Curb Your Enthusiasm - C or D?

This week's was genuinely the worst episode ever, with the exception of Larry and Jeff in the periscope car, everything fell flat. Such a waste of Wanda as well.

Ah, I kind of liked the one-armed man running gag. But yeah, it wasn't the best. Back to LA, Larry.

For real - the season has dropped off since moving to New York. There was so much comic potential in Larry, Richard, Jeff, Funkhouser and Leon broing down together that's fallen by the wayside. Loved "shit bow" though.

Sort of thinking the series is suffering from a lack of a really good straight man as well, and there aren't many straight men who are as good as Cheryl.

otm matt

But the series has basically traded Cheryl for Leon + Funkhouser. I'll take that deal any day.

The last NYC episode was OK, the previous two were great. The Viagra episode was an all-time classic. Maybe one has to be a baseball fan.

funkhauser isn't in nyc though : ( and leon was in the last 2 seasons.

And neither of those are straight men. And both of them were in it at the same time as Cheryl.

I meant that the loss of Cheryl has led to a gain in Funkhouser + Leon, roughly in terms of airtime, not the types of characters they play (e.g. the straight man). I like that they've broken away from the old formula. Instead of Larry being grounded somewhat by being with Cheryl, now he's surrounded only with people who act as ridiculously as he does.

The car periscope episode reminded me of those later season Seinfelds that David didn't write, which relied on Newman or George or someone diving into the camera and Kramer coming up with some wacky invention. But those cliches feel like old vaudevillian or silent film-era comedy gags. The episode was formulaic, but Larry David and Jeff having fun with the periscope and a few other scenes made up for it. I think a weak Curb episode still rates better than most other shows.

it actually was a kramer invention!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqGo42jEXPw

i've had a bit of a problem with how the new york episodes haven't felt very new yorky. am i wrong about that? couldn't the ricky gervais episode or the car periscope have taken place in LA with just a few changes? if you're gonna move curb to new york at least make a thing of it.

But they are! They've gone to Broadway, they play softball in Central Park, Larry's apartment is in a skyscraper ... it's not like a Woody Allen movie where they're always fixated on what it's like to live in New York, but it's clear that these episodes couldn't be taking place anywhere else.

it's not like a Woody Allen movie where they're always fixated on what it's like to live in New York

and im grateful for this! its what i feared the most when they were showing the THIS SEASONS IN NYC promos

pantheon episode tonight - ridiculously loaded

lol @ off-hand Michael Jordan hitler mustache reference

god, he wrote a whole episode around buckner

awaiting british reaction to this episode btw

MINI SPOILER ALERT

the scene w/ suzie & larry in the car is immediately top 5 funniest scenes in the show's history imo

this episode was so worth slogging through all the mediocrity thus far this season

also the the dude's pregame speech

the cussing out of Larry at the garage was incredible too.

that was Robert Smigel as the softball coach / mechanic!!? Totally didn't place that.

i placed it immediately because he was using his Triumph voice

amazing ep

this and the first new york episode were good

fred melamed as the analyst was brilliant

Great episode! It's amazing that they managed to fit in so many great subplots.

awaiting british reaction to this episode btw

― J0rdan S., Monday, September 5, 2011 8:23 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark

I liked it a lot, and it was the first time I've heard of any of the niche North American sport stars it feautured.

Laughed a lot a episode 9, best of this season, especially Susie in the car. Leon was on form too.

Kinda missing Funkhouser & Richard a little though.

Yeah Leon was great in this ep, he's been great all season though. Bit disappointed by Jeff and Susie so far - Jeff needs to do more conspiring and sneaking around and Susie needs to unleash the fury more often.

Supporting characters were absolutely A++++ in this ep. The softball mechanic dude was hilarious, see also Larry's shrink. If I could laugh and stare in openmouthed horror at the same time I would have been doing that during the "director, let's say he directed Star Wars, he liked to visit prostitutes" scene.

Kinda missing Funkhouser & Richard a little though.

Cosign. Few things make me happier than watching Richard berate Larry over some miniscule point of principle.

awaiting british reaction to this episode btw

― J0rdan S., Monday, September 5, 2011 8:23 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark

I liked it a lot, and it was the first time I've heard of any of the niche North American sport stars it feautured.

― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Wednesday, September 7, 2011 6:20 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark

Yeah, I had no idea who any of the people were but it wasn't difficult to get it. I wonder if George Lucas is as good a sport as Buckner? What was mystifying was seeing the late Clement Freud playing Larry's therapist.

And the bonus Jonathan Ames appearance was nice.

What was mystifying was seeing the late Clement Freud playing Larry's therapist.

Ha, yeah.

amazing ep

― https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i_qxQztHRI (Princess TamTam), Monday, September 5, 2011 1:29 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

also the clement freud guy is great in a serious man

Still laughing at "don't let the door go between your legs on the way out!"

George Lucas is a prostitute himself.
ratmpro 2 days ago

so, will the kid be gay?
and is it just a Parkinson's?

serious questions to consider till the next season start.

great episode.

I was disappointed by this episode. To me it looked like they'll be back in LA next season without any continuity with what happened at the end of this season.

The pillow sham was amazing.

Michael J killed it in this. I also found the really fake Paris pretty funny.

watched 1-9 w/hangover on saturday and ep 10 last night

classic series imo, top 3

Michael J Fox stuff felt really obvious and half-arsed, but it was worth it for Leon's "he gives you a cock, shakes that cock up, get sperm all up in your face". Leon has been absolutely classic this series. Jeff and Susie not so much.

The stuff with the kid was really funny though - "get a life, Jews!" Loved the fake Paris as well.

Curiously uninvolved by the second half of this series really. It's been okay, it's definitely had its moments (Palestinian Chicken etc), overall it's been one of the worst series (I don't have much love for S4 but that at least has the amazing Car Pool Lane episode).

dunno if i could pick the worst curb series, even when this show is on autopilot i still enjoy it more than pretty much anything else on tv

The worst season was S5, hands down. I loved S4 at the time, but it's been years since I've seen any of the episodes and I'm not sure how well they hold up. S7 is a grower. S8 may have been the best of them all but I should re-watch the early seasons at some point.

I've seen every episode and I have no idea which show was in which season

Watched the one with the car periscope last night. Was dying. Season's pretty good imo.

"this show is on autopilot i still enjoy it more than pretty much anything else on tv"

otm