[7.6/10] One of the more manic and disorganized episode by Arrested Development standards, but the humor is so crackling that it covers any weak spots. As always, it’s hard to know where to begin.
Let’s just start with the bits I liked the most. It’s such a simple gag, but I love Ron Howard being testy and petty in his rivalry the Scandalmakers narrator. The way he takes pride in his work and hates on the other guy is just an amusing little dash of humor throughout all the other proceedings. Hell, Scandalmakers itself is a blast, from everyone figuring out George Sr.’s deal through Tobias’s stilted performance, to the little inconsistencies.
Of all things, I also really liked the simple but effective Maeby/George Michael story here. The idea that Maeby needed to figure out the dialogue for a teen comedy and could only get mindless braying from the actual dudes at Spring Break is a fun gag in and of itself. But having George Michael actually give her something articulate and sweet, and have the whole thing accidentally reignite the George Michael/Maeby romance bit is great.
I’m also a fan of the Lindsey/Tobias “Girls With Low Self Esteem” bit. For one thing, Zach Braff is brilliant stunt casting, and the irony of him being a nevernude given his line of work is an inspired way to end the storyline. Lindsey’s crusade has some amusing moments and solid commentary on the ridiculousness of it all, and the lunacy of Tobias sitting in the fireplace and, as Buster puts it, “wanting to see boys’ Linuses” is a laugh.
Buster doesn't have as much to do in this one, but he’s fun in his “Risky Business”-esque montage of living it up all by himself.
The main caper is where this episode loses me a bit. Kitty kidnapping and blackmailing George Sr. gets a little out there, and the whole “never promise crazy a baby” situation is kind of weird. That said, it’s a great episode for Lucille to shine. Her topping Kitty in a drinking contest after being sent to rehab, her “winking eyes, alcohol recommended” bit, and as always, her exchanges with Michael are all gold.
And I’m pretty solid with the GOB stuff. Him wanting to improve his self-esteem after his mishaps with last year’s Spring Break video is a decent throughline, but the actual gags aren’t as funny as his material usually is. That said, the disbelief over the cooler saving time is a solid bit.
Overall, again, this one is a little chaotic, even by Arrested Development standards, but there’s still plenty of great stuff to go ‘round.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2018-08-09T02:18:45Z
[7.6/10] One of the more manic and disorganized episode by Arrested Development standards, but the humor is so crackling that it covers any weak spots. As always, it’s hard to know where to begin.
Let’s just start with the bits I liked the most. It’s such a simple gag, but I love Ron Howard being testy and petty in his rivalry the Scandalmakers narrator. The way he takes pride in his work and hates on the other guy is just an amusing little dash of humor throughout all the other proceedings. Hell, Scandalmakers itself is a blast, from everyone figuring out George Sr.’s deal through Tobias’s stilted performance, to the little inconsistencies.
Of all things, I also really liked the simple but effective Maeby/George Michael story here. The idea that Maeby needed to figure out the dialogue for a teen comedy and could only get mindless braying from the actual dudes at Spring Break is a fun gag in and of itself. But having George Michael actually give her something articulate and sweet, and have the whole thing accidentally reignite the George Michael/Maeby romance bit is great.
I’m also a fan of the Lindsey/Tobias “Girls With Low Self Esteem” bit. For one thing, Zach Braff is brilliant stunt casting, and the irony of him being a nevernude given his line of work is an inspired way to end the storyline. Lindsey’s crusade has some amusing moments and solid commentary on the ridiculousness of it all, and the lunacy of Tobias sitting in the fireplace and, as Buster puts it, “wanting to see boys’ Linuses” is a laugh.
Buster doesn't have as much to do in this one, but he’s fun in his “Risky Business”-esque montage of living it up all by himself.
The main caper is where this episode loses me a bit. Kitty kidnapping and blackmailing George Sr. gets a little out there, and the whole “never promise crazy a baby” situation is kind of weird. That said, it’s a great episode for Lucille to shine. Her topping Kitty in a drinking contest after being sent to rehab, her “winking eyes, alcohol recommended” bit, and as always, her exchanges with Michael are all gold.
And I’m pretty solid with the GOB stuff. Him wanting to improve his self-esteem after his mishaps with last year’s Spring Break video is a decent throughline, but the actual gags aren’t as funny as his material usually is. That said, the disbelief over the cooler saving time is a solid bit.
Overall, again, this one is a little chaotic, even by Arrested Development standards, but there’s still plenty of great stuff to go ‘round.