ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Gets "Off the Hook" (Season 4 Episodes 11-15)

Article first published as ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Gets "Off the Hook" (Season 4 Episodes 11-15) on TheTVKing.

Netflix has resurrected Arrested Development, seven years after its cancellation on FOX, and now, starting this week, presents fifteen brand new episodes. For ease of review purposes, I am breaking down my coverage into three articles covering five episodes each, and this review is for the final five installments.

I was surprised by the lack of finality at the end of the season. Yes, season four was always talked about as a "first act" for either a film or another season. There is more story to tell, and we will presumably get it. But leaving so many things open-ended, from Lucille 2's (Liza Minnelli) disappearance, to George Michael's (Michael Cera) app, to Rebel (Isla Fisher) being torn between father and son, to Gob's (Will Arnett) relationship with Tony Wonder (Ben Stiller), to Linday's (Portia de Rossi) run for office, is unexpected.

Lucille 2's apparent murder or kidnapping is the most enticing unanswered question. She is a memorable character, and considering her increased presence and involvement in season four, it makes it even harder to lose her now. I hope, whatever has happened to her, she's all right, and will survive to get into more wacky situations with the Bluth family in the future.

That's not to say some arcs haven't run their course. While we may get some more milk out of them, Tobias's (David Cross) return to show business with the Fantastic Four musical seems doomed, Michael's (Jason Bateman) movie may be done, the wall Lucille (Jessica Walter) wants to build could be finished, and Maeby's (Alia Shawkat) run as a CEO seems a failure. Yet, based on the way Arrested Development breathes new life into old running gags frequently, these things might not be over with yet, either.

Overall, the final five installments feel much the same as the first ten, partially owing to the fact that they tell the tales of different characters than the early ones. Episode eleven, "A New Attitude," completes Gob's story, but the other four all have new characters at their center, whom were not featured until now. It's a little strange that all of the characters who have two episodes this year have their installments set close together, but it seems to work.

Part of why the flow is not interrupted is because the earliest episodes begin with Michael, and the latest end with George Michael, which may be Michael's most connected-to character in this season. Michael and George Michael have a bit of a falling out, which is finally addressed, but not resolved, in George Michael's episodes, number 13 "It Gets Better" and number 15 "Blockheads." It's this father-son through line that makes the year feel somewhat complete. Plus, Michael appears in almost all fifteen episodes, so he is the thread that keeps everything together.

George Michael's episodes are important because it finally feels like he joins the adult members of the Bluth family in all their craziness. He has his own eccentricities, but his have always seemed tamer and separate from his father, aunt, uncles, and grandparents. Now, though, dating the same girl as Michael, much as Gob and Michael once did, and letting a lie create an entire company, raises him up to their level. I'm not sure this is a good thing, but it does feel like he has a bigger part to contribute.

It's interesting that George Michael finally gets over Maeby at the same time Maeby might actually be interested in him. She won't like him any longer when she realizes he's a big liar, probably, though who knows? However, it's nice to see their dynamic change, and character growth for them.

Maeby's development isn't so much arrested, as moving into a new chapter. In "Señoritis," her episode, the twelfth, she is getting a lifetime achievement award in the film industry, a sure sign that her career is over. She's way too young to be done working and has a bit of an identity crisis, which is what pushes her into trying to run George Michael's non-existent company. This is a Maeby more desperate and insecure than we've seen her before, which is a fascinating direction to take her in.

Buster's (Tony Hale) turn, the fourteenth installment, "Off the Hook," isn't particularly notable. Of all the Arrested Development stars, Buster gets the least to do in this fourth season, rarely seen in other installments. His feature is a very typical, predictable Buster story, with the episode title alluding to the hilarious new attachment on Buster's wrist when he gets rid of his hook. But it doesn't break any fresh ground for him, basically repeating past arcs.

Gob's arc with Tony is one of my favorite Arrested Development bits ever. I adore the way Arnett and Stiller play these roles so sincerely, showing vulnerable men who don't like themselves and love themselves at the same time, unsure what friendship feels like. I doubt they will become a full-fledged couple, as neither really seems gay, but their stunted emotional maturity makes their dealings both awkward and very funny at the same time.

The supporting character I want to see more of in the next Arrested Development incarnation is Steve Holt (Justin Grant Wade). We glimpse him a couple of times, but it's more of a reminder of his existence, than any actual plot. Biological father Gob is wrapped up in his own stuff, so there is no time for Steve, but I'd really like to see the two of them forced to work things out in some manner. Ah, well.

