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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Arrested Development: Season Three

  
  

Page: 12(3)

 
 
PatrickMM
06:35 / 11.02.06
Incredible finale. The George Michael/Maeby stuff was great, as was Justine Bateman's cameo, the return of Franklin, Anne and Gob, and the whole Iraq plot. Plus, there were a ton of great call backs to really early stuff. And I loved the Blue Velvet nod with "Why do there have to be puppets like Frank?"

But the highlight for me was definitely seeing at the last the return of...Anyong! Brilliant.

And I can see why Hurwitz would be reluctant to take it even if Showtime offered to pick the show up. This felt final and I don't know if there's anywhere else that the characters need to go. Now, obviously I'd want to see more, but if this is it, I feel fulfilled. I'd consider it the best American comedy show ever, and second only to The Offic overall.
 
 
Mug Chum
15:51 / 16.02.06
Felt final. But it can't end. It can't.
 
 
Yotsuba & Benjamin!
15:56 / 16.02.06
As much as I'd love to see all the Prison gags transposed over a Women's Prison (that really should've been in the epilogue) I think it's rather fitting that, like the Bluths, the show's Development was Arrested.

But I wouldn't say no to twelve more seasons of Franklin.
 
 
doyoufeelloved
17:25 / 16.02.06
My only regret is that we didn't get one more incandescent Gene Parmesan appearance out of the whole thing. Overall, though, it really was a stunning finale. Of course I don't want it to end, mainly because a fourth season that starts with Lucille in prison, Buster losing both hands, Lindsay and GOB hooking up to get back at Michael, and George Michael and Maeby clearing third base would be HILARIOUS. (Most of those are speculative, of course, but come on.)
 
 
doyoufeelloved
14:13 / 28.02.06
This was e-mailed to me today:

From tvguide.com:

SHOWTIME FOR THE BLUTHS?: Hmm, maybe the fat lady should shut her mouth and take a seat. The New York Post hears brand-new buzz that Showtime has not only picked up Fox's canceled Arrested Development but has ordered a full 26 episodes.

Well, that's my cable bill going up $10.95...
 
 
Yotsuba & Benjamin!
15:20 / 28.02.06
"Something's going up...and ain't my cable bill!"
- Franklin, In My Head
 
 
matthew.
03:22 / 01.03.06
Anybody know of DVD release?
 
 
doyoufeelloved
14:20 / 29.03.06
And that's the end of that:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940467?cs=1&s=h&p=0

Mitch Hurwitz announced he won't be coming back as the showrunner for a 4th season of AD, meaning the Showtime deal is dead in the water. The show is about as officially over as I think we'll ever hear.

It's a good thing I wore black today.
 
 
matthew.
14:48 / 29.03.06
Also, I found out about DVD releases. The third season was expected to street in June, but has been officially "postponed" by Fox.

[Angry response imminent. Core critical.]

Fuck you, Fox. You have fucked over another great show. And you know what? Fuck you, NBC for that stupid fucking idiotic bottom-feeder show that premiered last night called "Teachers". So fuck you, television for coming up with garbage shows that will no doubt be super successful. ARGH! Fuck!

[Warning: head may explode with frustration.]
[Warning: brain is leaking from ears.]

[Systems shutdown imminent.]

[...]
 
 
doyoufeelloved
16:06 / 29.03.06
The third season was expected to street in June, but has been officially "postponed" by Fox.

They probably postponed it thinking it would be wise to hold it back until a fourth-season start date was announced, and release it shortly before then. If there's now not going to be a fourth season, they can release it whenever they want, I suppose...
 
 
Mug Chum
18:36 / 29.03.06
Was Hurwitz just the creator or did he had a constant fundamental role in the long run?

I'm just not so sure it really ended. In the sense of full circle. Every day I change my view drasticly (either "there's lot more to be worked with" or "this was the perfect ending!"). I find it worrysome that truly ended with "it WAS arrested development" and the final death-scream yelling curses to all directions. It all felt like "the gimmicks we were going to use in the last episodes of a distant future final season" (Ron Howard appearing, "WAS arrested development", Michael and GM goin' out to the sea's horizon-sunset finally getting their funtime and developing, GM-Surely's finnaly closed case etc). Of course, there's a lot more to be worked with: Tobias' closet (wich was pretty much wide open in the final episodes), GOB's completely lack of development/maturing/redemption, Lindsay's Desperate Housewife stuck persona, Buster all fearfull motherboy again even after Iraq, what will be of George Sr, Lucille in jail, and the eternal-return even after the movin' on of Michael (on the brilliant "Pop Up in my Bed" epilogue)...

and goddamnit, even when you think the meta/intertextual subtexts were all drained out, these guys would bring it more and more from all sorts of television, movies, news, fiction (and - why the hell not? - myths).

