Even better off with Gob?

“Better Off Ted” came thiiiiiiis close to comedy perfection last night. In the season finale, boss Veronica (played by Portia de Rossi) revealed two shocking facts: she was in love with a cheesy magician, and she was capable of having actual human emotions. And yeah, it was funny and produced some great lines (especially about hiding the dove in a place that was comfortable for neither Veronica nor the dove), but think of how much better it would have been if the magician had turned out to be. . . . . wait for it . . . . Gob Bluth.

That? Would have absolutely killed me.

Maybe it’s just my “Arrested Development” withdrawal rearing its ugly head, but mixing the two show’s universes would have been stupendously awesome. And the fact that Will Arnett (Gob) and Portia De Rossi played brother and sister on “AR” would have been the creepy piece de resistance. I was looking for something, anything that referenced Gob, the greatest magician illusionist in TV history. A throwaway line, a Segway in the background, “The Final Countdown” theme music . . . . but alas.

Oh well. Those two episodes were a nice way to end “Ted’s” herky-jerky summer season. Tuesday’s first episode, “Jabberwocky,” was actually funnier, probably because the company’s cynical “greening” PR campaign was so, so painfully true to life.

Despite ABC’s tendency to pre-emt “Ted” at every opportunity and despite the fact that only me and three other people are watching it, the network is apparently has high hopes for Season 2. That’ll be coming in January. Maybe they’ll actually air it on a consistent schedule. But I’m not holding my breath for that to happen.

Oh and speaking of the “Arrested Development” gang, Arnett and show creators Mitch Hurwitz and Jim Vallely have signed a deal for a new Fox sitcom. Arnett will play an rich jerk who falls in love with a tree-hugging free spirit. Sounds a little bit like “Dharma and Greg,” but Arnett can’t be not funny, so I have high hopes.