Arrested Development - General Discussion

[Aileen]

 It's official!

[DrScottie]

Of course we get the Season 4 remix on Cinco de Cuatro. How perfectly fitting. 

It's also Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you. 

[Valerie]

Season 4 definitely flows better with the remix. I know some fans did a similar recut back when it first came out but having it done officially is great.

[Lebanna]

Remixed Season 4 is so much better. 

I didn't even recognize some of the scenes because I must have mentally switched off before from boredom. And now they're actually pretty funny.

[Valerie]

My favourite episodes were the Gob episodes, and they are even funnier now with everything rearranged.

[Peace 47]

Ron Howard narrates Star Wars as if it were an episode of Arrested Develpment in this video.  The comments are also pretty funny in adding additional AD jokes.

[BetterButter]

[paulvdb]

For those who want to stay completely unspoiled and won't watch the trailer: Season 5 premiere date is May 29.

[ruby24]

How many episodes are in this new season?

[BoogieBurns]

On 5/4/2018 at 11:50 AM, Valerie said:

My favourite episodes were the Gob episodes, and they are even funnier now with everything rearranged.

I'm excited to rewatch! I had "Getaway" as my ringtone for like a solid year after Season 4 came out. I really hate getting phone calls and loved GOB's episodes.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Family of the year:

[Irlandesa]

On 5/7/2018 at 1:47 PM, ruby24 said:

How many episodes are in this new season?

I read that there are 16 and the season will be split in 2.  8 episodes will drop on the 29th and the other 8 will come later in the year.

[Irlandesa]

I just watched season 4 which is funny because it was going to be one of the first things I watched when I got Netflix but the meh reactions to it meant I put it off.  It was news of the fifth season that got me to finally watch it.

I know there's a fourth season "remixed" which is basically Season 4, done in 22 episodes of about 22-24 minutes (like original TV length) with the show edited to try to be more chronological.  I've read that it doesn't necessarily improve season 4 but some scenes are included that weren't there originally and I guess other stuff is cut out. I decided to watch the original version as it was intended---flaws and all. (It's still on Netflix, just hidden.)

For probably the first two thirds of the show, so much of the viewing experience was just admiring what they were trying to accomplish with a cast with different schedules.  The way the show kept jumping back and forth could get confusing but again, I respected how they were trying to weave a whole picture with each viewpoint.  And I usually had one or two laughs. 

However, probably around the 11th episode, I found myself laughing a lot at the episodes.  I remember reading Mitch saying that this was the prequel to the movie he wanted to do.  I guess it's going to end up being a prequel to the fifth series.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Tony Hale discusses S5 of Arrested Development:

[Mystery]

I was so looking forward to the restart. But I'm not sure I can watch it, after reading this. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/arts/television/arrested-development-netflix-interview-jeffrey-tambor.html

[ruby24]

Yeah, that's pretty bad. Completely exposes the dynamics on this set, imo. Total boys club, men in charge all the way.

[Lebanna]

Yes, this is bad. In fact, it's a disaster. I get why the other men all probably played it down in the moment - like, oh hell, let's keep this show going, let's keep upbeat and cheery, no big deal even if she's crying... They just so don't get it.

I hope these guys, having had time to reevaluate this situation, come back with a better response. It's one thing to mess up at the time when an interview goes in a direction you didn't expect. But if they double down on this, they and the show are doomed.

Give Jessica Walters her own show. She's the best thing about everything she's in.

[Mystery]

42 minutes ago, Lebanna said:

Give Jessica Walters her own show. She's the best thing about everything she's in.

 

This couldn't be more true. 

[inkworks]

Bateman jumping all over himself to say he wouldn't do another season without Tambor was nauseating.

[doesntworkonwood]

I don't understand why the guys find it so hard to just... shut up. There's a lot of interjecting and trying to rationalise the behaviour. They didn't have to rip Tambor a new one, but they could have just not said anything and let Julie Walters talk. The poor woman was crying and Bateman was trying to imply that this was normal.

[April Bloodgate]

Michael Cera says Jason Bateman is a "major asshole" and picked on him when he was a kid, so he doesn't have a great track record of being a good dude. 

[Mystery]

April Bloodgate, love your name. 

This is from Thomas Sadoski (warning: there's swearing!): 

   

I haven't been in a laughing mood, but I admit that "and most of us were on HEAVY DRUGS" made me laugh. 

