Curb Your Enthusiasm ended with a trial and a kicker that put what its inventive group known as a “cussed exclamation level” on the Larry David-created and -starring collection by revisiting and flipping the ending of Seinfeld for Curb’s ultimate episode. The April 7 series-ender for the long-running HBO comedy closed with a traditional callback to the Jerry Seinfeld-starring collection that David co-created and ran years earlier. His Curb accomplice, showrunner Jeff Schaffer, factors out that the plot was greater than twenty years within the making. “It’s simply cool that you may hold round lengthy sufficient to have the ability to do a 26-year-old joke,” Schaffer tells The Hollywood Reporter within the under dialog. Whereas Curb, which has obtained 4 Emmy nominations for its ultimate season, is over as a collection, Schaffer says David hasn’t stopped being perturbed by the human race — which ought to give followers of the improvisational comedy hope. “The present is completed in its present kind, however Larry’s not finished,” he says of prospects to return. “We’re speaking about speaking about stuff.”

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How did you retain the collection finale a secret?

I’m so glad nothing leaked. We had these huge court docket room scenes for 4 days, and the jury was a bunch of extras. Props to them for truly doing what they stated they might do — legally, what their NDA stated! They didn’t spill the beans. Larry was fearful. I stated, “Effectively, why don’t you discuss to them?” In the beginning, he obtained up and stated, “Hey everyone. You’re going to see a number of stuff right here. Don’t inform anyone. We hate spoilers. Don’t spoil it for everybody else. Don’t be a spoiler.” And none of them had been, to their credit score. We additionally shot scenes with Jerry [Seinfeld] and Larry in the midst of a working motels in downtown Los Angeles. I by no means noticed any images of that come out, which was unbelievable.

How bummed would you have got been if the ending had been spoiled?

What we didn’t take into consideration through the course of the season was as quickly as we talked about “trial,” everybody jumped on. That’s after we truly obtained fearful, like we didn’t disguise the ball nicely sufficient. By episode 5, when Larry was going to the lawyer’s workplace speaking a few trial, everybody was like, “Oh my gosh, they’re going to do the Seinfeld finale once more. They’re gonna go to trial!” At first, that did bum me out a little bit bit. However then I noticed, “No, that is nice. Let it slowly daybreak on them that that is inexorable. That we’re slowly transferring in direction of the factor they will’t imagine we’re gonna do, after which we’ll get there. We’ll get all the way in which up till that ultimate second, after which we’ll flip it.”

Do you assume you underestimated your viewers?

We underestimated the phrase “trial.” However ultimately, the season performed out just like the present performs out in each scene, the place you possibly can’t imagine Larry goes to do what he’s going to do. The season performed out like that over 10 episodes: “I can’t imagine they re doing it.”

How a lot have you ever guys talked in regards to the response to the Seinfeld ending through the years?

Solely when it was vital, like in season seven after we had been doing the Seinfeld reunion on Curb. “We will’t spoil this reunion, we already ruined a finale,” was a simple joke. However aside from that, I truthfully don’t assume Larry ever considered it.

How is Larry feeling in regards to the ending now?

Larry was truthfully completely shocked by the constructive pressure of the response. He was blown away by how a lot folks obtained it and loved it. He’s actually, actually glad that we pulled it off. And Jerry is absolutely glad that we pulled it off. And that makes me glad. I’ve been working with them since 1994. So to deliver all of it full circle with these two individuals who taught me every part about the best way to write comedy was actually particular.

You and Larry got here up with the meta ending after which peppered issues into the season so it might all come collectively ultimately. What needed to work, in any other case the entire thing would crumble?

The finale needed to be a humorous Curb episode. As soon as we knew we had been going to recapitulate the Seinfeld finale, as soon as we knew we had been going to flip it, we knew that might work. However we had been actually centered on ensuring that there have been actually humorous Curb tales inside this episode. That’s kind of what occurred within the Seinfeld finale — these 4 individuals who you loved a lot after they had been lively in their very own demise had been very passive sitting at a desk. So we made positive there have been very humorous Curb tales. It couldn’t be a clip present.

Have you ever heard from the opposite Seinfeld stars?

Julia [Louis-Dreyfus] despatched me a very nice e-mail proper after the finale, saying how a lot she beloved it and the way nice it was, which was tremendous gratifying. It’s simply cool that you may hold round lengthy sufficient to have the ability to do a 26-year-old joke!

Now you’ve created the Seinfeld–Curb multiverse. There are such a lot of prospects.  

I do know what you need. You need Leon [J.B. Smoove] in a Physician Who film. We’ll see.

Once you look again on the ultimate season, what tickles you essentially the most?

Larry’s efficiency this season was so good. His face was so expressive. He informed you precisely why it was humorous each time, his face executing the complete shade wheel of lies. He can be mortified that I’m saying this however, it’s a no brainer him successful for finest actor in a comedy. As a result of he’s doing what nobody else is doing. He’s appearing and writing on the identical time.

What would Emmy recognition imply to you for this ultimate season?

