Chekhov's Gun - The Secret to Comedy

There is an unsourced quote attributed to 19th century Russian author Anton Chekhov that goes something like this:

"If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there."

The quote has been in my head recently for a number of reasons. First, I read the delightful 1Q84 last winter break which made direct reference to Chekhov's rule, then deliberately broke it. Second, in my narrative writing class this semester it was used as an illustrative lesson in which details to include in our nonfiction writing.

And, third, it came to me as the reason Larry David is the modern king of comedy.

There are some who would disagree. David has been off the air for over a year now, the latest season of the fantastic HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm" airing at the tail end of 2011. He's at work on an HBO original movie at the moment, which will also feature Bill Hader, Jon Hamm, Danny McBride, Michael Keaton, Kate Hudson, Eva Mendes and Curb's "Leon," J.B. Smoove.

In other words, likely the funniest and sexiest thing you'll see on premium cable in the coming months. Well, at least if you shut your TV off before midnight.

What makes David's comedy so endearing? Is it the self-effacing characters? The insightful obliteration of societal norms? The ability to play with language?

No. The real reason is David understands Chekhov's gun and uses it to side-splitting effect.

Let's take an example from my favorite episode of Curb, "The Doll." The installment opens with Larry entering a theater. His doctor has told him he needs to drink more fluids, so he's carrying a water bottle. A woman, who he believes to be a worker, tells him no outside drink is allowed. So he throws the bottle out. When he realizes she's just another patron, a classic "Larry David moment" ensues — a shouting match in the middle of the movie theater.

The episode goes on. Larry cuts the hair off a doll's head for a friend's daughter, who doesn't realize it won't grow back. He's forced to take his friend/manager Jeff's daughter's doll and replace the head. But his wife, Susie, notices and implores Larry to return the doll's head, as only she can:



For any other series, Susie's revelation in the theater that she knows the doll's head has been stolen and used to replace her daughter's would be enough to close the episode. But David takes it one step further still, returning to the theater, water bottle tucked firmly in his pants pocket. Did I mention he also walked away from guarding an unlocked bathroom door for his wife, Sheryl, earlier in the episode? This all sets up the Chekhovian payoff, perhaps the finest example in a series rife with opportunity:


You can make the argument that Larry David's comedy doesn't mesh with your sense of humor. You can make the argument that Larry David's comedy dwells in the meaningless part of our social existence.

But you can't argue the guy lacks an appreciation for Chekhov.