The one redeeming quality of S4 is, as a whole, it’s a masterwork in storytelling. The way each individual storyline slowly weaves into each other, the prolonged punchlines to early set ups. It’s impressive as hell. I agree the show is the best when the characters interact with each other, but weirdly frankensteining them together doesn’t really work. Ron Howard has more lines per episode than any cast member.
I'm honestly not even sure why people were clamoring for a revival so hard before 4 was made. The finale of 3 is a perfect ending to this show
I agree, it’s surprising how perfect it ended considering it was cancelled (though I suppose they knew it was coming) but those 3 seasons are so fucking good, i assumed more seasons would be just as good. Didn’t know Mitch was going to forget what the show was
There's no reason to watch past season 3, truly. The highs of (the original cut of) season 4 aren't worth it imo considering it doesn't have a definitive ending, season 5 is atrocious, and the story will never have an actual conclusion if you watch 4 and 5. Even if they wanted to actually finish the story with a movie or whatever, they can't now that Jessica Walter is gone. Just pretend 4 and 5 don't exist and enjoy the original 3 seasons as a contained story.
Wait, does season 5 not wrap up the story 4 set up? I only got a few episodes into 5 and couldn't do it, I just assumed it resolved the whole Lucille 2 mystery.
From what I understand, season 5 does not wrap up the story with any finality, no. I haven't watched it myself though.
I didn't hate it when I was watching it, even if it was nowhere near the quality of the first three seasons. I just don't remember anything about it.
^ Yeah same exactly. I remember actually enjoying 4 and 5 when I watched them (which I've done twice and once, respectively) but remember zero about them except random details. Meanwhile I could quote the original 3 seasons for hours
I think it also suffered from “X-Files” reboot syndrome, where it’s obvious that it’s running with a pared-down writer’s room and none of the best directors (the Russos, Paul Feig, Jay Chandrasekhar) have returned, so you have the creator co-directing and doing a bad job. It was pretty much doomed.
X-Files reboot had way more good stuff than Arrested Development v2 tho. in fact I honestly think the former was largely good (I'm sorry someone had to take this stance) I guess good comedy is so much lightning in a bottle and it can be actively painful to watch a show try to recapture it years after. whereas dumb sci-fi stays dumb sci-fi fun no matter what you do to it but yeah this was a longwinded way of saying AD s5 was a limp, depressing shell of it's former self
The X-Files reboot has two genuinely great episodes and a couple of good ones, and the original last season of the show was already pretty bad so it’s not like it was risking tainting the legacy of the show or anything. Whereas AD had three near perfect seasons and a great ending and so even though there’s stuff in S4 I like, I’d much rather just pretend the Netflix seasons don’t exist.
What I’m saying is while I give the creators of both a lot of credit. The shows were generally better when they were in other peoples’ hands.
Leaving March 15… bad timing since my gf and I started watching it and we’re up to season 2 (she’s never seen it but loving it while I never saw the last season) so hopefully we can finish within the next month. Also, I just realized they remixed the 4th season and I never knew about it until now, is it better than the original Season 4 episodes? I remember I was a little turned off by how they formatted those episodes.
I get the hate for post-S3. I wrote it off for a very long time, but then me and my ex decided to run it through from start to finish, and I had to eat my words. Down to the very last episode and the very last joke, I was crying laughing. Just overall great writing.
Seasons 1-3 are untouchably amazing. Season 4 original run is underrated with so many layers and amazing jokes, still very good and an amazing addition to the original 3 seasons. Season 4 remix I watched once, too heavy on narration and took away the "spark" of the original way the 4th season is presented. Season 5 I've also watched once, and very fragmented. (an episode every few weeks) - I've been told it deserves a revisit because it does have some quality in there.