Arrested Development is perhaps the most comedically dense show I have ever had the pleasure of watching. It’s a show of constant subtle callbacks and foreshadowing. It is a show rife with double entendre in nearly every scene. This is all locked into place with a tongue in cheek narrator whose voice and phrases have penetrated my own inner monologue. I’m not sure how, but this show was cancelled after the third season. Network television is a confusing and fickle mistress, what can you do? So the first time I saw that netflix was to make a new season of Arrested Development, I was ecstatic. Yet, I am slightly ambivalent re-watching the first episode of season four, the first Netflix Original episode.
Season four has a wildly different structure than the rest of the series. An episode focuses strictly on one member of the Bluth family, following them through whatever shenanigans ensues. That’s a bold move, Cotton!... Whoops, wrong Jason Bateman reference. Coincidentally, these type of “in” jokes are frequently found (or not found) in Arrested Development. I notice a new aspect just about every time I rewatch an episode. Where were we? Oh yeah, structure. This setup really lets the layered jokes and foreshadowing/callbacks go crazy. As the events that take place affect all of the members of the Bluth family, the viewer often sees different perspectives of the same event. The jokes feed into each other. This format makes repeat viewings even better than the first watch, as the foreshadowing that beforehand most likely went unnoticed can then be more fully appreciated.
However, this is a dual edged blade. Aren’t most swords like that, anyway? Shit, that’s some profound stuff right there. While the separated structure of the show allows for an incredible density of jokes, it’s addition by subtraction. What is lost is the relationships between the family members. They cut out the shared screen time for an interesting take on the fourth season. This makes it unique, but takes away something that was fundamental to the show and its humor.
For this reason, despite being constantly clever, the fourth season was shunned by most fans. I’m not one of them; I genuinely liked the fourth season. But it is different than the Arrested Development I knew and loved. I learned to love the fourth season, but only because there was no alternative. What’s funny is, would this have been a different show, it would have been revered for its genius and unique structure. Judged relative to the average show, it is still amazing. It’s only in the context of Arrested Development that it feels like the weakest link. A new season is in the works, and it has been confirmed that it will be a return to form for the Bluth family. Needless to say, I’m antsy in anticipation.
Very very enlightening and interesting. I have also seen the fourth season, and let me tell you! In some ways the fourth season is very different from the last three, but that is the point. When shows evolve that means they want to expand their horizons and cater to more audiences. By doing this, they can have more viewers on both ends of the spectrum. I also noticed that the producers implemented more foreshadowing in each episode, giving us an idea of what is to come, then subliminally forcing us to watch the next show, slowly pushing us into a binge. Great strategy and great show
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of what you said, however, I think the structural difference made it difficult for some fans of seasons 1-3 to get behind season 4. A lot of the previous seasons consisted of the entire family (as you said) and how their lives intertwined and affected each other's. It was hard for me to enjoy season 4, not only because I believe the background music was sometimes much louder than the dialogue, but because it showed each member of the family separately. While I understand that was the point, it threw off the "vibe" of the first three seasons. I agree that there were a lot of really timely and funny callbacks, and that the structure is very unique, but to me it didn't feel like it fit. The Bluths are all self-centered (this is an obvious fact) but in my opinion, the fourth season really emphasized and overplayed on that fact. It was a huge factor in the first three seasons, but there were also moments when the family would get together and they would be more "family-like", and you could see past their selfishness. The fourth season did not do this--in fact, all you see in the characters is how self-centered and selfish they are. I would have enjoyed it more if they would have stuck to the structure of the first three seasons, instead of Netflix trying to put their own twist on it. As a die hard fan of Arrested Development, the fourth season is far from my favorite. However, as you said, I'm also very excited and anxious for the fifth season.
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