Cube Critics review ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and ‘Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional’
Cube Critics Alex V. Cipolle and Aron Woldeslassie discuss the final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and a new comedy special from Jenny Slate.
The following is a transcription of the audio heard using the player above, lightly edited for clarity.
MPR News senior reporter and critic Alex V. Cipolle: Richard Lewis recently passed. And he is, crazy enough, buried in Roseville.
MPR associate producer Aron Woldeslassie: Do we know his Minnesota connection? Did he just enjoy the city of Roseville?
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Cipolle: I would love that. I think his wife is originally from here and bought plots there.
Woldeslassie: Okay, I’m imagining him going to the AMC and going like I gotta get buried here. It’s so good.
Cipolle: I’m Alex V. Cipolle.
Woldeslassie: And I’m Aron Woldeslassie.
Cipolle: And this is Cube Critics.
Speaking of Richard Lewis, I am currently watching the final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” the brainchild of Larry David, who is the co-creator of “Seinfeld.“
And it’s really touching because Richard Lewis plays a large part of this season. I mean, he’s been in it since the beginning — it started in 2001 — and one of the funniest bits of the season so far is Richard Lewis going to AA, which he attends with Larry David’s girlfriend, played by Tracey Ullman.
And he starts using AA as a sort of comedy club set, a place to workshop his ideas and he starts talking about it in terms of like, I’m gonna do a tight five or tight 10 or another AA member, he’s like, they opened for me today.
So it’s a pretty funny send-off for him.
Woldeslassie: How charmingly abusive.
Cipolle: Absolutely. And, like, narcissistic. But that was kind of the heart of what Richard Lewis did.
And, you know, it’s also just a classic season filled with all the petty confrontations that Larry David the curmudgeon gets into, and some of the star cast is still there like Ted Danson, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, J. B. Smoove.
And I really think it’s going out on a high note. And I feel like it might end up the same way that “Seinfeld” did with kind of a final episode that’s a trial. I think Larry David is doing it out of spite because people did not like that finale.
Woldeslassie: “Seinfeld” diehards will know that “Seinfeld” ended on a very contentious episode that a lot of people didn’t like, including myself.
Cipolle: I liked the finale personally, but yes, it was very divisive. And I really recommend this season — going out on a high note on HBO Max.
Woldeslassie: If you’re interested in some comedy that feels a little bit less final might I suggest Jenny Slate’s second stand-up special ”Seasoned Professional” on Amazon Prime
In this special, Slate covers everything that went on in her life during the pandemic: love, marriage, pregnancy and therapy. You probably remember Slate from her work in “Marcel the Shell,” “Big Mouth” and obviously “Parks and Rec,” where she was such a great member.
Cipolle: The best!
Woldeslassie: And her one season on “Saturday Night Live,” which she briefly alludes to in this special.
Slate has this very charming, childish energy that feels similar to “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” And in that, she’s kind of making fun of a certain type of silliness and we’re all kind of just enjoying this exuberance and at the same time, you’re also enjoying the multiple cuts to the left she takes with her gross-out humor.
Slate is a member of alt-comedy and because of that, I don’t think her humor is for everyone.
I definitely think you should check this out if you’re looking for some weeknight watching. It’s a good time. “Seasoned Professional” on Amazon Prime.
Updated March 9, 2024: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the television show “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”