[planet17]

It's kind of hard to admit this, but I lost all the interest I had for this season after all that happened. If Tambor wasn't already enough, then the whole (male) cast stand to support him while being completely insensitive towards Jessica Walters. Both Netflix and Ron Howard also support him. 

I hope the actresses of this show get some great stuff to work and I hope they cancel this show.

[doesntworkonwood]

Three of the male cast have apologised: Jason Bateman's apology

Quote

Based on listening to the NYT interview and hearing people’s thoughts online, I realise that I was wrong here. I sound like I’m condoning yelling at work. I do not. It sounds like I’m excusing Jeffery. I do not. It sounds like I’m insensitive to Jessica. I am not. In fact, I’m horrified that I wasn’t more aware of how this incident affected her. I was so eager to let Jeffrey know that he was supported in his attempt to learn, grow and apologize that I completely underestimated the feelings of the victim, another person I deeply love - and she was sitting right there! I’m incredibly embarrassed and deeply sorry to have done that to Jessica. This is a big learning moment for me. I shouldn’t have tried so hard to mansplain, or fix a fight, or make everything okay. I should’ve focused more on what the most important part of it all is - there’s never any excuse for abuse, in any form, from any gender. And, the victim’s voice needs to be heard and respected. Period. I didn’t say that and instead said a bunch of other stuff and not very well. I deeply, and sincerely, apologize.

Tony Hale's apology

Quote

I have reached out to Jessica personally to apologize. Arrested Development is one of my families. Regardless of my intentions, it is clear that my words, both said and unsaid, served to minimize Jessica’s pain and for that I am extremely sorry.

David Cross's apology.

Quote

“I will unequivocally apologise to Jessica,” he said. “I'm sorry that we behaved the way we behaved. Whatever the criticisms are, I will own up.”

Cross then went on to describe the incident at the centre of the controversy as “extremely uncomfortable,” confirming it occurred during the filming of the brand new season which arrives on Netflix next week (29 May). 

He strenuously disagreed with Bateman's initial comments in which he appeared to justify Tambor's alleged behaviour by saying the entertainment industry “breeds atypical behaviour.”

“Well, there's yelling and then there's what Jeffrey did. Those are two different things,” he said.

“It's one thing to pop off a little bit, to let frustrations boil over, that happens in any workplace. If it had just been that, then it would have been not cool, but par for the course for where we were and what was happening. I think what Jeffrey did was egregious and there was a little bit of cruelty to it, which I have a real issue with. I'm not going to defend what Jeffrey did at all, because I would never do that. I've never seen anybody do that to that level and that's just not right. There's just no excuse for behaving like that. 

“But you just can't defend it. There's no reason for that. I've seen people [on set] be shitty to other people - belittling, unkind, condescending and dismissive. I'm not talking about every single person, Michael Cera never did it, Alia didn't. But I've seen it.”

I'm only putting these here for completeness. I think it's important to have the whole picture so everyone can make up their own minds.

[planet17]

For those interested, here's also the audio of the interview, when they make Jessica Walter cry.

[incandescent]

I wish they would have just written off George Sr. (and Oscar). And done it in the most ridiculous way possible, like have Gene Parmesan disguised as him for the entirety of the season without anyone putting it together until the finale.

[ElleBee]

7 hours ago, doesntworkonwood said:

He strenuously disagreed with Bateman's initial comments in which he appeared to justify Tambor's alleged behaviour by saying the entertainment industry “breeds atypical behaviour.”

“Well, there's yelling and then there's what Jeffrey did. Those are two different things,” he said.

I don't understand, if he really felt this way, why he didn't speak up at the time? Seems to me that he just piled on, and he certainly didn't seem to "disagree with Bateman" from what I read in the interview. 

 

3 hours ago, incandescent said:

I wish they would have just written off George Sr. (and Oscar). And done it in the most ridiculous way possible, like have Gene Parmesan disguised as him for the entirety of the season without anyone putting it together until the finale.

Love this idea! Unfortunately I think they'd already finished filming by the time the accusations against Tambor on Transparent came out. But they certainly could have fairly easily left him out of the press tour, instead of circling the wagons around him. 

[April Bloodgate]

23 hours ago, Mystery said:

April Bloodgate, love your name. 

