Arrested Development Season 4: Episode 13, It Gets Better, Review
It's time for a newly confident (and overtly sexual) George Michael (or is it George Maharis?) to take center-stage. And
What in the world has gotten into Michael Cera? I’m hearing that he raises hell in This is the End, slapping asses and doing hard drugs. Then I click on his solo episode of Arrested Development, only to find that he’s pulling all kinds of tail with a slick mustache as George Michael navigates the peak of his sexual being. These are his glory days my friends.The awkward teenager evolves into a slightly less awkward man in “It Gets Better” and I couldn’t be happier for George Michael. Of all the Arrested Development characters, George Michael had the most room for growth, literally and figuratively. Maeby was never going to change her ways so it isn’t surprising to find out that she’s still in high school well into her early 20s. But George Michael, boy, did we have hope for him. He was going to head off to college, finally breaking away from his clingy father. He was going to find a less-bland girlfriend and figure out his place in this life. The possibilities were limitless for where his character could go.They were borderless as well. We have to go all the way to Spain to see how George Michael becomes the success story he is today. He decides to make a big change in his life by studying abroad but the real change comes when a feisty Spanish mom turns him into an overtly sexual new man. This leads to the explanation of how George Michael became Mark Zuckerberg-lite as we see by the former Bluth company workers who are kissing the ass of the mastermind behind FakeBlock. Born out of the 41 second explanation of George Michael’s rationale for lying to Michael and Maeby, FakeBlock is the fuel that powers George Michael’s ascension into the hierarchy of Arrested Development characters.The FakeBlock storyline is significant as it guides us through George Michael’s twisted relationships with his father, cousin and father’s/his girlfriend. But the real story of the episode is George Michael breaking out of his shell with this new found confidence that seemingly comes out of nowhere. Even before his cherry is popped in Spain, he brings this new energy with him to college that we never saw in his early Arrested Development days. By breaking up his college journey chronologically we get to watch him change over the years, which is fun to see. Predictably, he uses his new overt sexualness to put the moves on Maeby. But as a young entrepreneur, like a Justin Timberlake as the sly Sean Parker in The Social Network, he sets his sights on an older Hollywood beauty.George Maharis, his new alter-ego, is a winner. The evolution of George Michael, coupled with the lack of callback from the slower plotlines (George Sr., Michael, Lindsay) of the season helps this episode become one of the most gratifying. With a lot expected of Michael Cera coming in, it’s safe to say that his best days are ahead of him. The old college try:“I know his name, but only because of that old song “Carlos the Tickle Monster.” “Make me cry.” “You’re a terrible mother.”“A man, a women, a bedroom. Let’s solve for X.” Like 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!
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Chris Longo is the director of editorial and partnerships for Den of Geek. His past work has appeared in USA Today, The Journal News, Metro New York, and AM…