Curb Your Enthusiasm - General Discussion

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't know where or if they're continuing it, but I'd like Larry to get a win on the Hulu show. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Vivica A. Fox has always been hot, but she was so pretty in the Season 6 finale.  I was quite touched watching Larry and Vivica dance with John Legend singing to accompany them.

[Ms Blue Jay]

My HBO channel is rerunning Season 6 and 7.  I have watched the episode "The Therapist" like 100 times.  I think it's so hysterical.  Steve Coogan is a great guest star.

[Ms Blue Jay]

There have been so many great guest stars but Catherine O'Hara is one of my favourite!!!!

Talking about age appropriate women, Catherine is older than Jeff!   yayyyyyyyyyy Jeff!  LOL!

Larry's reactions to Funkhauser's sister Bam Bam are hysterical!

Edited January 7, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Simon Boccanegra]

Jeff's a sleaze (well covered), but has he ever done anything darker than that? I know Bam-Bam was really into the idea of having sex with him and even suggested it, but she was seriously mentally ill. Then he lied about having sex with her and stood by as she was re-committed because her family assumed her truthful account of something proved she wasn't better after all.

Catherine O'Hara is hilarious, though. It's a show with a lot of fantastic one-episode performances, and hers is near the top.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Yeah, that was fucked up.  Also, Larry was in the next room.  Such an odd storyline!  And Marty specifically entrusted Larry and Jeff to show her a good time.  Well Jeff certainly went overboard there!

Edited January 8, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Simon Boccanegra]

22 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

And Marty specifically entrusted Larry and Jeff to show her a good time.  Well Jeff certainly went overboard there!

"You can't make an empty gesture to a Funkhouser!" 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Even though I've seen these episodes so many times, they're rerunning them right now, and I just realized how weird this is.

Watching Officer Krupke, and Cheryl is auditioning for the Seinfeld reunion.  And she's auditioning using the scene where she thought she was going to die in an airplane crash, her husband ignored her, and that's why she ended up divorcing him!

I mean come on, that must be weird!  It's a little weird how she was so "over it" that she was just so excited to be on the show.

Also, the whole episode is about some woman leaving underwear in Jeff's car.  It's so creepy how they do not look like adult underwear but like, girl underwear.  Also, Jeff completely freaks out that Susie will leave him so he makes Larry live this lie.  Why doesn't Jeff just let Susie leave him?  He fucking cheats on her constantly anyway.  What is his motivation?  What a freak.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Simon Boccanegra]

So many people have been on Curb for just one episode on their way to being better known. Right from the first season: the lawyer who read Larry's script and gave notes on it and charged him was played by Nia Vardalos, who a couple years later would have her pop-culture moment in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

I mention that because I went to see Paul Thomas Anderson's new one, Licorice Pizza, and the actor who plays the young hero's romantic rival (a fellow child/teen actor who's a little older and more suave) looked familiar to me, and I specifically thought I remembered him doing a scene with Larry David. He turned out to have played the son of one of Larry's many doctors. He gets a job at Latte Larry's, and he's diagnosing people's skin problems, and Larry's all, "Yeah, thanks, but I think I'll go see your father instead of taking your word." Skyler Gisondo. He's been in a lot of other stuff I haven't seen, though.

Quote

Why doesn't Jeff just let Susie leave him?  He fucking cheats on her constantly anyway.  What is his motivation?

She once said that if they ever do divorce, she's going to go scorched-earth, take him for every cent, and make him rue the day he met her. She actually said that in a later episode than the underwear-in-the-car incident, but I guess the in-universe explanation for his wanting to hold on to her is that he's afraid of the alternative. 

Come to think of it, in 2020s-era Hollywood, a divorced Susie could probably do a lot of damage to Jeff with a tell-all about her life married to a gaslighting, womanizing agent who preys on aspiring actresses. He'd probably lose a lot of his A-list non-Larry clients, and Larry wouldn't come out of it too well either, as Jeff's frequent accomplice. Now there's a season-long plot. I don't know if Larry would want to disrupt the show's status quo that much, though, if CYE continues.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Simon Boccanegra

[DoctorAtomic]

WHO ARE YOU?!

I'm Larry David. I happen to enjoy wearing women's panties. 

It wasn't the ending of the episode with that, but when Jeff was rehearsing Larry saying the line that makes it. 

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, Simon Boccanegra said:

So many people have been on Curb for just one episode on their way to being better known. Right from the first season: the lawyer who read Larry's script and gave notes on it and charged him was played by Nia Vardalos, who a couple years later would have her pop-culture moment in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

That's so odd!  I assumed that she was on Curb after!

