Customer Reviews

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Sixth Season

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The sixth season of critical darling Curb Your Enthusiasm delivers the same Larry David and his life of absurd self-sabotage that has entertained viewers for nearly a decade. With an almost reality-TV improv feel, Curb follows the Seinfeld co-creator through his miseries and mishaps brought about by his George Costanza-like neuroses and over analysis of everyday situations.

As with previous years, Season 6 is tied together by a single overarching plot. In the first episode, Larry's wife convinces him to take in a family displaced by a recent hurricane. The Black Family (whose name mirrors their race, a joke not lost on Larry) work their way into each episode, as either an extra source of frustration for our perpetually exasperated hero or as a source for an alternative perspective when providing Larry with advice. In another example of art imitating life, a second extended plot develops involving the breakdown of Larry's marriage, just as he is going through divorce proceedings in real life. Cheryl's character doesn't seem as important in Season 6, also possibly the product of Larry's real life matrimonial problems. His frustrations with Cheryl take a meaner, more mocking tone (her absurd reaction to Larry and the Blacks desire to use non-recycled toilet paper being the best example). Larry's real life soon-to-be former wife is a champion of environmental and other causes, a trait she shares with Cheryl and one that Season Six paints as naïve and misguided.

Richard Lewis, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen continue their real life roles as Larry's friends and have no problems mocking their own image (where else can you see great moments like an uninvited drunken limo driver crashing a party and taunting Ted Danson by calling him "Becker"?). Season 6 adds Lucy Lawless, Senator Barbara Boxer and John McEnroe in small parts as themselves, each bravely portraying an exaggerated and ridiculous version of who they really are, but one that fits perfectly with Larry David's view of the world...and one that echoes the spirit of this irresistible show.

I love, love, love this show. I've watched it since it began and still love it and can't wait for more new episodes. This is definately one of the best seasons. He almost always gets better over time. And while it only has 10 episodes, they are all terrific. The situations he gets himself in are hilarious. I cringe each time he either puts his foot in it or someone takes him the wrong way. I felt for him when he was relaying what he'd heard in the bathrooms at the hospital and when he was telling the story, someone assumed that he was actually the one who'd said it and the trouble that follows.
Here is some detail on what happens throughout this season.

MEET THE BLACKS
Cheryl learns about a program to help disenfranchised families displaced by a major hurricane, and tries to talk Larry into hosting a family. Meanwhile, Larry's quest to find the perfect excuse for missing parties backfires on him, and he's disgusted by the choice of cake Marty Funkhauser recommends.

THE ANONYMOUS DONOR
Larry decides to be nice for a change and actually donate money to a worthy cause. But when he's revealed to be the anonymous donor for the hospital wing, Larry goes ballistic. He then accuses a dry cleaner of giving his jersey to someone else, and goes off in search of it. Meanwhile, Larry, Jeff, and the Blacks get their reputation stained.

THE IDA FUNKHOUSER ROADSIDE MEMORIAL
A sweaty $50 bill, a sample abuser, a roadside memorial, and a private school superintendent are all things that intimidate Larry while he tries to help Marty Funkhauser cope with the sudden death of his mother in a freak accident.

THE BATHROOM MONITOR
Questions about Larry's bathroom habits become concern when Larry gets Richard Lewis' girlfriend a job at a place across the hall from his office. Meanwhile an incident involving a waiter and some take-out food threatens Jeff's dog.

THE FREAK BOOK
Larry's birthday gift to Ted Danson - a coffee table book called "Mondo Freaks" gets him in trouble with everyone he shows the book to, which includes Ted, the limo driver, tennis star John McEnroe, a group of random mourners, and Paul McCartney's ex-wife Heather Mills.

THE RAT DOG
A faulty toaster makes life difficult for Loretta and Leon. Larry repeatedly offends a hearing impaired girl about the small dog she keeps with her. Larry and Leon get their phones mixed up, and Larry traumatizes the entire audience at Sammy's middle school production of Grease when he invites Jeff's exterminator to watch the show.

THE TIVO GUY
Cheryl is finally tired of Larry being Larry after her plane encounters severe turbulence and Larry seems more concerned about a malfunctioning TV device. After Cheryl announces that she's leaving Larry, the incident quickly splits up Larry's friends, who now have to break the news to Larry as to whose side they are taking.

THE N WORD
Larry goes to the hospital to see his new girlfriend, an orthopedist. While in the bathroom, Larry overhears one end of a very angry, horribly offensive cell phone conversation. But repeating what the man said offends another doctor - the same one who is about to perform Jeff's operation. But it only results in Jeff's head getting shaved, who now has to deal with being bald. Larry has to give testimony as Jeff prepares to sue the hospital.

THE THERAPISTS
Larry devises an overly elaborate plan to win back Cheryl. He does so by trying to get on her therapists' good side. Meanwhile, Larry accuses Marty Funkhauser of taking charity money under false pretenses.

