Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Did The Arrested Development Revival Blue It?
By
John Del Signore
Published May 28, 2013
Modified May 28, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Not even that funny the first time.
By
John Del Signore
Published May 28, 2013
Modified May 28, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
I could only stomach two episodes of the new Arrested Development revival this weekend, so please don't mistake this for any sort of informed review; it's more of a cry for help. The truth is, after those first couple of episodes, I'm not sure I can go on. What happened to the old magicillusions? Does it get better? I'm afraid to open another door I'll regret.
The contrast between how much the original episodes make me howl with laughter and how infrequently these new episodes tickle me is dramatic. I think I laughed fewer than seven times over the course of the two new installments, which chronicle Michael Bluth's awkward cohabitation with his college-age son George Michael, and George Sr.'s strange sweat lodge folly with his twin brother Oscar down on the Mexico border. In theory, the premise of both episodes seem ripe with comic potential. But the execution—especially the writing—is flabby and weak, like a fat man who dares mothers to make their sons join the army, instead of enlisting himself. Yes, just like that.
Part of the problem, I think, arises from a failure to get all the stars' schedules to align for very long. Creator Mitch Hurwitz's way around this was to structure each episode around one of the leading characters. Although some of the supporting cast members surface in each one, it's always up to one individual to carry the weight, and this may be Hurwitz's huge mistake. Inherent in Arrested Development's genius is the kaleidoscopic interplay of its ensemble cast, and the farcical dialogue that brewed up from their myriad combinations of dysfunction.
In addition, the first two episodes' scripts were characterized by a dismaying lack of that signature complexity and multidimensional humor that made the series so enduring. The Lucille/Buster smoking gag, to take just one example, dragged on way past the point of amusement. Was the writing team rusty, or has Hurwitz's edge dulled? Who knows. The increased freedom from time constraints probably doesn't help either—each episode that aired on Fox was bound by a strict 22 minute time limit. It's possible that pressure made the show tighter, forcing the writers to cram 30 minutes of hilarity into a 22 pound bag, with consistently dazzling results. As every writer knows, being forced to "kill your darlings" is usually a blessing.
It seems that Hurwitz attempted to compensate for the holes in his ensemble by packing the new episodes with celebrity cameos, but so far these feel tired and forced. Seth Rogen is a distraction, and, as my colleague Nell Casey put it, "Oh hey, Dan Harmon for 2 seconds how insidery DO YOU GUYS WATCH COMMUNITY ISN'T IT HILARIOUS AND INDIE???" It also doesn't help that we're now watching the show in extreme HD, and it's rather disorienting to see the Bluths, so much older, in such vivid, eye-popping detail.
Perhaps, if I soldier on, I'll acclimate, and, as Hurwitz argues in an open letter to fans, the episodes will "build" on each other. To be sure, I had prepared myself for some degree of disappointment—after all, how could Season 4 possibly live up to the legacy and hype? Still, this was more of a letdown than I thought possible. Two episodes in, I've got a sinking feeling that I can't shake. But even if it means me taking a chubby, I will suck it up!
Tagged
arrested development
everyone's a critic
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .