Curb Your Enthusiasm

Missed the first episode of this series and only just watched the second (the one about blow-jobs in cars). It looks like the downward trend from the last serious is continuing.

It used to be much wittier, dry, under-played and almost believable (once you accepted that good old Larry didn't give a toss about anyone or anything)

It's become crude slap-stick with loads of hammy acting and stupid un-funny set-pieces. Cheryl is a big loss, as the dynamic between her and Larry was hilarious. None of it is remotely believable. Very disappointing. Really hope the next few episodes are a drastic improvement. Such a shame to see my all-time favourite comedy go to the dogs.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Missed the first episode of this series and only just watched the second (the one about blow-jobs in cars). It looks like the downward trend from the last serious is continuing.

It used to be much wittier, dry, under-played and almost believable (once you accepted that good old Larry didn't give a toss about anyone or anything)

It's become crude slap-stick with loads of hammy acting and stupid un-funny set-pieces. Cheryl is a big loss as the dynamic between her and Larry was hilarious. None of it is remotely believable. Very disappointing. Really hope the next few episodes are a drastic improvement. Such a shame to see my all-time favourite comedy go to the dogs.
Click to expand...

i cant disagree with the bolded bits

i remember remarking to my GF after episode 2 that it had got 'too shouty'. the episodes used to build up gradually with a Larry rant and his subsequent downfall at its culmination whereas now right from the off he's in his fully frustrated state and it doesnt flow as well

i cant be too mad at it though, its one of my all time favourite shows too and its still one of the very best comedy shows about even if its not as good as it was.

stick with it as the series does get better, i didnt think the first few were much cop but the last 2 episodes are the first that i've rewatched this season
the parts with Jerry Seinfeld in particular balance him out in a similar way to Cheryl
 
Series 6 was a bit shit, to be fair. There were still a few laughs, but it all just felt a bit played out. I've not gotten onto Series 7 yet, but everything I hear suggests it's just as bad and probably worse.
 
Larry seems to be coming across as a bit of a cnut in this series. Before you could sort of side with him but he's more twattish now.

Leon needs more screen time to bring his motherfeckin' ruckus on some ass.
 
Grinner said:
Larry seems to be coming across as a bit of a cnut in this series. Before you could sort of side with him but he's more twattish now.

Leon needs more screen time to bring his motherfeckin' ruckus on some ass.
Click to expand...

Larry has always been a cnut
 
The part with dermatologist was fecking funny too. And Michael Richards and Leon were class at the end
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Missed the first episode of this series and only just watched the second (the one about blow-jobs in cars). It looks like the downward trend from the last serious is continuing.

It used to be much wittier, dry, under-played and almost believable (once you accepted that good old Larry didn't give a toss about anyone or anything)

It's become crude slap-stick with loads of hammy acting and stupid un-funny set-pieces. Cheryl is a big loss, as the dynamic between her and Larry was hilarious. None of it is remotely believable. Very disappointing. Really hope the next few episodes are a drastic improvement. Such a shame to see my all-time favourite comedy go to the dogs.
Click to expand...

It hasn't been great, but the episode that was on more4 last week with the disabled girl was pretty, pretty good.
 
I thought this weeks was one of the worst, the only bit i laughed at was funkhausers joke

the whole thing with the little girl was just completely unrealistic and seemed out of place like it was shoe-horned into the episode for shock value more than anything

so far this series hasn't done it for me (wheelchair episode aside) but i'm still hopeful the last few episodes can pull it round
 
not sure where the negative curb comments are coming from. Yeah it's gotten really over the top but it's still a level above most shows in terms of character and quality. Still love the new seasons, the last series was hilarious and this one has still been worth a watch with plenty of laughs.
 
bill.s.preston said:
It hasn't been great, but the episode that was on more4 last week with the disabled girl was pretty, pretty good.
Click to expand...

I thought it was absolutely terrible.

Some really good, typically awkward Curb moments (the first date with the girl in the wheel-chair, asking about the adopted kid using chop-sticks) were ruined by really crass and unfunny slap-stick scenes (the love scene with wheel-chair girl, wrestling with Rosie O'Donnell - WTF?, being chased through the party by the two wheel-chair girls etc.)

What made the first few series so good was that it was just about plausible. Larry was acting like a dick but the scenarios he ended up in were believable and you could sort of understand why he acted the way he did.

This last couple of series have involved a lot of really far-fetched, over-the-top scenarios, with loads of hammy acting, prat falls and crass frat-boy style humour.

I know I'm being harsh but I wouldn't be so annoyed about all of this if I didn't like the series so much in the first place. Pains me to see it go to the dogs like this.
 
it's just taken another turn. They couldnt do the same forever. The characters have become bolder and almost charactures of their former series selves. But i dont really see this as a problem. I love the characters and dont care if Larry is over the top. The slapstick stuff can be pretty funny, i mean it's stupid yes but i see nothing wrong with it. The best stuff is still the dialogue and that comes mostly from the actors.
 