Of course, many things were killed with a pop-up (Really, this show is way too damn brilliant), but maybe some of the fundamental things of the show can develop and change (wasn't one of the reasons we loved the show was that it was different and renewed itself all the time and never got stuck? Could we accept the show even if nobody was in jail anymore - the major motif of the show?)

It could go on as an "arrested development" with Lucille arrested, but the biggest notion here I always thought was the absent father. But coming to think of, Lucille in jail would pretty much be the same as George Sr (and George Sr would be like Lucille on the penthouse, screwing her sister and other stuff), only instead of daddy issues, would be "mommy issues". Wich is way too Buster and creepy to be played as a constant characterization and plot motif. I just CAN'T imagine Michael and Gob trying to get his mother's attention, validation etc. Although it could work on so many different ways, or even not needing to have the brothers fighting over mommy.

This was too damn good. Even if it's over, each episode is an entire galaxy to laughdance for eternities.

This was too damn good.
 
 
PatrickMM
18:44 / 29.03.06
I got the impression from the commentaries that Hurwitz was the creative heart of the show, like Sorkin on The West Wing or Whedon on Buffy. Without him, you'd still have a brilliant cast, but I don't think it would be the same show. I'm sort of torn because I'd still love to see more, even without Hurwitz, but I know that it's probably best to end here.

And I'd agree that the final episode felt like a series finale. I'm sure there's still some stories to be told, but most of the issues have been resolved, and the sheer bizarre audacity of that finale is a great final statement for the show. Watching those final four episodes all in a row was almost like an overdose of the show, I can't remember that many details, just the sense of things being completely over the top and out of control, in a good way.

The article did mention the possibility of a movie, but that seems to be perfunctory for every cancelled show now, none of them actually seem to turn up.
 
 
Mug Chum
19:16 / 29.03.06
I for one would hate to see an AD movie.

And yeah totally agree, the final absurdity was a huge part of the finale feel. I mean, things not only feel full circle with Lucille getting arrested on the boat, but she tries to escape as she sells a daughter (and the entire family actually) away, sells the company and proves to be the genious evil mind behind all the series, the two grand ladies(!), the Queen Mary(!!) rocking Michael and GM's boat, and rocking all along the series. You could almost predict all of that when the show was at a time pretty much about George and Oscar fighting for Mommy-Lucille (replaying the brother's eternal fights of Michael and Gob), the Grand (scary) Lady (almost ALP like). This show was way too cool.

And I just remembered. We never see Lucille actually getting arrested. Wich is all the more genious. SHE'S OUT THERE (A PIRATE GANGEE WITH A FLEET OF HOMOSEXUALS!)! The serial killer mommy on drugs and booze from the news, Gloriana from 7S, Stepford Wife, Kali. All of them finally receveing the olympic torch as we see in the "rehearsal" of the pilot!

Even if Mitchell would go back to make new seasons, I can't imagine what sort of motherboy's issues would spring along in Michael, Gob and Tobias' lives (I mention them because Lindsay, Buster, George and Oscar are directly Lucille's properties).

and also, if this show ended up on cable, how weird it'd be having all the 'f#cks' and 'sh#ts' without the bleeps? But how cool it'd be without commercials...?
 
 
CameronStewart
20:06 / 29.03.06
>>>if this show ended up on cable, how weird it'd be having all the 'f#cks' and 'sh#ts' without the bleeps?<<<

Someone else mentioned this (not here, somewhere else) and I think it's odd - just because they CAN swear on cable, doesn't necessarily mean they will, or be compelled to. They could just as easily continue to self-censor, because it's funnier.
 
 
Mug Chum
23:24 / 29.03.06
I know, but there was always a feeling that they were taking a piss, fakin' out a absurd acting of a scared man goin' "oh my god, they don't allow this!" so it would contribute for the 'reality' factor somewhat with the fact that Fox wouldn't actually allow it. And there were rare cases that the bleeping was actually funny (when they took advantage of it). Other times it just felt that they were being honest to the characters (I can't imagine Lindsay talking about the diamond cream without the "a million fuckin' diamonds!", though I don't find it funny. Just obligatory coherence you could say...).

