Cruel joke is on Jeffrey Tambor, Jason Bateman in ‘Arrested’ mess

Jeffrey Tambor (right) and Jason Bateman portray father and son in “Arrested Development.”

The show must go on. Or at least that’s what the cast members of the acclaimed television series “Arrested Development” has been saying to show their support for Jeffrey Tambor, who plays the Bluth family patriarch, George.

The 73-year-old actor was fired from his other TV show “Transparent” in February after sexual harassment allegations were made against him by two transgender women.

Even Jason Bateman, who plays George’s son Michael in “Arrested Development,” got in trouble after he “excused” Tambor’s behavior during a recent promotional interview with the New York Times.
He came under fire soon after he quite insensitively dismissed the revelation of Jessica Walter, who plays George’s wife Lucille, that her co-star had once verbally abused her.

Walter broke down while discussing the incident. “I have to let go of being angry at him … for us to be friends again,” she tearfully rationalized. “After almost 60 years of working, I’ve never had anybody yell at me like that on a set.”

Bateman later apologized for condoning Tambor’s bad attitude by tweeting, “I realized I was wrong here. In fact, I’m horrified that I wasn’t more aware of how this incident affected her.”
But, it is enabling acts like his that perpetuate callous, abusive behavior in the entertainment industries here and elsewhere.

Should the show pay for the sins and misdeeds of its otherwise likable actors? Or should it merely be treated as a case of “hating the sin, but loving the sinner”?

While it has been announced that Tambor won’t be returning for the fifth season of “Transparent,” the people behind “Arrested Development” bravely stood by Tambor, who’s back doing what he does best in the fifth season of “Arrested Development.”

The award-winning show began streaming its fifth season on Netflix yesterday, but the bad publicity surrounding Tambor just might pique viewers’ engaged interest in the series.

Is Season 5 any good? Yes, it’s winkingly irreverent, thematically provocative and fast-paced—and it banks on its ensemble’s synchronized portrayals as it follows the continuing saga of Michael’s once-wealthy family who unexpectedly lost everything. Its members are having a difficult time adjusting to their “devaluated” social standing in the community.

Jessica Walter

Michael has been away from his dysfunctional family for two months, but his unresolved issues and love for them keep leading him back to them, especially after Lucille “Lucille 2” Austero (Liza Minnelli) goes missing.

Michael finds himself in an even more awkward situation when he finds out that his son, George Michael (Michael Cera), is going out with the same woman he’s dating, Rebel Alley (Isla Fisher)—who just happens to be director Ron Howard’s illegitimate daughter.

George Michael must also deal with his incestuous “passive-aggressive” relationship with his cousin, Maeby (Alia Shawkat), with whom he shares occasional smooches!

Self-styled activist Lindsay (Portia de Rossi), the adopted daughter of George and Lucille who was raised as Michael’s twin sister, intends to run for public office.

So, when their brother Buster (Tony Hale) is hauled off to prison after the mysterious disappearance of Lucille 2, their mother wouldn’t even visit him, afraid that it might draw unnecessary attention and negative publicity that could jeopardize Lindsay’s campaign.

Buster ends up in a bigger mess when Ron Howard (who portrays himself) visits him in jail for a docu shoot, and he strangles the “follicularly challenged” director because he remembers his father’s advice to “always be wary of skinheads!”

For her part, Lucille has been spending more time with lawyer Dusty Radler (Dermot Mulroney), “the trophy son she never had”—which upsets their bungling family lawyer, Barry Zuckerkorn (Henry Winkler, who’s hilarious).

Thankfully for the family, Lindsay is running unopposed because Lucille 2 has “flown the coop.” They’re made happier by the announcement that they’ve just been declared “Family of the Year”—by their own company!

Another rib-tickling development involves eldest sibling Gob (Will Arnett), who has been pushing his feelings away for fellow magician, Tony Wonder (Ben Stiller).
When closet salesmen pay Gob a visit, hoping to convince him to buy their merchandise, he mistakenly thinks they are there to drive him “out of the closet” and reveals his romantic feelings for Tony!

But, all hell breaks loose when Gob thinks up a show-stopping way to reunite with his elusive paramour!