 Arrested Development |
Sit-coms are the focus of my undying hatred. Wait, is hate too pedestrian of a word? I loathe, abhor, detest, scorn, curse, spurn, and anathematize sit-coms. Along with reality television, sit-coms are the most brain-dead junk food that you can feed your mind. The “actors” simply regurgitate one-liners in front of three or four cameras, pause unnaturally so that the editor can later insert a laugh track, exist in worlds where everyone’s a comedian yet no one is funny, and cycle through a series of ludicrous situations where the outcome doesn’t change a thing in their life. I can’t view Friends or Seinfeld without screeching like a vampire exposed to holy water, nor can I even stomach more than one viewing in a row of Everyone Loves Raymond without strongly desiring to show them that, yes, there is someone to break that titular rule.
 The Fam |
As of the time of this writing, Arrested Development has struggled through two seasons on Fox and is prepping for a third. Fox, a network that’s as infamous for developing groundbreaking shows as it is for canceling them without giving them a fair shakedown by week three, has jiggled back and forth on this show, although to be fair, none of Arrested Development’s actors or crew thought it would’ve lasted past season one. It just had such a different mold that network suits who thrive on reliable predictable aspects in shows were understandably nervous.
Don’t worry; I’ll get to the show in a second. I just want to finish this background nonsense.
Arrested Development debuted in 2003 as an already critical favorite. Many magazines and TV writers were hailing it as THE show of the year. While they didn’t change their mind (if anything, the critics’ praise of this show increased), the almighty Neilson ratings suffered, even as AD was given a slot next to The Simpsons. Although Fox didn’t yank it by the end of its first full season (22 episodes), hopes were dim for re-enlistment… until AD won an amazing five Emmys. Thus, season two and Fox’s newfound love for the show. This didn’t stop Fox from suddenly slicing the second season from 22 to 18 episodes (a fact which the makers of the show worked snarkily into one of the episodes, when a housing order got "cut" from 22 to 18), causing understandable fears that there would be no third season. Yet, here we are, as the plucky sitcom darling with millions of fierce fans and no real watchers is renewed for a third season and nominated for 11 Emmys in its second year.
Okay, okay, I know that’s probably not at all interesting to you, so I apologize. Why don’t we just cut the cake, break out the exotic dancer inside, and get to the real party?
 Poor George Michael... |
In my opinion, the narration (voiced by show creator Ron Howard) is the key for the best laughs in AD. The narrator has a distinct disdain for the family and enjoys pointing out all of their faults, contradictions, lies, errors, manipulations and mistakes, often roping in an off-screen editor to provide additional footage to underscore a point. One of my favorite moments was when the narrator was filling us in on Carl Weathers, who plays Carl Weathers in a couple episodes, and the editor – for no real reason whatsoever – plays that clip from Predator where Weathers gets his arm shot off by the alien’s laser gun. Splendid.
With the ongoing narration, the show is free to do, as the producers point out, many situations where the punchline of a joke is revealed far before the setup of the joke, urging the audience to work itself backwards and then find the whole thing to be far funnier than it would’ve been normally. For instance, in the pilot episode, the sister is watching a barge full of homosexual protestors and comments that she has “the exact same blouse” as one of the protestors. It takes most of the episode to learn – in flashback – that it’s her husband who accidentally got on the barge, thinking that it was a pirate party, and borrowed her blouse to make up his costume. Trust me, it's funnier than how I wrote it, there.
 Franklin: The politically incorrect hand puppet |
This is a much tougher problem than you might imagine.
While in his own way quite dysfunctional, Michael is the normal rose in a massively ugly briar patch of his family. His twin sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) is a self-absorbed spoiled brat married to ex-psychiatrist Tobias (David Cross), a “never-nude” (which, as the narrator points out, is exactly what it sounds like) who is obviously gay but refuses to see it. His older brother G.O.B. (pronounced “Jobe”, played to hilarious excess by Will Arnett) is a failed magician who often kills the birds he’s using in his act and is a minor league evil mastermind. His younger brother Buster (Tony Hale) is an eternal momma’s boy with no real understanding of how the world works. His mother (PCU’s Jessica Walters) is a scheming, drunk banshee, and his father a lying, manipulative jerk. This isn’t even to mention the two “innocents” in this messed-up family, Michael’s son George Michael (Michael Cera, meek to the point of death) and Lindsay’s miracle daughter Maeby (Alia Shawkat) who George Michael sort of falls in love with. Yes, they’re all twisted – and we haven’t even gotten to any of the storylines or recurring guest stars!
