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Originally Posted by Double Down
I think I've finally been able to put my finger on why Curb felt so "off" this season (and maybe the past couple recent seasons). Others have mentioned it itt that in a more general sense, the show has lost what has made it great, but I believe that thing specifically is what differentiated itself from Seinfeld.
Both shows are two breeds of the same kind of animal. Seinfeld is the version that is more sitcommy and hammy. When watching Seinfeld, you're always aware that you're watching a tv show. CYE historically went the opposite way, trying to come off very realistic, almost like a documentary. Like the Larry Sanders Show. The humor was more about the intricacies of social contracts, interactions, etiquette, etc. Seinfeld was shtick.
Both shows succeeded best when they stayed in their own lane.
So I think the problem is that in the past couple of CYE seasons, the show has become more like Seinfeld. The dialogue feels so much more scripted with forced lines and moments. The way it's shot no longer feels like we are listening in on conversations, but contain more deliberate types of shots, angles, etc.
There were so many more shticky types of returning jokes this season. Just look at the finale. You have the outfit tracker thing, the whole apology/thank you thing, the ridiculousness of the duel, etc. Even something like a deaf interpreter with big tits, like is that SERIOUSLY going to be so distracting at a wedding that the mother of the bride would have to kick her out? They even needed to have the groom's parents be deaf just so they could justify having the interpreter there. It's all just so damn inorganic.
Now just imagine if all of that had happened in a Seinfeld episode. It would've been awesome!! It would have been a freaking classic because that's what we loved about Seinfeld, and that style of humor would've matched the style of that show. But when put in the context of a show where we're supposed to be able to buy that this stuff is really happening, it just doesn't mesh well.
I'll bet if you look at a lot of the storylines from this season, they would've fit like a glove in the Seinfeld world.
I was starting to watch CYE from the beginning right before the new season started since it had been years since seeing them, and I only made it through the first couple of seasons bc I got busy. But it became glaringly apparent that early CYE and 2017 CYE feel like two completely different shows. The show was better when it was simpler.
I don't know if you guys noticed the names of the episodes from this season, but most of them were named after one of the recurring jokes from each episode. The Pickle Gambit. Thank You For Your Service. Foisted. Never Wait For Seconds. Etc. etc. It's as if LD was trying to get out as many memorable terms and phrases as possible, just like the bajillion that came out of Seinfeld.
It's still enjoyable now, I just think this season came across like Larry David didn't know if this really might be the last ever season, so he wanted to not only throw everything he had into it, but also some Seinfeldy kind of stuff too.
lol the show has always been "rated R seinfeld"
the FIRST EPISODE of the show was called "The Pants Tent" and centered around a bulge in his pants that made a female uncomfortable. it could've easily been a Seinfeld episode (and maybe was intended as one!).
and secondly, the full circle nature of the episodes (i.e. the parents also being deaf) has always been a part of this show. if you're finding it inorganic, i think you're just trying way, way too hard to find faults.
and i'd actually go the other way, and say that this season felt less scripted, because it appeared like LD was cracking up to a joke he didn't expect like once an episode and they just kept it in. Leon, in particular, seems to be really great at improv.
