The series called “better than just about everything on TV” was critically lauded but never got the ratings that would keep it from getting cancelled. Fox presents the third and final season onto DVD in this 2 disc set.
Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) and his dysfunctional family are back for the last time. There’s his twin sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and her husband Tobias (David Cross), his older brother George “Gob” Bluth (Will Arnett), his younger brother Byron “Buster” Bluth (Tony Hale), his son George-Michael (Michael Cera), his niece “Maeby” (Alia Shawkat), and his dad George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) and mom Lucille (Jessica Walter). Actually, dysfunctional may be kind words considering all of the lunacy that the Bluth’s are involved in, with narration by Ron Howard.
Episode 1: The Cabin Show: When Michael realizes that George Sr.’s twin Oscar is serving time in prison he sets off to find his father while also trying to find time to reconnect with George-Michael.
Episode 2: For British Eyes Only: Michael falls for a British woman named Rita (Charlize Theron) while investigating an outrageous claim by George Sr. in which he says a British construction firm tricked him into doing business with the Iraqis. Dave Thomas also guest stars.
Episode 3: Forget Me Now: The family’s new attorney (Scott Baio) works on George Sr.’s defense even as George Sr. plans his escape and Michael tries to destroy all evidence that his family exists.
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Episode 4: Notapusy: Michael volunteers to participate in the father-son triathlon with Gob’s son, while George Sr. mistakenly delivers a “scared straight” lecture to a group of gay men.
Episode 5: Mr. F: Gob tries to trick the company’s Japanese investors when they come to visit, but Tobias ruins everything after he mistakes a CIA agent for a talent agent from the CAA.
Episode 6: The Ocean Walker: When Michael decides to marry his new British girlfriend Rita, his family scoffs at the idea – until they find out that she’s worth millions of dollars.
Episode 7: Prison Break-in: Michael is worried when he finds out that the prison warden (James Lipton) is dating his mother and that the Bluth Foundation dinner is being held in the prison’s new wing.
Episode 8: Making a Stand: Tired that his father has once again found a way to pit Gob and him against each other, Michael decides to teach his father a lesson.
Episode 9: S.O.B.s: In order to get enough money to hire a new family lawyer, everyone has to pitch in and prepare for the upcoming company “Save our Bluths” fundraiser.
Episode 10: Fakin’ It: Although George Sr. finally gets a lawyer, Michael worries when he learns of a mysterious witness and Buster pretends he’s in a coma to avoid testifying.
Episode 11: Family Ties: Michael hires a woman who turns out to be his long-lost sister Nellie (Justine Bateman).
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Episode 12: Exit Strategy: George-Michael’s surprise birthday party for Maeby gets her in big trouble, and Michael and Buster make a startling discovery when they go to Iraq to rescue Gob.
Episode 13: Development Arrested: Michael is relieved to have all the charges against his father dropped and is also shocked to learn who holds the real power in his dysfunctional family.
Arrested Development was one of the funniest shows on television but I guess blockbuster ratings never appeared. 2004 saw it winning the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series and it has been nominated each year since. Like so many shows, awards and critical accolades don’t necessarily mean that the show is not going to get cancelled as Arrested Development has unfortunately been. It was truly one of the funniest and had a cast that knew how to play the comedic heartstrings of the viewer. I do suppose that Fox did try and give Season 3 the old college try, but I guess the ratings never appeared. However, they did do a nice job on the final set in the series and included some nice special features.
Arrested Development is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include commentary tracks by creator Mitchell Hurwitz, actors Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi, Alia Shawkat and Jessica Walter on “Forget Me Now”, “Mr. F”, and “Development Arrested.”
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Disc 1 also features 6 minutes of deleted scenes. Disc 2 also contains 8 minutes of deleted scenes. Disc 2 also contains a 7 minute blooper reel and the 7 minute “Last Day on Location” featurette. It has an interview with Jason Bateman with behind the scene footage from the final episode.
Fans will definitely want to pick up this final set. The uninitiated will may well want to pick up Seasons 1 and 2, but they will eventually want to pick up this final set since they’ll probably be addicted to the Bluths.
Arrested Development - Season 3 is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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