Backtime Road Trip Day 8: Interlocked

I already live in Lego Land. I had no desire to visit there.

That's where Grandparents come in handy. They think your kids' quirkiest traits are just adorable. And there's plenty more I'm looking forward to do with my children in Gotham. For Legos, I can curb my enthusiasm.

For a while on the Central Park playground my kids bickered and partnered and were "interlocked like Legos" like a couple of my favorite HBO housemates.

But ultimately, the older child won the adventure competition taking on the park's giant rock structure. And for a brief moment, he was part of the skyline.

Larry David and the Duberstein Dilemma

The problem with reaching comic nirvana is that the bar is now set too high. I’m sure that very issue tortures creative types like Larry David. While the season finale still looms, the epic conclusion of the Seinfeld reunion arc, this past season of Curb Your Enthusiasm may be the greatest in the history of TV comedy.

So when we say goodbye to the cast of Curb Your Enthusiasm AND Seinfeld (again) on Sunday night, will this be the end of it all? That’s why Larry David is at the crossroads – will he return to try to cement his place in history as the Neil Armstrong of comedy, or is he already there? That this simply is as good as it gets so why bother to try again?

Because Larry David can’t just retire. He doesn’t fit in the real world, where he is a walking disaster. He belongs on set as the visionary executive producer, where he has power and respect, and gets to make the rules. On some level I can relate.

But whatever he decides, we’re just going to have to enjoy this particular train’s last stop. And what a ride. To see Larry and Jerry create, bicker, and feed off each other really gives us a clue how Seinfeld’s quirky dynamic came about in the first place.

***CAUTION-SPOILERS***

Think about the intricacies in the “episode within an episode” of the faux Seinfeld reunion.

Like Elaine having a baby with Jerry’s sperm donation, and her kid calls him Uncle Jerry.

Or George making millions on his iToliet application, only to invest it with Bernie Madoff.

But the real genius was the way the Michael Richards situation was handled and the epic comedy scene with “the two Kramers.”

Leon, Larry’s housemate, serves nearly the same purpose as Kramer did in Jerry’s apartment – a hilariously dependant and oblivious sycophant. And Larry, like Jerry, is just as co-dependent as his friend/neighbor is.

Larry sends Leon into Richards’ trailer as an impostor for “Duberstein,” a dead man who passed from Groat’s disease, a malady that Richards has now been diagnosed with, in order to encourage him that he’ll pull through.

When Richards answers the door, Leon is wearing horn-rim glasses and a bowtie (failing miserably to represent as Duberstein the accountant). But Richards thinks he’s a black Muslim and cowers in fear, “Look I made a mistake…It’s been 3 years…Don’t hurt me! Please!”

While Larry David’s exposition of Richards’ public humiliation wipes his slate clean in one line, the scene-stealer is Leon’s wild portrayal of Duberstein at Richards’ expense. The lie just keeps getting more and more outrageous. I almost fell off the couch while I was sitting on it.

Leon spoke of himself in the third person telling Richards that “Danny Duberstein’s good at two things, that’s Math…and fucking.”

Leon tells Larry after the fact that he “Dubersteined the fuck out of that goofy motherfucker.” Meanwhile, Leon has never seen Seinfeld in his life and has no idea who anyone is while he wolfs down grapes on the set.








Everything seems under control, until of course it isn’t (thanks Marty Funkhauser). And those results ultimately pay off the Richards situation even more brilliantly.

While Seinfeld bragged often that it was “a show about nothing,” Curb Your Enthusiasm is a show about too much, or is it too much of nothing? The line is blurred forever.

We hope that tonight’s episode is the end of a great chapter in comedy history, and not the end of an era.

Larry David’s been Dubersteining all of us for 20 years. Why stop now?

Last Week on a Very Special Curb Your Enthusiasm

***CAUTION-SPOILERS***

Two weeks after Larry David made cancer the centerpiece of an episode of his HBO comedy, he has slaughtered another sacred cow: Physical disability.

Insensitivity has never been so hilarious. Did Larry actually two-time Denise Handicap with Wendy Wheelchair? There’s no way Larry would get busted when they both wound up at the same classical music recital, right? And there’s no way Larry would run up the stairs to flee from disaster…with Rosie O’Donnell chasing him. Crazy you say. Too over the top. Genius.

Especially since Larry is enjoying the benefits that accompanying a paraplegic brings – better parking, favorable treatment, and his friends look at him differently.

