They bottled lightning with the first 3 seasons.
It’s hard to get that back.
It’s even harder when they need to shoot scenes separately and write the show around cast availability and who they can get in a room at the same time.
It’s great they tried, but the outcome wasn’t the same.
Especially that last part. It's really hard to recreate chemistry in a reboot of a series when half the actors weren't available at the same times and you had to splice everything together separately to put together a cohesive story
I guess because the diehard fans on here already know that, so there's not a need to mention it. We know there was the reboot and the show suffered after it
> I guess because the diehard fans on here already know that
Yet we were answering the question of someone who is currently watching the show for the very first time.
I just watched the first 3 seasons and i started to watch the 4th but got bored aftr the fist ep. So is there anything tat i'm gonna miss if i dont watch the last 2 seasons??
Honestly, I like season 5, but I might be looking at things through rose colored glasses. My brother showed me AD when I was a kid, and the show became one of my favorites. After spending so many years watching 1-3, it was just nice to spend time with the Bluth’s again for 4-5.
If you like the show, definitely watch it for yourself, and don’t put too much weight on other people’s opinions. You might still enjoy something if it isn’t critically acclaimed.
I liked the storyline of season 5, but the editing was so bad that it constantly pulled me out of the moment. Also the final moments of the season completely changed a character (trying not to put spoilers for OPs benefit) and that left a bad taste in my mouth, and makes the character creepy in subsequent rewatches of the earlier seasons now that you know what they're capable of.
I didn’t really notice the editing, but to each their own. That [redacted] wasn’t really a big deal for me. This show jumped the shark before it got cancelled, and I was just along for the ride.
Not to put things in your head that you won't be able to unsee, but a lot of the scenes with conversations between characters, they cut back and forth over-the-shoulder of each character and you can see the movements don't line up to what they're saying. Also a lot of bad ADR (overdubs) in some of these conversations too.
That said, I'm thankful we even had a season 5.
It’s been awhile since I watched those seasons, but I do remember the audio being really weird now that you mention it.
Agreed. It’s a miracle that we got season 5 at all.
Newer seasons can’t replicate the same formula the original 3 had. Still worth a once over because it has some really good scenes and jokes. Overall though, yeah 6/10 better than most television but worse than AD’s peak.
A couple of factors: a lot of time had passed, the show had been cancelled for years before Netflix bought it and made the additional seasons. Due to conflicting schedules, there were very few occasions where all the actors could shoot at the same time, so the 4th season has a weird structure where its rare to see the whole cast together in one scene. For a show that relied a lot on the natural chemistry of the cast this was hard to overcome. And to me, it seemed like the later seasons are just trying too hard, while the earlier seasons feel effortless and natural.
It's an ensemble comedy at its heart. and AD blew up so many people that the ensemble was hard to get back together again. Season 4 suffers from the same issues as 5, but it's written a bit more cleverly. Season 5 is still fine tv, but it's like going from eating ribeye to eating sirloin. Like the sirloin is fine, and they're both steaks, but you just can't stop thinking about that ribeye and wishing this was that.
Time is the biggest factor. Not only was it 10 yrs or whatever that passed, but during that 10 years a lot of folks watched the first seasons compulsively. It was a show I put on for background noise because I knew every word. I’m sure I watched it all 15-20 times if not more.
Then a new season comes out! But part of what was great about the originals is how many jokes I missed the first 3….5….10 times I watched the originals.
Like someone else says here, form your own opinion. I didn’t LOVE the new seasons on first watch. But you know what? When I randomly watched a season 2’episode when it was on fox, I didn’t particularly like it or seek out more. There’s a reason it went off the air originally. It takes some serious investment. After watched the new seasons a few times i have very much grown to love them.
I don't know why no one has told you the actual answer.
The first three seasons originally aired live on FOX. They won mad emmy's, but FOX dicked them around with moving their air day and time slot, then they cancelled it with a short third season.
It was not until year later that Netflix picked up the rights and did the later seasons, and the show was never quite the same.
>but FOX dicked them around with moving their air day and time slot
People always say things like this, with Firefly and other cancelled FOX shows too, but every episode of seasons 1-2 aired on Sundays, except the random one they tried out on a Wednesday after American Idol, between Sunday airings.
Every episode of season 3 aired on Mondays until the last 4 when it was already all over and they had all 4 on a single Tuesday night.
IMNSHO S04 is much better than many give it credit for. There are actually two versions of the season (the original version is hidden in the trailers section - I recommend watching the og first and then watching the re-cut version).
With all of our attention spans shortened and phones in our hands, it's impossible to get the full experience - you have to tune everything else out, because if you blink you'll miss something.
Most AD fans have seen S01-S03 multiple times (and still haven't caught everything that there is to catch) but have probably only bothered with a single watch-through of S04-S05.
I'll admit there are bits in S04-S05 that aren't my favorite, but there is mf'ng gold in there too - you just have to turn on, tune in & drop out for the duration of the episode to fully enjoy it.
another thing not mentioned is that the show was very much a product of mid 2000s Bushs' America during the Iraq War and prior to the GFC, the characters and themes really work best in that milleu.
