Now the story of a classic sitcom that lost its mojo, and the audience that had no choice but to keep coming back to see if it had gotten its act together again. It’s “Arrested Development,” and I can report that the fifth season — whose first eight episodes arrive on Netflix on Tuesday — eventually re-approaches the manic pleasures of the show’s heyday. Unfortunately, it takes its time getting to that point, and it doesn’t stay long. The original series, which ran from 2003 to 2006 on Fox, was a comedy miracle, capturing the oblivious entitlement of the wealthy Bluth family with elaborate farce plots and enough inspired coinages to fill a vault. Netflix resurrected it in 2013. But because the cast members could only commit to brief shooting schedules — and because no one was quite sure what this newfangled “streaming TV” stuff would look like — the creator, Mitchell Hurwitz, devised an origami-folded fourth season, with a hopscotching timeline and episodes built around individual characters.<doc-sep>Whoever says all publicity is good publicity, obviously hasn’t watched the implosion of Arrested Development over the past few weeks. Between the sexual assault allegations of Jeffrey Tambor, the treatment of Jessica Walter on set, the dismissal of Jessica’s upset in an interview, the subsequent apologies, and then the eventual cancellation of their UK press tour, things have not been looking good for the once cult great. You’d be forgiven for not realising the first part of the season was released on Netflix today. But, regardless, the Bluths are back for more farcical comedy and less-than-wholesome family values. The Bluths are reunited for another round of hijinks (Picture: Netflix) George and George-Michael are still sleeping with the same woman (awkward), Lindsay’s running for congress (naturally), Buster is in prison (Michael’s fault) and Gob is well…still very much Gob. As Maeby takes control over her mum’s campaign (in a badass grey wig) in a bid to completely ruin her reputation for good, Lucille is kicking back with a drink and wondering where it all went wrong. George Sr is also there for reasons. The sight gags may still be there, but the show is missing its heart (Picture: Netflix) Unfortunately for the show, even without the controversies putting a cloud over proceedings, the simple fact of the matter is that this season just isn’t that good. The jokes are there, that’s for sure, but ultimately the whole team are just retreading worn territory in the eight episodes we’re given for this outing. With the season split in two, only the first half of shows are currently available (Picture: Netflix) It seems to be missing the heart that the show originally had. While the Bluths were constantly at each other’s throats, they did ultimately love each other, but that just doesn’t seem present this time round. Since the show found its new home on Netflix it has floundered as the streaming service tried to find a balance between new material and what worked – to the point that they “remixed” season four’s person-to-person structure after it was panned by critics and already available to the public. More: Netflix Phoebe Dynevor looks regal on set of Bridgerton season 2 What time does Lucifer season 5 part 2 come out on Netflix? Sex Education’s ‘massive’ season 3 ending could feed into ‘interesting’ fourth series Season five (at least part one) suffers the same fate, with Portia De Rossi all but checking out of the show after her retirement announcement, and as a result the show working around Lindsay’s congressional campaign without her. (Our guess is that she’ll win, and that’ll be the character’s final bow). We know fans were desperate for the show to make a comeback, but to be honest, we reckon it’s OK to pull the plug now. Arrested Development season five is available on Netflix now. Got a showbiz story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. MORE : Shamed Jeffrey Tambor attends Arrested Development premiere despite sexual harassment claims MORE : Tony Hale joins Jason Bateman as he apologises to Arrested Development co-star Jessica Walter<doc-sep>Netflix Arrested Development is one of the greatest sitcoms of the century - perhaps, even, of all time - and yet it's also one of the unluckiest. Never popular when it was actually on air, the show fought and eventually lost against cancellation over the course of its brilliant three-season run on Fox from 2003-06, and was maybe a show ahead of its time (see how similar meta-comedies like Community and 30 Rock arrived in its wake). That led to the series gaining a cult following, and eventually a little streaming service called Netflix picked it up for a revival. The fourth season, which came back in 2013, was actually quite ambitious in how it tried to utilise the then unknown advantages of streaming, but also, ultimately, a huge mistake. Five years on they're back again, with creator Mitch Hurwitz recognising the errors of the past and attempting to get things back on track. Is Season 5 as botched an attempt as one of Gob's magic tricks, or will it have you shrieking as if you've just seen Gene Parmesan? It's a little of both, but thankfully more of the latter.