Sailor Moon SuperS (Season 4)

As much as I enjoyed the first two seasons of Sailor Moon, S was so far beyond anything the anime had done up to that point, both in terms of comedy and drama. It was a consistently strong season, with good pacing and a straight-forward plot. I knew without question that it was a great season of television. SuperS, on the other hand, is a lot more complicated. It does a lot right, but it also does a lot wrong. It's not just the most uneven season of Sailor Moon, it's one of the most uneven season of anything I've seen to date. It took as many steps forward as it did steps back, though I can't say it didn't take some bold swings, and thus, I have a lot to talk about here. Expect one of my longest reviews to date.

Most of the SuperS mostly involves Chibiusa having a dream of a Pegasus and trying to find him, all the while the evil Dead Moon Circus invades peoples' dreams in an effort to do the same. Up until the last few episodes, that's pretty much it as far as plot goes. There really isn't much more to the story, and much of this season is comprised of Monster Of The Week episodes. I'm split on this approach. On one hand, Sailor Moon's "filler" episodes are great for character development, and the return to a slice of life structure allows for minor characters who were neglected in late-season R and S to return. I also like that Chibiusa takes the lead this season. I've been getting a bit sick of Usagi hogging the spotlight so a brief change in protagonist was a pretty good call. And Chibi is a good choice, I really liked her in S, and this season does a good job of continuing her development. The comedy is really solid, the circus-themed Monster Of The Weeks are just as creative as they were in S, and the animation is quite possibly the best in the series to date, which just helps the comedy land even more.

On the other hand, the Pegasus hunt drags, and with the Outers gone, the Inners slightly sidelined, and a light-hearted tone akin to early Season 1, SuperS just feels like a step back in a lot of aspects. Even some of the characters feel like they've regressed, with Usagi probably getting the worst of this. She's always been a bit immature and jealous, but my god was Usagi flanderized to hell and back at times. If I had a nickel for every time Usagi accused Mamoru of cheating on her this season, I'd probably have a dollar. Actually, I'd probably have multiple dollars if you added together all of the cheating accusations. There are a lot of bad Out Of Character episodes that stick out as some of the worst of the series, with 133, 136, and 143 being so bad that I think it's for the best if I pretend they never actually happened. I also really dislike Chibiusa's relationship with Pegasus (aka Helios) that develops throughout the season. Between the age/species gap and Helios coming off as simultaneously creepy and very dull, I find their romance to be really uncomfortable, at least when it's not an absolute bore. I actually really like the idea of Chibiusa getting moments to reflect and be introspective, but geez, I'd rather she talk to a blank wall than the melodramatic expositor that is Helios.  

Speaking of uncomfortable, let's talk about the Amazon Trio, the villains from the first half of the season. I'm mixed on the Amazon Trio, because I really like them as characters. Their bar banter every episode is so natural and fun, every single one of them gets a ton of depth and characterization, and their redemption in the last two episodes of the storyline is fantastic. However, the decision to frame their attempts at searching for Pegasus like they're sexually assaulting their victims is a really uncomfortable metaphor that feels really out of place in such an otherwise lighthearted season. This metaphor also makes the Trio come off as a lot more creepy, and makes it harder to sympathize with them for their eventual redemption. And that's not getting into the times the "victim" is a child (139 and 143 are the biggest ones) which just makes things worse.

But then there's Fish's Eye, the genderqueer character who appears as a girl when out in public. For a 90s show, Fish's androgyny and gender fluidity is super groundbreaking, especially it's treated as normal by pretty much everyone (Episode 140 is particularly ahead of its time). However, because of the aforementioned sexual assault metaphor, Fish gets dangerously close to falling right into the transphobic trope of "cross-dresser who preys on men". And that's not bringing up the aforementioned Episode 143 where Fish tries to invade the dreams of a kid and I'm sure you can see how offensive that is. Thankfully, aside from that fluke of an episode, I think Fish just manages to dodge that stereotype due to the fact that they're implied to actively enjoy cross-dressing, get genuinely attached to their "victims", and probably biggest of all, is the one to spearhead the Trio's redemption arc in the first place.

Once the Amazon Trio gets redeemed, the season starts to gain a bit more in the way of plot, as the chaotic and immature Amazoness Quartet takes the role of villain. Though they lack the banter, depth, or sheer unadulterated gender of the Trio, they're still pretty fun, as I like how much they shamelessly bully Zirconia as well as the fact that they don't need to assault people to look for Pegasus. They get a lot more time to interact with the Senshi too, and it's always a joy whenever it happens. We quickly learn the Quartet wants to remain children forever, which also opens up the show to some pretty interesting conversations on maturity and adulthood, especially considering the Senshi are continuing to get closer to starting high school. However, I do have a few gripes with the Quartet too, since their appearance does make Zirconia come off as a bit more incompetent for replacing the Trio with objectively worse workers (at least until we learn they were being used the whole time) as well as not telling them they didn't actually need to assault people this whole time (yeah, there's no excuse for that). 

The final few episodes of SuperS are genuinely fantastic, feeling a lot more like S in terms of its writing. The characters (especially Usagi) have gone back to their pre-flanderized selves, and the storylines start to utilize all of the Senshi rather than just focus on Usagi and Chibiusa. But what really amps up the quality is the true villain of the season, Nehellenia, quite possibly the best thing about SuperS. As much as I don't care about Chibiusa and Pegasus's relationship, I very much care about Nehellenia's mature story about her quest for eternal beauty at the cost of loneliness and alienation (basically Queen Sectonia from Kirby, which I'm perfectly fine with). She's a fascinating antagonist who elevates the final stretch of episodes, so SuperS at least gets an ending on par with the first three seasons. 

Highlights:

Storm Of Love (Episode 14): If Sailor Moon can feel like a magical girl sitcom sometimes, then this episode feels like it's right out of Frasier. Minako trying to date both Tiger and Hawk at the same time is a simple but very fun farce that makes for one of the most fun episodes in the show, and the Senshi watching from the sidelines just makes it better.

Shadow Of Evil (Episode 21): Sailor Moon is really good at making you feel bad for the villains in the course of a single episode, as Shadow Of Evil reveals some pretty tragic realities about the Amazon Trio that were foreshadowed really well. The Trio are actually animals given human form, which is why they can't dream, and watching Fish especially deal with that truth is pretty painful. It all sets the stage for...

Mirror Of Dreams (Episode 22): The Trio's fantastic redemption episode! Mirror Of Dreams was great, on par with the best S had to offer, from the cute scenes with Fish at Usagi's place, to the confrontation to Zirconia, to one of most unassumingly creepy MoTWs to date, to the emotional rollercoaster of an ending where Usagi and the Trio briefly die before coming back to life. I'm glad the Amazon Trio got a happy ending here, it's just a shame we don't get to see more of them post-redemption.

Chibi-Usa's Little Rhapsody Of Love/Dream To Be An Adult (Episode 32/33): Two of the best MoTW episodes in this season, mostly because of their fantastic character interactions. The former episode has some of the funniest gags since Storm Of Love (especially the "all white, long face" joke), and is quite possibly the only episode where Ami, Minako, and Chibiusa (three of my favorite characters) share a lengthy scene together. The latter episode has a lot of bonding moments between the Quartet and Senshi, allowing every character to have their time to shine, and has plenty of fascinating conversations about the Quartet's overarching conflict and theme. Both of these episodes are character-driven, and I kinda wish we had more like them if SuperS was to have so many filler episodes.

The Golden Crystal Appears (Episode 37): While plenty of Sailor Moon villains have been redeemed, I don't think a single one of them really deserved that redemption like the Amazoness Quartet did. At their worst, they were really just immature kids that never really had the chance to understand what they were doing wrong, so seeing them betray Nehellenia multiple times over the past few episodes and break their crystals allowing them to become adults felt very satisfying. Also, Chibiusa and Helios's confrontation with Nehellenia was surprisingly tense and actually made me genuinely care about those two, if anything for their survival.

Dreams Forever (Episode 39): As uneven as this season has been, its finale might just be one of Sailor Moon's best episodes to date, definitely its best animation. Similarly to S's climax, the final confrontation between Usagi and Nehellenia is entirely character-driven, as we learn about the latter's very tragic backstory. I love how Nehellenia isn't defeated here, per se, she gets what she wants. It's just that it's at the cost of eternal loneliness, and she's too angry to care. And that skydiving sequence is absolutely fantastic, one of the most beautiful scenes in the show so far.

As you can tell from my long review, SuperS is a bold and messy season, with a lot going on. However, it's so uneven that it's easily my least favorite. SuperS has its good elements, both of its main arcs get great final episodes, the antagonists (especially Fish's Eye and Nehellenia) are super fun and well-developed, Chibiusa proves she can be a really solid protagonist, the comedy is solid, and the animation is some of the best yet. However, the season suffers from a lack of plot especially in its first half, character regressions (Usagi) and exclusions (the Outers), an failed attempt at an emotional core surrounding a character I feel next to nothing for, and plenty of moments that just made me feel uncomfortable with their implications.

2/5 Stars

Sailor Moon S (Season 3)

I'm just going to get right to the point. Sailor Moon S is the best season of Sailor Moon to date, by a long shot. Everyone talks about how great it is, I absolutely agree. It's funny, dramatic, clever, thoughtful, complex, character-driven, and generally a ton of fun. Sailor Moon was worth watching for this season alone.

Sailor Moon S starts with the introduction of two entirely new Sailor Guardians, Uranus (Haruka) and Neptune (Michiru), who have the goal of finding three talismans, which an evil professor seems to be after as well. These talismans are hidden in the purest hearts on the planet, but what adds a bit of a wrinkle is the fact that removing said talismans would kill the people who hold them. That's a bit of a dark turn, and it not only creates a compelling conflict between HaruMi and the more idealistic Senshi that deals with whether or not the ends justify the means (I guess Madoka wasn't the first magical girl show to tackle utilitarian themes). It also helps that I really like Haruka and Michiru, for both their ground-breaking relationship and their more flawed and abrasive characterizations. The rest of the cast gets slightly more flawed characterizations as well, as a subplot about their attempts to get into high school brings out the Senshi's insecurities in some really great ways. The first half of S focuses entirely on the hunt for the talismans, and with a consistently strong quality of episodes, my favorite antagonist to date in the hilarious yet highly competent Eudial, and a phenomenal final stretch of episodes that brings all the characters and themes to a head, it's a strong start to the season.

But then Hotaru shows up, and the season gets even better. Hotaru is the professor's daughter, a sickly and sheltered girl who ends up becoming friends with Chibiusa. However, she also happens to be Sailor Saturn (whose appearance beckons the end of the world) as well as possessed by the show's main antagonist, so obviously HaruMi (+ Sailor Pluto) want to kill her. It's with Hotaru's appearance that Sailor Moon S really turns into the most serious thing the show did by a long shot, and easily the most compelling as well. Hotaru is such a lovable yet tragic character who's trapped in such an awful situation, between her possession and her awful relationship with her father, who also ends up being one of the most fleshed-out villains of the series. You want her to make friends and get a happy ending, and her development throughout the season is great. This also ends up reflecting really well on Chibiusa, of all people. I hated her last season but she's genuinely a fantastic character here. Her friendship with Hotaru is adorable and her refusal to let the Outers sacrifice her forms one of the emotional cores of the storyline. Once again, the final few episodes are fantastic, a truly heart-wrenching, intense, and emotional stretch where the Senshi try to save Hotaru while defeating the evil force that's possessing her. My only gripe with this half of the season is Haruka and Michiru, who are a bit more unsympathetic and frustratingly unreasonable compared to the first half, but that's pretty much it. The storyline was otherwise close to perfect.