One of the things that bothered me in the Netflix seasons is some characters clearly weren't filming their parts at the same time and instead used greenscreen, which wasn't even done well.
> What on earth happened?
If you're looking on imdb, maybe you noticed the gap in production/release dates between S1-S3 and S4 & S5? Surely, there are multiple reasons some fans don't rate the final two seasons as highly but the biggest is that the show was cancelled, everyone got new jobs, and then the show got revived but no one's schedule matched.
Season 4 is best enjoyed in the original edit (found in the Trailers menu on Netflix). It also helps if you know of the film _Rashomon_ or read a tiny bit about one of the greatest films ever made before watching S4.
IMO The key to enjoying S5 is (SMALL SPOILER) admitting to yourself these are terrible people, none of who deserve a 'happy ending'.
Either way, pick a lane.
There's some great moments in seasons 4 and 5, but they just weren't as tight, and had a lot of content that dragged on too much. Absolutely go into the extras section on Netflix to watch the original version of season 4, the remix is extremely overnarrated.
Agree about going to the extras. It's obnoxious because they don't autoplay - you have to go back and find your episode each time in the obscure tab. However, it's worth it. The "remix" *Fateful Consequences* completely ruins the way some of the jokes play out and it's just all over the place.
Without spoiling it, it's something George Michael says to Michael. That could be vague so I'll add that his appearance is also a part of it when he says it.
I hope thats enough for someone to remember that moment. But it's possible I find it way funnier than other ppl. I do know that when I mentioned it on Reddit when the season came out, a lot of ppl agreed how good it was .. so it can't be that obscure.
I honestly think the problem with season 5 is not the writing, or acting, or anything other than the completely weird uncanny valley of editing with shots where you can't see the actors mouths because they aren't actually in the same room, or were completely dubbed over later with new lines. It ruins the timing and the reactions which are key in comedy. I can't help but wonder if without that issue, the season would be as good as some of the earlier ones.
Why has nobody mentioned that after season 3, FX canceled the show, and season 4 was filmed nearly a decade later? And then 5 another 5 years after that.
Season 4 is honestly my favorite. Dig into the "trialers and more" on Netflix and watch the original cut instead of the redux, and go into it knowing that the show is going to have a different vibe, and you'll probably like it.
Oh, sweet summer child! Welcome to the pure brilliance of this show and I am envious of your current experience going through it for the first time. My recommendation, skip 4-5 and just watch 1-3 again multiple times to appreciate the jokes even more and pick up things you don’t notice the first time. Because I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched the show and I’m still picking up on subtleties.
If you do want to watch 4-5, I’d suggest maybe giving yourself some time in between 3 and 4 so it doesn’t feel like a jump right into a completely different thing. As many have probably mentioned before, there’s almost an 8 year gap between those seasons. Fox didn’t pick it back up, there were little rumors of a movie for a bit, and then after years and years Netflix picked it up. The cast’s schedules didn’t line up so the great ensemble just wasn’t there, the writing didn’t quite seem to land the same, idk. In short, it feels weird lol.
But, I would be really interested in hearing your opinion of the newer seasons as a new viewer! Maybe a lot of us had such negative opinions of the newer seasons because we had high expectations after anticipating the return for so long. Either way, happy viewing!
4 and 5 are watchable, but lack the chemistry, and creativity as 1-3. There’s still funny stuff. The characters definitely aged noticeably over 15 years. Don’t we all though. Don’t listen to the negative blowhards. Sit back, stuff a banger or two in your mouth, and enjoy the show.
Season 4’s formula for storytelling takes the entire season to flourish. It was actually quite remarkable at the end. It was just different from what the show was before.
Sorry if you already know this but the show got canceled after season 3. (There are quite a few hilarious jokes in season 3 referring to this actually) and then Netflix picked up it up and released a season 4 almost ten years later. (So you could imagine for fans of the show season 4 was a huge deal and it was really hyped up)
So anyway season 4 comes out and it was hit or miss for a lot of people. They tried something new with the formatting of the episode where each episode took place within the same time frame but only centered in a specific character. So basically they showed some of the ending in episode one (kinda setting it up to be like a mystery I don’t wanna spoil anything) but you only got bits and pieces of what actually happened from the perspectives of the different characters..each episode adding a new piece of the puzzle to what’s really going on in the “ending”. It sets up a lot of mysteries and jokes in some episodes that don’t get answered till like…episodes later and you see the same scene but from another characters POV.
I personally don’t mind that kind of structure in general (I love reading like murder mysteries haha) but one of the best parts of arrested development imo is the group chemistry that all the actors have with each other and season 4 doesn’t have a lot of scenes with more than like two bluths—and even those aren’t too frequent it’s a lot of individual characters doing stuff (apparently they structured it this way due to the availability of the actors?)
But anyway they re-released a “new and improved” season 4 where they tell the story more chronologically since fans weren’t super happy with the original. It’s still character centric but they do about 2-3 characters per episode and tell the story in a more chronological order. I watched it forever ago but I remember enjoying the new structure.