<doc-sep>This may come off as damning Arrested Development's fifth season — which just came out on Netflix today (May 29) — with faint praise, but it appears to be much better than its previous season. Yes, if the first reviews from critics are to be believed, Arrested Development's recaptured some of its magic by fixing the biggest flaw of its predecessor: getting its cast in the same room at the same time. Still, the show's latest season doesn't spend a lot of time in the territory of its more-novel earlier seasons. The start of the season feels a bit slow, and overly-filled with scenes spent catching viewers up on what came before. But the consensus among these critics should give hope, as it apparently hits its stride after a few episodes. MORE: Hulu Live vs. YouTube TV vs. Sling vs. Vue vs. DirecTV Now: Face-Off! The New York Times James Poniewozik's review for The New York Times highlights solid performances from Jessica Walter and Will Arnet, and notes how there's a bit too much of Ron Howard's voice-over narration. "The first half of Season 5 is perfectly fine. Mostly funny. At moments scintillating. It’s a good time as long as you keep in mind what the show is now." — James Poniewozik, The New York Times The Good "Things pick up a few episodes in, as the show connects with its heart — that the Bluths can only express love in warped ways — and its engine — that the one thing you can rely on them to do is lie to one another." "And the cast’s talent is in full flower. You don’t need wild story machinations to enjoy Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter) lobbing 80-proof Molotov cocktails of sarcasm, or Gob (Will Arnett) spiraling into self-loathing, or Buster (Tony Hale) being fitted with yet more artificial hands." The Bad "The fifth season … eventually re-approaches the manic pleasures of the show’s heyday. Unfortunately, it takes its time getting to that point, and it doesn’t stay long." "Arrested Development was once the story of a wealthy family who lost everything. Now, it’s mostly a story about having watched Arrested Development." USA Today In her review for USA Today, Kelly Lawler praises the fifth season for its improved pacing, but notes that it can't touch the heights of its original run. "Arrested was strange and unique in 2003. But while writers can play with self-referential in-jokes, the classic moments can't be topped. It's just not as funny the second time Tobias 'blue himself.'" — Kelly Lawler, USA Today The Good "In essence, it's a lot like what fans thought they were getting when Netflix announced it was reviving the cult sitcom." "The season is faster-paced and makes better use of the recurring gags from its entire run." The Bad "But though it's a considerable improvement on Season 4, the fifth season still can't reach the heights of the first three." "Arrested was strange and unique in 2003. But while writers can play with self-referential in-jokes, the classic moments can't be topped. It's just not as funny the second time Tobias 'blue himself.'" Entertainment Weekly In his review for Entertainment Weekly, Darren Franich points out how Lindsay Bluth's performance feels stilted, due to being done remotely, on green-screen. The Good "It’s a kick to see the cast members reunited—and a helplessly gossipy thrill to see who’s changed the most between seasons. Deadpan Bateman is still one of TV’s greatest straight men—[Ron Howard Voice] unlike Tobias. Alia Shawkat’s Maeby feels promoted to greater prominence, a onetime precocious child grown into a next-generation Bluth hustler. Arnett’s still giving Gob everything he’s got, even if the character feels pushed way beyond the cliffs of absurdity." The Bad "The cast is 'back together' relatively early, which means the phrase 'Whole Episode About George Senior' need never be uttered ever again. But the cure is worse than the disease. Some subplots take forever. People keep going to Mexico, then coming back from Mexico, then going back to Mexico again." "Lucille (Jessica Walter) is plotting, which is always fun. But a big part of her plot involves Lindsay (Portia De Rossi) running for political office on a platform of populist stupidity—a practically-necessary Trump riff that would be funnier if De Rossi didn’t feel beamed in from Distant Planet Greenscreen." The Hollywood Reporter In his review at The Hollywood Reporter, Tim Goodman highlights pros and cons of the new season, but concludes by saying the series will always fail to satisfy all its fans' expectations. "From the halfway point in its new season, it looks like a solid and welcome