lol, you're the first person I've talked to about AD at all. xD
It's not well-known in Germany, on top of the German voice-over being just horrible - and there are people who refuse watching series in the original language. I think this series only works as intended in English, anyway.
Well, considering how many years were between S3 and S4, both out of and in-series, I don't think the change in pacing & storytelling was inappropriate. The core elements remained, being Ron Howard's commentary and the ridiculous, Kafka'esque plot strings being tied together in some way. Especially the latter worked even better for me in the way S4 was originally told, because the individual plotlines would often leave gaps I'd anticipate to be filled by other plotlines. Another way this feeling of anticipation was well executed is how everything revolves around Cinco the Mayo, the final "act". Also, I think that whole Mexico/wall-business was a funny way to get the senior Bluths involved in another financial & political scandal, also liked the Fake Block debacle. I'll give you that I was extremely weirded out by adult George-Michael, though.
I feel you about S5, caught myself only continuing out of habit mid-ways, but I think it strongly gains in the second half or last third. While the first half's progress is very slow and loose, the 2nd half is where most of the stuff goes down.
Lol, extremely well said. I regularly find myself winding back to catch a gag.