Will Arrested Development on Netflix Make Storytelling News? How Easter Eggs and Non-Traditional Structure in New Episodes of Arrested Development Might Transform Mass Market Motion Picture Storytelling

In an April 29th, 2013 post to her blog, fellow Bluth-geek, Sara Thacher, celebrates the possibility of unique non-linear viewing experiences that will be available when the new episodes of Arrested Development premiere (15 all at once) on Netflix on Sunday May 26th, 2013 at 12:01am.

Non-linear viewing experiences?

As Willa Paskin wrote for Wired on March 19th, 2013: "It’s something new—a collection of episodes released altogether that can be remixed and recombined and that gain something from each juxtaposition... Each episode will cover events from a different character’s point of view, like a com­edic Rashomon. There will be moments and Easter eggs that will make sense only in retrospect. There will be a suggested viewing sequence, but it will be pos­sible—even rewarding—to watch out of sequence."

But, as Sara Thacher observes, the non-linear experience is an option that Netflix talks about  - but hasn't invested too much effort into: "That there’s a ‘suggested sequence’ implies that Netflix won’t be rolling out a new interface to go along with this new narrative format. That viewers won’t be guided towards their own personal viewing order – think Netflix’s recommendation engine crossed with YouTube’s branching videos – feels like a bit of a letdown. It’s possible that the new code and structural changes required were too much of gamble. Or, it could be that this screenwriting experiment worked, but just wasn’t ready to stand up to being fully non-linear. "