Arrested Development

Arrested Development is a television show too smart for its own good. Luckily the producers cast the bumbling Bluth family so well, that dysfunction is rampant from the start. After watching only the first two episodes, it’s clear this is one of the wittiest shows on TV. Meant to be a mock-u-mentary of sorts, this clever depiction of the Bluth family in all their glory is one of the most refreshing television programs seen in years.
Arrested Development follows the Bluth family, wealthy socialites who see their real estate company crumble after coming under fire from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). George Sr., played by Jeffrey Tambor is the CEO of the Bluth Company and is sent to prison during the first episode. Although he is in prison, he still manages to control and manipulate his family and the company from behind bars. This sets the tone for the remainder of the show as the Bluth family all vie for control of the family fortune and company. Jason Bateman plays Michael Bluth, the most upstanding and driven Bluth, who assumes he will take over his father’s position at the head of the company. Unfortunately for Michael, the rest of his family is also assuming this position. Gob, played by Will Arnett is the oldest Bluth and the most delusional of the bunch. His repeated shortcomings as a magician play out through the first few episodes and provide some of the funniest moments of the show. Gob’s inability to return a frozen dead dove to the magic store and his subsequent attempts to dispose of it, is a work of pure comedy.
Michael’s sister, Lindsay Fúnke (Portia de Rossi) and her husband Tobias Fúnke (David Cross) are perpetually fighting and attempting to one up the other. Tobias is a former professor turned actor whose repeated homosexual faux pas are noticed by everyone but himself. Lindsay on the other hand is lazy after living a life of privilege and excess. Their daughter, Maeby Fúnke, played by Alia Shawkat, and Michael’s son, George Michael (Michael Cera) play estranged cousins whose sex-laced, incest based relationship yields several awkward yet hilarious parts of the show. At one point George Michael is promoted to ‘Mr. Manager’ of the frozen banana stand, and Maeby is forced to help him. His father has only one request for his son after hiring her, “You stay on top of her buddy, do not be afraid to ride her…hard.”
The last two members of the Bluth family are George Sr.’s wife Lucille, played by Jessica Walter and their youngest son Buster (Tony Hale). Lucille is a drunk, who constantly belittles her Spanish-speaking maid and repeatedly tries to thwart Michael’s efforts to save the family business. Buster is a mama’s boy, inept at any sort of social situation due to his reliance on Lucille and inability to interact with people without having a panic-attack. This combination of personalities is the perfect mix of characters; fueling constant bickering, arson, extortion, and overall dysfunction.
Without these actors providing such memorable portrayals, Arrested Development, would not be the show it is. That being said though, the intelligent and gifted writing of creator Mitchell Hurwitz is what really drives this show. The interactions between the family members and the tricky situations they find themselves in bear hilarious outcomes. When George Michael and his father burn down the banana stand in the second episode, despite warnings from George Sr. that, ‘there is always money in the banana stand,’ it perpetuates the hysterical nature of this television show.
Furthermore, the style of this show as a kind of reality show meets documentary meets sitcom is unlike any other show I have ever seen. This combination of elements is extremely distinctive from most other programs on television today. The show’s narrator, Ron Howard, and his omnipresenence is another thing that makes this show so smart. Howard is always there to quickly clarify any lies or misconceptions a member of the Bluth family may have just been spouting. The addition of still photos, home movies, newspaper headlines, and flashbacks are used to explain any past actions or events are meant to tie up any loose ends unclear to the audience.
Arrested Development succeeds where most shows fail. It is fresh, funny, and stars some of the most talented actors on television today. It’s hard to say where Arrested Development will stand in the current list of television shows, but it seems as if this show has potential to be around for a long while.