It’s always a bit of an emotional shock when former US president Barack Obama pops up on my screen. The Instagram algorithm keeps showing him to me, because it knows I always click when he’s being charming with babies, giving statesmanlike speeches, looking cool at rallies, or being articulate and witty. He’s endlessly composed, compassionate, intelligent, handsome, and thoughtful—basically, a fully functioning adult human, if you want the short version. What the algorithm doesn’t know is that I cringe in pain before I click, and quietly cry over how far we’ve fallen. The US sneezed, but the UK has definitely caught a cold.
Then he shows up at the start of Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: an Almost History of America (one of the shows from his and Michelle’s TV company, Higher Ground Productions) to remind us that, on top of everything else, he also has perfect comic timing. As he walks through what I assume is the new Barack Obama Presidential Center, he adjusts his performance so beautifully that I almost started crying again. If I had known what a mess would follow this masterclass, I would have sobbed.
Life, Larry and … is seven half-hour episodes searching for a punchline. E pluribus unum. The luckier episodes find two, maybe three punchlines. God help the rest. Each half-hour has three or four sketches starring Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm, playing Larry David doing his usual routine from Curb Your Enthusiasm. Which is a slightly different and much worse thing. It mostly involves him shouting things you’ve probably heard before, and better, while wearing period costumes. In the first episode, he shouts in a powdered wig as a member of the Continental Congress who tried to draft the Declaration of Independence before Jefferson. In 18th-century Larry’s version, it was meant to cover far more than 27 historical grievances. He wants to make it illegal to share umbrellas (“You forgot your own umbrella? Too bad!”), share desserts (for Seinfeldian double-dipping reasons), or wish anyone a happy new year after January 7. And everyone should have the right to ask who the other guests are before accepting a dinner party invitation.
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It goes on. All the sketches do. The next one is about the first phone call between Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant Watson. Both are awkward, boring, and don’t know how to end the call. Another, in the third episode, about the McCarthy hearings, goes on almost as long as the witch hunts themselves.
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It goes on. All the sketches do … David with Jon Hamm and Sean Hayes in Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness. Photograph: HBO Max
Other sketches have Larry shouting as a World War I soldier in the trenches, first trying to avoid agreeing to deliver a fellow soldier’s letter to his girlfriend if he dies, and then trying to avoid the war altogether by pretending to be shot in No Man’s Land. Or he shouts as the third Wright brother, objecting to having to take the middle seat in their first airplane. Again, it’s all familiar. That wouldn’t necessarily matter—Larry David fans will tune in to see Larry David as Larry David—if his talents were fully on display, skewering the cowardice and hypocrisies of human nature so we writhe in exquisite agony with him and/or the people around him. But they aren’t.
A couple of sketches touch on racism—Larry as a talkative bore sits next to Rosa Parks on a bus and bores her back to the back; Larry as a host on the Underground Railroad is taken advantage of by his guests, who refuse to help out (on the grounds that that’s “slave stuff”). These manage to be both exercises in pulling punches and punching down. That makes for a bad experience comedically, as well as in many other ways. That said, there is one moment—when Larry the Bore asks Rosa if she would rather be robbed by a black man or a white man (“Interesting, socio…Logically speaking—it’s when you’re reminded of David at his sharpest, boiling down a mess of unspeakable human complications into a single line. But those moments are painfully rare.
The biggest flaw, though, is how familiar the material feels. What’s on offer here brings to mind H.L. Mencken’s definition of a hotdog—”the sweepings of the abattoir”—instead of peak Larry. This is especially true during a sketch about Lewis and Clark with guest star Jerry Seinfeld (they’re just going on their expedition to get away from their wives! Hilarious, right?).
To an extent that the great man surely wouldn’t be happy with, Life, Larry and … relies on a mix of faith and nostalgia that’s almost indistinguishable from charity.
Still, it’s worth watching the Obama introduction. And weeping softly. Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness is streaming on HBO Max now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the review of Life Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is Life Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness
Its a TV project created by Larry David the cocreator of Seinfeld and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm This review calls it a complete mess
2 Is this a new show or a movie
According to the review its a TV mess but its unclear if its a full series or a oneoff special The title suggests a spoof of the phrase life liberty and the pursuit of happiness
3 Why does the review say its a complete mess
The reviewer likely found the show chaotic unfunny poorly structured or a disappointment compared to Larry Davids previous work
4 Is this review positive or negative
Strongly negative Calling it a complete TV mess is a clear sign the reviewer did not enjoy it
AdvancedLevel Questions
5 How does this project compare to Curb Your Enthusiasm
The review implies it falls far short While Curb is praised for its improvised awkward humor this project seems to miss the mark entirely lacking the sharpness or timing fans expect
6 What specific problems does the review point out
Common issues in such reviews include unfunny jokes confusing plot weak character development or a sense that Larry David is just recycling old material without the same energy
7 Is this a real show or a parody title
The title Life Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness sounds like a parody of a selfhelp documentary or a mockumentary about Larry Davids own personality It may be a fictional project created for a review or a real failed pilot
8 Should I still watch it to form my own opinion
If youre a diehard Larry David fan you might want to see if you agree But if youre looking for something funny or wellmade the review suggests you can safely skip it
9 What practical tip does the review offer
The main tip is lower your expectations If you go in hoping for
