Michael Richards Steals Show as “Seinfeld” Reunites on “Curb”

No principal cast member from the blockbuster 1990s comedy sensation “Seinfeld” has flirted with the top of the world since the show ended in 1998. While Jerry Seinfeld continues his standing as a comedy icon and Julia Louis-Dreyfus has earned an Emmy for her work on “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” the stars have faded from the forefront when it comes to the identification of A-list celebrities.

But while all have had their ups and downs when it comes to success in Hollywood, no one’s low rivals that of Michael Richards. In 2006, Richards, the man responsible for television’s all-time funniest character in Cosmo Kramer, saw his already-struggling career essentially die when he generated major controversy for a racist tirade in a comedy club. Richards’ comments were viewed as both offensive and pathetic, and a sad peek at what had become of a 1990s television icon.

When news came that this season’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” was to re-team the cast around a ‘Seinfeld reunion show’ storyline, the expected excitement was enhanced by the prospect of what Michael Richards would do in his first major appearance since the incident. The questions and anticipation finally came to an end Sunday, as the “Seinfeld” arc began on the third episode of “Curb”‘s seventh season.

The episode itself, though far from brilliant comedically, was a dream for “Seinfeld” fans. The cast–Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards–was back, with all essentially in character despite the fact that they were technically playing themselves in this episode. Two things were made clear: that contrary to years of attempts to escape typecasting, there is no way to separate the principals from their iconic roles and that the “Curb” team knows that no “Seinfeld” fan wants to see an upbeat Jason Alexander or a Jerry Seinfeld not concerned with trivial matters.

As Alexander and Louis-Dreyfus had previously had extended arcs on the show, they were able to pretty much pick up where they left off in terms of fitting into the “Curb” environment. For Seinfeld, the test was to show that he could drop the mature, wiser persona he has shown in late-night television appearances and bring back the petty social commentator that was his character–he did (while still showing growth as an individual). And, for Richards, it was an absolute wildcard.

And he delivered. What had made Richards’ post-show appearances, including interviews to promote the “Seinfeld” DVDs and the infamous comedy club appearance, particularly disappointing was the fact that he showed no signs of Kramer. He showed no signs of the silly, fun-loving, “out of it” character that played such a huge part in making “Seinfeld” legendary. On “Curb,” however, he let some Kramer seep through.

His distracted commitment to the reunion show, followed by a denial that he had ever been offered a part in the show (and then his subsequent excitement in accepting), was vintage Kramer–it was the same Kramer that ruined George’s unemployment scheme by asking “What-Delay industries?” and the same one that found himself unwillingly and unknowingly committed to buying Joe Mayo a birthday chair. In bringing back that brand of comedy, Michael Richards, even if only for just a few moments, was able to erase the negative images of 2006 and let fans appreciate getting to see their beloved Kramer on television again.

All four principals had great moments–Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ reaction to the neurotic, obsessive Larry David has been fantastic since her first guest appearance in season one, Alexander’s show-deprecating chemistry with David has always been phenomenal and Seinfeld, though appearing to struggle a bit with the improv in his first scene, managed to deliver some ‘classic’ Jerry Seinfeld lines. But none of their best moments matched the importance–or outright hilarity–of Michael Richards. And seeing how the foursome continues as it gets more immersed in the storyline and better reconnected with its “Seinfeld” counterparts makes this season of “Curb” a particularly exciting treat.

— A review of the episode is rather tough to give, as it could have been the least funny episode in the series and still been fantastic due to the “Seinfeld” plot. Luckily, it was not, although it was probably the weakest–from a sheer humor standpoint–of this particular season. The gang got into some funny banter over a gratuity dispute, although the plot line suffered due to the sheer lunacy of the Alexander/Seinfeld side of the argument (there never will be a debate about this–when you split a check, you coordinate and split the tip; end of story). Similarly, for as cold as Susie is, she has never been above thanking Larry (she thanked him when his 12 sponge cakes broke what otherwise would have been a life-threatening fall), and her refusal to thank him for effectively saving her life was, again, inorganic and unrealistic. Larry David can bring the funny out of anything, but the show has definitely moved into a more scripted sitcom domain whereby Larry reacts to situations that, while funny on television, never (or rarely) happen in real life. The hook of “Curb” used to be its ability to perfectly capture legitimate social debates and situations; in all my years of eating out with friends and coworkers, never have I encountered what Larry encountered.

Still, when you have the “Seinfeld” cast and an actor that knows his character better than anyone else on television in Larry David, you have one of the best sitcoms on television.