Arrested Development Season 5 Review

March 12, 2019 at 4:02am
By Jason Stettner

The show certainly has had a winding history as it continued to somewhat survive over the years. With the fifth season of Arrested Development we get what feels like somewhat of a conclusion. Split into two parts, they come together to essentially conclude the journey of the Bluth family. Every character here has problems, and the show features a fantastic selection of actors. They've all grown and expanded their own careers at this point, so it's rather impressive that they can still get them altogether.

It was slightly weird having to wait such a long time for both halves, with the first generally being fine. I did a quick rewatch of the first to prepare for the second. I definitely enjoyed the latter half to a greater degree as it felt more natural in comparison to earlier parts of the show. It also aims to wrap up lingering story lines and it gives a sense of a conclusive point. This season was all about a murder; and with the strange way the family acts, you get to see that play out. It might actually surprise you if you've followed the show over the years, an interesting conclusion.

The cast of Arrested Development is excellent, they continue to rock their roles. They come across as the same despite the gaps in time, and it's great to see them deal with various problems. The best parts are where the ensemble comes together. You get to see this more in the late episodes, where things end up hitting just that right soft spot you'd expect from this group. The comedy felt solid throughout, some decent laughs and strange situations.

It keeps the tone going, and they do a decent job of bringing back familiar faces. It's great to see some elements pan out, aspects that have been sitting there for awhile get showcased as well. This is a very silly journey, but an enjoyable one for the most part. I can't say I liked Tobias' side family, they aren't great here. I did really enjoy a large focus on George-Michael (Michael Cera) and Maeby (Alia Shawkat) as they dealt with problems while leaning into their growing family roles. They basically grew into fitting into this family of criminals.

The Conclusion

Arrested Development Season 5 gives a fair conclusive point for this series by wrapping up those lingering plots. I felt that this was a safe point to say it's good. I'd like to see more, but at the same time it's a great send off towards the end. Not all aspects of this season were amazing, but the cast is still entertaining. I just mostly wish that the whole murder aspect was more interesting.

They have the concept there, but they don't dive into it very much. It's the focus of many episodes, but there's no sense of mystery regarding the actual murder. They bring the weird comical moments you expect, but still not quite as funny as the show used to be. I still liked it, the cast is fantastic and it's enjoyable to watch. With weaker moments; this isn't the best the show can provide, yet I feel satisfied with how it concluded.

Arrested Development Season 5 Review at Home with Streamed Viewing
Screening was Provided by Netflix

Rating Overall: 7.4