While every season of Larry David‘s hit show is eagerly anticipated, Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 has been heavily marketed as the final season. David has toyed with the idea of ending the show for a number of years now. However, seeing as the trailer and poster for the season clearly label it as the final outing, Curb Your Enthusiasm will be coming to an end in 2024.
Although this is sad news for fanatics of the show, episode one, entitled “Atlanta“, kick-started the season with a bang. As always, Larry goes about his days shocking and offending as his unfiltered views can’t seem to live in the confines of his mind. Furthermore, the first episode took a significant swerve from its normal formula, opening the season in a way we haven’t seen before. So, let’s break down Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12‘s opening episode.
Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 Episode 1 Tied Up Some Loose Ends We Didn’t See Coming
Each season of Curb Your Enthusiasm starts off with the fictionalised Larry David getting into some kind of predicament. From here, the mishap is then carried out for the rest of the season, reaching a climax in the final episode. In Season 11, Larry found himself blackmailed by a man who wishes for his daughter, Maria Sofia, to star in Larry’s new sitcom, Young Larry. Despite his efforts, Larry fails to break free from the man’s cunning grasps, and his daughter is then cast in Larry’s show. The only problem is, her acting is abysmal.
In the first episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12, some time has passed and Young Larry proved to be a glaring hit. Alongside that, Maria Sofia has emerged as a rising talent, with audiences seemingly mistaking her awful acting skills for eccentricity and nuance. This marks a significant shift in the show’s typical formula, as Larry is in the same predicament he was in the previous season. Normally, Curb Your Enthusiasm doesn’t tie in plot points from previous seasons and embarks upon a totally new plot. So, with that said, episode one left a question in the air as to what the plot points of the season will be.
The Return of Auntie Mae
Additionally, Larry David chose to revisit an old character who has long been forgotten. In the episode, Larry and Maria Sofia attend the dinner party of a wealthy man. As always, Larry’s dynamic sidekick Leon (J.B. Smoove), tags along for the journey. While they are in Atlanta, the trio pay a visit to Leon’s Auntie Rae, who hasn’t appeared in the show since Season 7. Of course, in typical Curb fashion, Larry and Auntie Rae engage in a screaming match when she accidentally stretches his glasses while trying them on.
Episode 1 of Season 12 Kick-started the Season with an Outstanding Guest Spot
Curb Your Enthusiasm sees a plethora of celebrity guest stars come on board for each season. While they often play themselves, sometimes they play fictional characters. As the hype builds for each season, anticipation alights as to who will board the series as a guest star. Over the years, a plethora of famed names in comedy have guest starred on the show, including the likes of Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill, and Seth Rogen. However, some of the best guest spots have been from dramatic actors who take a comedic turn for their role in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In episode one of Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12, Sharlto Copley took on the role of Michael Fouchay, the wealthy businessman who hires Larry and Maria Sofia to attend his party as celebrity guests. All he asks of them is for them to be cordial and to mix with the partygoers. However, of course, this is a lot to ask of Larry. Immediately, Larry questions Michael on the fact that he calls himself African when he is in fact South African. He then gets into an argument when he calls someone by a nickname that they don’t like. As a result, Michael refuses to pay Larry for his time resulting in a hilarious back and forth that Curb fans come to expect.
Did the Episode’s Cliffhanger Open the Door for Season 12’s Plot?
Overall, episode 1 of Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 returned the show to its classic form. The episode is well laid out and energetically paced. After arguing with Auntie Mae over the glasses situation, she makes amends by loaning Larry a pair of her glasses, which he then wears for the entirety of the episode, getting some weird looks in the process. When he returns the glasses to Auntie Mae while she is standing in line to vote, this is where Larry lands himself in yet another comedic mishap, but a rather serious one this time.
Curb Your Enthusiasm isn’t exactly political per se, however, David does have a penchant for tying in ongoing political issues, such as wearing a MAGA hat in Season 10 as a ruse to get himself out of social encounters. At the end of Season 12 episode one, after giving Auntie Rae her glasses back, he gets her a bottle of water from his car while she stands in line to vote. In Atlanta, this is illegal under The Election Integrity Act of 2021.
So, of course, with Larry’s luck, the police immediately show up and arrest him on the spot. To that, the credits roll with Larry’s mugshot serving as the backdrop while the iconic theme song plays out. This leaves the pondering thought in the air as to how long Larry will be in jail, and whether he will face further consequences later in the season. Until the next episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm airs on February 11, 2023, here’s every season ranked.
Follow Us
