I'm surprised that a lot of people didn't seem to like the new episodes so far. Compared to season 8 that had some weaker moments(maybe the NY setting?), season 9 so far seems great and I can understand why the cast says this might be the best season yet. Maybe people are too used to Larry's character by now, so some of the scenes with him seem repetitive or less funny, but I thought they handle it pretty well, mixing awkward single incidents with the story arc in the background. Compared to another show that returned after a long hiatus(Arrested Development), season 9 of CyE feels like it is still the show we came to love, while season 4 of AD seemed much less like a comedy to me and was quite a disappointment. Larry David didn't try to reinvent the show and I think that's a smart move.
14 Reviews
Prrreeeetttttyyyyyy good.
anumber6 October 2017
The episode was hilarious, as always. I understand what other reviewers are saying about it feeling a little forced at times, but I honestly think it was to get the re- introductions out of the way. There were times where I expected a clap track to start playing when someone new appeared in a scene, and imagine those awkward introductions threw people off a bit. That being said, (yes, I get the Seinfeld reference) the story-line and humor were spot-on, and the acting was as good as ever. Guess Larry hasn't gotten the memo to water down his comedy for people's delicate sensibilities. (and I hope he never does) So far, the biting humor and commentary on the absurdity of everyday life are on par with the first season. I think it will only get better from here.
Needs some adjustments on improvising-acting balance, but still funny
utku_kamil_ozen6 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
As you might know, if you are a fan, this show is mostly improvised. And I had no problem with that up until this episode. I love Larry David, but let's agree on the fact that he's not an actor. But because of the premise of the show, it somehow works. You just need all the other actors on the show to act well to balance Larry's almost 4th- wall-breaking attitude. I'll give a more specific example, when Larry was arguing with the lesbian couple, that scene suffered heavily from bad acting. Female actors in that scene didn't work well with Larry David. And other regular actors like Jeff Garlin and Susie Essman joins in with Larry in his non-acting more than they usually do. So it all seems a little bit too self-congratulatory and self-conscious. Dial it down a notch guys, take another shot if a scene doesn't work.
Still I'm giving the show the benefit of the doubt for the future and a little generous 8/10 points for the episode. Because it managed to throw some amusing ideas like door holding etiquette for a butch lesbian and a consolation for a friend who has lost his parakeet. I am positive they'll find the sweet spot between acting and improvising again in the future episodes.
Still I'm giving the show the benefit of the doubt for the future and a little generous 8/10 points for the episode. Because it managed to throw some amusing ideas like door holding etiquette for a butch lesbian and a consolation for a friend who has lost his parakeet. I am positive they'll find the sweet spot between acting and improvising again in the future episodes.
Brilliant episode
eng_amrsamir16 December 2020
One of the best
duanehogans15 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This was David & Smoove at the top
of their Curb game. The funny all comes from Smoove. First, anyone who knows his character, realizes he is always over the top (who isn't in this series?). And he always seems to be annoying David, who keeps him around anyway.
The laughs begin when the street smart Smoove, who is frequently portrayed as being out of David's cultural league, figures out that an unwanted secretary was FOISTED upon David. Smoove has this revelation after hearing the story briefly from David. Just the way Smoove mulls it the story over & sharply announces, YOU BEEN FOISTED, is hilarious. Of course, David is not only out for revenge, but at Smoove's must see suggestion, searches to find someone he can FOIST secretary upon.
Great writing as usual, turning 1 word into an entire gut funny episode.
The laughs begin when the street smart Smoove, who is frequently portrayed as being out of David's cultural league, figures out that an unwanted secretary was FOISTED upon David. Smoove has this revelation after hearing the story briefly from David. Just the way Smoove mulls it the story over & sharply announces, YOU BEEN FOISTED, is hilarious. Of course, David is not only out for revenge, but at Smoove's must see suggestion, searches to find someone he can FOIST secretary upon.
Great writing as usual, turning 1 word into an entire gut funny episode.