Nia's husband was also on.  Ian Gomez:

2002

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Bald Chef

2 episodes: "The Corpse-Sniffing Dog", "The Grand Opening"

[bilgistic]

Does Jeff have any clients other than Larry?

[Ms Blue Jay]

We've seen him have meetings with other potential clients, at least.  In "The N Word" a surgeon shaves Jeff's head and he has a meeting with Ben Stiller.

I think he was also courting Ricky Gervais, and they went to see Ricky perform at a play.  "The Hero", Season 8.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Simon Boccanegra]

We see him constantly with Larry and, to a lesser extent, Richard, so it might seem they're his only clients, but besides what Ms. Blue Jay mentions, occasionally he's mentioned other people he represents, and sometimes they're well-known real people. Kathy Griffin was one, in the episode in which she appeared. Jeff told Larry he writes Griffin a letter of apology every week. "We did nothing to each other...but just every week, I end up writing her an apology letter." 

(That aged interestingly, didn't it? Both Griffin and Garlin have had scandals and contrition in recent years.) 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Simon Boccanegra

[aghst]

I wonder if LD's real agent gets a piece of the revenues from Seinfeld syndication and streaming.

Like it's an annuity for him or her, just like it's for LD, Jerry.

Also whatever ongoing royalties for CYE, from DVDs and constantly being available on HBO on demand.

Larry made syndication difficult if not impossible with the swearing and the topics of some of the episodes.

[nuraman00]

They could have done more, with the last two episodes.

I thought Season 9 (the fatwa season) and season 10 (the spite store) had good resolutions.

For starters, we barely saw Maria Sofia after the table read from a few episodes ago.  They didn't use her enough, they should have had at least one good scene with her in the finale.

Second, they mentioned Irma's gas and gas bubble several times.  Yet no fart.  You can't mention gas, and not have a consequential fart.

They could have had a conclusion like this.  Larry has to get the Gas-X medicine, but because his secret shortcut got out, he's stuck in traffic.

Irma then has sit through the vote uncomfortably.  As they're taking votes, she releases a smelly fart, and they immediately have to take a recess.  Thus the ordinance isn't overturned (or is postponed until after recess).

Get the same actor from Seinfeld that was trapped in the smelly car, and was banging on the windows to get out.

Third, they could have had both Larry and Irma be weird with each other.  Instead of it being just one way with Irma's quirkiness.  So if Irma wears a retainer at night, then Larry should have something weird about him.

That would be funny if they were both together, with quirks.

Also, how did Vindman and Mary Ferguson # 4 even meet?

Also, if they make a joke about penis to penis touching during hugs, then there should another scene where a pair have penis to vagina touching or vagina to vagina touching.

Maybe a hug between Irma and Susie with that type of touching, would set something off.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Earlier when this season was airing I said that Larry loves to hire (almost exclusively -- not exclusively, but like almost ridiculously so) much younger, beautiful, thin blondes.  Like Julie Bowen.  Or Kaley Cuoco.

I've been rewatching the series on HBO and they've been popping up like gangbusters!  Megyn Price!  Teri Polo!  Elizabeth Banks!  Rebecca Romijn Stamos!  There's like one an episode!  It's crazy!

He really, really has a type!  He's worse than Hitchcock!

[hoodooznoodooz]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Earlier when this season was airing I said that Larry loves to hire (almost exclusively -- not exclusively, but like almost ridiculously so) much younger, beautiful, thin blondes.  Like Julie Bowen.  Or Kaley Cuoco.

I've been rewatching the series on HBO and they've been popping up like gangbusters!  Megyn Price!  Teri Polo!  Elizabeth Banks!  Rebecca Romijn Stamos!  There's like one an episode!  It's crazy!

He really, really has a type!  He's worse than Hitchcock!

The Golden Shiksa.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I wonder how Laurie David feels about that, considering that she's a brunette.  (I know he's married a much younger Barbie looking blonde now).  Even Cheryl David was a brunette in the Curb pilot, before she got Barbiefied!  

[aghst]

I'm actually watching season 9.

Larry is dating Lauren Graham for a few episodes.

There must have been other brunettes?

In any event, are you saying he goes to cast actresses based on a certain look?

They happen to be well-known and probably many of them want to be on the show, probably many are fans.

Most of them are much younger so maybe he should have created dozens of daughters and nieces or just platonic friends.

Or cast them as themselves, well-known actresses.  Is that any better though, this is suppose to be about his daily life.  He socializes some with actors and actresses but not all the time?