But in case all that wasn't great enough, S has some of the strongest standalone episodes to date as well, especially in regards to its comedy. Despite how dark this season is, it's also probably the funniest one yet. The Senshi hiding behind a waiter, Usagi and Chibiusa fighting in a teahouse, drunk Usagi, Eudial's car, the Twister game, the comedy this season is all on point, while still not watering down the dramatic elements. I think the villains do a lot to make this season more charming, as we get a lot more slice of life scenes focusing on them rather than the Senshi, treating their villainous job like an actual workplace. In addition, the Monsters Of The Week of this season (aka the Daimons) actually speak and can have actual characterization sometimes, which serves to make them way more fun to watch. And then there's the fact that S also redeems characters that I previously didn't like, particularly Chibiusa and Mamoru. Aside from her great role in the Hotaru storyline, Chibiusa was made to be a lot less bratty and a lot more genuinely charming. Meanwhile, Mamoru didn't appear quite as much as last season, but when he does show up, he's become a lot more laidback and reasonable in his relationship with Usagi. Unfortunately, I don't think this reflects all that well on Usagi herself. While Mamoru and Chibiusa have matured, Usagi is still as immature as always, and those moments where her jealous streak shows felt more frustrating than ever.

Being the most consistently strong season of the bunch, Sailor Moon S has a lot of amazing episodes, more than any season so far:

I Want To Quit Being A Sailor Guardian (Episode 11): Minako is my favorite character, and all of her focal episodes are consistently fantastic, blending comedy with pathos incredibly well. This episode tackles Minako's past once again, as she considers quitting being a Senshi so she can stop sacrificing the normal life she wish she had. It's a really introspective episode by Sailor Moon standards, and has one of my favorite endings in the series, which solidifies Minako and Artemis as the anime's finest duo.

The Stolen Pure Heart (Episode 13): What a phenomenal ending to the season's first arc, genuinely one of the show's best episodes to date. That car ride scene alone, with Ai no Senshi playing in the background, Usagi's realization, and the argument about sacrifice was so freaking good. But then there's also the reveal about Usagi's Pure Heart, Minako's disguise (best character, I swear!), Kaolinte's death (for now), Uranus's change of heart, the heartwarming birthday party, and the Eudial cliffhanger. The Stolen Pure Heart is packed and fantastic.

The Shocking Moment (Episode 20): Hey, it's another Minako episode! And this one might just be her best yet. It's hilarious, especially everyone chasing after heartless Minako. It deals with some very deep themes about selflessness as well as the phenomenon of being jealous for not having to deal with an unpleasant experience that everyone else seems to go through. And biggest of all, it's a huge plot bomb of an episode where the Senshi and HaruMi reveal their identities to each other, setting up... 

The Death Of Uranus And Neptune (Episode 21): This episode ranks up with the penultimate episode of Season 1 as the most iconic in the whole anime, and while Haruka and Michiru turning out to not actually be dead in the next episode did mild the impact a bit, this was still an incredibly intense and well-directed episode. From the confrontation in the aquarium, to Michiru's shocking death, to Haruka's mind-blowing suicide, this is easily one of the darkest episodes in all of Sailor Moon.

The Holy Grail's Mystical Power (Episode 22): While a bit of a let-down coming after the previous episode, this was still a satisfying ending to the first half of the season, with Sailor Moon getting a new upgrade, Eudial's shocking death at the hands of Mimete, and the debut of Hotaru.

Higher And Stronger (Episode 28): What should have just been your average filler episode ended up being one of the best of the season thanks to the direction of Kunihiko Ikuhura (the guy who made Utena). His style can only be described as avant-garde, every single frame is unconventional yet manages to convey everything to the viewer perfectly. Higher And Stronger is stuffed with bizarre sight gags that makes for one of the anime's funniest episodes, from Chibiusa's hilarious cheerleading routine, to the literal whistle-blowing guards, to the aforementioned Twister scene.

Battle Inside The Demonic Space (Episode 29): This might just be the greatest Monster Of The Week episode in the series, stuffed to the brim with creative setpieces and clever gags. The first half where Chibiusa, Hotaru, and the rest of the Senshi are hopping across dimensions is fun on its own, but when U-Ikasaman appears and challenges everyone to a bunch of rigged board games, the episode becomes simultaneously hilarious and genuinely tense. And it's all grounded by an important part of Hotaru's fantastic character arc, as well as a bunch of cute gags involving Tomoe's Professor side.

An Invasion From Another Dimension (Episode 31): Mimete is a good side-villain... but she killed Eudial, my favorite side-villain. So I was very happy to see her die in such a cathartic way. But what really surprised was how it happened right in front of the Senshi. Usually when antagonists kill each other in this show, it's on the sidelines in their secret base, so the fact that Tellu pulled the plug on Mimete (get it?) so publicly was kind of shocking in its own way. Oh, and we also get Professor Tomoe's backstory which was way darker than I expected from the anime.

Shadow Of Destruction (Episode 34): When I finished this episode, I only had one thought: "What the actual fuck?!". Even with how dark this season had been, I still wasn't prepared at all for how goddamn bleak this episode would be. Hotaru turned into Mistress 9, Mugen Academy got destroyed, Kaori was betrayed in cold blood by Tomoe, and most shocking of all, they killed Chibiusa! I can't believe I'm saying this given how much I hated her last season, but that scene absolutely crushed me. Oh yeah, and the fight with Cyprine is probably the best animated one in the show to date, so that's pretty sick.

The Coming Terror Of Darkness (Episode 35): I've complained a lot about Sailor Moon's action scenes so I'm very pleasantly surprised to see the animators decide to put in a lot more effort than they usually do, all the fights here were great, especially the one with Haruka and Michiru! While this is very much the first part of the season's climax, this episode was incredibly tense and still did have a bunch of great moments in it, particularly Pluto's sacrifice and Tomoe being freed from his possession.

The Shining Shooting Star (Episode 36): This was the most intense climax of a Sailor Moon season so far, and there wasn't a single bit of action in the episode. We didn't even see Hotaru or Usagi fight Pharoah 90, the entire story was conveyed through dialogue and voice acting, and it worked so damn well. This episode was an emotional tour de force with at least half a dozen series-defining moments contained in its length. The entire confrontation with Mistress 9, Tomoe's appeal to his daughter, Sailor Saturn saving Chibiusa, Hotaru's sacrifice, Usagi's utterly painful breakdown, and that chill-inducing final shot. This is one of the best anime episodes ever, everyone involved did such a phenomenal job here.

Overall, Sailor Moon S is fantastic, absolutely living up to the hype. It perfectly balances some of the best comedy and drama of the show to date, introducing a bunch of fantastic fleshed-out new characters, developing and improving its existing characters, and nailing every single one of its emotional beats with the utmost confidence. 

5/5 Stars

Kenobi Live Reactions

I've had a mixed relationship with Star Wars as of late. The Book Of Boba Fett was the first Star Wars thing that I actively hated, not just being a disjointed paper-thin mess of a show on its own merits but by relying so heavily on hollow fanservice, CGI recreations of iconic characters, and a willingness to evolve and experiment. I really wasn't all that excited about Kenobi as a result. The focus on another legacy character, more scenes on Tatooine, another standalone miniseries with only six episodes. But hey, it's Star Wars, I was always going to watch it. And regardless of how it turns out, I don't think you can get much worse than Boba's show.

Part I: This... was actually a solid premiere. It's pretty slow-paced, lacking in action, and focused on setting the stage for the series ahead, but I honestly don't have too many problems with it. Compared to BoBF's pilot, this episode feels far more focused and simple. No useless flashbacks, the cast is quickly and efficiently introduced, and Kenobi goes through what is essentially the start of a classic Hero's Journey. Given how BoBF as well as most of the MCU shows, despite having the same episode count, try to do too much and have to rush the finales, I really like how simple Kenobi has been so far. Ewan McGregor hasn't quite had the chance to show his stuff yet, Kenobi mostly did a lot of ruminating and introspection so far, but I do really like Vivien Lyra Blair as Young Leia. The fact that she captures Leia's wit pretty much perfectly shows that Disney really should prioritize recasting over digitally recreating its characters. I also like how quickly this show did away with Tatooine. Like 33% of this episode took place in Alderaan, and Kenobi already heads off by the end, it's so refreshing coming after BoBF. Deborah Chow's direction is really solid, especially that great long take at the beginning that shows Disney is somehow still able to make Order 66 feel fresh. She helps sell this show's surprisingly dark and oppressive tone (not just the fake dark of BoBF), so moments like Leia's kidnapping and Nari's death are given the gravity they deserve. I don't have too much else to say here, it's a fine start to Kenobi, but still the opening act. Hopefully, things get more interesting in Part II.

Part II: So... this episode is actually really good? Like leagues better than anything BoBF did including the Mando episode. It's fun and exciting and genuinely creative, and I actually really enjoyed it. The whole episode takes place on a grimy Blade Runner-esque planet called Daiyu, as Kenobi breaks Leia out and tries to evade the Inquisitors. Now that Kenobi is actually in action again, Ewan McGregor's charm is really starting to show again, and his dynamic with Young Leia is immensely entertaining. Look, Grogu's great and all, but you have a much wider range of interactions when the child character can actually speak and banter. Since it's almost entirely a chase scene, Part II is just full of fun and memorable setpieces, all made possible by how cool of a planet Daiyu is. We have a scammer who pretends to be a Jedi, Kenobi sneaking into a chem lab, several fun hand-to-hand fight scenes, a crazy rooftop chase, the Grand Inquisitor dying, and our first shot of Darth Vader. But even with all that, we still get some great slower moments like Kenobi using the force again, telling Leia about Padme, and learning that Anakin is alive (amazing acting from McGregor there). And best of all, with everything that happens in this episode, the storyline remains simple and the pacing remains steady. It just feels like a genuinely fun adventure and I was really missing that from BoBF. I may just be way too burned by most of Disney+'s offerings as of late, but it's just so nice to see Kenobi tell an actually cohesive story with good pacing, let's hope it keeps this up!

Part III: Coming after the pretty crazy Part II, this episode was a bit slower-paced, at least at first. The empire defector Tala is a cool character and a pretty sick idea, but aside from her debut, there wasn't too much to the first two-thirds of Part III. But then Darth Vader came in, and things got pretty interesting. I've become a bit disillusioned towards the infamous "Vader hallway scene" as of late for fanservice reasons, but I do like how his appearance here continued the trend of portraying Vader as a horror villain, lurking in the shadows. He's a real savage here, toying with Kenobi for the whole fight just to make him suffer. As much as I love Vader in the original trilogy, I genuinely really like to see this more sadistic side of him. However, I feel like maybe the show rushed Vader showing up a bit. I was expecting (and kinda hoping for) Vader and Kenobi coming to blows in the finale, with all that build-up paying off in this big emotional confrontation. Not to say this encounter wasn't impactful, but I don't think it was as impactful as it should have. But hey, if it means we get three more episodes of brutal sadist Vader, I'm perfectly fine with this.

