either having the audience become sympathetic towards them or at the very least understanding except Michael who is the sole complete fucking scumbag.

Makes sense if you think about, Michael is finally giving up on helping the family, if you can't beat them, join them.
 
the more i think about it, the more i really appreciate and like this season




the story lines are genuinely hilarious when you think about them

What I was surprised about most with this season is that so much of it is even more cerebral than the original show. I was worried going in that they'd really dumb it down, but they didn't. What a relief.
 

Batigol

Banned
I appreciate the new episodes, but I don't think it's on the level of S1-3

Some characters just aren't funny or interesting enough to warrant a full episode about them. Which is everyone who isn't Gob, Tobias or Michael
 

GraveHorizon

poop meter feature creep
I finished the season tonight and I thought it was awesome. None of the aging bothered me except for Lindsay's immense facial reconstruction (you're not going to convince me she's just wearing a wig because that's ridiculous. She had a nose job and lip injections at the very least).

Her forehead seemed different as well. Notice how it barely moves at all, severely limiting her ability to emote. It was shocking seeing her for the first time, having just finished watching season 3. My friend and I wondered for a second if it was still the same actor. She looked like a goddamn monster.

lindsay-bluth.jpg
arrested-development-portia-split.jpg


To be fair, she looked better in her later episodes with the shorter hair. Still, she looks like a different person.
portia-de-rossi-nose-job.jpg


The writing was really great. I loved the way that you don't realize the first few episodes are setup for much larger happenings later on. The season just kept ramping up in craziness and hilarity until it finally ended on a somewhat lower note that leaves you wanting more. I really enjoyed the way that everything fit together.

I would represent the season using a ramp analogy: Starting on low, flat ground for several episodes, until the midpoint where it starts moving up, and a short jump in height at the end when it actually becomes good. A lot of humor in hindsight, because things were made funny later when they referred to the things that were set up, altering the past occurrences into something enjoyable. Those earlier episodes were still hard to watch on their own, but have to be slightly better on a rewatch knowing what happens later.

I was really buying into the fact that George Michael might be developing that software that was taking off. Then you get to his episode and all the little cues that didn't mean anything in prior episodes are revealed to be hilarious mental struggles for him. The whole season felt like that. I hope Netflix ponies up for another season.

I thought that was weird when they said it, because he had no indication of being a technology-minded person. The reveal of it being just a woodblock app made total sense, and made his previous experiences in the season funny, but it wasn't so funny watching it before. It was more awkward, with the constant thought of "What happened to these characters?" running in my head. The reveal was a big relief with not having to believe such a weird idea like that.

I appreciate the new episodes, but I don't think it's on the level of S1-3

Some characters just aren't funny or interesting enough to warrant a full episode about them. Which is everyone who isn't Gob, Tobias or Michael

2 > 3 >= 1 > 4

In the rest of the show there were always "heart-warming" moments between the family members, but while those moments usually ended with a joke, it never felt mean-spirited. Season 4 is pretty dark, way darker than the rest of the show. Perhaps it's because they didn't have so many restrictions being on Netflix as opposed to TV. They really cussed a lot in this season, and a lot of times they weren't even using the gag of covering their mouths when speaking, they were just being bleeped.
 

louie

Member
Just finished the season. I went from complete and utter disappointment to absolutely loving it. I really hope there's a fifth season.
 

Arkos

Nose how to spell and rede to

phileep

Member
I like how everyone this season has been developed to the point of either having the audience become sympathetic towards them or at the very least understanding except Michael who is the sole complete fucking scumbag.

Thats the only thing I didn't like about this Season. Michael becoming a straight up Bluth makes me a little sad. Still, I thought the season as a whole was awesome. I too loved the Buster episode. Of course it was stupid, it was Buster.
 

LakeEarth

Member
The Buster episode was one of my favorites.

