Arrested Development Season 5 - Partially A Prequel???

[olliebean]

There's still 8 more episodes of season 5 to come, aren't there?

[NoSleep]

Yes.

[up_the_hampipe]

Yes.

Prove it

[DrGreggles]

Looks like Alia Shawkat won't be coming back http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-17/alia-shawkat-says-wont-return-to-arrested-development/10132342

That's a shame, as she's brilliant in AD - especially the first half of s5.
I take it they've already shot the second half?

I don't think there'll be an s6 anyway.

[Clownbaby]

I enjoyed the odd moment of season 5 (what I've seen of it) but I kind of wish they hadn't made the 5th season at all. So few shows have a clean run where there's no bleak/annoying shite going down towards the end but they usually end up pushing it and keeping it going. Like with Community, that started going a bit off for me post season 3 because of the behind the scenes fuss. Behind the scenes may not be whats on screen but it does kind of dampen my excitememnt about something when i know that the atmosphere among the cast isn't comfortable, good on Alia for knowing what she wants and leaving a show that's winding down now. Once people start leaving it's usually hard to keep the quality up

[Hecate]

I enjoyed the first half of series 5, it's still fun I think.
Anyone know when we get the other half?

[BritishHobo]

Should've just done the film

[Small Man Big Horse]

I enjoyed the first half of series 5, it's still fun I think.
Anyone know when we get the other half?

They said it would be later this year (compared to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt not airing until 2019) but an official release date hasn't been announced yet.

[BeardFaceMan]

With how dense the story lines of previous seasons have been, if they did a standalone film I'm betting a good 30 minutes of it would be flashbacks.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

Shooting season 5 was also a miserable experience, as Hurwitz wasn't able to deliver the scripts in time, and would do some rewrites at the last minute, forcing the cast to learn entire new lines just before starting the scene. Jeffrey Tambor's on-set outburst may have stemmed from this situation. He unloaded his overall anger on Jessica Walters, while it was obvious, from the various retellings, that she had done nothing that deserved this argument.

Now, with Portia de Rossi having left acting and Alia Shawkat not interested in returning to her part, I guess it's over. There's only one woman left in the main cast, and the NY Times interview broke the illusion that it was a fine bunch of people where everybody got along with each other.

[lankyguy95]

I still haven't even finished the half season, it was such a mess. Think I've still got three episodes to go.

[Phil_A]

That's a shame, as she's brilliant in AD - especially the first half of s5.

Oh well, Season 3 of Search Party confirmed at least.

[Nowhere Man]

It's really sad to think one of the smartest and funniest sitcoms I can think of going out with a whimper like this. Those first three series in particular will always be the gold standard of modern US sitcoms though.

[dirkgonnadirk]

it wasn't really all three though. granted they were all very good, but imo it was mainly a prolonged run within S2 that was absoutely spellbinding. there is a somewhat noticeable drop off into S3.

overall those seasons are really really really good, but i think S2+S3 of the office are close, at least from a pure enjoyment factor.

[cliggg]

Season 5 starts up again on March 15th

https://twitter.com/arresteddev/status/1097896089355599872

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm pleased by that, despite everything, I enjoyed most of the other episodes of season 5 and it'll be good to see it finally end.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

Weird that Portia De Rossi is still on the visuals as she's not supposed to be in the second half of the season.

[DrGreggles]

Weird that Portia De Rossi is still on the visuals as she's not supposed to be in the second half of the season.

Flashbacks?

[olliebean]

Frankly I'd forgotten that it hadn't finished already.

[JamesTC]

The first half of the first half of Season 5 was the nadir of Arrested Development but the second half really picked up. The seventh and eighth episode were really great. Hoping the second half of Season 5 picks up where it left off.

[VelourSpirit]

I was rewatching some of season 4 after finishing 5 and I wondered why I ever disliked it. Miles ahead of 5. I'm glad we'll actually see the end of 5 but it feels like a formality, it's lost its momentum. I suppose I enjoyed it a little bit but it's just odd that it even came back after another 5 years with nothing to actually say.

[DrGreggles]

I haven't re-watched s5.1 yet (I will in the lead up to s5.2 being released), but I don't recall it being anywhere near as difficult to get into as s4.
I still think s4 is great though, but so much of the first half of it only works knowing how the story pans out.

[Mobius]

I rewatched all of it recently and really enjoyed season 5. Season 4 is a lot better now it's been remixed I think

[Moribunderast]

I'll have to rewatch 5.1. I remember literally nothing about it.

[ramsobot]

Wrong thread, sorry!

[Small Man Big Horse]

Just thought I'd bump this as the final episodes were delayed by two weeks, but will be on Netflix tomorrow morning which I'm rather excited about. I mean it might not definitely be the last ones ever but given the Jeffrey Tambor situation and Portia de Rossi giving up acting it seems pretty likely.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

Alia Shawkat has also announced that she wouldn't return for a 6th season.

And the second half of the episodes is reportedly very disappointing. One reviewer made a very revealing comment on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/NoelMu/status/1105921113211703298

As someone who's written extensively about the greatness of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT's first three seasons -- and has even defended season four -- it brings me no pleasure to say the second half of season five is terrrrrible. A preview, for @verge :
https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/13/18263970/arrested-development-review-season-5-netflix-jason-bateman-michael-cera-alia-shawkat-jeffrey-tambor
These eight AD episodes debut on Friday. The embargo on them lifted last week. And yet your timeline was not flooded with advance reviews of what used to be widely regarded as TV's best comedy. Make of that what you will.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Alia Shawkat has also announced that she wouldn't return for a 6th season.

And the second half of the episodes is reportedly very disappointing. One reviewer made a very revealing comment on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/NoelMu/status/1105921113211703298

That's depressing, I quite liked the first half of the season (at least compared to the fourth) and was hoping it'd go out with a bang. I imagine I'll still binge them over the weekend as Mrs SMBH is working, but my expectations have been lowered and then some.

[JamesTC]

Rewatching the first half of Series 5 right now. I think I'm enjoying it more the second time around. Not having seen Season 4 recently helps as the infodumps in Episode 1 don't feel so bad.

Just thought I'd bump this as the final episodes were delayed by two weeks, but will be on Netflix tomorrow morning which I'm rather excited about. I mean it might not definitely be the last ones ever but given the Jeffrey Tambor situation and Portia de Rossi giving up acting it seems pretty likely.

Portia de Rossi has indicated she would come out of retirement just for Arrested Development, hasn't she?

[JamesTC]

Just had a thought actually. With 20th Century Fox moving to Disney, this will mean Arrested Development will be in much the same position as the Netflix Marvel shows. I think for that reason alone, Netflix will pull the plug.