In the end, it feels really good to have Arrested Development back, and I'm grateful for these fifteen episodes, but at the risk of sounding spoiled, it isn't enough. Because of the lack of closure, there absolutely has to be more. It's almost guaranteed to happen, but until production begins, it leaves me a little on edge. The season three finale was more conclusive.

All fifteen episodes of Arrested Development's fourth season are available on Netflix now.

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Same "Double Crossers" As Always (Season 4 Episodes 6-10)

Article first published as ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Same "Double Crossers" As Always (Season 4 Episodes 6-10) on TheTVKing.

Netflix has resurrected Arrested Development, seven years after its cancellation on FOX, and now, starting yesterday, presents fifteen brand new episodes. For ease of review purposes, I am breaking down my coverage into three articles covering five episodes each, with this article focusing on episodes 6-10.

The thing that strikes me about the first four of this grouping of five is how much they seem like "typical" Arrested Development episodes. Sure, each one still centers on a single character, technically, but these middle installments include a lot more of the rest of the cast than the earliest episodes do, with more scenes and plot where the featured actor doesn't appear. As such, it allows the multiple story lines to be served and continue.

It also brings back a lot of the family dynamics fans of the show are used to. Beginning in the sixth episode, "Double Crossers," George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) manipulates his children against one another, especially Gob (Will Arnett) and Michael (Jason Bateman), who may possible now be dating the same woman, again. This is classic Bluth shenanigans, and eventually the Bluth children talk and compare notes. While family togetherness is the stated purpose of the Bluth parents, they are happy to chuck it out the door to serve their own purposes, which usually works for a time on their children.

Which is not to say that the kids don't follow in the footsteps of their parents. George Sr. may need Michael's help with his business deal, but Michael is also making agreements in order to get his film made. Soon, many bargains are being struck between the various sides, each Bluth worried only about their own selfish needs, no one helping the others out. Which will likely lead to the failing of everyone, per usual.

Why can't the Bluths just support one another? Why do they have to back stab and bicker? It makes for great, entertaining television, but sometimes it becomes a little sad, even when viewers are laughing.

We also get a return of many more recurring players and subplots. The mysterious Mister F. theme comes back in episode nine, "Smashed," when Tobias works at Lucielle 2's (Liza Minnelli) rehab clinic with her brother (Tommy Tune). Steve Holt (Justin Grant Wade) resurfaces in episode seven, "Colony Collapse," wanting to reconnect with his dad, Gob. Also in the same episode, Gob is finally forced to figure out what to do about his relationship with Anne (Mae Whitman), turning to magic to escape, much to chagrin of her father, Pastor Veal (Alan Tudyk).

Add in the new arcs, which feature new players, and this all begins to come together in the cohesive tale we are accustomed to, with each Bluth's plot running through each other Bluth's plot. Edited differently, these four episodes could easily serve most of the main cast (or at least the ones featured in them) with connected stories and situations, rather than being so concerned with just one Bluth.

In fact, although Michael is not the lead of any of the five, he bickers with Gob in "Double Crossers" and "Colony Collapse," and goes on a double date with Lindsay (Portia di Rossi) in her installment, episode eight's "Red Hairing," which we then again see in Tobias's (David Cross) "Smashed." Then, Michael finishes up his Ron Howard (himself) / Rebel (Isla Fisher) confusion. So the stories are getting more expansive and inclusive.

Episode ten, "Queen B.," though, follows Lucielle (Jessica Walter) and feels like the beginning of the end. This installment seems to finish off the boat chase plot begun in season three's finale, go through Lucille's trial, and takes her all the way up to the Cinco de Cuatro night we've seen so much of. The various threads begin to really tie together, bringing things back around and paying off bits started earlier in season four. I cannot say for sure, but it seems like season four might have a clear beginning, middle, and end, and we're moving into the end now.

Knowing season four can't go on forever, I'm hesitant to rush through the final five. It has been so satisfying returning to these characters, and I don't wish to let them go. For every old story that somewhat concludes, like Anne's involvement with the family and Lucille's long-running feud Lucille 2, we get another continuation, like Gob and Steve Holt's unfinished business, as well as another story just starting, like George Sr. and Oscar's (also Tambor) personality switch, Lucille 2's disappearance, Lindsay's run for office in Love's (Terry Crews) place, and George Michael's (Michael Cera) continuing avoidance of Michael, which seems to be carefully planned. This so much rich material to mine, and it's being handled very well.

That being said, I look forward to learning the fate of some of the newbies that may be near the end of their run, and I'm anxious for Maeby (Alia Shawkat), George Michael, and Buster's (Tony Hale) turns in the pole position, as well a second outing for Gob. Time to watch more Arrested Development!

