Another series of 'Arrested Development'... and a movie!

snausages

I'm not enjoying it. It's clever but not particularly funny. The episodes are too long. I like the character-centric intro titles, but that's it.

Episode 5

And they let Tobias in on the joke!!!!:mad::mad::mad:

johnny_ultimate

Watched the first four episodes and enjoying 'em. First episode was probably the funniest, TBH, the mothball joke was fantastic. Like the meta-plot that begins developing in the fourth episode, really makes me hope that film gets made to see all the self-aware shenanigans that it would involve. So far anyway they're managing the line between self-referential and new content well, and very much appreciating the range of supporting cast members / cameos they've lined up (

John Slattery!

). Not enough Gob yet though!

The only time I've really noticed the greenscreen bits were during the George Sr. and Oscar scenes, but that's a given

ScrubsfanChris

I love the "watermark" over the flashbacks of season 3

KeithM89

The 3rd episode isnt great but picks up significantly after it. Giving Michael a

google street view car

was a stroke of genius

snausages

Taking a break from binging. Gob's episode is probably the best so far but Ron Howard's incessant narration is making this very difficult to watch. It's not like the new structure even needs the constant recaps.

FreeFallin94

Ok so basically I wasn't enjoying it too much until I got to episode 7. Now I realise that I wasn't enjoying it too much because there was not enough GOB!. Episode 7 is really, really funny. I also am disappointed with Lucille this season. She hasn't been given enough one liners at all.

Washington Irving

Was finishing rewatching the original 3 seasons so just got to watch episode one now. Quite happy with it so far, loved the cameo from the entire Workaholics cast :P

KeithM89

Episode 7 (GOBs) is priceless, one of the funniest of the entire series.
Not enough buster yet though.

wandatowell

Jebus, I forgot I didn't have to wait a week to see the next episode SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

pixelburp

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Watched the first four episodes and enjoying 'em. First episode was probably the funniest, TBH, the mothball joke was fantastic. Like the meta-plot that begins developing in the fourth episode, really makes me hope that film gets made to see all the self-aware shenanigans that it would involve.

I just finished the fourth episode - enough for one day I think, binges of any kind are bad! - and to me the meta jokes are the weakest & most misjudged material so far. It was all a bit too on the nose, if not plain smug; I even found the episode dragged quite a bit, as if they hadn't enough footage to fill the episode length. That said, Isla Fisher in a corset top did help. Oh yes indeed.

Overall I'm enjoying it - the series that is, not the corset top (that's a given) - it's still as cleverly written as it was back in the original run, even if the laughs aren't as hearty and regular as before. Oh and to be honest, it's already leaps and bounds beyond the fairly horrendous "Mr. F" portion of series 3.

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

The only time I've really noticed the greenscreen bits were during the George Sr. and Oscar scenes, but that's a given

So far the most obvious instance of it was in the first episode,

when Barry, dressed in the comedy naval uniform, was speaking to Lucille and George Sr; it was extremely obvious he wasn't sharing the screen with them - he wasn't even looking at the same spot Lucille was supposed to be standing in!

Roar

Episode 1

I'll spoiler this just in case

Spoiler: ummmmm.... ehhhhhh..... hmmmmmmmm

All the pieces are in place, it just doesn't seem like the pieces fit. It looks right, it sounds right (loved Ron Howard's cough at the start of his narration!) but it feels a bit... off.

We get glimpses of Lucille and George Snr, which make you just want more. Not too sure about Kristen Wiig and Seth Rogen playing the younger versions of them.

I watched the first episode in work with two of the lads, and they felt that Jason Bateman was over acting as Michael and it didn't feel right, and I felt the same about Cera as George Michael. His timing was just.. off.

Had a couple of decent laughs in it (the "Da Michael" on the vote post it being one of the big ones) but I left with the feeling that all was not right. Hoping it kicks in to gear.

Another thing, the episodes are all 30 mins plus, and I felt the running time a bit to be honest in episode 1. Gonna try and watch as many as I can tonight, have the lads from work calling over.

wandatowell

Just watched the first episode

It does seem a bit off, something isnt quite right but I think it will all come together after an episode or two.

johnny_ultimate

pixelburp wrote: »

Overall I'm enjoying it - the series that is, not the corset top (that's a given) - it's still as cleverly written as it was back in the original run, even if the laughs aren't as hearty and regular as before. Oh and to be honest, it's already leaps and bounds beyond the fairly horrendous "Mr. F" portion of series 3.

The reason I wanted to see this series is season three was only so-so, if not at times straight up dull, and there's no doubt a better way to send off the characters. As you say, I think it's definitely well above the standard of three's lows so far, and although it isn't constantly uproarious belly laughing material thus far (although I have had some hearty chuckles) it has been consistently witty, smart and operating on a similarly confident tonal level as what came before. I'm going to take my time with it too, but so far it's solidly endearing fun (which TBH is sometimes all Arrested Development was in the first place).

It's a hell of a lot more effective than Red Dwarf X, to take a comparative example.

adamski8

My god i could barely hear the characters speak with the loud background music in the first ep at least, totally ruined it.

