Season 4 feels like a long convoluted TV reunion special that's ramping up to a feature film. There's a lot of set up and little to no pay off. Without the structure of a network sitcom the episodes meander on to thirty plus minutes losing the quick passing and fast editing which gave the original series it's edge. Without having to make hard choices many scenes and jokes are left in, at times bringing episodes to a complete halt, which should be cut. Repetition is used often to ill effect. Season 4 relies to heavily and everyone watching it knowing all the intimate details of the characters and back story as well as long protracted expositional flashbacks which often serve no other purpose than setting up the present plot which ultimately goes no where.
The reason the original series worked was because Michael was, ultimately, a good guy. We sympathized with him, we liked him. He was trying to keep the family together, a noble cause. In this ill conceived Frankenstein no characters are likable, every character is shallow and deplorable and self serving. Each episodes focus is on a different character which loses site of one of the key things that worked originally. Getting a taste of Gob or Tobias or Buster or Lindsay is great. They come in make some jokes and walk out. Whole episodes following those characters have no real comedic moments because none of these characters are based in any semblance of reality.
The one thing I enjoyed about Season 4 was the structure. They very cleverly and artfully weave the intervening years since the show has been off the year together with the present plot line with everything connecting. Which is all well and good if anything was actually happening or if we, as an audience, actually cared which we don't.
A miss, a most palpable miss.
If an Arrested Development movie comes out I'll see it. But hey, I saw Jack Reacher in theaters opening night.
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