Season 1 of Arrested Development laid the groundwork for the series. It introduced the characters, set-up all of the running gags, and created the show's comedic and slightly exaggerated world. Now that the pieces were set, Season 2 got a chance to go absolutely crazy with them.
Season 2's main storyline is about Michael's attempts at hiding his father George Sr in his attic, after he escaped from prison. Not only is this super entertaining as George Sr's attempts at hiding from the rest of the family leads to some great quality, but he's also far more active in the family's shenanigans this time around. Overall, this season was far more plot-heavy than the last one, packing in a bunch of plot twists (Buster's hand), subplots (Oscar being Buster's real father, George-Michael dating Ann), and character arcs (Gob taking over for Michael's job). All of these storylines are super entertaining and allow for all of the characters to get a lot of screentime, but they're also all played for comedy rather than story. Despite the greater emphasis on plot, Arrested Development still puts its focus on the humor, which is better than ever this time around.
Arrested Development's sense of humor is in peak form this time around, as most, if not all, of the show's iconic running gags have been introduced in Season 1, allowing for this season to play around with these jokes in unique ways. If you found yourself not quite "getting" the first season, Season 2 is the point where I realized just how tightly-knit and well-crafted this show actually is. There's a unique blend of brick jokes, Chekhov's Guns, black comedy, and meta humor that's just so entertaining to watch episode after episode. My only gripe with the season is that there just isn't enough of it, as the length is shorter than Season 1, and the quality takes a minor dip in the middle section. Despite this, Season 2 at its best has some of the funniest episodes and moments in the whole show. Back in the Season 1 review, I neglected to mention the "Next time on Arrested Development" segments which manage to be hilarious on their own due to the fact that nothing shown there actually happens in the show proper. It's usually used for funny comedic payoffs and punchlines, while being disguised as one of television's most iconic tropes.
These are some of the strongest episodes in the season:
The One Where Michael Leaves: Not only does this episode work excellently as a premiere, dragging Michael back to his family against his will, but it hilariously parodies the events of the season finale throughout. This episode also has one of the show's most iconic moments, that being Tobias's audition for the Blue Man Group.
Good Grief: This episode probably has the most black comedy in the show, and it's so funny. Its main premise is hilarious, as the family holds a funeral for George Sr, who's not only alive but watching it from the attic. The sad Charlie Brown music is one of the show's best running gags, and Gob's magic trick is one of his most hilariously disastrous.
Afternoon Delight: Easily one of the most well-crafted and thoroughly funny episodes in the whole show. All of the storylines from Gob's Christmas party, to the titular karaoke song, to Buster's crane game are entertaining in their own right, but it's the way they all manage to convergence in such a hilarious way near the end of the episode that's truly spectacular.
Motherboy XXX: This episode's kinda cute, at least in an Arrested Development way. The premise of Lucille taking George-Michael to a "mother/daughter" event is fun and gives her a lot of time to shine, but the real entertainment comes in Michael and Buster's rescue attempt, which has a lot of funny banter between the two and some top-notch physical comedy.
The Immaculate Election: This episode has a simple premise about George-Michael running for student government, but an excellent payoff with Gob's hilariously mean-spirited slander piece culminating in what can only be called George-Michael's loving tribute to "Star Wars Kid". Even the subplots are great, especially Tobias's own loving tribute, albeit this time to Mrs Doubtfire.
Meet The Veals: Meet The Veals has a decently funny main storyline, but it's the subplots that really shine this time around. Gob's Franklin subplot is so dumb it's absolutely hysterical, and the aforementioned Mrs Doubtfire reaches an amazing conclusion here. Not to mention the absolutely bonkers final sequence that features the whole cast in the same exact location.
Overall, Season 2 was a massive improvement on the first, and easily the best season in the show, with some of the funniest comedic moments in television history.
5/5 Stars
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