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The axe of cancellation dangled perilously over Arrested Development during its second season, but the award-winning comedy fought against fate to deliver a hilarious if scattershot 18 episodes (reduced from the original show order of 22), and stayed alive for the beginning of a third season. Most likely, the creators and actors knew the clock was ticking down, so they didn't hesitate to throw their all into these manic, hilarious episodes, which have only the thinnest of plot arcs but an electrifying energy that makes them hard to resist. Some of the story antics were more of the same: good son Michael (Jason Bateman) tries to keep his company afloat, but is often foiled by older brother Gob (Will Arnett); the precarious marriage of Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and Tobias (David Cross) undergoes a trial separation; and young George-Michael (Michael Cera) fights his attraction to his cousin Maeby (Alia Shawkat). Other show developments, though, were new and stunningly, uproariously bizarre: Buster (Tony Hale) joins the army, but later finds his hand bitten off by a seal (yes, a real seal), and Oscar (Jeffrey Tambor), the hippie brother of jailed George Sr. (also Tambor), rekindles an affair with sister-in-law Lucille (Jessica Walter), which may have resulted in Buster's conception years ago.
Jokes flew fast and furious, as did guest stars--Ben Stiller, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Christine Taylor, Thomas Jane, Ed Begley Jr., Ione Skye, and Zach Braff among them--making it hard to keep straight who was doing what and why. No matter, as each of the episodes was in and of itself was a perfect gem of comedy, strung together by sharp writing and fantastic performances. In addition to the regular cast, both Liza Minnelli, reprising her role as "Lucille Two," and Martin Short, as an, um, eccentric family friend, deserve special mention, with the episode both appeared in, "Ready, Aim, Marry Me," a frenetic exercise in slapstick farce. Typical examples of the show's offbeat humor were found in "Afternoon Delight," in which various members of the Bluth family discover the true meaning of the '70s ballad, "Meet the Veals," wherein the Bluths encounter the conservative parents of George Michael's girlfriend, and "Motherboy XXX," surrounding an unsettling mother-son traditional dance. The entire cast cohered perfectly through this season, and their give and take provided a perfect balance among the actors, all of whom were even better than the previous year. However, it's Bateman who should be singled out as the show's anchor, mixing dry sarcasm with impeccable comic timing. Despite plummeting ratings, Arrested Development didn't just keep its head above water, it swam with grace and hilarity. --Mark Englehart
Description
In this 5 time Emmy®-winning comedy's hilarious second season, Michael Bluth, once again determined to be free of his dysfunctional family, packs up the car and his son George-Michael and heads for Arizona. But he's soon pulled over by the police who tell him that his father, George Sr., has broken out of prison. Due to the company's shady business deal with Iraq, Michael could face prison time, so he returns home to clear his name even as George Sr. secretly flees to Mexico, Tobias decides to be an understudy for the Blue Man Group, and Lucille begins a torrid affair with her husband's twin brother, Oscar. Arrested Development Season 3 will begin airing this fall on FOX.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's the little things that make this show so funny,
By
This review is from: Arrested Development: Season 2 (DVD)
When watching arrested development, you are rewarded for paying attention to the details. The writers use the same careful elements employed by the crew at the Simpsons, weaving little gems of pop-culture minutia into the storyline that end up defining the story at the end of the show. Tactics such as the build-up of the rock-paper-scissors decision making tool through-out the course of an episode, culminating with a larger than life size pair of scissors in the hands of Michael at then end - what a hilarious visual, and un-expected turn of events. Also - the episode when Michael is moping along the street to the Peanuts piano-sad-song with a dog house in the background and a snoopy-like dog passed out on the roof. Damn thats funny! Oh - and Ben Stiller as Tony Wonder, conjuring up a Subway coupon with only a few stickers on it to the amazement of Buster, who only has praise for his lame generosity - comic genius. I've watched seasons 1 and 2 dozens of times, and am always finding silly little quirks. David Cross as Tobias is insane - if you like his brand of lunacy you really must watch every episode of Mr. Show's four season run, a truly original sketch comedy series.
I take a slight bit of satisfaction that this series didn't cater to a larger audience - for if more people really latched on to this style of humor then more shows would try to replicate it, and the essence of this type of comedy would be constantly watered down and ruined. While it is unfortunate that it only lasted a few seasons - at least it never got boring - and each episode packed a wallop of a comedic punch, the effects of which last even after repeated viewings. I couldn't give a higher recommendation for a series box-set to have in your collection.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid as Iraq,
By Andrew Tucker "Sock the Mighty" (Victoria, BC Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Arrested Development: Season 2 (DVD)
I'm not prone to hyperbole, but I honestly think this is the funniest show ever made. Season two is my personal favorite of the three, and has most of my favorite episodes. Whenever i'm feeling down I can always get out an Arrested Development DVD and it will bring a smile to my face. The lines go by so fast you may miss them on the first go round, which means a lot of the episodes get funnier the more you watch them. Ultimately I guess that was the show's undoing: it was too smart for television. I keep hoping for an Arrested Development reunion, but with each passing year it becomes less and less likely...
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'd argue for this as funniest - and smartest - TV comedy series of all time,
By
This review is from: Arrested Development: Season 2 (DVD)
Often brilliantly funny, inventive, surreal series about a rich family gone terribly wrong, and the one
sane one trying to hold things together. Sort of what you might have gotten if George Bernard Shaw, Kaufman and Hart and Monty Python had teamed up to do a spin on a traditional sitcom. The acting is terrific, from top to bottom. Even producer Ron Howard's narration is great. Not every joke works, but as it gets weirder and weirder (and funnier and funnier), all I could think is "how the hell did they ever get this on network TV? And thank god they did!" The second season, goes through the roof much more often than the first, with more clever twists and ideas per episode, and more aggressive weirdness.
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