One of the best indicators of an extra special episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm is a party scene. Or a dinner scene. Or any type of scene that essentially acts as a vehicle to place every perfectly cast, perfectly written character and their individual set of circumstances into one singular setting. A good example of this is the Green family dinner party, after Larry catches Jeff having sex with Funkhouser’s mentally disabled sister, Bam Bam (a minor cameo role played excellently by Catherine O’Hara). So many uniquely crafted characters get to finally sit down and sink their teeth into one another at one small table; their idiosyncrasies on full display: Funkhouser’s murdering kindness, Susie’s lightning bolt temper, Jeff’s oddly lovable terribleness. Yet throughout all of the intertwined madness, the widest, deepest, most fascinating character remains the show’s creator, Larry David.
Larry’s character is a bit more complex than most might give him credit for. There are so many notable versions and levels of Larry that we’ve come to know and love, so let’s take some time to comb through them all:
There’s Candid Larry, who takes up the vast majority of space in the Larry-scope of things. So much so that other characters begin to hire him to be shamelessly candid where they simply cannot—a social assassin, if you will.
Then there’s Contemplative Larry, who sits alone in his kitchen, mulling over his mistakes of last night’s penis cake, all while enjoying a piece, himself.
There’s also Defiant Larry, who will always stubbornly protest that he did not, in fact, kill Norm on the golf course.
And let’s definitely not forget Horny Larry, or should I say, “Labe, son of Nat,” who can hit the gas on his awkwardly seductive libido at any given moment.
But the best Larry, and our most delectable comedic treat, is Angry Larry. This particular version is almost always a direct level up from Irritated Larry, Flustered Larry, or Mindblown Larry. But whether he’s blowing a gasket, taking someone to school or simply saying the word "fuck”, it is always perfect.
I honestly wish I had an angry video montage of Angry Larry to show you what a true delight he is, but—
[editor walks over]
[whispers softly in my ear]
“It's at the top of the story.”
Angry Larry David is the best Larry David.