HBO probably also encouraged him to have these guest stars on as well.  If name actresses help bring more viewers to the show.  For instance, this last season, Kaley Cuoco was on, not as a love interest but HBO and AT&T probably wanted her on CYE.  She had a hit show on the streaming service and was getting raves for it.

But she's one blonde he wasn't dating or lusting after.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I know you've suggested that HBO is pushing this before, but I really don't see it.  Sex and the City was another HBO show and they cast about a million unknown brunette men in roles (another very deliberate choice by the producers).  They very rarely cared about casting names so I really doubt HBO leans into any producers' ears and tells them who to cast.  And like I said before, Larry takes 6 year breaks between seasons whenever he feels like it.  How could HBO possibly think they could tell Larry what to do with his show?

I really don't think HBO is desperate for Curb to get more ratings than it does.  If that was the case they would have cancelled it ten years ago instead of lackadaisically leaving it on the air for twenty years.

I wouldn't call an actor like Megan Ferguson "well known".  I've never heard of her before.  And I'm sure there are people who love Curb who aren't blonde.  

Edited February 9, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[TakomaSnark]

11 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I know you've suggested that HBO is pushing this before, but I really don't see it.  Sex and the City was another HBO show and they cast about a million unknown brunette men in roles.  They very rarely cared about casting names so I really doubt HBO leans into any producers' ears and tells them who to cast.  And like I said before, Larry takes 6 year breaks between seasons whenever he feels like it.  How could HBO possibly think they could tell Larry what to do with his show?

I really don't think HBO is desperate for Curb to get more ratings than it does.  If that was the case they would have cancelled it ten years ago instead of lackadaisically leaving it on the air for twenty years.

Agreed. I think Curb is primarily concerned with a performer's ability to improv first and when it comes to women, looks second. Ana Gasteyer, Gina Gershon, Amy Landecker, Rebecca Creskoff (Heidi from 'The Smiley Face'), Lolita Davidovich, Amy Pietz (Wendy from 'Denise Handicapped'), Vivica A. Fox, Anne Bedian (Shara from 'Palestinian Chicken') - the show is littered with non-blonde love (or lust) interests for Larry. 

[aghst]

Sure but Woody Allen cast a lot of celebrities, especially younger actresses, in his movies too.

In that case, I bet his financial backers loved having big names on the marquee.

I'm also not sure CYE is a huge ratings grabber.  It's prestigious, gets HBO a lot of favorable publicity.

But I don't think it gets people to subscribe, even for a couple of months, like Game of Thrones.

Besides Kaley Cuoco, Lily Collins was also on this past season as a non love-interest.

If you look at it, they're having more and more of these guest stars in later seasons.  If LD refused, I don't think HBO would force the issue, since LD doesn't have to keep making CYE.

But LD seems interested in fitting them in, not just because he can lust after them as love interests on screen.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Never mind, my point is already stated.

Edited February 9, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[aghst]

Yeah but how many guest stars in the first 10 years of the show?

Not first 10 seasons but from say 2003 to 2013?

 

As for whether his love-interests are age-appropriate, CYE is hardly the only show or movie which shows much younger women with older men.

And it's not even movies and shows, it's probably more common in LA than other cities.  They're not all famous stars either.

Look at the world of business.  High-level executives are getting trophy wives.

The narrative seems to be that LD in real life had a younger wife and has dates younger women on the show as well.

It's not unique to CYE or that world, namely very successful older men.

But let's turn this around a bit.  Let's say that Larry did have older love interests on the show, while being married to a woman 20-30 years or more younger than him IRL.

Would that be better?  Or would it be hypocritical of him to depict himself on the show differently than IRL?

Maybe it's a gender thing too, female viewers are more likely to be offended by an older man being paired with younger women than male viewers.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Anyways, back to live tweeting.  As I mentioned earlier I am watching 2 Curb episodes a night.  They have all been from Season 9 and 10.

With the exception of Lauren Graham, it's all been hot younger blondes.

Episode 1?  Jane Krakowski.  

Episode 2?  Larry fucks Cherry's sister!  Dee from It's Always Sunny!  LOL!  

Just curious, gonna check the age difference on that.  Ahhhhhhhh.  A swift 28 years.

Edited February 9, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

Watching "Clear History" for like the 10th time.  Larry David's movie.  His ex is played by Amy Ryan, and he tries to go for Kate Hudson.

Spoiler

At the very least, he doesn't end up with Kate, so I guess I should be thankful.  He ends up with Eva Mendes!

 

[aghst]

There will be a two part doc on LD in March apparently.

 

not sure it will cover, the two shows he’s created and run obviously but his personal life?

or his casting of love interests on the show?

