Why Some Arrested Development Fans Gave Up On Season 5

"Arrested Development" is rightfully regarded as one of the best comedies of all time among TV aficionados. From the gut-busting scripts to mastering the art of the running gag, it's a show with endless replay value that continues to find fans almost 20 years after its debut episode. In fact, "Arrested Development" arguably became more popular following its original cancelation back in 2006, which is why Netflix revived the series in 2013. But was that a good decision on the streamer's part?

Sometimes, it's better to go out on a high and never look back. Every revival of a beloved piece of pop culture is a risky bet as fan expectations are high and changes are inevitable. Unfortunately, not all changes go down well. For some "Arrested Development" fans, the show ended in 2006 and the fourth and fifth installments never happened. Season 5, in particular, is a stinker in the eyes of some die-hard "Arrested Development" viewers. But what are their biggest qualms with these episodes?

Let's just say that the revived "Arrested Development" wasn't a return to the halcyon days of the beloved cult sitcom. For example, some fans highlighted issues with the structure of the episodes. "Scenes [just] go on and on, characters [never] stop talking," wrote Reddit user u/Ashaquick at the start of a thread about Season 5 on the series' subreddit. "I know they were hamstrung by actor availability, but they really needed to make everything much tighter." Furthermore, the Redditor argued that the season should have been six tight episodes in order to make better use of the actors and their talents, as opposed to 16 "mediocre-to-appalling ones" that squandered them.

Another issue the aforementioned aggrieved fan had with Season 5 was the lack of sentimentality, which was used to cut the otherwise caustic humor in the first three seasons. "That lilting guitar would come in (you know the exact music I'm talking about). [The] characters would realise their genuine love for each other," they wrote. They went on to point out, "Season 5 had none of that."

Elsewhere, Redditor u/Fuegofosho took issue with the "overdubs," speculating that the creators may have encountered difficulties during the production. They wrote, "I'm wondering how much dialogue was captured on the actual set vs how much was recorded in post."

The user went on to suggest that it's possible they had to redo parts of the season due to Netflix requesting changes. "The narrator makes that joke about Netflix rejecting a show concept," u/Fuegofosho explained, "which made me wonder if they'd filmed one thing, only to have Netflix to force them to remould it into something else."