Knowing what any good Curb viewer already knows about Larry David's real life — namely that he and Laurie, his actual wife, recently divorced due to "irreconcilable differences" — this episode was uncomfortable to watch. Yes, if I called my husband from a rolling airplane and he asked me where the warrantee was for the TiVo, I'd be pissed, and I'd probably leave him, too. Actually that's a lie; my DVR means more to me than any man ever could. I'd probably be the one to be left. Like Larry, there's no other side to Leah. This is pretty much it.
Can we blame Larry's friends (and restaurateurs) for siding with Cheryl? This is, after all, a man who wants to talk about the difference between real and fake crab during sex, and then claims he's complex. In the settlement, Cheryl gets Ted Danson, the Funkhousers (so much for Marty being Larry's best friend, eh?), Primo's, the cleaning woman, Simon, and by extension, the $10,000 Larry lent to Simon, since he's not getting it back. Who is Larry left with? Jeff and Susie — a woman who already hates him most of the time anyway, and won't let him make a call during dinner — the Blacks, and… nope, that's it.
Meanwhile, Cheryl's already moved on to Glenn, the "No Fly Zone" underwear magnate who's better than Larry because not only does he carry mints, tissues and a pen at all times, but he has hair ("This is a betrayal!"). Larry's attempt to revitalize his love life started out promising: He goes out with Lucy Lawless (in a who-knew-she-had-it-in-her hysterical performance) but ends the night with an ice pack on his testicles and a frozen TiVo. If only he'd worn underwear without a fly! The only real positives to come out of this were the fact that Larry got to tell off one of those beyond-obnoxious people who talk loudly on cell phone headsets in public places, and his awesome new nickname, Long Balls Larry.
But in Curb-land, the unhappily ending marriage produces more comedy than tragedy, as evidenced by these classic bits of dialogue:
• "Well, if you must know, my wife left me."
"OK, Mr. David. In the future it'd be nice to get a little more notice."
• "The penis needs an option, just like everyone else."
• "Oh… He's an assh--e." (Lucy Lawless, regarding Ted Danson)
• "I'm a man of mystery."
"And you're a Jew!"
Is it really all over for Larry and Cheryl? I hope it's not, because I'd miss Mrs. David. But beyond that, I'd miss those that sided with her: The Funkhousers and Ted Danson. It's that old tree in the forest thing: If there's no one to react to him, does Larry really make a sound?
Watch clips of Curb Your Enthusiasm in our Online Video Guide.
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