Arrested Development - Part 1

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This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]272518[/split]

 

[WorthyStevens]

I couldn't find the older thread anywhere, so I take it the thread's been removed because of the site updates a while back. So....

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I recently sat down and rewatched the second season. If it's even possible, I love this show even more tthi[/FONT][FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]han the first time I got into it. The cast nails their parts down perfectly, but I have to say my somewhat updated/new favorites on [/FONT][FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]s show are... drumroll...

- Tobias. I don't think any other person could make being blue any funnier than he can. And Mrs. Featherbottom. Pure genius. The exact plot of Mrs. Doubtfire.

- GOB. Will Arnett's great. Every time he screws something up it's hilarious. And Franklin. Jeez.

- Lucille. She is perfect with her sharp-tongued insults. "

- Buster. Motherboy gets me cracking. MOTHER!

The regular guests are great too. Barry Zuckercorn. Just fantastic.[/FONT]

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Eh, I liked where they took Michael this season. He's always shown that he can be petty and self absorbed like the rest of his family. He is a bluth, he just always been very self righteous, not because he wanted to do the right thing but because he wanted to be better than his family. I really loved the ending to this season lol, it really is like a modern Greek tragedy played for laughs with all the familial betrayal, now even George Michael has been sucked into it now that he doesn't have the innocence of being a kid anymore. It basically took the momentum of last season, which left everybody in a low, bitter place and dragged the "innocent" characters into it.

 

[Solidus]

For sure he could be but he still would usually take (or try to take) the higher road. Again he was really the one that kinda guided us through this messed up family. I just felt that it took away from him, and more importantly taking him away as the "hub" of the family to me just did not work as well.

 

[The Navigator]

The only other low that kinda disappointed was what they did with Michael. Michael was the doorway for the audience, he was the glue, the rock, the one out of all of them that we could connect with and lead us through this family of crazy. And since they did this new format, they had to give Michael something more to do. Which really I think they took him to a dark place, and I did not care for that with Michael, he is suppose to be the one light in this dark dark family. He was slightly unlikable, (not fault to Jason) but just that they should in the next season have him be the central hub that brings them all together (no pun intended). That's what Michael is best at. He needs to kinda redeem himself if they do a season 5.

Michael only seems like the only sane man. He's definitely the most tightly wound and narcissistic of all of them and is almost as controlling and manipulative with his son as his father was towards him. Watch any of the previous three seasons more than one episode at a time and Michael's flaws will begin to surface. He only comes across as "normal" by comparison, although I agree his son has a really good influence on him (he at least puts George Michael's best interest as his guiding star most of the time, even if he's unclear on what that should be)

Spoiler

Rewatching this season, I'm wondering if they're going to at some point implicate Michael murdering Lucille Austero, since he definitely didn't sleep with her, was incredibly drunk, the narrator says he did "something unthinkable" and was "looking for a place to hide," washing his hands (of the blood?) and thanks to GOB he no longer remembers the previous evening. Owing $700,000 makes for a much better motive than Buster's.

I mean, I doubt that this happened, most likely Lucille 2's not even dead and the "blood" is one of the Cinco de Quatro drinks or something.

 

[SuperSpideyGirl]

Spoiler

Rewatching this season, I'm wondering if they're going to at some point implicate Michael murdering Lucille Austero, since he definitely didn't sleep with her, was incredibly drunk, the narrator says he did "something unthinkable" and was "looking for a place to hide," washing his hands (of the blood?) and thanks to GOB he no longer remembers the previous evening. Owing $700,000 makes for a much better motive than Buster's.

I mean, I doubt that this happened, most likely Lucille 2's not even dead and the "blood" is one of the Cinco de Quatro drinks or something.

Spoiler

Right now I'm leaning towards Lucille 2 not being dead. I wouldn't be surprised if her vertigo caused her to fall down the steps. If she was murdered maybe Sally Sitwell did it.

 

[Solidus]

Michael only seems like the only sane man. He's definitely the most tightly wound and narcissistic of all of them and is almost as controlling and manipulative with his son as his father was towards him. Watch any of the previous three seasons more than one episode at a time and Michael's flaws will begin to surface. He only comes across as "normal" by comparison, although I agree his son has a really good influence on him (he at least puts George Michael's best interest as his guiding star most of the time, even if he's unclear on what that should be)

Spoiler

Rewatching this season, I'm wondering if they're going to at some point implicate Michael murdering Lucille Austero, since he definitely didn't sleep with her, was incredibly drunk, the narrator says he did "something unthinkable" and was "looking for a place to hide," washing his hands (of the blood?) and thanks to GOB he no longer remembers the previous evening. Owing $700,000 makes for a much better motive than Buster's.

I mean, I doubt that this happened, most likely Lucille 2's not even dead and the "blood" is one of the Cinco de Quatro drinks or something.

Well I've been watching the show since season 2 so lol I've seen them a lot. He does have flaws, he is narcissistic for sure. But in the end he does try his best to be the better person and be normal. And the others (I will agree GM is a good influence) but Michael is still the rock within that family. And that's one thing that was just missing from this.

