by Sabrina Redlingshafer

Now the story of an avid Arrested fan who had high expectations of the fourth season’s return. It’s my review on Arrested Development.

I waited four months prior to clicking “play” on the Arrested Development box on Netflix. I was skeptical to watching the new season, unsure whether I would appreciate it as much as the previous three. The question that burned in the back of my mind: was the season four return of arrested development worth it, or should it have never returned?

The fourth season of the comedy series Arrested Development marked its Netflix premier on May 26, 2013. The series was previously cancelled by Fox in 2006, but made a comeback with fifteen new episodes about what the Bluths, a dysfunctional formerly-wealthy family, have been doing since the season three finale in 2006. Due to the filming and demands cast members faced throughout the filming of this season, each episode focuses on a single character.

So there I sat in my dark bedroom hours after midnight, finally clicking play on “Arrested Development” box on my glowing laptop screen.

Diving into the season, I became nostalgic remembering the wit the writers so intricately piece into each episode. Each action is so thought out and weaves through the season, using retroactive humor – what attracts many fans to the show in the first place.

That being said, this wit and retroactive writing made the fourth season hard to get through because it became too hard to keep up with. I know Arrested Development is not a simple, easy show to grasp, but this season was harder than previous. Because each episode focused on a single character of the Bluth family, the cast was never altogether, making it harder to connect events and story-lines. Each episode became too heavy with plot and less focused on comedy.

I could not help but to feel I was missing out on jokes, which impaired my viewing experience. Basically, the season was not as “laugh out loud” funny as previous because I found myself spending too much time trying to figure out what was going on, rather than finding enjoyment in the quirkiness of the Bluth family.

However, there were some gems in this season. Episodes about Tobias and Buster proved to be some of my favorites.

All in all, Arrested Development season four was not as good as it’s previous run, but I am glad the series came back with a fourth season. Although it may not be my favorite season, the return of the Bluth family was welcomed.