REVIEW: ‘Life, Larry And The Pursuit Of Unhappiness’ Episode 1 — “Livingston”

Life Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness Episode 1 features what is quite possibly the most impressive cast in the history of television comedy. After all, how many comedy episodes open with a monologue by a former United States president? Sure, Barack Obama co-produced the series with Larry David. And sure, this is all a weird thing for a former president to do.

But the first episode also features appearances by Henry Winkler, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Kind, Chris Parnell, Alan Tudyk, Jurnee Smollett, and Michael Chiklis. Upcoming episodes are set to include Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Hamm, Vince Vaughn, Isla Fisher, Greg Kinnear, Bill Hader, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sarah Silverman, and Kathryn Hahn, among others.

The show, made in commemoration of the United States’ upcoming Semiquincentennial, is a series of largely improvised comedic sketches portraying significant events in American history through a uniquely Larry David-esque lens.  For Life Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness Episode 1, those events are the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, Alexander Graham Bell’s first phone call, World War I, and the Montgomery bus boycott.

Life Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness Episode 1 struggles to manage Larry David’s brand of comedy. 

Those worried that television might be trying to teach them something can rest easy. There’s very little connection to actual history here. I even had to rewatch the episode to confirm which World War the third sketch was set in, as the opening narration is the only real establishment of setting. But there’s also not much in the way of actual humor. David is plenty talented as a comedian, but his particular style of observational ranting starts to feel like a hat on a hat when viewed through the period setting.

The first sketch in Life Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness Episode 1 is the most obvious example of this. David plays Robert R. Livingston, one of the original drafters of the Declaration of Independence. David’s Livingston has filled the Declaration with minor grievances he thinks needs addressing, ranting to Congress about the stance this new nation should take on things like sharing umbrellas.

There’s plenty of opportunity for humor here, especially with Tudyk, Parnell, and Winkler in the room. Still, the sketch never evolves beyond David saying something that annoys him, and everyone else telling him they disagree. The next sketch, wherein David is Alexander Graham Bell, realizing phones are annoying in the middle of the very first phone call, is equally repetitive.

Performers like Alan Tudyk and Jurnee Smollett are wasted on poorly paced material. 

But it’s the better sketches that best demonstrate just how much Life Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness Episode 1 drags. The third sketch, featuring David as a cowardly draftee trying to worm his way out of trench warfare, is probably the most reminiscent of Curb Your Enthusiasm simply because it ignores history and focuses on actual situational comedy. But it takes three punchlines and stretches them out to eight minutes.

The final sketch features Rosa Parks at her iconic bus protest. She ends up sitting next to David, who is very supportive but also so annoying that Parks starts to wish she had just sat in the back of the bus. A legitimately funny premise! And featuring an excellent performance by Jurnee Smollett. It would have been great if it were only three or four minutes. Instead, it runs closer to ten, trudging in circles and still not managing to get a good joke out past that initial punchline.

Life Larry and the Pursuit of Happiness is set to run for seven episodes. But if this first episode is any indication, it only has enough steam for about three. There’s plenty of potential on display, but the historical setting never hits its stride, and the sluggish pacing stretches every joke well past its breaking point. A dexterous hand in the editing room would have done wonders here, but then there would have only been about fifteen minutes of the episode.

Still, it could be worse. At least this celebration of America’s 250th doesn’t have Kid Rock.

Life Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness Episode 1 is out now on HBO Max.