But the key added ingredient is Larry’s extended houseguest Leon (J.B. Smoove).

While Larry’s best friend/manager Jeff appeases him, and Richard Lewis and Ted Danson do nothing but argue with him, Leon enables him. Leon tells Larry he’s gotta “Bring the ruckus to that ass.” That he’d “Twist that ass up like a pretzel.”

And after Susie throws Larry’s Blackberry into the Pacific, Leon is there for Larry to help him try and find Denise’s house since Larry had only known her as his phone entry “Denise Handicap.” Leon says it's OK, he's got "Susie Big Tits" in his phone. Larry can do no wrong with Leon, he can even call him “brother,” which amuses Larry to no end.

While the Seinfeld “reunion” arc continues next week, it is these stand-alone episodes that make the show what it is. Pretty, pretty, pretty…intristing.

Ramp Up Your Enthusiasm

It is Season 7 of Larry David's ground-breaking comedy, but unlike other shows which traditionally jump the shark at this point, Curb Your Enthusiasm is still getting better.

Forget for a moment that Larry David and HBO hoodwinked NBC out of a Seinfeld reunion, which begins its story arc this Sunday. Forget we're going to see Jerry Seinfeld act (not Jerry Seinfeld's act) for the first time in years. Forget we'll see the possible redemption of iconic comedy actor Michael Richards.

This would still be Curb Your Enthusiasm's best season ever, and we're only two episodes in. CAUTION - SPOILERS.

First, Larry's quest to break it off with Loretta while she's undergoing cancer treatment has been brilliant. And just because Loretta just left Larry, taking her kids and Auntie Rae with her, doesn't mean "LD" has seen the last of her.

Especially since Larry's real soulmate Leon (Loretta's brother) isn't going anywhere. Leon said they were Leggos (interlocked). Leon will surely be goading Larry into confrontations, to "get up in that ass" for some time.

Meanwhile, Larry's best friend/manager Jeff Green, who we always knew was a sex fiend, has gone beyond the bounds of the conventional comedy. Two weeks ago he bedded Marty Funkhauser's sister, who was a mental patient. Larry was traumatized by the cries of "Fuck me fat boy!" while he was in the house.

Then last week, Jeff's intolerable wife Susie went down on him in the car on the way to party, causing a wreck that Larry happened upon.

But the best individual exchange, what the show is all about really, was when Larry broke a pair of glasses while hugging his former next-door neighbor in the cancer doctor's waiting room.

It wasn't just typical of what happens regularly to our protagonist, but was able to weave in money, insensitivity, guilt, shame, disgust and cancer.

Conventional wisdom is that George Costanza channeled Larry David on Seinfeld. I really think Larry's character is a mix of Jerry and George, the unwitting and the unscrupulous, the shlameel and the shlamazel.

Backtime Sunday Masters LiveBlog: "Green Jacket" Edition

I know it's Easter Sunday and you're not supposed to put all your eggs in one basket, but I will assert that the Masters Champion will absolutely come from the final pairing. The Tiger/Phil show kicks off an hour ahead of the leaders at 1:35, and the opening act may well be more entertaining than the headliners. But if you think Woods or Mickelson can actually win, you'd better curb your enthusiasm.

Angel Cabrera has 17 wins worldwide. Kenny Perry has 13 wins on the PGA tour. Both know how to close. Cabrera may be a little hotter, coming off a 69 yesterday. But don't underestimate the southern crowd cheering on Western Kentucky's good ol' boy Kenny Perry.

Besides, the green jacket would fit a Hilltopper nicely. Pretty, pretty, pretty...good.

When TV coverage begins at 2 PM today, Tiger and Phil should be putting for eagle or birdie on the 2nd hole.

Check in later for frequent updates.

7:22 ET Final thoughts are sad ones. Hate to see someone lose a tournament rather than win it. But what a day of drama. Cabrera's par save on the first playoff hole was both lucky and incredible. At 48, this was Perry's best and possibly last shot at a Major.

7:10 ET Oh my, Campbell's putter again. And after being all over the course, Perry and Cabrera survive with pars and head to 10.

6:50 ET Playoff preview. Campbell hasn't made a putt in forever. It was Perry's tournament to lose, and he might have with that finish. Cabrera is the Major champion in the group and I think he has the edge.

6:46 ET Holy cow. 3-Man Playoff. In 2005, Tiger finished bogey-bogey to let Chris DiMarco into the playoff, then Tiger birdied 18 for the win.