I don't know if I like or dislike how the show just ended with everything hanging. I dislike it because everyone has said this is "it" for Arrested Development, and I want to know what happens next. But on the other hand, the show is primed to go if it comes back.
 

richiek

steals Justin Bieber DVDs
The only time the actor's aging bothered me was in the scenes that took place directly after the end of season 3.

Michael Cera has changed alot in season 4. In season 1, you can tell he still had that baby fat, but now he's looks thin and lanky, like a young Beck.
 
The only time the actor's aging bothered me was in the scenes that took place directly after the end of season 3.

Michael Cera has changed alot in season 4. In season 1, you can tell he still had that baby fat, but now he's looks thin and lanky, like a young Beck.
if I ever become a rapper I'll name myself Yung Beck
 

Milchjon

Member
Hold up, what the FUCK happened to Steve Holt?

I looked up some more recent pictures of him, seems like they played up the changes a bit.
 

y2dvd

Member
Kinda disheartening to learn Mitch Huwirtz had to write the story around the scheduling of the actors. No doubt it would've been better if he can have the cast for 5 months to shoot the season the way he truly wanted to. Why did everyone have other committed projects?! Hopefully, the cast can commit more to AD for season 5. Screw the movie! Another season means more AD!
 

Ryu1999

Member
2 > 3 >= 1 > 4

In the rest of the show there were always "heart-warming" moments between the family members, but while those moments usually ended with a joke, it never felt mean-spirited. Season 4 is pretty dark, way darker than the rest of the show. Perhaps it's because they didn't have so many restrictions being on Netflix as opposed to TV. They really cussed a lot in this season, and a lot of times they weren't even using the gag of covering their mouths when speaking, they were just being bleeped.

You must be French because I like the way you think.
 

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
Who'd have thunk that Mr Bananagrabber would go on to have a gay affair.

This fucking show.
 

The Real Abed

Perma-Junior
Kinda disheartening to learn Mitch Huwirtz had to write the story around the scheduling of the actors. No doubt it would've been better if he can have the cast for 5 months to shoot the season the way he truly wanted to. Why did everyone have other committed projects?! Hopefully, the cast can commit more to AD for season 5. Screw the movie! Another season means more AD!
Hopefully the success of season 4 prompts all the actors to take some time off to do the next season all at once now that all their stories have been updated and they all are kind of back together.
 
Kinda disheartening to learn Mitch Huwirtz had to write the story around the scheduling of the actors. No doubt it would've been better if he can have the cast for 5 months to shoot the season the way he truly wanted to. Why did everyone have other committed projects?!

People keep saying this, but I don't think it's true. We know that even with the movie that there was going to be small segments focusing on individual characters were and how they got to the present. It's been 7 years since the end of season 3. And Mitch realized that devoting 5 minutes to each character was not enough. The story naturally developed this way and expanded to each character getting around 30 minutes per episode with some getting 2 episodes.

Also, people really overrate how much screen time the 9 characters shared. Getting all 9 Bluths in one scene was still pretty rare in the first 3 seasons. In season 1 Tobias didn't even appear in 5 episodes. Michael was the character with the most screen time in 4, just like all the previous seasons and he is the only one to appear in all 68 episodes.

They shot episodes drastically out of order anyway. It's not like they made Michael's episode and then George Sr's. They could have done a traditional season just shooting it out of order like they did with this one.

I think the limitations put on this season forced it to be the most creative one. I think there is doubt that if it was traditionally produced that it would have been better. They could have taken the approach everyone was expecting and been called lazy.
 

Fantastical

Death Prophet
I just realized that Gob gets a boyfriend (sorta) and Tobias gets a girlfriend (sorta).

EDIT: Also, why are there a bunch of trucks at the funeral of the real estate agent? At the end of the scene it zooms out to show some jeeps and a what looks like a mail car.
 
Hopefully the success of season 4 prompts all the actors to take some time off to do the next season all at once now that all their stories have been updated and they all are kind of back together.

