Do It For George Michael

Arrested Development's third and final season is going to be released on DVD next Tuesday, and the critics are once again urging everyone to give the show a chance. They're right. I think the cancellation of Arrested Development falls somewhere in the vicinity of the cancellation of the original Star Trek. All of us fans have nothing left to do but encourage people to go out and watch the DVD's. (And considering you'll be able to get all three seasons in the 60-70 dollar range, you're really talking about quite a bargain.)

Jen Chaney of the Washington Post puts it best, "The show is so layered that it's nearly impossible to summarize its greatness." But whereas other clever television comedies of the modern era (think the Simpson’s), attempt to wow us with references to pop culture, classic films, and historical references, Arrested Development wows with a blistering number of self-contained jokes and references. Some of the humor is over the top, while other jokes give away the punch line before revealing the setup (which may be episodes down the road). I can't think of another show which has been funnier and funnier with each viewing.

Some of the wackiness in Arrested Development resembles that of Seinfeld, or Larry David's current hit, Curb Your Enthusiasm. But while Seinfeld led us down a nihilistic path that ended with our heroes sitting in a jail cell for their utter lack of humanity, the characters of Arrested Development are endearing despite their numerous flaws. In an odd way, they are more relatable than characters of supposedly more realistic shows- in fact they seem much more real than the wooden participants and melodrama queens we get on reality television.

So do yourself a favor- go out and buy it. It's a brilliant, brilliant show.