What I’m Watching: Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 9, Episode 3 “A Disturbance in the Kitchen” (B+)

Of all this show’s tropes, I think that “a disturbance in the kitchen” perfectly epitomizes what Larry is all about. Most people would accept such a line and just move on, but Larry just wouldn’t let it go. What was especially funny about this episode is that the manager ended up spewing a whole lot of unhelpful nonsense, refusing to answer even a simple question and making Damon Wayans Jr.’s cop just as angry. Leave it to Larry to beep a cop because he hadn’t noticed the light had turned green, and then for Larry to be sort of right about Ted’s horn when he beeped somehow and nearly got pulled out of his car by a furious driver who definitely didn’t know who he was. I think we can all agree that Larry’s disguise being gone is a good thing, and getting some coaching from Salman Rushdie on using the fatwa to his advantage to be able to opt out of things you don’t want to do and attract women because of the danger factor. Elizabeth Banks is a funny actress who was just right for this role, comparing her cat Mr. Noodle to the daughter that Susie thinks her lost little sister is and then repeatedly saying “Arnold Parkers” while putting on a horrendous spontaneous performance with accents in front of the cop. I enjoyed seeing Gary Anthony Williams from “I’m Sorry” as the judge who didn’t go for Larry comparing himself to famous black icons as a pioneer and refused the cough drop that Larry promptly demanded back.