A new podcast episode of Couch Potatoes Unite!, which is based on a blog of the same name hosted at couchpotatoesunite.wordpress.com. In this episode, recorded in March 2019, our panel of comic book and superhero enthusiasts – including moderator Kylie, Kristen, Nick, Hilary, Kyle, and Spencer – is back Around the Water Cooler as the Marvel’s Defenders Series panel discusses Season 3, the now final season, of Daredevil, the first property introduced into Netflix’s Marvel wing of its original streaming library. We also process the series’ unfortunate subsequent cancellation with much sadness and grumpiness, given our panel’s universal lauds and accolades for this show. As always, if you have not watched any of the Defenders solo series to date (or the crossover miniseries), be aware that there are MAJOR SPOILERS! Tell us what you think, and/or if there are other shows you’re interested in CPU! covering, below; email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com; or check out our Guestbook at the website, our Facebook page, our Twitter (@cpupodcast), or our Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite). Until next time, until next episode…buh bye!
Editor: Kylie C. Piette Logo: Rebecca Wallace Marketing Graphic Artist: Krista Pennington
Who: “Marvel’s Daredevil” is a superhero/action/crime drama based upon the Marvel Comics character Daredevil and is a Netflix original series, always available on Netflix.
What: “Marvel’s Daredevil,” developed by Drew Goddard, is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and is the first in a series of shows that led up to a Defenders crossover miniseries. Lawyer-by-day Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) uses his heightened senses, a side effect of being blinded by a radioactive substance as a young boy, to fight crime at night on the streets of New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood as Daredevil.
SYNOPSIS
Charlie Cox stars as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, a blind lawyer-by-day who fights crime at night. His associates include Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), a plucky whistle-blower with a heart of gold, and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), Matt’s law partner and best friend. Vincent D’Onofrio plays the series’ primary villain, Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin. In the third season, after Fisk is released from prison, Murdock, who has been missing for months following the events of The Defenders, reemerges as a broken man and must decide between hiding from the world as a criminal lawyer and embracing his life as a hero vigilante.
When: The third season of the series was released in its entirety to the Netflix streaming library on October 19, 2018.
Where: The action is set primarily in the New York City, New York, neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, as depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Why: To find out why individual podcast panelists started watching this show, listen to the very first “Marvel’s Defenders” podcast episode via the embedded link below.
How – as in How Was It? – THOUGHTS
As long-time listeners should know by now, CPU! is chock full of panelists with a proclivity for comic book and superhero TV shows and films, including your Chief CP. Our Marvel’s Defenders Series was born of this proclivity, as we have already covered the first two seasons of Daredevil; the two available seasons of JessicaJones; the two available seasons of Luke Cage; the two available seasons of Iron Fist; the one available season of the crossover event miniseries, The Defenders; and the first season of the first spin-off series, The Punisher. Listen to the links below:
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode One, “Daredevil,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Two, “Jessica Jones,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Three, “Daredevil,” Season 2
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Four, “Luke Cage,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Five, “Iron Fist,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Six, “The Defenders,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Seven, “The Punisher,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Eight, “Jessica Jones,” Season 2
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Nine, “Luke Cage,” Season 2
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Ten, “Iron Fist,” Season 2
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Eleven, Canceled Corner: “Luke Cage,” “Iron Fist,” and “The Defenders”
In this, the twelfth episode of our Marvel’s Defenders Series, we revisit the first of Netflix’s series of Marvel-centered shows that led up to The Defenders miniseries, namely Daredevil, featuring Defenders Series panelists Nick, Kristen, Hilary, Kyle, and Spencer. In this episode, our panelists experience multiple “nerdgasms,” somewhat mitigated by the pall of the series cancellation, over what most of our panelists believe is one of the best seasons of television, superhero or otherwise, of all time. Common reactions to this season praise story execution; direction; pacing; fight choreography; and the top-notch performances of Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Wilson Bethel as Ben Poindexter aka Bullseye, and the ensemble cast of this, the crown jewel of the Netflix Marvel universe. Though our panel would have willingly and eagerly gobbled up a fourth season, Daredevil has since been canceled by the streaming giant, likely due to negotiation breakdowns with Marvel parent company Disney in lieu of the latter company’s hunger for a piece of the streaming pie. Therefore, in this episode, we also process our feelings of grief and mourning over this incredible series, for which we all, even panelist Kristen, offer unreserved lauds and accolades. To hear us hash out these thoughts further, listen to our discussion via the embedded link below.
This podcast episode was recorded in March 2019, and there are, without question, MAJOR SPOILERS, as we cover major plot points throughout the third (and final) season of Daredevil. Do you agree or disagree? Listen at your own risk, and let us know what you think by commenting below.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@cpupodcast), Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), Pinterest (@cpupodcast), or email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com – or subscribe to this blog, the YouTube channel, our iTunes channel, our Stitcher Radio channel , and/or find us on Google Play to keep track of brand new episodes. In the meantime, let us know what you think! Comment or review us in any of the above forums – we’d love your feedback!