I think it's been excellent. Very dark and still plausible enough for me, Pogue. It's always had a 'what the feck' element to it (Larry's near death experience, ALL the appalling coincidences).
I am not a fan of Seinfeld but have all the Curbs on DVD and force visitors to watch them at suitably inopportune moments, especially the self-loathing Jews and bald people.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
I thought it was absolutely terrible.

Some really good, typically awkward Curb moments (the first date with the girl in the wheel-chair, asking about the adopted kid using chop-sticks) were ruined by really crass and unfunny slap-stick scenes (the love scene with wheel-chair girl, wrestling with Rosie O'Donnell - WTF?, being chased through the party by the two wheel-chair girls etc.)

What made the first few series so good was that it was just about plausible. Larry was acting like a dick but the scenarios he ended up in were believable and you could sort of understand why he acted the way he did.

This last couple of series have involved a lot of really far-fetched, over-the-top scenarios, with loads of hammy acting, prat falls and crass frat-boy style humour.

I know I'm being harsh but I wouldn't be so annoyed about all of this if I didn't like the series so much in the first place. Pains me to see it go to the dogs like this.
Click to expand...
I agree with most of this. Though I found the wrestling with Rosie on Donell part hilarious. Also it is still cut above the rest of comedy out there even if it does not compare to first 3-4 seasons of curb.
 
I think its been very good this season and last. I loved the Blacks moving in. But maybe I got more from that as my girlfriend is african american and she was generally rolling on the floor laughing at them. I love how much darker and even more twisted larry is getting. the way he was looking at the tv executive across the table when he was convinced the guy had stolen his shrimp was brilliant.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
I thought it was absolutely terrible.

Some really good, typically awkward Curb moments (the first date with the girl in the wheel-chair, asking about the adopted kid using chop-sticks) were ruined by really crass and unfunny slap-stick scenes (the love scene with wheel-chair girl, wrestling with Rosie O'Donnell - WTF?, being chased through the party by the two wheel-chair girls etc.)

What made the first few series so good was that it was just about plausible. Larry was acting like a dick but the scenarios he ended up in were believable and you could sort of understand why he acted the way he did.

This last couple of series have involved a lot of really far-fetched, over-the-top scenarios, with loads of hammy acting, prat falls and crass frat-boy style humour.

I know I'm being harsh but I wouldn't be so annoyed about all of this if I didn't like the series so much in the first place. Pains me to see it go to the dogs like this.
Click to expand...

I see your point, but it's always been a bit like that. I think it was in the very first series when he had a wrestling match with that fat woman to get to the doctor's reception first and then has a fight with an interior decorator. The show is full of completely over the top and barely believable situations but I still find them funny. Maybe you're over analyzing it or you have built the earlier shows up to be greater in your memory than they actually were?

My personal hope is that he concentrated more on getting the climax of the Seinfeld reunion right than the preliminary episodes and that's why it has suffered a bit.
 
The miracle and the end of the episode tonight on more 4 made me chuckle
 
Watching this although I enjoy it, makes me feel slightly anxious at times. One example is the one where Larry loses the airline tickets, anybody else get this?
 
New Season Teaser.

HBO: Video: Home

Yes, the show we all thought was pretty, pretty finished when it last aired in 2009 -- when the "Seinfeld" principals (Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus) reunited and finally ended both shows (or so we thought) in a rare chance at re-doing the original (lame) "Seinfeld" closer -- is coming back sometime this year.


The newly-released HBO teaser doesn't tell us much aside from the fact that Larry will be all over New York like Godzilla on Tokyo:


At the end of season seven, Larry seemed to be on the cusp of a reunion with estranged wife Cheryl (Cheryl Hines). Will she follow Larry to New York? What about the show's other L.A.-based regulars: Agent Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin), Richard Lewis, Ted Danson and Mary Steenbergen, Marty Funkhouser (Bob Einstein) and Leon (J.B. Smoove)?

Will Larry hang out in coffee shops, order big salads and come into contact with characters from the fictional "Seinfeld" universe? I can't say I'd mind seeing him get into it with Frank Costanza.

We do already know that another guy who is a master of making people uncomfortable, Ricky Gervais, is set to guest star in season eight. As is, reportedly, Michael J. Fox.
Click to expand...
 
Just finished watching SE 01 and started watching SE 02.

Why does Larry and his wife live in a hotel all of a sudden in the first episode?! What happened to their house, have I missed anything?
 
bill.s.preston said:
Ahh good. I am off to search for UK scheduling info.
Click to expand...

In previous years I've downloaded a torrent for it and that's what I'll be doing when I get home tonight (it aired in US last night).

It's never really advertised in UK very well, plus I don't want to wait.
 
If you sent me a PM with a link to a torrent in it I'd be appalled.
 
LOL torrents?! Why? Still, thank you for the PM. You are most kind.
 
Hmm, seemed a bit like Curb by numbers to me. Still made me laugh though.
 
"She's like the cop in here or?" "Oh my god, what happen to you?"

HAH had to collect myself after that scene... you couldn't act it better than LD did..
 
Just watched the latest one. Very good. Always enjoy Richard Lewis in Curb. Better than last weeks which felt a touch too contrived.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.