Curb Your Enthusiasm - General Discussion

[Ms Blue Jay]

It's not a good look for Curb to keep Jeff Garlin on while The Goldbergs fired him for sexual harassment.  I get that he's an executive producer on Curb and maybe there's some contract stuff at play, but still.  It does not look good on Larry's part.

[King of TV]

On 3/16/2023 at 11:15 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

It's not a good look for Curb to keep Jeff Garlin on while The Goldbergs fired him for sexual harassment.  I get that he's an executive producer on Curb and maybe there's some contract stuff at play, but still.  It does not look good on Larry's part.

 

Yeah that wouldn't be a good look on Larry's part. I wonder what kind of in-show reason they would have to kill Jeff off. We need Sussie in the new season too, Jeff was kind of there so it wouldn't be the end of the world if there were no Jeff, but the show would feel very empty without Sussie telling Larry to "get the fuck out of my house!!!!". 

Goldbergs was already on it's last legs when they kicked Jeff off last year and now it will officially end after this season (filming probably wrapped up by now). 

Larry's up there in age, so I can't imagine the show lasting much longer. This is the forth season that we've had since the show got revived. 

[Simon Boccanegra]

I missed all the talk about "Interior Decorator," but I do have something relevant to add about it. Oscar Nuñez, who played the male parking attendant to whom Larry gives the money to pay back Joanna ("So this is you? You are the bald man with the glasses?") is in the starring cast of Bob Odenkirk's new series, Lucky Hank. He's the dean of the college.  

Not bad talent-spotting that episode, as Nia Vardalos, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Karen Maruyama all became better known in later years. And I see Rose Abdoo, who was so funny as Carmen, the titular interior director, once in a while. She was Valerie's wig wrangler on the second season of The Comeback.  

On the Garlin situation: Curb could go on without Marty or even Richard, but I really wouldn't want a Curb season without Jeff. Maybe it could turn into a story if they had him die, but the character is so close to the core of the show, and has been since the first scene of the 1999 special. I like Garlin's rapport with the other major players.  

[King of TV]

I like how (assuming the show end with a 10 episode twelfth season). The show will have 60 SD episodes and 60 HD episodes, which perfectly splits the show in half. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 3/30/2023 at 3:45 AM, Simon Boccanegra said:

On the Garlin situation: Curb could go on without Marty or even Richard, but I really wouldn't want a Curb season without Jeff. Maybe it could turn into a story if they had him die, but the character is so close to the core of the show, and has been since the first scene of the 1999 special. I like Garlin's rapport with the other major players.  

Disagree personally.  11 seasons with Jeff is more than enough.  Larry divorced Cheryl in Season 7 and the show's been fine with her having a much more reduced role.  Leon wasn't even in the show in the first 5 seasons and now he's a main character.  There's ebbs and flows, and it does not matter.

[Simon Boccanegra]

In any case, articles about the upcoming season (Variety, Hollywood Reporter) have this-time-we-mean-it quotations about season 12 being the end of the road. Every season of Curb since at least the middle years of seasons 5-6 has been structured in a way that the season finale could also be a satisfying series finale, in case Larry David felt he was done with these characters and this format. An unused ending of season 11, one learns, had Larry drowning definitively in that pool...which would be the second time we've seen him "die" in a finale.

But LD's long-term deal with HBO expires this year, so if he creates anything else for them, he'll have to negotiate a new one. I think this factor (along with his own advancing age) will be the impetus for him to bring down the curtain on the Davids and the Greenes and their friends after nearly 25 years. New comedic ideas that occur to him afterward—which in the past may have gone into another Curb season—will go into other things he writes.

I hope it's a great last lap. They have wrapped production, but Curb wasn't in the teaser trailer of returning series that HBO ran before Succession Sunday night.

[King of TV]

It's been officially confirmed that the twelfth season will be the final season;

https://deadline.com/2023/12/curb-your-enthusiasm-officially-ending-season-12-hbo-1235668008/

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by King of TV

[King of TV]

Here's one of the few untitled tracks I'm looking for, this plays four times in the episode Beloved Aunt, I ripped the track and put it on my channel:

 

 

I'm not sure if it's an original track or stock, it is some weird late 90's sounding accordion/electronic keyboard sounding cue so it's highly unlikely that it had lyrics if it wasn't an OST. 

 

 

[BetterButter]

 

[King of TV]

5 hours ago, BetterButter said:

 

 

I still haven't come into terms with the show ending, I'm still very sad it is

[DoctorAtomic]

So glad to see Richard Lewis there to close out the show. 