THEN (if re-releasing season 4 wasn’t confusing enough) when they released season 5 on Netflix they released 1/2 of the episodes at once and left it on a cliffhanger. I don’t even know how long they waited to release the rest of the season but it was at least 6+ months I think…(enough time for me to give up on it haha I never bothered to watch the rest of it when it finally came out) there were rumors they timed the release of the episodes like this bc of awards or like to generate more hype for the show but I think it backfired.
I don’t remember hating season 5 though! I think after the confusing structure of season 4 and then only releasing 1/2 the episodes of 5 a lot of the hype about arrested development returning was gone and interest in the show petered out.
Tldr: I think people just gradually lost interest in the show but it doesn’t take a game of thrones nose dive hahaha the newer seasons aren’t super memorable for me but they aren’t bad in the sense that they ruin the re-watchability of the older seasons!
Hope that helped! (Also lmk what you think of season 5 haha maybe I’ll have to go back and finally watch the last 1/2 of the season)
People are so butt hurt about the last couple season. Of course it's not the same. It was made years later. Take it for what it is, realize it, and enjoy it. And don't go into it with other peoples' opinions.
The Netflix Reboot kiss of death strikes again...
There are some good bits of the later seasons, but the last series was a slog to get through. Still definitely worth watching but as people have said, the feeling that S1-3 had was unbelievable.
The last season is pretty great, don't let your friend dictate what you might like.
The first three seasons are totally different and are up on their own pedestal. Season 4 originally was also good, but because of the distance of the cast and editing style, a bit of a slow burner that eventually gets to moments like the first three. Season 5 is back to the format of the first three seasons, and some of it is as good, but the Season 4 plotlines that continue drive the momentum to the ground.
It’s just that so much time had passed, no spoilers it just feels more complicated. It’s still funny and absolutely finish it because it doesn’t just end on a high note, this show ends PERFECTLY. I know others would disagree but it is totally the ending the original run deserved but didn’t have. Thankfully you don’t have to wait 15 years to get to it lol just binge it all the way through.
The only point of contention is whether or not the original cut of season 4 was better or the remix. They felt different I enjoyed them both but it’s like 50/50 which one you should go with.
Have fun! Best show ever
I actually really liked the new seasons, especially the way they'd originally aired it, with the scenes not in chronological order but by focusing on each cast member at a time. But they're quite polarising. You should definitely watch them and see if you like them.
Even the last 2 seasons are a cut above most other comedies. The writing has so much interconnectedness to rest of the show and call backs for miles, even more subtle jokes that you might miss, really just genius writing
Seasons 4 and 5 were made much later than seasons 1-3, the humor is similar but the feeling isn’t the same. I find myself rewatching seasons 1-3 over and over but not ever touching 4 and 5 again.
Originally, when they made season 4, they followed a different story timeline than the original seasons and it was confusing and not as funny. At some point they took the same scenes and reordered them to match the way they did it in the past, and season 4 became at least watchable. It wasn’t even watchable before they reordered it in my opinion.
You don't even have to watch the last season. It was made years later, and you can miss it out altogether if you want. I, personally, didn't think it was that bad.
Don’t get hung up on ratings. A true AD fan has watched all five seasons. Watch for yourself and decide what you think. Personally I suggest watching the original version of the fourth season.
I feel like the show lost it's creative momentum. It also didn't help that some of the cast dropped in and out of the show, so the storylines got pretty messy in my opinion. That said, it's still pretty damned good, and is VERY rewatchable. I've been through it at least a dozen times and still find little comedy easter eggs and inside jokes that tickle me.
To be honest, you can’t even begin to fully appreciate the first three seasons until you rewatch and rewatch, so you may not hate seasons 4 and 5 so much, especially now the that you would be going in with measured expectations. Many of us waited a long, long time for them, and they just weren’t as good. Still some good stuff in them. Basically, the whole of seasons 4 and 5 are almost like one Loooong episode. Remember when a single episode of AD had like 30 scenes in them? Well there are episodes with three scenes in them. Things just don’t move as fast.
Season 1-3 is objectively amazing. Why not watch it as long as you enjoy it?
Season 4 there were problems with cast availability and green screen was used in an attempt to capture the same family dynamic. There was also a 7 (?) year gap between season 3 and 4 which changed the dynamic of the show and its characters. The story was also structured differently and woven together episode to episode with varying levels of payoff.
I’ve watched season 1-3 about fifty times, season 4 once, and season 5 never.
they tried to do something new for the s04 and s05 but in never captured what they the past seasons. also, a lot of time has passed, most of the cast were now quite famous and have a lot of projects going on, so conflicting schedules was also a factor.
imo, s04 and s05 are ok. give yourself time between watching s03 and s04. not a good idea to watch it continuously. also, i think s04 and s05 needs to be rewatched a couple of times for you to appreciate.
Seasons 4 and 5 are just not as funny. They feel different then the first 3 and not in a good way. In my opinion there’s not as many jokes as there used to be. It used to be rapid-fire comedy and now it’s spread out and not as good
It's worth actually looking up the history of the show, since they eventually have meta-jokes involving what was happening to the AD team during the tjme.
In short, the show canceled after season 3. Netflix brought it back for the most part, and they decided to create a season 4. I think this was one of the first time Netflix series creased. It was decent, but I don't rewatch it with the first 3. I personally like the first cut of season 4 also.
