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Plot: What’s it about?
Curb Your Enthusiasm remains one of my all-time favorite shows. It is one I continually think about, quote and rewatch quite often. What started way back in 2000, lasted a strong 12 seasons, just recently ending for good(?) in 2024. As many might know, it stars Larry David as himself in what can be seen as a sort of heightened reality. David is the co-creator of a little show called Seinfeld, and he brings much of that same style of humor here. There is no laugh track and it often focuses on little minute details. While David plays himself on the show, it is more of the person he wants to be rather than an actual depiction of himself. Sure, there are some of his actual traits, but he’s described in interviews that Larry on the show is very much his Superman. That is in the way that he often wants to act and say the things that his character says on the show. It won’t be a series that will have mass appeal since it’s very specific kind of humor, but I have often found it very relatable, especially in those earlier years. I will give an overview of each season to give an idea of what to expect for nonviewers. Each season has an arc that all 10 episodes are built around. This might be Larry going in with others at a new restaurant, or his childhood friend, Richard Lewis needing a kidney. There is even a semi-Seinfeld reunion that even nonviewers should check out. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Season 1
While this season doesn’t include an overall arc, it introduces us to Larry and his pals. His wife Cheryl is played by Cheryl Hines; his manager and friend Jeff Green is played by Jeff Garlin. Also appearing here is Richard Lewis, playing himself. For my money, it doesn’t get better than when these two appear on screen together as their chemistry is second to none. The show is known also for its strong consistency, but there are some early bits that got changed around a bit in later seasons.
Season 2
In this season, the big plot line is Larry wants to develop a new TV show. Notable appearances include Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander. It’s amusing in this way that Larry can’t get a show going with Jason since the two of them can’t agree on where they should meet. Larry doesn’t want to always drive to Jason’s office and vice versa. It’s great stuff, really. Some highlights here include a Trick or Treat episode where Larry doesn’t want to give out candy to two girls who aren’t dressed up. This decision results in his house getting rolled. Another amusing one is when he sees his psychotherapist at the beach wearing a thong. Expect a golden season here.
Season 3
In this season, Larry decides to venture into the restaurant business with his partner, Jeff Green and actor, Ted Danson, among others. He is also cast in a Marting Scorsese picture. Like the previous 2 seasons, this one is of super high quality.
Season 4
The golden streak continues with season 4 which has Larry connect with Mel Brooks to star in the Broadway play of The Producers. Ben Stiller and David Schwimmer appear here, and the laughs are laid on very strongly. The final twist to this season is a clever one as well. I especially liked the Blind Date episode and the carpool lane one. There are some truly relatable moments here as well, which include Larry getting called out for not singing Happy Birthday and not giving a birthday gift. I could go on with praise, but we’ve more seasons to cover.
Season 5
In this season, a big plotline is Larry’s friend, Richard Lewis needing a kidney transplant and Larry feeling obligated to donate. Of course, Larry is fighting tooth and nail to try and avoid this surgery as well, and many of the laughs come from that angle. This remains one of my favorite seasons.
Season 6
In a strange move, the David’s decided to take in a family from New Orleans named the blacks, who are also black. Vivica A. Fox and J.B. Smooth lead the black cast. Smooth would continue until the series ended, but the blacks were largely a season 6 staple. This season has some laughs, but the humor is geared very much toward one demographic and having Larry’s new houseguests often takes away some of the spotlight from he and the series regulars. This show had weaker seasons to be sure, but season 6 remains a mixed bag. Still, the little moments throughout the episodes make it worth viewing.
Season 7
This is the big Seinfeld season with the four leads from that series all returning here throughout the season. That is to work on something of a reunion show Larry has concocted, for of course reasons that only he knows of initially. His hope is to have Cheryl come back to him. This is a good season, but it did take me time to warm up to it. I think the super high expectations of having the Seinfeld cast return led to my imagination going in all sorts of directions.
Season 8
This season has Larry living in New York for a while and dealing with his divorce from Cheryl. Michael J. Fox appears in this season as well as Ricky Gervais and several others. There are laughs to be had here, but this isn’t the show’s finest hour.
Season 9
After being off the air since 2011, Curb returned in 2017, but to only mixed results. The politics are laid on a bit heavy here as Larry incurs a fatwa from the Supreme Leader of Iran. While this is an inconsistent season, there are still a few highlights such as how to handle accidental texting and being lied to about a disturbance in a restaurant kitchen.
Season 10
In this season, Larry is accused of sexual harassment and opens a coffee shop simply out of spite. This is what I feel began the show’s huge dip in quality. Everyone and everything just started feeling tired, and many of the episodes just became silly. I still enjoy the ugly section episode which has a few good laughs.
