Decoding
Very interesting that he wrote this one first, though it makes sense. All of the points you bring up here are good ones, but we almost wonder if this show doesn't want to be figured out. Regardless, we gave it a try too with the following results:
http://realcityny.com/jon-b…

Selflessness
The Seinfeld parallels are interesting, but to be honest feel a bit far-fetched. To each their own, though. Over at Realcity we focused more on the drastic ups and downs of Larry's NY adventure, and what it means to be a hero. For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/curb-…

The Trouble with Anxiety
Lee may be helping Cathy relax now, but her anxiety will never fully go away. As well all know, that's a near impossibility. So what can she do to keep it at bay? For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/the-b…

Social Arbiter
The point about rich people problems is definitely true. Curb has always poked fun at Larry's situation and hopefully it'll only get better in New York where the classes are so mixed. What struck us even more, though, was how Larry's years of social arbitration backfired on him. Now that L.A. is finally…

Victory Lap?
The Dane Cook confrontation was certainly interesting, but we were even more drawn to the opening sitcom scenes. After years of being beaten down by Hollywood tropes, it almost felt like CK was taking a victory lap. For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/louie…

Eerily Calm
This was definitely one of the calmer episodes of the season, but not necessarily a bad one. HJB is now and will always be a resident of the edge. That he didn't push us right up to it this week can only mean one thing. For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/jon-b…

Perspective
Adam may be getting more difficult, but at least he's finally gaining some perspective. For a teenager, especially in this situation, that's a start. For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/the-b…

The Power Balance in HBO's L.A.
If anything I kind of like that this season doesn't have a "theme" yet. While they've been entertaining in the past, they've also felt forced. Besides, his trip to New York will surely tie it all together. While some of the jokes may have felt too neat here, the message certainly…

The Power Balance in HBO's L.A.
Sure this season has been a little ho-hum so far, but it is bringing up some interesting points. Ari Gold, one of the most powerful men in L.A., is still vulnerable. Coincidentally, so was Larry David in the episode of Curb right before this. For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/portr…

The Power of a Camera
The curse story was pretty great, but "Hang Up On Them" was even more intriguing to us. HJB has gotten people to tolerate a lot of things on the street, but he's never manipulated them so heavily. All it takes is a mic and a camera. For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/jon-b…

The Hard Life of a Social Assassin
While the international relations were intriguing, the "social assassin" label was even more so. It's true, Larry has done this all along, but somehow bringing it to the forefront changes things. Now that he has the pressure of being a true professional in his field, he has some hard…

Imperfect Geography
This was a lot of fun to watch, but very jarring at times. Does no one care about getting New York geography right?

Answers?
We didn't find it cheap at all that Ellen died. Answers to life's big questions are rare, and never neat. That's why it seems that lately CK has become more interested in asking questions than answering them. For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/louie…

Wilfred's Rule
Yeah the tone shift is interesting, but so far has been working. As for Wilfred continuing to go over the top (see Template's comment) it's also a good point. I'm guessing that Ryan never will calm him down. After all, that's the endless relationships that dogs and humans have. Ryan and Wilfred may be a…

Why do we trust so much?
Sure, the sketches could be little tighter, but there is so much more to talk about here. For example, what does it mean that the show's craziest episode yet was also its most realistic? Or that the secondary sketches were also some of the driest? JBHV is trying to tell us something and we…

A New Larry?
This episode wasn't perfect, but it brought up some interesting opportunities. Multiple times Larry chooses to back down rather than start a fight. New ground indeed. What could this mean? For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/curb-…

Showbiz Reality Check
A nice episode indeed. We spent the weekend trying to figure out if there was more to Joan's lessons, but it was truly just a nice showbiz reality check. Good change of pace to see Louie actually catch a break for once. For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/louie…

Another Look
Agreed that these reviews have become very one note and repetitive. Stop looking at this for sketch mechanics and start analyzing the rules of this show's world. They're pretty damn crazy. We took a stab at it this week and found that JBHV is becoming less trustworthy with every episode. For more analysis:
…

Chain of Manipulation
This episode did seem to mark a new stride for the show, but we're not convinced that it's settling down. After so much time of Wilfred manipulating Ryan, it's time for Ryan to start returning the favor. When that happens, the show will take a whole new turn that we're excited to see. For more…

New Season, New Problems
Have to disagree with the idea that there's not much new here. Larry is finally facing severe consequences for his refusal to compromise. Sure he may not learn from them, but his life is about to be changed by them nonetheless. For more analysis:
http://realcityny.com/curb-…