Larry David Teased The Curb Your Enthusiasm Finale’s Silliest Joke Ahead of Time
It turns out that Larry David really struggles with simple hand gestures.
No one would call Larry David a catchphrase comic. And yet, the prolific comedic mind behind Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm certainly has a way with words that get stuck in your head.
Through 12 seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David has authored many a meme-able phrase. Who among us hasn’t said “pretttay pretttaaaaay good” or “you don’t respect wood!” at one point or another? In the Curb series finale, however, Larry opts for some nonverbal communication instead … with predictably disastrous results.
As he vainly tries to garner some sympathy with the jury who will decide his fate, Larry has an undercover Susie Greene (Susie Essman) pose as his sickly girlfriend who Larry rescued from disaster. When that ploy fails, Larry opts for something simpler: he attempts to make a heart sign with his hands. We say “attempts to” because it’s clear that every muscle and tendon in Larry’s body is violently rebelling against the twee act. The end result is less of a heart shape than a wobbly hourglass – all the while Larry noticeably grits his teeth.
It’s one of the many standout moments in the Seinfeld-inspired Curb Your Enthusiasm finale. What makes it even better though is that Larry David has secretly been trying out his failed heart sign for awhile now. In the week leading up to the finale, the real, non-Curb Larry David (if there is such a thing) attended a New York Knicks game with Susie Essman. When captured on the Jumbotron, he attempted what should now be a very familiar hand signal.
Per the Curb Your Enthusiasm subreddit, he made the same hand signal during the “A Conversation with Larry David” event in Boston on April 1. Reddit also notes that David’s daughter Cazzie David celebrated the wrapping of her directorial debut, I Love You Forever, with perfectly executed heart hands. If only we had known to ask about the new family tradition with her at SXSW 2024.
Most likely, Larry David was attempting to leave a handful of failed heart sign breadcrumbs before the finale so that fans could better enjoy the moment he trotted it out for the jury. There’s a non-zero chance, however, that Larry is actually trying to communicate that he loves us all and his fingers keep foiling him.
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TV Editor at Den of Geek and Television Critics Association member. Based in Cleveland, Ohio. Very upset about various sporting events.