[DoctorAtomic]

Larry amped up the volume for the final season for sure. Although with Maria Sophia around, I would have blown a gasket. 

Larry and JB looked liked they were having a lot of fun together though. 

Susie totally got Larry at the beginning. I thought he was going to do the spit take. 

That was kind of wacky for a Curb episode. 

Edited February 6 by DoctorAtomic

[Galileo908]

24 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Larry and JB looked liked they were having a lot of fun together though

Everything Leon said in this one was gold. Every time he was yelling at the dog I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.

"I got a 4.0 APA. Ass point average. Was the valedictorian of tapping ass."

25 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Susie totally got Larry at the beginning. I thought he was going to do the spit take. 

Kinda wish the grieving waiter scene went somewhere, same with Leon putting back the piece of cake he ate.

Larry is so me at a party. Faking cordiality and feigning interest, the awkward conversations when leaving, hating people, yet having to be among them. The staredown with the other woman wearing the old lady glasses was great, too.

I'm just so happy to see this show back again.

[aghst]

That Siri bit got me.  So obvious yet comically effective, at least to me.

i don’t ever recall Larry doing anything for money.  He’s got Seinfeld money and he does a spite cafe, sparing no expenses.  He can be a cheapskate sometimes but to actually do something for a big payday?

 

 

[DoctorAtomic]

I thought JB taking the cake was going to lead to Larry not being paid. The dog jumped on the coat at the aunt's house. They still paid it off. 

I saw the gig as Larry figuring out was in Atlanta and why not go visit Rae? So it was kind of just the excuse to go. Or, Hulu could have leaned on him to go for pr for the show. 

So he wasn't just doing the gig. 

 

This is also why I don't let house keeping in the room. 

 

 

[Cotypubby]

The housekeeping bit was great! From the money in the toilet to her throwing his clothes off the balcony, that was classic Curb. Though I really don’t get why the clothes on the floor bothered her to begin with. That’s what happens in hotel rooms… (and also why we never have housekeeping come in until we leave. I don’t want random people poking around my stuff!)

[Galileo908]

55 minutes ago, Cotypubby said:

The housekeeping bit was great! From the money in the toilet to her throwing his clothes off the balcony, that was classic Curb. Though I really don’t get why the clothes on the floor bothered her to begin with. That’s what happens in hotel rooms… (and also why we never have housekeeping come in until we leave. I don’t want random people poking around my stuff!)

There was also the visual of Larry letting his room look like that after, what, a day?

[Andre LaPlume]

I was underwhelmed.  A few laughs.   Disappointed to see Tracey Ullmann’s character back as well as the Young Larry actress.   I just don’t find either funny.  

[xhoipolloix]

Two scenes made me laugh out loud. Leon with his dick dialing and Irma telling Larry about her hammer toe. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I think Larry arrived *that day* and the clothes were all over the place. 

I'm actually quite tidy in the hotel rooms. I even make the bed in the morning. Hang clothes up after I wear them; fold them and put them in my bag when I'm not going to wear them anymore. 

I always hang the do not disturb sign; usually because I'm with my dog. I'm surprised Larry actually lets housekeeping in and touching his stuff.

I'm not cheap; I tip really well at restaurants, bars, taxi. I just can't with the housekeeping though. What am I tipping for? I'm barely in the room itself to just sleep and shower. So, do not disturb; no need to tip. 

[Not4Me]

I enjoyed the Siri frustration and seeing Tracey Ullman (I believe Irma is the woman Larry deserves).
That’s where the praise ends. The episode was all too contrived and super obnoxious (more than usual) to find funny.

[Galileo908]

11 hours ago, xhoipolloix said:

Irma telling Larry about her hammer toe. 

Singing the JG Wentworth jingle, too!

(In an episode about Larry not getting his money, to boot)

3 hours ago, Not4Me said:

(I believe Irma is the woman Larry deserves).

Larry finally dates a woman his age, and he's stuck with her. And I agree, she's the woman he deserved.

[catsitter]

I don't understand how Aunty Rae's spare glasses would fit Larry if her head was bigger than his?  And Larry didn't even try to adjust his own glasses until the scene in the bathroom. I did like the very end of the episode but not the rest.

[DoctorAtomic]

Larry didn't get back to the bathroom until then, no? That would have been the first opportunity to fix them. 

 

 

[TakomaSnark]

On 2/6/2024 at 6:09 AM, Andre LaPlume said:

I was underwhelmed.  A few laughs.   Disappointed to see Tracey Ullmann’s character back as well as the Young Larry actress.   I just don’t find either funny.  

