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Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Black Swan

Jeff Garlin and Larry David
(S07E07) "Look, it may have been an accident, but you're a murderer." - Marty

Blame is a funny thing. In the absence of facts, the owner of the blame (i.e. the person at fault), is about one thing and one thing only -- public perception. Spin a good yarn and you can make 'em believe whatever you want. However, when you're Larry David, getting past the hurdle of your own reputation can be an issue. If you listen to even half the stuff that Larry says, why would anyone want to believe a guy like him?

Continue reading Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Black Swan

Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Bare Midriff

Larry David
(S07E06) "Larry?! You sprayed on Jesus??" - Maureen

For as good an episode as "The Bare Midriff" was, it still had one huge problem that has plagued many past episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm as well. The central conflict -- Maureen's exposed stomach -- was just too much of a stretch (no pun intended). Why's that? The beauty of Curb is how well it sheds light on awkward situations we all relate to. Not so much on this one, because honestly, who in their right mind would think a short shirt like that was work appropriate attire? It wasn't believable, that Maureen thought her shirt was OK for the office. Fortunately, if you were willing to look past the absurdity of the issue, it paid off with arguably one of Curb's top five endings ever.

Continue reading Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Bare Midriff

Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - Denise Handicap

Larry David and Rosie O'Donnell
(S07E05) "Have you noticed if she has any proclivity for chopsticks?" - Larry

It's amazing to me that the main topic of last night's Curb Your Enthusiasm, people in wheelchairs, has never been tackled by Larry before. I'm sure there have been a few wheelchair jokes in the past that I'm forgetting, but this? This was a full-blown, inappropriate mess of incorrectness and every second of it was brilliant. Save for "The Reunion," this was easily the strongest episode of the season. Wheelchairs, wrestling Rosie O'Donnell, and the return of Leon! How can you go wrong?

Continue reading Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - Denise Handicap

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Hot Towel

Larry David and Christian Slater
(S07E04) "Was there a stipulation on the gift certificate? Three hundred dollars and "take me"?" - Susie

I was afraid this might happen. As exciting as it is, even the long awaited Seinfeld reunion doesn't have the power to sustain an entire season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. After last week's reunion, I expected a lull and with that in mind, there's really no reason to be disappointed because this episode had some very funny moments. Unfortunately, not even Christian Slater's caviar addiction could save the day with such fond memories of last week's landmark half-hour still on my mind.

Continue reading Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Hot Towel

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Reunion

Cheryl Hines and Larry David
(S07E03) "This is your plan to get your ex-wife back. Pretty f*cking brilliant if you ask me." - Jeff

Larry David a selfish man? Nooooo. How could someone who's never given, nor has any idea how to give, someone the benefit of the doubt be a selfish guy? Wait - don't answer that. Instead ponder this: the moment we've all been waiting for - the Seinfeld reunion - has finally arrived, and we almost didn't get it because for a brief minute, it hinged on what Larry found more enjoyable, a potential funeral or a potential marriage. Selfish? How about sick.

Continue reading Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Reunion

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Vehicular Fellatio

Vivica A. Fox as Loretta Black on Curb Your Enthusiasm
(S07E02) "I don't like you. Why would I want to hug you?" - Larry

Larry David is not all about appearances. It's rare to see him masking his true intentions when most of the time he has absolutely no problem saying how he feels or asking for what he wants. But, much like the episode of this title indicates, when you're talking about a blowjob in a car (or anything crass or uncomfortable), it helps to dress it up a little.

Continue reading Curb Your Enthusiasm: Vehicular Fellatio

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Funkhouser's Crazy Sister (season premiere)

(L-R): Bob Einstein, Larry David, and Jeff Garlin
(S07E01) "I'd rather have the thieves than the neighbors - the thieves don't impose." - Larry

Larry David is back, and I feel uncomfortable. Awkward moments, off-color comments, and instances of sheer disgust were all there in tonight's season premiere of Curb Your Enthusiasm. If you sit back for a second and actually consider all the different elements that made up this episode, it's pretty impressive. More often than not, an episode of Curb is just as intricately plotted out as an episode of Lost.

Continue reading Curb Your Enthusiasm: Funkhouser's Crazy Sister (season premiere)

Curb Your Enthusiasm, season seven -- An early look

(L-R): Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Richards, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Jason Alexander
The beauty of Curb Your Enthusiasm has always been its roots. Born from the mind of a man who launched a show about nothing, Curb is little more than an edgier version that's still... about nothing. It only makes sense that one day we would witness the colliding vortex created by those two masses of nothingness and that day has finally arrived. Well, almost. Season seven of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm premieres on HBO this Sunday night, September 20, at 9 p.m. ET and having seen the first three episodes, I'll say this about the long-awaited Seinfeld reunion - it's real and it's spectacular.

Continue reading Curb Your Enthusiasm, season seven -- An early look

Network viewership dropping? Nudity and swearing to the rescue!

Curb Your EnthusiasmWould you like to see more nudity and profanity on network television?

