The Curb Your Enthusiasm finale is packed full of callbacks to some of the show’s best episodes. Just like the Seinfeld finale which Larry David also helped create, the final episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm features its main character having his day in court. This allows the prosecution to bring in plenty of character witnesses to testify against Larry, but the episode also makes other, much more subtle callbacks.
The finale was a sort of compilation of the show’s greatest hits, with many of Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s best episodes being referred to in one way or another. Some episodes were shown in flashbacks, while others were only mentioned briefly. In total, there are 28 callbacks weaved into Curb‘s bumper finale, and this provides a trip down memory lane for fans of the show who have been there for all 12 seasons.
28
S7, E10, “Seinfeld”
One of the most subtle references of the episode
Season 7 was one of Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s best seasons, so it was a treat for fans that the finale brought back Larry’s dynamic with Jerry Seinfeld. The finale refers back to the show’s Seinfeld reunion story line with one of Larry’s most famous lines. When he first enters the courtroom, he sees that there are no coasters on the table, so he questions whether the court respects wood.
In season 7, episode 10 “Seinfeld,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus accuses Larry of not using a coaster on one of her wooden tables, prompting him to find the real culprit by interrogating people who were at the same party. He uses the line “Do you respect wood?” This subtle callback was also a nice nod to Louis-Dreyfus, even though she didn’t make an appearance in the Curb finale.
27
S10, E1, “Happy New Year”
Mocha Joe was the first witness at Larry’s trial
Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s finale brought back old characters to testify at Larry’s trial, starting with Mocha Joe. Although the two used to be friends, Larry and Mocha Joe develop a fierce rivalry over the course of season 10. Mocha Joe’s testimony starts with him recounting how Larry first walked into his store and started complaining about the hard scones and wobbly tables. This sets the events of season 10 in motion.
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26
S10, E10, “The Spite Store”
Mocha Joe’s testimony gets more and more irate
Mocha Joe continues his testimony against Larry by accusing him of burning down his store. After Larry sets up his own spite store next door, “Latte Larry’s,” he tries everything in his power to ruin Mocha Joe’s business. He doesn’t need to turn a profit, so he can undercut Joe without having to worry. The season ends with both of their stores going up in flames. As Larry is right to point out in court, the fire actually has nothing to do with him. It’s an accident caused by Joey Funkhouser.
25
S7, E7, “The Black Swan”
Mr. Takahashi takes the stand
Mr. Takahashi is one of Larry’s biggest enemies on Curb Your Enthusiasm, so he was never going to miss the opportunity to testify against him in court. Mr. Takahashi is the owner of the golf club Larry and his friends go to. He has many disagreements with Larry over the year, but nothing compares to the season 7 episode when Larry is forced to kill Mr. Takahashi’s beloved black swan in self-defense.
24
S12, E4, “Disgruntled”
Larry gets blamed for Jeff’s actions
Mr. Takahashi also claims in his testimony that Larry is “always disgruntled”. This refers to the season 12 episode in which an anonymous club member posts an open letter to management in the locker room, complaining about small details like the quality of the food and the towels. Mr. Takahashi launches an investigation to find who is responsible so that he can expel them from the club. Jeff is the one who is disgruntled, but Mr. Takahashi needs no excuse to blame Larry.
23
S12, E3, “Vertical Drop, Horizontal Tug”
Larry can’t stay out of trouble at the golf club
Mr. Takahashi has a lot of grievances with Larry. He also brings up the season 12 episode in which Larry strikes Academy Award-winning actor Troy Kotsur with a golf ball. Kotsur is deaf, so Larry doesn’t yell “fore” as his ball travels down the course. The only reason that he can hit a ball that far is that he eavesdrops on Troy’s golf lessons, and he learns to add a vertical drop and a horizontal tug to his swing.
22
S11, E10, “The Mormon Advantage”
The prosecution brings back one of Curb’s most surprising guest stars
The District Attorney at Larry’s trial keeps his witness coming with Alexander Vindman, the whistleblower who testified against President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial. In the season 11 finale, he blows the whistle on Larry when he tries to push through a zoning law to save his skin. The Curb finale also references a different scene in “The Mormon Advantage” during Irma’s testimony. Finding himself without shoes at a holocaust museum, Larry steals a pair from a pile belonging to holocaust victims.
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21
S5, E8, “The Ski Lift”
Larry’s trial goes from bad to worse
After Alexander Vindman takes the stand, the prosecution calls Rachel Heineman. She recounts the story from season 5 in which she finds herself stuck on a broken ski lift with Larry as the sun starts to go down. Rachel’s religion excludes her from being alone with a man after sunset, so one of them has to jump to the ground. Larry refuses, so Rachel falls onto the snow and breaks her knees.
20
S7, E6, “The Bare Midriff”
The second callback to the Seinfeld reunion season
The next person in the prosecution’s rapid-fire procession of witnesses is a callback to the season 7 episode “The Bare Midriff”. Maureen works as Larry and Jerry’s assistant when they are writing the Seinfeld reunion, and they try to find a way to get rid of her without firing her. Maureen accuses Larry of urinating on her painting of Jesus. This is only slightly harsher than the reality, which is that Larry accidentally splashes a drop of urine onto the painting, and then convinces Maureen that it’s a miracle to make her quit the show.
