The Best of the Best of CURB

For nearly a quarter century, off and on, Larry David. who has now become a national icon, gave us something rare: an improvised comedy show whose title prepared us to not get our hopes up. Curb Your Enthusiasm has been one of the joys of my TV-watching life, just like Seinfeld, which was co-created by David. I've just spent a month of mirth rewatching the series and I offer here my take on the best episodes of the twelve seasons we were given. Curb your enthusiasm for my opinions and, if you agree or disagree, leave me a comment!

Season 1: "The Wire"

Technically, Curb got off to a rocky start. It began with an HBO Special entitled Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm, which was famously detested by David's friend Ted Danson who ironically ended up joining the cast, playing himself as one of David's "arch enemies." All the basics of what the show would be were there; they were just not well-assembled, like most of David's other work (Sour Grapes, Clear History). However, with "The Wire" (the best episode of the season other than "Beloved Aunt" pushed Curb into full-gear. Larry (who, to me, as a fellow contrarian, is almost right while everyone around him is in the wrong) attempts to swap favors with a neighbor to improve the view from his backyard. The deal involves an incompetent lawyer holding things up by wanting to meet Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which Larry tries to arrange with disastrous results. David also recommends the lawyer to his manager Jeff and this is when Curb works best: when the A story and the B story complement each other.

Season 2: "The Doll"

Perhaps the greatest ending to any episode of the series, Larry tries to escape through a bathroom window as an unfortunate incident has everyone wanting his head. Ironically, a doll's head is the focus of the plot. Larry, who likes children, cuts the hair off an "authentic Judy doll" not realizing the child does not understand that doll hair does not grow back. In this episode, David is the perfect schlemiel, maintaining that the child should have known better. but the real charm is Susie Essman whose multiple Mexican stand-offs with Larry began here.

Season 3: "Krazee-Eyez Killah"

One of many wonderful early episodes with Wanda Sykes, David's affinity with a budding rapper is a wonderful comic premise that would eventually lead to terrific rewards with his interactions with the African-American community. Could this episode even be made now? A definitive no. But, still...pretty, pretty, pretty...pretty good.

Season 4: The Whole Darned Thing

There is no way to pick one episode of this season as the best. While each season has an overarching story, there was not one more perfect than Mel Brooks casting Larry as Max Bialystock in the legendary Broadway musical The Producers. There are so many wonderful moments: Larry's go-to karaoke song being "Swanee," the skewer in Ben Stiller's eye (wouldn't we all like to do that?), the Blind Date from Hades, wrenching a golf club from an open casket, Larry's joy ride with Monena and procuring medicine for his father's glaucoma, "Wandering Bear's" magical powers, an incident involving a survivor, but not that kind, and a finale which is a beautiful touchstone to the original 1968 film of The Producers, still one of the greatest comedies ever made. The one stand-out might be "The Surrogate" with the hysterical heart monitor scenes, but otherwise, Curb was never better than in this iteration.

Season 5: "Kamikaze Bingo"

What else can be said about a premise of a failed Kamikaze pilot finally getting his moment? It's something that only could come from the mind of Larry David and the fine directing of Robert B. Weide.

Season 6: "The Bat Mitzvah"

The first season featuring Leon and his family is another perfect season, but in the finale, everything from gerbils and gastroenterologists to Larry's terrible but amusing way of putting someone off from renting the office next to him. It's a great episode. And Michael McKean elevates every project with which he's involved.

Season 7: "The Table Read"

The reason Seinfeld worked so well was that it avoided typical sitcom tropes: messages, learned lessons, and (most importantly) no hugging. A season devoted to a Seinfeld anniversary episode? The only way such a thing could have worked. While there are marvelous episodes, the stand out is the late great Bob Einstein telling Jerry a joke and seeing a genuine laugh from one of the funniest comics of all time. Einstein (Super Dave), who played Marty Funkhouser, unfortunately had to be replaced after his death. Strangely enough, he was replaced by a totally underused Vince Vaughn. They could have at least had him share some family traits. Instead, as has been done for decades, Vaughn was wasted.

Season 8: "Palestinian Chicken"

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Season 9: "Accidental Text on Purpose"

From close talkers and man hands all the way to the cough and shake (I actually think that came from a Saturday Night Live sketch, "Bern Your Enthusiasm), but anyway) Larry's little phrases are priceless and the accidental text on purpose has now been ruined for all of us who have done it. But, it was worth it.

Season 10: "The Ugly Section"

Nick Kroll directing Larry to a section of a restaurant in which everyone seems unattractive is another premise that had terrific mileage. While most of the momentum of the later seasons were lost (I think the show was never the same after Cheryl and Larry broke up and the gap in the years of certain seasons affected the show slightly), my last three picks are strictly based on the laugh factor.

Season 11: "The Watermelon"

Season 11 was the lowest for Curb. I'm thankful David did a season after it because, otherwise, it would have been as equally criticized for its finale as Seinfeld was (and there's a nice nod to it in the last episode). Again, this one just made me laugh more than the others. J. B. Smoove's Leon character was the great creation of Curb and his talent is highlighted exponentially in this episode.

Season 12: "Vertical Drop, Horizontal Tug"

Larry's golf outings, from killing swans and being accused of being "disgruntled" (imagine that?) almost made me like the game. A completely un-ironical view of the 1% and their exclusive clubs shouldn't have worked, but does and the trick learned by Larry in this episode has priceless payoffs.

Rest in peace, Curb. One of the little miracles of television.