All fifteen episodes of season four are currently available for Netflix streaming video subscribers.

"A New Start" For ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (Season 4 Episodes 1-5)

Article first published as "A New Start" For ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (Season 4 Episodes 1-5) on TheTVKing.

Netflix has resurrected Arrested Development, seven years after its cancellation on FOX, and now, starting today, presents fifteen brand new episodes. For ease of review purposes, I am breaking down my coverage into three articles covering five episodes each.

This new Arrested Development brings back all the beloved characters from the sitcom, but because of scheduling difficulties, each installment focuses on one specific player. Other cast members come in and out often, but there is a single person who gets the most stuff, while others are barely seen at all.

First up is "Flight of the Phoenix" with Michael (Jason Bateman), arguably the central protagonist of the ensemble. When last we leave Michael, he is trying to escape his family, a smart move considering how much they have been dragging him down. But as we see in this premiere, he is not able to stay away, and thus is pulled into self-destruction's embrace even tighter, hitting near rock bottom when forced to move into his son, George Michael's (Michael Cera), dorm room, only to eventually be kicked out.

This is wonderful development for Michael, both in keeping with the personality already established, and because it demonstrates just how much like the rest of the family he is. Michael has striven very hard to set himself apart and seem "normal," but that just isn't how life shakes out for him, and even after George Michael finally grows a bit of a spine and in a roundabout way asks Michael to leave, Michael still doesn't get the hint.

Michael seems better when episode four, "The B. Team," picks up his tale, but it has to be denial, rather than success, driving the change. Intent on becoming a movie producer, working with Ron Howard (the narrator of Arrested Development playing himself here) to put together a picture about the Bluth family, specifically Michael's relationship with George Michael. Hopefully, through this experience, Michael will finally see that he is just as bad a father as his dad is, albeit in different ways, and Ron Howard's interest will serve as a wake-up call to him, leading to understanding and lasting development.

I absolutely adore "The B. Team" because of all of the meta references in it. Besides Howard, we see Brian Grazer (himself), and their offices at Imagine Entertainment. Whether or not the picture gets made, which I feel it will, and that the flashback scenes with Kristen Wiig, Seth Rogen, and others playing the familiar characters are probably from this project, this is a clever, tongue-in-cheek extension of some of the self-referential jokes the series already does. I only wish Bryce Dallas Howard would play Ron Howard's daughter in Arrested Development, rather than Isla Fisher (Confessions of a Shopaholic) filling the role.

It's not just done for meta purposes, though, firmly ensconcing the bigger story with these bits. Through a few plot twists, Maeby's (Alia Shawkat) producer career ends up being connected, and former Bluth secretary Kitty (Judy Greer) now works there, using the job for some unknown scheme to bring down the family. And other recurring roles, such as Warden Gentles (James Lipton), Andy and Rocky Richter (Andy Richter), and Carl Weathers (Carl Weathers) figure in, as well.

In fact, that's how much of Arrested Development seems to be playing out. Season four, like the first three before it, brilliantly weaves new characters and gags into everything that has come before it, with many faces and bits returning when least expected. The list of guest stars in these first five half-hours is quite long, though each is used effectively to further the plot, rather than being distracting or plain stunt casting. I think this sort of talent effectively helps fill the gaps of the missing main players.

Episodes three and five, "Indian Takers" and "A New Start," unfold concurrently, with the former following Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and the latter focusing on Tobias (David Cross). Each have many of the same settings and scenes, but "A New Start" does not repeat "Indian Takers," instead giving new glimpses of the bigger picture.

I think Lindsay and Tobias are meant for each other. Sure, they end up with two other lovers in these episodes (The Office's Chris Diamantopoulus and comedian Maria Bamford), but they way that they keep crossing paths and end up in the same spots proves they're connected. Perhaps they aren't sexually attracted to one another, but there's a reason they are in each other's lives, and it's kind of sweet, if a bit sad, to see how hopeless they are to escape each other, much as they might try.

These two installments aren't the only ones that cross, with a couple of focal points, the aftermath of Lucille's (Jessica Walter) arrest in the season three finale and a family meeting to discuss stimulus money, bringing everyone back together. While it's sometimes hard to pinpoint the exact timeline of the narrative, each episode tells a cohesive story, and also serves the season's arcs as a whole. Putting this together has to be a difficult feat, and I'm impressed with how well it's being done, assuming it will all wrap up neatly in the end.