Here’s how the show works. From the first episode on, each half hour continues an ongoing story with continuity and multi-episode plotlines, something that would make it a bit prohibitive for a first-timer to watch if it wasn’t for the narration. Instead of doing the old TV trick of “Last week, on Melrose Place…”, Arrested Development’s narrator is always there to fill us in on what’s going on and to remind us of events that took place episodes – or even seasons – earlier. As I said, quite ingenious. As a result, instead of having all of these self-contained 22 minutes of comedy, AD is allowed to grow into its own without having to force any story to come to a quick and tidy resolution. Sure, each episode usually has a main story that it features and wraps up by the end, but not always… and there are also all of these other stories that go on around each main one. Think a soap opera, but only if it was funny, accessible and much more interesting to partake of.
 I'm so blue |
- In one episode, Tobias paints himself entirely blue to audition to become a member of the Blue Man Group. As he does so, he accidentally gets blue smudges on parts of the house during the scenes he’s interacting with other characters. Instead of getting rid of these smudges, the show’s creators obviously thought that the Bluths were too lazy to paint over them, and thus left the blue paint there for future episodes.
- Another episode has several of the characters at different points being depressed and walking away, to the tune of the classic Peanuts “sad walk song” (whatever that is) with their heads down. In one scene, there’s even a red doghouse in the background and a dog lying on top of it.
- At the end of each episode, they have a “On the next Arrested Development” preview of clips – although these clips never actually happen on the next show (they’re just thrown in for comedy value and to tie certain jokes up).
- One last one! The Bluth’s mom’s name is Lucille. Her best friend – and Buster’s sometime romantic squeeze – is also named Lucille, which has all of the characters calling her Lucille 2 (and causing Buster a lot of mother issues). In the second season, the narrator notes almost off-handedly that a character was then attacked by “a loose seal”.
I could go on and on and on, but I’d much rather just urge you to go out and get or rent the first and second season of this show and give it a fair chance. If you’ve got any sense of humor whatsoever, it’s about one of the best things that could happen to you other than getting to slam a pie into the face of your boss. Steve Holt!
Arrested Development Trivia
- Henry Winkler, who played Fonzie opposite of Ron Howard in Happy Days, is a recurring guest who plays a hapless lawyer. In one episode, he does a hand motion that’s identical to the Fonz.
- Episode 1-10 "Pier Pressure" (and the infamous J. Walter Weatherman) came about after FOX executives sent a note to the writers suggesting that in one of the episodes, Michael should "teach his son a nice lesson". If you’ve seen this episode, the lesson that’s taught is probably one of the more scarring events in George Michael’s life.
- Neither David Cross's nor Jeffrey Tambor's characters were ever intended to be regular characters. It wasn't until the actors tested so well that the writers ended up putting them regularly in the series. Ron Howard's role as the narrator was also accidental. He was merely filling in on the pilot and his voice just "worked".
- The song that plays whenever Will Arnett's character Gob performs on stage is "The Final Countdown" by Europe.
- Even before the "Altar Egos" episode, posters reading “Save Surely” can be seen on the walls when George Michael and Maeby are at school. Surely is Maeby’s secret identity as a sick kid scamming for others for money.
- The show is shot as a documentary, so character's swearing is bleeped out. However, the producers must find ways to obscure the mouths of the characters who are swearing so that they're mouths don't have to be blurred out. This is often accomplished by cutting to a shot of another character reacting to the swearing, or by blocking the mouths with objects. Sometimes the characters resort to just covering their mouths with their hands.
- David Cross improvises a large percentage of his character's dialogue.
 LAUGH. LAUGH NOW. |
Arrested Development Quotes
 The coolest car ev-ah |
Lucille: How much could a banana cost? Ten dollars?
Michael: You've never been to a supermarket, have you?
Tobias: You know, Michael, perhaps I should buy you that tape recorder. Do you have any idea how often you say the word "afraid"?
Michael: Well, I know I did in the jacuzzi.
Tobias: And I apologize for that. I thought it was a pool toy.
Narrator: Tobias had gained entry to the studio's wardrobe and makeup department. He then disguised himself to fool his wife Lindsay, see Maeby, and prove that he was a good actor. It was the exact plot of the movie Mrs. Doubtfire.
