Author Topic: Arrested Development coming back, no for real this time. (Read 12720 times)

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #120 on:** May 26, 2013, 02:44:56 PM »

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I've watched like 8 episodes. It's okay but its not nearly as good as the original show which I think was to be expected. It's simply not as funny. Which is not to say there aren't funny things in it but it simply isn't funny on a consistent basis like the old show was. It really comes down to that. It's simply not as tight nor as clever, nor as revolutionary as the original episodes. It's like listening to a comeback album. A lot the admiration is simply based on nostalgia and being happy to see the old faces together. It's nothing to get up in arms about. It's not like the original show doesn't exist or anything or that these episodes have tarnished anything. I'm glad they did it to scratch the itch so we can all sort of move along now.

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Don Flamenco · « **Reply #121 on:** May 26, 2013, 02:51:19 PM »

#objectiveopinions

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #122 on:** May 26, 2013, 03:29:39 PM »

meh, I quite like it. However I don't really like the new format, character-based episodes can be quite limiting. Hopefully once all of them are addressed it starts to feel much more like the ensemble format of the first three seasons.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #123 on:** May 26, 2013, 03:44:05 PM »

I liked the first episode okay, even if it did have a few spots that fell flat. I'll probably watch one more today and then space the rest of the episode out across about a week and half, don't want to rush through it all and not have time to really enjoy each episode.

Barry Egan · « **Reply #124 on:** May 26, 2013, 04:09:10 PM »

BrandNew is on point. The writing is layered and sharp. What hurts the show the most is the piecemeal structure of the production, which makes it feel less dynamic. But it's a minor complaint. These episodes will hold up insanely well to repeat viewings just as the older seasons did.

Sausage · « **Reply #125 on:** May 26, 2013, 04:22:14 PM »

It was worth it for anustart

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #126 on:** May 26, 2013, 04:26:04 PM »

Finished up 10 episodes. I'll stop for today and finish up the rest tomorrow.

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As far as a clever intertwining plot that's fine and all but for me it doesn't overcome the limitations of the writing simply not being as funny or the show not being edited as well. Some scenes just seem to go on forever. A lot of it feels like stuff that would have been cut from the original to fix the pacing. Yeah it also doesn't help that its not a normal show where everybody is available for every scene to create a really fluid situation. As far as things I like, the story definitely seems a bit darker and less needing to end on family friendly themes that a network would really make you have. Everybody is really pathetic and they really embrace that here rather than trying to end episodes on high upbeat notes like the original show more often aimed for

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TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #127 on:** May 26, 2013, 05:08:46 PM »

That write up reminds me of literally every one of my issues with watching the first three seasons without watching them again.

This seems exactly as layered, with the same subtleties and misdrections as the originals. I'm sure once there's a second go-round, it'll get better and better.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #128 on:** May 26, 2013, 05:44:16 PM »

I'm not really trying to convince anybody they should feel what I feel. I haven't even read what GAF thinks of the show. My opinion isn't that the new episodes are shit. I mean I think the original run of the show was a 10. Probably the best comedy ever on American TV. If I think these episodes fall a bit short that's only because of that standard. If the originals were a 10 then these are like a 7 on my pretend scale. Some of the episodes are a bit lower and some of them are bit higher than that of course.

Arrested Development was definitely great because it was layered and had misdirections but it wasn't great just because of that. There were lots of lots of reasons why. So even if you duplicate that layered plot stuff there is still a lot it needs to get right to hit those incredible highs. But if you are getting the same enjoyment out of it, then I'm not going to tell you, you are wrong. Entertainment is obviously subjective. In fact I think you will like the later episodes better because they are stronger than the earlier ones imo.

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #129 on:** May 26, 2013, 06:06:39 PM »

oh no no don't take what I said as a disagreement, I mostly agree with you. But I'm of the mind that, at least personally, I felt pretty much the same way as you while watching the original series for the first time. But I still laughed a lot that first run-through. What makes AD so great isn't its on-the-surface jokes and batshit plot; its the rewatching, the intricacies, and the nods to other things in pop culture, curent events, and, well, the nods to itself.

I'm thinking this series will largely be the same, just with the sheen of nostalgia and older (uglier) cast members. So people just can't quite recreate that initial attachment to the original series that might exist for this season.

But c'mon, the George Sr. episode was fucking great. Chloe's silent role is amazing.

