Self-Exclusion (The Curse)
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- Nathan Fielder
- Benny Safdie
| "Self-Exclusion" | |
|---|---|
| The Curse episode | |
| Episode no. | Episode 7 |
| Directed by | Nathan Fielder |
| Written by |
|
| Cinematography by | Maceo Bishop |
| Editing by | Stacy Moon |
| Original release date | December 24, 2023 |
| Running time | 42 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Self-Exclusion" is the seventh episode of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by Fielder. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on December 22, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on December 24, 2023. The episode was screened at the Film at Lincoln Center.[1]
The series follows Whitney and Asher Siegel, a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their problematic new HGTV show, Fliplanthropy. Also joining them on their show is Dougie Schecter, a producer who is trying to make the best possible version of the show in order to reach a wider audience. In the episode, Whitney and Asher get into an argument over a recent controversy at the casino.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.022 million household viewers and gained a 0.00 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received very positive reviews from critics, who praised Emma Stone's performance and character development.
At school, Nala (Hikmah Warsame) stares silently at one of her bullies as she climbs a rope at gym class, whispering "fall" under her breath. When Nala fails to climb the rope, her bully insults her, prompting Nala to tell the teacher, who simply encourages Nala to believe in herself. Whitney (Emma Stone) visits Cara (Nizhonniya Luxi Austin), unaware that she dislikes her. Trusting her as a "friend", Whitney opens up about the struggles in her marriage, feeling that Asher (Nathan Fielder) is unsupportive of her plan. Cara is uninterested in her story, but decides to continue seeing Whitney when she offers a $20,000 consulting fee.
Asher continues attending the corporate comedy class, still failing in trying to get the rest of the class to laugh. The instructor decides to use Asher's small penis as an inspiration for jokes. When Asher begrudgingly moves forward with the joke, the other students become uncomfortable and offended, and he is subsequently kicked out of the class. Later, he watches a news report about a woman who won $70,000 at Whistling Casino, but the gaming control board took over the winnings as they considered the woman unfit to gain access to the casino. The news report shows footage of Asher laughing at the woman, resulting in an argument with Whitney over the woman's situation.
Whitney has another recorded conversation with Dougie (Benny Safdie), and while she avoids saying that Asher holds her back from her dreams, she opens up a little more than the last time. Whitney is also struggling with money, and even asks Paul (Corbin Bernsen) for help. She continues hanging out with Cara, not revealing that she will pay the fee to the artists. Back at school playground, Nala's bully is suddenly injured while playing. While everyone checks on her, Nala just stares from afar.
Production
Development
The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by Fielder. This was Fielder's seventh writing credit, Safdie's seventh writing credit, and Fielder's fourth directing credit.[2]