Arrested Development: A New Attitude, Review

Magic and mayhem are the order of the day in episode 11 of Netflix's revival of Arrested Development!

Holy bombshell! It’s all starting to make sense now. The way the episodes are interwoven, it was only a matter of time before Mitch Hurwitz executed some misdirection in a grand way. Fittingly, it comes in an episode where two illusions essentially play a game of gay chicken.In Gob’s second episode, Tony Wonder (Ben Stiller) returns to bring this magic rivalry to new heights. But before we can get to the good stuff, “A New Attitude” suffers from the same pacing issues that plagued the beginning of the first episode. But what starts off painfully dull turns into a roller coaster ride of confused emotions.The episode is hurt by how good Gob’s original episode is, but Ben Stiller is there to bridge the gap. Tony Wonder was one of the most beloved guest stars of Arrested Development and we get to see Tony as more than just an illusionist in this episode.  There’s a lot to take in here, with Gob’s sexuality and Tony Wonder’s motives in question and Michael’s venom seething toward his brother for possibly seeing Rebel.“A New Attitude” moseys along without anything to cling to as Gob tries to exact revenge on Tony. Then things really start to get interesting when we find out that Tony isn’t gay, but is helping Sally Sitwell carry out a money grab from Lucille 2. This is when the game of sexual chicken begins, with neither Tony nor Gob willing to give in. It leads to what I thought was the episode’s climax (pun intended) when Ann tricks the magicians into what Gob thought was “pretend gay but actually straight sex,” but in reality was just normal gay sex between two straight guys.And then we get to Michael. The season wouldn’t be complete without another boy fight, so Michael and Gob go at it in a children’s ball pit. It’s a throwback but it lacks the bite that some other past references had in the new season. The big revelation is that Gob and Rebel were never an item. This appeases Michael and we think everything is all well and good, but there’s one more bomb to drop before the next episode is clicked on.This episode has the return of George Michael and it feel as though it has been forever since we’ve seen him, but he brings a lot to the table in a few key scenes. First, George Michael is a boy-toy for Gob who wants to make an impression at the Gothic Castle on gay night. Somehow the uncle on nephew kiss isn’t the most surprising hookup of the episode.On the next Arrested Development, George Michael is sharing a bed with his dad’s girlfriend. Let that one sink in.Words from the Gothic Castle:“I have a list of men that can fill every opening you have” – Tobias“Now everyone’s gay!” – Tony WonderLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!

 

 

Rating:

3 out of 5