19
S11, E5, “IRASSHAIMASE!”
Even Larry’s most innocuous social blunders are put in the spotlight
Larry’s behavior in “IRASSHAIMASE!” is far from the worst thing he has ever done, but the prosecution still uses it to paint an image of Larry as an obnoxious and irresponsible man in the Curb finale. Larry gets into a yelling match with the staff at a Japanese restaurant when he beats them to their traditional welcome. Of all the terrible things Larry does, being rude at a restaurant is relatively tame.
18
S12, E9, “Ken/Kendra”
Bruce Springsteen returns for the finale
Bruce Springsteen was the most surprising guest star in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, and he returns for the series finale. Despite the fact that he first wants to meet with Larry in Los Angeles, he sours on him fairly quickly and testifies against him at his trial. Springsteen blames Larry for giving him Covid and forcing him to cancel the final show on his farewell tour.
17
S2, E7, “The Doll”
A callback to a classic episode
“The Doll” is a classic Curb Your Enthusiasm episode, and it got a callback in the series finale in the most unexpected way. The actor who plays Tara Michaelson returned to Curb after more than 20 years to reprise her role. Tara’s testimony made Larry’s mistake in “The Doll” even worse. He hugs Tara as a child while he has a water bottle stuffed in his pants, and Tara reveals that she required extensive therapy to move past this traumatic experience.
16
S12, E1, “Atlanta”
Larry’s arrest sets season 12 in motion
Since Larry is in Atlanta to attend his trial, it was only going to be a matter of time before his arrest was brought up. Larry is arrested in the season 12 opener for giving a bottle of water to Auntie Rae as she waits in line to vote, and Larry’s lawyer brings this up as she questions Auntie Rae. Obviously, this event is referred to multiple times throughout the trial, because it sets up the entire season.
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15
S6, E1, “Meet The Blacks”
Auntie Rae’s first episode gets a callback
During Auntie Rae’s testimony, she goes off base to start berating Larry for all the mistreatment she has had to endure. Her first appearance in Curb Your Enthusiasm is in the season 6 opener, “Meet the Blacks,” when she arrives to stay with Larry and Cheryl after their family is left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. “Meet the Blacks” is also notable for being the first episode to feature Leon. His dynamic with Larry changed Curb forever.
14
S6, E8, “The N Word”
Larry spends season 6 getting to know the Blacks
Auntie Rae’s anger builds throughout her testimony, and she starts to let the court know about Larry’s bad side. She mentions that Larry became comfortable enough with the Black family that he would use the N-word around them, and Leon backs her up. Larry’s defense is that he was only using the word to quote a Black man, but nobody in court has the time to hear this explanation as Auntie Rae continues her tirade.
13
S12, E2, “The Lawn Jockey”
Auntie Rae destroys Larry’s chances on the witness stand
Auntie Rae is supposed to come to Larry’s defense at the trial, but she essentially ruins any hope that he has. Even people who are meant to be on Larry’s side can’t help but bring up his misdeeds. Auntie Rae refers to the season 12 episode “The Lawn Jockey,” when she sees Larry with a racist lawn ornament. She doesn’t have the context that he was just trying to replace one that he broke, but this gets him nowhere.
12
S6, E3, “The Ida Funkhouser Roadside Memorial”
The closing arguments are filled with callbacks
In his closing arguments, the District Attorney brings up many more of Larry’s past errors. There are too many to squeeze into the trial, so he has to leave the jury with a quick litany of Larry’s worst crimes. In “The Ida Funkhouser Roadside Memorial,” Larry steals a bouquet of flowers from Marty’s mother’s memorial to give to Cheryl. He also makes fun of Marty for claiming to be an orphan.
11
S4, E5, “The 5 Wood”
Larry has upset the Funkhousers in more than one way
Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Funkhouser family should be sick of Larry. Not only does he steal flowers from Ida’s memorial, he also tries to pry his favorite golf club out of Marty’s father’s hands in his coffin. Although the club does belong to Larry, this is still a classless act that doesn’t sit well with the Funkhousers. Despite this faux pas, Marty and Freddie still spend a lot of time with Larry.
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10
S1, E8, “Beloved Aunt”
Even Larry’s honest mistakes make him look terrible
The season 1 episode “Beloved Aunt” features Cheryl’s family, who have all come together for a funeral in Los Angeles. Larry generously offers to make sure that she gets a eulogy in the newspaper, but a horrific typo means that Cheryl’s family are less than pleased. Rather than referring to her as a “beloved aunt,” the newspaper calls her by a different four-letter word. Naturally, Larry is under fire for this mistake.
9
S2, E3, “Trick Or Treat”
Larry’s obscure social rules come back to bite him
Throughout Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry frequently lands himself in trouble when he expects other people to adhere to his particular social rules, even if they have never heard of them. In “Trick or Treat,” Larry refuses to give out candy to two trick-or-treaters because he thinks they are too old and they aren’t wearing costumes. The District Attorney brings this up to further illustrate his point that Larry is unfit to be a part of society.