Part IV: Yeah, this one couldn't quite live up to Part II either. I feel like, if the MCU shows are any indication, it's just plain hard to pace out a six episode show. Part IV's main storyline was mostly just about Kenobi going on a rescue mission to save Leia, an already pretty common Star Wars trope, but it's not like the show does anything particularly new or interesting with the premise. Hell, it's not even like the location is original, Fortress Inquisitorius was ripped straight out of Jedi: Fallen Order! It all led to an episode that felt mostly by-the-numbers and dull, though still not without its good moments. Reva had the most screentime so far, which was appreciated given that I still hadn't really gotten the time to know her, and her interrogation with Leia was pretty good. Kenobi also had some tense moments when he was sneaking around. Unfortunately, a pretty big part of this episode was the Path, that group that Tala is a part of. The show never really fleshes out anyone there, including Tala herself, so when a member (Wade) dies near the end of the episode, my only reaction was just "Who?". 

Part V: Part V was definitely one of the best episodes so far, but it really solidifed the fact that the Path is hands down the weakest thing about Kenobi. They're as standard of a "rebellion group" as you could get, and the show never gives you a reason to care about them making Vader and Reva's siege on their facility way less of a gut punch than it could have and should have been. Still, this was a pretty fun and fast-paced episode, with some of the strongest action so far, and I especially liked Reva's role in it. Her moments with Kenobi were pretty fantastic, as was her fight (more like curb-stomp) with Vader. It took the base behind Luke's fight in TLJ, in which a character effortlessly dodges lightsaber attacks, and gave it a more sinister spin. I also really liked how Part V finally started to push the plot into high gear, even if most of its "twists" were incredibly obvious. Like of course Reva was one of the children in that Order 66 opening, it couldn't be more predictable. Still, with the Path facility destroyed, several characters either dead or alive, and Reva learning about Luke, I can't say things haven't changed a lot by the end of this one. Oh right, and there were the Anakin flashbacks! Those were just meh to me. I get why they were there and it was nice to see Hayden Christensen acting well for once, but it still mostly felt like hollow fanservice. At least it wasn't as overwhelmingly important to the plot as Luke in Mando was.

Part VI: One thing that the Star Wars shows will always have above the MCU is that they know how to pull off a satisfying and rewarding finale. Part VI wasn't rushed, or underwhelming, or predictable to the point of being entirely unremarkable. Kenobi's final episode was the best one because it paid off pretty much every single one of its plot threads in a manner that felt earned. Obviously, the highlight of the episode was the long-awaited rematch between Kenobi and Vader. I'm one of the rare types that thinks the Disney era has the best lightsaber choreography (prequels are too fast, originals are too stilted), so I thought most of the fight was pretty great, though a bit on the dark side. But even more than the actual action, I love how their character arcs ended. I really like the idea of Vader still needing to get over his anger at Kenobi before he could become the Vader we know and love, and Kenobi coming to peace only to be rewarded with a Qui-Gon cameo was also fantastic. The only gripe I really have is Kenobi leaving Vader alive, I get why from a character perspective but Vader is one of the worst figures in the Empire and I think there's a lot of people that wouldn't have died in the time until A New Hope if Kenobi had killed him. I don't have too much to say outside of the main duo, but I do feel like everyone got a pretty satisfying ending here, particularly Reva and Leia. 

Overall, Kenobi was mostly pretty average. There is a lot to like about it, such as the darker tone, the action, the core arcs of Kenobi and Reva, and its stronger episodes such as Part II and the finale, but I also feel like it wasn't able to explore a lot of its unique ideas, like Reva and Kenobi in a Fugitive-esque cat-and-mouse game, a more sadistic Vader who toys with Kenobi out of spite and anger, and the banter between Kenobi and young Leia. This was probably because of the show's short length (please Disney, stop making six-episode-long seasons!) and the decent amount of fairly generic and predictable elements like the Path, the plot twists in Part V, and pretty much all of Part IV. I still enjoyed Kenobi and it has a lot of treats for those who were fond of the prequels, but I just feel like it could've been better.

3/5 Stars

Sailor Moon R (Season 2)

Sailor Moon's first season was great and it told a complete story, but between taking a while to establish the whole cast and the very thin antagonists, there are things that a potential second season could improve on even more. Personally, I thought Sailor Moon R does actually improve on the first season in a lot of ways, but seeing as it was divided up into two storylines, I have a lot to say about both...

Makai Tree Arc: So remember when I said filler was primarily when an anime makes their own original storyline to buy time to catch up with the manga, well that's what this entire arc was meant to do. However, the Makai Tree arc being filler doesn't necessarily make it bad, I actually found it to be pretty fun! This storyline is primarily about two aliens named Ail and An (that's such a stupid pun, I love it) who go to Earth in the hopes of stealing life energy from humans so that they don't die. I love these two, they're way better antagonists than the Dark Kingdom. Their motivations are more interesting and even sympathetic, and seeing them struggle to interact with the humans on Earth is genuinely charming and funny. Ail and An aren't quite as menacing as the Dark Kingdom, they're much more comedic villains, but that's not much of an issue to me since they're just flat-out better characters. There's just a bit more depth in the conflict and I couldn't help but want the Senshi and the aliens to find a solution that'll work for everyone.

There's a lot more going on, though. Obviously, the Senshi had to have regain their memories after the events of last season, which means Usagi has some trauma to work through after... you know... seeing all her friends die. However, Mamoru still doesn't have his memories, and there's a mysterious new figure named Moonlight Knight who, despite looking and acting like Tuxedo Mask, showed up in the same room as Mamoru. I knew Mamoru was Moonlight Knight from the start but this was a pretty solid mystery that left me engaged. As you can see, despite being "filler", this arc has a lot of material to work with, and at a light 13 episodes, I found the arc's pacing to be fantastic, striking a nice balance between fun episodic stuff and plot progression without feeling like it drags. Each of the Senshi even get an episode that develops their character, ending with them learning a new power, it's really cool! 

However, my one big gripe with the arc is that you can really tell there were some cuts in the animation, with plenty of scenes where you can tell the animators had to take some shortcuts either for a lack of budget or time. It definitely gives the arc a bit of a cheap feel at times. But when my only complaint is the animation (and the admittedly weak babysitting episode), that's a testament to how strong this first arc is, in spite of being "filler". It does a good job of dealing with the events of Season 1's finale, boasts a fairly complex storyline with fantastic antagonists, fleshes out the cast, and has strong pacing to boot. It's as I always say, just because it's filler, doesn't mean it's bad.

4/5 Stars

Black Moon Clan Arc: Oh boy, do I have a lot to say about this one, both good and bad. The Black Moon Clan arc involves the titular villains, who start the arc trying to go after the Silver Crystal as well as who they call the "rabbit". The rabbit in question is a mysterious little kid who claims to be named Usagi, so the Senshi tries to protect her from the clan. I'll be honest, this arc doesn't make a good first impression on me, especially in its first two episodes. Chibiusa starts the arc by pointing a gun at Usagi, gaslighting her family and friends, and drugging multiple people, how the hell was I supposed to care about her? And then in the episode after the premiere we get the start of the infamous breakup arc, where Mamoru breaks up with Usagi right after getting together after getting visions of the future where she dies, and he doesn't tell her about it. I don't have patience for characters who refuse to communicate with each other, and it made this breakup plot a slog. In hindsight, I think that was the point. This arc is partially about the importance of teamwork and these storylines contribute to that theme, but it doesn't make them any less frustrating. Thankfully, this frustration doesn't go on for too long. As a matter of fact, I think that once Sailor Moon gets that awful dinosaur episode off its chest, this arc goes from pretty bad to genuinely pretty great.

As time goes on, we learn that Chibiusa is actually Usagi and Mamoru's daughter from the future, and that the Black Moon Clan is also from the future, a group of exiled rebels who don't like Usagi's eventual rule. These two reveals turn this arc into a legitimately awesome time travel storyline about the future of the Senshi, with fantastic villains that balance the cruelty and darkness of Beryl and the depth of Ail and An. There's nothing quite like an antagonist with differing ideals than the protagonist and having them fight about said ideals. Chibiusa still frustrated me quite a bit, but she never did anything nearly as immoral as in her debut, and her very tragic backstory helped me at least understand her a bit more. You can tell everything that's happened to Chibiusa messed her up, and she develops enough throughout the season that I really started to feel for her in the arc's second half. Meanwhile, Usagi and Mamoru get back together at the halfway point as well, fixing the last of the arc's issues, and allowing for the rest of the season to stay pretty consistently fantastic. And that final stretch of episodes was probably the best in the show to date, between the Black Moon Clan tearing itself apart, Chibiusa's intense Black Lady storyline, and the many fantastic emotional sequences. 

Another thing I think this arc did well was the animation. Where the Makai Tree arc was pretty obviously a low budget affair, the Black Moon Clan arc generally looks a lot better. While there aren't as many obvious scenes of character stills replacing animation, the episodes as a whole look a lot more fluid. Even the fight scenes are probably the best they've ever been, even compared to Season 1! Overall, the Black Moon arc makes a bad first impression with a frustrating arc that relies on miscommunication and one of the worst debuts a character could have, but as it goes on, it evolves into the show's most complex storyline to date, a fun and deep time travel storyline with great character development, neat twists and lore reveals, and a damn solid set of villains. While this arc's lows are pretty low, its highs are absolutely soaring.

3/5 Stars

With a lot more going on this season, there was a lot more episodes that I felt were worth highlighting:

A New Transformation (Episode 5): While a bit standard at first, the second half of this episode was absolutely fantastic. From the reveal that Usagi was losing her powers because she's still shaken by the events of her reincarnation to her reunion with Serenity, culminating in the debut of Sailor Moon's new transformation and rod. That whole episode built up to that scene, and it left me with goosebumps when it happened.

Steal A Kiss From Mamoru (Episode 10): Easily one of the funniest episodes of Sailor Moon to date, Steal A Kiss From Mamoru revolves entirely around the cast (plus An) making a Snow White play. And as you'd expect with An taking the helm, it goes awry. From Umino's costumes, to the fights over casting, to An trying to get a kiss from Mamoru whatever chance she can get, the whole play is a disaster and it was a joy to watch it fall apart.

True Love Awakens (Episodes 13): If there's one thing Sailor Moon knows how to do, it's end an arc. While the Makai Tree arc was mostly pretty light and comedic, this episode has plenty of fantastic emotional moments, between An's breakdown and subsequent Disney Death, Ail's realization about love, and the Makai Tree's backstory. Usagi and Mamoru finally start dating (for all of two episodes), the Moonlight Knight reveal was pretty sick, and I like how Ail and An get a fairly happy ending.

Protect Chibiusa (Episode 22): "She's precocious, mischievous, and pretty annoying, and yet I can't seem to hate her". Well, that just sums up Chibiusa in a nutshell. I'd say this episode marks the point where the Black Moon arc becomes legitimately great, with a decent serving of plot and lore bombs that helps to make Chibiusa a slightly more sympathetic character. But what really got me was the entire final third where the Senshi fight to protect Chibiusa, proving how much they're there for her, all as Ai No Senshi plays in the background. It's just peak Sailor Moon.

Defeat Rubeus (Episode 28): The good thing about having a frustrating storyline is just how satisfying it can be when the characters learn from their mistakes and grow, and this happens with Usagi and Chibiusa. Usagi admits to her lack of maturity, and Chibiusa finally takes responsibility for something and realizes that the Senshi were just trying to help. That latter one is especially important, since Chibiusa's development here was what caused me to actually start to really like her. And that's not even talking about the plot, which packs in a hostage situation, Usagi breaking the laws of gravity through sheer force of will, Chibiusa actually being useful, and Rubeus getting the most karmic death a villain could get. 

