Okay, I'm doing a bit of a loophole here. Arrested Development technically isn't a WHOLE Netflix Original. The first three seasons aired on FOX, the first season premiering first in 2003, and it wasn't until ten years later that Netflix funded and premiered the fourth season exclusively on the platform. So, technically it is a half-Netflix original, half-FOX original.
Now that we have that out of the way, I have to say I've only seen the first two episodes before rewatching the pilot, as I got distracted by other things happening in my life before I could watch anymore of it. I do have a few recollections of some of the jokes in the two episodes (such as "NO TOUCHING!" from the second episode, along with "There's always money in the banana stand.") But other than that, I couldn't remember too much from the first episode. And in all honesty, I think that may have benefited my second viewing of the episode.
Not remembering quite a few of the jokes made their punchlines all the more hilarious since I didn't know what to expect. I wish I could spoil some of the jokes that were featured in the episode, but I think that would ruin the surprise and punchlines (and without the proper context, the jokes don't make much sense). I can, however, summarize what the premise of the actual show is. The show centers around Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) and his son George Michael (Michael Cera) dealing with his (formerly) wealthy and dysfunctional family and ends up having to run his family's real estate business after some things go down. The show also feature antics from Michael's spoiled and materialistic sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and her...interesting husband Tobias Funke (David Cross) (who she married as protest against her parents), and their daughter Mae/Maeby (Alia Shakwat). It also features Gob (Will Arnett), Michael's older brother, an ex-magician exiled from a league of magicians that created after one of his tricks was revealed as fake, and Buster (Tony Hale), Michael's younger brother, a bumbling and dependent man that is prone to panic attacks. Then there are his parents, his mother Lucille (Jessica Walter), a vain, materialistic, and hypercritical woman, and his father George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), a corrupt real estate developer who is arrested for his actions in the first episode, thus forcing Michael into running his business while in jail.
Yep. And it gets even crazier when you watch it.
The whole show is formatted very similarly in the style of The Office (even though it came 2 years before the office, although it did come two years AFTER the British TV show which the US show is based on). It's in the style of a mockumentary with unsteady cams and zoom-ins on characters used very often. The comedy is also very dry and witty, in a similar manner to The Office. In fact, I would consider this show to be a sort of "prequel" to The Office. I mean, there ARE differences (from what I've read up on and seen online about Arrested Development, it seems to go to far more absurd lengths than The Office), but otherwise they are very similar. And I would recommend both of them, especially Arrested Development. It appeals to my senses of humor, and who knows. It might appeal to yours. I can't wait to continue watching more episodes of this show. Hopefully I'll actually get more than TWO episodes in me this time.
Nice job hacking the system there. I think it's good that you gave some of your background of the show and what you had seen previously, but then the part where you're talking about which jokes you remembered or didn't is probably not necessary. Also the next part where you start to continue talking about the jokes is not needed either. As far as explaining the humor style of the show, you do a good job of that in the last paragraph. I would say the amount of detail you go into about each character is a little much, I would instead briefly talk about the characters, but focus more on the plot of the show because that is how you get people's attention and make them interested in it. I liked how you analyzed the style of the show, you did a good job of explaining it. BTW I love the office so I feel as if this show would be right up my alley. I also didn't realize that it was based off a british show, so thanks for the fun fact!
ReplyDelete-Molly:)