Ullman's character annoys me to no end *but* I agree with others that her character is exactly who Larry deserves to be stuck with. I am less understanding of bringing back Maria Sofia. The only laugh I got from her last season was the physical fight with Cheryl and Ted.

Auntie Rae's 'big head' and the 'man wearing women's glass frames' were just reruns of Elaine's 'big head' and George in the Gloria Vanderbilt frames. I know that Curb has often dipped back into scenarios from Seinfeld before but in a single episode, this was excessive. There was also: 

Person ruins another person's clothing/accessory by wearing it (The Apology);
Not wanting to get something out of the toilet bowl (The Pot Hole);
Revenge throwing clothes out the window (The Reverse Peephole);
Getting arrested for a little known law (The Finale).

And yeah, if Auntie Rae wearing Larry's glasses a single time stretched them that badly, how would her backup glasses, which I'd assume she'd worn once (at least when having them fitted by the eye doctor, which would have established the widith!) fit him so well? I hate to nitpick; however, this episode was a messy slog.

[hoodooznoodooz]

These episodes have become ridiculously contrived. And as @TakomaSnark diligently and generously listed for us, they are recycling more and more often. 
 

Leon always delivers. I think J B Smoove’s improvising is the freshest element of the show. Although he had to follow the script with regard to the birthday cake, which is a bit of recycling of the King Edward VIII wedding/Entenmann’s cake.

[TV Diva Queen]

Auntie Rae's back up sunglasses being Tom Ford seemed odd.  

[rmontro]

19 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

Singing the JG Wentworth jingle, too!

That is a catchy tune.

[hoodooznoodooz]

5 hours ago, TakomaSnark said:

Ullman's character annoys me to no end *but* I agree with others that her character is exactly who Larry deserves to be stuck with.

I love Irma, because I have always loved TU. I just know that she is having so much fun with this character and is constantly cracking up Larry. 

[DoctorAtomic]

Jeff and Richard Lewis and sometimes JB can usually get Larry to break up, but I don't know how he can hold it together with Ullman. He has to have a tack in his shoe. 

[EastCoast4Life]

On 2/5/2024 at 8:46 PM, aghst said:

That Siri bit got me.  So obvious yet comically effective, at least to me.

Me too, I was laughing out loud, and I know it was a bit contrived, but it worked for me. 

Optician here; the glasses scenario is not very believable. The fact that Auntie Rae and Larry would most likely both be in progressive lenses, is essentially, the problem. Same Rx and measurements? Unlikely. Are we supposed to believe that both of them wear readers?

I did not like the Brooke/Brookie bit. 

[AAEBoiler]

I thought the Siri thing was incredibly stupid. The only thing the bit informed upon was the stupidity of people who blindly rely on technology. After the first, or definitely second try, use your brain and do a freaking search on your phone.

[aghst]

30 minutes ago, AAEBoiler said:

I thought the Siri thing was incredibly stupid. The only thing the bit informed upon was the stupidity of people who blindly rely on technology. After the first, or definitely second try, use your brain and do a freaking search on your phone.

But we're talking about Larry's personality.

It's totally in character that he'd get overly emotional with technology.

Or if it worked well, LD would quibble and nitpick, since a lot of CYE and Seinfeld was about picking nits.

[Joimiaroxeu]

This was the last place I expected to see product placement for JG Wentworth. I don't think those ads run anymore, do they?

Siri is obnoxious but I liked Larry's new BMW.

Darned dick dial!

Fat-shaming a dog. It looked like a normal corgi to me.

OMG, I hollered when Larry's glasses fell into the toilet. Been there, done that, had to nuke those glasses from orbit. (It was the only way to be sure.)

Brookie? Brooky?

Maria Sofia is a lot of a lot. Seems to me the show was looking for more excuses to give the actress a better wardrobe and more costume changes per episode.

So Larry faked cordiality and feigned interest. What more could anyone expect from him?

Yeah, I'm not sure even Larry's petty enough to put the maid's tip in the toilet. Larry was being problematic but that maid was kind of looking for trouble.

Larry getting arrested was some b.s. but I guess the mean-mugging mug shot was the real point.

[DoctorAtomic]

Giving out water to people in line to vote is an actual law though. That was a big deal when it passed.

[Joimiaroxeu]

13 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Giving out water to people in line to vote is an actual law though. That was a big deal when it passed.

Yes it was a huge deal but has anyone actually been arrested for it after the law was passed?

[DoctorAtomic]

I have no idea. I just meant that the show didn't make it up; that it was an actual law.

[aghst]

It was a voter suppression law.  They cut down the number of polls in certain districts so that the queue is long and people have to wait hours in the hot weather to vote.

