Arrested Development Season 5 Review: 6 Ups And 3 Downs

5. Mixing Old Jokes With New

One of the reasons people love Arrested Development is just how much it rewards your investment and stands up to rewatches. Few TV shows can match its back catalogue of running gags and in-jokes, which it brings out in force here.

From the return of George Michael's muscle suit to his strange attraction to cousin Maeby, the cornballer, Tobias blueing himself or insisting he isn't gay, and huge mistakes being made, there are a number of jokes brought out to play again here in a variety of ways, feeling like either nice nods to the past or putting fresh spins on them.

Luckily, though, it's not just a collection of greatest hits for the sake of it. The majority of old gags fit perfectly well, and there are lots of new jokes to laugh at, from some politically charged humour to Michael's new job, Maeby's latest scheme, and George Michael's increased confidence, that means the show isn't simply relying on things you found funny over a decade ago. You're laughing because the jokes are so well written and brilliantly delivered, rather than because it's a case of "I understood that reference!".