Arrested Development

It's a shame that Arrested Development never fared well in the ratings, as it was one of the smartest, most genuine sitcoms ever produced. It was canceled after three short seasons, but it certainly made use of its limited time. There aren't many shows that deliver as many laughs as Arrested Development does, and every character on the show is hilarious.

Season 2 continues Michael's (Jason Bateman) ongoing frustration with managing the family company and his difficulty raising his son, George Michael (Michael Cera). It also sees new story arcs, such as Tobias's (David Cross) repeated attempts to join the Blue Man Group and George Micheal's awkward relationship with his ultra-conservative girlfriend.

Season 2 takes a more slapstick approach than season 1 does, but it keeps the witty humor and its penchant for putting its characters in hilarious situations that makes the show great. As a whole, it delivers the most laugh-out-loud moments of any of Arrested Development's three seasons. David Cross is absolutely brilliant as Tobias, and Cera plays George Michael to perfection. As the straight man in the series, Jason Bateman continues his fine acting and he is the glue that holds the show together. Will Arnett is hilarious as the fan-favorite GOB, the accident-prone, narcissistic magician. Season 2 continues the momentum from season 1 and churns out of the finest seasons of any sitcom in recent memory.

And now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together...it's "Arrested Development", the funniest show on television to date. The unique sense of humor and brilliant editing technique really makes you feel like your watching an actual family sorting out their hysterical issues.

Any decent television series consists of several exceptionally well developed characters, otherwise, what would be the point of watching it? With award winning director Ron Howard behind this sitcom, viewers could expect nothing less. The creators are vastly clever in how they execute this season. Being a fan of "Just Shoot Me" in the several years it aired, I was well aware of just how simple the concept actually way. There were no extraordinary twists, the characters were one dimensional and even though each week provided for a good laugh, there was really nothing spectacular about the series as a whole outside of its sarcastic humor and childish interaction between the characters. "Arrested Development" sets itself apart from most other sitcoms in that the story is brilliantly pieced together in such a way that most viewers are sure to disregard, as did I the first viewing, several of the elements and later on realize just how significant they really are come the season finale.

Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) is obviously made out to be the main character in the series, however, nearly the entire Bluth family gets an exceptional amount of screen time. I'm really amazed, in regards to the numerous story-lines, how easy it is to follow along. I guess that goes to show just how talented the writers are. Michael is the brains of the bunch, polite, caring and always putting others before himself even in such occasions where it's obviously questionable. He has raised his son George Michael in a similar fashion. There's no doubt the two of them are total geeks, however, seeing that neither of them have ever had a large fan base in regards to their popularity at school. Even though they're considerate, they're constantly pushed around and taken advantage of. George is Michael's father, solely responsible for the mess he's gotten his family into. He owns the Bluth housing development, but after a scandal meets the public eye, the business crashes leaving the family with nothing but their love for each other. Gob is his son, a wanna be magician who's only real trick is lying and constantly getting away with it. He's a total lady's man but never uses his charming looks to their fullest potential. His brother Buster is a 30 year old mama's boy who has yet to experience the real world due to his mother, Lucille, constantly babying him and giving him anything he could possibly desire in exchange for his staying practically attached to her side. Her daughter Lindsay is extremely attractive and totally embarrassed by her flamboyant husband Tobias, an aspiring actor who wonder why he can't land a decent gig. They're daughter Maeby is unaware that her cousin George Michael has a strangely huge crush on her. She's vastly intelligent, much like her uncle Michael, and never misses a chance to benefit from her smarts. With a totally diverse group of individuals, how could the series not be hysterical? There's so much potential at stake here and the creators are well aware of the fact, using every bit of it to deliver a side-splitting sitcom that viewers are sure to immediately find pleasing.

The only disappointment with "Arrested Development" is that it failed to pick up a decent fan base, leading to the show's being axed. There's absolutely no reason this series shouldn't have been sky high in regards to its ratings. The only logical explanation I could come up with was the fact it was too unique if that makes any sense. Most viewers are so used to being fed the same simple formula in which every sitcom to date consists of thus it would be almost apocalyptic for anything refreshing to interfere with their dull taste.

In all honesty, I had yet to experience this series until my father drew my attention to it. You wouldn't believe the guilt I live with now that I've viewed all three seasons of "Arrested Development" within a three week time span. Yes, it's that addicting. Had I and viewers in a similar position watched the series back when it was still airing, there maybe a chance it would be well into a sixth or even seventh season, however, there's not a realistic way to change such tragic events. Even though the series is long gone, there's no reason I won't recommend true fans of comedy to see this exciting sitcom on DVD. It's a blast, a laugh-out-loud experience that'll have you watching each brilliantly constructed season over and over again. God bless "Arrested Development" and any even remotely similar show that may come our way.