THE BAT MITZVAH
The Blacks learn some good news: they get to go home. As Larry says goodbye, he once again offends the wrong person, who takes his revenge on Larry by spreading a nasty rumor involving him and a gerbil. But thankfully Jeff's daughter's bat mitzvahs is coming up, and that provides Larry with the perfect, public opportunity to clear up that nasty rumor, as well as one more chance to patch things up with Cheryl.

I cannot wait to own all of these on the dvd set. I can add it to my other five seasons. I enjoy watching these over again every now and then because you still laugh even though you've seen it before. Larry David is a true genius and you'll really love this season for sure.

This season of Curb Your Enthusiasm was just as funny as the previous seasons. I personally prefer the first and second seasons to all the others (they just felt different) but there's no arguing that the sixth season was hilarious.

As usual, there are one or two weak episodes with some forced plot twists, but the better episodes more than make up for these weak points. The overall arc for the season was a black family (coincidentally named "the Blacks") who move in with the Davids after their home is destroyed in a hurricane.

To say anymore would ruin things, so I'll do no such thing. The bottom line is: If you enjoyed the other seasons, you will enjoy this one. Very simply, the show hasn't lost its edge yet. This is a fantastic set to add to your collection.

Season 4 was my favorite, but this season is some really tough competition. I won't go into detail except to say there's nothing not to like for a Curb fan. Other than that, I'll just add that the finale is simply stunning, probably the single funniest gag ever in the series.

I watched every episode this season (sometimes twice in one week if I missed a few jokes!) and I thought Larry was absolutely brilliant. I loved the Black family (their interactions with Larry were hilarious and seemed so natural and effortless)and the other major story arc (the split with his wife) was not only well-done but very true to life ("Sorry Larry...we're going with Cheryl"...hate to say it, but this happened to me in my own life!!!) The episode where Larry was donating a wing to charity (but wanted to be "anonymous") was classic. There were also some great moments with Jeff's wife (and her foul mouth)...the episode centering around masturbation was quite memorable. Overall, a great season, certainly worth owning because every time I watch CYE reruns, I catch more and more little details I missed the first time. Long live Larry!

Another brilliant series of CYE: hops Larry can keep it going, as this is the best comedy show on TV by a long way right now.

I have been an avid viewer of this show since the get go...but I gotta tell you that I personally felt Season 5 was a let down after the first four. Another reviewer reports that Season 6 seems to be overly scripted and somewhat repetitive...sort of how I viewed Season 5. On the contrary, if you ask me, I really feel that this Season was best of them all, and with low expectations after 5, that was a hard sell. The bottom line is that this season delivers in a big way. It has all the greatness and quirkiness we have come to expect out of David and the story lines are raucous and taut. The addition of the Black family to the scene adds for great comedy and an incredibly unexpected and hilarious turn of events that is culminated in the last few minutes of the final episode. Well-crafted writing once again by L.D.

Plain and simple...this season is the best out of an array of brilliant seasons of Curb. Period.

For all the, I can't get enough of this stuff, fans; you already know and love the episodes. The extra segments are fine but too brief and contain many anecdotes found in other media familiar to fans. This is the only reason I didn't give the collection 5 stars.

For the rest, who surely are those who are unfamiliar with the Series since you either love them and become a fan or you hate them and would not be interested, this season is of the same high quality humor as the previous seasons.

The best overall description of Larry David's humor is magnifying the pettiness found in human behavior in a brutally honest way. His own character is the main focus of this as a person who cannot let go of small social infractions as most people do since it is not worth the time for most people to engage themselves over these trivial matters. These matters are very important to Larry David's character and he is bothered by the fact that these infractions are many times perpetrated upon others for the very reason that most people will not retaliate.

The other ingredient to this formula is to involve the scenarios with politically sensitive topics such as race, physical disabilities and religion.

All I can say is that throughout the six seasons there has never been a time when I did not laugh out loud at some point while watching an episode, even after repeated viewings.

Outstanding. Amazing. Sheer brilliance. Mind-blowing every time I watch an episode. Waiting for the next season to ship!

As a huge CYE fan, I can't say I was disappointed with Season Six, but it is definitely not the best. The set ups feel more forced and ludicrous than any other season, and for some reason not as laugh out loud funny and endearing, which is the reason friends of mine totally lost interest by Season 5. I think Big Vagina, as funny as it is, was the jump the shark episode for a a lot of people, when the ridiculous/insightful sea saw slammed down on the side of ridiculous and seemed to stay there for good. That said, there are some funny additions to the show, namely the Blacks, a black family left homeless by Hurricane Edna, with some classic and very funny scenes with Larry and Leon, the Black family's cousin. If you're a CYE fan, you won't be able to resist buying it. If you're new to CYE, FYI the first four season are much funnier and more brilliant.