A nomination is an actual praise. However I feel I converse for each of us once I say that Larry and I haven’t discovered the best way to take compliments. We haven’t actually parsed our odds. We simply determine it’s cool we obtained nominated once more, no matter occurs, occurs. As for what the Finest Comedy class seems like, I hope whoever wins is the funniest present. I used to be on Seinfeld for 4 years and we misplaced to Frasier all 4 seasons, and I’ve by no means heard anyone say, “I simply had the craziest Frasier second!” Actually humorous issues are like plutonium, they’ve a protracted half-life. And I feel Curb tales are going to be radioactive for a very long time.

How do you’re feeling about Curb’s legacy?

I actually really feel like we caught the touchdown. It makes me very glad that everybody appears to have actually favored it, as a result of we kind of went out on a limb and it labored. And it’s one thing no different present may have finished, as a result of no different present has the tie-in. It was a novel and lazy factor to attempt. (Laughs.) Everyone actually favored it, and Larry by no means thought that was going to occur. He was preparing, in typical Larry kind, to go, “Effectively, in the event that they prefer it I’ll take credit score, in the event that they don’t prefer it, I’ll simply blame you.” (Laughs.) To me, the legacy is the quantity of people that say, “I simply had a Curb second.” Or, “My cousin is Larry.” Individuals who now have the braveness to say they’re too good for a textual content chain, or the truth that at each Bruce Springsteen live performance now, he has to take care of somebody holding an indication saying, “I’m a ground fucker, too.” That’s value an Emmy proper there. Or at the least a Critic’s Alternative award.

Larry all the time finally ends up lacking the present after you might be finished. Is he nonetheless writing in his notepad?

We’re nonetheless in an workplace collectively, subsequent to one another. Issues are nonetheless taking place. It’s actually a testomony to all of the folks on the west facet of Los Angeles. We’re not operating out of concepts, as a result of persons are nonetheless horrible. And also you’re confronted with that daily you stroll out of your own home. Actually, Larry stated to me the opposite day, “What are we going to do with all these concepts?” I stated, “Let’s determine it out.” So, we’re going to determine it out.

What does that imply?

I don’t know! It means we’re speaking about speaking about stuff.

When would that be… in months, years… weeks?

Not weeks. Perhaps months. Positively years.

Do you contemplate the present as finished?

I might say the present is completed in its present kind, however Larry’s not finished. If comedy had been beer, he’s a grasp brewer. I feel he’s going to nonetheless make beer, however what are we going to pour it into? I don’t know but.

What about any character spinoffs?

I’ve undoubtedly been chatting with J.B., who has one million concepts. I don’t assume we’ve seen the final of Leon. I don’t know the way or when, however Leon goes to get his.

A technique you may come again is with a reunion fundraiser. These had been huge the final election cycle and now Kamala Harris has folks in Hollywood fired up. Have you ever and Larry talked about getting concerned or getting the Curb crew concerned for 2024?

We’ve undoubtedly talked about being concerned on a political degree, we’ve not talked about doing it by Curb. My guess is that’s one thing a number of reveals are going to do, and I very a lot doubt Larry needs to be the ninth present to try this. However I’m fairly positive he’s going to be lively in elevating cash and serving to with the marketing campaign. I haven’t been again [in Hollywood] because the announcement, however simply from my group of individuals, it’s a brand new world. It’s nice. It’s a loopy story, and I actually hope it has a cheerful ending.

It was necessary to you that the ultimate shot of the season was with your entire solid. You known as “wrap,’ and Jeff Garlin cried. The late Richard Lewis was there. How do you look again on that second now?

I want I had ready one thing to say. (Laughs.) I used to be so centered on the shoot that after we had been finished, I noticed, “Somebody goes to must say one thing.” I went as much as Larry and stated, “Are you good?” He stated, “Yeah, we’re good.” So, we’re finished. And I noticed I didn’t put together for this second. I ready for each second of this complete season apart from this one. And, this one appears necessary! However I didn’t actually take into consideration what I used to be going to do. So I simply stood there and stated, “That’s the tip of the funniest present on tv.” Trying again, I’m pondering, “Oh, you’re so lame.” That, I ought to have prepped for.

Are you all nonetheless in contact… is there truly a gaggle chat?

There was a textual content chain for a little bit, after which all of us realized we’re too good for it. However we now have talked and seen one another. We’ve had dinner and gotten collectively. Everybody feels actually glad with how we ended. It’s onerous to finish a present and have everybody go away glad, and we did.

What’s your rewatch suggestion for Curb now — watch all of Seinfeld after which all of Curb?

Who has that a lot time? That’s like 300 episodes of tv. As a result of the Seinfeld stuff was so within the air, you don’t must have seen it to benefit from the Curb [ending]. But when I used to be going to rewatch Curb, you can begin wherever and at any season, it can make sense.

When you consider or miss Curb now, what involves thoughts?

The factor I miss essentially the most is being on set with the actors making one thing out of nothing. And laughing so much daily, and laughing at one thing that you simply didn’t have any thought existed three hours in the past, and now it’s this great point all of us made collectively. That’s what I miss.

Are you able to recreate that lightning in a bottle?

So long as Larry remains to be being perturbed by his fellow man, there’s nonetheless a shot.

A model of this story first appeared within the Aug. 7 subject of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click on right here to subscribe.