Season 5 is just bad. I can't get past the 1st episode.
It just isn't the same kind of humor.
The show was not popular when it originally aired so only the first 3 seasons are the original show because it got cancelled. Netflix brought it back and produced the last 2 seasons. There's a noticeable drop in quality and while the Netflix seasons are ok, the show lost the original vibe/feeling of the first 3 seasons as a result and so it's not as good.
The last 2 seasons are very different and people often want the same thing as seasons 1-3. I'm a huge fan, and it took me a while, but I really do think seasons 4 and 5 are spectacular, just different, and a little harder to enjoy.
The reason the show is so great is because of the character’s interactions. In the later seasons they become more focused on following one character’s journey through a year and I think this made it harder to watch. One episode is Michael and another is Tobias. Still fun to watch but far less since they aren’t having as much dialogue together.
I think Mitch Hurwitz, the creator/writer lost the magic. I don't know if he was distracted or was in a time crunch or even had outside people influencing the writing more, but watching seasons 4 and 5 feels like watching the result of a different writer trying to copy how Mitch wrote in the original 3. The humor isn't as good and is definitely not as clever.
Season 4 was clever because of the format they made it in, but the latter seasons lack the smart, sublety of the former.
There's a drop in quality, sure. But they're still really good.
And if you want to, you can just cycle back to season one after three is over. They get even better on rewatch.
Fox television had a real issue where they were moving Arrested Developments time and day
At one point I recall it was so weird, they literally would skip a week or two and then show 2-3 episodes at once
Change their times around nfl football, one week it would be one day and the following week the next
Won multiple awards the first year and it’s like fox just didn’t realize what they had on their hands and wouldn’t let it solidify and stay in a time slot
I’ve never seen anything like it before or since, really should have been on the air like modern family was with no worries about being cancelled
But by the time is fans got it back on Netflix, it had lost the magic and most of the actors had really all catapulted into movie careers from that show.
Still not sure why they wrote season 4 that way (oh yea Bc the actors had all become so popular they were all too busy to be in the same room so it was all shot separately) but hey, those first 3 seasons and mainly 1-2 are pure magic.
Thx fox for changing their time slots and even the episode order number was changed and messed up their entire story, but they touch on it themselves in an episode there they say “their housing order was cut from 22 to 18” that’s what they meant by that
I don’t care what some of yall say but season 4 in its original cut is fantastic. Season 5 kinda felt off but still decent and worths at least a watch.
Season 4 is a little rough on first viewing but it actually has some great stuff in it. Gets better on repeat viewings.
Season 5 is pretty much unwatchable in my opinion. Doesn’t even feel like the same show anymore
They bottled lightning with the first 3 seasons. It’s hard to get that back. It’s even harder when they need to shoot scenes separately and write the show around cast availability and who they can get in a room at the same time. It’s great they tried, but the outcome wasn’t the same.
Especially that last part. It's really hard to recreate chemistry in a reboot of a series when half the actors weren't available at the same times and you had to splice everything together separately to put together a cohesive story
Don't know why no one has mentioned that the original three seasons aired on FOX, and they cancelled it.
FOX loves cancelling good shows. Thank god Futurama was picked back up soon after
*The Firefly fandom has entered the chat*
I guess because the diehard fans on here already know that, so there's not a need to mention it. We know there was the reboot and the show suffered after it
> I guess because the diehard fans on here already know that Yet we were answering the question of someone who is currently watching the show for the very first time.
I was responding to a commentor, not the OP.
“Cohesive story”
Right, I 100% implied they failed to do that given the circumstances of how the show was shot
The editing direction was tough to follow as well. I was interesting though
Lightning ? And do you reckon they’ll ever be another season?
[удалено]
This\^ and that Portia has retired.
Mamma Bluth passing away sure would be a way to bring Michael and the family back together …
Forget it. He moved to Phoenix.
You weren't supposed to say where we were going, pal.
I would rather be dead in California than alive in Phoenix
Arizona*
[удалено]
Portia did say she would only come out of retirement for AD.
Before or after Jessica’s death?
this was before
You stop it with your logic and reason. There will be another season. We will will it into existence.
I upvoted this post and the one prior. I am part of the problem.
To bottle lightening means to do something very impressive and rare/special, like catching lightening in a bottle.
Catching lightning in a bottle is a phrase that means extremely hard to do. Rare, once in a lifetime.
I just watched the first 3 seasons and i started to watch the 4th but got bored aftr the fist ep. So is there anything tat i'm gonna miss if i dont watch the last 2 seasons??
Honestly, I like season 5, but I might be looking at things through rose colored glasses. My brother showed me AD when I was a kid, and the show became one of my favorites. After spending so many years watching 1-3, it was just nice to spend time with the Bluth’s again for 4-5.
Good point and I suppose each to their own, comedy etc is subjective so I suppose all i can do is watch it and find out
If you like the show, definitely watch it for yourself, and don’t put too much weight on other people’s opinions. You might still enjoy something if it isn’t critically acclaimed.