Buster: (repeated line, about his hook hand) I’m a MONSTER!
Everyone: (repeated line) I’ve made a huge mistake…
George Sr.: Daddy horny, Michael.
Lucille: [to Michael] That's not true! I love all my children equally.
Lucille: [earlier that day] I don't really care for GOB.
Michael: [looking at a gift basket Michael received] Didn't you get one of those, too? You bought Lindsay at the same auction.
Tobias: Yes, but I'm afraid I prematurely shot my wad on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now I think I have something of a mess on my hands.
Michael: Wow, there's just so many poorly chosen words in that sentence.
Michael: Are you serious?
Wayne Jarvis: I am serious. I was voted the worst audience participant that Cirque Du Soleil ever had.
Narrator: Michael was having brunch with Sally Sitwell at a restaurant called Skip Church's Bistro. In addition to brunch, the restaurant was known for an item on the menu called the "Skip's Scramble", an omelet that contained everything on the menu. Do not order the Skip's Scramble.
Buster: Yes. I create a diversion, and you grab George Michael and go. We need a name. Maybe "Operation Hot Mother".
Michael: No, le- let's try to top that.
Narrator: They never did, and later, "Operation Hot Mother" was underway.
Lucille: How's my son?
Doctor: He's going to be all right.
Lindsay: Finally some good news from this guy.
George Michael: There's no other way to take that.
Doctor: That's a great attitude. I got to tell you, if I was getting this news, I don't know that I'd take it this well.
Lucille: But you said he was all right.
Doctor: Yes, he's lost his left hand. So he's going to be all right.
Gob: [Gob's wife has served him divorce papers] And now she's stomping on my heart.
Michael: What's her first name? Quickly!
Gob: [flustered] Crindee!
Michael: Name's not Crindee, Gob.
Gob: [Reads papers] Ah, Saul Zetzmann. Nope. That's her lawyer. Well, she's GOT a name. And I'm gonna find out what it is. And I'm gonna make a pun on it. And that's what I'll call her. Bad example: if her name's Amy, I'll call her "Blame-y."
Michael: That's a strong defense.
Carl Weathers: [about Burger King] I'm going to go get a drink refill. You know you can get unlimited refills on any drink you want?
Tobias: It's a great restaurant.
Narrator: It sure is!
Michael: What do you think of when you hear the name, "Sudden Valley"?
George Michael: Salad dressing. But I don't really want to eat it.
Michael: What about, "Paradise Gardens"?
George Michael: Yeah... I can see myself marinating a chicken in that...
Buster: Mom is becoming a little controlling.
Michael: What tipped you off? When she locked you out on the balcony again?
Buster: That was half my fault. I thought I saw a Graham Cracker out there.
Michael: You baited the balcony?
Lucille: Prove it.
Waitress: Plate or platter?
Lucille: I don't understand the question and I won't respond to it.
George Bluth, Sr.: Michael, this is my brother! Do you know what it's like to have a sibling who has no source of income except for you?
Michael: Just one? No. No idea. It sounds wonderful, though.
Michael: Well, you certainly haven't been shopping. The only thing I found in the fridge was a dead dove in a bag.
Gob: You didn't eat that, did you? I only have 6 days to return it!
Gob: Where am I? Am I in two-thirds of a hospital room?
Michael: You're giving the company to a guy who thought the blue part of a map was land?
Michael: So this is the Aztec Tomb trick. Gob: Illusion, Michael. A trick is something a whore does for money... (sees children watching his magic) ... or candy!
Gob: Zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. I'm sick of playing second fiddle. I'm always third in line for everything. I'm tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over.
Narrator: On the next Arrested Development, Tobias gets a review of his Shakespeare play.
Tobias Fünke: I didn't get into this business to please sophomore Tracy Schwartzman, so... onward and upward. On... [Cut to Tobias crying in the shower] Why, Tracy? Why?
Michael: [opens a bag in the fridge marked "Dead Dove, do not eat", closes it quickly] I don't know what I was expecting...
Buster: These are my awards, Mother. From Army. The seal is for marksmanship and the gorilla is for sand racing.
Gob: You should have stuck around to see me get some major action. From a major blonde. Who just "majored" in marine biology, if you know what I mean.
Michael: No, I don't. I can't imagine what that means.
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