[Simon Boccanegra]

Ha. Larry managed to get that HBO documentary scrapped mere hours before it was to begin streaming. Is there anything more Larry David than that? I wonder if he told HBO it would be too upsetting because his stepfather was in a coma.

https://nypost.com/2022/03/01/larry-david-story-hbo-doc-cancelled-day-before-premiere/

[Ms Blue Jay]

That is so, so, so weird.

[Simon Boccanegra]

Larry David confirmed Sunday night that season 12 is coming.  

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/curb-your-enthusiasm-season-12-1235229603/

I'm going to be optimistic and hope he realized that season 11 was the patchiest season yet, and he doesn't want to go out like that. Of course, season 12 may not turn out to be the end either.

[Simon Boccanegra]

RIP, Mike Hagerty. I saw him in so many TV shows, but I always think of him as "the AAMCO guy."

Earlier in that episode, at the dinner party, he makes a toast to "friends." Then he says to Larry, "Friends. That was another good show. Did you have anything to do with that one?" It was a nice ad lib/in-joke, because he had a recurring role on Friends as the building's superintendent, Mr. Treeger. 

[Not4Me]

Curb got 2 nominations, one for Best Comedy and Bill Hader for a guest spot. Neither of which are deserving IMO. Adding insult to injury, Tracey Ullman was snubbed! She was the bright spot that carried a very lackluster season. 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/2022-emmys-nominations-nominees-list-1235177772/amp/

 

[cpcathy]

I have to disagree, I laughed pretty hard at Hader’s guest spot. The season, on the other hand, was pretty weak.

[Ms Blue Jay]

The season was bad.  I don't even remember Hader's spot.

[Ms Blue Jay]

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm watching Curb from the beginning.

Does anyone remember the episode with Nia Vardalos?  She plays Larry's lawyer.  Larry writes a script for Diane Keaton.  Nia's character takes it upon herself to read the script, provide notes on it, and charge Larry for the service.

Why would a lawyer do this?  Is there any world where this makes sense at all?  I have no idea why or how the lawyer would get access the script.  And I have no idea why a lawyer would think a Hollywood writer would want their screenwriting advice.

Obviously Curb is about bizarre human behaviour, but this stretches credibility for me, and I'm wondering if this is based in any reality at all.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[TakomaSnark]

11 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'm watching Curb from the beginning.

Does anyone remember the episode with Nia Vardalos?  She plays Larry's lawyer.  Larry writes a script for Diane Keaton.  Nia's character takes it upon herself to read the script, provide notes on it, and charge Larry for the service.

Why would a lawyer do this?  Is there any world where this makes sense at all?  I have no idea why or how the lawyer would get access the script.  And I have no idea why a lawyer would think a Hollywood writer would want their screenwriting advice.

Obviously Curb is about bizarre human behaviour, but this stretches credibility for me, and I'm wondering if this is based in any reality at all.

It's been a while since I watched this one but lawyers routinely vet scripts for any potential legal landmines (i.e., potential defamation, obtaining copyright, ensuring the script isn't violating someone else's copyright etc.). 

In reality, the counsel in charge of this would likely be an entertainment attorney that is specifically employed by the studio or production company and not a random lawyer (I assume Nia was just supposed to be a general practice lawyer - I can't remember the context of her interaction with him in that ep).

[Ms Blue Jay]

Another bad plot from this episode is a man worth $400 million not having $3 to pay parking attendants, and taking money DIRECTLY FROM THEIR POCKETS to pay for the parking instead.

21 minutes ago, TakomaSnark said:

It's been a while since I watched this one but lawyers routinely vet scripts for any potential legal landmines (i.e., potential defamation, obtaining copyright, ensuring the script isn't violating someone else's copyright etc.). 

In reality, the counsel in charge of this would likely be an entertainment attorney that is specifically employed by the studio or production company and not a random lawyer (I assume Nia was just supposed to be a general practice lawyer - I can't remember the context of her interaction with him in that ep).

Okay, so even if Larry never asked her to do so, never gave her the script, lawyers would still do this if they happen to come across a script in their clients' belongings?  He's so angry that she provided this 'service' at all that he didn't ask for, that he tells her that he won't pay.  Do lawyers do things like this?

Edited February 17, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[TakomaSnark]

5 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Another bad plot from this episode is a man worth $400 million not having $3 to pay parking attendants, and taking money DIRECTLY FROM THEIR POCKETS to pay for the parking instead.

Okay, so even if Larry never asked her to do so, never gave her the script, lawyers would still do this if they happen to come across a script in their clients' belongings?

He also steals roadside flowers because when the florist rejects the nasty bill that Larry was given by Funkhauser, Larry has... no other way to pay for a bouquet?

