....many “Seinfeld” fans will come to see Larry David as a kind of comfort food--something that is familiarly enjoyable and easily digestible.
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When you are the co-creators of one of the most successful sitcom in television history, what else can you achieve to top that incredible feat? For Jerry Seinfeld, he lays back, gets married and enjoys his immense wealth. For Larry David, he comes up with another idea for a show and gets HBO to pick up this new comedy series which is titled "Curb Your Enthusiasm". Having just completed its fourth season, "CYE" is rolling out onto the DVD format in a very timely manner. Just six months after the release of the first season´s episodes, HBO is now releasing the second season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm". Now, if only the network will put "Six Feet Under" on the same release schedule; but I´ll save my gripes for a future review.
"Curb Your Enthusiasm", for better or worse, is based upon the same concept as "Seinfeld", in that it is a show about, well, nothing. See Larry have lunch with his manager. See Larry go to dinner parties. See Larry visit his doctor. See Larry pick up the laundry. Yada, Yada, Yada and you get the picture. It is a show about mundane everyday events that, in Larry David´s universe, take on humorous and embarrassing twists in ways that only Larry can conceptualize. It not only proves how simple daily chores can go so wrong with either the slip of Larry´s tongue or his social paranoia but it is also a testament to Larry´s ability to recognize and show us the extremely funny side of life. While the concept of "CYE" may be the same as "Seinfeld"´s, the execution is totally different. Shot with handheld cameras in a documentary-like style and without a set script, "CYE" almost feels like a reality show. Starting with just an outline of the story, the actors are given a free rein to improvise. Sometimes, it doesn´t work out very well and you can see the actors hesitate for a brief moment before coming up with a line. However, these small glitches actually make the entire premise of the show seem more genuine and almost sincere.
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" is a lot like art imitating life imitating art. For instance, while the former stars of "Seinfeld"--namely Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards--are desperately trying to shake their post-Seinfeld blues of being recognized more for the characters that they played on the sitcom, in "Curb Your Enthusiasm", Larry David actually has to remind people of his "Seinfeld" affiliation; which he does a lot in this show. "That´s Larry David, co-creator of ´Seinfeld´," his manager will tell people they want to impress. "Ooooooooh.....," will come the usual response. Talk about getting no respect! We then find Larry trying to work with first, Jason Alexander and then with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on pitching an idea about an out of work actor who can´t land any work because he or she is typecasts as characters from their previous show. Sounds a lot like reality to me! HBO, the network that broadcasts "CYE" even gets into the act when Louis-Dreyfus suggests that they pitch the idea to HBO for the sole notion that she is allowed to say "F**k" on the show.
The major players on this show are Larry David, who plays himself, Cheryl Hines who plays his wife Cheryl and Jeff Garlin who plays his manager, Jeff Greene. There are also recurring characters like Larry´s pal, Richard Lewis (himself), Jeff´s wife Susie (Susie Essman) and Jeff´s mother (Mina Kolb) and father (Louis Nye). This second season sees guest appearances by Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wanda Sykes, HBO exec Allan Wasserman, Rob Reiner, Ed Asner, Rita Wilson and Shaquille O´Neal. While Julia Louis-Dreyfus only made a single appearance in Season One, she is featured in no less than three in Season Two.
Consisting of the usual ten episodes that are each approximately 30 minutes long, here is a brief summary of Season Two´s stories:
Disc 1:
"The Car Salesman"
The Davids are living in a hotel while they are house hunting. So why are they moving, you ask? Remember the ugly overhead power line that runs across their backyard (it led to some funny moments last season)? Well, Cheryl has had enough of that and they are now buying a huge house with a view of the sea. After moving in, Larry is driven crazy by an unknown "house sound". Also, it so happens that the previous owner of the house, Jay Schneider (Matt North) happens to be Jason Alexander´s new agent. Since Larry does not have anything going on right now, Schneider suggests that Larry and Jason work together again. In the meantime, Larry, who has this absurd fantasy about selling cars, manages to wrangle a job from one of Jeff´s acquaintances as a car salesman. Now, that can´t be a good idea.
"Thor"
While on his way to meet Jason Alexander to discuss their ideas for a show, Larry gets into an altercation with a pro wrestler named Thor Olson (Deron McBee). Meanwhile, Jeff has left his wife Susie and is now living at a hotel. After greeting a neighbor with an unusual remark about her behind, Cheryl gets the impression that Larry has an ass fetish. Horrified, Larry tries his best to be as un-kinky as possible! Later, Larry gets into an argument with Jason about where to hold their business meetings, which practically brings their brief collaboration to a premature end.
"Trick Or Treat"
Attending a premiere of a film made by a wheelchair-bound friend Cliff Cobb (Christopher Thornton), Larry unknowingly comes on sexually to Cliff´s wife, insults a Jewish neighbor with his whistling, offends Cliff with a yawn during the film and even has time left over to insult the memory of Cliff´s grandfather with a remark about a salad that was purportedly invented by him. All in a single night! Then on Halloween night, Larry refuses to hand out candy to a couple of teenage girls who were not dressed in any costumes. The next morning, they find rolls of toilet paper on their trees and the words "Bald Assh***" scrawled in paint on their front door!
"The Shrimp Incident"
After a mix-up at a Chinese takeout, Larry suspects that HBO executive Allan Wasserman stole some shrimp from one of his orders. Now working with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the same idea that he had earlier pitched to Jason Alexander, Larry is hesitant to go to HBO with it because of "the shrimp incident". Julia later invites the Davids to join a weekly poker game in a group that also includes another HBO exec, Michael Halbreich (Sam Pancake). Wouldn´t you know it, Larry screws up the friendly atmosphere by accidentally blurting out the "c" word, leading the others in the group to label him a misogynist.
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