Curb series 8

[dr_christian_troy]

I've been rewatching episodes from previous seasons, and the thing is, for me, even the 'less good' ones I still enjoy.

The bread decision didn't seem so much a reference to Seinfeld as such (even though I noticed the connection pretty quickly), more so the general beliefs of Larry, which pre-dated Seinfeld. It did of course prove useful by the end of the episode, but even so I just thought the bread gesture was an actual Larry quirk.

[mr. logic]

If it still is semi-improvised, my initial reaction on watching S08E06 was that Gervais actually held his own in terms of fighting back with Larry, and raised some valid criticisms of Larry David the character which David couldn't answer immediately.

Just my initial reaction, of course, please don't hold me to anything.

I agree to a point but thought that was just because, going in as a fan, Gervais had planned little 'bits' which were always going to be valid said about Larry: "just because you haven't heard if it before doesn't make it odd" for example.  Or the thing about Seinfeld's laugh track.  It just felt as though he was too keen to get in to argument without giving it time to breathe (though that could easily be the way he was told to play it).  Real life Larry has said several times that he hates actors on the show preparing lines, maybe this time he thought it fitted the smug character Gervais was playing.  He certainly stated his case well during the price of wine argument.

On the bread thing: they had George do the 'not taking wine to a dinner party; being the star because he brought pepsi' thing on Seinfeld.  But, yeah, that's probably something real life Larry did years before either show.

[Tiny Poster]

This episode did have some excellent improvisation from Chris Parnell at the dinner party, even if the stuff with his wife was pointless.

[Tiny Poster]

And the play's dialogue was a nice throwback to Seinfeld's movie parodies, like Chunnel and Checkmate.

[Artemis]

I enjoyed this last episode. Not quite up there with the one before, but it was good Curb stock. Run-of-the-mill for Curb, which is a compliment. I thought Gervais did very well actually. I cringed when he revealed the Extras DVD but only because I knew how desparately he uses any opportunity to flog his years-old product. In terms of dialogue I agree he held his own and his expression when Larry cornered him about seeing the girl was very funny.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

If it still is semi-improvised, my initial reaction on watching S08E06 was that Gervais actually held his own in terms of fighting back with Larry, and raised some valid criticisms of Larry David the character which David couldn't answer immediately.

Just my initial reaction, of course, please don't hold me to anything.

Also interesting that David mocked Gervais' pretensions and desire to be taken seriously. Plus a piss-take of his "ironic" self-publicity with the Extras DVD. An ironic deconstruction of an ironic construct devised from genuine self-interest: very meta.

[Oops! Wrong Planet]

Another good one.  It's amazing how much verve

Spoiler alert

Leon's presence

[close]

can inject into an episode, even when in just a couple of scenes.  Amy Landecker was great in this too.

[alan nagsworth]

Not seen last night's episode yet but my god, this series is so up-and-down I'm really hoping it builds up to something towards the end. Gervais' appearance in episode six was appalling, I don't see why people liked it at all. His reactions to Larry were so... hasty, it was completely unnatural. Those 'Larry staring someone down' bits are often a bit awkward as it's mostly only Larry who can do that suspicious eyeballing so well, but Gervais... I WANTED TO PUNCH HIS FACE IN. I agree with mr. logic's previous assessment that the subtle seething of old characters like Ted Danson is long gone and the mugging and obvious awkwardness completely removes the juxtaposing vibe of often agreeing with Larry but also thinking he is being too much of an insistent turd about it. The scenarios are pretty dull (though I thought the stuff with the waiter and the food was good) and there just isn't enough holding this season together.

Episode before last, however, was really great. What you want from Curb is surprises based on what you've already seen. Older episodes would have so many involving and engaging situations that, when they tied together at the end, you were really pleased and with the audacity and ridiculousness of it. The golf tournament episode achieved this very well, as did Lewis being stood up at the restaurant - when that came in right at the end of episode five I actually guffawed and said "oh shit!", having completely forgotten about it in light of more pressing matters like Vance and the Pinkberry fiasco, and it was the lovely ribbon on an already-wonderful package.

Such peaks and troughs this season. I can't deny that I am really tired of Larry saying something to someone, and it being overheard and coming back to haunt him. You can see that shit coming a mile off. In fact there's so much predictability spattered throughout, for example the bread/weapon on the subway which I saw coming as soon as he got on the train and sat down. Is this a result of Curb being quite formulaic and me becoming too accustomed to its core aesthetics, or is David slowly running out of ideas and rehashing Seinfeld stuff out of desperation? As I've mentioned previously, season seven would allude to this notion greatly. I have a hard time figuring out if it's ironic or just really lazy.

[chocolateboy]

Really enjoyed this one, laughed heartily throughout. Between "chat 'n' cut" and this ep's

Spoiler alert

"juicing"

[close]

, he's still got a wonderful knack for coining, and judiciously caning, catchy phrases.

[the wiggler]

Really enjoyed this one, laughed heartily throughout. Between "chat 'n' cut" and this ep's

Spoiler alert

"juicing"

[close]

, he's still got a wonderful knack for coining, and judiciously caning, catchy phrases.

Spoiler alert

actually, juicing is a term in american sports for an athlete taking steroids/other performance enhancing drugs - it ties in with the whole extended baseball metaphor (which was brilliant, particularly when leon got in on it ("i want you to win.") - the kind of layered a-plot thread that the very best curb episodes have)

[close]

[chocolateboy]

I know :-) The AV Club review mentions it. But its extension of the

Spoiler alert

"performance-enhancing drug"

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usage into the realm of

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sexual baseball

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is what makes it novel (to me, who'd never heard it before - that review mildly disagrees).