Remember, new episodes and blog posts are published weekly! This Sunday, at 2:00 PM, CPU! is going live again! There (hopefully) should be an in-person audience, and we will (hopefully) endeavor to live-stream the whole shindig once more to our Facebook page. We’ll be at Blue Bridge Games in Grand Rapids, Michigan, taking A SHINY LOOK BACK AT “FIREFLY,” which will also feature some “Top 5” elements. There, five of our resident Browncoats and panelists – along with a special guest! – will not take the sky from any “Serenity” felt when we at CPU! Look Back at one of the most enduring one-season-and-done cult shows of all time. We will then publish an audio-only version next Wednesday, in our best rerun fashion. You won’t want to miss it! Here’s the link to the Facebook Event! Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and Instagram to keep abreast of all the details, but here’s the art for it for now! Stay tuned!
Lingering Questions from Season 2
1) Will the Hand v. Chaste/Black Sky story line be more flushed out in Season 3?
ANSWER: No. The Hand v. Chaste/Black Sky story line is arguably more flushed out in The Defenders miniseries,though some of our panelists, Kyle particularly, feel that said flushing out is poorly executed in the crossover event. Season 3 of Daredevil does not address the Hand nor Matt’s historic affiliation with members of the Chaste at all.
2) Will Elektra be resurrected by the Hand with their apparent mystic mastery over life and death?
ANSWER: Elektra Natchios is mystically resurrected by the five “Fingers” of the Hand in The Defenders crossover miniseries. Listen to that CPU! episode (embedded above) for further details.
3) Will Karen ever be plagued by or deal with aftermath stemming from the fact that she shot James Westley in season one?
ANSWER: She will – in this season, in fact! Though we see Karen process, minimally, her murder of James Westley from Season 1 via her friendship with Frank Castle aka The Punisher in Season 2 of Daredevil, it is not until Season 3 when she finally begins to confess and, therefore, to work through her sin, first to/with Foggy Nelson when her worry for an AWOL Matt reaches fever pitch upon Wilson Fisk’s (aka Kingpin) release from prison into federal custody, and then to/with Fisk himself. Her apparent guilt, however, at taking Fisk’s confidant’s life seems to be eclipsed by her reckless need to confront Fisk in the moment. While Fisk is held under house arrest in his former penthouse, an arrangement he manipulated out of the FBI from prison, a rattled Karen, once Fisk’s particular target, takes it upon herself to sneak into his penthouse to embark upon a face-to-face verbal exchange with the charismatic puppet-master. In this conversation, she openly confesses to killing Westley to Wilson in an effort to incite Fisk to commit violence against her under the watchful eyes of several FBI special agents in an adjacent surveillance room. Her plan backfires, however, when Fisk uses the encounter, instead, to verify his suspicion that Matt Murdock is Daredevil, confirmed by the worried expression on Karen’s face when Fisk poses the question directly. It is a brilliant scene, universally appreciated by our panel. Listen to the podcast episode for our reactions.
4) Does Punisher know “Red’s” true identity, as several panelists suspect?
ANSWER: Unconfirmed, at least as of Daredevil Season 3. Frank Castle aka The Punisher does not appear in the final season of Daredevil.
5) Given Jeri Hogarth’s crossover into this series from Jessica Jones to hire Foggy for her firm, will Elden Henson appear in the next season of Jessica Jones?
ANSWER: Yes. Elden Henson appears in Jessica Jones, Season 2, in the episode “AKA Sole Survivor.”
6) Will Daredevil be forced to protect Kingpin from the wrath of Punisher after Kingpin and Punisher’s interactions in prison?
ANSWER: No. The Punisher does not appear in Daredevil Season 3; however, Daredevil does have to protect both Kingpin and his love, Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer), from Bullseye (Bethel) in the now series finale. Listen to the podcast episode for details.
7) Will Bullseye appear next season because Matt picked a fight with Kingpin in prison, and Bullseye is Kingpin’s most loyal henchman (in the comic books)?
ANSWER: Bullseye appears in Season 3, not as a direct result of Matt’s fight with Kingpin in prison in Season 2 but as an indirect result of their overall enmity. When Wilson meets FBI Special Agent Ben Poindexter for the first time this season, one of his guards and overseers when he is transferred to his old penthouse from prison, Wilson sees both extraordinary talent for marksmanship and a barely concealed level of sociopath-related tendencies motivating a broken and nervous figure in Poindexter. Wilson later exploits these tendencies and talents, creating not only an unflinchingly loyal henchman – at least, until revelations come to light that shake this loyalty – but also the actual in-show origin story for the villain known as Bullseye. Listen to the podcast episode for details.
8) Will the Owl, Leland Owsley’s son, appear in Season 3?
ANSWER: No. The Owl does not appear in Season 3.
PARTING SHOTS
All of the Marvel’s Defenders Series panelists declare that Daredevil Season 3 is a bona fide hit and a masterful pinnacle of television excellence. Even panelist Kristen has been reluctantly converted to the Daredevil fandom, even if not as wholeheartedly as fellow panelist Kyle, and most, if not all, of the panelists believe that this particular season of Daredevil exemplifies one of the best seasons of television, superhero or otherwise, of all time. All of the panelists effusively gushed about D’Onofrio’s performance as Kingpin in addition to Cox’s steady and consistently perfect portrayal of Murdock/Daredevil. The panel was more mixed about Woll’s performance as Karen again, with some panelists, such as Spencer, finding her tedious, while other panelists, like Chief CP Kylie, Kristen, and Kyle, seeing her improved potential, particularly in light of the character’s original fate in the source comic books.
