A friend of mine, who dislikes Curb Your Enthusiasm, refers to the show as Larry David Is An Asshole, because in her view that's basically what the show is about.
In some ways, I agree. I mean, Larry David is an asshole, but that's not all that the show is about. More often than not on Curb, Larry's displays of assholery are a reaction to the extreme assholery of those around him. Following that school of thought, the show should be called Everyone's An Asshole, Including Larry David, But Can You Blame Him? (although that's a little cumbersome).
Case in point, in last night's episode Larry did encourage Leon–one of the Blacks staying with him–to strip not one, but two people of the shirts off their backs. But this was just Larry's reaction to "the unwritten law of dry cleaning," a form of socially-sanctioned jerkiness (even a Senator okays it) which says that sometimes you lose things of yours at the dry cleaners, and sometimes you gain things that aren't yours. Larry just wanted his jersey back, so getting Leon to essentially mug people for their jerseys is at least somewhat justified, not to mention funny.
And when Larry fussed and fumed over the wing donated by "Anonymous," he was only reacting to Ted Danson's wanting to get credit for both donating money and being selfless, aka his "faux anonymity," and no one can really blame Larry for that. I mean, Ted Danson isn't just any run-of-the-mill asshole. With his flirty relationship with Cheryl, his increasingly icy relationship with Mary, and his constant bragging about his anonymous donations, he's currently shaping up to be the asshole this season.
Is he the kind of asshole who would ejaculate on a teddy bear at a friend's house? Not yet. But, still, last night's ending did seem especially fitting.
Grade: A-
Stray Observations:
—Is Larry David "down"? He plays cards with Leon and hangs out with Loretta and her family quite a bit. He seems to be developing quite a rapport with the Blacks.
—Cheryl: still annoying, totally going to have an affair.
—"What you talkin''bout, L.D.?" Evidently, Vivica A. Fox can be funny.
—Grandma Black tackling a sheet-wearing Larry because she thought he was a Klansman? Not really funny. Grandma Black straddling Larry for such an extended period of time that he has to tell her to get off? Really funny.