On Arrested Development

This week for my blog post I decided to analyze the Netflix Original series Arrested Development. The series looks into the life of the Bluth family. Even from the first episode it's clear the writers for the show are trying to make this family based sitcom into more than just a way to binge entertainment for a few hours. Throughout the show there are many aspects of family life that the writers indirectly discuss like trust, mooching money, jealousy between siblings and much more.

In the beginning of the show the wonder-child Michael Bluth is vying for a promotion from his father that he believed he had long deserved. Even from the beginning the character of Michael is built into a reliable brother/son that the whole family is going to be able to count on, but from the way his family responds to him it appears that Michael's character will leave him being relied on often times throughout the show by the other members of the family. Often times in families there's a single member of a family that acts as a leader for the rest of the family. A character that everyone goes to to solve their problems and to make everything better, and that seems to be a role Michael will fit perfectly.

The show writers views on family don't end there. The show looks deeply into parenting as seen by George Bluth Sr. and Lucille Bluth. Throughout the show these two are built into unreliable characters who often times use their family to their own benefit often times hurting the other members of the family. This view seems to be contrasted from what most television parents are like, but it builds up the characters of the entire family. The irresponsibility of the parents and their ability to blur moral lines is a trait that was given to two of the four Bluth children. G.O.B. and Linsday are both selfish characters who focus primarily of themselves even when they themselves have children. Buster and Michael are the  only characters that seem to break off from their parent's actions. Michael found a way to make himself into what he perceives to be a better man, while Buster is so coddled by his mother that he doesn't have any means to be selfish since he is so devoted to his mother. Regardless of which Bluth child you look at there seems to be a clear point from the writers that the parent's lack luster parenting skills lead to troubled children who ultimately don't trust each other or keep family values above all else.

Though the show has many other points that it makes about family values these two seemed to be the most prevalent in the first and following episodes. If one were to analyze the show further they would find many other life lessons about family and parenting. Its clear the writers made this show in a way that would allow in-depth analysis while still maintaining a comedic nature in a light up-beat manner.