They've all said multiple times they love the show, and working with each other. With this new foundation, I can't see them not agreeing to put all that time aside for a season 5. Only one I'm worried about is Buster with his show with Maggie Liesherassoff, but we'll see.

Also, did anyone watch that Running Wilde show made by Mitch starring Will Arnett and David Cross? I caught a few episodes, it wasn't bad, just no Arrested Development.
 
I just realized that Gob gets a boyfriend (sorta) and Tobias gets a girlfriend (sorta).

EDIT: Also, why are there a bunch of trucks at the funeral of the real estate agent? At the end of the scene it zooms out to show some jeeps and a what looks like a mail car.

mailman died
 

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
The foreshadowing in this show is amazing. Way back in season 2 Buster says 'let's all give me a big hand'.
 

systematic

Unconfirmed Member
They shot episodes drastically out of order anyway. It's not like they made Michael's episode and then George Sr's. They could have done a traditional season just shooting it out of order like they did with this one.

Focusing on one character per episode probably helped cut down on the budget as well:

Each of the show’s stars was guaranteed at least one starring episode, and studio 20th Century Fox TV had to create a fair way to pay them -- something of a challenge since scenes were filmed out of order and nobody was certain how each episode would end up. According to multiple sources with knowledge of the deal structure, the Arrested actors all are paid using the same sliding scale. The actor “starring” in the episode is paid $125,000. If he or she appears in more than 90 seconds of an episode (but is not the star), that actor receives $50,000. For less than 90 seconds of airtime in an episode, he or she receives $10,000. Finally, if a clip featuring the actor from a previous episode is used, that actor gets another $1,000. Bateman, for instance, stars in more than one episode. It is worth noting that $125,000 is on the high end for TV stars, but the unusual arrangement won't pay them what a star would get over the course of a typical series. (20th TV, along with distributor Netflix, declined to comment.)
'Arrested Development' Stars' Surprising Salaries Revealed
 

OnPoint

Member
I wouldn't say that's foreshadowing rather than the writters watching the old seasons to get ideas.

I'm going with foreshadowing. There's also a moment when he's at Lupe's family's house where he realizes his hand chair has been gone (though it IS his hand chair he sees) and he says "I never thought I'd miss a hand that much"

C'mon
 

kozmo7

Truly deserves to shoot laserbeams from his eyes
I find myself in an odd spot with Season 4. I'm glad it was made and I enjoy most of the writing but some episodes completely lose me. I feel like sometimes they go to great lengths to make a small reference or to fit someone into the circular plot the season is based around. Very hit and miss for me. :\
 

Lijik

Member
Also, did anyone watch that Running Wilde show made by Mitch starring Will Arnett and David Cross? I caught a few episodes, it wasn't bad, just no Arrested Development.

It started out average but with potential. I can name a handful of great gags and lines from the first few eps. However Hurwitz decided as an experiment just to take every note from the studio so some hilarious sounding scripts got watered down and the further you get into the season the more bland and jokeless it becomes. The last chunk of episodes is such a blur to me, all I remember is Tamboor cameoed in the finale
 
It started out average but with potential. I can name a handful of great gags and lines from the first few eps. However Hurwitz decided as an experiment just to take every note from the studio so some hilarious sounding scripts got watered down and the further you get into the season the more bland and jokeless it becomes. The last chunk of episodes is such a blur to me, all I remember is Tamboor cameoed in the finale

Oh, I love me some Jeffery Tambor. I did read that this took place in the same universe as AD, even the Bluth company is mentioned by name. I still have 10 episodes to go.
 
It started out average but with potential. I can name a handful of great gags and lines from the first few eps. However Hurwitz decided as an experiment just to take every note from the studio so some hilarious sounding scripts got watered down and the further you get into the season the more bland and jokeless it becomes. The last chunk of episodes is such a blur to me, all I remember is Tamboor cameoed in the finale

Peter Serofinowitz [sic] owned that show. I hope he makes a cameo in season 5/the movie.
 
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