Beezy · « **Reply #130 on:** May 26, 2013, 06:11:57 PM »

Quote from: BrandNew on May 26, 2013, 06:06:39 PM

But c'mon, the George Sr. episode was fucking great. Chloe's silent role is amazing.

Yeah, Heartfire and that asian lady were hilarious in all their scenes.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #131 on:** May 26, 2013, 06:51:36 PM »

Fuck it. I keep watching them as I kinda want see how it finishes. Episode 11 was my favorite so far. Hilarious one.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #132 on:** May 26, 2013, 07:12:50 PM »

12 was very good also. Yeah I think the back half is a lot better than the first half.

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #133 on:** May 26, 2013, 07:42:47 PM »

I think the main problem is that the episodes are too long. When it was on Fox they only had 22 minutes per episode, so they were tighter with the editing and the show had a more rapid-fire pacing. Moments drag on a bit too long in the new ones. Also, it's really obvious the cast was filming a lot of segments apart from each other.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #134 on:** May 26, 2013, 07:44:23 PM »

Quote from: Eel O'Brian on May 26, 2013, 07:42:47 PM

Also, it's really obvious the cast was filming a lot of segments apart from each other.

That's my biggest problem so far, but there probably wasn't a whole lot they could do about that.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #135 on:** May 26, 2013, 11:53:50 PM »

The "Thanksgiving Miracle"

cool breeze · « **Reply #136 on:** May 27, 2013, 01:05:29 AM »

I'm digging the obvious green screening and general patched togetherness of this. it's like big budget public access.

Barry Egan · « **Reply #137 on:** May 27, 2013, 01:34:28 AM »

A New Attitude is amazing.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #138 on:** May 27, 2013, 01:44:47 AM »

Quote from: Barry Egan on May 27, 2013, 01:34:28 AM

A New Attitude is amazing.

Yeah that was my favorite episode. I finished up the season tonight. It was good. My impressions improved after the second half and how things start to string together. It was enjoyable. I think every character had strong moments. There were some exceptionally funny bits. Its definitely darker than the original episodes. It's still not as classic as the original episodes but I liked it for some different reasons.

I hope they do another season rather than a movie. A movie would fix the issue of them not being able to film characters together more often but I honestly think AD is more suited to the episodic nature it currently has.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Some of the stuff I loved.

Everything in episode 11. The Gob and Tony Wonder stuff was amazing. Everything about the predators at the housing development was great. Busters killing people gleefully with the drones. It may not have been as tight as the earlier seasons but there was really some funny stuff especially in the second half.

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BobFromPikeCreek · « **Reply #139 on:** May 27, 2013, 02:22:50 AM »

it takes a few episodes to get its momentum going, but when it gets good it really gets good. huzzah! AD is back and it's still great!

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #140 on:** May 27, 2013, 12:36:07 PM »

"Me and my brother were hid up in the rafters, we seen the whole thing!"

Barry Egan · « **Reply #141 on:** May 27, 2013, 12:36:59 PM »

so I just finished the season while spackling my room. I'm going to sit with it for a little, but I think this is my favorite of the series.

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I came in to Blockheads with the expectation that they would find a way to get the entire family together for a big finale, but the direction the writers took things made me realize that the scheduling conflicts may have been beneficial to the show in some ways. Michael getting a deserved punch in the face was emotionally satisfying and understated without being contrived. By contrast, imagine if they had contrived a way to get the entire family together for a big finale. Given how splintered the characters are from one another, it definitely would have rung false. And given who these characters were from the very beginning, it really kind of makes more sense that they would be fractured from one another, and many of the situations where they were all together in past seasons did feel contrived. They did such a good job with this that it makes me think that the pressure to have everyone participating in every episode may be just as bad, if not worse, than the pressure to keep the characters relatively separate.

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I also just rewatched the first 5 minutes of the first episode of season 4. Nearly every line is foreshadowing. If only LOST was this tightly conceived.

helios · « **Reply #142 on:** May 27, 2013, 01:03:13 PM »

Quote from: Exodust SoulBurn on May 27, 2013, 02:09:32 AM

3 episodes in. I was initially disappointed by the start but halfway through the first episode I was very much enjoying it. It never was going to be exactly the same and I feel like it does the return well explaining all the ins and outs of what happened with each character.

Man Portia De Rossi stopped being a looker. She looks like an anorexic hooker in this.

Something was... off. I think it's her big ass forehead. When she has bangs or when she has her short hair, she looks hot.

Barry Egan · « **Reply #143 on:** May 27, 2013, 01:06:15 PM »

it's clearly tons of facial reconstruction.