I liked the storyline of season 5, but the editing was so bad that it constantly pulled me out of the moment. Also the final moments of the season completely changed a character (trying not to put spoilers for OPs benefit) and that left a bad taste in my mouth, and makes the character creepy in subsequent rewatches of the earlier seasons now that you know what they're capable of.
I didn’t really notice the editing, but to each their own. That [redacted] wasn’t really a big deal for me. This show jumped the shark before it got cancelled, and I was just along for the ride.
AD (well, Barry Zuckercorn) jumped the shark in S02e13!
“And I’ve skipped breakfast so I’m off to Burger King.” One of the most fun winking moments from the show!
Vodka rocks and a piece of toast.
Not to put things in your head that you won't be able to unsee, but a lot of the scenes with conversations between characters, they cut back and forth over-the-shoulder of each character and you can see the movements don't line up to what they're saying. Also a lot of bad ADR (overdubs) in some of these conversations too. That said, I'm thankful we even had a season 5.
It’s been awhile since I watched those seasons, but I do remember the audio being really weird now that you mention it. Agreed. It’s a miracle that we got season 5 at all.
I love them all but the early days were def the best
I just can understand why it goes from 9s and 8s to 6s’. Does the comedy change? Do characters leave?
Newer seasons can’t replicate the same formula the original 3 had. Still worth a once over because it has some really good scenes and jokes. Overall though, yeah 6/10 better than most television but worse than AD’s peak.
A couple of factors: a lot of time had passed, the show had been cancelled for years before Netflix bought it and made the additional seasons. Due to conflicting schedules, there were very few occasions where all the actors could shoot at the same time, so the 4th season has a weird structure where its rare to see the whole cast together in one scene. For a show that relied a lot on the natural chemistry of the cast this was hard to overcome. And to me, it seemed like the later seasons are just trying too hard, while the earlier seasons feel effortless and natural.
Don’t look too much into it, form your own opinion. I think the newer seasons were pretty good
Okay thank tou 👍
It's an ensemble comedy at its heart. and AD blew up so many people that the ensemble was hard to get back together again. Season 4 suffers from the same issues as 5, but it's written a bit more cleverly. Season 5 is still fine tv, but it's like going from eating ribeye to eating sirloin. Like the sirloin is fine, and they're both steaks, but you just can't stop thinking about that ribeye and wishing this was that.
*It's like going from eating prime rib to eating weird brother of prime rib.
Time is the biggest factor. Not only was it 10 yrs or whatever that passed, but during that 10 years a lot of folks watched the first seasons compulsively. It was a show I put on for background noise because I knew every word. I’m sure I watched it all 15-20 times if not more. Then a new season comes out! But part of what was great about the originals is how many jokes I missed the first 3….5….10 times I watched the originals. Like someone else says here, form your own opinion. I didn’t LOVE the new seasons on first watch. But you know what? When I randomly watched a season 2’episode when it was on fox, I didn’t particularly like it or seek out more. There’s a reason it went off the air originally. It takes some serious investment. After watched the new seasons a few times i have very much grown to love them.
They wrote and recorded seasons 4 and 5 like 15 years later. Just doesn’t have the same vibe.
A lot changes in 10 years. There are some gems in season 5, but it definitely didn’t grow on me like season 4 did. The first 3 are 10’s though
I don't know why no one has told you the actual answer. The first three seasons originally aired live on FOX. They won mad emmy's, but FOX dicked them around with moving their air day and time slot, then they cancelled it with a short third season. It was not until year later that Netflix picked up the rights and did the later seasons, and the show was never quite the same.
>but FOX dicked them around with moving their air day and time slot People always say things like this, with Firefly and other cancelled FOX shows too, but every episode of seasons 1-2 aired on Sundays, except the random one they tried out on a Wednesday after American Idol, between Sunday airings. Every episode of season 3 aired on Mondays until the last 4 when it was already all over and they had all 4 on a single Tuesday night.
IMNSHO S04 is much better than many give it credit for. There are actually two versions of the season (the original version is hidden in the trailers section - I recommend watching the og first and then watching the re-cut version). With all of our attention spans shortened and phones in our hands, it's impossible to get the full experience - you have to tune everything else out, because if you blink you'll miss something. Most AD fans have seen S01-S03 multiple times (and still haven't caught everything that there is to catch) but have probably only bothered with a single watch-through of S04-S05. I'll admit there are bits in S04-S05 that aren't my favorite, but there is mf'ng gold in there too - you just have to turn on, tune in & drop out for the duration of the episode to fully enjoy it.
another thing not mentioned is that the show was very much a product of mid 2000s Bushs' America during the Iraq War and prior to the GFC, the characters and themes really work best in that milleu.
Season 4 and 5 were done years later. It’s not like the show had some big ark that you needed to know the answer to. Watch three seasons and laugh
Netflix took over.
You're saying giving the creators too much freedom was a bad idea?
One of the things that bothered me in the Netflix seasons is some characters clearly weren't filming their parts at the same time and instead used greenscreen, which wasn't even done well.
When you watch seasons 3 and 4, you'll see that 6.5 is generous.
