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Arrested Development Anyone else...
Arrested DevelopmentAnyone else get the sense that the writers were already getting nostalgic tonight? Not that I wasn't, too. If we're crying on the inside while watching the show's dying breath, we might as well get to laugh on the outside at some of its great recurring jokes. When Michael announced his wedding plans, George Sr. and Lucille reacted the same way they all did to George Michael's ex, Ann: "Who?" Then there was Lindsey imitating Lucille's scary wink. And my personal favorite was Gob's good-natured, "Look at Banner, Michael!" and the banner that said, "Michael Love Marry." As for new jokes, I loved the references to the actors'/characters' past: Lucille was apparently once a waitress at Stuckey's; Buster got his hook stuck when dancing to "Mr. Roboto" in the stair car,
Anyone else get the sense that the writers were already getting nostalgic tonight? Not that I wasn't, too. If we're crying on the inside while watching the show's dying breath, we might as well get to laugh on the outside at some of its great recurring jokes. When Michael announced his wedding plans, George Sr. and Lucille reacted the same way they all did to George Michael's ex, Ann: "Who?" Then there was Lindsey imitating Lucille's scary wink. And my personal favorite was Gob's good-natured, "Look at Banner, Michael!" and the banner that said, "Michael Love Marry." As for new jokes, I loved the references to the actors'/characters' past: Lucille was apparently once a waitress at Stuckey's; Buster got his hook stuck when dancing to "Mr. Roboto" in the stair car, referencing Tony Hale's pre-AD claim to fame as the guy in that Volkswagen ad; and the picture that flashed to show what Rita looked like before plastic surgery was of Charlize Theron in Monster. Rita's innocent MRF humor and the knowledge that her relationship with Michael was about to fall apart even added to the bittersweet feeling of the episode. She managed to charm the whole family, going shopping with Lindsey, watching Gob's magic tricks, helping Maeby with a preposterous story, calling Tobias a "poofter," being the billionaire daughter-in-law Lucille and George Sr. always wanted. I kind of wonder if her simplicity is meant as a metaphor for Americans' taste in comedy; people come in droves to watch the easy, uncomplicated humor and wrinkle their noses at anything more challenging. Oh, sorry, that's just my bitter judgment call. Man, I need a surrogate to be able to blame for these outbursts. PS Thanks to Scott, who wrote in to say that Rita's walking away on water wasn't just one of Gob's illusions; it was a reference to Peter Sellers' simple-minded character in Being There.