So much awesome that it would be foolish for me to try and list all of it, but I would like to give a shout out for having the Soup Nazi as one of the Saddam impersonators, and I only hope that Jerry Haleva turns out to have been one of them as well.
I think they did a fine job of wrapping up the series.
There were so many good lines in these four episodes and some pretty fine digs at Bush and the White House as well. It's a shame they are giving up on AD for those other two comedies that start in March and will probably be ended in March as well.
The show probably would have done just fine if FOX left it on Sundays.
Meh. I've been less than thrilled with the third season, which shocked me after going crazy over the first two. They writers and staff clearly had a lot of distractions, and I'm glad a lot of W's liked this season more than I did. I didn't laugh a whole lot at anything other than Gob and Buster. It seemed like they took a bunch of their plans for future episodes and sped up the timeline for these episodes. It felt rushed. Doesn't look good for AD going to Showtime either, as the head producer (can't remember his name) doesn't want to continue the show.
Anyway, Wil Arnett has four or five big Hollywood comedies coming up - the man is on the verge of breaking out big on the big screen and is already being called the next Will Ferrell (which I'd argue means that he's the next Steve Carrell).
Mitch Hurwitz hasn't said he doesn't want to continue the show, just that he's not sure. Of course, the too-good-to-be-true tease tonight was that instead of moving to a different network, they'd do a movie.
The third season suffered from having its development arrested and from never consistently airing: three episodes in September, four week break, two episodes in November shown on the same night, four week break, four episodes in December, four week break, and four episodes in February shown on the same night. That hampered the momentum of the overarching storylines, one of the biggest strengths of the show's many. But it didn't make the content of the episodes any less extraordinary; so many of the funniest jokes in the show's history came in this abbreviated half-season that almost wasn't.
The season finale in particular was heartbreakingly brilliant with its parallels to the pilot and it just makes you love all those people so so so so so much. Arrested Development went a staggering 53 for 53 in delivering great episodes, and if this is the end, tonight's perfect capper clinches it as nothing short of, oh, the best TV show ever made, with only the original Office approaching it in terms of start-to-finish perfection. Now it'd be amazing if, like The Office, we got a special postscripted two hour long series finale to bring closure to everything.
Originally posted by JustinShapiroThe season finale in particular was heartbreakingly brilliant with its parallels to the pilot and it just makes you love all those people so so so so so much. Arrested Development went a staggering 53 for 53 in delivering great episodes, and if this is the end, tonight's perfect capper clinches it as nothing short of, oh, the best TV show ever made.
Well put. They just wrapped up everything so nicely, I kind of got the feeling they were really prepared for this to be the end, and if it continues elsewhere, it will be gravy. But you really couldn't ask for a better series finale, if that's indeed what that was.
If only I had faith that certain other TV shows with their magic islands and crazy beard-loving cannibal scientists had any chance of displaying the continuity and tying up of loose ends that this show pulled off.
The third season was definitely the weakest of the three, but as noted above, there was no way around that considering the treatment it got this year. But it was still great, and they did a pretty amazing job last night of showing how much plot they had left and then miraculously condensing it into two hours, while still tying up things from the first episode on through. The way they slid in the true secret origin of the banana stand and then used it for the ultimate payoff to Annyong's triumphant return was just brilliant and a good display, in one night, of how the pacing of the show and the way they structured running gags was second to none.
If I had any disappointment, it would have been no final Barry or Carl Weathers appearance in the J. Reinhold Mock Trial, possibly with Carl Weathers as a Mac Robinson-like Court Clerk. But still, awesome finale that started a little slow and finished strong. Oh man, and Munch! Homicide and AD exist in a shared universe!
As for the show, if that's it, in a way I'm fine with that. Go out strong, and we'll always have GOB.
I wonder, does Belzer's appearance as "Munch" count toward his record of most appearances on other shows as the same character? Professor Munch isn't the same as Detective John Munch, though. So God only knows how it gets categorized.
I'd try to eulogize the show or at least just think about the future of it, but I'm really far too upset to do so without some kind of tirade. I know that it's not wrong to feel frustrated by and furious at FOX, but I can't ignore that the show at least got 53 episodes instead of 12... or, given FOX's record, less. Too many mixed emotions.
Originally posted by Jeb Tennyson LundI wonder, does Belzer's appearance as "Munch" count toward his record of most appearances on other shows as the same character? Professor Munch isn't the same as Detective John Munch, though. So God only knows how it gets categorized.
I got the impression the Detective Munch was "undercover" as the Professor as part of a sting operation that didn't have to try so hard to sting.
Great finale, and great job of wrapping things up tight enough for a sense of closure, but loose enough that they can keep the series going if another network picks it up.
Beautiful, beautiful way of ending the series (if they do) with just enough untapped plotlines to keep going if that's in the cards.
I must say, though, that The Office's (US) second season has almost reached Arrested Development levels of hilarity, so perhaps there IS a bit of hope.
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I'm no Judge Reinhold, so excuse me if I don't quite capture the essence of the finale here.
I almost don't want another season, because this show tied everything up so well and the "real" finale (if there ever was one) would have a hard time topping this. From the boat parallels and the shocking revelation of Lindsay's true origins to the last shot being of Ron Howard, the show's narrator who never appeared on-screen, this was a great note to end on. Well, okay, I want more!
The thing is if they continue the show they have to move it fast. Family Guy had an advantage because none of the stars ever get older and none ever find other work. So, I'm pretty sure that this is the end, but hey the Addams Family didn't last all that long either and it is legendary still.
I think FOX is going to realize down the road what a little band called Cinderella sung so gracefully ... 'Don't know what cha got til it's gone'
Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoI think FOX is going to realize down the road what a little band called Cinderella sung so gracefully ... 'Don't know what cha got til it's gone'
I think they did, but it was a very expensive show to produce for a comedy and without ratings at any point during the show's tenure, it was inevitable. Rather than villify FOX for doing what most networks would have done halfway through the first season, be thankful it lasted two and a half seasons. It was given many chances, until this season when FOX just said "f--k it, we have other shows that will get ratings." I work in the industry and think it should be pointed out by someone that TV doesn't exist to put out good shows, but rather to make money from advertisers first through ratings... and then worry about the rest after that.
I found the Wonderfalls series in a bargain bin recently at Walmart and think it (along with AD and the Office, and even My Name is Earl) is the type of refreshing TV that's missing from network lineups. BUT, people don't want smart comedies, they want Friends and Will & Grace.
By the way, anyone else pick up on the many My Name is Earl digs? The huge advertising campaign that's all over the city "My name is Judge." I loved that.
Originally posted by Dr UnlikelyOh man, and Munch! Homicide and AD exist in a shared universe!
The Homicide character of Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) has appeared on seven different TV series: Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Trial By Jury, The X-Files, the short-lived UPN series The Beat, and of course Arrested Development.
"Oh it's on like Donkey Kong." - Stifler, American Wedding