The Good: Funny, Good acting, Amusing storylines
The Bad: Characters are almost universally unlikable, Plays same card (joke) repetitively.
The Basics: On DVD, Arrested Development shines as one of the best ensemble comedies of our time with a dysfunctional family of self-absorbed individuals and one son who binds them.
Perhaps the best moment in the DVD presentation of Arrested Development Season Two comes on the blooper reel. At the end of the reel, actor David Cross, who plays Tobias, artfully tells the camera and the audience a list of the awards the show had won and suggests that the problem with Arrested Development is not the writing, acting, directing or anything associated with the actual show, but rather with the marketing. He takes the marketing department at Fox to task for failing to capitalize on Arrested Development and, well, to market it effectively.
Following the escape of white-collar criminal George Bluth Sr. from prison, Michael Bluth abandoned the Bluth Company and his family, taking his son George-Michael and heading for Phoenix. Unfortunately for Michael, he forgot to get his last paycheck before going and he and George-Michael find themselves once again living in the model home of the Bluth Company with Michael's assorted siblings and in-laws.
While Michael strives to hold the Bluth Company together, he begins dating again and he finds himself in a power play with Gob for head of the company. Lucille continues to manipulate her children and the search for George Bluth takes a turn when an unlikely family member stumbles upon him. And once George is found, Buster loses something important . . . and hilarity ensues.
Arrested Development was, quite simply, too smart for the Fox audience. That is not to say the audience that continues to keep The Simpsons on the air is not smart enough to enjoy Arrested Development. But Fox, whose motto ought to be "Three episodes to success . . . or you're outta' here!," failed to keep Arrested Development in a stable timeslot, failed to promote the show and basically failed to market it. The series won its second season simply by blowing away the few people who watched it sufficiently to win all kinds of awards, like the Emmy for Best Comedy. Take that, marketing department! It's pretty much impossible to cancel the Emmy Award-winning Best Comedy right after it won, so Arrested Development got a second season and with the strength of the DVD sales, we're glad it got a third.
This show is essentially a comedy documentary on the fall of a family. Every member of the Bluth family is self-involved, with most of the family members never noticing what is going on in the lives of the others in the family. So, for example, no one notices that Maeby, Tobias and Lindsay's fifteen year-old daughter, has managed to land a job as a movie producer. The obliviousness of the characters to the people most important to them results in much humor.
But even better is the speed and quality of the dialogue. In one of the three commentary tracks in this boxed set, one of the participants notes that everything seen in the episode they are commenting on is packing into twenty-two minutes and it's fairly amazing how much can be accomplished in so short a span. This is a sharp show where the humor turns quickly on a muttered phrase, a look or the sudden changing of a circumstance.
Also, Arrested Development utilizes a narrator, a la a documentary, which keeps casual viewers up-to-date, reminds loyal viewers and amuses those who pay attention to it. What could be a cheap device is utilized quite effectively and Ron Howard, who voices the narrator, is an exceptional choice for the part.
Like all great works - and in its second season, Arrested Development hits a stride few comedies ever manage to - the show is about characters. Here is how season two finds the primaries:
Michael Bluth - Continually plagued by problems with the Bluth Company and trying hard to raise his son despite the influence of his other family members, he finds himself in the dating world once again. This season, he finds himself dating the daughter of the rival housing development company and in a tug-of-war with Gob for the leadership of the Bluth Company,
Lindsay Funke - While still Michael's confidant and twin sister, Lindsay begins to strike out on her own as she and her husband Tobias try opening up their marriage,
Gob - The magician, still blacklisted by the Alliance, attempts to run the Bluth Company in the absence of George and finds himself in over his head. This leads him to attempt to woo the Alliance with increasingly dangerous illusions,
Buster - In his quest to distance himself from his mother, Buster finds himself volunteered for the Army. As he prepares to ship out to Iraq, though, he learns a startling truth about his family and his father, which leads to tragedy,
George-Michael - Distancing himself from his cousin Maeby, he begins to explore a relationship with a bland Christian Fundamentalist named Ann Veal. His new relationship leads him to protests and family events with another family, possibly stranger than his own,
Maeby Funke - In an effort to help her father, Tobias, and rebel against Lindsay, the youngest member of the Bluth-Funke family swindles a school into charity drives and lands a job as a script editor/producer for a motion picture company,
Tobias Funke - Oblivious to the problems between himself and Lindsay, he becomes convinced he would be an ideal understudy for the Blue Man Group, until his professional attempts land him far from his family and his method of return becomes . . . disturbing,
Oscar Bluth - George's twin brother, harassed by police for his resemblance to fugitive George, finds himself living with Lucille. His attempt to rekindle a romance with Lucille and act as a father to Buster put him in the crosshairs of George's vengeance,
Lucille Bluth - Still meddling in the lives of her children and the Bluth Company, Lucille volunteers Buster for the Army, takes Oscar as a lover once again and essentially makes herself a pain to Michael with her spending habits,
and George Bluth - On the run from the law for allegedly building housing developments in Iraq, George finds himself on the run. After leaving Mexico, where he is presumed dead, he takes up residence closer to the family than any suspect, where he begins to go somewhat batty.
Arrested Development's characters are all self-centered and generally unlikable. What keeps the viewer engrossed in their story is the quality of the acting. The performers in this show are brilliant, creating one of the most memorable casts on television with performers who are not terribly well known separately.
Tony Hale plays Buster with brilliant awkwardness, David Cross brings his considerable comedic talents to the mix as Tobias and Portia de Rossi is fabulous as the always-preoccupied Lindsay. The children, Michael Cera as George-Michael and Alia Shawkat hold their own with established veterans like Jessica Walter (Lucille) and Jeffrey Tambor (George and Oscar). Given the absurdity of his character, it was a surprise on the commentary to learn that Will Arnett was primarily a dramatic actor before landing Arrested Development.
But it is Jason Bateman who is given the heavy lifting on Arrested Development. As his character ties together the family and business, Bateman's performance ties the viewer to the show. As the least objectionable character, Bateman evokes empathy for this family that would otherwise be delicious to watch crumble. He is funny with a very quick delivery and a simple ability to play a bemused expression with subtlety. It is no surprise he was nominated for awards as Michael Bluth.
Anyone who enjoys intelligent, serialized comedy and is looking for something new and clever will enjoy Arrested Development Season Two. And one of the nice things is, this show is very accessible to new viewers, including a bonus on disc one that recaps season one. Outside the repetition of some jokes that were pretty well beaten to death in the first season, this is a unique and charming series that will continue to entertain viewers for years.
For other worthwhile second seasons of comedies, please check out my reviews of:
Frasier Season Two
Gilmore Girls The Complete Second Season
30 Rock Season 2
9/10
For other television reviews, please check out my index page on the subject by clicking here!
© 2011, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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