The Last Five Episodes (Episodes 38-42): I meant it when I said the ending of R is absolutely phenomenal. It's dark and emotional but ultimately very satisfying. Wiseman is such a great villain here in the way he systematically kills off the entire clan, and I love how the Black Lady balances entertaining hamminess and plenty of devastating scenes where Usagi has to fight her own daughter. Every single episode here has at least one amazing moment in it:
  Wiseman's Evil Hand (Episode 38): Esmeraude's tragic death
  The Dark Queen (Episode 39): The Senshi vs the Black Lady
  Saphir Dies (Episode 40): The return of the Spectre Sisters, Saphir's sacrifice, and Demande turning against Wiseman
  Believing In Love And The Future (Episode 41): Demande vs Wiseman
  The Final Battle Between Light And Dark (Episode 42): Chibiusa and Usagi vs Wiseman, Chibiusa's goodbye
What an amazing way to end a season. What? There's also a recap episode? Let's just pretend that didn't exist, shall we?

Overall, I really enjoyed Sailor Moon R, probably even more than the first. While having two separate storylines makes it disjointed, and it suffered from a rough stretch of episodes at the start of the Black Moon arc, this season generally improved on a lot of my issues with the first season. The villains were more interesting, the storylines were more complex, the characters were all established from the start, and the pacing was a bit tighter, and at its best, this season had some fantastic episodes.

3.5/5 Stars

Sailor Moon (Season 1)

At this point, I've seen several magical girl anime, like Madoka, Princess Tutu, and Kill La Kill, but they've all been a bit unconventional. For a while now, I wanted to watch the series that started the whole genre, Sailor Moon, but was a bit intimidated by its length. Well, I finally decided to bite the bullet, and I'm very glad I did.

Sailor Moon is an anime about a girl named Usagi, who runs into a talking cat named Luna who gives her the power to turn into the titular magical girl. With four other magical girls (who I'm just gonna call Senshi to keep things simple), Usagi has to stop the Dark Kingdom and its queen Beryl from reviving an evil entity who had previously destroyed the Moon Kingdom. At first, the season mostly follows a standard Monster Of The Week structure, with the development of the villains being fairly lacking. I do like how Queen Beryl is willing to replace her lackeys if they disappoint her enough times, but it's not until the halfway point where the season starts to really get interesting plot-wise. Between a story arc about the Senshi and Dark Kingdom racing for crystals, added moral ambiguity to the mysterious hero figure Tuxedo Mask, some really fascinating reveals to the Moon/Dark Kingdom lore, and a surprisingly dark two-part finale, the second half of Season 1 is fantastic, and the slow episodic buildup made this slightly more serious stretch of episodes hit all the more. It all pays off in the end, and while there are four more seasons to come, there's something about Season 1 that feels so complete.

But even more than the actual story, I found Sailor Moon's greatest strength to be its characters. While one could argue that all of this anime's episodic Monster Of The Week storylines are just hollow skippable filler, I actually enjoyed a large portion of them because of how they all helped to develop the bonds between the characters. I was initially surprised that Usagi was the only Sailor Scout for the first seven episodes, but I ended up really liking how it allowed for Usagi and Luna to develop a strong mentor-mentee dynamic. And whenever a character is introduced, the next batch of episodes focus on pairing said character up with every other character in the cast. It helps to develop a strong dynamic and rapport between the cast, and I ended up really enjoying seeing them all interact. The whole series has a great sense of charm that only increases as the cast grows. And while Usagi is very much the main character here, the show isn't afraid to have episodes focus almost exclusively on side or minor characters, and they can even make for some of the best of the season.

As for the presentation, it's mostly pretty good. Emphasis on mostly. Let's start with the positive stuff. The characters are incredibly expressive, like to a very impressive degree. It's a joy to just watch the cast interact because of how expressive they are, and I'm surprised reaction frames from the anime aren't as common as they should be. I also really love the anime's backgrounds and scenery, all containing a pastel watercolor look and stunning pink hues. And when the anime starts playing with shadows, my goodness does it look fantastic. I also love how diverse the characters' clothes are. They don't just wear the same clothes every episode, there's a nice variety while still giving each character their own unique and detailed wardrobe. However, Sailor Moon does suffer a bit whenever the Senshi face off against a villain. Many of the fights use still frames and reused footage, making them feel a bit stale and visually lacking a lot of the time. This doesn't drag down the show by a massive amount, the fights were never Sailor Moon's biggest priority, but between Madoka, Utena, and the Precure fights I've seen, I feel like I expect a bit better from magical girl shows. As for voice acting, I listened to the Viz dub, and I thought it was pretty good. No voice felt like a weak link. I also liked the music quite a bit. It's not going to be on my favorite anime soundtracks list or anything, but I found it to be pretty charming 90s anime fare.

At its best, Sailor Moon's first season boasts some really great episodes, both on the comedic and dramatic fronts:

Wish Upon A Star/Naru's Tears (Episodes 23/24): This two-parter was a big turning point for Sailor Moon, both in terms of its tone and quality. Nephrite was never the most interesting villain of this season, but his arc in these episodes about developing feelings for Naru and turning good was really great, and his subsequent death was a shocking gut punch that proved Sailor Moon could also do some truly fantastic drama.

Loved And Chased (Episode 31): Rhett Butler, enough said.

The Shining Silver Crystal (Episode 34): This was another big turning point episode, filled to the brim with fantastic plot twists. Obviously Usagi and Mamoru learning of each other's true identities was pretty big, but in case all that wasn't enough, Mamoru gets stabbed and Usagi turns out to actually be the Moon Princess. Also, shoutout to Usagi's reaction to learning Mamoru is Tuxedo Mask in the DiC dub, absolute comedy gold.

Returning Memories (Episode 35): Serving as a great follow-up to the previous episode, Returning Memories was essentially one huge lore-dump, between the return of Mamoru's memories, the Moon Kingdom lore, the reveal of Endymion, and the reveal that the Senshi are all reincarnated people from the Moon Kingdom. There's also the big twist of Mamoru being kidnapped and "healed by darkness", setting the stage for the season's final story arc.

Let's Become A Princess (Episode 37): Season 1 of Sailor Moon rarely took itself too seriously, but this episode in particular left me in stitches with how goofy it is. Tasked with training to be a princess, Usagi is at her most clumsy, and it's a joy to watch. And between Luna seeing Artemis behind the camera, Endymion and Kunzite interrupting the big battle with their bickering, and Usagi revealing she's now the best frisbee player of all time, I really enjoyed how this episode poked fun at the show's formula a bit.

Sailor Venus' Past (Episode 44): Given the success of Sailor Moon, I'm surprised we didn't get an anime adaptation of Sailor V because wow is Minako's backstory both fascinating and heartbreaking. Her romantic subplot here is probably the most effective one of the show, and her big decision at the end of the episode reveals an impressive layer of maturity to Minako. Venus has had the least screentime out of any of the characters and she's already becoming one of my favorites.

Death Of The Sailor Guardians (Episode 45): Sailor Moon's first season truly saves the best for last, with a phenomenal two-part finale. Part 1 might be the most iconic episode of the show, since even I knew about it before starting my watch. But even knowing that almost all the Senshi die here doesn't remove any of the episode's impact, not in the slightest. Each Senshi goes out in a way that perfectly suits their character, so their deaths aren't just for shock value, they're genuine heroic sacrifices and they get they deserve to really sink in. It's also not just tragedy, this episode is super action-packed and surprisingly funny at times, the fact that it manages to balance all of these things makes for my favorite episode of the season.

Usagi's Eternal Wish (Episode 46): While it wasn't quite as good as the previous episode, this was still an emotionally impactful and satisfying end to the season. Usagi's final confrontation with Endymion and Beryl is great, and the big twist where everyone gets resurrected and loses their memories is a heartwrenching but intriguing hook for Season 2. 

Overall, Sailor Moon's first season was a ton of fun. While its first half was a bit episodic, the charm and cute character interactions were there from the get-go, and once the plot kicks in in the second half, the show becomes genuinely fantastic. 

3/5 Stars

Episode Rankings: Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm is a pretty-pretty-pretty good show with a unique improvisational type of dialogue, intricate storylines with fantastic payoffs, and some very fun jabs at social norms. While the show does have a lot of weak seasons and has been suffering in recent years, at its best, Curb Your Enthusiasm's strongest comedic beats are some of my favorites ever. Here's my ranking of its episodes:

1. The Ski Lift (S5.08)
2. The Table Read (S7.09)
3. The Doll (S2.07)
4. Seinfeld (S7.10)
5. Krazee-Eyez Killa (S3.08)
6. Elizabeth, Margaret, And Larry (S10.08)
7. The Bat Mitzvah (S6.10)
8. The Grand Opening (S3.10)
9. Shaq (S2.08)
10. You're Not Gonna Get Me The Say Anything Bad About Mickey (S10.04)
11. Palestinian Chicken (S8.03)
12. The Car Pool Lane (S4.06)
13. The Spite Store (S10.10)
14. The Black Swan (S7.07)
15. The Anonymous Donor (S6.02)
16. Trick Or Treat (S2.03)
17. Happy New Year (S10.01)
18. A Disturbance in The Kitchen (S9.03)
19. The Reunion (S7.03)
20. The Special Section (S3.06)
21. The Weatherman (S4.04)
22. Beloved Aunt (S1.08)
23. The Accidental Text On Purpose (S9.06)
24. The Tivo Guy (S6.07)
25. Opening Night (S4.10)
26. The Ida Funkhouser Roadside Memorial (S6.03)
27. IRASSHAIMASE (S11.05)
28. Mister Softee (S8.09)
29. The Bare Midriff (S7.06)
30. Thor (S2.02)
31. The 5 Wood (S4.05)
32. The Corpse-Sniffing Dog (S3.07)
33. The Ugly Section (S10.07)
34. The Therapists (S6.09)
35. Denise Handicapped (S7.05)
36. The Bowtie (S5.02)
37. The Survivor (S4.09)
38. The Baptism (S2.09)
39. Meet The Blacks (S6.01)
40. Insufficient Praise (S10.05)
41. Chet's Shirt (S3.01)
42. Vow Of Silence (S8.05)
43. Foisted! (S9.01)
44. Interior Decorator (S1.05)
45. The Car Salesman (S2.01)
46. The Watermelon (S11.04)
47. Fatwa! (S9.10)
48. Kamikaze Bingo (S5.04)
49. Ben's Birthday Party (S4.02)
50. The Freak Book (S6.05)
51. The Group (S1.10)
52. Mary, Joseph, And Larry (S3.09)
53. Funkhouser's Crazy Sister (S7.01)
54. The N Word (S6.08)
55. The Shrimp Incident (S2.04)
56. The Pants Tent (S1.01)
57. The Benadryl Brownie (S3.02)
58. The Seder (S5.07)
59. Officer Krupke (S7.08)
60. The Five-Foot Fence (S11.01)
61. The Surprise Party (S10.06)
62. The Massage (S2.10)
63. The Surrogate (S4.07)
64. Running With The Bulls (S9.04)
65. The Hero (S8.06)
66. Mel's Offer (S4.01)
67. The Christ Nail (S5.03)
68. The Bracelet (S1.04)
69. Side Sitting (S10.02)
70. The Pickle Gambit (S9.02)
71. The Smiley Face (S8.04)
72. The Mini Bar (S11.03)
73. The Hot Towel (S7.04)
74. The Divorce (S8.01)
75. The Wire (S1.06)
76. The Larry David Sandwich (S5.01)
77. Vehicular Fellatio (S7.02)
78. Beep Panic (S10.09)
79. Irma Kostroski (S11.07)
80. The Shucker (S9.09)
81. Larry Vs Michael J Fox (S8.10)
82. The Rat Dog (S6.06)
83. The Blind Date (S4.03)
84. Lewis Needs A Kidney (S5.05)
85. The Lefty Call (S6.04)
86. Namaste (S9.07)
87. Affirmative Action (S1.09)
88. The Mormon Advantage (S11.10)
89. Club Soda And Salt (S3.03)
90. Car Periscope (S8.08)
91. Artificial Fruit (S10.03)
92. Angel Muffin (S11.02)
93. Porno Gil (S1.03)
94. What Have I Done? (S11.08)
95. AAMCO (S1.07)
96. The Nanny From Hell (S3.04)
97. Man Fights Tiny Woman (S11.06)
98. The Safe House (S8.02)
99. Wandering Bear (S4.08)
100. Thank You For Your Service (S9.05)
101. Ted And Mary (S1.02)
102. Igor, Gregor, & Timor (S11.09)
103. The Thong (S2.05)
104. The Korean Bookie (S5.09)
105. The Bisexual (S8.07)
106. The Acupuncturist (S2.06)
107. The Smoking Jacket (S5.06)
108. The Terrorist Attack (S3.05)
109. Never Wait For Seconds (S9.08)
110. The End (S5.10)

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 11)

Season 11 is the only season of Curb I haven't watched yet, and it's... decent. I don't really have any glaring issues with it, but it's probably the most boring season of Curb. Not that I don't have much to say about it, I definitely do, but this was probably the first season of Curb to not make me feel all that much.