 

Thanks, @Mystery ! I came up with it as a potential roller derby name, but it turns out there's a much more accomplished skater who was already using it. (Which is fine. I only ended up playing for about 18 months anyway.)

[rab01]

Linda Holmes' on the Arrested Development interview: NPR  The former Miss Alli's take on a subject is always worth a read.

[doesntworkonwood]

1 hour ago, ElleBee said:

I don't understand, if he really felt this way, why he didn't speak up at the time? Seems to me that he just piled on, and he certainly didn't seem to "disagree with Bateman" from what I read in the interview. 

Yup. I think all of the apologies are quite flimsy because the situation is pretty ridiculous IMO. From what I understand the situation is as follows:

1. People reported Tambor for being abusive on the set of Transparent. 

2. Tambor is fired. 

3. Tambor admits in an interview that he had a blow up with Jessica Walter.  He essentially admits that he was wrong here. 

4. During this interview, Jessica Walter was asked about it and started crying. 

5. The men ignored her crying and tried to defend Tambor by normalising his behaviour (which he had already admitted was not normal). 

I just don't understand how when you're sitting next to a woman who is crying, and the man who admitted he was wrong for the incident which made her cry, your first defence is the man. She was sitting there in the room, she was a literal visual and audible example of Tambor being wrong, and yet they ignore that and they defend Tambor. 

I don't understand how that happens! Why were they more focused on making sure that Tambor is ok and not Jessica Walter? She was crying, she was obviously the one that needed support, and they just ignored her. 

[Irlandesa]

11 hours ago, incandescent said:

I wish they would have just written off George Sr. (and Oscar). And done it in the most ridiculous way possible, like have Gene Parmesan disguised as him for the entirety of the season without anyone putting it together until the finale.

I get why he's in this season.  And since it was done, I wouldn't want him removed because that would just be a mess.  But I absolutely think if they consider a season 6, it should be without him.  Overall, I found his character to be the least funny character.  Sometimes the scenarios around him were funny but rarely him.

7 hours ago, ElleBee said:

Love this idea! Unfortunately I think they'd already finished filming by the time the accusations against Tambor on Transparent came out. But they certainly could have fairly easily left him out of the press tour, instead of circling the wagons around him. 

Yep.  Michael Cera isn't doing press because of his play and Portia only did one thing, they could have easily said Jeffrey had other commitments.  I'm sure the questions about Tambor would have surfaced anyway but at least the questions about how he treated Jessica wouldn't have surfaced.  Once he brought them up, it put pressure on the cast, but especially Jessica Walter, of performing public forgiveness---a place she shouldn't have to be.

6 hours ago, doesntworkonwood said:

I don't understand how that happens! Why were they more focused on making sure that Tambor is ok and not Jessica Walter? She was crying, she was obviously the one that needed support, and they just ignored her. 

"Because he feels bad.  And since he admitted he was wrong, can't we all just get over it?"  That sentiment is really really common. Maybe even human, who knows? If anyone has followed the Lethal Weapon story, there are a lot of similarities but in that case it was dona via social media. A lot of guest stars, friends and fans of the fired star who feel he should be given another chance and the other lead should just get over it.  ("He's only intense because he cares....")

[nowandlater]

13 hours ago, incandescent said:

I wish they would have just written off George Sr. (and Oscar). And done it in the most ridiculous way possible, like have Gene Parmesan disguised as him for the entirety of the season without anyone putting it together until the finale.

For the record: Filming ended in November, according to this interview with Hurwitz.

http://ew.com/tv/2018/05/17/arrested-development-creator-stars-season-5/

The allegations first came out on Nov. 8.

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/jeffrey-tambor-sexual-harassment-amazon-1202610285/

 

I recommend this article about what Bateman means by "family"

https://www.buzzfeed.com/annehelenpetersen/jason-bateman-arrested-development-interview-family

 

Also this article explains why the guys thought it was utterly normal to stick up for Tambor instead of comfort Walter:

https://slate.com/culture/2018/05/arrested-development-interview-the-cast-is-a-boys-club.html

[tennisgurl]

"I guess you could say things at the penthouse were getting kind of weird."

[TheOtherOne]

I guess regular folk aren't able to start episode threads anymore?