There's this other moment where Michael looks at the dolls in the attic. It feels like a censored down version of "scandalmakers: pop up the pedophile". It's always funnier when you have to make an effort after a WTF moment. It feels similar to the bleeping situation somehow in my head.

Oh and Cam, I've made a comment in the Guardian thread about your inclusion of the "Bluth" gravestone. If that ended up being a hypersigil to kill off the show, be aware of any suspicious people around you and prepare yourself to scream outloud a thousand times "Gene!". :P
(though it would be nicer if it was an aztec tomb instead of a normal gravestone, or if the tombstone was in Mexico. But either way, ended up being this real pertinent moment in the plot to put it)
 
 
Mug Chum
16:16 / 29.05.06
Artwork for season3.
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=5660

I just hope there will be a lot of commentary tracks (and more on creative aspects. Those season2 dvd commentaries sucked. Only 3 episodes, incomplete-cast-and-Mitch-only. C'mon!), lots of extras, lots of bloopers, lots of behind-d-scenes, lots of lots. This is the kind of show that dvd players were invented...

And I hope they won't make Michael just paint over his problems. Hoping June 16 will be two celebration days in history: Bloomsday and Arrestday after Hurwitz claims he'll be back for more.
 
 
Yotsuba & Benjamin!
20:19 / 29.05.06
*snf*

That box if fuckin' beautiful...
 
 
Triplets
15:11 / 31.05.06
Lisp?

...

YouTube tends to have a lot of montages/collages from AD, just found this gem

You've ruined the act, Joe!
 
 
buttergun
14:00 / 11.09.06
I watched all of Season 3 on DVD this weekend. It was great, and sad. It was nice to see the final 4 episodes I'd missed (due to Fox's non-advertising at the time) back in February.

Those last 4 eps were great (especially the trip to Iraq), save for the one with Judge Rheinhold, which just didn't do much of anything for me...and seemed to me Season 3's version of that ultra-lame episode from Season 2 with Martin Short.

Yes, everything came full circle. I think an AD movie would be great, but I agree, if it ends here, it ends fine.

BTW, the curses are also bleeped on the DVD (only the unaired, "extended pilot" contained on the Season 1 boxset has unbleeped curses), so I am sure they would've been bleeped had the show gone on to cable.

Hell, that was half the humor at times, the bleeping -- re A Thoroughly Polite Dust-Up's "Everytime I think of you, I'll put a >bleep< in my mouth.")
 
 
buttergun
20:07 / 22.10.06
Could someone PLEASE post the label for Oscar's "Afternoon Deelite" marijuana (from Season Two's "Afternoon Delight")? I've searched all over the web for that image -- the one of the snail screaming "Wee!" as it rides on the back of a stoned turtle -- but I can't find it. If anyone has it and could post it on here, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!
 
 
Mug Chum
01:34 / 23.10.06
You could try to "print screen" on your dvd. Or lots of dvd players softwares have the feature to capture frame (like cyberlink powerDvd)...

On a different matter, I just saw my 3rd Season2 disc... I never noticed that George Sr's line in that last episode - "cause you deserve Oscar now" - was actually refering to himself, that smiling bastard (and love Tamborn's delivery on this, as if George's trying to supress a laugh. That always bothered me until I realized the bastard was thinking "they bought it good").

And, God, the tiny details that made this show! Buster caressing his fake hand, hinting us that this little bittersweet moment rubbing us was a plastic fake, staged by the dumbest SOB George Sr (this was a character that combined the stupidity -- and ocasional sonofabitchness -- of Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin without never feeling unreal).

I fuckin' love this show. I just won't say I'll miss it 'cause I'm pretty sure I'll be 70 and finding out stuff I never noticed before.
 
 
buttergun
14:14 / 24.10.06
Good to see Will Arnett getting work...new film "Let's Go to Prison," coming out around Thanksgiving:

TRAILER ON YOUTUBE

Looks to have a bit of an Arrested Development bent (the flashback scenes of the narrator's three previous arrests looks similar to the usual AD flashback), plus Will seems to be another GOB-type, though maybe smarter?
 