Spoiler alert

it ties in with the whole extended baseball metaphor (which was brilliant, particularly when leon got in on it ("i want you to win.")

[close]

Indeed. That review picks up on some Leonisms I'm embarrassed to say I missed or only partially heard in the blizzard:

Spoiler alert

You can't go into a fuckfight with no goddamn weapon, jump rope hanging from your pants.

[close]

Spoiler alert

You living large? I just had a croissant filled with motherfucking champagne.

[close]

[Mark X]

Those 'Larry staring someone down' bits are often a bit awkward as it's mostly only Larry who can do that suspicious eyeballing so well, but Gervais... I WANTED TO PUNCH HIS FACE IN.

Mm. When it came to that bit, I was somehow reminded of Johnny Depp's appearance in the final Fast Show, where the famous person appeared and got to 'do' his favourite bit with the other characters at the expense of the sketch being funny. I can certainly imagine with Gervais being a big fan of Larry David, him asking to 'do' a staring down scene with David and being too well-known for the request to be turned down. Fingers crossed for 803 different takes of that scene being interrupted by Gervais' giggling in the extras of the Season 8 box set, eh?

[Skip Bittman]

That is exactly the reaction I had. Seinfeld in the last season certainly deserved the stare-down and it worked wonderfully, but why did the Gervais edition come off forced and obligatory? Oh, right. Barely any chemistry between the performers.

[BlodwynPig]

Depp ranks so low in my estimation that I don't even see him as being a big 'celeb'. He's just some extra who is a hired-hand for crap comedy shows.

The Gervais episode was great, if only for the fact that we saw him getting his cumuppance at the end of the show.

This week's episode was fairly good, made even better by the Leon quotes redacted by chocolateboy. You could sense the improv quite heavily in this episode, a lot of mispronunciations and "see them thinking" moments.

Spoiler alert

The guy choking on his lunch on the park bench

[close]

was a fantastic stand-alone piece and felt Chaplinesque (or even Chuckle Bros. in their pomp)

[weaseldust]

Spoiler alert

The guy choking on his lunch on the park bench

[close]

was a fantastic stand-alone piece and felt Chaplinesque

huh how strange, i thought the exact same thing! (about chaplinesque)



good episode but the 'bisexuals are greedy' thing annoyed me although i guess i don't usually agree with larry's opinions anyway but psh it's just something that eeveryone says, oh well

[Ja'moke]

"Shit-bow" - that term properly cracked me up, especially the constant repetition of it.

I thought this week's was much better than the Gervais episode, which although I thought was plotted very well, just wasn't that funny. This week's had plenty of laugh out loud moments, obviously the laugh quota was up because of the return of Leon - "I just had a croissant filled with motherfucking champagne!"

[Jim Jarmusch]

That might have been the very worst episode of Curb.

[Mr Faineant]

Another rehash of a Seinfeld idea...the car periscope. Not a great episode, but a few good bits. I laughed as he was

Spoiler alert

throwing popcorn in her face

[close]

[BlodwynPig]

That might have been the very worst episode of Curb.

It wasn't that bad. Quite clumsy, as has been most of the series. The judge's face when Larry and Wanda approached to decide upon the personal trainer was priceless.

[Small Man Big Horse]

There's a fun interview with Leon here: http://www.avclub.com/articles/jb-smoove,61191/

[BlodwynPig]

Erratic episode, but great. Lots going on - rather somnambulistic mid-section, but much enjoyed, over-the-top ending.

[non capisco]

I wasn't really feeling it until

Spoiler alert

Susie in the car seat

[close]

and Larry's horrified reaction. Then I was guffawing. It has felt like a very piecemeal series though. The odd bits of brilliance like the last shot of Richard Lewis having been stood up in the diner and a lot of rehashing of old ground.

[Petey Pate]

There's a fun interview with Leon here: http://www.avclub.com/articles/jb-smoove,61191/

I watched this video of JB Smoove doing stand up and I really struggled to understand a word of what he's saying!

JB Smoove on "Shoes"

[Small Man Big Horse]

Absolutely loved this one, it's my favourite of the season. Sure, it was a bit broad in places (the panning of the camera between Susie's orgasm and Larry's reaction especially) but it still made me howl with laughter. I loved the psychiatrist too, along with his massively libellous tale about George Lucas. And the ending with the burning building was just lovely, with the icing on the cake being the bedroom scene.

[Wayman C. McCreery]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet (I've not read the thread because I'm trying to avoid spoilers), but this starts on More4 on Sunday 18th September.

[Noodle Lizard]

I'm enjoying it, but he does seem to be repeating himself quite a lot recently.  I know there have always been little plots or ideas lifted from Seinfeld, but it appears more frequent this series.

The plot with the psychiatrist in this latest episode is a bit too similar to "The Thong" from an earlier season, and I'm pretty sure he's done something about being charged for an "out of hours" meeting before too.

Aside from that, it's becoming a bit goofy too.  The scene with him and Susie in the car was amusing enough, but his reaction (as well as Susie seeming to go all out and yet not even realise what was happening) was a bit ...

Meh.  Can't complain really, it's still entertaining as hell.

[QDRPHNC]

I knew CYE was shit before everyone else. That is all.

[Harpo Speaks]

and I'm pretty sure he's done something about being charged for an "out of hours" meeting before too.

Is it that one where he gets charged for time by someone who has read through a script of his?

[Tiny Poster]

Also that time at the golf club where he asks a doctor to look at some ailment he has.

[BlodwynPig]

It's called a trope.