Human Snorenado · « **Reply #144 on:** May 27, 2013, 01:07:58 PM »

I think Ellen has been beating her, guys.

Diunx · « **Reply #145 on:** May 27, 2013, 01:30:51 PM »

at Mark telling Lindsey she looks like a meth addict

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #146 on:** May 27, 2013, 02:23:11 PM »

MST3K was featured in episode 5.

Edit: So far I'd rank the episodes: 4 > 5 > 1 > 3 > 2

4 and 5 were just great, really felt like how I remember the show being in the first three seasons [minus the ensemble]. 1 and 3 were okay, but kinda shaky. 2 is the only episode so far that I'd really consider skipping on a rewatch. Jeffrey Tambor and Jeffrey Tambo just wasn't that funny, and I didn't care for the story as much. It had a few moments, but it's definitely the weakest. Even if the series just stays AS GOOD AS episode 4 and 5, I'll be more than happy.

MyNameIsMethodis · « **Reply #147 on:** May 27, 2013, 05:40:46 PM »

this is really really relaly bad. horrible.

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #148 on:** May 27, 2013, 06:16:59 PM »

gee, who would've thought methodis continues to have shit taste

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #149 on:** May 27, 2013, 06:24:00 PM »

also I guess I was the only one who loved episode 2. heartfire stole the show

helios · « **Reply #150 on:** May 27, 2013, 06:55:29 PM »

Quote from: MyNameIsMethodis on May 27, 2013, 05:40:46 PM

this is really really relaly bad. horrible.

How far have you gotten?

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #151 on:** May 27, 2013, 07:05:08 PM »

Quote from: BrandNew on May 27, 2013, 06:24:00 PM

also I guess I was the only one who loved episode 2. heartfire stole the show

Like I said, it does have its moments, but pretty much everything else just wasn't that funny.

MyNameIsMethodis · « **Reply #152 on:** May 27, 2013, 07:27:41 PM »

im up ot episode 10 and i liked AD before it was cool to like AD. don't give me this bs about "having bad taste" this is just bad.

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #153 on:** May 27, 2013, 07:37:20 PM »

oh fuck off methodis, plenty of people liked arrested development when it was on

MyNameIsMethodis · « **Reply #154 on:** May 27, 2013, 07:41:03 PM »

not when i watched it during season 1

helios · « **Reply #155 on:** May 27, 2013, 08:17:28 PM »

Quote from: MyNameIsMethodis on May 27, 2013, 07:41:03 PM

not when i watched it during season 1

You were clearly ahead of the times

Flannel Boy · « **Reply #156 on:** May 27, 2013, 08:31:25 PM »

I disliked methodis before it was popular.

bachikarn · « **Reply #157 on:** May 27, 2013, 08:36:45 PM »

The second half of the season is definitely way better. On ep 12 now.

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #158 on:** May 27, 2013, 09:48:33 PM »

oh god the tobias episodes

helios · « **Reply #159 on:** May 27, 2013, 10:03:57 PM »

Quote from: BrandNew on May 27, 2013, 09:48:33 PM

oh god the tobias episodes

It's just a fallacy.

MyNameIsMethodis · « **Reply #160 on:** May 27, 2013, 10:41:20 PM »

this is absolutely horrendous. it's like the crew who wrote Running Wilde wrote these episodes. like they thought the reason why everyone liked AD was for racist jokes and the narration.

Human Snorenado · « **Reply #161 on:** May 27, 2013, 11:06:05 PM »

Hey guys, remember when I said that un-lepering methodis would be a mistake, and everyone was all "lolz no?"

Human Snorenado · « **Reply #162 on:** May 27, 2013, 11:07:05 PM »

On topic, I've only watched the first episode, and yes it definitely dragged and was too long. But Michael's patheticness and the awkward interactions with GM leading up to him getting voted out was incredible.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #163 on:** May 27, 2013, 11:25:37 PM »

"I'm not a limo driver, I'm just a gentleman honey-farmer!"

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #164 on:** May 28, 2013, 12:36:47 AM »

demi ban methodis

MyNameIsMethodis · « **Reply #165 on:** May 28, 2013, 11:23:05 AM »

yes god forbid i'm not a rabid fanboy who thinks anything AD is god tier

this is bad. the characters are all forced except for Lucille and Gob. Most of the actors forgot how to act their parts. They lost the subtletly of lots of the characters etc.

