Brief "Curb Your Enthusiasm" spoilers coming up just as soon as I get a prescription filled...Soooo close to being a classic "Curb" episode. All the ingredients were there, save the biggest one: the ending. I liked almost everything else -- dating a doctor as parallel to seeing a doctor, Jeff's dismay at turning bald (Jeff Garlin is almost as good as Susie Essman at playing comic rage, but it's often funnier because he's called on to do it so rarely), Larry getting into trouble for using the N-word (and, especially, Larry being branded a bigot by the pharmacist because of the doctor's hilariously-phrased note) -- but then we came to the final minutes and it was clear Larry didn't come up with a good way to end it.
After all, after getting into trouble twice for repeating verbatim what the guy in the men's room said, shouldn't Larry have figured out by now that he can tell the story without using the word? Plus, Jeff and Susie know the story now; when Larry froze up, why didn't one of them finish it?
Still, 95% of a really funny episode, and seeing Brenda Strong with Larry David reminded me of the old story about how, when he cast her to play braless wonder Sue Ellen Mischke, she noted that she was nursing and, therefore, could make her breasts whatever size Larry wanted.
What did everybody else think?
Couldn't Larry have just said "the N-word"?
ReplyDeleteI don't get the story you mentioned. Nursing women can go from A-Cup to D-Cup?
Brenda Strong is someone who I wish worked more. I'm sure she's getting paid quite nicely by the fine folks at ABC for her weekly 3 minutes of voiceover on Desperate Housewives, but can't they find something else for her?
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, the episode was wonderfully structured (with the very nice realization by Larry that Cheryl is the only woman who can put up with him), save for the anticlimactic ending
My wife & I have the exact same thought as Anonymous - why didn't Larry just say, "The N-Word"?
ReplyDeleteThe truth is, it added to the comic scenarios/problems by Larry actually saying the word, but still, one of the things that "Curb" usually gets right is how real life the situations tend to feel, and in real life, any Caucasian who wanted to relay that story would have just said the phrase, "The N-Word" as to not risk offending people.
Agreed that the obvious solution to the story-telling reduced the greatness of the episode. A couple of things that were great:
ReplyDelete1. Leon complaining Jeff sounded like he swallowed a kazoo when he slept. That slayed me.
2. The pharmacist reading and misinterpreting the doctor's note to Larry- this reminded me of the great comedy bits from Seinfeld and Curb's past.
Is it just me, or did Larry David become incredibly funny again now that he's divorced? (in real life).
ReplyDeleteSeriously, this season has been terrific so far.
Well Rickey, he got divorced after this season was finished, so your point is moot.
ReplyDeleteThis was 1 of the funniest episodes ever. This season has been much better than the previous two.
ReplyDeleteWhat about bthe Doctor's house?
ReplyDeleteThe receptionist's desk, the waiting/living room, the fish tank, the bedroom with the scale and the paper on the bed. LMAO.
Loretta's reaction to hearing Larry was priceless: "Leon, Auntie Rae! Larry David don' called us a n!gga!"
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the funniest lines I've ever heard.