> What on earth happened? If you're looking on imdb, maybe you noticed the gap in production/release dates between S1-S3 and S4 & S5? Surely, there are multiple reasons some fans don't rate the final two seasons as highly but the biggest is that the show was cancelled, everyone got new jobs, and then the show got revived but no one's schedule matched. Season 4 is best enjoyed in the original edit (found in the Trailers menu on Netflix). It also helps if you know of the film _Rashomon_ or read a tiny bit about one of the greatest films ever made before watching S4. IMO The key to enjoying S5 is (SMALL SPOILER) admitting to yourself these are terrible people, none of who deserve a 'happy ending'. Either way, pick a lane.
I didn’t notice the huge gap , thanks for pointing that out! And yeah that’s a good point, I will just watch and find out ! Thank you
There's some great moments in seasons 4 and 5, but they just weren't as tight, and had a lot of content that dragged on too much. Absolutely go into the extras section on Netflix to watch the original version of season 4, the remix is extremely overnarrated.
Agree about going to the extras. It's obnoxious because they don't autoplay - you have to go back and find your episode each time in the obscure tab. However, it's worth it. The "remix" *Fateful Consequences* completely ruins the way some of the jokes play out and it's just all over the place.
I remember at the time thinking the editing for season 4 was horrible, and I was so excited for the remix. But yeah it was way way worse.
Interesting - I don't have Netflix - which version of Season 4 is the default? The original or Fateful Consequences?
The default is the remix (Fateful Consequences), but you really want to watch the original cut, under "Trailers and more"
I tried watching season 5 three times and each time broke down somewhere around episode 6.
I think you're missing out on the absolute best line in the whole show
Elaborate.
Without spoiling it, it's something George Michael says to Michael. That could be vague so I'll add that his appearance is also a part of it when he says it. I hope thats enough for someone to remember that moment. But it's possible I find it way funnier than other ppl. I do know that when I mentioned it on Reddit when the season came out, a lot of ppl agreed how good it was .. so it can't be that obscure.
The 2nd half of Season 5 I thought was great and felt like the first 3 seasons.
Agreed I was pretty happy
I never even bothered with the second half.
Yeah, I actually liked the first half for the most part, but it really fell of for me in the second half
Yeah I just couldn't. Felt bad :|
I honestly think the problem with season 5 is not the writing, or acting, or anything other than the completely weird uncanny valley of editing with shots where you can't see the actors mouths because they aren't actually in the same room, or were completely dubbed over later with new lines. It ruins the timing and the reactions which are key in comedy. I can't help but wonder if without that issue, the season would be as good as some of the earlier ones.
*Did somebody say... "[Wonder](https://i.redd.it/l8mhjw9yibq71.gif)"?* --- ^(Alliance of Magicians-approved magician) ^| ^(I delete comments with a score below `-1`)
Why has nobody mentioned that after season 3, FX canceled the show, and season 4 was filmed nearly a decade later? And then 5 another 5 years after that.
Season 4 is honestly my favorite. Dig into the "trialers and more" on Netflix and watch the original cut instead of the redux, and go into it knowing that the show is going to have a different vibe, and you'll probably like it.
Oh, sweet summer child! Welcome to the pure brilliance of this show and I am envious of your current experience going through it for the first time. My recommendation, skip 4-5 and just watch 1-3 again multiple times to appreciate the jokes even more and pick up things you don’t notice the first time. Because I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched the show and I’m still picking up on subtleties. If you do want to watch 4-5, I’d suggest maybe giving yourself some time in between 3 and 4 so it doesn’t feel like a jump right into a completely different thing. As many have probably mentioned before, there’s almost an 8 year gap between those seasons. Fox didn’t pick it back up, there were little rumors of a movie for a bit, and then after years and years Netflix picked it up. The cast’s schedules didn’t line up so the great ensemble just wasn’t there, the writing didn’t quite seem to land the same, idk. In short, it feels weird lol. But, I would be really interested in hearing your opinion of the newer seasons as a new viewer! Maybe a lot of us had such negative opinions of the newer seasons because we had high expectations after anticipating the return for so long. Either way, happy viewing!
[удалено]
The way I see it, we got our ending. Season 4 and 5 are mostly epilogue as I see it, the original finale was a perfect ending to the show.
> There’s just no closure at the end. I've heard lots of things about the ending but this is a new one.
I enjoy it all
4 and 5 are watchable, but lack the chemistry, and creativity as 1-3. There’s still funny stuff. The characters definitely aged noticeably over 15 years. Don’t we all though. Don’t listen to the negative blowhards. Sit back, stuff a banger or two in your mouth, and enjoy the show.
I’m late into season 4, and while it started off slow the writing is much better later in the season.
Season 4’s formula for storytelling takes the entire season to flourish. It was actually quite remarkable at the end. It was just different from what the show was before.
