MovieChat Forums > Arrested Development (2003) Discussion > What am I missing?

What am I missing?

posted 8 years ago by floyd-52
12 replies | jump to latest

What is to like about this?

Had it recommended to me, based on Jason Bateman. Currently struggling to make it through the extended pilot (DVD). Does it get better, or is this as good as it gets? BTW, why does Ron Howard narrate? All that does it take us out of...something I want to be out of.

[–] metatron1970 8 years ago

Keep watching. The first time I saw it, I thought it was clever but nothing extraordinary. It took me about six episodes to discover how good it actually is. The series has high rewatchability because you will, as most AD fans already know, find jokes or visual or verbal gags you miss on the first go around. I have now seen every episode more times than I can count, including the controversial season 4. Ron Howard's pleasant, friendly voice is a welcome addition, and also allows for a dose of meta humor. Don't give up on it just yet.

[–] hotrats2112 8 years ago

I agree with the Metatron. Give it a few episodes. Sometimes it just clicks. Sometimes it doesn't. If you make it through the first 3 seasons and still don't like it then you should definitely give up.

[–] Final_Hitokiri 8 years ago

You know, I sorta thought my contribution... could be a magic show!

[–] Final_Hitokiri 8 years ago

Currently struggling to make it through the extended pilot (DVD). Does it get better, or is this as good as it gets?

I actually didn't like the extended pilot as much, since it's longer. (It's longer than most of the shows in the regular run, but might match the same run time of some of Season 4's episodes).

Also, I didn't care for the show at first and thought it was kind of boring. (I really like the first 3 seasons now though!) Best suggestion I can offer is to sit down and really watch it. You'll see how just about all of the stories intertwine with each other and how much of the jokes really build off of the dialogue from one another. It's not as much about physical comedy, but the interactions from the family.

I'd suggest sticking with it a little bit, perhaps to Episode 10: Pier Pressure. That's one of the best episodes in the entire series.

BTW, why does Ron Howard narrate?

Ron narrates in every episode. Basically he's filling you in on what's going on with the other characters while someone else was happening. It's kind of unique, and adds to the overall story.

Also, strange enough, the show is even better on a re-watch as there are a lot of hidden things that you miss your first go around. Last fun as compared to fleeting fun!

[–] metatron1970 8 years ago

Final_Hitokiri: Thanks for singling out "Pier Pressure", one of my favorite episodes (especially when stoned). Think I read Fox executives had sent a memo to Hurwitz and his writers that there should be an episode where Michael teaches his son "a little lesson", a cliched device in sitcoms that Hurwitz and Company subversively turned completely on its head.

[–] Final_Hitokiri 8 years ago

It's a really good episode, and one that you could even skip to if you wanted to. I usually recommend it for folks who essentially "don't get" the show, as it adds in more physical comedy than some of the other episodes do for those who like that style of comedy.

The "lessons" part is hilarious!

[–] metatron1970 8 years ago

I'll meet you down at the Big Yellow Joint!

[–] standrkm 8 years ago

pilots seem to be the worst episodes in most shows, sometimes they're not even anything like the rest of the series, especially with comedy series', they're trying to appease the execs while also trying to appeal to an audience they're not sure exists, Seinfeld's pilot is the worst episode, sometimes the first 1 or 2 episodes are just a barrier to get through, I felt the same way about Spartacus

"how's a fella go about gettin' a holt of the police?" -Karl

[–] Final_Hitokiri 8 years ago

sometimes the first 1 or 2 episodes are just a barrier to get through, I felt the same way about Spartacus

Interesting enough, I thought Spartacus was pretty good right from the get-go, but cable shows are often different as they sign on for a full season.

That said, I still think "Breaking Bad" is one of the best pilot shows ever created. It opens with something so bizarre and random that has little to do with the concept of the show that you keep watching just to see why that scene was even used, and it blends in perfectly.

Completely agree with you about Seinfeld. In retrospect, I do not even know how the show was greenlit after those first 4 episodes!

[–] LAtvGuy 8 years ago

BTW, why does Ron Howard narrate?

Ron's narration for the first few episodes is rather lifeless. Once he gets into the groove, he really adds a ton to the show.

"And THAT'S how you narrate a story!"

[–] Final_Hitokiri 8 years ago

Ron's narration for the first few episodes is rather lifeless.

Real shoddy narrating, just pure crap!

[–] hotrats2112 8 years ago

They're re-showing that episode of Scandalmakers tonight.

"Perhaps an attic shall I seek."