Arrested Development
By Ava Fineza
I recently started watching Arrested Development per my father’s recommendation, and I am now obsessed. This show is absolutely hilarious, filled with laugh-out-loud humor that will have you bingeing until 2 in the morning. Arrested Development does such a good job of building episode-long jokes that when you finally get to the “punch line” at the end of the episode, it somehow feels rewarding and ten times funnier. The cast works wonderfully together and though the tone is light-hearted, you can’t help but feel for the characters at certain times. The Bluths are my favorite take on the dysfunctional family trope, and it is comforting to watch Michael’s barely restrained annoyance, Buster’s crazy adventures, Lucille’s cold-hearted glares, and the rest of the family’s antics because it will make you think “well at least my family isn’t
this messed up.” Arrested Development is a show full of outrageous coincidences and hilarious misunderstandings, and it’s a great way to have a laugh at their family, with your family.
logline: Level-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.
Source: IMDb
Fun Fact: Arrested Development was first aired in 2003 and was canceled in 2006, but in 2013 Netflix picked it up for a revival, releasing Season 4 in 2013 and Season 5 in 2018 and 2019.
My Favorite Characters:
Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth - Lucille successfully achieves titles for Best Mother and Raging Alcoholic. It’s a hard decision to make because all of the characters are amazing, but Lucille stands out as my favorite. Her scalding retorts will leave you in pieces, and the look she gives when delivering one of her one-liners is iconic. I always look forward to seeing her on-screen because I know whenever she is - no one is safe from her sharp(and always slightly drunk) tongue.
Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth - I know some may think Michael is a little bland but personally I love his character. He’s exasperated enough to be relatable, but still funny enough to actually be likable and not just the “reactor” to the rest of the family’s craziness. I always love to watch all of the siblings, and maybe it’s just because I’m bland like him, but Michael remains my favorite Bluth.
Will Arnett as GOB - Sophia’s favorite character. GOB in three words would be “sad magic man.” He can be egotistical and charming(somehow?? idk how he does magic for a living) one second and be depressed and lonely the next, and laughing at his miserable life feels so mean but so good. GOB likes to put up a show - literally. Never forget this man is a magician - but on the inside, he’s definitely empty, and for some reason that speaks to me.
Where to Watch: Netflix or Hulu with subscription, Amazon PrimeVideo, YouTube, Google Play, and iTunes for purchase
Number of Seasons: 5
Rating: TV-14 for sexual content and nudity, mild profanity, and alcohol & drug usage.
You should probably watch the show before this - there are spoilers - but this compilation is just golden.