SPOILER ALERT:This story contains details from the series finale ofCurb Your EnthusiasmonHBO.
Curb Your Enthusiasmisover, for now, at least.
Endings are really hard, admits Essman.
‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’HBO
I love that we steered the Titanic back at the iceberg, jokes Schaffer.
It was the mostCurbway to endCurb.
DEADLINE:Its the morning after the series finale aired.
HBO
How are you both feeling now?
SUSIE ESSMAN: Im feeling great.
The first time I saw it was last night.
I see all the episodes ahead of time except this one.
A couple of weeks ago, Larry said, Do you want to see it?
I was like, I want to see when everybody else sees it.
I want that experience.
I knew what it was, I was there where we were shooting it.
I knew the story.
But I couldnt have been happier with how it all came together.
I just thought it was just absolutely perfect.
JEFF SCHAFFER: Its not a sad occasion.
Susie, do you feel like its a sad occasion?
ESSMAN: No, it feels joyous to me.
It doesnt feel sad to me at all.
What felt sad was the last day of shooting.
That was when it felt sad.
But that was over a year ago.
Just seeing the culmination of all these years, I just loved it, I couldnt have been happier.
SCHAFFER: I feel relieved to not have to dissemble how the show is ending.
Weve been carrying this deep dark family secret for a year and a half.
Thats all anyone wants to know.
Its like, hows it gonna end?
Dont worry about how its going to end, watch the first nine shows, theyre pretty good.
What Im proud of is that its a funny episode ofCurb, which is the most important part.
I love that we steered the Titanic back at the iceberg.
And like, and, and just the idea that were you know what I like about it.
It really speaks to Larrys contrary DNA.
I feel like we balanced the legacy part and the comedy part in equal measure.
ESSMAN: Thats not easy to do.
Endings are really hard.
Really, really hard.
I think these guys just nailed it.
DEADLINE:The reviews are quite positive.
Jeff, is there a little part of you that hates the fact that people enjoyed the finale?
SCHAFFER: [Laughs].
I was never nervous about it.
Larry was getting was a little apprehensive.
I watched it with him last night and he got all this positive feedback and he felt really content.
I felt great too that he felt good about it.
It was the mostCurbway to endCurb.
Hes not going to go back in there.
Hes not going to ask that gay couple whose semen it is.
Hes not going to ask Allison Janney how she committed suicide.
Oh my God, hes doing it.
People were saying theyre not really going to do that and then we did that.
Was that in reference to the line This is how we should have ended the finale.
You didnt like it before?
Heres a big middle finger, were doing it again.
It only works if its the finale.
Redoing theSeinfeldfinale only works if its theCurbfinale.
Thats why that story ended the series.
DEADLINE:Susie says earlier in the season shes all about loving and warmth.
Despite that, how much are you going to miss shouting at Larry?
ESSMAN: I will definitely miss shouting at Larry.
But I can always call him up.
Ill definitely miss it.
SCHAFFER: You ended episode nine calling him a Covid-carrying c*cksucker.
ESSMAN: Now one of my favorites.
But the truth is, its fun for Susie, its certainly fun for us.
You know who its just catnip for?
He giggles like a schoolgirl.
He breaks every time.
Susie yelling at Larry is Larry Davids kryptonite.
ESSMAN: Im thinking Isnt he used to this by now?
He cant get enough of it.
That feels like it sums up Larry David the TV character more than anything.
That was literally the lightbulb moment for this series end.
Weve been talking about going to trial.
Lets just own this.
Lets just tell everyone youve never learned a lesson and lets re-create theSeinfeldfinale and just go for it.
DEADLINE:The trip down memory lane with all of the old characters was great to see.
It was so fortuitous that she was at that Greek event.
It really helped; we knew that was one of our linchpins for trial witnesses.
DEADLINE:Was there anybody who you wanted to bring back for that but you werent able to?
SCHAFFER: Bruce Springsteen and Tracy Ullman, we got way earlier in the season.
We pretty much were able to get and gather who we wanted to gather.
It was just about making sure that we had the right amount.
You cant do too many because you dont want Larry to be to inactive.
ESSMAN: There are plenty to go around, the list must have been long.
DEADLINE:Larry is still respecting wood, right there at the end.
SCHAFFER: Larrys a rule follower.
Theyre his own rules, and they seem arbitrary and sometimes insane.
But he follows them.
DEADLINE:Using JB Smoove as the way intoSeinfeldwas lovely.
His quote You didnt tell meSeinfeldwas a show about weekly ass was quite a line.
SCHAFFER: That was me.
The rest of it was all JB, but that was in the script.
It was the perfect way to talk aboutSeinfeld.
A guy whos never seen it.
Him commenting on how he doesnt really care for Kramer.
Theres a really fun scene of Leon and Jerry together.
DEADLINE:How often is JB pitching you his Leon spinoff?
SCHAFFER: Leon has a healthy life when hes not with Larry.
He leads a very adventurous life.
DEADLINE:I saw clip after the final scene was shot.
Those were some very sweet words from Richard Lewis.
Larry was very quiet.
Sentimental, he was very quiet that day.
I was gonna say something.
But Richard got up first and said something.
Richard was always sappy.
Richard was always a very sentimental guy.
What he basically said was thanking Larry, his best friend for all these years of what hes done.
Then Cheryl said how much Larry changed her life and then Jeff wept.
When do you think hell change his mind?
ESSMAN: I dont.
Jeff, do you?
SCHAFFER: I will say this for context.
Susie has always been the most optimistic after every season, were sort of done.
Then Susie would talk to me and say hes coming back.
Susie has always been the optimistic canary in the coal mine.
ESSMAN: I was always right.
SCHAFFER: I think shes right this time, too.
He didnt all of a sudden forget how to be annoyed.
Somethings gonna happen.
That stuffs gotta go somewhere.