The main premise of Season 11 is Larry pitching a show about his younger self to a bunch of streaming services, a solid idea until you realize it's just Season 2's plot all over again. There is one wrinkle, however. When a burglar falls into Larry's pool, his brother blackmails Larry by forcing him to cast his daughter (Maria Sofia) in the show, despite her being a horrible actor. I'm not a fan of this storyline at all, Mario Sofia's acting is cartoonishly bad, to the point where it feels like the show is trying too hard. But halfway through, this season completely changes course to be more about Larry dating a councilwoman named Irma to repeal a law and fire Maria Sofia. Unfortunately, Irma isn't much better. Once again, she's intended to be annoying/unappealing, but that doesn't make me like her any more. And while Maria Sofia at least didn't show up too much, once Irma comes onto the scene, the season becomes entirely focused around her.

I think what really killed this season on the story front was how busy it was. The decision to essentially cram two different storylines into a single season means neither of them get fully developed, so I didn't really end up caring about either of them, and it didn't help that the finale felt unusually unsatisfying for the series. Thankfully, Season 11 isn't entirely a wash on the storyline front, because for the first time in the whole series, Leon actually has a subplot! This was such a pleasant surprise, after three seasons of not really getting much to do, Leon finally had a much bigger role, and his storyline about trying to find another Mary Ferguson was genuinely hilarious. However, just like all of the other storylines this season, it doesn't feel like it gets enough screen-time. As for the comedy, there really isn't much to talk about. I still found the season funny, but not uproariously so, and I was rarely impressed by a storyline like in the last two seasons. On the bright side, Vince Vaughn became a main character this season, and I think he's a great fit for the show, even if his presence doesn't really elevate Season 11 too much.

While I found much of this season to be pretty average, there was one episode I really liked:

IRASSHAIMASE: This was hands down the funniest episode of the season, and not being connected to the season's arc, it felt like an episode from the first five seasons in the best way. Larry's screaming contest with the sushi chefs, eating food while someone's having a heart attack, the secrets, the jokes about praying, Freddy's eulogy, it was one of those Curb episodes where everything just clicked.

Overall, Season 11 of Curb Your Enthusiasm was the least interesting season of the whole show. Its main story arc tried to do too much, so none of the storylines made any impact, and the humor was pretty average, lacking the creativity of any previous seasons. With a twelfth season on the way, let's hope that one's an improvement.

2/5 Stars

My ranking of the Curb Your Enthusiasm seasons (so far) is:

7 > 10 > 6 > 4 > 2 > 3 > 9 > 8 > 1 > 11 > 5

My ranking of the Curb Your Enthusiasm finales (so far) is:

7 > 6 > 10 > 3 > 4 > 9 > 1 > 2 > 8 > 11 > 5

And my ranking of the Curb story arcs is:

1. Seinfeld reunion (Season 7)
2. The spite store (Season 10)
3. The restaraunt (Season 3)
4. The Producers (Season 4)
5. The Blacks + Cheryl breakup (Season 6)
6. The Seinfeld curse show (Season 2)
7. Fatwa! (Season 9)
8. Larry in New York (Season 8)
9. Young Larry + Maria Sofia + Irma (Season 11)
10. Adoption + Richard's kidney (Season 5)

Favorite Episode: The Ski Lift

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 10)

I know I've been criticizing Curb a lot as of late mostly because I know the series can do and has done so much better than the last two seasons. Thankfully, Season 10 is a strong return to form that, barring one particularly weak subplot, ranks as one of my favorite seasons.

Whereas Season 8's story arc was undercooked and Season 9's story arc was a mess, I actually really love Season 10's main storyline. After being disappointed with Mocha Joe's coffee shop (Mocha Joe is a minor character from Season 7), Larry decides to start his own coffee shop right next to his out of nothing but spite. I love everything about this storyline, from the hilarious rivalry between Larry and Mocha Joe, to the fact that the show is finally exploring the fact that Larry is rich and could totally waste exorbitant amounts of money out of spite, to the phenomenal finale that ties up the season in Rube Golbergian fashion. While one could argue Larry making a restaurant has been done already in Season 3, I'd say Season 10 one-ups that storyline by letting Larry be way more involved in how his "spite store" is being built. As a matter of fact, I'll be even more bold as to say this is the second best story arc in the whole series, right behind the Seinfeld reunion.

Season 10 has two other subplots in addition to the spite store, but they're a bit of a mixed bag. I actually liked him trying to win Cheryl back again, the show is much better with her in it. However, there's also the one about Larry repeatedly getting accused of sexually assaulting his assistant and... it's not very good. This was his attempt at commentating on #MeToo, but it's a mixed bag. On one hand, it feels like Larry finally facing the consequences of some of his uncomfortable behavior for the first time in a while, just as I wanted. On the other hand, I couldn't help but feel like Larry's assistant was painted out to be unreasonable and almost hysterical every step in the way, as if she's eager to cry sexual harassment and that the guys are who's really in danger here. And I'm sorry but this doesn't sit well with me at all, I'm usually open to Curb's willingness to offend but the Alice subplot comes off as incredibly tonedeaf, regardless of how much it fits Larry's character. It's a good thing the storyline is pretty much just contained in the first three episodes because this season gets so much better once it's out of the picture.

As for the episodic stuff, Season 10 shows that Curb Your Enthusiasm has still got it even after all this time. Without any fatwas, war reenactments, and paintball games, this season does feel a lot more like the grounded earlier seasons of Curb, while still managing to maintain Season 9's renewed sense of creativity. In particular, there's one episode this season that is so unlike Curb structurally that it's continued to stick with me since I first saw it, and that's not even mentioning the whole Jon Hamm episode, Larry wearing a MAGA hat to get people to keep away, the Susie portrait, and the sex doll. Larry David's characterization still hasn't really improved, but if the spite store arc is any indication, this season has proved it can wring some comedy out of an angry old rich guy picking fights with people. 

At its best, Season 10 has a bunch of truly fantastic episodes:

Happy New Year: There's something very aggressive about this season premiere, in a great way. It's as if Larry's saying "I'm back and this time I'm not pulling any punches!". He's snapping selfies sticks, wearing MAGA hats, sleeping with Cheryl, picking a fight with Mocha Joe, it's practically a rampage across Los Angeles and it's a ton of fun to watch.

You're Not Gonna Get Me To Say Anything Bad About Mickey: This was the "unlike Curb" episode that I was talking about, and it's still great. It drops pretty much everything so that the characters can go on a trip to a wedding in Cabo San Lucas. Unlike the trip to New York, this shakeup feels genuinely fresh, and for the first time in a while, actually feels like Larry is going through a near endless streak of bad luck. If you've ever went on a trip and felt like everything that could go wrong did go wrong, this episode should feel very relatable. Oh, and Timothy Olyphant is a guest star so it can't not be a great episode.

Elizabeth, Margaret, And Larry: I tend to not get won over by guest stars but this is a big exception, a solid episode made iconic thanks to Jon Hamm's hysterical and charming performance. The way he slowly becomes more and more like Larry culminating in him getting into the exact same fight with Mocha Joe from the premiere made for such a classic.

The Spite Store: This is easily one of my favorite Curb finales to date, and I'm still in awe of how masterful the payoff is. Every single scene that had to do with the spite store ended up leading to its destruction, all of Larry's crazy hairbrained ideas for the store caused it to burst in flames. But even with such a Rube Golderg-esque ending and a solid cliffhanger to boot, my actual favorite part of the episode was the opening newscast, which explores the impact the spite store had on other actors and really dives into the moral shakiness of the rich Larry using his money to essentially tank a much smaller business while also being absolutely hysterical.

Overall, coming after the last two seasons, Season 10 is a pretty big return to form. It's consistently funny, boasts some of the show's best episodes, and one of the show's strongest story arcs. If it weren't for that uncomfortable Alice subplot, this would be an easy 5/5 Stars.

4/5 Stars

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 9)

After his back-to-basics Season 8, Larry David returned six years later with Season 9, one of his biggest and most ambitious season to date. As you may expect, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but I actually found it to be way more fun to watch than some of Curb's other weaker seasons.

Season 9's story arc is a bit complicated, but I'll try to keep the summary quick. Larry is making play about the Ayatollah called Fatwa! He accidentally insults the Ayatollah while promoting his play and gets a fatwa ordered against himself, so he then spends the rest of the season trying to remove the fatwa so he can continue with the play. This storyline is a mess, on so many levels. For starters, the sheer concept Larry being in danger of being assassinated suffers from the same seriousness issue as the kidney stuff in Season 5... Actually, it would if it wasn't forgotten for episodes at a time. You can't really balance such an urgent storyline with an episodic comedic format, so Curb doesn't, which is probably for the best. But where the arc really falls flat is in the last three episodes. Episode 8 has Larry remove the fatwa through a trial that brings back old characters for the show. Sounds familiar? It should, it's the Seinfeld finale, one of my least favorite episodes ever. Episodes 9 and 10 fare a bit better, as they focus on Larry holding the play. It's a bit of a poor man's Season 4 but still a good time, though it also has a glaring issue. See, this season came out in 2017, at a time when the biggest play was Hamilton. So, Lin Manuel Miranda becomes the lead of Fatwa!, and the last two episodes are entirely comprised of Hamilton references. Look, Hamilton's a good play, and the music is good too, but it's also not the massive phenomenon it used to be, and makes these last two episodes feel dated in a way Curb rarely is.

Thankfully, while the story arc was a bit of a whiff, I actually found this season to be really enjoyable to watch on an episodic level, especially compared to Season 8. The first thing I noticed was just how creative so many of the season's storylines were this season, stuff like foisting your assistant onto someone else, the restaraunt manager's inability to be candid, and of course, the now iconic "accidental text on purpose". The sheer entertainment value of some of these premises gave the season a ton of energy. It also helped that Marty Funkhouser, Cheryl, Richard Lewis, and Ted Danson got a lot more screentime now that Larry's back in New York. However, while I did find this season's comedy enjoyable, I can't quite say it improved much over Season 8 in some aspects. My gripes with Larry's characterization last season hasn't changed, and in some aspects has gotten even worse. Larry seems so happy for most of Season 9, looking like he enjoys getting in every conflict he's in, which just feels wrong. But I actually think my other major gripe with this season is that the episodes are a bit overstuffed. Every episode in Season 9 is around 40 minutes long than the 30 of prior seasons and it shows, as they're all packed with around 5-6 subplots of differing quality. The worst instance of this was Thank You For Your Service, which had some neat ideas but was dragged down by a cartoonish war reenactment subplot.

