Arrested Development

I am seriously, scarily addicted to this show now.



I've got all three seasons on DVD and have been watching them has been like eating truffles (savouring each episode) and yet also like eating potato chips (hard to stop at just one).

Excellent writing, fabulous acting, and soooo friggin' funny. One scene, which continues to make me laugh out loud since I watched it on the weekend, is the one where Michael (Jason Bateman) and his teenaged niece Maeby (Alia Shawkat) sing "Afternoon Delight" at the family's company's staff party. They're just singing along, line by line, kind of getting into it, until the lyric "and the thought of rubbin' you is getting so exciting" makes it clear that "afternoon delight" does not refer to an afternoon at the amusement park, if you know what I'm saying. As a result, Michael is totally mortified and utterly awkward in front of his niece and his employees. "I didn't know it was so dirty!" he said of the song.

This scene is hilarious because it totally could happen. Years ago, I went with my friend Ryan to a karyoke bar where he sang "Rock DJ" by Robbie Williams, and there was some lyric about pimping or something that took Ryan rather by surprise ... I can just imagine what it would be like to be singing some song you didn't realize was so sexual with some member of your family, then when it started to sink in you might be both embarrassed and completely grossed out ...

Anyway, AR uses and twists notions of family to get some amazing comedy ... all perfect if you have an ironic sense of humour as I apparently do!