Due to production issues, and format change they OG S4 episodes were more variable in duration (some nearly double the length of a normal episode) and don't have the commercial break act structure imposed. They also had a Rashomon-style format where they followed a particular person's perspective through the same story time-frame with each episode, so really the season had no beginning or end. You could find information that changed your perspective of the other episodes no mater which one you watched first, or in which order.

Oh, right. Thanks.

I thought it was a genius way to use the binging and on-demand nature of Netflix to show a different form of storytelling, but clearly I was in the minority. Hurewitz revealed he had re-cut S4 into a more traditional structure many years ago, but this is the first time people have been able to see it.

*shrug* I can see why it's potentially interesting. I still don't remember WHY S4 didn't click as much for me. It might have had to do with the different structure. Or maybe it didn't.

I was actually in the middle of a re-Watch of S4 and so now I guess those episodes are just gone forever? It's kind of weird. I'm used to stuff disappearing without notice from Netflix but not their originals…

Nope, not gone forever. I saw this headline the other day, and went looking for it just now:

https://www.polygon.com/2018/5/4/17320060/arrested-development-season-4-remix-netflix

It's there, it was just taken out of the normal playlist by moving it to the "trailers and more" section, which I guess is being used like an "extras" disc in this case.

As excited as I am about Season 5, it seems to leave a LOT of questions from Season 4 unanswered.

[list]
[*]Who killed (or injured, we still don't even know) Lucille 2? Of course, nearly everyone in the Bluth family had motives—Michael owed her $700,000 and was at a breaking point for all the things he lost; Lindsay's reputation and more were at stake with the photos of her and Love, she witnessed Maeby (unknowingly) commit statutory rape, Tobias' career and probationary freedom was on the line, Buster learned of her using him to miss Lucille's trial and lose her...Lucille 1 herself, of course is a suspect...even Sitwell has a piece of the puzzle. I hope they aren't going to just skim over it!
[*]With poor Buster being the only one to witness the body, the only one innocent of the actual crime, the only one arrested for said crime, and the only one still in Michael's movie deal, what happens to all that? They showed him in the trailer, so I guess he's...out or something? What about the movie deal itself? And again, since he didn't commit this crime, who did?
[*]Same goes with Maeby! At the end of her episode, she was arrested and deemed a sex offender. She's in the trailer plenty of times, each appearance with different hair and/or makeup. One can only assume she's in hiding, but how did she get out in the first place?
[*]And what about that punch!? You think Michael wants to sever ties. Nothing says "I really AM done with this family" like punching your own father in the face. (Speaking of, what the hell is his deal with hitting his adult family members!? I'm thirty years old and I still can't even curse in front of my parents!) So...is Michael through with George Michael Maharis? I can only assume the reverse is true. That's a pretty big rift between father and son—one that I don't know can be repaired or not. I remember that moment all those five, six years ago--wide eyed, looking back and forth wondering if they were going to fight, or chew each other out, or just walk away, and then there was that tortuous white screen. So yes, that's definitely at the top of my list.
[*]Gob went through quite a bit of a shock to his sexual identity on Cinco, and as the epilogue revealed, now has a roofie advantage over Tony Wonder. What is behind that mirror stare? What is Gob thinking? Quite literally at a crossroads between Tony and the presidency of the Bluth company, what decision is he going to make?
[*]Speaking of Gob, who sabotaged his wedding escape plan? Even within Season 4, that was never addressed. At least not properly. I'm willing to assume that will be disregarded, though. Unless it was Ann herself.
[/list]

The next 17 days are going to be the longest. Heh. But at least I have the Remix to keep me relatively busy.