Furthermore, all panelists are greatly disappointed, angry, even downright surly when faced with the news that Netflix canceled, possibly involuntarily, the six Defenders series, Daredevil chiefly among them, as we all believe (Kristen too) that this is the best of all the Netflix Defenders shows. It is the series offering the viewer the most to gain, both in entertainment value and via tracking Kingpin’s individual journey from the first season, by re-watching/reviewing the entire series. Daredevil is also the series, so far, with the best ending, even if that ending includes a cliffhanger in the tag that only served to tempt and to tantalize and, therefore, to disappoint in light of the cancellation. In any event, we hope that once Marvel/Disney can utilize these characters again, contractually or otherwise, the companies see fit to revive Daredevil. The panel universally agrees that it is the best Marvel television series to date; the cast is certainly, publicly, game to return, and the internet chatter has been nothing but a combination of positive reaction to the third season, the widely acknowledged best of them all, and of outright, raw disappointment in the idea that capitalism caused the series’ downfall. We can only hope that Disney, Marvel, Netflix, or some other creative business deal will make all right in the near future because something as good as Daredevil should not be left in the television vault for long. Our podcast panel – and, indeed, many of our listeners – implore anyone who can to #savedaredevil, as we believe it is simply one of the best television shows – ever.
THE FUTURE OF THE SHOW
Canceled! Netflix canceled Daredevil on November 29, 2018, after three seasons. What’s more, Netflix canceled the remaining solo series as well; thus, CPU!’s Marvel Defenders Series panel’s days are now decidedly numbered. In this panel’s last two episodes, we will review the second and final season of The Punisher and the third and final season of Jessica Jones, respectively. Stay tuned!
LOOKING AHEAD
The CPU! Marvel’s Defenders Series panel will return to the Water Cooler later this year to review the second and final season of The Punisherand to discuss our post-mortem reactions to the cancellation of that series. Until then!
NEXT CPU! LIVE!
CPU! is going live again!!! CPU! will next be LIVE at Blue Bridge Games (954 Fulton SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan) on March 31, 2019, at 2:00 PM! In that live podcast (also streamed to our Facebook page), a brand new, one-time panel will take “A Shiny Look Back at Firefly” at Grand Rapids’ newest purveyor of tabletop and role playing games for purchase! Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and Instagram to keep abreast of all the details! Stay tuned!
A new podcast episode of Couch Potatoes Unite!, which is based on a blog of the same name hosted at couchpotatoesunite.wordpress.com. In this episode, recorded in March 2019, our panel of comic book and superhero enthusiasts – including moderator Kylie, Kristen, Nick, Hilary, Kyle, and Spencer – is back Around the Water Cooler as the Marvel’s Defenders Series processes, with spicy grumpiness and social sadness, the cancellations of Luke Cage and Iron Fist. The panelists also ruminate upon what is, effectively, the end of The Defenders on Netflix – and for now. As always, if you have not watched any of the Defenders solo series to date (or the crossover miniseries), be aware that there are MAJOR SPOILERS! Tell us what you think, and/or if there are other shows you’re interested in CPU! covering, below; email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com; or check out our Guestbook at the website, our Facebook page, our Twitter (@cpupodcast), or our Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite). Until next time, until next episode…buh bye!
Editor: Kylie C. Piette Logo: Rebecca Wallace Marketing Graphic Artist: Krista Pennington
“Marvel’s Luke Cage” is a web television series based upon the Marvel Comics character Luke Cage and is a Netflix original series.
“Marvel’s Iron Fist” is a web television series based upon the Marvel Comics character Iron Fist and is a Netflix original series.
“Marvel’s The Defenders” is a web television series based upon the Marvel Comics characters Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, who form the eponymous superhero team. It is also a Netflix original series.
What: Canceled Corner, wherein we discuss the untimely cancellation of shows that survived a season or two at most, only to find themselves unceremoniously axed by their sponsoring networks.S
When: Marvel’s Luke Cage was canceled on October 19, 2018. Marvel’s Iron Fist was canceled on October 12, 2018. Marvel’s The Defenders, originally intended to be a one-season miniseries, will remain so despite hints and contemplation toward a possible second season, due to the fact that all individual character properties on Netflix, including Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s Jessica Jones, and Marvel’s The Punisher, have been canceled by the streaming giant.
Where: The action in all Netflix Marvel series is primarily set in New York City, New York, as depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Why: To find out why individual podcast panelists started watching any or all of these shows, catch up on our Marvel’s Defenders Series via the embedded links below!
