Okay, a bit of blasphemy that, as even as big a Seinfeld fan as I wouldn’t rob the real Fab Four of their moniker. So let’s just go with this: how exciting was it when the Seinfeld four appeared onscreen together, in Jerry’s (rebuilt) apartment, for the first time in more than ten years? I almost called Tor Akman for help regulating my breathing.
The conceit for the reunion is a might bit more than a ridiculous stretch: Larry imagines that casting Cheryl as George’s ex-wife on a Seinfeld reunion (she acts?) will win her back for him. That this shift (“You’re shifting.” “I’m not shifting.” “There’s a shift.”) would change Jerry’s mind is the most implausible of all, but if it brings the team back together….
We don’t know much about these four actors as people, but the impression that their limited screen time gave was that they were playing their characters more than themselves. What’s interesting about that is how off they actually were (nevertheless, I should note that I loved this episode of Curb!); Jerry was himself on the show, save for the fame and fortune, so he doesn’t count. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a mom, and Elaine was the anti-maternal figure, so the mere fact that there were kids in play negates the Elaine-ness of Julia.
Kramer was such a sex-machine that he would never have been distracted by topless art (even though it wasn’t live, I didn’t imagine that there was ever nudity on the show), especially not to the extent that he would have no idea what he’d just agreed to. And George is supposed to be Larry, which Jason Alexander could never be expected to do sitting opposite Larry himself. Interesting to note? George makes for a better Larry than Larry, and Larry and Jerry as a combo don’t hold a candle to Jerry and George.
None of this matters, of course, but I wonder why the actors couldn’t just be themselves, instead of sensationalized versions of their characters. Like I said above, I enjoyed it all, I was just left wondering what the idea behind the idea was….
Jason’s thoughts on the reunion show — “It could make up for the finale” — was inevitable from someone (personally, I don’t think there’s anything to make up for), but it played well to the self-consciousness of George’s Larry-ness. The tipping in concert gag was hilarious, although it supported the notion that Jason was not being George during his time onscreen (George would never have taken issue with it). The ridiculousness of Larry’s quizzing the waiter the following day — George, on the other hand, would have accosted him right then and there to get a look at the bill — and then discussing the notion of a tip — “Tip is solo” — with Jason and Jerry was some fine, albeit slightly rusty, Larry and Jerry Seinfeld-esque writing.
It’s Curb, and not Seinfeld, that continued beyond the five’s meeting in Larry’s office. Larry David wants you to see the slight; the nose bleed seats, the NBC executive sitting with David Spade in the floor seats … Jerry Seinfeld is a subtler comedian. But I loved the Seinfeld shout-out: Larry putting the kibosh on the reunion deal, ala Jerry putting the alleged kibosh on “Crazy” Joe Divola’s NBC deal. And Larry flipping a coin to decide whether to let NBC executive Sandy Goodman die, or to potentially reunite with Cheryl? And then mourning the losing option (letting Sandy die) before going to warn him? Absolutely hilarious.
And I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to see how Larry dumps Meg Ryan (although she’s an awful casting choice) as George’s ex for Cheryl. It had to work out that way, right?
This feels right; a straight-up reunion would have only disappointed, because the stakes would have been so high as to be unattainable. This way, we get to see Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer in Jerry’s living room one more time, on co-creator Larry David’s show, but with no series, no closure, and no expectations to the addition they’ll be making to Seinfeld lore. We get them one more time, and even if they bomb (highly unlikely, based on this first foray), it will in no way affect the work that’s come before.
You know what might have been cool, though? It’s too late, but just based on the scene in Larry’s office: inside looks at Seinfeld production meetings on the Seinfeld DVD-sets. My guess is that the scene was ad-libbed, and very true-to-life. Funny stuff.
Congratulations to Larry David on a brilliant move, and sincere thanks to him as well. I’m very excited for the rest of this season of Curb, and I can’t wait to see who else they have waiting in the wings … might we get a real Festivus miracle yet?
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Oct 04, 2009 @ 22:07 EST5EDT
