First Look: 'Arrested Development', season 4, episodes 4-6

Well that was better. Admittedly being better would have taken not much at all, but I'm trying to be positive about the show I once loved, so leave me and my doomed optimism alone.

Episode 4, a Michael-centric episode, actually had moments that felt like the old show. I laughed a good few times, which is a fair step up from the one laugh (it might have been more of a mild titter than a laugh) an episode of the first few. The Ron Howard gags that play throughout are fun enough, and even when they don't work they also don't grate, as the jokes did in 'Indian Takers' (episode 3), the weakest episode the show has ever done.

As with the the first few episodes, and no doubt the whole of this season, the episode could do with losing a good third of its runtime. I also think that Michael is becoming more unlikeable than Hurwitz intends. He's always been deluded and narcissistic, but when he's surrounded by the rest of his family it's offset by the fact that they're much better at it. The characters work because of how they play off each other; stranded on their own they've had a tendency to walk a fine line between being kooky and annoying. Unfortunately it's usually the latter.

Episode 5 is devoted to Tobias (David Cross), a longtime fan favourite. I've always thought Cross's manic performance felt strained, and I don't feel much different about it now. I can imagine most people will enjoy this one: the usual Tobias double entendres come thick and fast and there are some inspired moments, particularly John Beard's To Entrap A Local Predator, but I think a little Tobias goes a long way.

Episode 6 is George Sr's: the next most incidental character in the main cast after Tobias. During the original run he was used effectively because he was used sparingly. But give the character 30-minutes of running time to fill and you're going to put me to sleep. Which is what happened. 

After a brief kip I rewound and took a second run at it. There was some fun poked at Republicans, and there was the continuing laboured storyline about building a wall on the Mexican border, but I felt like I was sleep-watching and it never full engaged me. 

Overall: (thus far) 5/10