Season 11
In what was a very short gap between seasons, this season has Larry getting involved with Netflix and dealing with a fence on his property and how big it can be. Tracey Ullman appears here as Irma Kostroski who Larry gets involved with to influence a decision about his fence. I found her character nothing but repulsive and unfunny, making this season a chore to get through at times.
Season 12
Our final season has Larry getting arrested for an election integrity law. A lot was set up here and from season 11, making this season more plot driven than previous years and probably more than was necessary. There is almost too much happening here and as mentioned, in the last few years leaning into politics a bit too much. What was once a purely relatable show had just gotten too silly for my taste. There are laughs to be sure and it was bittersweet in some ways seeing this series end. I don’t find myself wanting to revisit this season over the earlier years. I feel by this time, Curb simply started to show its wear a bit too much.
So, with the recapping of the seasons, it’s great to have every episode in a nice package that’s consolidated the best way possible. I will speak more of it below, but a better job could’ve been done with the packaging, which results in some complications getting each disc out. All that aside, this set is a must-have for even the most casual fans of the show.
Video: How’s it look?
I own all the seasons on DVD and viewed several on a streaming platform as well. This is a definite improvement over the old DVDs but I would say equal to at least, the 4K streaming versions. The formatting talk is something for others beside me. I am simply here to report that these 1.78:1 transfer episodes look quite nice on the Blu-Ray format. The old DVDs were full frame, at least for the first few seasons to my knowledge. The uptick in quality is very noticeable. The details and all come through nicely. It seems later seasons were shot in HD and it easily shows as there is an improvement there. Viewers should be quite pleased with the results here.
Audio: How’s it sound?
This set features Dolby Digital 5.1 and that’s more than adequate for this type of show. Vocals have the clarity, and the rears come in when needed. There is a nice balance during the episodes that really sets things up well. Like the transfers, I feel this presents the show in a positive manner.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Before I dive into the features here, I want to take a moment to discuss the packaging. We get a sturdy outer box that houses two separate cases. Seasons 1-6 get their own case and 7-12 have their own case. The discs are housed in clear cases, and one may suspect they’re loose, but the part that holds the discs doesn’t connect to the actual case itself. This isn’t the worst thing, but it may be easy to assume the case is broken at first. I suspect they kept it loose so you can take the disc tray out and choose your disc of choice. It is an interesting decision for sure. While at least one season had a digital copy, this set doesn’t include that. What really should have been included is insert with either an episode guide or at least an episode listing. One set had them printed on the inner artwork. That would’ve been a nice touch, but having the show on the Blu-Ray format is the best part.
- 60 Minute Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen – This is a nice documentary with much of the cast and crew sharing some nice anecdotes.
- History of Curb – This is broken into 2 parts. We get the history so far (at that point) and even further which looks at where the series might go moving forward. This was during season 5 and season 6 airings.
- A Conversation with Larry David and Susie Essman – Recorded live at New York’s 92nd Street Y.
- One The Set – This is a nice little behind the scenes look.
- Gag Reel
- The Seinfeld Reunion: It Could Only Happen on Curb… This looks at how they went about bringing two shows together.
- Rebuilding the Seinfeld Sets – Pretty straightforward, but fun to see, nonetheless.
- Larry David as George Costanza – Ine season 7, there is a moment where Jason Alexander leaves the show (while playing George) and Larry decides to take over. This is brief but amusing to see.
- ASeinfeld Moment on Curb: Interview with Larry David and the Seinfeld Cast – While there is a bit more praising than I like, it still works here since both shows are so great.
- Leon’s Guide to NYC – A mildly amusing piece giving a little tour.
- Roundtable Discussion with Larry and the cast – Another live recording that has some nice interviews and notes. For fans, it’s worth watching.
- Cast Memorable Moments – A fun little feature showcasing some highlights. This includes previous season segments as well.
- Deleted Scenes
- Curb Your Enthusiasm S10 – What finally broke them. This is an all-too-brief feature about them returning for another season.
- Larry’s Favorite Episodes – Instead of Larry sitting down discussing it, it simply shows some highlights from the episodes I suppose he likes the best.
- Larryisms – This is a brief look at some of the little quotes that Larry concocts.
- Last Day on Set – As you would have guessed, this offers a brief look at the final day of shooting.
- First and Last scene – Another look at the series wrapping up. Do note that some of this footage overlaps into the next. One cohesive piece might’ve made more sense.
- On Set with Suzie – While amusing for a bit, this is a very brief piece that doesn’t offer much value.
The Bottom Line
This is an easy recommendation for me. I can’t speak highly enough of this show, at least in the first 6 or 7 seasons. I feel there was a slight dip in quality in the later years, but the worst of Curb is still better than the best episodes of most other shows. Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed a lot of later episodes as well, but I just don’t feel I will revisit them like I do with the earlier years. Larry let the politics come through a bit too much then some of the actors and storylines weren’t as strong as previous ones. Caveats aside, this set is a must-own for fans.
