With solely three episodes left, and the introduction of Irma Kostroski (Tracey Ullman) final week, Curb Your Enthusiasm is attempting to set all of the items up for the tip of the season with “What Have I Accomplished?” Not often do episodes really feel like they’re getting their plot so as as a lot as “What Have I Accomplished?” does within the episode’s ultimate moments. Whereas most episodes often give some catharsis to Larry’s antics, the tip of this week’s episode appears extra like an ellipsis for what’s to return.
Season 11 is an odd season for Curb Your Enthusiasm. Whereas we’ve had episodes like “Angel Muffin” that focuses totally on the success of Younger Larry, this season has usually stored the creation of Larry’s latest present on the again burner. The present has come up in virtually each episode, but it’s clearly not the point of interest of the season that it as soon as appeared prefer it was going to be. In hindsight, this kind of is smart, as we’ve seen Larry create new leisure initiatives over the course of a season, and if the season did concentrate on the creation of Younger Larry, the present could possibly be accused of going again to that nicely.
Season 11 is extra within the casting of Maria Sofia, whose involvement of Younger Larry will both make or break the present. The main target of this season all alongside hasn’t been Younger Larry, it’s been the shadow of Maria Sofia that looms over Larry, and the blackmail that may doom his newest venture. But what’s so unusual about Season 11 is that up till final week’s “Irma Kostroski,” it appear as if Curb Your Enthusiasm didn’t know this was the case. With the introduction of Kostroski, it’s as if the present lastly knew the best way to wrap up this story, versus the season main as much as this second.
For Larry, Kostroski is a way to an finish. She smells like pickles and is all the time speaking about her fuel, however Larry should get near her with a purpose to change town ordinance that might make Maria Sofia’s blackmail moot. By the tip of “What Have I Accomplished?,” Larry has began a relationship with Irma, been her first lover in over a decade, received over Irma’s daughter Diedre (Madeline Sensible), and now has Irma dwelling in his home. There’s no actual conclusion to “What Have I Accomplished?” as a result of it’s clearly establishing the final two episodes of the season, and whereas that’s high quality, it’s unusual for an episode to not have a lot of its threads repay.
The identical could possibly be stated about Jeff (Jeff Garlin) dishonest on Susie (Susie Inexperienced) with the top of Hulu’s assistant Carly (Liz Carey). There’s a complete story about Jeff utilizing a distinct physique wash with a purpose to disguise the scent of Carly from Susie, and the buying of stated physique wash results in Larry getting in an argument over line protocol at a comfort retailer. However all of that is principally irrelevant, since, by the tip of the episode, Susie finds Jeff’s secret cellphone, main her to find that Jeff is dishonest on her as soon as extra. But once more, this thread is extra like setup for what’s to return as a substitute of wrapping up in any substantial means.
“What Have I Accomplished?” is also full of moments of Larry simply unintentionally being a creator of chaos. After Leon (J. B. Smoove) saves Larry cash on a plumber (Horatio Sanz, in a job that would’ve been performed by actually anybody), Larry decides to start out a enterprise known as Home Husband. If some sort of restore looks as if it prices an excessive amount of, Leon will head over to that individual’s home and persuade the repairman to knock it off. Leon admits he “is aware of a bit of bit about all the pieces, and plenty of nothing,” so naturally, each restore that Leon has “helped out” with finally ends up going horribly fallacious. At its finest, this story is a good way to present Leon one thing to do that season, however in the end, together with his restore assist resulting in Irma falling down her stairs and transferring into Larry’s home, it’s one more thread that serves primarily to arrange what’s to return.
However along with this chaos, “What Have I Accomplished?” has Larry with plenty of vitality and nobody to actually focus it on. For instance, when he’s invited to Diedre’s vow renewal ceremony, he’s instructed the social gathering begins an hour sooner than it does. As a substitute of leaving and coming again, he turns into a visitor with no host, exploring Diedre’s home like a baby. He messes with the thermostat, touches principally all the pieces in sight, and even spins round in a chair till it makes him dizzy. Whereas watching Larry on her safety cameras, Diedre says she hopes he wears himself out, and by simply letting Larry do what he desires with none kind of impediment in his means, it’s like watching a child attempt to entertain himself.
In a means, Larry as a visitor with no host is symbolic of “What Have I Accomplished?” as a complete. We’re Diedre watching Larry run round, himself below a magnifying glass, questioning what the hell he’s doing and what the aim of any of that is. Certain, “What Have I Accomplished?” has its moments, like watching Larry and Leon focus on if Larry’s actions on the comfort retailer had been racist or not, or watching Ullman make a bruschetta-like meal out of each scene she’s in, however principally, we’re simply maintaining a tally of Larry till he wears himself out.
Score: B-
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