When I think of the various settings of Curb Your Enthusiasm over the years, a few key spots come to mind: the various houses where Larry and Cheryl lived (I can never keep track of how many times they moved), along with Jeff and Susie’s house, and Larry’s office. And right up there is another location Larry frequents every season: the golf course.
Golf has been a favorite pastime for Larry and his wealthy male friends and business partners throughout the show, and the sport offers its own distinct set of variables and conflicts.
There was so much to pack into last week’s Fargo review that I didn’t really have time to talk about the title of the premiere episode, “The Tragedy of the Commons.” If you’re unfamiliar with that phrase, it’s a concept in socioeconomics—controversial, and often used to justify some awful behavior—which suggests that public resources are destined to be misused, because it’s human nature for people to take more than their fair share, operating under the assumption that others will do the same.
I knew going into “A Dream of a Dream” that there would be no climactic battle; I knew this not because of any insight on my part, but because a fellow critic posted about their confusion after watching the finale. As such, I can’t tell you what my reaction would’ve been if I’d watched “Dream” with my previous expectations intact. At this point, I’m not even sure what those expectations were.
At this point, Survivor’s audience is pretty steady—as the show contracted from a gargantuan hit to a reliable performer, it became less and less likely that new viewers would sample early episodes without sticking around for the whole season. This year’s linear ratings reflect this: after opening to 4.9 million viewers in the premiere, Season 46 has been pretty steady, with last week’s episode earning 4.72 million. Compare that to Survivor: Panama—which debuted in Spring 2006—which started at 19 million viewers before dropping under 15 million by the fourth episode.
Emma Stone is really killing it in this show, isn’t she? At the beginning of The Curse, I was most struck by Nathan Fielder’s performance, just because it’s so new; we’re used to seeing him as a version of himself, but now he’s playing a proper character. Stone’s performance, while equal to or better than his, wasn’t as surprising to me. But the more this show goes on, the more I find myself fixating on Stone anyway.