How – as in How Was It? – THOUGHTS
As long-time listeners should know by now, CPU! is chock full of panelists with a proclivity for comic book and superhero TV shows and films, including your Chief CP. Our Marvel’s Defenders Series was born of this proclivity, as we have already covered the first two seasons of Daredevil; the two available seasons of JessicaJones; the two available seasons of Luke Cage; the two available seasons of Iron Fist; the one available season of the crossover event miniseries, The Defenders; and the first season of the first spin-off series, The Punisher. Listen to the links below:
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode One, “Daredevil,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Two, “Jessica Jones,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Three, “Daredevil,” Season 2
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Four, “Luke Cage,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Five, “Iron Fist,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Six, “The Defenders,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Seven, “The Punisher,” Season 1
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Eight, “Jessica Jones,” Season 2
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Nine, “Luke Cage,” Season 2
Marvel’s Defenders Series, Episode Ten, “Iron Fist,” Season 2
In this, the eleventh episode of our Marvel’s Defenders Series, our stalwart Marvel’s Defenders panelists – Kristen, Nick, Kyle, Hilary, and Spencer – process many thoughts and feelings following the cancellations of Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and, effectively, any hope of future crossover Defenders miniseries, at least for the foreseeable future and, particularly, for the next two years. This is the first of a new CPU! feature called “Canceled Corner,” wherein we discuss the untimely cancellation of shows that survived a season or two at most, only to find themselves unceremoniously axed by their sponsoring networks. We do this for these three programs particularly because we recorded our most recent reviews of Luke Cage and Iron Fist prior to the announcements of their cancellations. Thus, in this episode, our panel takes a moment to react to these cancellations of Luke Cage and Iron Fist (and, as a result, The Defenders) before moving ahead in the series in the near future to review the final seasons of Daredevil and The Punisher and, when it is released, of Jessica Jones.
Let me tell you, gentle listener: the feelings and #spicy words are flowing in this episode. Our panel’s thoughts and reactions range from grumpy sadness to outright outrage at what we, like the internet, believe is a money-hungry business decision and a consummate power grab by the Mouse House, as the Disney Corporation tries to take (back) pieces of the streaming pie from former partner in streaming crime, Netflix, in advance of the launch of their proprietary streaming platform, Disney+. Plus, Disney’s merger with 20th Century Fox (Fox’s Entertainment Division), official as of 12:02 AM today, means that Disney now controls Fox cable networks, like FX and FXX, and a majority share of rival streaming service Hulu. What does all this mean in the end? The future is uncertain for the Defender characters, despite passionate internet-based fan pleas on behalf of, at least, Daredevil. While Disney could re-launch properties revolving around these characters in two years, per their prior agreement with Netflix, there is no guarantee that Disney will do so, or that they will do so in the same form and/or manner as the series we’ve watched on Netflix to date. Really, the entire bundle of news is disappointing, and so the energy of our panel is unusually deflated in this episode. Do you feel the pain with us? Let us know!
This podcast episode was recorded in March 2019, and there are, without question, MAJOR SPOILERS, as we return to some major plot points from Luke Cage,Iron Fist, and The Defenders. Do you agree or disagree? Listen at your own risk, and let us know what you think by commenting below.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@cpupodcast), Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), Pinterest (@cpupodcast), or email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com – or subscribe to this blog, the YouTube channel, our iTunes channel, our Stitcher Radio channel , and/or find us on Google Play to keep track of brand new episodes. In the meantime, let us know what you think! Comment or review us in any of the above forums – we’d love your feedback!
Remember, new episodes and blog posts are published weekly! Next Wednesday, our Marvel’s Defenders Series panel returns to the Water Cooler once again to review, wistfully, the now final season, Season 3, of Marvel’s Daredevil. We also process our post-mortem reactions to this cancellation, with our own subtle verbal pleas of #savedaredevil. Stay tuned!
Lingering Questions
Luke Cage
1) Will Luke Cage be renewed as a solo series? Or, is Netflix moving toward combining Luke and Danny Rand/Iron Fist, as the comics have, into a “Heroes for Hire” series and/or Misty and Colleen into a “Daughters of the Dragon” series, as panelist Kyle perceives and wholeheartedly wishes, with some vocal support from the panel. All panelists indubitably enjoy and readily endorse the chemistry between Simone Missick and Jessica Henwick (Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, respectively) and between Mike Colter and Finn Jones (Luke Cage and Danny Rand/Iron Fist, respectively).
ANSWER: No to all questions. Luke Cage was canceled.
2) Panelist Kyle informed the panel in the podcast episode that Rosario Dawson is contemplating not returning to the Netflix Marvel shows, or at least not to Luke Cage, because her contract term is up, and she feels that Claire Temple/Night Nurse was relegated to nothing more than jealous/worried girlfriend in Luke Cage. Are the rumors true, or will Rosario find it in her heart to return, at least to any of the other three series?
ANSWER: Moot questions. Luke Cage was canceled.
Iron Fist
1) Netflix has canceled both Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Are they paving the way, via efficiency of cost, for “Heroes for Hire”/”Daughters of the Dragon?” Or, did the streaming giant actually give up on two of the properties comprising its unique corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for any of the following reasons: low ratings for Iron Fist; disagreements with the Luke Cage show-runner; and/or the fact that Disney/Marvel is starting its own streaming service and is gradually relieving Netflix of these properties? When, if ever, will we know the truth?
