Ever since switching to season-long story arcs a few years ago, Curb Your Enthusiasm has followed a rule: No matter how weak the season is overall, the finale will be satisfying.
And Sunday night's finale maintained that tradition.
Part of what made it satisfying was seeing the Seinfeld crew do what looked like a classic Seinfeld episode on HBO. (We only see a few minutes of it, but enough to know it felt more like a part of the show's universe more than the actual Seinfeld finale from 11 years ago.)
Part of it was seeing Larry -- in the midst of professional and (later) personal triumph -- continue to carry out his petty crusades: dealing with vengeful coffee vendor Mocha Joe, bartering for the lives of Jason Alexander's vicious dogs, and attempting to prove his innocence in the "ring staining" of Julia Louis-Dreyfus' antique coffee table.
(It's hard to decide which repeated phrase I found funnier: "Mocha Joe" or "Do you respect wood?")
And yes, part of it was seeing Larry win Cheryl back, although it's not clear how long they'll stay together. Seconds after their first kiss since the break-up, he realizes Cheryl was the culprit behind the coffee table stain, and calls up Julia to gloat.
Then again, it's not clear whether Larry David wants to do an eighth season. If that's the case, this was a fitting place to stop.
Other thoughts:
- I really enjoyed Jerry and Larry together this season. They share the same sort of dynamic here as Jerry and George did on Seinfeld. (I can see Larry spitting on an improperly parked car at Jerry's urging.)
- Of course, even though Larry was the inspiration for George, it doesn't mean he should play George, as the horrified cast and crew learned during this episode, watching Larry's painful overacting.
- Weird Seinfeld fan moment: seeing the world of the show -- Jerry's apartment and the cafe -- reduced to actual sets, and viewing the world beyond Jerry's hallway.
- If I overuse (or even use) the term "having said that," I apologize.
Tom Coombe
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