6:35 ET Campbell missed his birdie putt. Perry drove it in the trap. Cabrera could conceivably win this outright with a birdie on the last.

6:31 ET Kenny Perry picked a terrible time for his first bogey of the round. He heads to the 72nd hole, up just one on Campbell and Cabrera. Campbell has a chance to tie before KP tees off.

6:13 ET Now THAT is the shot of the tournament. A tap-in, near hole-in-one on 16 will give KP a 2-shot lead on Campbell, whose putter deserted him on the same hole.

6:05 ET Perry cleans up his birdie on 15. Campbell's great tee shot on 16 may make him a co-favorite right now. New round of fireworks coming home.

5:45 ET Tiger and Phil thrilled us all, but ran out of gas with a pair of bogeys on 18. Neither player ever led or tied for the lead today. Perry failed to take advantage on 13 & 14, so Campbell has an opening.

5:29 ET Looks to be a fairly pedestrian end to a surreal day for Tiger and Phil. Both hit terrible drives on 18. Campbell's back-to-back birds have him within one. Perry will likely make birdie on 13 though. Waiting for Tiger and Phil's warm embrace when they finish up.

5:18 ET The fire was a good thing. Perry birdied 12 to go to -12. Campbell will have an eagle putt on 13 to tie him there. Phil and Tiger have put on one of the greatest spectacles of all-time, but are running out of holes.

5:08 ET Tiger birdied 16 to get within one of Perry. He and Mickelson are now tied for 2nd place. Perry made his best putt of the day on 11, but just missed and threw his club. First sign of emotion/frustration/fire from KP. Good thing or bad thing for him?

4:55 ET Fireworks indeed. Mickelson's got an eagle putt to tie for the lead on 15. Tiger has a less-favorable eagle putt to get within one. But at the beginning of the day, they needed both Perry & Cabrera to falter, and thus far only Cabrera has. The last group still have both par 5s left on the back. Still Perry's tournament to lose.

4:38 ET Kenny Perry with a gutsy sand save & putt on 9 for a bogey-free (and birdie-free) front. He still leads by himself. Mickelson's got a chance at birdie on 14 to get back within one shot.

4:16 ET Wow. Mickelson put it in the water on the famed 12th. Campbell birdied 8 to tie for the lead for the umteenth time this week. Perry is still spinning his wheels. Cabrera's wheels are coming off.

4:07 ET Kenny Perry missed his best birdie opportunity. That makes 7 straight pars. Cabrera and Campbell haven't made any moves either. Mickelson has cooled off a little and it's still Perry's to lose.

3:55 ET Kenny Perry's 6th straight par still has him leading by himself. At the start of the day, I would have said 18 pars from the lead group may have done it. No longer. Lefty still may give a couple back, but is likely to pick up more than he drops.

3:38 ET A great scramble par by Lefty on 9, and he finishes the front side with a final round record-tying 30, just one shot back of the lead. Cabrera seems to be unraveling a bit on 5. Perry's still in very good position.

3:26 ET Phil is going from uncanny to unprecedented. Until his drive on 9 anyway. Gonna have some tree trouble. Sixth birdie on 8. Tiger eagled it, but also drove the woods on his tee shot on 9. Cabrera found the beach on 4 and Perry plods along, likely looking at another par.

3:17 ET First salvo from the lead group as Cabrera birdies 3rd to go to -12. He leads Perry by one, Campbell by two, and Lefty by three.

3:05 ET Now this is just uncanny. Mickelson's 5th birdie on the front nine has him just 2 shots back. Our solid veteran co-leaders both failed to take advantage of the par-5.

2:55 ET Mickelson is 4-under on the day thru 6. Can he keep it up? Golfers ahead of him haven't built any momentum yet. Both Perry and Cabrera hit poor drives on the par-5 2nd.

2:40 ET Looks like the fireworks are on, long before the back nine. Lefty's got 3 birdies in the first 5 holes, a pair of shots ahead of Tiger.

2:28 ET Steve Stricker, 4 shots back, just missed a gimme birdie putt on 1 - must be the dubious New York Stock Exchange logo on his shirt.

2:14 ET Mickelson gets the first skin on Tiger with his second straight birdie on 3. Lefty's at -6, now 5 back of the leaders.

1:43 ET If there's a 64 or 65 out there to be had, the early scores show no indication of that. There are 36 of the top players in the world out on the course, and the best score going is -2.