return to form, which makes me excited to see the rest." — Tim Goodman, The Hollywood Reporter The Good "Luckily, by the third episode of the new season, the cylinders are firing a lot more effortlessly, and the series benefits from having the cast pretty much all back together for shared scenes. Episodes five, six and seven show Arrested Development at its best, taking a full sprint at ridiculously elaborate scenarios." "George Michael (Michael Cera) still fighting those weird urges over cousin Maeby (Alia Shawkat), who in turn has upped her scheming to preposterous and hilarious new levels, among many other storylines. And while those storylines stumble a bit in the early, catch-up episodes, patience pays off." The Bad "The first couple of episodes — seven were made available to critics — are saddled with previous plot points that will be the basis for future developments. So temper your expectations; the narrative clutter sometimes obscures the jokes." "But Arrested Development will always be a series that fails to satisfy the expectations of every fan. Not everybody thought Michael Jordan was good when he came back, either. From the halfway point in its new season, it looks like a solid and welcome return to form, which makes me excited to see the rest." Vox At Vox, Todd VanDerWerff's review highlights Alia Shawkat's performance as Maeby, and notes that Tobias' poor showing this season isn't owed to David Cross, but to a story that has little for him to do. The Good<doc-sep>
Sometimes it takes five years to find your way back. The long-awaited fifth season of Netflix's resurrected Arrested Development (streaming May 29, ★★★ out of four) has (mostly) recaptured the glory days of its first three seasons on Fox more than a decade ago. Gone are the single-character episodes, extraneous guest stars and (unintentionally) awkward storylines from the 2013 fourth season. Back are the kissing-cousins jokes, the reusable banners, the family member in prison and scenes that feature multiple cast members, without trickery. In essence, it's a lot like what fans thought they were getting when Netflix announced it was reviving the cult sitcom. More:A remix can't really save 'Arrested Development' Season 4 from itself Season 5 makes a conscious and consistent effort to be the anti-Season 4, which was recently re-edited and re-released in slightly more coherent fashion, but still has issues. The characters are together, frequently, and they are unconcerned with anything but Bluth family drama. There's no reaching to incorporate modern events into the series (although Donald Trump's campaign and presidency fit in seamlessly with the show's aesthetic.) There are far fewer guest stars, the episodes are shorter and the characters spend more time in familiar locations. The Bluths are still dealing with the fallout from Season 4, but everything feels more natural. The season is set mainly in 2015, when, spurred by Trump's presidential campaign, Lucille (Jessica Walters) resumes her project to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and convinces Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) to run for Congress to help the effort. Michael (Jason Bateman) and George Michael (Michael Cera) are still trying to figure out how to fix their relationship after they both unwittingly dated the same woman (Isla Fisher). Buster (Tony Hale) tries to make it on his own at the model home. The rest of the family — including Gob (Will Arnett) George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), Maeby (Alia Shawkat) and Tobias (David Cross) — is reunited in Orange County for Lindsay's campaign. But nobody knows what happened to poor Lucille "Two" Austero (Liza Minnelli). The season is faster-paced and makes better use of the recurring gags from its entire run. But though it's a considerable improvement on Season 4, the fifth season still can't reach the heights of the first three. More:Happy Cinco de Cuatro, 'Arrested Development' fans Arrested was strange and unique in 2003. But while writers can play with self-referential in-jokes, the classic moments can't be topped. It's just not as funny the second time Tobias "blue himself." And it's hard to ignore the accusations of sexual harassment against Tambor. However, the long gap since its original run gives some cast members the opportunity to shine more brightly. As adults, Maeby and George Michael are more involved in the family's depravity, and Shawkat deservedly gets more screen time. One of the best recurring gags is Michael's realization that he's never going to leave his family for good. No matter how many times he says "goodbye forever," he's still going to find his way back. Watching the fifth season is a lot like being Michael: You have to accept the reality that you're never going to get exactly what you want, but you still love it and are going to keep coming back anyway.