At its best, though, Season 9 was pretty great, especially when it focused off the Fatwa:

A Disturbance In The Kitchen: I forgot how hysterical this episode was, and that's almost entirely because of Rich Fulcher as the restaurant manager. His cadence gives me "Office Space boss" vibes in the best way possible, and his whole storyline takes the annoyance with not knowing what the "disturbance in the kitchen" is and taking it to perfectly cartoonish proportions. The rest of the episode is great too though, from Elizabeth Banks showing up, to Susie's "little sister", to Ted's Tesla, it all just clicks.

The Accidental Text On Purpose: While it took a bit of time to really get going, this episode of Curb really soars thanks to its genius premise. Larry's idea of purposefully sending your girlfriend a text on accident to relay information to them is genuinely clever (and typically disastrous), and makes for the closest thing Curb has to a full-on episode of Seinfeld (outside of the actual Seinfeld reunion episodes of course).

Overall, Season 9 of Curb Your Enthusiasm is a bit of a mess, but I did really enjoy it. The story arc is a dated mess that remakes the awful Seinfeld finale, but whenever it focuses on comedy, Season 9 is creative, energetic, and uses the whole cast to its fullest, if a bit overstuffed. Season 9 is the Be Here Now of Curb Your Enthusiasm. It's big, loud, and ambitious to a fault, but I can't help but admire its excess. 

2/5 Stars

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 8)

Look, Curb Your Enthusiasm's seventh season would've been a very tough act to follow for any season, but Season 8 feels especially lackluster, losing a lot of what made the first seven seasons work and following up the Seinfeld reunion with the least ambitious arc in the series.

Season 8 really focuses on two storylines: Larry David going to New York, and Larry David entering the dating scene upon his divorce from Cheryl. I found both of these storylines to be pretty lackluster, especially compared to the show's previous story arcs. Larry David going to New York isn't as game-changing as it sounds. He only leaves halfway into the season, and the setting change doesn't really make much of a difference. It's just Curb, but with different guest stars. Larry dating people fares a little bit better, but not by much. The majority of episodes this season has Larry date someone different, before inevitably ruining the relationship at the end of the episode. And while this does lead to some great comedy, it does start to get a bit predictable and lacking in tension. When Larry is in a longer relationship with someone like Cheryl or Loretta, his usual blunders can leave the viewer worried that he'll ruin things with them. But when a quick breakup is always an inevitability, I started to feel less concerned and uncomfortable whenever he'd mess things up. There are no consequences anymore, as it's not like any of those girlfriends are going to show up again in later episodes, half of them are in a different state entirely!

But those are just the storylines, how's the comedy? Thankfully, Curb Your Enthusiasm is still very funny, even in its eighth season. There are plenty of subplots I found hilarious, and as of right now, Leon staying around lends the show a lot of energy whenever he's on screen. And at its best, we got some all-time classics like Palestinian Chicken and Mister Softee. However, even with how funny the show still is, it really felt like something was off, and with the season behind me, I think it might actually be Larry. Before this season, the one word I can use to describe Larry is reluctant. He's reluctant to socially interact, he's reluctant to commit himself to be a great husband, and he's reluctant to beat around the bush. It's this fatal flaw that gets him into situations, whether it's because of his attempts to get out of things or because he gets dragged into a conflict against his will. Season 8 Larry, on the other hand, is inflammatory. He starts so many of the conflicts this season, with the most frustrating one being his decision to draw Hitler mustaches on magazines and show it to a kid. I think it's because Cheryl is gone, that Larry can just do whatever he wants now. He has no filter anymore, and Leon being around just amplifies it. There's no one to call him out anymore, which was made very apparent when in Episode 7, when he makes the "pick a side" argument about a bisexual person and no one bothers to tell him how offensive that is. Season 8 of Curb Your Enthusiasm feels a lot more crass and cold than prior seasons of the show, and while one may argue that this was a purposeful decision on Larry David's part, I can't quite say I enjoy it.

Still, there were a few episodes I did really enjoy from this season even with my criticisms:

Palestinian Chicken: Larry David tackling one of the most inflammatory conflicts in recent history was always going to be a bit of a risk, but his decision to poke fun at both sides and the conflict at the whole was a fantastic one. Larry doesn't care about either side, he just cares about the food, and I find that hilarious. Also, Marty having a sudden religious awakening is a great subplot.

Mister Softee: This was hands down the best New York episode and it's not even close. Larry's trauma about the ice cream truck, the orgasm-inducing car, Leon with the glasses, the whole Buckner storyline, the hysterical softball coach, Mister Softee simply manages to take a bunch of fantastic subplots and gags, and manages to bring them all together into a cohesive whole.

Overall, Season 8 felt like a huge step down from Season 7, and quite possibly the end of Curb Your Enthusiasm's peak. While the season is still funny and can churn out some great episodes, the lackluster story arc, lack of Cheryl, and shift in Larry's characterization makes easily for the weakest season since the fifth.

2/5 Stars

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 7)

Season 7 is the peak of Curb Your Enthusiasm. It's consistently hilarious, boasts the greatest story arc in the series, and writing one of Larry David's greatest wrongs.

Season 7 actually gets off to a bit of a shaky start, spending two episodes to hastily write off the Blacks family (with the exception of Leon, who stays behind). Ultimately I do think this was for the best, the season's main storyline wouldn't work with Loretta around, but was a bit of a shame coming off of the heartwarming Season 6 finale. Thankfully, Season 7 quickly makes up for this with hands down the greatest story arc in the whole series: The Seinfeld reunion. That's right, this entire season was about Larry writing and shooting a Seinfeld reunion, bringing the cast back together for one final show, and it's easily the best TV show reunion ever. For starters, it's a "producing a film" plotline, which I will always be fond of. You get to see the casting, screenwriting, table read, and shooting phases of making a Seinfeld episode and I just find that really fascinating. And on a comedy standpoint, this storyline allows Larry David to get a bit meta, from poking fan at how Larry based George on himself, to lampshading how reunion episodes usually don't work, to frequently bringing up the controversy over the finale. And speaking of which, adding even more to how awesome this storyline is is the fact that the fictional reunion episode is also a genuinely great episode of Seinfeld in its own right, and a way better ending than the one we actually got.

The story arc is more than just fanservice, though, as the reason why Larry made the reunion in the first place was so that he could cast Cheryl in it and win her back. The addition of these personal stakes makes the season way more compelling and fun, and by having Larry date around while still ultimately trying to get back with Cheryl allows for the perfect balance of poking fun at Larry's dating life while keeping Cheryl in the show as a straight man. Trust me, the show never gets this balance right again. As far as the general comedy goes, this season is absolutely fantastic. There's not a single weak episode in the pack, not a single joke that falls flat. The improv is on point, the Rube Goldbergian subplots are tight, and as a whole, this season caught me off guard with its jokes and one-liners more than any other season of Curb. 

Unlike Seasons 4 and 6, however, this season's high points can be absolutely soaring at times:

The Reunion: While not the funniest episode of the show, The Reunion was just incredibly cool to watch. Seeing all of the cast members of Seinfeld reunite after all these years to shoot a reunion is just great, and all of those jokes poking fun at the awful Seinfeld ending slayed me.

The Black Swan: Maybe it's just me but I really feel like the golf club gets some of the show's best episodes, probably because of their often surreal premises and the way they utilize the supporting cast. Case in point, The Black Swan is absolutely hysterical, especially once Larry accidentally kills the titular swan. The episode suddenly transforms from an average Curb episode to a straight-up murder mystery, and it's glorious.

The Table Read: Easily one of my favorite episodes of the show, The Table Read is jam-packed with subplots, clever ideas, and jokes making for probably the highest joke-per-minute ratio of the whole series. For starters, watching the reunion table read was so cool, and I love how the reunion episode took beats from some of the best episodes of Curb. But outside of the fanservice element, The Table Read is just damn funny, from the rash, to Funkhouser's awful joke, to the pen. But then there's Leon posing as a Jewish doctor named Duberstein, which might just be one of the funniest subplots in the series. By the time he said you have to have a Bar Mitzvah every 13 years to "recharge your mitzvah", I was on the floor dying of laughter.

Seinfeld: Hands down the best finale in the whole series. Seinfeld finally shows off large portions of the reunion, and as mentioned above, it's a genuinely fantastic episode of the series. But it also wraps up a bunch of subplots like Michael's supposed disease, introduces an important new character in Mocha Joe, and has the funniest cliffhanger in the whole series. I still quote "do you respect wood" to this day, and Larry almost getting back with Cheryl only to ruin it at the last minute is peak Curb.

Overall, Season 7 is the best Curb Your Enthusiasm by a long shot. Every single episode is funny, the main story arc manages to be a meta spectacle that still maintains personal stakes, and the last two episodes are easily some of the best in the series.

5/5 Stars

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 6)

Seasons 6 & 7 make for the best "era" of Curb Your Enthusiasm. They have the best story arcs, the best comedic moments, certain characters make their first appearances, other characters haven't left yet, and one big twist that I loved when I first saw Curb... but now leaves me a bit mixed. 

Season 6 has a fairly unique story arc, not really building up to some grand climax like, say, the restaurant or play arcs. In this season, Larry and Cheryl have a the Black family whose home was destroyed in a hurricane move in, and that's pretty much it. I actually really like this storyline, partially because the Blacks make for a very likable and colorful addition to the cast, but also because it allows Season 6 to focus squarely on the comedy, which is always a good thing. Season 6 of Curb isn't just funny, it's consistently funny, lacking any downright weak episodes whatsoever. Even Season 4 had Wandering Bear, but I enjoyed every single episode in Season 6. As much as I like this show's story arcs, after how much of hit-or-miss mess last season was, this back to basics approach was for the best. However, there is one slightly dramatic subplot this season, as Larry and Cheryl's relationship is slowly starting to get a bit strained throughout much of its first half of the season. It's not something I really noticed during my first watch, but I couldn't help but notice it this time around. If this was any other season of Curb, it would probably be neatly resolved by the finale... but this is not any other season of Curb.

In the seventh episode of the season, Larry and Cheryl get into a fight and separate. This was a big twist and a shocking change to status quo because that sort of stuff didn't normally happen in Curb, and at first, this seems like a fantastic idea. It shakes up the series, leads to a great final few episodes where Larry deals with the separation, and lets Larry finally enter the dating scene opening the doors to a whole new level of comedy. However, it's hard not to think of how this twist transforms the show in the future, where Cheryl practically becomes a minor character, and without that straight-man figure, Larry becomes more and more of a curmudgeon-y jerk who never really faces lasting consequences anymore. And that all just leaves me mixed about that twist. While it was a good idea at first that made Seasons 6 & 7 into two of the best of the show, the fact is that Larry needs Cheryl, and as the two slowly part ways, Curb starts to lose its luster. Still, that's not something I can really judge this season for, it's a problem I'll continue to discuss in future seasons.

As consistent as this season was, I did find a few episodes worth noting:

The Anonymous Donor: Leon's first episode! I forgot just how funny The Anonymous Donor was, it's stuffed to the brim with fantastic storylines. From Ted getting all the attention despite being the titular anonymous donor, to Leon bursting onto the scene, to the blanket debacle, to Larry and Jeff being kicked out of each others' houses, to that hilarious final misunderstanding. Everything just clicks into place in this one.