ANSWER: Netflix canceled all of their Marvel shows, so the chances that other Marvel series involving these characters will be launched on Netflix’s platform in future are decidedly non-existent. Will any version of these characters, including “Heroes for Hire”/”Daughters of the Dragon,” be resurrected on Disney’s various platforms, such as future streaming service Disney+ or rival streaming network Hulu? We have to wait at least two years to find out.
2) Who is the Pirate Queen, from which Colleen is descended?
ANSWER: A question without an answer in the TV version of this universe, given Iron Fist‘s cancellation.
3) How involved would Mary/Walker aka Typhoid Mary (Alice Eve) have been with Danny, Colleen, or any other purveyor of the Iron Fist? Will she now transfer to Daredevil, as she is traditionally a “Daredevil” villain, with this show’s cancellation?
ANSWER: Unknown. Daredevil was also canceled.
4) If “Heroes for Hire” and/or “Daughters of the Dragon” is/are launched, would these series resolve the considerable loose ends/cliffhangers posed by the ends of the second seasons of Luke Cage and Iron Fist?
ANSWER: See above.
PARTING SHOTS
The panel’s disappointment regarding the cancellation of Luke Cage is decidedly underwhelming compared to the panel’s disappointment at the cancellations of the other Netflix Marvel series. Our panelists are now reluctant to recommend Luke Cage as a standalone series, even though the panelists’ individual opinions of the show do not seem to entirely coincide with the broader, global opinion that fans and critics alike hold for this program. Our panelists believe that Luke Cage could be viewed separately from the other series or could be ignored, as the two available seasons contribute little to the overall narrative of the universe created by the five solo Netflix Marvel properties. Though the panelists share love of Mike Colter’s portrayal of the character, the sloppy, sometimes unappealing execution in writing, in direction, and, above all, in pacing leave several panelists only cautiously recommending the series as part of the larger Defenders puzzle: watch it if you must but do so in season release order, beginning with Daredevil Season 1, Jessica Jones Season 2, Daredevil Season 2, Luke Cage Season 1,and so on.
On the other side of the coin, ever since our panel learned of the cancellation of Iron Fist, we have vacillated widely and wildly between shock, stunned silence, and angry outcry. Our panel universally enjoys this property; all six of our members rank it among the “Top 3” of our individual favorite Defenders (including The Punisher, not including The Defenders crossover miniseries). The panelists generally and universally agree that Iron Fist is well-performed (yes, including Finn Jones!) and aptly written and directed, with markedly improved pacing and story execution in Season 2. The entire panel believes that some of the criticism from trade critics and viewers alike toward this series is unduly harsh, as the panel additionally asserts that many who find more than small faults with this series may have missed, or simply do not prefer, its tendency toward subtleties and foreshadowing.
Ultimately, the panel expressed profound disappointment in Disney, for we all agree that the decisions made here were motivated by cutthroat capitalist competition, despite a strong fan base for these properties, even if fans flocked more to Daredevil and to Jessica Jones than to Luke Cage and/or Iron Fist. We hope that Disney/Marvel find a way to bring back all of these characters, if and when possible, in a convincing and entertaining way. Our panel further opines that Disney/Marvel would be foolish to cast these characters off, particularly in lieu of the visible public/internet outcry following all five series cancellations.
THE FUTURE OF THE SHOW
Canceled! Netflix canceled Iron Fist on October 12, 2018, after two seasons and Luke Cage on October 19, 2018, after two seasons, effectively putting the kibosh on subsequent production of future Defenders crossover miniseries. What’s more, Netflix canceled the remaining solo series as well; thus, CPU!’s Marvel Defenders Series panel’s days are now decidedly numbered. In this panel’s last three episodes, we will review the third and final season of Daredevil, the second and final season of The Punisher, and the third and final season of Jessica Jones, respectively. Stay tuned!
LOOKING AHEAD
The CPU! Marvel’s Defenders Series panel will return to the Water Cooler next week to review the third and final season of Daredevil and to discuss our post-mortem reactions to the cancellation of that series. Until then!
NEXT CPU! LIVE!
CPU! is going live again!!! CPU! will next be LIVE at Blue Bridge Games (954 Fulton SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan) on March 31, 2019, at 2:00 PM! In that live podcast (also streamed to our Facebook page), a brand new, one-time panel will take “A Shiny Look Back at Firefly” at Grand Rapids’ newest purveyor of tabletop and role playing games for purchase!Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and Instagram to keep abreast of all the details, but here’s the art for it for now! Stay tuned!
A new podcast episode of Couch Potatoes Unite!, which is based on a blog of the same name hosted at couchpotatoesunite.wordpress.com. In this episode, recorded in February 2019, our panel of loose seals and mother-boys – moderator Kylie, Nick, Sarah, Amy, Christian, and Matthew – gathered together around the CPU! Water Cooler to Look Back at Season 4 of CPU! favorite Arrested Development, including the original, uncut version and the remix subtitled “Fateful Consequences.” This is the second part of a three part CPU! podcast miniseries in which our panelists find their Development Arrested as they consider Arrested Development’s not-so-peculiar-nowadays airing history. As always, if you have not watched any of Arrested Development, be aware that there are, most definitely, MAJOR SPOILERS! Tell us what you think, and/or if there are other shows you’re interested in CPU! covering, below; email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com; or check out our Guestbook at the website, our Facebook page, our Twitter (@cpupodcast), or our Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite). Until next time, until next episode…buh bye!
