For Those Thinking Of Watching This Show

This one is just a bit of info for those who are wondering whether to watch this show or not.

Firstly, the show is actually two and a half seasons long, to which it was cancelled by Fox abruptly, then the 4th season which was a bit of a mess.

As far as the 9.0 rating goes, I think that's exaggerated. The show is too up and down for it to deserve such a high rating, it's not flawless from start to finish like some other series are.

To say it's just as good as Friends is pushing it, a lot. Though I would have rated it around an 8.2.

Also, another note is that the fourth season is very difficult to watch. If you loved the first 3 seasons, then you will push through it, but it's nothing like what it should have been.

Despite the 4th season occurring 7 years later, rather than taking advantage of that to move the story forward several years, the writers decide to proceed as if only two months had passed in the timeline. With Alia Shawkat going from 17 to 24, Portia De Rossi's very noticeable plastic surgery, (She's almost unrecognisable) David Cross' weight gain, Michael Cera shooting up in height and looking much older, and Bateman's few extra wrinkles, despite Jeffrey Tambor, Will Arnett, Jessica Walter and especially Tony Hale appearing ageless, the appearance changes were too significant to attempt to ignore them.

It doesn't really make sense. Not only was that a factor, conflicting schedules were also a factor, which means despite the full family being shown on the intro, characters such as Lindsay, played by Portia De Rossi, aren't even seen until the third episode. Will Arnett is seen briefly throughout the series, I don't recall one moment when every one is in the same room. (In fact I'm pretty sure that never happens throughout the 4th season)

The zany interactions between the characters is gone, the focus is instead placed upon 2-3 characters to carry the story, and the other gaps filled with guest appearances. It's very difficult to watch, and a shame.

There have been rumours, and repeated confirmations that a 5th season will be happening, but it keeps getting delayed and delayed. I would like to see the story done right, with all of the characters involved at once, but as we've seen with other shows that tried to be renewed, the actors and actresses move on to bigger and better things and it's near enough impossible to get everyone on set again. So you either don't do it or we get what we had in the 4th season, rotating of characters who rarely if ever interact, only in mention, some of that interaction which actually happened via a blue screen. (I know, right?)

I'm torn on season 4. Should they have just left it the way it was? Or were they right to try to do it anyway, despite having their hands tied with schedules and trying to persist with a story which was written 7 years ago? I'm not sure. I just know it's very hard to watch and a shame they couldn't recreate what made the show great from seasons 1-3.

But in my opinion, definitely worth a watch if you like comedies!