The weak point of these first five is episode two, "Borderline Personalities." This is about a scheme George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) hatches with Oscar (also Tambor) being his unwilling accomplice, but despite the wonderful additions of John Slattery (Mad Men), Karen Maruyama (Pulp Fiction), and Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), as well as the genius dual performance given by Tambor, I just couldn't get into the setting or story.

I think part of the accessibility problem is my general disinterest with anything set in the desert or with that harsh southwestern color scheme, so perhaps this is a personal opinion that will not be shared by other fans. However, even though I do consider it the worst of the five, I still think it is pretty darn funny.

Ten more episodes remain to check out, and they are sure to evoke as many laughs as the ostrich, an inability to recognize faces, subtle references, a secret ballot, a Google unnamed tech company car, and so much more have already gotten. I like that Netflix has them all out at once because I don't have to wait, but it's sad to think they'll be burned through in a few days and then it'll be over again. Thankfully, the first five installments prove that Arrested Development has lost nothing during the very long hiatus, and remains one of TV's smartest, most original, most complex comedies. I'm so glad it's back!

Arrested Development season four is available in its entirety on Netflix now.

Don't really want to move to Mockingbird Lane

Considering the cast and crew of NBC's Mockingbird Lane, created by Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies), I was super psyched for the series this fall. When it was held back, and decided that the "Pilot" would be aired as a stand alone Halloween special, without producing more episodes, disappointment set in. That is, until it actually aired. Then disappointment of a whole other kind appeared.

It's not that Mockingbird Lane is bad; it's just that the first episode doesn't live up to its potential. The set and effects (save for the werewolf in the opening sequence) are spectacular, and glimpsing the Golden Gate bridge behind the infamous house is a stroke of brilliance, providing a stark contrast every time it's seen. This links the show to the real world, even as it feels like fantasy. Lily's (Portia de Rossi, Arrested Development, Better Off Ted) introduction is even more cool, spiders flowing gracefully around her to make her garb.

But the rest of the episode is just too tame. Whereas The Munsters, the goofy sitcom Mockingbird Lane seeks to update, relies on gags and schlock, Mockingbird Lane treats itself like a serious drama. This doesn't work. Sure, these actors are capable of deepening the characters, and making this new show mean a lot more than the old one. But they don't get the chance, skipping over much of what should be an introduction-based episode, and jumping right into a boring story. Combining the comedy with the drama is what it needed here, and the mix is almost absent in this premiere, which skews more towards the drama side.

The crux of the first episode is how Eddie's (Mason Cook) parents are going to tell him that he is a werewolf, a monster, or Munster, like them. One would think that this is exactly what Mockingbird Lane should be doing, since it is taking an element of the classic series, and putting it into context people can relate to, providing a moral dilemma. Instead, the implications of what this means are glossed over, replaced with an empty "be yourself" type of mantra.

Herman (Jerry O'Connell, The Defenders, Crossing Jordan) is the only one of the Munsters that comes across as fully realized. He knows he is dying, but refuses to let Grandpa (Eddie Izzard, The Riches, United States of Tara) kill Eddie's new scout leader, Steve (Cheyenne Jackson, 30 Rock, Glee), to obtain him a new heart, thus saving his life. He also wrestles with what to do about Eddie. As a man who is made into a Munster by Grandpa, Herman straddles the two worlds, and is a compelling lead.

It's too bad this plot is cut short, though, when Steve accidentally dies. His death is funny, but there is definitely more that could have been milked from the situation, considering Herman's internal struggle is the best part of the episode. Once Steve is dead, not murdered, Herman doesn't mind taking his organ. Which kind of ruins what is built up til that point. How much darker and deeper would it go if Grandpa killed Steve, and then forced Herman to take the heart against his will? How would that affect family dynamics, as well as how Herman feels about himself? And why not let Steve stick around for a few episodes first, so the family can get to know him, and his death would mean more? After all, Jackson is terrific in the part.

Grandpa can be excused for being how he is, because it seems logical that he would think the way that he does. I just wish he was played more over the top, or commit to the scary, rather than doing neither at one hundred percent, either of which Izzard would shine in. Lily doesn't get much to do in the first episode, so it's hard to see where she fits in, though she is clearly torn between Herman's want for the family to be good, and Grandpa's longing to return to the traditional ways of feeding on humans freely. De Rossi has the chops to make this work, given screen time to do so, which she is not in the "Pilot."

The real problem is with the kids in the cast. Eddie is too flat, not up to the task of the real emotion his situation calls for. Marilyn (Charity Wakefield) is no better, though her fault lies in the writing. We know that she wants to stay with the family, even though Grandpa despises her for being born normal. This needs to be explored, especially in the opening of the series, but is pushed off for another day, if ever.

