Arrested Development (Season 4)

[Qrazy]

Done.

Boomerang. Looks like Lucy Schwartz has a new hit single on her hands.

[Henry Gale]

The Showstealer Trial Version watermark threw me right off the bat, but then I realized what it actually said and thought it was a pretty funny if oddly niche kind of joke to throw in there (which is saying something for a show that's always specialized in that sort of thing).

But has anyone else noticed random Facebook-message notification sounds pop up a couple of times pretty prominently in the mix in ways that don't make sense to anything happening on-screen? I've watched the first 8 episodes over two different Netflix apps (Xbox and Blu-ray) and both times I've heard it in an episode.

[Lucky]

They're still bleeping the show on Netflix? Curious.

[number8]

They're still bleeping the show on Netflix? Curious.

It's an intentional choice. Hurwitz thinks it's funnier that way.

His thinking is that Ron Howard is a wholesome guy, and he's not just a narrator, he also interacts with the show and edits the presentation, and Opie decided that he doesn't like to see certain things or hear certain words.

[Mara]

[

Show Spoiler

She is hairless like her father. Hence, has never had to shave her legs.

]

AHA!

[Mara]

I'd kind of forgotten how strong a comic actor Michael Cera is. The passive-aggressive voice mail fight between him and Bateman in episode 13 is golden.

[Kurosawa Fan]

It's an intentional choice. Hurwitz thinks it's funnier that way.

Hurwitz is correct.

[EvilShoe]

Downloaded the eps to watch the season with some work friends later this week. Wanted to check the first minute to see what the quality's like, ended up watching the entire episode. Must.honor.agreement.

[Ezee E]

Guess the showstealer is over my head.

Eps 3-5 have all been back on par. I wasn't worried about it getting there, but just wanted to know how long. Tobias seems to be the star here, every scene of his is hilarious.

[slqrick]

The whole thing feels less jarring as it goes on, and after 5 eps, setting up the season arc in this kind of convoluted manner was a great idea by Hurwitz. A lof rewatches will be going down in the next month or so, and rightfully so. After the initial awkwardness, the humor has really come back.

[Thirdmango]

I think the reason the showstealer gag is in so many episodes is because they at that time thought they were still going to do it where you could watch them in any order. So if you started with someone else's then you saw the gag there.

[Thirdmango]

I was planning on watching the rest last night but with two episodes left got super tired. So I went to bed and had Arrested Development fever dreams of what my dreams thought the last two episodes were. It was both hilarious and insane.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'm burned out. But can someone explain to me the thing about Sally Sitwell and the moth and the caterpillar? Did I not get it, or is it a set-up to a joke later on?

Just watched this gag.

I don't know for sure, but I'm 90% thinking

[

Show Spoiler

she's hairless like her father. She mentioned never shaving her legs, she rubs her eyebrow the same the time she freaks out about a "caterpillar," and the moth probably refers to her...uh...

[

Show Spoiler

personal area

].

]

[number8]

Speaking of subtle jokes, I found out that George Maharis was an actual TV actor in the 60s who was caught having gay sex in a public bathroom.

That. Is. An. Amazing. Joke.

[Lucky]

Maria Bamford is a great fit for this show. Just finished Ep 5, best so far.

[Lucky]

It's an intentional choice. Hurwitz thinks it's funnier that way.

His thinking is that Ron Howard is a wholesome guy, and he's not just a narrator, he also interacts with the show and edits the presentation, and Opie decided that he doesn't like to see certain things or hear certain words.

Assumed it was intentional, but interesting reason. Agreed it can sometimes be funnier. Best example I can think of is Buster's rant on Lucille in the 1st season's "Bringing up Buster."

[Qrazy]

Assumed it was intentional, but interesting reason. Agreed it can sometimes be funnier. Best example I can think of is Buster's rant on Lucille in the 1st season's "Bringing up Buster."

Also used twice to wonderful effect this season by Michael when he's singing about Rebel.

[ledfloyd]

I got through 11 last night. 9-11 were hysterical.

[Qrazy]

So does anyone else want to start speculating on the loose ends with me?

In terms of Gob's magic trick I"m guessing... [

Show Spoiler

Ann's father ruined the trick. It could have also been Ann but that seems less likely since we see the pastor peak inside and then he's forced to lie about the trick.

]

[Qrazy]

There's so much wrong in this article.

Too many callbacks and in jokes? The show is called Arrested Development FFS. The genius of the show is in repeating the exact same material again and again and again but spinning it slightly different each time. These characters (like all sitcom characters) don't change, except that this show (unlike other sitcoms) realizes that not changing over an extended period of time is actually it's own form of change. While beliefs and behaviours don't shift, time inevitably marches on (Steve Holt!). By not being able to escape their own narcissistic little worlds their family unit has begun to fracture more than ever. This is most evident in the Michael and George Michael relationship. Michael believes himself superior to his family, but even as early as season one he never truly listened to his son. Now finally he as well as all the other family members, have to come face to face with their growing alienation (hello darkness my old friend) in this techno-centric capitalist minded modern world.

[Qrazy]

Ooh I just noticed some quality foreshadowing. Full series spoilers.

After the ball pen fight... [

Show Spoiler

a kid says thanks for ruining my birthday party and hits Michael in the face with a red crayon. And as we later learn Michael ruined George Michael's birthday as well and down the road of course George Michael punches him in the face. Oh and the color of the crayon matches George Michael's shirt (overall red with black stripes). Actually upon further reflection the kid who hits Michael might be Rebel's son Lem because he's red-headed.

]

[ledfloyd]

There's so much wrong in this article.

Too many callbacks and in jokes? The show is called Arrested Development FFS.

I haven't read the article because I want to finish the series first, but I felt some of the callbacks were a bit overwrought, like the loose seal gag. A lot of them feel completely natural, but the ones that don't stick out.

[DavidSeven]

Took me a while to vibe with the format change, but I thought the season was brilliant on the whole. Exceeded my expectations. Hope there's more coming.

[Thirdmango]

as far as in jokes go, luckily some of the worst jokes weren't repeated such as the different siblings doing their own chicken dance.

[Qrazy]

as far as in jokes go, luckily some of the worst jokes weren't repeated such as the different siblings doing their own chicken dance.

The chicken dances rule.