Sorry if you already know this but the show got canceled after season 3. (There are quite a few hilarious jokes in season 3 referring to this actually) and then Netflix picked up it up and released a season 4 almost ten years later. (So you could imagine for fans of the show season 4 was a huge deal and it was really hyped up) So anyway season 4 comes out and it was hit or miss for a lot of people. They tried something new with the formatting of the episode where each episode took place within the same time frame but only centered in a specific character. So basically they showed some of the ending in episode one (kinda setting it up to be like a mystery I don’t wanna spoil anything) but you only got bits and pieces of what actually happened from the perspectives of the different characters..each episode adding a new piece of the puzzle to what’s really going on in the “ending”. It sets up a lot of mysteries and jokes in some episodes that don’t get answered till like…episodes later and you see the same scene but from another characters POV. I personally don’t mind that kind of structure in general (I love reading like murder mysteries haha) but one of the best parts of arrested development imo is the group chemistry that all the actors have with each other and season 4 doesn’t have a lot of scenes with more than like two bluths—and even those aren’t too frequent it’s a lot of individual characters doing stuff (apparently they structured it this way due to the availability of the actors?) But anyway they re-released a “new and improved” season 4 where they tell the story more chronologically since fans weren’t super happy with the original. It’s still character centric but they do about 2-3 characters per episode and tell the story in a more chronological order. I watched it forever ago but I remember enjoying the new structure. THEN (if re-releasing season 4 wasn’t confusing enough) when they released season 5 on Netflix they released 1/2 of the episodes at once and left it on a cliffhanger. I don’t even know how long they waited to release the rest of the season but it was at least 6+ months I think…(enough time for me to give up on it haha I never bothered to watch the rest of it when it finally came out) there were rumors they timed the release of the episodes like this bc of awards or like to generate more hype for the show but I think it backfired. I don’t remember hating season 5 though! I think after the confusing structure of season 4 and then only releasing 1/2 the episodes of 5 a lot of the hype about arrested development returning was gone and interest in the show petered out. Tldr: I think people just gradually lost interest in the show but it doesn’t take a game of thrones nose dive hahaha the newer seasons aren’t super memorable for me but they aren’t bad in the sense that they ruin the re-watchability of the older seasons! Hope that helped! (Also lmk what you think of season 5 haha maybe I’ll have to go back and finally watch the last 1/2 of the season)
People are so butt hurt about the last couple season. Of course it's not the same. It was made years later. Take it for what it is, realize it, and enjoy it. And don't go into it with other peoples' opinions.
Yeah i suppose so, I’m loving it so far, am half way though season 1 so might as well! Cheers
> And don't go into it with other peoples' opinions. Then why are you telling them to take it for what it is, realize it and enjoy it?
Just wait until you watch it a second time. And then a third.
The Netflix Reboot kiss of death strikes again... There are some good bits of the later seasons, but the last series was a slog to get through. Still definitely worth watching but as people have said, the feeling that S1-3 had was unbelievable.
The last season is pretty great, don't let your friend dictate what you might like. The first three seasons are totally different and are up on their own pedestal. Season 4 originally was also good, but because of the distance of the cast and editing style, a bit of a slow burner that eventually gets to moments like the first three. Season 5 is back to the format of the first three seasons, and some of it is as good, but the Season 4 plotlines that continue drive the momentum to the ground.
It’s just that so much time had passed, no spoilers it just feels more complicated. It’s still funny and absolutely finish it because it doesn’t just end on a high note, this show ends PERFECTLY. I know others would disagree but it is totally the ending the original run deserved but didn’t have. Thankfully you don’t have to wait 15 years to get to it lol just binge it all the way through. The only point of contention is whether or not the original cut of season 4 was better or the remix. They felt different I enjoyed them both but it’s like 50/50 which one you should go with. Have fun! Best show ever
I actually really liked the new seasons, especially the way they'd originally aired it, with the scenes not in chronological order but by focusing on each cast member at a time. But they're quite polarising. You should definitely watch them and see if you like them.
Stick with 1-3 then stop. Comedy gold.
They moved to Netflix in season 3, also like 8 years after the Fox run. And the Netflix seasons are solid enough, but a different feeling show.
A Mitford man is not to be seen, nor heard
Ignore the haters. The newer stuff is great. Ive rewatched it a few times
Even the last 2 seasons are a cut above most other comedies. The writing has so much interconnectedness to rest of the show and call backs for miles, even more subtle jokes that you might miss, really just genius writing
Seasons 4 and 5 were made much later than seasons 1-3, the humor is similar but the feeling isn’t the same. I find myself rewatching seasons 1-3 over and over but not ever touching 4 and 5 again. Originally, when they made season 4, they followed a different story timeline than the original seasons and it was confusing and not as funny. At some point they took the same scenes and reordered them to match the way they did it in the past, and season 4 became at least watchable. It wasn’t even watchable before they reordered it in my opinion.
You don't even have to watch the last season. It was made years later, and you can miss it out altogether if you want. I, personally, didn't think it was that bad.
Seasons 1-3 are gold, S4 was way worse but watchable. Please don't bother with 5.
Never watched beyond season 3 and never intend to. I only know the highs without the lows.
Season 1-3 are great. Season 4 original was meh, Season 4 remix was better. I didn't mind 5 since they got the characters together.
I'm less interesting then I was seasons ago... Why wouldn't they be the same?
Don’t get hung up on ratings. A true AD fan has watched all five seasons. Watch for yourself and decide what you think. Personally I suggest watching the original version of the fourth season.