And of course, there's Larry roping his therapist into being part of a staged mugging of another therapist and instead of flipping on Larry when he's arrested, the therapist just takes the fall completely. Or that NBC would cast Larry's ex, who had no name recognition (beyond being Mrs. Larry David) in a critical supporting role in the Seinfeld reunion show.

Definitely not the show I expect much realism or consistency from (see also how Larry and Susie's relationship seems just reset every other episode).

If Vardalos' character was supposed to be his regular attorney (and I don't think she was ever on the show again), I guess I could see where she'd think anything Larry put in a script should be reviewed for potential legal problems. Because Larry David, the character, is a giant legal problem.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I usually complain about Cheryl, but she's very nice and tolerant during "Porno Gil", an episode where Larry is just extremely aggravating.

This is another bad plot (which ends up being a hilarious episode) because there's no way Larry should have accepted that dinner invite of someone that he hardly knows and insisted on driving all the way out to this place that he had no knowledge of.  Poor Cheryl.

[TakomaSnark]

4 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I usually complain about Cheryl, but she's very nice and tolerant during "Porno Gil", an episode where Larry is just extremely aggravating.

This is another bad plot (which ends up being a hilarious episode) because there's no way Larry should have accepted that dinner invite of someone that he hardly knows and insisted on driving all the way out to this place that he had no knowledge of.  Poor Cheryl.

Given what a real-life germaphobe Larry David is, you'd think in character he would have understood completely expecting houseguests to remove their shoes. Though maybe in 2000, it was a lot rarer than it is now. I feel like it's much more common place currently to ask and not be surprised if one is asked.

[aghst]

I lot of CYE plots, especially early on, were about the main characters misbehaving, just like in Seinfeld.

So of course he was going to drag Cheryl out to a former porn star's place.

Of course he was going to bicker about little money problems when he's filthy rich.

Of course he's going to nitpick about trivial things.

[Ms Blue Jay]

39 minutes ago, TakomaSnark said:

Given what a real-life germaphobe Larry David is, you'd think in character he would have understood completely expecting houseguests to remove their shoes. Though maybe in 2000, it was a lot rarer than it is now. I feel like it's much more common place currently to ask and not be surprised if one is asked.

I think there's two minds to this though.

There's an intimate house party where people will be lounging on couches, etc. and people remove their shoes.

But there's also fancy dinner parties and you wouldn't remove your shoes.

I'm very much part of an area/culture where everyone removes their shoes indoors in their own home.  But when you go to someone else's for a party, I think it's in question.  

There's a good episode on Sex and the City about this "A Woman's Right to Shoes", I think it's called.  When those women go to Manhattan houses for parties and dining, I don't think they'd ever expect to remove their shoes.

Larry claims that his feet get cold, and he wants to keep on his shoes for that reason.  But what if it was just his own germaphobia and ickiness at walking around a porn star's house that made him want to keep them on?

Edited February 17, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't find rich people nickle and diming to be that OOC. 

[TakomaSnark]

3 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I don't find rich people nickle and diming to be that OOC. 

For a guy who moves into a new house (almost?) every season, it's a bit incredulous.

I do remember years ago someone trying to make a big deal out of Julia Louis-Dreyfus complaining about the price of a bottle of water at a theater, given that even pre-Seinfeld residuals, she's heiress to a fortune. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I have a lot less money than Larry, so yes, his behaviour with money really annoys me sometimes.  

[hoodooznoodooz]

14 hours ago, TakomaSnark said:

… he would have understood completely expecting houseguests to remove their shoes… I feel like it's much more common place currently to ask and not be surprised if one is asked.

I always have to make sure I am wearing socks with no holes when I visit other people!

[Ms Blue Jay]

12 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I always have to make sure I am wearing socks with no holes when I visit other people!

I have friends who always offer people slippers, which is really sweet.  Especially when their puppy was in training 😄

[Ms Blue Jay]

The characterization of Cheryl on this show just kills me.  Sometimes she is the sweetest, most tolerant wife (Porno Gil, The Shrimp Incident) and then sometimes she makes me soooooooo mad.  Like how Larry bought 3 of "Chet's Shirt" for himself and then when Ted wanted the shirt back, Cheryl told Ted that Larry was hiding an extra shirt upstairs.  Oh it makes me so angry!  And Cheryl was also acting very, very very suspicious about her actor friend in the episode where they play tennis and that actor friend is in the Tony and Tina play.  She was acting incredibly shady and guilty.  

To me it reads like inconsistent character writing, which often happens to female characters on shows about men.  It's the same complaint I have about "Frasier".