On the heels of Arrested Development season 5s confirmation, we explore the underappreciated fourth season of the show.
Netflix wants you to know theyre very sorry aboutArrested Developmentseason 4.
Its good marketing and some dank social media content but in our estimation an apology is not necessary.
Yes, of the four seasons ofArrested Development, season 4 just happens to be the worst.
And as anyone who has attended a karaoke night with coworkers knows: you never want to go first.
Arrested Developmentseason 4 had the dubious honor of being the first canceled TV show rescued by a streaming service.
For one: the editing is not as tight as it had been in previous seasons.
Perhaps the biggest strength ofArrested Developmentwas how heavily and stylistically it was edited in its first three seasons.
Episodes were a bit longer and scenes themselves carried longer than expected.
The experience was certainly jarring to viewers who had become accustomed toArrested Developments initial rapid rhythm.
And then there was the casting issue that Netflix poked fun at in its season 5 announcement.
Instead, the show adopted the model of each episode focusing on one character.
This format was different from the one fans had grown accustomed to.
Its understandable that some would feel cheated or let down.
When they do, theyre going to discover something that surprises them: its great.
Yes, its different.
Yes, its probably the least effective of the shows four seasons.
The lax editing is still an issue but the character-per-episode format is shockingly effective.
Arrested Developmenthas always been best known for its structural ingenuity.
Later his hand is bitten off by a loose seal (Lucille, get it?)
The character-centric episodes mean that the audience experiences many of the same events over and over again.
Each time the viewer gets a new bit of information making the situation that much funnier.
GOB engages in the most elaborate and needless love affair in history with Tony Wonder (Ben Stiller).
Lindsay makes the acquaintance of the hilariously corrupt and selfish Herbert Love (Terry Crews).
And Michael and George Michael come to actual fisticuffs over the lovely Rebel Alley (Isla Fisher).
Arrested Developmentseason 5 is coming soon and with it the cure for all of season 4s perceived sins.