(and ive watched the first 3 seasons for the first time the same way over the last month)

Very different from the last 3 and not as good

snausages

Right, on episode 10 and I think that's enough binging for today. I think it's been pretty woeful tbh. Certainly the worst of the four and tbh I think people really overstate how bad the Mr F stuff was in S3. I certainly didn't mind it. It was a good deal funnier and wittier than the bizarelly forced zany nonsense that is S4. The character interactions, even the ones without compositing, are stilted and unnatural, the characters absurd parodies of their former selves. The callbacks to old jokes are less self-assured and subtle than before.

It's all very clever and self referential but it just isn't funny. GOB is an exception.

titan18

Just finished the season and it's not as good as the earlier seasons. It's a mess and barely watchable until Gob's episode at 7. Gets a bit weak again, but has a strong end to the season imo with episodes focused on Gob,Buster and George Michael (who I didn't mind too much). It gets extremely weak when it's focused on the others, and due to the way it's done with each episode being focused on events from that character's perspective, there's a lot of crap in there imo.

adamski8

Wow have watched 3eps and man is it bad. The ten year gap doesnt help things. Lindsey doesnt look like the same person! david cross has enjoyed his cake!

A fan edit could improve things massively from what I've seen in the first 4 episodes, take 5-10 minutes off each one, get them to a 21-22 minute running time. A few sequences could've been gotten rid of altogether, some could have been shortened and a lot of the narration was overdone.

pleasant Co.

can't wait to just enjoy this season, won't be critiquing it myself as it is what it is

Now, to unsubscribe from this thread :P

adamski8

pleasant Co. wrote: »

can't wait to just enjoy this season, won't be critiquing it myself as it is what it is

Now, to unsubscribe from this thread :P

It is what it is? What he hell does that mean? I couldnt wait to enjoy it either but its a pile of crap

lertsnim

Oh ninja please

Giruilla

Wow.. please tell me I'm not the only one who's cringing at this clear cash in. What a disappointment. That second episode was beyond awful.. I didnt laugh once. When the episode ended I'd actually forgot I was watching an arrested development episode...

rossy1044

Giruilla wrote: »

Wow.. please tell me I'm not the only one who's cringing at this clear cash in. What a disappointment. That second episode was beyond awful.. I didnt laugh once. When the episode ended I'd actually forgot I was watching an arrested development episode...

I was a bit unsure after the first two episodes but I think it definitely improves as it goes along. I still would have preferred if they hadn't changed the dynamic and focused the episodes on individual characters but I think it mostly works. It does seems there's a lot less jokes now though.

FreeFallin94

You know what? Even though I am not crazy about the season so far I still think a movie could be great against the background of season 4. All of the characters would actually be together, so we would have those great family interactions which made AD so hilarious in the first place. Or, a season 5 which returned to the original format against the background of season 4. The writing of this season is still really, really clever (I am on episode 9 and I found that once you reach episode 7 everything starts to fall in to place and you can appreciate the first few episodes) so I do think it is entirely possible for AD to be great again if it were possible to get ALL of the cast properly back together again.

pixelburp

FreeFallin94 wrote: »

[...] Or, a season 5 which returned to the original format against the background of season 4. [...]

Very unlikely this will ever happen; many have gone on record saying this show was a tying off of plots and arcs, something they didn't really get a chance with on series 3 (given how unceremoniously it was canned by Fox).

And the sole reason for this focus on one character per episode was simply because the main cast have gone on to have full, varied careers themselves (look at Bateman and Cera, effectively a staple of Hollywood comedies) & logistically it was simply impossible to get everyone into a studio for the shooting of a full season.

KeithM89

Its not as great as the previous seasons but calling it sh1t is harsh, its still better than 90% of other tv comedies. Its a slow start but once it hits 6/7, it picks up greatly. Lots of amazing hidden jokes too (

especially at the funeral

)

The supporting cast is phenomenal, im amazed how many previous bit-part characters returned, from the Veals even to ed helms who appeared for less than one minute in a previous season.

Best moment so far was when Ron said he was picturing a Phillip Seymour Hoffman 'type' actor, then it cuts to andy richter.

FreeFallin94

pixelburp wrote: »

Very unlikely this will ever happen; many have gone on record saying this show was a tying off of plots and arcs, something they didn't really get a chance with on series 3 (given how unceremoniously it was canned by Fox).

And the sole reason for this focus on one character per episode was simply because the main cast have gone on to have full, varied careers themselves (look at Bateman and Cera, effectively a staple of Hollywood comedies) & logistically it was simply impossible to get everyone into a studio for the shooting of a full season.

Oh yeah I know it would be impossible to get the full cast back for a full season, wishful thinking I suppose :L But if the movie does happen then I am gonna be optimistic because at least the actors will all be together properly. I think that has the potential to be great!

johnny_ultimate

snausages wrote: »

the characters absurd parodies of their former selves

Happy to accept this isn't working for some (and even though it's generally working for me it's hardly the pinnacle of television or even or this show), but can't possibly agree with this criticism. Arrested Development has always been about absurd parodies. No-one in it has ever resembled a remotely credible human being, even Michael. Almost more than any other comedy show out there, it's always been about complete, unfiltered farce populated by extreme caricatures. From what I've seen of this season so far it conforms with that general ideology, and can't say any of the characters have in any significant way deviated from their previous identities. I'm still at the early stages, mind.

A Neurotic

Lindsay's face, my god.

Enjoying it so far, but it does feel a little "off". Didn't enjoy Lindsay's episode or Michael's second episode very much. Tobias' is the best so far for me.

lertsnim

The Tobias episode was the best so far for me too. That's as far as I have gotten