Netfilx Stock Prices Drop While ‘Arrested Development’ Disappoints

Despite everyone talking about the fourth season of “Arrested Development” being released on Netflix during the Memorial Day weekend, it did little to help the company’s bottom line. While “Arrested Development” may have been watched by many, and generated plenty of goodwill for the company, Netflix’s stock dropped 5 percent on Tuesday.

Variety is reporting an approximate 5 percent drop for Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) stock on Tuesday. Currently, Netflix stock is down $10.15 and sits at $218.59. Netflix was hoping the revival of “Arrested Development,” canceled after three seasons on Fox but with a devoted fan following, would generate an increase in user subscriptions, notes Variety. Netflix has yet to release specific numbers related to “Arrested Development,” including how many viewers accessed the streaming content, so the show’s return may be considered a success despite a lukewarm reception from critics.

As The Hollywood Reporter’s roundup of reviews indicates, the fourth season of “Arrested Development,” as a whole, was mostly good, but there were some duds among the 15 new episodes. THR’s critic Tim Goodman notes the fourth season does start off slowly but the rapid volley of jokes, visual puns and character flaws that fans came to love in the first three seasons will be found within the latest season of “Arrested Development.” Goodman recommends marathon viewing of the show’s 15 episodes multiple times.

The Daily Beast’s Jace Lacob is not as enthusiastic as Goodman in regards to “Arrested Development.” Lacob discusses Netflix’s strategy to give consumers a choice in regards to viewing, be it as a marathon or watching it episodically based on a viewer’s schedule. Jokes, gags, iconic moments cannot be processed at such a fast pace, argues Lacob.

Some of the problems are within the show -- lack of humor or individual characters being unable to hold up an entire episode -- while other issues lie with Netfilx’s streaming approach, notes Lacob. Some episodes from the fourth season of “Arrested Development” are over 30 minutes, much longer than traditional scripted shows on a network, which can cause the story to drag. Other reviewers noted the slow start but referred to a strong second half that makes “Arrested Development” an overall success.