When Arrested Development was pulled off the air, fans sat in bated excitement, groping for anything Hurwitz-flavored they could find while anxiously awaiting the mythical Arrested Development movie. First was Juno, but Michael and George Michael never crossed paths. Cut forward to Sit Down, Shut Up, the first reunion of Hurwitz and Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Henry Winkler - personally I enjoyed it, but it was a ratings bomb and it was destroyed. Now we have Running Wilde.
So much of this show reeks of Arrested Development (cast aside) - a corporate family, rich, arrogant people, exploited servants, constant narration... it's reminiscent of the scene in Groundhog Day where Phil attempts to find just the right pose that won Rita over the first time, but can't quite make it work again. It's hilarious to watch, but keep in mind, we're Andie McDowell.
Which shortcoming to begin with? The most obvious one is the narration.
In Ron Howard, AD found a way to cut past the setup and guide the feeble-minded audience in the show's intricate plot and jokes. With RW, it has become a crutch to bypass characterization - we are told right out that Migo, while playing the part of the servant with attitude (a la Arthur's Hobson), actually cares deeply for his boss, then we cut to a scene that also depicts this sentiment. Neither are necessary. Can't the audience figure that out for themselves? Can't Migo show us that through his own actions and interactions? The narration also becomes somewhat unsettling as the show's narrator is also a major character in the show, discussing events she was not present for, and in cases, are deliberately happening behind her back and it doesn't feel right... In film, they say that voice-over should be used sparingly. It's a seasoning, it shouldn't be necessary to understand the plot. Here, it seems more like a desperate attempt to find something that captivated its audience in another iteration of itself.
Next we have the cast - here we reunite two of the biggest laughter magnets of Arrested Development, collectively known as GOBIAS. Unfortunately they were also the most one-dimensional bit characters of their former series and are not given much more here. Add in the required love interest and we have little more than a curved line. Maybe it was luck or better writing or a phenomenal cast, but the power and charisma just isn't played out here. It's just too artificial. The Felicity/GOB relationship is the root of the show, and we never feel it because it is either a.) simply a device for the episode's plot b.) glossed over by cheap jokes, or c.) TOLD TO US by the show's 12 year old narrator.
I should add that the actor playing Fa'ad, Peter Serafinowicz, is an AMAZING British comedian and impersonator and manages to pull off one of the greatest moments on the show (his tough New York accent).
Other standard AD techniques include the quick cut flashbacks and meanwhiles, over-the-top situations, double/triple entendres, and Andy Richter. Effective in their own ways and sometimes matching the quality we expect, but not at the rate we would wish.
While the show does have its shining moments, it is far from the smart, absurd, poignant, and expertly-woven tapestry that was Arrested Development. If you're expecting some grand reunion show that continues a lot of the same elements as before, watch Archer on FX (and pretend Jon Benjamin is Will Arnett). If you want to watch an uneven, saccharine sitcom that's still better than 80% of the rest of television, watch this.