Steve Contra · « **Reply #166 on:** May 28, 2013, 12:32:23 PM »

Watched the entire thing. Starts off a little slow but one the all the pieces come together it's pretty much exactly what I was hoping for.

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Tommy Tune and Tobias making a Fantastic 4 musical? Amazing

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Oh and Isla Fisher

Steve Contra · « **Reply #167 on:** May 28, 2013, 12:36:08 PM »

It was quite a bit darker than the first three seasons, but it really worked.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #168 on:** May 28, 2013, 12:41:34 PM »

One thing I liked is how Michael was brought in line with the other characters. I always though it was phony and sort of typical of network tv where you need to have a central very likable character with how they treated him. His flaws were glossed over. I like how this season without a network, they were able to show how he has his own significant flaws that are often just as dysfunctional as the rest of the family.

Of course as with all opinions some people disagree.

Quote

This is to say nothing of the fact that the new season doesn't really have a central, relatable character. In the end, that becomes George-Michael, but his ascension takes 11 episodes to arrive. The problem is Michael: "Arrested Development" was always filtered through his perspective, but the new episodes make Michael into just another Bluth. It doesn't really work: Michael -- and Jason Bateman as Michael -- was a great character because he could observe the Bluth madness and comment on it without completely succumbing to the insanity ("Has anyone in this family ever even seen a chicken?"). With the ensemble so fractured however, he's almost rudderless. Michael becomes increasingly unsympathetic and unfunny throughout Season 4, and it's a twist that doesn't work -- at least on first viewing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-rosen/arrested-development-disappointing_b_3342879.html

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #169 on:** May 28, 2013, 01:10:39 PM »

I disagree completely with that article

helios · « **Reply #170 on:** May 28, 2013, 01:21:47 PM »

Michael was an asshole throughout the entire show.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #171 on:** May 28, 2013, 01:36:03 PM »

He was flawed throughout the entire run but they really lean into in this Season 4 and that it has consequences.

MyNameIsMethodis · « **Reply #172 on:** May 28, 2013, 01:54:24 PM »

a 4 chan joke arrested development is so funny le lol

Snuflupagulus · « **Reply #173 on:** May 28, 2013, 02:24:20 PM »

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anustart

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Yeah. Had to rewind to make sure I heard correctly. Stupid but

Fuggin' Tobias.

Hock · « **Reply #174 on:** May 28, 2013, 10:05:59 PM »

The first half is good but disappointing ( i think it will be better on a rewatch) , everything comes together in the second half and feels right. I didn't feel like the actors forgot how to play the characters right at all, outside of them aging everything feels pretty much the same. Though I haven't watched the series in years.

Diunx · « **Reply #175 on:** May 29, 2013, 01:32:38 AM »

Steve Holt is fucking HUGE!

episode 7 is fantastic.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #176 on:** May 29, 2013, 01:35:07 AM »

Quote from: Diunx on May 29, 2013, 01:32:38 AM

Steve Holt is fucking HUGE! episode 7 is fantastic.

Just watched that episode myself. So good. GOB is best Bluth.

And I seriously can't believe that guy is Steve Holt. It's not possible.

etiolate · « **Reply #177 on:** May 29, 2013, 03:16:56 PM »

I do feel there are some elements in the reboot that are sorely missing. A show about lunacy does need some sort of sane center for the lunacy to bounce off of even if Michael was always a very flawed center, it worked. I also feel the layering of events and goings-on that would normally produce jokes suffers from the structure of this reboot. The story lacks momentum due to being so fragmented, and that momentum was always a part of the humor of the show's layering of jokes and self-references. By the time we see

spoiler (click to show/hide)

that Tobias is in India with Lindsay, I've already long figured it out, then forgotten about it, and am now sort of annoyed that it's coming back again while I've moved on in the story.

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When there's the momentum of whole story moving forward, that little reveal feels like it comes sooner and has more impact. When it's epsiodes later, I feel like I'm rehashing a rehash that I care less about.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #178 on:** May 29, 2013, 05:42:23 PM »

I think what happens a little too often with this season is that the plot sometimes feels ruthlessly pushed forward. Each episode needs to hit certain points to push the story forward or tie in the connections so it feels mechanical some times.

Hitler Stole My Potato · « **Reply #179 on:** May 29, 2013, 06:02:22 PM »

Needs more Buster. I'm up to episode 12 and he's hardly been in any of them.

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Author Topic: Arrested Development coming back, no for real this time. (Read 12720 times)