Unfortunately, the development of what is surely the greatest network comedy to date was stopped short, forcing a finale to bookend a series that never got a chance to soar as high as perhaps it could have. The family is back on the boat, having a party just like they were in the pilot. The episode begins formally the same, right up to Michael waking up next to George Michael and discussing what’s important to them. And it ends the same way, police boats boarding the Bluth’s ship, this time with Michael and George Michael driving off into the sunset.
There aren’t many shows that can pull off callbacks to their very first episode with this type of success. I’m not sure whether it’s because the initial jokes are so memorable that referring to them later on is immediately recognizable, or whether most viewers watched them all so quickly that everything is just fresh in their minds. What’s certain is that no show before or since has invested so much detail in its humor, resulting in alienation for detractors and the highest highs of TV comedy for ardent devotees. The center of this was the investment we had in the characters, who were so vividly and absurdly presented that they left a profound impression on everyone who came across them.
When it comes down to it, the Bluths are a family that once you get to know, you just can’t get away from in your mind. You can’t help but want to see them again. If nothing else, the new Netflix season of Arrested Development will satisfy this desire, and let us taste a little more happy after 8 years of blue.
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