Editor: Kylie C. Piette Logo: Rebecca Wallace Marketing Graphic Artist: Krista Pennington
Who: “Arrested Development,” a cult sitcom that originally aired on the Fox network from 2003 to 2006 until streaming giant Netflix commissioned new episodes, which begin airing in 2013.
What: “Arrested Development” follows the Bluth family, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family. It is presented in a serialized format, incorporating handheld camera work, voice-over narration, archival photos, and historical footage. The show also maintains numerous running gags and catchphrases. Ron Howard serves as both an executive producer and the omniscient narrator; in later seasons, he appears in the show portraying a fictionalized version of himself
SYNOPSIS
Arrested Development revolves around the members of the formerly wealthy Bluth family, who continue to lead extravagant lifestyles despite their changed circumstances and who often find themselves drawn into interactions with incestuous undertones. At the center of the show is Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), the show’s straight man, who strives to do the right thing. His teenage son, George Michael (Michael Cera), has the same qualities of decency but feels a constant pressure to live up to his father’s expectations and is often reluctant to follow his father’s plans.
Michael’s father, George Bluth, Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), is the patriarch of the family and a corrupt real estate developer. George goes to considerable lengths to manipulate and to control his family. His wife, and Michael’s mother, Lucille (Jessica Walter), is ruthlessly manipulative, materialistic, and hypercritical of every member of her family, despite the fact that she, herself, perpetually drinks alcohol. Her grip is tightest on her youngest son, Byron “Buster” Bluth (Tony Hale), an over-educated (yet still under-educated) mother’s boy who has dependency issues and is prone to panic attacks.
Michael’s older brother is George Oscar Bluth II (Will Arnett), known by the acronym “GOB,” an unsuccessful professional magician whose business and personal schemes usually fail or become tiresome and are quickly abandoned. Michael’s twin sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) is spoiled and materialistic, continually seeking the center of attention and leaping on various social causes for the sake of vanity. She is married to Tobias Fünke (David Cross), a discredited psychiatrist-turned-aspiring actor. Tobias is a self-diagnosed “never-nude,” whose language and behavior have heavily homosexual overtones, to which he seems completely oblivious and which are the center of much tongue-in-cheek comedy throughout the series. Their daughter is Mae or “Maeby” (Alia Shawkat), a rebellious twenty-something, in Season 4, with an opportunistic streak, who seeks to defy her parents for the sake of attention and who otherwise pursues male attention and power.
When: Season 4 was released to the Netflix streaming library on May 26, 2013, with a total of 15 episodes, in its original form. A re-cut, “remix” version of this season, entitled Arrested Development Season 4 Remix: Fateful Consequences, was released to the Netflix streaming library, as a replacement for the original version, on May 4, 2018, with a total of 22 episodes.
Where: The show is set primarily in Newport Beach, California.
Why: Listen to the initial podcast episode in this series, linked below, for the panelists’ individual stories on how they found Arrested Development. So far, no one’s taken any forget-me-nows…but then, would we really know if we did?
How – as in How Much Do We Love (Forgive?) this Show?!
This is Part Two of our “Development Arrested” miniseries reviewing the available seasons of Arrested Development. You can listen to Part One here and at our audio feeds (iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play):
Development Arrested, Part One: Seasons 1-3
As you might recall, by popular request – in fact, this show proves to be one of CPU!’s most popularly requested panels of all time – Arrested Development became a new show panel at the CPU! Water Cooler last week! Thus, our wacky group of loose seals and mother-boys – Nick, Sarah, Amy, Christian, and Matt(hew) – reconvened “Around the Water Cooler” to Look Back at the multiple, decidedly problematic, versions of the fourth season, the first of the Netflix seasons, of “Arrested.” In so doing, we ruminate in-depth upon the success of the season in general, uncut and/or remixed, and we reflect upon the fact that the show’s producers and writers tried something bold when presented a then-unusual set of circumstances for a cult sitcom that had been off the air for seven years, which, perhaps, did not quite work as successfully as eager viewers might have hoped in the end.
In tonight’s episode, our panel discusses Season 4 of this acclaimed yet quirky cult comedy in the second of our three-part series, during which we are reviewing all available seasons of Arrested: the Fox years as well as the Netflix seasons. In this second episode of CPU!’s “Development Arrested” series, we discuss our favorite and least favorite situations, quotes, and characters, as well as our general impressions, of the success of all versions of the show’s much maligned fourth season.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@cpupodcast), Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), Pinterest (@cpupodcast), or email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com – or subscribe to this blog, the YouTube channel, our iTunes channel, our Stitcher Radio channel , and/or find us on Google Play to keep track of brand new episodes. In the meantime, let us know what you think! Comment or review us in any of the above forums – we’d love your feedback!
