Curb Your Enthusiasm Remains Best Comedy on Television

The first 5 minutes of the upcoming season of Curb Your Enthusiasm had me wondering if Larry David's hit HBO comedy had finally jumped the shark. I then remembered my advice to a friend who had not seen the show when we were having a discussion about the offbeat comedy. I told her that you have to remember that Curb is like no other show and you have to give it time to get the nuances. It had been on hiatus for well over a year and as soon as I remembered to take my own advice, David's genius started to shine through.

We start the seventh season where we left off ,with Larry living with Loretta Black (Vivica A. Fox). Things between the couple aren't going so well and Larry wants to figure out a way to end the relationship but her health is failing and he doesn't seem to know how to go about it. David also bumps into his estranged wife Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) which complicates matters as he never has really gotten over his true love. The couple's initial screen time together this season shows the chemistry that the pair has developed over the years, and is probably the highlight of the first episode.

The first three episodes once again show Larry getting in to all kinds of awkward situations. Among some of the notable encounters is when his friends have affairs and he is caught in the middle of their sexual escapades, his failure to follow proper protocol when being invited to a dinner party, dealing with people with mental issues, and many more instances that will have you laughing out loud and discussing with your fellow Curb-fanatics in the weeks and months to come as the scenes become legendary.

The much ballyhooed Seinfield reunion, which takes place in the thirdepisode, is also a load of fun. Both Larry and Jerry Seinfield had been against reuniting and made their disdain for those type of shows abundantly clear. Larry,however, sees how the reunion show would help him in his personal life and has to sell the cast members and Jerry on doing something that they had been against for a number of reasons. Seeing the cast of 90's number one rated show was well done and beats the standard run-of-the-mill reunion show that rarely live up to the hype.

Let's hope that Larry David continues this show for many years to come. The television world would be a lot less fun without his enormous talent to tune into on a regular basis.