Arrested Development: Season Three DVD: Review By Dodd

I would like to talk for a second about a concept known as "smart humor". This does not necessarily refer to humor that only educated people appreciate (although it would help), but to humor that truly talented people throw together with wit and reflection on the real world. Instead of relying heavily on uninspired sight gags such as people falling down, smart humor proves that a writing team set their minds to creating jokes that actually showcase their ability to entertain.

While this smart humor is indeed adored by critics and specific admirers, it is mostly shunned by the majority of viewers perhaps because its jokes require more than thirty seconds of attention span. Therefore, most television series exhibiting this style of humor are pulled off the air. This is precisely why Arrested Development is dead in the water and Two and a Half Men is still on the air.

Yes, it is no surprise that the comedy series Arrested Development bit the dust during its third season in 2005-2006 when its ratings dropped lower and lower. Despite please from avid fans and publications such as Entertainment Weekly, Development was buried by Fox for not bringing in enough green for the man. However, television fans can still rejoice. Unlike ten years ago when the only remnants of television classics were barely preserved on blank VHS tapes, the DVD market comes through once more. The third and final season of Arrested Development is now available on DVD, and, like the seasons before it, this thirteen episode collection delivers all the right punches from its slick creative team.

The final season focuses once again on the Bluth clan and their eccentricities. In order to see things in a more level perspective, the audience empathizes with a third-person narrator (voiced by Ron Howard) and the straight laced Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman). The same recurring plot devices pop up here, but are expanded enough to make the jokes unexpectedly fresh. Gob (Will Arnett) is still desperately trying to break into the magic/ventriloquism industry, Lindsey (Portia de Rossi) and Tobias (David Cross) are still trying to keep their awkwardly deteriorating marriage mended, and young George Michael (Michael Cera) is still lusting after his cute-as-a-bug cousin Maeby (Alia Shawkat). Meanwhile, George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) is out of the big house and into the courtroom to plead his innocence.

The same expected brand of humor surfaces during the third season with things perhaps a tad more over the top than usual. Like usual, the real scene stealer is Will Arnett portraying Gob with more stupidity than ever that is so painful yet hysterical at the same time. However, my favorite aspect of this season is the way the writing team utilizes guest appearances. In prior seasons, stars such as Liza Minelli and Martin Mull were scene stealers. This time around, Judge Reinhold is given the spotlight as himself as a former actor hosting his own courtroom series known as, you guessed it, Judge Reinhold.

I must admit that the third season is a bit forced thanks in part to its plug being pulled mid-season. The first half of these episodes pace themselves like usual in order to leave space for seasons to come. However, there comes a point when long-delayed plot points are suddenly resolved for the purpose of closure for fans. While this is a bit abrupt at times, it is still better than other programs that abruptly quit without any resolution. There are answers on the grand season finale that are a bit sillier than expected, but I still credit creator Mitchell Hurwitz and company for this brilliant show. The entire third season is really the cast and crew taking a bow to their loyal fans, which makes me cherish and miss this beloved series.

Audio Commentaries

Just like the previous seasons, these tracks are crammed full of almost every cast member on the show: Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi, Alia Shawkat, and Jessica Walter. Creator Mitchell Hurwitz is also along for the ride. These select commentaries are not necessarily bad. Comic gurus Arnett and Cross are especially pleasing. However, it sometimes feels like attending a kegger in a studio apartment while trying to keep track of who is who. Instead of cramming every person known to man on a few tracks, the DVD creators should have scattered different talents onto every episode making sure to include Arnett, Hurwitz, or Cross on every track.

Deleted/Extended Scenes

These are a so-so view. The plus side of extended scenes on television shows is that they are sometimes cut for time constraints and not poor content. While it is interesting to see these, I am still more satisfied with the final product.

Bloopers

This is a must see for fans of the series. The entire cast comes together for a compilation of slip-ups. However, unlike many blooper reels, the cast throws profanities all over the place. Random cussing is not always funny, but it is certainly effective here.

The Last Day on Location

Last, but certainly not least, is the last hurrah featurette that follows the filming of the final episode climatic scene. Die hard fans may even squeeze a few tears. While brief in runtime, this is a necessity for this show's unfortunate fate on television.

Widescreen (1.78:1) Filmed in a manner similar to The Office, the show goes for a cinema verite look as if a doc*mentary is being filmed. The camera is jerky at times, yet not excessive. This "fly-on-the-wall" approach is different and has certainly always worked for this series.

2.0 Dolby. As expected, the soundtrack is in its original 2-speaker format. This is perfectly fine being that a show such as this is more admired for its quality humor and not its sexy sound performance.

Unlike the previous seasons, this smaller set is crammed onto two discs which fit into a standard DVD keep case. With the DVD is an insert containing all episodes and special features included.

I had the honor of reviewing the first two seasons of this show and rating it highly. It should be no surprise that I fully endorse the third and final season. Fans of the show should buy this to complete their set, and non-fans should buy it just to see what they are missing. With word-of-mouth and huge DVD sales, Arrested Development will hopefully go on to earn the audience accolade that it deserves.

Questions? Comments? Just want to talk movies? Drop me a line at dodd@movieweb.com