Sorry to skip right to episode 8 (tried to start a thread, but no...) but the GOB and Tony Wonder plot was the only one I cared about, and if they really killed off Tony like that and there's not some kind of twist, I'm going to be pissed.

Or rather, even more apathetic about the whole thing, which just seemed so tired. Yes, everyone looked old, but besides that, the season so far just felt...tired.

[Kel Varnsen]

6 hours ago, TheOtherOne said:

Or rather, even more apathetic about the whole thing, which just seemed so tired. Yes, everyone looked old, but besides that, the season so far just felt...tired.

I watched the first episode and while there were a few moments that made me laugh (the line about murderers and rapists and Ron Howard's voice over about how George Senior would never win an award for pretending to be a woman) I really did wonder why they were bothering at this point. How old Michael Cera looks just drives home how long it has been since the show was first on. I know the first episode had a lot of catching up to do so I hope it improves from there.

[ruby24]

On 5/29/2018 at 1:37 PM, TheOtherOne said:

I guess regular folk aren't able to start episode threads anymore?

Sorry to skip right to episode 8 (tried to start a thread, but no...) but the GOB and Tony Wonder plot was the only one I cared about, and if they really killed off Tony like that and there's not some kind of twist, I'm going to be pissed.

Or rather, even more apathetic about the whole thing, which just seemed so tired. Yes, everyone looked old, but besides that, the season so far just felt...tired.

I mostly agree. But I also like the GOB and Tony Wonder romance, and if he's really dead (looks like it), that sucks because it's kind of the only thing I cared about. 

[Amarsir]

I found the age issue comparable to the scheduling issue in season 4. It doesn’t really hurt the presentation that much but did occasionally take me out of the moment.

To me the writing is still really good. Lots of little items that seem like odd quirks or throwaway jokes and then come back. Given that and at only the halfway point I can’t even be critical of things that seem too easily dropped. 

Also Michael seems more likeable now than in Season 4, which had been my biggest problem. If he’s as bad as the rest (and George Michael never really took in the protagonist role) it’s hard to root for any of them.

[WorldWarIV]

Well, that wasn't very good. I barely laughed. Where was Lindsay? Where was Buster? None of the plots were very interesting. And they all relied on secrets and lies. I rewatched season 1 not long ago and what I liked was the different dynamics with the different family members. Of course, they were all mean to each other in different ways, but at the end of the day, you knew they cared about each other. Most of the plot points revolved around one family member and his relationship with a secondary character, like Tobias and is new, totally useless son. Why was Maeby never interacting with her father or grandmother, and instead she had this totally uninteresting thing with the old guy? Why is she not allowed to progress in her relationship with her parents, like when she realized that her mother had it rough with her grandmother? All in all, very disappointing. The family is kind of together, but not really. They just update each others on their lives.

 

Worse of all, I found GOB boring. I never would have thought that possible.

[DrSpaceman]

Just finished all 8 episodes

While they were enjoyable and I won't say I disliked them, there was not much that stood out as making me laugh or that I found hilarious like the original 3 seasons. 

Maeby in the old folks home and acting 70 years old was a humorous idea.  I did like her "Bury me!" line.  And them calling her "Buttons". 

Some of it just fell flat though.  Tobias son, or whoever that is, that was just useless.  The bit about the beach house, didn't really understand why they had to sell the beach house, or he would expect them to, just because his ex died there.  He could just not go to the beach house and let them enjoy it if its a bad memory.  I know they DIDN"T sell it, but just the idea behind it seems odd.  And I hope the beach house plays into the rest of the story because otherwise it seems like a useless plot device for a small joke. 

[Philip]

I'm so *beeping* glad that they didn't Michael the 5th Season, it's honestly what the 4th Season should have been! I may dare and say it's my third favorite season after the second. I wasn't a huge fan of how things worked out in the 3rd Season.

 

I just wish Season 5 had like 13 episodes but at least it's tons of fun to watch and rewatch, and rewatch!

 

But say, have they finally found the Hermano guy? I'm not sure about that. I guess they should hire Barry because he's very good. :)

[Amarsir]

On 6/1/2018 at 11:19 AM, WorldWarIV said:

 Why was Maeby never interacting with her father or grandmother, and instead she had this totally uninteresting thing with the old guy?

