Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm 'The Reunion'

Seinfeld shaped my world view like no other art has. From human interaction, to perceived understanding of the way the world functions, Seinfeld has been instrumental in making me the well-adjusted man-child I am today.

The series was never quite the same once Larry David left. It was as though part of the shows soul had been removed. It was still enjoyable, but it was never quite the same. Likewise, Larry’s latter TV endeavor Curb Your Enthusiasm has been extremely good television, but never quite provided the magical experience that was Seinfeld. There was something about the chemistry that existed on that show which informed my life in a way that organized religion could never do.

As discussed on this blog previously, Larry David has decided to get meta and produce a Seinfeld reunion special through the world he’s created on Curb Your Enthusiasm. As a viewer, we will witness the characters of Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards join with fictional Larry David in revisiting the world of Seinfeld.

The very idea of it puts a big, stupid grin on my face.

From episode three of Curb Your Enthusiasm, the season-long Seinfeld-reunion arc commences. Due to my unashamed enthusiasm and sheer love for this, I’m going to be ‘reviewing’ the Seinfeld arc of CYE. Be warned, these reviews feature high volumes of giddy.

Episode: S07e03 ‘The Reunion’
Script: Larry David
Director: Jeff Schaffer

Plot
Like all great Larry David scripts, the episode weaves in and out of itself abstractly until the end where everything ties together neatly.

We start with Larry at his Manager Jeff’s house where Jeff asks Larry to attend a meeting with him at NBC. Apparently they have been bugging him for years to get Larry to take a meeting. By Jeffs thinking, if they take the meeting and Larry says no, then he can at least say that Larry has said no and be done with it. Incidentally, Larry advises Jeff’s wife Susie that she may have lyme disease and should see a doctor. Later in the episode we find out Susie did indeed have Lyme disease, but doesn’t thank Larry for the diagnosis. Hilarity ensues.

Larry takes the meeting at NBC, but while waiting in the foyer, he bumps into his Cheryl, his recently separated wife. Cheryl has taken up acting again and is enthused at the idea of Larry working again. This resonates with Larry during his NBC meeting. Fueled by a dream in which everyone on the set of Seinfeld treats him like a comedic God, including Cheryl who is now featured as a cast member, Larry can’t help but announce that he’ll do the reunion show.

After getting the Seinfeld cast to all agree to do the show (more on this in a moment), Larry and Jeff go off to attend a Lakers game with tickets provided by an Executive at NBC. When searching for their seats, the guys realise they have got the worst seats in the house. Larry, using some binoculars, spies the Exec courtside seated next to David Spade. Larry calls the Exec, only to see the Exec screen his call and not answer. So, when Larry sees the Exec outside after the game, he does what one would expect. He tells the Exec to go fuck himself.

I don’t recall language getting that fruity on Seinfeld.

Jerry Seinfeld then gets pissed at Larry for ruining the show, forcing Larry to deliver as great an apology as he can muster to the NBC Exec. Seeing how insincere Larry is, he doesn’t accept the apology. The Exec then complains that he’s been feeling unwell. Again we view Larry’s dreamstate in which he weighs up two fantasies. One in which he’s able to get Cheryl back by doing the show, and a second in which he enjoys visiting the funeral of the NBC Exec. Despite the unbridled joy he gets from the second fantasy, Larry advises the Exec of the Lyme disease and gets the reunion back.

Jerry then ruins it all by casting Meg Ryan in the role of intended for Cheryl.

Could this be any more convoluted? Probably.

Beloved Aunt (AKA, Reaction)
The experience of watching this episode could not be more joyous. Watching the Seinfeld cast interacting under their pseudo-real personas was an absolute thrill. Despite all of the characters behaving in an expected CYE-manner (ie easily pissed off), one could sense the joy was not entirely all mine. The entire episode had a sense of wonderful whimsy to it that is rarely seen on Curb. It’s as though they all knew they were on screen for something special and it resonated strongly.

Jerry Seinfeld can’t act. Even when playing himself, the guy struggles. Despite his awful and wooden performance as Jerry Seinfeld, it was great watching Larry and Jerry riffing about the fact second chances never work out (citing the death of Natalie Wood as key evidence). Listening to the two of them chatting on the Seinfeld DVD commentaries provided a very similar experience.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Larry David also share an amazing chemistry. We’ve seen the two of them on screen together frequently on CYE in the past and Louis-Dreyfus consistently delivers. It’s interesting that she is so great in this and when you see her on screen during interviews, yet her sitcom (The New Adventures of Old Christine) is so lousy. The cast on Christine is pretty good and the writing isn’t too shakey, but there is something undefinable that just doesn’t work on that show.

There were two distinct highlights for me though, which involved Michael Richards and Jason Alexander. In trying to get them to agree to appear on the Reunion show, Larry meets both actors at the same restaurant (at separate times).

I never appreciated how good Michael Richards was in Seinfeld until recently where I watched every episode of the series back to back. Richards is so subtle in his mannerisms and approaches every scene and physical movement with such deliberate ambition, yet with the character acting so large, over the top, and crazy-eyed, it was easy to look past his obvious skill. In this, the characterization that Richards brings to the role of himself is as a guy who seems largely frazzled by the world and out of sync with everyone by just a smidge. Watch the scene as Richards deals with trying to talk to Larry, not comprehending a single word he says due to being distracted by the restaurants nude-lady photographic artwork. He’s so INTO the imagery, yet distanced completely from the world it inhabits. If we don’t get more valuable character moments with Richards, it’ll be exceedingly disappointing.

It is Jason Alexander that completely owns the episode. There are two relationships of particular note in the Larry David/Seinfeld union. Jerry and Larry, as the show creators and producers are linked as the creative forces behind the show, but the Jason Alexander/Larry David union is equally significant. Alexanders performance as George Costanza is a shameless Larry David impersonation derived from the obvious fact that David has modeled Costanza completely after himself. The version of Alexander that he plays on CYE has him showing near contempt for the character of George Costanza and for the creative choices made on Seinfeld. Watch the pure annoyance on Larry Davids face with every word Alexander says as the actor rejects the very essence of Larry David.

In Summary
While giddy out of my mind, I approached the reunion with a sense of caution. This could have been either marvelous or bitterly disappointing. Thankfully it was certainly the former. If they can sustain the joy this episode provided me, I might be able to die a happy man. And quite frankly, once this Seinfeld reunion is done with, is there really anything else life has to offer?

(NOTE: Should I actually die shortly after CYE winds up the season, this was not a suicide note. I was, in fact, murdered. Avenge me).

Curb Your Enthusiasm – Season 7 (the final season) will air in coming months on Go!