The TiVo Guy: As mentioned above, this was the episode with the big twist where Larry and Cheryl end up breaking up. It's just as surprising as it was the first time I saw it, but I also forgot how funny the first ten minutes of this episode are. Larry loses Cheryl because he prioritizes the Tivo Guy over her, and their argument where Cheryl calls out pretty much everything Larry has ever done is just priceless.

The Bat Mitzvah: If you thought The Grand Opening was heartwarming, this is the happiest ending any season of Curb can and will ever have. The final ten minutes of this episode are fantastic, from Larry trying to dispel the rumors about him at the bar mitzvah, to Loretta and Larry sharing a dance, to that funny and adorable final montage of Larry integrating with the Blacks. Many tend to refer to this as the best Curb finale and I totally see why, it's definitely the one that makes me the happiest.

Overall, Season 6 really is the most solid season of Curb. The Black family are fantastic introductions to the show, the comedy is consistently strong, and while it may not bode well for the future of the show, Larry and Cheryl's breakup is a fantastic twist that gives the series a nice shake-up.

4/5 Stars

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 5)

Oh, boy, I was dreading this season. I recall this being my least favorite season of Curb Your Enthusiasm

Season 5 of Curb Your Enthusiasm has two major storylines, both of which kinda suck. First, there's Larry mishearing his father and getting the impression that he might be adopted. Even more, his "actual parents" might even be Christian. Look, a religion-centric plot isn't a bad idea. I've been loving whenever Curb pokes fun at religion, not to mention my favorite episode of the show (which happens to be in this very season) being entirely about Judaism. But this storyline is just uncharacteristically serious (not to mention implausible) for Curb. Like this is a soap opera plot, it's way too melodramatic to be in such a self-aware show. And that's not even it, there's also Richard Lewis needing a kidney exchange and Larry accidentally volunteering. This plotline is a bit better, since it's at least funny to see Larry frantically try to find another donor, but it still suffers from being way too serious for a show like this. Whenever this season buckles down and focuses on the comedy, it's as good as Curb has ever been, but so much of it is spent on these dull and overly serious plotlines... and that's not even getting into the finale...

And thus begins The "The End" Tangent...

Curb's Season 5 finale (seemingly originally intended to be the series finale) is one of the worst episodes of television I've seen in my life. It was bad when I first watched it, and it's even worse now, and I just have to tear it apart. So Larry learns that he is adopted, and that has real parents are Christian. Upon meeting his parents, Larry suddenly decides to become Christian, which makes absolutely no sense. Larry may be more secular than most, but he's integrated in the Jewish community, and if his interactions with Cheryl's family are any indication, he knows literally nothing about Christianity. So of course, Larry decides to go ahead with the kidney surgery... until one of the most baffling scenes in the episode. So his PI runs into the hospital while he's being carted off to do surgery and tells him he's not adopted, at which point Larry tries to back out of the surgery, only for the doctors to ignore him? How did they allow the PI in there? And whatever happened to surgical consent?!

But of course, things get so much worse. Larry dies during the surgery. Yeah, he dies. And then he goes to heaven! What ensues is about 5-10 minutes of Larry annoying some guest stars playing angels in an incredibly unfunny manner until they decide to just bring him back to life. This moment came so close to Curb jumping the shark. An otherwise grounded sitcom revealing heaven exists, not to mention the fact that much of this show's cast is in a religion that doesn't even believe in heaven to begin with?! And it still gets worse, because the episode also cuts to Larry's friends while he's dead, and they're... uncharacteristically happy? Cheryl immediately starts asking about money, and no one else seems to care that Larry David died. Like I get they were trying to do a The Invitations thing, but that episode worked because Susan had no attachments to the cast. She's not a part of the main four, we know only George cared about her. Larry on the other hand does have attachments to the rest of the main cast. He's Cheryl's husband, Jeff's best friend, Susie's... acquaintance. Even with all their arguments, we know they care about each other to some degree. Hell, they all reacted with horror to Larry's near death experience at the start of this very season! Everyone in this episode is out of character, plain and simple.

So that's The End. An episode that lacks any common sense, is filled to the brim with contrivances, confirms the existence of heaven, messes up all the characters, and worst of all, straight-up isn't funny. And keep in mind, this was supposed to be the series finale. Between this and the Seinfeld finale, I just don't trust Larry David to end a series well.

And Back To Season 5...

As I have been alluding to, though, this season does have a big high point, typically when it isn't focusing on the story arc:

The Ski Lift: For being in such a weak season, The Ski Lift is my favorite episode of the show. It has everything I would want from a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode. Want religious humor? You get Larry pretending to be Orthodox and his hilarious attempts at faking Yiddish. Want sex jokes? You get the big vagina argument. Want to see Larry suck at life? You get to watch him try to ski. And most importantly of all, you want screentime for Susie? You get to see her pretend to be married to Larry, and it's glorious.  

Overall, Season 5 is the worst season of Curb. It has two dull and overly serious plotlines, generally weaker writing, and one of the worst endings to a show I think I've ever seen. Thank goodness Curb didn't end here, if it weren't for The Ski Lift, this season would be almost irredeemable. But don't worry, the worst is over. We've just arrived at the best era of the show. 

1/5 Stars

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 4)

As Curb Your Enthusiasm continues on, it continues to improve at a very steady pace, leading to Season 4, easily the strongest and most consistent one out of the original five.

Coming off the heels of the fantastic restaurant storyline, Season 4's main premise is also one of the show's better ones. It involves Mel Brooks casting Larry David in the lead role of his Producers play, along with Ben Stiller (who quickly gets replaced by David Schwimmer). I've always loved storylines where the cast puts on a show or shoots a film, so this season is right up my alley. However, I don't think this storyline sticks the landing quite as well as Season 3 did, even if it does end on a pretty genius twist. While the play is happening, there's also a subplot about Cheryl challenging Larry to have sex with another woman for their anniversary, but it was pretty forgettable. However, as far as plot goes, the actual highlight of the season was a three-episode arc in the middle, which finally introduces the Funkhouser family, an integral part of later Curb seasons. It's a manic mini-arc where Larry gets kicked out of his golf club, wars with the weatherman, and frames a friend for carrying marijuana. It's Curb at its most unhinged. 

Speaking of the comedy, this is easily the most consistently funny season of the bunch, lacking the slow start that Season 3 had. Everything I said about the previous seasons improving on the improv and one-liners apply to this one even more, and outside of a single episode (Wandering Bear), there really isn't a single one I'd call subpar. As mentioned above, the peak of this season was easily the Funkhouser episodes, which basically take the bonkers Krazee-Eyez Killa episode from last season and expands it to three. Add in the survivor episode and you get some of the best black comedy in the show yet. However, my biggest criticism towards Season 4 is that it doesn't really reach the same heights as most of the other seasons. The Car Pool Lane is probably Season 4's best episode, but it's still nowhere near high points like The Doll or Krazee-Eyez Killa, and that's not even getting into episodes from the later seasons. Season 4 is consistent, with hardly any low points whatsoever, but it doesn't really have many high points either.

Still, there were some episodes I liked more than others:

The Weatherman: Similarly to The Special Section, I found this to just be a really funny episode, from the introduction to the Funkhouser family, to Larry's weatherman conspiracies, to Larry falling into the toilet bowl, to all the dentist shenanigans. The Weatherman simply works really well as the start of that fantastic three-episode stretch I kept raving about.

The Car Pool Lane: There's a lot to this episode, it's a lot. Larry pays a prostitute to just sit in his car so he can use the car pool lane, fakes being racist to get out of jury duty, gets Marty framed, and smokes marijuana and hallucinates. The sheer insanity of this episode and constant escalation of absurdity makes for a very fun time, but what really impressed me was the fact that this episode also somehow managed to exonerate a murder suspect by confirming his alibi. You know, in case things couldn't get any weirder. 

Opening Night: This finale was a bit more of a mixed bag than the last one. It went on a bit long and spent a lot of its runtime just showing scenes from the play. But as an ending to the main storyline, Opening Night still worked wonderfully, from the genius twist reveal that Mel Brooks wanted to tank his hole to Larry losing his last chance at adultry because he doesn't want to have sex with a republican.

Overall, Season 4 is easily the best Curb Your Enthusiasm season to date. It doesn't reach the heights of other seasons, but its solid premise, fantastic Funkhouser arc, and general consistency makes for an overall great entry in the series.

4/5 Stars

Favorite Movie Scores (& Individual Pieces Of Music)

While I constantly rave about video game music, let's face it, this blog isn't primarily a video game blog. It's a blog about film, albeit usually TV shows, so I wanted to finally talk about my favorite film scores:

1. Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
• The Indiana Jones movies have my favorite scores in the whole medium of film. They're romantic, adventurous, and downright beautiful at times. But Temple Of Doom is the best of the bunch, with the already amazing John Williams at the peak of his craft. This is one of his darkest and most mature soundtracks, befitting one of Spielberg's darkest films, but it also manages to simultaneously be incredibly frantic, fun, and spirited. The music in Temple Of Doom can be goofy one moment, borderline horror music the next, and triumphant the next. It captures the film's tone so well you can pretty much pick up the story just by listening to the soundtrack.
• Composer: John Williams
• Notable Tracks: Short Round's Theme, Nocturnal Activities, Bug Tunnel/Death Trap, Fast Streets Of Shanghai, Slave Children's Crusade, The Mine Car Chase
2. The Matrix Reloaded
• The Matrix Reloaded has a very early 2000s soundtrack, filled with trance, rave, and EDM music, and I absolutely adore it. Don Davis brings such a strong sense of style to his Matrix soundtracks to the point where I just can't picture the series without him, but what really makes Reloaded my favorite of the bunch is the action music. Every single fight in the film is  pretty much timed to its theme, making what are already some of the coolest action setpieces in all of film even better. Songs like Chateau, Burly Brawl, and Furious Angels are propulsive, thrilling, and incredibly catchy, just incredible pieces of music all around.
• Composer: Don Davis
• Notable Tracks: Main Title, Furious Angels, Zion, Burly Brawl, Chateau, Mona Lisa Overdrive
3. Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
• Okay, so technically you could argue that since the Lord Of The Rings tells one continuous story, I could just count its whole soundtrack. But if I had to pick one movie, it has to be the first movie's. Fellowship Of The Ring's scores introduces pretty much all of the trilogy's defining leitmotifs, and thus tends to have the best and most memorable versions of them. The ring's theme is mystical and eerie, the fellowship theme is one of the most thriling pieces of music ever composed, and the Shire theme is incredibly comfy. Howard Shore's music has pretty much forever colored my perception of Middle Earth, it's pretty much an integral part of the location for me.  
• Composer: Howard Shore
• Notable Tracks: Concerning Hobbits, The Breaking Of The Fellowship, The Ring Goes South, The Bridge Of Khazad Dum, A Knife In The Dark, One Ring To Rule Them All
4. My Neighbor Totoro
• Studio Ghibli's soundtracks being good is pretty much a cliché at this point, there really are a ton of picks for the best one. But since My Neighbor Totoro was my first Ghibli film, its music stuck with me the most. The music in Totoro captures the same sense of childhood innocence and wonder that the film does, making for an absolutely delightful listen... at least in the moments where Hisaishi isn't composing his heart out for songs like The Path Of The Wind, which are some of the most awe-inspiringly beautiful pieces of film score ever.
• Composer: Joe Hisaishi
• Notable Tracks: The Path Of The Wind, A Lost Child, Tonari No Totoro, Stroll, The Village In May, Cat Bus
5. Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
• Of course I had to put something from my favorite film franchise, and while The Phantom Menace's score was really close, The Empire Strikes Back is pretty much the definitive Star Wars soundtrack. Some of the best themes from A New Hope such as Binary Sunset and Leia's Theme are brought back, but it's this movie's score that adds some of my personal favorite pieces such as the Han and Leia theme, Yoda's theme, and especially the Imperial March, one of the most defining themes of the whole series.
• Composer: John Williams
• Notable Tracks: Rescue From Cloud City, Han Solo And The Princess, The Imperial March, Yoda's Theme, The Battle Of Hoth, Lando's Palace, The Clash Of Lightsabers, Finale
6. Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl
• Hans Zimmer's always at his best when he just lets loose and goes completely bonkers, and Curse Of The Black Pearl's soundtrack pretty much requires that. Just as the movie is a rip-roaring rollercoaster ride of an action film, its soundtrack is just nonstop excitement and energy, perfectly captures this series' glorified "constant adventure" portrayal of pirates. Sure it uses the main Pirates leitmotif a lot, but it's a damn good leitmotif and probably the definitive pirate-related piece of music.
• Composer: Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt
• Notable Tracks: He's A Pirate, The Medallion Calls, Swords Crossed, Walk The Plank, The Black Pearl, Skulls And Crossbones
7. Batman 1989
• No one really talks about Elfman's Batman score, and that's a shame because it really is the best score for a superhero movie even after all these years. It's a score so good it elevates the film itself, not just capturing the movie's melodramatically gothic vibe but commanding your attention throughout its entire runtime. It can be haunting, romantic, and exciting, and most importantly of all, it nails the themes for its two main characters. This score has the definitive themes for Batman and Joker. The former gets a mysterious tune that captures the spirit of the character, protecting Gotham from the shadows. Meanwhile, the Joker gets a bombastic piece of circus music that feels eerily light-hearted compared to the rest of the score, just like how the character's colorful nature contrasts from Gotham.
• Composer: Danny Elfman
• Notable Tracks: The Batman Theme, Waltz To The Death, Roof Fight, Finale, Up The Cathedral, Descent Into Mystery, The Bat Cave, Flowers
8. Up
• Michael Giacchino is one of the most reliable film composers around, always understanding the assignment even when it's for a six season long TV show (how is Lost's music always so good?!). But while some may prefer his more jazzy stuff like Mission Impossible or The Incredibles, I think his magnum opus is the Up soundtrack, which contains some of his most elegant, soaring, and emotional pieces of music to date. And when the movie takes a more light-hearted tone, Giacchino gets a chance to pull off some fun 1930s-esque music. It's a very consistently strong score that absolutely deserved all the awards it got.
• Composer: Michael Giacchino
• Notable Tracks: Married Life, Carl Goes Up, Paradise Found, Stuff We Did, Escape From Muntz Mountain, Memories Can Weigh You Down, The Spirit Of Adventure
9. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• It's hard to describe "space music". It's the type of music that perfectly depicts the awe and wonder of exploring the unknown, stuff like Buzz Lightyear's theme in Toy Story. Jerry Goldsmith's score for The Motion Picture is the best space music, constantly amplifying the adventurous spirit that the film pretty much hinges on. At times, The Motion Picture's soundtrack is optimistic, hopeful, and soaring. But other times, it's eerie. Just like the film, it's not afraid to emphasize how scary the unknown parts of space can be too. TMP's score is so good and all-encompassing that the rest of the franchise struggles to reach these highs.
• Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
• Notable Tracks: The Enterprise, Main Theme, Ilia's Theme, Klingon Battle, V'Ger Flyover, The Meld
10. Puella Magi Madoka Magica Rebellion
• Yeah, this shouldn't be a surprise coming from the big Madoka fan. The original's score is already my favorite anime soundtrack, and Kajiura didn't let up for the movie sequel. Rebellion's score is just as ethereal, haunting, and dramatic as you'd hope for from a Madoka soundtrack, and is possibly even more mature in the way it twists and distorts leitmotifs from the show. The battle themes are bombastic, the tragic themes are classical, the weird themes are... very weird, and it all captures that distinct Madoka vibe perfectly.
• Composer: Yuki Kajiura
• Notable Tracks: Absolute Configuration, Once We Were, Holy Quintet, I Remember, Another Episode, Never Leave You Alone, Flames Of Despair, I've Been Waiting For This Moment, Your Silver Garden

In addition, I also wanted to give recognition to my favorite individual pieces of music in movie scores. Some are from movies on the previous list, and others are not.

1. Slave Children's Crusade (Temple Of Doom)
• If I had to say what my favorite leitmotif from the Indiana Jones series, it would be the Holy Grail theme hands down. It's mystical, ethereal, bittersweet, nostalgic, and... sadly never really given its own individual track, with most of its parts being broken up throughout the soundtrack. Thus, my favorite individual Indiana Jones track is easily the Slave Children's Crusade. After an entire film's worth of the main cast being put through the absolute worst torment, this song serves as the turning point for the heroes and the climactic piece of the whole movie. It's triumphant, bombastic, and single-handedly ramps up the momentum for Temple Of Doom's nonstop action-heavy final act. To put it simply, Slave Children's Crusade is Temple Of Doom. That movie would not work without this song.
2. Duel Of The Fates (The Phantom Menace)
• Hey, I did say I really liked The Phantom Menace's soundtrack. There really isn't much I can say about Duel Of The Fates that hasn't already been said. The chorus, the buildup, the way it rises and lowers in intensity throughout, the sheer grandiosity and scale of it all. This is hands down one of the most epic pieces of music ever composed, Williams just goes so damn hard. But while everyone associates this theme with Darth Maul, I actually like to associate it with the entirety of Phantom Menace's fantastic third act. The way the music and jumps between the different character perspectives is timed so well, it makes for one of my favorite scenes in terms of editing. 
3. No Time For Caution (Interstellar)
• So this theme became a bit of a meme nowadays, and it's often played over videos of intense situations. However, whenever I hear No Time For Caution in a video, it's impossible for me to pay attention because this theme is godly. The ticking clock in the background, the organ lead, the slow buildup, the dramatic chords, Hans Zimmer absolutely killed it with this one. It's intense, transcendent, and has you gripped every time you hear it. The perfect theme to signify humanity persevering through seemingly impossible odds.
4. The Path Of The Wind (My Neighbor Totoro)
• I already brought this up when talking about Totoro's soundtrack but, my goodness is this song fantastic. There isn't much I can really say about it other than the fact that it's just plain beautiful. But even more than that, The Path Of The Wind has such a fantastic buildup, and a phenomenal climax. It's the type of song that makes you forget all your worries and just take in the scenery.
5. The Ring Goes South (Lord Of The Rings)
• The Fellowship theme is one of the best pieces of music for just pumping you up. Try listening to it while going on a walk somewhere, it'll make you feel like you're going on a big adventure. I love how the first half of this song is actually a menacing version of The Shire theme that keeps you on edge... until it hits you with the Fellowship theme like a ton of bricks. Hands down the best usage of leitmotifs in the whole trilogy. 
6. Absolute Configuration (Madoka Rebellion)
• Homura vs Mami is one of my favorite fight scenes ever, let alone animated. It's a frantic, bombastic and oddly balletic flurry of gun fu and time stop shenanigans that exudes energy and creativity in every frame, and the phenomenal music that accompanies it elevates the fight even further. The wailing guitars, intense drums, and of course Kajiura's signature chorus make for one of most thrilling songs in the franchise.
7. He's A Pirate (Pirates Of The Caribbean)
• I said it once and I'll say it again. This is THE pirate theme. Sure it's an intense and exhilarating piece of music buoyed by Zimmer's signature booming drums, but it's also just damn fun. Just listening to it makes you want to sail the high seas and be a swash-buckling pirate, even if in reality, I'd never do that in a million years. Not unlike the Fellowship theme, He's A Pirate is really good at hyping you up and making you feel badass while listening to it.
8. The Enterprise (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
• This track plays during what is basically six straight minutes of the camera taking the tour around a swanky new improved Enterprise. It's a scene that should feel like long, drawn-out, hollow fan service... but it's not, and that's entirely because of this tune. Goldsmith knocks this scene is basically starship porn, so he writes a long love letter to the Enterprise, its unique design and features, and its mission. It's a hopeful tune that perfect encapsulates the spirit of Star Trek.
9. Married Life (Up)
• You've probably heard this all before. Up's opening ten minutes is one of the finest and most emotional sequences in any movie, and its music plays a big part of that. It's basically ten minutes worth of the same leitmotif played over and over again, but the way Giacchino modifies the leitmotif, amping up the tempo and switching tone at a rapid pace, makes for one of the most dynamic pieces of film score ever. If the events of the movie don't make you cry, I'm damn sure Married Life will.
10. What's Up, Danger (Into The Spider Verse)
• I really wanted to put Into The Spider Verse's fantastic soundtrack in my Top 10, but it does have a few needledrops in it so I didn't want to count it. However, What's Up Danger was made for this movie, and it shows. It's a great song on its own, but the way it syncs up with easily the best scene in the movie is so perfect. And the crazy thing, it was the first scene we saw of Spider Verse, it was the teaser trailer. But this track made Miles' leap of faith feel fresh, as if I had seen it for the first time all over again. 
11. Chateau (The Matrix Reloaded)
• I really could have picked any of the major fight themes in Matrix Reloaded, but the one that plays during the Chateau fight (already one of my favorite fights in the movie) is definitely the highlight. It's super fast-paced and frantic, and the mixture of orchestra and techno is incredibly well-done. But my favorite part of the theme is actually when Neo gets a cut, almost all of the instruments cutting out except for a jamming synth bass just stuck with me so much.
12. Waltz To The Death (Batman 1989)
• I already talked about how much I love this theme when discussing Batman's score. It's the perfect Joker theme. Compared to how low-key and eerie much of this film's soundtrack is, the Joker essentially getting circus music sticks out in the best way possible. But it's also not a light-hearted theme either, it's creepy in its own way, just as Joker is actually terrifying under his clown guise. 
13. Portals (Avengers Endgame)
• I'll be frank, the MCU doesn't tend to have the best music. Portals is the exception, and thank goodness it was. The titular portal scene is supposed to be the most pivotal and important scene in the whole film, so Silvestri needed to absolutely kill it, and he did! Portals perfectly evokes the scale and size of this event, seeing all these superheroes on the same screen, slowly building up to the grandiose reprise of the Avengers theme, the best and most memorable theme in the whole MCU.
14. Welcome To Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park)
• Jurassic Park is a really cool film because of how it's basically split into two halves. Everyone knows the scary second half where everyone is constant danger of being eaten by dinosaurs, but I also adore how the first half of the movie focuses on the sheer awe of seeing dinosaurs walk around right in front of you. And Williams captures that sense of wonder with this song so incredibly well, and thanks to Jurassic Park's still amazing effects, Welcome To Jurassic Park will always have that same effect on you every time you watch the film. That Brontosaurus coming into frame as this theme plays is pure movie magic. And that stomp... what a perfect film...
15. The Cleaner (Toy Story 2)
• Okay, so this is a bit of a weird pick but The Cleaner always stuck with me for some reason. Maybe it's because of childhood nostalgia from this being my favorite Toy Story (it still is), maybe it's because of how goddamn satisfying that scene of Woody being cleaned, or maybe it's just that charming and delightful to listen to. Either way, The Cleaner is a fantastic and underrated piece of music that perfectly evokes the charm of early Pixar.