Hilarious. Larry David is indeed genius
persianvoice2 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I found this episode extra funny because I'm Iranian myself.
*************** SPOILER ALERT ***************
Wait until upcoming episodes when Larry visits Salman Rushdie in person asking for help how to deal with the Fatwa. Also the Iranian actress Nasim Pedrad from SNL is very funny playing the lesbian.
*************** SPOILER ALERT ***************
Wait until upcoming episodes when Larry visits Salman Rushdie in person asking for help how to deal with the Fatwa. Also the Iranian actress Nasim Pedrad from SNL is very funny playing the lesbian.
I don't know how to feel about this episode
hayden-372621 October 2017
I wouldn't exactly say this was bad, but something was a little off with this episode. This is coming from someone who absolutely loves this show and would give just about every episode up to this point a ten. I even rank this show slightly above Seinfeld. However, this was a strange episode. Overall I think the story was actually decent, but Larry's execution of the lines seemed a little bit weird and even a bit forced to me. Where in previous seasons the dialogue flows from scene to scene as if it were just happening in real life, this episode felt a bit too much like he was doing a bit the whole time. Still, I'm definitely not giving up on this show as it could just be first episode jitters. Hopefully this doesn't end up like one of those reunion shows that were talked about so much in season 7...
Foisted!
bobcobb3011 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
If you're like me you were anxiously waiting for a new season of Curb for six years. You've quoted the show in the past and can't wait for new lines to recite.
Unfortunately, something felt a bit off about this. The improv wasn't quite on par, we were denied a big Susie shouting match (and in return got a punch, for some reason) and are left wondering if Larry will really have hit men after him all season or if the main arc will be about the play.
Richard Lewis' two scenes were among the few highlights. Still good, I still laughed, but there was a day when no other comedy came close to touching this show. Now, this wasn't that spectacular.
Unfortunately, something felt a bit off about this. The improv wasn't quite on par, we were denied a big Susie shouting match (and in return got a punch, for some reason) and are left wondering if Larry will really have hit men after him all season or if the main arc will be about the play.
Richard Lewis' two scenes were among the few highlights. Still good, I still laughed, but there was a day when no other comedy came close to touching this show. Now, this wasn't that spectacular.
Acting seems forced, plot bounces around; pretty, pretty mediocre
stormchaserQ4 November 2017
I've been a huge Curb fan for years and I was thrilled to see the show come back on air, but the first episode of season 9 was kind of disappointing. Right from the start, it's clear that production was more of a focus than improv humor. For starters, hand-held cameras are gone, but if that was the only major change, I wouldn't be complaining...
It's painful to watch Larry in some of the scenes, as his execution of the lines is cringe-worthy, with dialogue lacking a natural flow. Overly scripted perhaps? Maybe too much emphasis on trying to be funny? Either way, the humor seems forced. The raw, largely unscripted humor of Curb is what made the show incredibly funny in the past.
If production value is going to go up (fancier camera work), you'd think the humor would too. Maybe Larry is a bit rusty here and they tried "too hard," inadvertently coming off as a bit disingenuous. To the trained Curb eye, you can see Larry delivering scripted line after line, sometimes grinning before the punch line even comes out. The plot also lacks fluidity, but maybe that's something I shouldn't over analyze, as Curb doesn't fit the mold of a typical sitcom. Still, some of the jokes and scenes feel like they were forced into the episode.
With that said, there are still some good laughs from time to time, especially when Richard Lewis gets on camera. The new or casual Curb fan will probably rate this episode quite high, but someone like myself can't help but feel just a bit let down.
Overall, I'm glad that Curb is back, but Larry, don't try so hard. Let the lines and humor be natural, like it used to be!
It's painful to watch Larry in some of the scenes, as his execution of the lines is cringe-worthy, with dialogue lacking a natural flow. Overly scripted perhaps? Maybe too much emphasis on trying to be funny? Either way, the humor seems forced. The raw, largely unscripted humor of Curb is what made the show incredibly funny in the past.