Well it's very much in her character to have a new scam, and Stan Sitwell is well-established by now. I also don't think it was that big, of a plot, but maybe only seems that way because it was in the latter episodes. Most of Maebe's activity through the season was running her Mom's / Grandmother's campaign and advising George Michael on Rebel. So that didn't bother me.

But speaking of which, the Rebel Alley plot was overdone in Season 4 and went nowhere for 8 episodes. I really don't need to see Michael and George Micheal awkwardly lying to each other that much. It wasn't without moments (like the hallway "fight") but I would much rather have seen that time go to something else. Maybe do something more interesting with FakeBlock than have Rebel invest in it.

GOB was similarly trapped in an old storyline that I actually feel they hung a lantern on in Ep 8. So he's gay for Tony Wonder which is interesting enough, except the "Christian Magician" tension isn't what it would have been 12 years ago when he became one. So the voiceover mocked GOB's trick as being too old to be controversial, which plays fine in character. OK, but how long can they keep that going?

However, my prediction is that GOB will be more important in the latter half because of all the companies he's buying. Just a guess.

[Enigma X]

I know many people love Tobias, but this character and the actor who portrays him annoys me more with each season.

 

I liked this season better than the previous one, but it was still just ok.

[tennisgurl]

Well, it was certainly better than last season, I will certainly give them that. 

While I did get some laughs (Ron Howard narrating real life Ron Howard always cracks me up), it mostly just felt sort of...stale. Like, the show is just going through the motions at this point, doing Arrested Development style stuff, but without what made it work. I know this is only half done, but it felt so under cooked, if that makes sense. Too much of Michael and George Michael sneaking around each other with Rebel, who is a pretty dull character, and Tobias being weird with his boring new son, and not enough of GOB, Lindsay, and Buster. 

I enjoyed some of the call backs, especially the weird, random ones, like the MR F thing (Mexican Romney Family) and it was nice to see the family interacting, so they had that going for them. O hope that didnt really kill off Tony Wonder. His plot with GOB has been one of my favorite things about the new seasons, and killing him off in such a random, nasty way just seemed mean spirited, even for this show. 

[LibertarianSlut]

Halfway through the first installation of season five; just finished (re?)watching Fateful Consequences.

i agree with everybody. Season 5 Is just not funny, and it drags. The female cop gave me some initial hope--she just steps into the scene and I want to laugh, and Maebe is really bringing it, but... just no. It's boring. It's tedious. Nothing is unexpected or clever anymore. Between Buster and Gob, it feels so desperate.

i don't just dislike Ron Howard on my screen; I have a visceral reaction to him. It's like he is supposed to show up with his toothy grin and we're just supposed to start laughing apropos of nothing. All the self-referential voiceovers are not ironic, they are just annoying and obvious. I thought back to seasons 1-3 when Ron Howard said, "it was arrested development...hey, that's the name of this show," and I wanted to weep at its sheer understatedness.

Nor could I stand Rebel Alley in seasons four or five. This show really knew how to do self-centered, clueless, oblivious, hideous women with aplomb--Lindsay, Lucille, Jesse the public relations person, Rita Leeds, Kitty Sanchez, Maggie Lizer to an extent, and Ms Barerly and Sally Sitwell still performed. Rebel Alley, with her inexplicable foreign accent is charmless. I don't find her PSAs funny, and I feel bad for her son Lem. She's just an oblivious bitch. Nothing subtle there.

Despite its Ron and Rebel-centeredness, I really like season four. It just can't be compared to seasons 1-3 IMO, with seasons 1-3 being some of the best television ever made. But damn if I didn't enjoy P-hound, fake block, the in-flight magazine, sudden valley becoming a haven for people on the sex offender list, Austerity, Herbert Love, Ophelia Love, everything sexually mature about George, er, MaHarris (the matador pants!), Ann, the Christian talk show, Michael driving the car for "that search engine," Lucille's Chinese prison family, Perfecto, the ostrich, a four-way roommate scenario where twins get half a vote, Getaway, the Methodone Clinic, the trip(s) to India, and the roofie circle.. Could have lived without DeBrie and Marky Mark. They were gross. The wall stuff was fun, but using the land in Mexico as an executive retreat fell a little flat for me. With the remix, I give it a solid A-. How can you rate any show where someone can say "daddy needs to get his rocks off" without guile any lower? 

