Larry David’s cranky bastard last did his improvisational, acerbic riffing on society with Curb Your Enthusiasm’s 11th season back in 2021, and it’s always a question as to whether his series will continue.
Well, it’s back for a 12th and, allegedly, final season. We’ve heard this song before, but maybe this season really is a final farewell. Honestly, David could keep doing this until he’s 100 years old, and I think we’d all be fine with that.
So he’s back, a few years older—and much, much angrier, especially if you tell him the Wordle answer before he gets a chance to play.
In today’s realm of cancel culture and comedy that is scared of itself, this show is a big “Fuck you!” as it delves into subjects such as Larry having to go shopping for a lawn jockey, and J.B. Smoove’s balls. This is take-no-prisoners comedy; there are few things as daring on TV or even at the movies today.
There’s a plotline running through the first few episodes (three of 10 have aired so far) that involves Larry becoming a civil rights activist—which does clash a bit with his normal tendency to go shopping for lawn jockeys. It involves a short jail stay and what looks to be a brewing courtroom situation. While I’m not a fan of courtroom dramas, I will make room for a Larry David courtroom drama, even though that didn’t necessarily work well for his Seinfeld show.
I’ve been on and off the Curb train during its long run. (It started nearly a quarter-century ago.) I kind of like that I missed a bunch of them. I have Curb and Simpsons episodes banked for first-time viewing that should sustain me for many years after the shows have run their initial courses. (Except that The Simpsons isn’t going anywhere. That show will likely run for eternity.)
Curb Your Enthusiasm is now airing on HBO and streaming on Max, with new episodes released on Sundays through April 7.