 
Mug Chum
11:03 / 25.10.06
I believe Will Arnett will be leading man on a Russo Brothers' film (the guys that directed most of the firsts AD's episodes).

This one has Bob Odenkirk's directing hand on it. Might be interesting. Weird. The episode where Gob goes to prison -- "Key Decisions" -- seems pretty much on the same line, including "big bear" jokes (altough nothing could rival Gob's "but I'm white" line).
 
 
buttergun
17:07 / 09.01.07
So how much do all of you miss this show?

I think I'm more heartbroken NOW that it was cancelled than I was a year ago, when the woeful deed was done.

I just finished re-watching the entire series for the fourth time. If anything, it just gets better with each viewing. Every episode is great (even the Season 2 ep with Martin Short, which I reviled above): there's foreshadowing, there's resolution, there's a pace unmatched by anything else I can think of on TV (seriously, compare the amount of events that go down in the average ep of AD with, say, an episode of Lost!).

Trolling around various forums, I was surprised to find a lot of "fans" thought Season 3 was weak. Like many others on here, Season 3 was probably my favorite. But that's another thing. Unlike most other shows, there was no "best season ever" of Arrested Development. You could make a strong argument for each of them being so.

In a way, I'm glad the show ended as it did. Now we have a trilogy, a perfect comedy trilogy, with a definite beginning, middle, and end. Just about everything was tied up, save for the re-attachment of Buster's hand (something that was strongly foreshadowed early in Season 3...just like the loss of his hand was strongly foreshadowed early in Season 2).

But if the show continued after "Development Arrested," like others here said, it would've been a regurgitation of things we'd already seen. Instead of George Sr in prison it would be Lucille, instead of Carl Weathers filming "Scandal Busters" it would be Maeby filming a movie about her family, etc.

But damn, I miss it. About the only thing we can hope for now is a complete soundtrack of David Schwartz's music. What I wouldn't give for "Big Yellow Boat," "Balls in the Air," "Discipline Daddy," and "What Could be Better" (the ELO-ish track which plays toward the end of Season 3 -- prominently featured on the "Last day on location" DVD extra) on CD!!

The amount of detail that went into this show...and how things would be paid off over entire seasons. From Lucille's "Look what the gays have done" in the pilot episode, to Lucille commanding a hock crew of gay dancers in her escape attempt on the very same yacht in the finale.

It sucks the show is gone, but we were lucky to have it in the first place.
 
 
Mug Chum
08:30 / 21.02.07
Yeah I always felt the "gay jokes" were pretty much a new pattern iteration on the same bit on each episode, that every little freudian slip from Tobias or any other flaming dialogue from any other character was a callback to that first "Michael! Look what the homosexual have done to me!"

And even though I haven't seen anything that would confirm my view in any forum, I do think those jokes were more refined and absurdly more clever than just "haha! Tobias is sooo gay! He's a total flamer!" (I think that's more to "Will & Grace" or whatever -- every time I see somebody laughing at that show, it's just for the homophobic jokes; i.e. "____________, you big sissy fairy queen" (canned laughter) ).


I would kill for a Franklin cartoon that was written as if it all came from Gob (dubbed by Arnett, duh).

And I wish to hear more from Hurwitz. Maybe even a book. I'm pretty damn sure there's at least 20 jokes on meta-linguistic/self-referential level on each episode. It's freaking mind-boggling the sorts of recurrent motifs and the level of self-awareness.
 
 
buttergun
13:21 / 21.02.07
Word was late this past summer that the producers/writers of Scrubs were trying to bring Tobias Funke in as a one-episode guest character, this season. They were trying to work with Hurwitz on the rights, etc. Apparently Cross was willing to do it. Haven't heard anything since, so I guess it won't happen.
 
 
Mug Chum
00:59 / 10.12.07
Keith Olbermann on Jason Bateman's statement about the prospects of an Arrested Development movie.

(that's not something I'd imagine writing some day)

edit to add: the name of the guy's show is Countdown. They really couldn't put the song in?
 
 
buttergun
18:49 / 14.04.09
Not sure if it's been mentioned here, but Mitch Hurwitz, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Henry Winkler have reunited for the new animated Fox series "Sit Down, Shut Up," which I believe premieres either this Sunday or next.
 
 
Tsuga
21:43 / 14.04.09
And it looks so mediocre, too. But I'm watching it for sure, with my fingers crossed.
 
  

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