Larry David Plays the Hits and Learns Nothing to Send Off Curb Your Enthusiasm: Review
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The post Larry David Plays the Hits and Learns Nothing to Send Off Curb Your Enthusiasm: Review appeared first on Consequence.
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Curb Your Enthusiasm, Season 12 Episode 10 “No Lessons Learned…” — as well as pretty much all of Season 12.]
As several characters reminded viewers throughout Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12, Larry David infamously bunged up the finale for one of the biggest sitcoms of all time, Seinfeld. Now, almost three decades later, with Curb officially coming to a close, it’s David’s second chance: Will he stick the landing or pen another episode of television fated for listicles titled “Worst Series Finales of All Time?” Luckily, “No Lessons Learned” accomplishes the former, and in typical David fashion, it does so by digging in its heels, admitting no fault, and doubling down on David’s 1998 decision-making.
Eagle-eyed viewers (like ourselves), might have seen this coming from the beginning of the season. The setting of a trial was just too perfect of a set-up. Then, of course, there’s Episode 10’s title, invoking the oft-repeated mantra of the Seinfeld writing team: “No hugging, no learning.” Well, in “No Lessons Learned,” there’s definitely no hugging, and there’s certainly no learning, as Larry himself makes extremely clear early in the episode. “I’m 76 years old, and I have never learned a lesson in my entire life,” he tells a trouble-making kid with a cheery “ho-ho!”
So, yes, the episode loosely follows the conceit of the Seinfeld finale. Larry’s on trial, and as part of it, a host of people he has previously wronged take the stand to testify against his character. Familiar favorites like Mocha Joe, Mr. Takahashi, and the now-grown girl from the legendary Season 2 episode “The Doll” all speak to Larry’s pettiness alongside flashbacks. Hell, even recent guest star Bruce Springsteen calls in to tell Larry he can go fuck himself.
The callbacks and references don’t stop there, as there are passing mentions of numerous standout moments (the “c*nt obituary,” hiring a sex worker to use the carpool lane, the “pant tent”) as well as the return of series-long runners (like the Larry stare-down). It gets a tad clip-showy, something the Seinfeld finale is often criticized for, but there’s enough going on in the periphery of the trial to make the fan service not only palatable but, atconctually, quite enjoyable for long-time fans.
With an extended runtime of one hour, all of Curb’s familiar faces get a chance to shine. Leon (J.B. Smoove) catches up on Larry’s past work, acutely calling Seinfeld a “fuck documentary”; Jeff (Jeff Carlin) royally screws up his anniversary gift; Susie (Susie Essman) gets some good, profanity-laden tirades in; and the late Richard Lewis has yet another relationship (with guest star Allison Janney!) ruined thanks to Larry.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
While not direct callbacks, such situations come across as thematic references, a final nod to the nature of each respective character. They’re predicaments fans have watched these knuckleheads get into again and again, and it plays out just as hilariously as any previous instance. David’s playing the hits, both literally in the courtroom, and more subtly with the absurd subplots.
As the episode nears its ending, everything is in perfect disorder. Larry has pissed off people who were previously on his side, and his schemes have completely and utterly blown up in his face. Then, just as it unfolded in Seinfeld, Larry is found guilty, sentenced to jail, and finds himself sitting in a cell. In a shot that echoes the final still of Seinfeld, Larry yaps away behind bars, having not changed in the slightest. It’s a solid, if somewhat expected, meta-joke, and one that arrives with a surprising amount of restraint when it comes to winks and nudges to the audience.
But just as it seems like Curb is putting all of its chips on spoofing what’s largely considered one of David’s best-known failures, Jerry Seinfeld himself walks up (oh yeah, Jerry Seinfeld returns for this episode). Jerry explains that because of a bad sequestered, the case resulted in a mistrial, meaning Larry is free to go. As they walk out together, they finally deliver the punchline that’s been 26 years in the making: “You don’t want to end up like this, nobody wants to see it.” (And a few lines later, Larry realizes: “This is how we should have ended the finale!”)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
The real final shot of Curb Your Enthusiasm is the main cast sitting in a row on a plane, loudly bickering over each other about, well, nothing really. Like the Seinfeld finale, it serves as the culmination of the characters’ non-arcs, as well as a concentrated distillation of the show’s charm and style. At the same time, it’s an undeniably Curb ending, showcasing what distinguishes the series from its network predecessor.
Ultimately, it feels like more than just the finale for a long-running HBO show. Rather, “No Lessons Learned” feels like a victory lap for David’s tenure on television, his final statement of irreverence and socially (un)aware humor. David and his work have grown and morphed throughout the years, but at his core, he truly hasn’t learned anything — and somehow that’s been his greatest strength.
Curb Your Enthusiasm is streaming now on Max.
Larry David Plays the Hits and Learns Nothing to Send Off Curb Your Enthusiasm: Review
Jonah Krueger
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