Larry making a political comment?

[rmontro]

12 minutes ago, aghst said:

It was a voter suppression law.

That is a political opinion in itself.  It's not unusual for it to be illegal to hand out items to voters in line, although it is not aimed at individuals, it's aimed at political parties looking to buy favor and votes.

[DoctorAtomic]

I didn't realize the lawyer was Mocha Joe until Jeff said. Of course, everyone thinks Larry was making a political statement. They got The Boss!

Larry got Susie to break with the crack about It's A Wonderful Life. 

I'm really surprised Larry used the bathroom at the boutique. 

I don't know if it's been a while since the show was on, but these episodes have been really tightly written. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I didn't realize the lawyer was Mocha Joe until Jeff said. Of course, everyone thinks Larry was making a political statement. They got The Boss!

Larry got Susie to break with the crack about It's A Wonderful Life. 

I'm really surprised Larry used the bathroom at the boutique. 

I don't know if it's been a while since the show was on, but these episodes have been really tightly written. 

I am also surprised he used the bathroom at Auntie Rae’s. At any building he isn’t at least 90% sure is up to his standards of cleanliness.

[aghst]

The Giuliani crack was pretty obvious, as was the dye dribbling down Jeff's face.

LD still peeved that he didn't get paid yet hangs out in Atlanta for a bit.  May have to return for trial and that may be how it ends, maybe a prison sentence in the finale?

Maybe he does still quibble over money.  $500 or even $650 is nothing to him but his personality won't let him not say something about exorbitantly priced things like at that shop of bad taste fashions.

[catsitter]

10 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I'm really surprised Larry used the bathroom at the boutique. 

 

It reminded me of the bathrooms he designed for his own coffee shop, where "number twos" wouldn't even be allowed - I think he said people would have to go home if they needed to do one of those.

Would it not have been possible to put a cover over the lawn jockey?! (Either the original one or the replacement.)

[rmontro]

How long have these episodes been in the can?  Those Giuliani hair dye jokes are from three years ago.  Larry's still funny though.

I don't see why Larry had to plead "Not Guilty" to prove himself a social justice warrior.  Pleading "Not Guilty" means he didn't do the act, not that the law is bad.  Seems like he would be more brave to plead "Guilty", as in yes, I did it, and I would do it again.  It's more of a defiance.  How's he supposed to prove he isn't guilty.  I do hope they don't end this series with Larry in jail, like they did with Seinfeld.  

4 hours ago, catsitter said:

Would it not have been possible to put a cover over the lawn jockey?! (Either the original one or the replacement.)

That seems like the logical solution.  I didn't think of that.   Apparently they didn't either. 

I've noticed around town where I live you see these lawn jockeys sometimes, and I've always been surprised that they're still around.

[DoctorAtomic]

They could have just pushed it behind the bushes too. I don't think that moving it into the garage is that wacky of an idea though. 

Those guys can't get out of their own way, so you knew whatever was going to happen wasn't going to be good. 

Larry legitimately didn't know of the law, and he was giving the water bottle to a personal acquaintance. I don't know if not guilty gets him anything because he did do it but not with purpose. 

[Pike Ludwell]

That drip on Jeff doesn't happen from Just For Men. It happened to Giulliani because of some sort of weird goop he'd just put on.

[aghst]

Giuliani with the dripping hair dye was within the past year, not years ago.

[TakomaSnark]

28 minutes ago, aghst said:

Giuliani with the dripping hair dye was within the past year, not years ago.

I don't know if there's been a more recent occurrence but the original time it happened - and the one I always think of - was in late November 2020.

[Galileo908]

23 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I didn't realize the lawyer was Mocha Joe until Jeff said.

I was waiting for him to take off his mustache to reveal he was Mocha Joe the whole time, and he didn't. I have the feeling we'll be seeing him again.

 

8 hours ago, rmontro said:

I do hope they don't end this series with Larry in jail, like they did with Seinfeld. 

It's sure looks like it's heading that way. Larry's gonna go on trial, and everyone whose lives he accidentally (or not) ruined will show up to testify against him. And his cellmate will either be some combo of Jeff and/or Leon, Seinfeld, or the guy he met this week that he gave the coat to.

13 hours ago, catsitter said:

Would it not have been possible to put a cover over the lawn jockey?! (Either the original one or the replacement.)

Huh, never thought of the cover, either.

Edited February 13 by Galileo908

[aghst]

I forget what happened with the spite store.  Both stores burned down at the end of last season?

And Mocha Joe seemed ruined?

So of course he's going to come back to take his shot at revenge.