If production value is going to go up (fancier camera work), you'd think the humor would too. Maybe Larry is a bit rusty here and they tried "too hard," inadvertently coming off as a bit disingenuous. To the trained Curb eye, you can see Larry delivering scripted line after line, sometimes grinning before the punch line even comes out. The plot also lacks fluidity, but maybe that's something I shouldn't over analyze, as Curb doesn't fit the mold of a typical sitcom. Still, some of the jokes and scenes feel like they were forced into the episode.
With that said, there are still some good laughs from time to time, especially when Richard Lewis gets on camera. The new or casual Curb fan will probably rate this episode quite high, but someone like myself can't help but feel just a bit let down.
Overall, I'm glad that Curb is back, but Larry, don't try so hard. Let the lines and humor be natural, like it used to be!
Worst Season So Far, But It's Still Curb So It's Still Good
LeonardHaid18 October 2017
As a huge fan of Curb, as someone who has watched every episode of the first 8 seasons at least twice, I naturally had high expectations of Season 9. Larry had set the bar so high...maybe that was the problem, because I'm disappointed in this season so far. Everyone is noticeably older, yet they all seem to be in denial about that. It's weird. Ted is banging Cheryl, Larry asks Mary out but she turns him down because Larry's not her body type, Larry gets advice on how to pick up women then ends up with a woman young enough to be his granddaughter...it's all contrived and strange. Nobody has grown up. Susie, Leon and Richard do the usual shtick, but it's tired shtick now...it lacks freshness. And Larry's turned his shtick up a couple of notches to the point where he's a ranting old man more than a savvy social assassin.
Having said that (thinking of the Having Said That scene now on an old Curb), it's still Curb, so it's still worth watching.
Having said that (thinking of the Having Said That scene now on an old Curb), it's still Curb, so it's still worth watching.
a Very funny man who's been on the stage one time too many
markel-8749728 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I have to agree with reviewer Leonardhaid. Rveryone is older and everyone is in denial and the shtick is getting old. I'm wondering why beyond the obvious reasons of age and staying on the stage too long and a couple of things occur to me. I remember when Seinfeld began to get surreal with episodes that strained credulity and weren't as funny. Too much imagination. The beauty of Seinfeld and Curb is that as wacky as those narratives are, at their best they are believable while being totally improbable, that's why they are so funny. The more surreal episodes lost that connection with reality and the same has happened to Curb in Season nine. We can't really believe Larry would wrestle the star of Hamilton to the ground while at the same time begging him to star in his show. In earlier seasons this episode would have been done in a way that one could believe it might possibly have happened that way. Then I've noticed Larry now has a co-writer for some if not all the episodes of season 9. My impressions was that in earlier seasons he did all the writing himself. I wonder if that might have anything to do with the decline ,Whatever, there's no arguing the fact that LD with Seinfeld and Curb has been a brilliant funny man for a very long time. So I give season nine a 4 but a nine for all the previous seasons.
what happened?
murcer7711 November 2017
This show hit the ground running in it's first season, very good show, but season 9's first episode was the worse episode ever, not funny at all, Leon had one good line that made me chuckle a little, but the rest of the episode and the next 5 episodes were really boring and not funny, the layoff really hurt them, and they all are looking really bad, Richard Lewis looks like he got out of a coffin, and Marty looks like a Batman villain, where are his eyebrows?
Disappointing and Not Funny
johnwarfn23 March 2023
Something changed. New director or producer? Feels like a different show, more like a conventional scripted sitcom. The observational camera style has been replaced with slick dolly and aerial shots. Lots of quick cuts in the dialogue editing, it's lost that improvisational feeling. Also, not very funny somehow. Felt like a rough draft or a fan produced homage. This used to be a brilliant show but this episode was pretty sad somehow. I was cringing because the jokes and shtick weren't funny. Usually I'm cringing and laughing because Larry is being awkward and making a fool of himself. It just feels like the show us run it's course and they should have let it fade away. Maybe the rest of the season gets better. Let's hope!
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