I really wanted to dislike Arrested Development. Oddly enough, this had nothing to do with the show itself. It’s not as if I hated the creators’ previous work or disliked any of the actors/actresses. The reason I didn’t want to like the show was because I didn’t want to turn into “that guy.”

What used to come to mind first when people talked about Arrested Development was its fans. Speaking bluntly, they always came off as snobish and superior for liking the show, and if you didn’t watch/appreciate the show you were somehow beneath them. They always complained how the show only had three seasons (although quality shows such as Pushing Daisies and Terriers got much fewer episodes/seasons) and how it’s cancellation proved that good shows can’t succeed. It’s not like Fox has a track record of canceling shows prematurely *cough* familyguyfireflyfuturama *endcough*. And then I actually sat down and watched the show.

Now I preface this next statement with the fact I’ve only watched the first 10 episodes, but I totally get it. I understand why the fans act the way they do about the show. It’s everything I love in a comedy– intellectual humor that doesn’t require a laugh track for me to know when it’s funny, and a cast of great characters that, despite all of their terrible personality flaws, are relatable and endearing in their own special messed up way. I can easily say that I’m addicted to the show and could watch it for hours. Luckily, coming to the party late, I also have the 10 episode Netflix series and eventual movie to look forward to. I have no issue putting Arrested Development in the same company as Firefly and Terriers as shows that we canceled far too soon. The crow was delicious.