What a weird little world Larry David lives in. Yes, it’s largely designed to seem as small as it does, but to have something as asinine as a guy sitting in shorts on an airplane come full-circle for Larry as he’s running from an angry boyfriend…? I only hope Curb is heavier on fiction than fact, for his sake.
I was wondering: the restaurant singer that Larry yells at and stops mid-song; was he doing it to prove to his friends that shushing Jeff’s daughter wasn’t a one-time thing, or is he seriously sick enough that he’d do that whenever, and wherever he encountered someone flexing their golden pipes (what’s up, Benny from E*Trade!)?
Then, of course, his opinion of men in shorts got thrown right back in his face as Larry offended his doctor, Ted Danson, and Susie (Susie Essman) with the unattractive look. The circles are smaller than they were on Seinfeld, and not just because Larry is a one-man show, but they’re tied up just as neatly.
Speaking of Seinfeld — we were not treated to any of our favorite four on last night’s Curb, but that doesn’t mean that their ghosts weren’t floating around. This may be old hat for long-time Curb fans, but there were some juicy Seinfeld throwbacks utilized in this week’s episode of the show.
First of all a more obvious rip: Larry, his left hand injured, worried about his ability to remove his date’s bra (this is how he works towards reconciliation with Cheryl?), because he can’t go right. Sound like any season four episode of Seinfeld that you can remember? In “The Implant,” it’s Jerry who can’t go right:
“Yeah, she (Betsy) was on his (George) right side. He can’t make a move with his left hand. Can’t go left.” – Jerry
“He can’t go left.” – Elaine
“No! I’m lefty, can’t go right.” – Jerry
That felt a little stale to me. But it was redeemed, and then some, by the brilliant guest-casting of … Philip Baker Hall, better known to me as Lieutenant Bookman of the New York Public Library. Yes, he never really got riled up enough for us to relive his greatest moment (although his anger on the phone and in his house gave me a hint), but the speech he gave Jerry in the season three episode of Seinfeld entitled “The Library” was one of the funniest soliloquies I’ve ever heard on TV.
“I’ve seen your type before: flashy, making the scene, flaunting convention…. Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me…. Sure, we’re too old to change the world. But what about that kid, sitting down, opening a book right now in a branch at the local library and finding drawings of pee-pees and wee-wees on “The Cat in the Hat” and “The Five Chinese Brothers?” Doesn’t HE deserve better?… This is about that kid’s right to read a book without getting his mind warped! Or, maybe that turns you on, Seinfeld; maybe that’s how you get your kicks, you and your good-time buddies. Well I got a flash for you, joy-boy: Party time is over. You got seven days, Seinfeld. That is one week!”
Which leaves us with Christian Slater. I did not know he did comedy, and I think that’s a crime. His deadpan delivery, and reappearance at just the right moment to tie his story in with Larry and the angry boyfriend, was a great way to end an episode. And boy does the guy love caviar!
Look, was it the funniest half hour in the history of television, or even this week? No. Would it convince me to watch a theoretical season eight of the show? Not likely. I’m still just here for my Seinfeld sightings … but it’s nice to laugh while I wait.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Oct 12, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
he was proving to his friends that the shit he just made up about shutting the kid up wasn’t something he just made up. kinda like like lying about being a marine biologist or something. :)
*POST AUTHOR*
:-) “A hole in one, eh?”
the sea was angry that day, my friends!
Of course he was doing it to prove to his friends he didn’t like the human voice. At the Doctor’s office he said the singing was a great idea, that’s partially why he gave them the certificate. There was also the huge facial expression of realisation he did to convey the fact that the guy was going to sing and that he had to say something to show he wasn’t lying. How could that be missed?
*POST AUTHOR*
Well, none of that would actually mean that Larry was or wasn’t sick enough to do it in general – that’s really something you need to be a long-time watcher to answer. Thus the question. Thanks! :)