 

[Calavera]

im watching this for the first time..i want to rewatch it to see if every single line tobias makes is a gay innuendo.

one of the best characters ever

 

[Matt]

I can't get "Getaway, Getaway" out of my head.

 

[Doomed_hero]

I think the main point of the season is that the family needs eachother cause when there apart there even worse off, that inculdes Micheal who did everything he threatened to do during the series run(sudden valley, Pheonix) and failed miserably. They are still bad when they are all together, but atleast its a kind contained choas. I imagine the next season intro could be, " Now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything and the one son who decided to bring them back together."

 

[Matt]

Well I've been watching the show since season 2 so lol I've seen them a lot. He does have flaws, he is narcissistic for sure. But in the end he does try his best to be the better person and be normal. And the others (I will agree GM is a good influence) but Michael is still the rock within that family. And that's one thing that was just missing from this.

But I think it is actually a natural progression for Michael. Michael is a Bluth. Throughout the series he has shown many Bluth-ish flaws. He was the rock in order to hold the family together. But at the end of season 3, he finally made the choice to stop being that rock. This is the result. Especially when the one person reigning in his Bluth instincts (his son) went away to college. Michael needs to be needed. Michael needs his family as much as they need him. This season has really explored what happens to Michael without them.

 

[The Navigator]

Well I've been watching the show since season 2 so lol I've seen them a lot. He does have flaws, he is narcissistic for sure. But in the end he does try his best to be the better person and be normal. And the others (I will agree GM is a good influence) but Michael is still the rock within that family. And that's one thing that was just missing from this.

He's definitely not nearly as low as he becomes in s4, but I felt like they laid some pretty justifiable reasons for him to go this route. But, if/when they make another season/movie, I'm sure reconciling with his son and bettering himself is going to be a big plotline, since he's pretty much completely estranged himself by the end here.

im watching this for the first time..i want to rewatch it to see if every single line tobias makes is a gay innuendo.

one of the best characters ever

Pretty much. A couple things I just noticed on a rewatch--

[BLACKOUT]Tobias: You look like how I feel.
GOB: Gay?[/BLACKOUT]

Lucille's prison number, 07734, is "hello" upside down (annyong?)

ep. 5:
Debrie "...most men end up leaving me in a pile of garbage."
Tobias "Oh I'd never do that to you."

 

[Matt]

I can't wait to rewatch. I've got 5 more to go on my first run, but I am quite sure I am missing a lot. Hell, I still catch new things on seasons 1-3. I am sure there are all kinds of jokes, cameos, drawbacks, etc that I am missing.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Did not like the second Lindsay episode.

 

[Solidus]

But I think it is actually a natural progression for Michael. Michael is a Bluth. Throughout the series he has shown many Bluth-ish flaws. He was the rock in order to hold the family together. But at the end of season 3, he finally made the choice to stop being that rock. This is the result. Especially when the one person reigning in his Bluth instincts (his son) went away to college. Michael needs to be needed. Michael needs his family as much as they need him. This season has really explored what happens to Michael without them.

That is a good point. I guess what I want is Michael to be needed again, and vice versa. And all of that leads to my primary problem with it was the format, it needs to be the family in an ensemble.

 

[WorthyStevens]

I totally didn't realize this at first, but [blackout]Keri Russell[/blackout] was the [blackout]widow's voice[/blackout] in Lindsay's first episode.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

just watched GOB's episode. HILARIOUS! is the guy that played Steve Holt in that episode the same actor from the first 3 seasons?

because if it is, then damn he looks way different

 

[Trainwreck2100]

I just felt so bad for Debrie in all those episodes

 

[Wolfwood]

just watched GOB's episode. HILARIOUS! is the guy that played Steve Holt in that episode the same actor from the first 3 seasons?

because if it is, then damn he looks way different

Yup, that's him. It looks like they gave him a wig though, as his real hair doesn't recede that much.

 

[DrDoom]

This season just made my love for Maeby that much stronger, sad she's not in more stuff

Plus she really "grew up" or at least parts of her did

 

[Evelisse]

laughed so hard during Buster's episode my face was hurting.

 

[DrDoom]

Ditto, when they mentioned "bionics" I expected a normal looking hand or a VERY crappy looking robotic one. The reveal had me rolling

 

[Calavera]

Buster makes me cringe when i watch him. he reminds me of me and yet im nothing like him



and he looks like this loser my ex married.

 

[Matt]

Well, she certainly has a type.

 

[TripleR]

I had a few ideas for what actually happened to Lucille 2... [BLACKOUT]I think the "blood" was actually juice, maybe Buster went to see her after Michael did. Also thinking that her vertigo caused her to fall and she just wandered off. [/BLACKOUT]

After watching the season for a second time, I think I noticed something they set up for the next season or the movie. The fact that they showed Sally and Lindsay competing in a previous election, and then Lindsay takes over for Herbert Love, while Sally was working for Lucille 2 can't just be a throwaway gag. I bet Sally takes over for Lucille 2 and ends up running against Lindsay.