Should Mockingbird Lane be allowed to continue, there is plenty of potential here for a fantastic show. I just fear that the luck luster plot of the "Pilot" combined with the lack of faith the network has put into it has killed a bold experiment before it even begins.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Ellen, Team Coco head to TBS

     Sunday night TBS had a special lineup.  First was Ellen's Somewhat Special Special, followed by Team Coco Presents Conan's Writers Live Hosted By Andy Richter.  Each special was an hour.  Honestly, I watched Andy Richter's opening monologue, which was only very mildly amusing, and then I watched the first writer, who didn't once make me actually smile.  Then I immediately deleted the special.  Perhaps the other writers were better?  It makes one wonder, though.  Conan is hilarious.  He was hilarious even when his writer's were on strike.  Does that mean he's funnier than the writers he hires to support him?  Or maybe he just has better delivery.  He didn't appear himself, as he is still legally prohibited from being funny on television, as per his contract severance agreement with NBC, but he will return to the late night game on TBS this fall.

     Ellen, though, was superb.  In her fourth variety special for TBS, she knocked it out of the park.  The performers themselves were hit (the costume changers, the magician) and miss (the guy swirling on that pole), but Ellen herself was more than enough reason to watch.  She delivered a bit of stand up, and at the end took questions from the audience, some of them very emotionally moving, even if she tossed her trademark humor into the answers as well (example: she couldn't live without Portia, her wife and the car).  My favorite part was the video of her playing with the kids at the science center.  Although she pretended to be annoyed by the youngsters, and often drank 'martinis', as well as helped them rob a gift shop, it all came across as very good-natured, and it seemed like she and the kids were having a lot of fun.  Ellen proves you can be funny and nice at the same time.  America, here is your new sweetheart.  Not that she's new, but she is suddenly all over the place, and handling it quite well.

     Team Coco was a bunch of short stand up segments, much as Comedy Central does all the time.  Perhaps that's why it didn't seem as fresh.  Variety shows, once a television staple, and so rarely seen any more.  They occasionally pop up during the summer, and usually fail pretty spectacularly.  How does Ellen, herself so unlike the old stars who used to host them, pull it off so well?  I think it's combination personality, likability, and getting good acts.  She had Nick Cannon do the DJing, and both her and Nick looked genuinely amazed when the camera cut to them watching the performers.  She draws the audience in because she is so genuine, so relatable.  I look forward to her fifth, should TBS be smart enough to order it.  The 4th was more than somewhat special.

Better Off Ted back in business

     Last spring's surprise hit, Better Off Ted, has returned!  For whatever reason, ABC opted to run new episodes this summer after a strong spring premiere, so Ted had to wait until December before it could bank up enough new ones to begin its second season.  The president's speech last week delayed the start date an extra seven days.  As one of my favorite shows of last year, I must say, it was well worth the wait!

     The show takes place at the thankfully fictional Veridian Dynamics, which appears to be a company that invents and makes just about everything, especially the zany and unusual.  There is usually a 'commercial' for the company during one of the breaks.  Veronica (Portia de Rossi, Arrested Development) oversees the pivotal department as the straight laced powerhouse, and the manager underneath her that sees to the day to day operations is Ted (Jay Harrington, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives).  Ted is in love with coworker Linda (The Class and Joey's Andrea Anders), but they have decided it is not a good idea for them to date.  Rounding out the staff are scientist geniuses (genii?) Lem (Malcolm Barrett) and Phil (Jonathan Slavin, Summerland).  Each week there is usually some unusual invention, and a host of personal issues.

     I fell in love with the first season, and the premiere of season two lived up to expectations.  This week, Phil and Lem were growing a fast-reproducing moss for NASA, but the big plot was that Veridian had genetically matched their single employees.  While Linda and Ted tried to resist their pairings, the found their number one options to be very attractive (Linda's was Taye Diggs, taking a break from Private Practice), and soon broke off the pact.  Of course, true to the nature of the show, incredibly, unexpected wackiness ensued.  Even funnier, Veronica decided that Lem as the perfect match for her, so she demanded that he freeze his sperm.  Veridian apparently has no sexual harassment or personal liberty policies.  And poor Phil was told to get a vasectomy, on the house, courtesy of the company.

     Each actor pulls their own weight splendidly, leading to the best truly ensemble comedy in a very long time, definitely of last year's television season.  Though Ted is the title character, everything doesn't usually revolve around him, though he may eventually get involved.  The strange world he inhabits is what makes the show works, and with or without him, it could successfully go on.  Let's hope for the foreseeable future, it's with him, and it goes on a long time.