TVSquad

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.

I will admit, I was super late to the Arrested Development game. It had been canceled and I'm pretty sure everything was on DVD. Actually, I remember the first time I watched an episode, it was on G4. There was that guy from Teen Wolf Too and he was talking to David Cross, who was painted like a Smurf for some reason. And then he did some things that didn't really make sense, and I laughed nervously because I was worried I had become too stupid to keep up with sitcoms. I gave up after another ten minutes of confusion and switched over to Flavor of Love or something equally brain-numbing to make myself feel better.

The thing is, I know I wasn't alone! The world of Arrested Development is big and scary and full of self-references, and loads of people are hesitant to start watching because of this. Well, I'm here to tell you, as someone who absolutely adores the show now, it is certainly not too late to become a fan. No, brother, it's not as scary as it looks. Now is the time to join in. Here's why...

All the cool kids are doing it: Hey, man, don't be scared. Just pop in that first episode and try it. If you don't like it, you can stop whenever you want. I know, the things you'll see might be kind of weird. It's a show where Scott Baio plays a lawyer and that dude from Inside the Actor's Studio is a warden, after all. Can it really be that good? Yes. It really is that mind-blowing. It'll change the way you see the comedy world and give you instant comedy cool points. Haven't you seen all the funny elite fawning over this show? Don't you want to be popular with all the hip, pop culture-savvy kids at school/work and have them stop making fun of you for saying "Tennessee" was your favorite Arrested Development song? You cannot afford to spend another sleepless night over that embarrassing moment, so prepare to join the AD crowd and be loved. There's beer and popular girls!

Try, no need to buy: All right, seriously ... This show is certainly worth owning on DVD, if only to get some more comedy cred in your collection. However, if you are hesitant to go all the way, that's not a problem either, as all of the episodes are online legally and in fantastic quality. It's a show that has to be watched from the beginning, so this is probably the way to go for most people. Later, when this inevitably becomes a full-fledged love affair, head on over to Amazon and pick up the entire series for a cool 45 bucks. Not bad at all.

You know it's good: Five billion viewers -- give or take a few billion, maybe -- cannot be wrong. When was the last time a show gained such a following after its demise? Mind you, this is without painfully excessive syndication and mainly powered by fan love. AD is constantly noted in top ten lists, its Amazon reviews read like personal love letters and, heck, even TV Squad named an award after AD for the show least deserving of cancellation in the last season. Isn't it time to experience some of that action for yourself?

New episodes!: When I finally decided to watch the entire series from Episode One, many AD fans expressed envy. "Oh, man. That means you still have two new seasons ahead of you," they would sigh, their eyes glazing over with nostalgia. I would then promise to watch the series extra slowly and flaunt my enjoyment to cause them maximum pain. Of course, with my willpower failing almost immediately and the show being so addictive, I quickly sped through all three seasons anyway. But that excitement of having brand new material to look forward to is always wonderful. I briefly toyed with the thought of leaving the last three episodes alone for about a year, but again: my willpower is nothing. Actually, if you play things right, you may get to watch one new episode every week or so until the movie is here. Speaking of which...

There is still time for the movie: Take this time to familiarize yourself with the AD world and maybe even learn to appreciate the careers it helped ignite (and in some cases, re-ignite). And even though the show is over, it's not too late to get involved with the show's fan community. Not only is there a strong community that still holds out hope for a small screen revival, but fans are super-excited for the AD movie on the horizon. It's going to be incredible with the film comes out, for that's when fans from all periods of the show's life will finally be able to celebrate AD at the same time.

Minimal Fox frustrations: An awesome part about being late to the game is that you already know what to expect. There's no need to suffer the punch to the face that was AD's cancellation, but the fan community's pain is still fresh enough for you to join in and mourn if you feel the need to do so. There's no need to protest in front of Fox execs' houses, because others already have! This method of avoiding emotional pain is the same reason why I only listen to bands that have already broken up.