Remember, new episodes and blog posts are published weekly! Next Wednesday, our Marvel’s Defenders Series panel returns to the Water Cooler to process, wistfully, the abrupt cancellations of Marvel’s Luke Cage, Marvel’s Iron Fist, and, by extension, Marvel’s The Defenders, given the fact that we recorded our reviews of the most recent seasons of all of these series before Netflix (and, likely, Disney) made the decision to cancel not only these three shows but all six of the Marvel Netflix properties. Our upcoming podcast episode will be the first of a brand new CPU! feature called “Canceled Corner.” Stay tuned!
RECOMMENDATION
Arrested Development Season 4, with or without the “Fateful Consequences,” is not generally recommended by our panel unless a potential viewer is already a fan of the original three seasons/original run of the show and/or if that viewer “has nothing better to do.” As we discuss in the podcast episode, while the original three seasons of this program broke ground for so many other sitcoms to come through the use of serialized jokes, callbacks, sight gags, and more than a little tongue-in-cheek thematic comedy around incest, the struggle to cobble together the cast for the Netflix season released in 2013, in addition to the passage of time and to a high concept boldly, if ultimately less than successfully, undertaken, left most of our panelists (possibly other than Nick and Chief CP Kylie) with something of a poor aftertaste following the first viewing. On the other hand, most of the panelists, excluding the Chief CP and panelist Amy, who had not seen the original version, enjoyed the remix a bit better, though not much better; they simply found that version less confusing than the first, if sloppy in execution. To that end, our panel cautions that if you are a member of the “Arrested” cult and have not seen either this season’s uncut original version or the remix, keep expectations low. If you are not an officiate of said cult, the panel strongly recommends viewing the original run of three seasons and, thereafter, deciding how you feel about those before embarking upon the somewhat confusing, somewhat tedious fourth season.
Further, with regard to the show’s general motif, the panel warns that a sensitive viewer who cannot appreciate either jokes with potentially insensitive satirical leanings, or, you know, more than the usual amount of meta references to incest, will probably not find Arrested Development funny. Contrarily, if the would-be viewer loves comedy that pushes boundaries without pandering to the lowest common denominator and has somehow missed this series, the individual should make time for at least the original run of Arrested, as the viewer will not want for laughter, even if it’s “delightedly uncomfortable” laughter at that.
LOOKING AHEAD
Netflix renewed Arrested Development for a fifth season; the first eight episodes of Season 5 were released on May 29, 2018, and Netflix will release the second eight episodes this Friday, March 15, 2019! CPU! will, therefore, reconvene our “Development Arrested”panel later this year in order to process and to review Season 5 in its entirety. Like, follow, and/or subscribe to the website, iTunes, YouTube, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, or our social media accounts to stay abreast of new episodes regarding Arrested Development as well as new episodes for all of our podcast panels! And, if you feel so inclined, please leave us a review. Thank you!
A new podcast episode of Couch Potatoes Unite!, which is based on a blog of the same name hosted at couchpotatoesunite.wordpress.com. In this episode, recorded in February 2019, our panel of loose seals and mother-boys – moderator Kylie, Nick, Sarah, Amy, and new panelists Christian and Matt – gathered together around the CPU! Water Cooler to Look Back at the first three seasons of CPU! favorite Arrested Development. This is the first part of a three part CPU! podcast miniseries in which our panelists find their Development Arrested as they consider Arrested Development’s not-so-peculiar-nowadays airing history. As always, if you have not watched any of Arrested Development, be aware that there are, most definitely, MAJOR SPOILERS! Tell us what you think, and/or if there are other shows you’re interested in CPU! covering, below; email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com; or check out our Guestbook at the website, our Facebook page, our Twitter (@cpupodcast), or our Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite). Until next time, until next episode…buh bye!
Stay tuned for Episode 2 of our Development Arrested series, in which we cover Season 4!
Editor: Kylie C. Piette Logo: Rebecca Wallace Marketing Graphic Artist: Krista Pennington
Who: “Arrested Development,” a cult sitcom that originally aired on the Fox network from 2003 to 2006 until streaming giant Netflix commissioned new episodes, which begin airing in 2013.
What: “Arrested Development” follows the Bluth family, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family. It is presented in a serialized format, incorporating handheld camera work, voice-over narration, archival photos, and historical footage. The show also maintains numerous running gags and catchphrases. Ron Howard serves as both an executive producer and the omniscient narrator; in later seasons, he appears in the show portraying a fictionalized version of himself
SYNOPSIS
Arrested Development revolves around the members of the formerly wealthy Bluth family, who continue to lead extravagant lifestyles despite their changed circumstances and who often find themselves drawn into interactions with incestuous undertones. At the center of the show is Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), the show’s straight man, who strives to do the right thing and to keep his family together, despite their materialism, selfishness, and manipulative natures. His teenage son, George Michael (Michael Cera), has the same qualities of decency but feels a constant pressure to live up to his father’s expectations and is often reluctant to follow his father’s plans.
Michael’s father, George Bluth, Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), is the patriarch of the family and a corrupt real estate developer who is arrested in the first episode. George goes to considerable lengths to manipulate and to control his family in spite of his imprisonment, and he makes numerous efforts to evade justice. His wife, and Michael’s mother, Lucille (Jessica Walter), is ruthlessly manipulative, materialistic, and hypercritical of every member of her family, despite the fact that she, herself, perpetually drinks alcohol. Her grip is tightest on her youngest son, Byron “Buster” Bluth (Tony Hale), an over-educated (yet still under-educated) mother’s boy who has dependency issues and is prone to panic attacks.