It's no secret that the networks are losing ground to the cable channels when it comes to original scripted programming, especially dramas. Just take a look at the Emmy nominations for Best Drama this year and you see that three of the six nominated are from cable: Mad Men, Damages, and Dexter). And the three that are from the networks are shows that have been a while and are (arguably) on the back nine when it comes to their life: Boston Legal, Lost, and House. While the network shows obviously get more viewers than cable, cable (and online) is the place to go for more creative content and buzz.

Wired's Epicenter blog has a piece about how the more free world of cable television is hurting network TV.

Continue reading Network viewership dropping? Nudity and swearing to the rescue!

Larry David set for more Curb Your Enthusiasm

Larry in sneakersRemember how Curb Your Enthusiasm ended last season, with Larry posed in happy, jolly family pictures with the Blacks? Did it leave you laughing and dying to know what happens next -- or is this the end?

The answer is now known. There's more Curb Your Enthusiasm on deck, because Larry David has said yes to another HBO season.

HBO announced a seventh season of Curb. It will begin airing in early 2009, giving Larry plenty of time to write the 10 episodes planned. HBO's West Coast prez Michael Lombardo characterized Larry as "excited about it" when he presented at TCA.

That characterization is in line with comments by both Richard Lewis and Jeff Garlin, semi-regular and regular, respectively, in previous months.

And Susie Essman told the New York Post that she had auctioned off a walk-on role in season seven, so it would have been very embarrassing if she didn't know that they were all coming back.

Continue reading Larry David set for more Curb Your Enthusiasm

Characters I'm missing right now

Charlie DayThe writers' strike forced some of my favorite shows into an unexpected, summer-long hiatus and delayed the return of others. I'm grateful that shows like Lost still have new episodes, but the second half of this TV season hasn't felt the same. I especially miss the promising new series that were cut short.

It feels like other shows have been on hiatus forever. Flight of the Conchords was supposed to return this year, but had its premiere pushed back until 2009. I miss Bret, Jemaine, and their strange circle of friends. I've been wondering about the fates of several absent characters lately. So many storylines were left unresolved.

Here's a short list of some of the faces I can't wait to see again:

Continue reading Characters I'm missing right now

Seinfeld ready for a new sitcom? (updated)

Jerry and LarryRemember last October when Jerry Seinfeld was all over NBC promoting Bee Movie? Well, maybe there was more going on with Jerry and the Peacock people than just honey-related promos. PageSix.com is reporting today that Jerry Seinfeld is in talks with NBC for a new series.

You have to assume that if there's truth to this, the network is probably bending over backwards to secure a new Seinfeld. Heck, if Jerry wanted to do a series about a forensic scientist who also does comedy on the side, they'd greenlight that, too! Will they call it Seinfeld Redux? Seinfeld Squared? Seinfeld Deux?

Continue reading Seinfeld ready for a new sitcom? (updated)

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Bat Mitzvah (season finale)

Larry David
(S06E10) "He probably read gerbil magazine and you're f*ckin' on the cover!" - Richard Lewis

Wow. That was all over the place and I loved every second of it. It might actually be the best season finale this show has had yet. Better than the incest survivors group. Better than the happy ending massage. Better than the restaurant that Larry helped open. Better than The Producers. Better than Larry dying and then snapping out of it. Why's that? Because for the entire 40 minute episode, there was only one question on your mind: Did he really stick a gerbil up his ass?

Continue reading Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Bat Mitzvah (season finale)

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Therapist

Larry David
(S06E09) "New Larry is keeping the minty breath." - Larry

That was definitely not what I expected from this episode. I was really hoping that Larry and Cheryl would get back together almost immediately and then we were going to get to see Larry "forcing" himself to change in order to please Cheryl. In a way, we sort of did. I loved how whenever he was with Cheryl he was all dressed up. When he wasn't, his usual attire of sneakers and a ratty sweater came back into play. And obviously, his tone and decision making were drastically out of character whenever he was with Cheryl. But the thing I love most about Larry is that as mischievous and conniving as he is -- he's still trying to win back Cheryl because he loves and misses her. I think it's hilarious that the idea of being honest and open with her never enters his mind. Everything has to be a grand gesture backed by an equally self-centered and idiotic plan.

Continue reading Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Therapist

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The N Word

Curb Your Enthusiasm (S06E08)
(S06E08) "My penis is an animal." - Larry

I'm really glad I don't have the same issue that Larry does. This whole five second rule is a crazy thing. These days, the handshake has slowly become obsolete as most people now seem to favor some sort of handshake/hug hybrid for a greeting. Picture Larry at a family reunion! He said he had no control! While the estrogen pills were obviously a mistake on the pharmacist's part, maybe Larry should keep them around if he knows he'll be heading into a hug imminent situation. This was definitely one of the better episodes this season -- doesn't top last week's though. However, this one would have been better if it hadn't felt like I was watching Desperate Housewives with my eyes closed.

Continue reading Curb Your Enthusiasm: The N Word

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