Why was Netflix trying to hide the last episodes of Arrested Development? Explained

Created by Mitchell Hurwitz, the satirical sitcom Arrested Development originally ran on Fox for three seasons from November 2, 2003 to February 10, 2006. Following this, the show aired for two more seasons on Netflix. The fourth season was released on May 26, 2013, and its fifth and final season premiered in two parts, on May 29, 2018, and March 15, 2019.

However, Netflix reportedly was not too keen on advertising the arrival of the show's last episodes. The reasons for this include the unavailability of the cast members to share the screen for the last season and the allegations against Jeffrey Tambor regarding s*xual misconduct, among other things. Thus, the final episodes of the popular show had a relatively quiet release.

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Arrested Development ended on an unceremonious note

Though the sitcom did not attract huge numbers upon its initial run on Fox, it received critical acclaim, winning six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. It also attained a cult following, gaining a favorable status among critics and viewers alike.

For instance, in a report published on August 10, 2007, Time magazine ranked Arrested Development as one of the 100 best shows of all time. And yet, the final episodes of the series were riddled with elements that disappointed its fans, and Netflix did not advertise their arrival much.

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Its cast members could not be brought together for the last season

Much of the charm of Arrested Development lay in the onscreen chemistry between its cast members. As per a report published by the Independent on March 15, 2019, the success of the show made the actors involved in it "megastars," and they could not be roped in to appear on screen simultaneously for the show's last episodes. This impacted the sitcom's dramatic appeal.

As per the report, even the massive budget of Netflix was not enough to get all its cast members to share the screen. Thus, the final episodes were bound to take a fall in terms of quality.

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A cast member was slammed with s*xual misconduct allegations

According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter dated November 16, 2017, Trace Lysette, who portrayed Shea in the Amazon series Transparent, accused Jeffrey Tambor, who played George Sr. on Arrested Development and her co-star on Transparent, of s*xually harassing her on set during the show's filming.

Further, as per a Variety report published on May 23, 2018, Jessica Walter, Tambor's co-star on Arrested Development, complained that the veteran actor verbally assaulted her on set. In an interview with The New York Times on May 23, 2018, she complained:

“In like almost 60 years of working, I’ve never had anybody yell at me like that on a set. And it’s hard to deal with, but I’m over it now.”

At a time when Hollywood was rattled with several 'Metoo' allegations, this harmed the Netflix series' prospects ahead of its season 5 release.

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Many opine that the series outgrew its time

As per the report from the Independent, one of the reasons for Arrested Development's critical success during its original run was its satirical handling of the contemporary political milieu. However, by the time it was picked up by Netflix, American politics had evolved to be more depressing than anything else.

In the interview with The New York Times, actor Jason Bateman alleged that the then political scenario was "straight depressing," which could produce only cynicism, not satire. Due to these combined factors, Netflix was not particularly interested in hyping the arrival of the series' last episodes.

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Arrested Development: Streaming options and cast

The Hollywood Reporter stated in a report dated March 24, 2023, that Netflix had the exclusive right to stream all five seasons of the show. However, some seasons of it are available on Disney+, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.

The cast of Arrested Development includes:

• Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth
• Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Bluth Fünke
• Will Arnett as Gob Bluth
• Michael Cera as George-Michael Bluth
• Alia Shawkat as Maeby Fünke
• Tony Hale as Buster Bluth
• David Cross as Tobias Fünke
• Jeffrey Tambor as George Bluth Sr.
• Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth
• Ron Howard as the Narrator
• Henry Winkler as Barry Zuckerkorn
• Liza Minnelli as Lucille Austero

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Despite its critical acclaim and cult following, the series ended on an underwhelming note.

Interested viewers can stream all the seasons of Arrested Development on Netflix.