Season 5 reached a new low when they managed to make a trip to Mexico unfunny. Can we ditch this beach house and the old age home, and get back Franklin? Or at least Ice the Bounty Hunter?

[Sesquipedalia]

On 5/29/2018 at 3:37 PM, TheOtherOne said:

but the GOB and Tony Wonder plot was the only one I cared about,

Same!

I've never had an emotional attachment to any of the Bluths or felt any investment in how their story lines turn out (and I've never needed that to love the show and find it funny), but now I really ship Gob and Tony Wonder! I don't think Tony is dead. There has to be more to it.

Well, I also kind of want the show to end with George Michael and Maebe's wedding, but just out of perversity.

I thought Season 5 was okay. It would have been a lot better with more Lindsey campaigning and Buster in jail. Here's hoping Tony Hale's schedule cleared for the second half. Portia De Rossi quit acting, so Lindsey will probably still be MIA.

My favorite episode was the second to last. Looking back on the season, it's the only ep that stands out as distinct. Both the wild goose chase down to Mexico and Gob and the random closet makers' magic scheme felt reminiscent of classic AD.  

Otherwise, all the episodes sort of ran together. I felt the same way when I watched the re-edit of Season 4. It made the season easier to follow, but it also blurred the different story lines.

At least Season 5 was light on Debrie. That character is so depressing. Rebel Alley is still a drag on the show. Tobias having a son was random and didn't really go anywhere. The son looks like he should belong to Barry more than Tobias.

But there were a lot of parts I enjoyed--Maebe taking her ability to pose as an older person to a new level, her attempts to sabotage her mom's campaign, new running jokes like everyone knowing about the beach house except Michael, the looks Tobias gave Gob for his gay double entendres. 

I'm surprised there weren't any new Russian characters this time around...seems like a missed opportunity.

AD will never be as good as Seasons 1-3, but I'm still looking forward to the second half of the new season. 

[Danny Franks]

I'm rewatching the whole show at the moment (not decided whether to rewatch season 4, or watch season 5 yet), and I just got to Charlize Theron's first episode. Honestly, I think by this far into the show, Michael's inept and self-sabotaging attempts to date were just a bit too depressing. I know we aren't supposed to think too much about this, but Michael is a guy who lost his wife, and devoted his entire life to raising his son and carrying on his family's business. He never even manages to have a half-functional relationship for more than ten minutes. It's just bleak.

Also, all the British jokes are more than a little tired, and really were a low point of the show's first three seasons. 

[Skittl1321]

Why was Tobias not wearing pants for so many of the scenes? Just to remind us about the denim shorts? Because he was just wearing them as shorts this season, it was never a "nudity" cover.

[Ottis]

On 6/11/2018 at 2:50 PM, Danny Franks said:

I'm rewatching the whole show at the moment (not decided whether to rewatch season 4, or watch season 5 yet), and I just got to Charlize Theron's first episode. Honestly, I think by this far into the show, Michael's inept and self-sabotaging attempts to date were just a bit too depressing. I know we aren't supposed to think too much about this, but Michael is a guy who lost his wife, and devoted his entire life to raising his son and carrying on his family's business. He never even manages to have a half-functional relationship for more than ten minutes. It's just bleak.

Also, all the British jokes are more than a little tired, and really were a low point of the show's first three seasons. 

YMMV I guess. We found those eps, and the British jokes as well as the British take on America, some of the funniest of the series.

So what happened here after 8 episodes? More are coming? That ending seemed incomplete. 

[Amarsir]

1 hour ago, Ottis said:

So what happened here after 8 episodes? More are coming? That ending seemed incomplete. 

This was a half-season. The rest are coming this year but weren't quite ready. Rumor is they had to push some out when they did in order to qualify for Emmy season.  (Which is a little too optimistic in my opinion.)

[cleo]

I haven't seen season 4 or 5. I just started and watched 4.1. I know about the structure, and it was hard to watch. A few funny jokes in the beginning, I like Rogen and Young Lucille, but it quickly bcame chaotic and hard to follow. Is it correct there are 22 episodes? That would be a slog.

I also dont believe Michael would sleep with Lucille 2.

Also hard to watch Tambor scenes with JW after that stuff came to light.

I almost bailed on finishing the last 2 seasons, and finally decided to give it a try but not sure I can stick it out.