Michael’s older brother is George Oscar Bluth II (Will Arnett), known by the acronym “GOB,” an unsuccessful professional magician whose business and personal schemes usually fail or become tiresome and are quickly abandoned. GOB is competitive with Michael over women and bullies Buster. Michael’s twin sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) is spoiled and materialistic, continually seeking the center of attention and leaping on various social causes for the sake of vanity. She is married to Tobias Fünke (David Cross), a discredited psychiatrist-turned-aspiring actor. Tobias is a self-diagnosed “never-nude,” whose language and behavior have heavily homosexual overtones, to which he seems completely oblivious and which are the center of much tongue-in-cheek comedy throughout the series. Their daughter is Mae or “Maeby” (Alia Shawkat), a rebellious teen with an opportunistic streak, who seeks to defy her parents for the sake of attention and who otherwise pursues boys and power.
When: The show’s first three seasons aired on Fox from 2003 to 2006. Season 1 is comprised of 22 episodes, Season 2 contains 18, and Season 3 includes 13 episodes.
Where: The show is set primarily in Newport Beach, California.
Why: Listen to the podcast episode for the panelists’ individual stories on how they found Arrested Development. No touching.
How – as in How Much Do We Love this Show?!
By popular request – in fact, this show proves to be one of CPU!’s most popularly requested panels of all time – Arrested Development has, as of this publication, become a new show panel at the CPU! Water Cooler! Featured panelists include Nick, our panel silver medalist who likes to meditate in CPU!’s “nerdy” and “funny” realms; his wife Sarah, who joins him for talks about lots of shows as long as they are not comic book adaptations; and Amy, who appeared twice before around the Water Cooler to laugh at Schitt’s Creek and to Look Back at Ally McBeal. In addition, along for this wacky ride are two brand new panelists, who are introduced in this episode!
Our panel, with the Chief CP as moderator, gathered “Around the Water Cooler” to take a “Look Back” at the first three seasons of this acclaimed yet quirky comedy in the first of a three-part podcast series, during which we will cover all available seasons of Arrested: the Fox years as well as the Netflix seasons. In this first episode of CPU!’s “Development Arrested” series, we discuss our favorite and least favorite situations, quotes, and characters, as well as our general impressions of the success of the show’s original run.
Plus, Arrested Development constitutes another entry in our “Best Of!” series. To wit, herein be the list of Arrested Development’s Best Of!:
#18 on Empire‘s “50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time” in 2008 and #43 in 2016
#16 on The Hollywood Reporter‘s “Hollywood’s 100 Favorite TV Shows”
Time magazine’s “100 Best TV Shows of All-Time“
#27 on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
In addition, Arrested Developmentranks at #3 on Entertainment Weekly’s 2014 Top Cult TV list. Plus, Arrested was ranked #16 on the Writer’s Guild of America’s Best Written TV list in 2013, as it is also considered one of the best written (scripted) television series of all time.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@cpupodcast), Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), Pinterest (@cpupodcast), or email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com – or subscribe to this blog, the YouTube channel, our iTunes channel, our Stitcher Radio channel , and/or find us on Google Play to keep track of brand new episodes. In the meantime, let us know what you think! Comment or review us in any of the above forums – we’d love your feedback!
Remember, new episodes and blog posts are published weekly! Next Wednesday, our “Development Arrested” panel consumes some maca root and returns to the Water Cooler to celebrate Cinco de Cuatro and to continue our three-part Arrested Development series. In Part Two of this series, we consider whether the show-runners and producers “made a huge mistake” by reviving the cult comedy as they originally did in Season 4, only to later “remix” it in 2018, just prior to the release of the first part of Season 5. Stay tuned!
RECOMMENDATION
Arrested Development is recommended universally by our panel to anyone who loves quirky, intelligent comedies – such as Schitt’s Creek, 30 Rock, and Community, which were directly influenced by this show – or “in your face,” borderline offensive comedies, such as South Park and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. As we discuss in the podcast episode, this program broke ground for so many other sitcoms to come through the use of serialized jokes, callbacks, sight gags, and more than a little tongue-in-cheek thematic comedy around incest. To that end, our panel cautions that if you are a sensitive viewer who cannot appreciate either jokes with potentially insensitive satirical leanings, or, you know, more than the usual amount of meta references to incest, this show will likely not be for you. On the other hand, if you love comedy that pushes boundaries without pandering to the lowest common denominator, and if you have somehow missed this series, you should make time for Arrested. You will not want for laughter, even if it’s “delightedly uncomfortable” laughter at that.
Every episode of Arrested Development is currently available to stream only on Netflix, as the streaming giant bought the rights to stream the original three seasons as well as the ability to commission additional episodes. Our “Development Arrested” panel will quickly return to the Water Cooler next week to talk Season 4, Remix and otherwise. Stay tuned!
A sampling of the band that laid claim to all the uses of the phrase “Arrested Development”
couchpotatoesunite.wordpress.com 