Arrested Development (TV series)/YMMV

The following are Subjective Tropes relating to Arrested Development.

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• And the Fandom Rejoiced: The show being Uncanceled.
• Audience-Alienating Premise: The show actually got a decent amount of support from the network, considering it lasted 3 years despite being rather expensive to produce. Some have theorized that FOX simply did not know how to effectively advertise the show, Emmy winning or not. It is basically about a family of egotistical yuppies where only one is sympathetic, Michael, and the rest are not. This was pointed out in the third season by Michael "Maybe we aren't as likeable as we think we are."
• Better on DVD: Or on Hulu, as it were (and remember to pause whenever a newspaper or other text piece appears on screen — there are always a couple of extra jokes thrown in).
  • Watching the episodes in quick succession instead of an episode per week makes the countless running gags and brick jokes funnier because the set-ups are fresh in the viewer's mind. The show is also made even more hilarious when you watch the first season and catch all the Foreshadowing of things you now know are to come.
• Crowning Music of Awesome: David Schwartz's score for the show is almost as riddled with running jokes and clever allusions as the show itself.
• Ear Worm: The "Mock Trial with J. Reinhold" theme song, as sung by William Hung.
  • "Big Yellow Joint".
  • The opening theme.
  • "You're a crook/Captain Hook/Judge, won't you throw the book..."
  • "Keep those balls in the air!"
  • "It ain't easy, bein' white..."
  • "FOR BRITISH EYES ONLY!"
  • "We're floating along on a yellow boat, making a stand on a yellow boat..."
• Ensemble Darkhorse: Gob and Tobias.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Lucille constantly calls Lindsay fat. It's treated negatively in universe, but it's still deeply uncomfortable to watch knowing that Portia de Rossi went public about her struggles with anorexia after the show ended.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Through Foreshadowing and jokes that soon enter the annals of Arrested Development's Running Gags.
  • A good part of the humor in Lindsay and Tobias' relationship is that he's living in a Transparent Closet. In Real Life, Portia de Rossi (who plays Lindsay) came out as a lesbian after the first three seasons.
• Hollywood Homely: George-Michael's girlfriend Ann is often treated like this by Michael. While not particularly unattractive, she has a dowdy appearance and appears very unemotional and bizarre, failing to make any lasting impression on people.
• Just Here for Godzilla: Season 4 was a Broken Base mired with Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy but many still tuned in for seeing Kristen Wiig being flawless as a young Lucille.
• Magnificent Bastard: Lucille.
• Overshadowed by Controversy: It is impossible to discuss the fifth season without bringing up Jeffrey Tambor's sexual harassment allegations or Jessica Walter tearfully revealing that Tambor had verbally abused her on set along with Jason Bateman, Tony Hale and David Cross trying to downplay Walter's trauma. As a result, the press tour was cancelled and the show quietly premiered with no fanfare.
• Retroactive Recognition: Yes, years before and in another universe, Scott Pilgrim and Roxy Richter used to date.
  • The guy who takes Maeby's "Marry me!" seriously? It's Howard Wolowitz.
  • And the guy who Lindsay thought she had a date with? Andy Bernard.
  • Remember the incredibly ugly woman Gob tried to set up Michael with in "Shock and Aww"? Iqbal Theba, better known as Principal Figgins from Glee.
  • There's also a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of Andy Samberg at the tail end of the second season finale, as a stage manager for the Blue Man group.
  • Saul Goodman is a slightly better lawyer than he is a marriage counselor.
• Unpopular Popular Character: GOB is hated by just about everyone but his brothers, George Michael and Tobias. But he's easily the most popular character among the fanbase.
• Vindicated by History: Season 4! After years of bad ratings, the show finally got its second chance. And then Season 4 got a much better reception when it was aired in chronological order.
• WTH? Casting Agency: Seth Rogen as young George in Season 4. He certainly bears a passing resemblance to Jeffrey Tambor but he doesn't capture George's mannerisms too well. Not helping is that he's acting alongside Kristen Wiig who manages to perfectly capture Lucille.
• The Woobie: George-Michael. Especially in the pilot.

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