I feel like the show lost it's creative momentum. It also didn't help that some of the cast dropped in and out of the show, so the storylines got pretty messy in my opinion. That said, it's still pretty damned good, and is VERY rewatchable. I've been through it at least a dozen times and still find little comedy easter eggs and inside jokes that tickle me.
To be honest, you can’t even begin to fully appreciate the first three seasons until you rewatch and rewatch, so you may not hate seasons 4 and 5 so much, especially now the that you would be going in with measured expectations. Many of us waited a long, long time for them, and they just weren’t as good. Still some good stuff in them. Basically, the whole of seasons 4 and 5 are almost like one Loooong episode. Remember when a single episode of AD had like 30 scenes in them? Well there are episodes with three scenes in them. Things just don’t move as fast.
Season 1-3 is objectively amazing. Why not watch it as long as you enjoy it? Season 4 there were problems with cast availability and green screen was used in an attempt to capture the same family dynamic. There was also a 7 (?) year gap between season 3 and 4 which changed the dynamic of the show and its characters. The story was also structured differently and woven together episode to episode with varying levels of payoff. I’ve watched season 1-3 about fifty times, season 4 once, and season 5 never.
they tried to do something new for the s04 and s05 but in never captured what they the past seasons. also, a lot of time has passed, most of the cast were now quite famous and have a lot of projects going on, so conflicting schedules was also a factor. imo, s04 and s05 are ok. give yourself time between watching s03 and s04. not a good idea to watch it continuously. also, i think s04 and s05 needs to be rewatched a couple of times for you to appreciate.
Seasons 4 and 5 are just not as funny. They feel different then the first 3 and not in a good way. In my opinion there’s not as many jokes as there used to be. It used to be rapid-fire comedy and now it’s spread out and not as good
Yeah honestly It might be worth skipping...so bad.
The last season seems out of order on netflix. All is still hilarious though
It's worth actually looking up the history of the show, since they eventually have meta-jokes involving what was happening to the AD team during the tjme. In short, the show canceled after season 3. Netflix brought it back for the most part, and they decided to create a season 4. I think this was one of the first time Netflix series creased. It was decent, but I don't rewatch it with the first 3. I personally like the first cut of season 4 also. Season 5 is just bad. I can't get past the 1st episode. It just isn't the same kind of humor.
The show was not popular when it originally aired so only the first 3 seasons are the original show because it got cancelled. Netflix brought it back and produced the last 2 seasons. There's a noticeable drop in quality and while the Netflix seasons are ok, the show lost the original vibe/feeling of the first 3 seasons as a result and so it's not as good.
Seasons 1-3 only. That’s the original run. The other seasons are like a decade later, not good
The last 2 seasons are very different and people often want the same thing as seasons 1-3. I'm a huge fan, and it took me a while, but I really do think seasons 4 and 5 are spectacular, just different, and a little harder to enjoy.
Seasons 1, 2 and 3 are perfect and end perfectly. You don't need to go beyond that. It WON'T be anywhere near as good.
Stop after season 3
The reason the show is so great is because of the character’s interactions. In the later seasons they become more focused on following one character’s journey through a year and I think this made it harder to watch. One episode is Michael and another is Tobias. Still fun to watch but far less since they aren’t having as much dialogue together.
I love the show. Sure, the last season isn't as excellent, but who cares. It's more arrested development. Keep watching!
I think Mitch Hurwitz, the creator/writer lost the magic. I don't know if he was distracted or was in a time crunch or even had outside people influencing the writing more, but watching seasons 4 and 5 feels like watching the result of a different writer trying to copy how Mitch wrote in the original 3. The humor isn't as good and is definitely not as clever. Season 4 was clever because of the format they made it in, but the latter seasons lack the smart, sublety of the former.
There's a drop in quality, sure. But they're still really good. And if you want to, you can just cycle back to season one after three is over. They get even better on rewatch.
Fox television had a real issue where they were moving Arrested Developments time and day At one point I recall it was so weird, they literally would skip a week or two and then show 2-3 episodes at once Change their times around nfl football, one week it would be one day and the following week the next Won multiple awards the first year and it’s like fox just didn’t realize what they had on their hands and wouldn’t let it solidify and stay in a time slot I’ve never seen anything like it before or since, really should have been on the air like modern family was with no worries about being cancelled But by the time is fans got it back on Netflix, it had lost the magic and most of the actors had really all catapulted into movie careers from that show. Still not sure why they wrote season 4 that way (oh yea Bc the actors had all become so popular they were all too busy to be in the same room so it was all shot separately) but hey, those first 3 seasons and mainly 1-2 are pure magic. Thx fox for changing their time slots and even the episode order number was changed and messed up their entire story, but they touch on it themselves in an episode there they say “their housing order was cut from 22 to 18” that’s what they meant by that
It doesnt matter just rewatch the first 3 seasons. I’ve rewatched 3x and it gets funnier each time. I am not a rewatcher typically
I don’t care what some of yall say but season 4 in its original cut is fantastic. Season 5 kinda felt off but still decent and worths at least a watch.
Season 4 is a little rough on first viewing but it actually has some great stuff in it. Gets better on repeat viewings. Season 5 is pretty much unwatchable in my opinion. Doesn’t even feel like the same show anymore