Are the Bluth Boys Bordering on Genius?

Since 2005, we have waited. The very thought of bringing Jason Bateman and Michael Cera together again seemed unlikely considering they both became household names after leading films such as Horrible Bosses and Scott Pilgrim vs the World. But since late 2011, the fourth season has been on the cards with small tidbits released about returning cast members Carl Weathers, Liza Minnelli and Ben Stiller. After almost two years, the full package is available for everyone on Netflix in a new access-all-episodes model, via subscription. Inevitably, such a gap was sure to have a backlash. Prior to starting Season 4, I spent an evening with fellow Arrested Development fans quoting and re-quoting lines for hours from the previous three series (“I blue myself”/*click, click* “there’s always money in the banana stand…”/”No touching!”… the list goes on and on) and the idea that new episodes were appearing simply seemed unbelievable. How could new episodes smoothly sit alongside, for all intents and purposes, classic moments in US comedy? Imagine if The Office returned in the UK? Or even if The Sopranos returned? Or even Friends? It would never match up to the original run …

But I believe Mitch Hurwitz knew better – and knows trends in television better. Recently I wrote about Breaking Bad, arguing that – as good as it is – it will never reach the lofty political and profound heights of The Wire [see here]. In comparison, Breaking Bad is an indie hit opposed to the grand, epic scale of The Wire. David Simon confidently explained in multiple interviews that the first season of The Wire was a novel unto itself, arguing that when you read Moby Dick, the whale doesn’t appear until you are deep into the pages of Herman Melville’s classic book. By the same token, David Simon wrote the TV series with the same logic – setting up the story in the first few episodes and only “hooking” people in by episode 6 when they knew the background of the characters. David Simon even argued with producers, demanding they watch the first six episodes before making a decision.

Arrested Developmenthas built a novel of a comedy. Granted, Hurwitz himself tweeted not to binge-watch the season … but the beauty of Netflix’s release method means Hurwitz can plan an entire season that has strong foundations for long-term credibility, rather the short-term satisfaction an episodic narrative would offer. The Wire, every season, was on the edge of cancellation and only truly found an audience on DVD when audiences could watch an entire season – Netflix knows that the audience of Arrested Development will watch, and re-watch, the series in its entirety. The first three seasons alone will ensure that those who like Arrested Developmentwill watch the entire fourth season before making a judgement – and the subtleties will be appreciated on the second watch … and the third watch … and the fourth watch. The complexity of the season will be better understood on multiple viewings – and that is what is crucial to the success of the season. As a comedy, repeat viewings will only make the series funnier – and Hurwitz knows this. A fourth season in 2006 would’ve been good – of course – but this challenges the status quo and aspires to be better than good. It aspires to be genius.