Curb Your Enthusiasm is far and away one of the best television comedies in history. Despite starring a protagonist who has more money than any of us can ever imagine, Larry David has a way of tapping into our biggest pet peeves and issues with societal norms that few other creators can. The amount of times that one can watch the show and say “I agree with Larry” is staggering.
For all of its humor, though, one of the things that this show doesn’t particularly care for is continuity. Now, this makes sense, considering the fact that the show is based so heavily on improv humor and each season almost being their own self-contained show. But there have been times where storylines seemingly vanish into thin air or have no satisfactory conclusion. With that in mind, let’s dig into 7 storylines from Curb Your Enthusiasm that weren’t resolved.
Larry’s Restaurant
The overarching plot of season 3 revolves around Larry and his friends all going in on investing in a new restaurant. Of course, as everything in Larry’s life, he has to overcomplicate things. He fires the head chef days before the event, makes a stink about the dividers in the bathrooms, and accidentally hires a chef with Tourettes. But surely after all of that, the restaurant will play a part in the series long-term, right?
Wrong. After the finale of season 3, the restaurant is never mentioned again. While it can be assumed that it closed its doors for good, the episode ended on a positive note, so who knows. Maybe we can see a crossover episode where Larry’s restaurant is the focus of a Kitchen Nightmares episode hosted by Gordon Ramsay. Although that’s probably wishful thinking.
Larry In France
Of all his celebrity feuds on the show, one of the most popular is between Larry and Marty McFly himself, Michael J. Fox. Convinced that Fox is using his Parkinson’s Disease as an excuse to deal misfortune after misfortune to him, Larry blows up on Fox. But feeling bad, he offers a clean slate to the actor and is asked to attend a children’s hospital event. Not wanting to attend, Larry goes away to France for two months to not have to attend. And of course, he goes with Leon.
Being that this was the final episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm for years, some fans speculated whether or not a possible season 9 would chronicle Larry and Leon’s adventures across France. Alas, season 9 opens with Larry back in the U.S.A getting frustrated at a shampoo dispenser. Classic intro, but what could have been.
Leon’s Family
Season 6 opens with Larry and his wife Cheryl providing shelter to the Blacks after their New Orleans home is destroyed by a hurricane. For the remainder of the season and a bit of season 7, the Blacks, including the future girlfriend of Larry Loretta and her beloved brother Leon, live with Larry and his wife Cheryl. However, after Larry’s relationship with Loretta dissolves in season 7, the Blacks are never heard from again.
With Leon still being the best side character in the series, it’s a bit of a shame that we never see his family again once Loretta is out of the picture. Perhaps this is more of a case of a storyline that we don’t want to end rather than one that wasn’t resolved, but the door is always open for this hilarious family to return in our book.
The Producers: Success Or Flop?
In an example of art imitating art, Mel Brooks becomes a main character in season 4 of Curb Your Enthusiasm to recruit Larry into starring in his new production of The Producers. The idea, however, is exactly like the plot of the play: Brooks intends for the show to bomb under Larry so he can make more money with a flop than with a hit.
Just like in the play, though, Larry’s bumbling performance endears him to the crowd and the show ends up being a smashing success… or so we assume. At the start of the next season, the play is not brought up again and the audience has no idea how Larry’s brief stage career panned out.
Susan & Cheryl’s Fight
While Larry’s ex-wife Cheryl and his best friend’s wife Susie are usually on the same page, there was a point in time when they were on the outs with one another. In the season 3 finale, Cheryl tells Larry that she and Susie are having some drama because of Susie constantly canceling their planned outings. This reaches a fever pitch when, at the opening of Larry’s restaurant, Susie believes that Cheryl is cussing her out when it’s actually a big misunderstanding.
Susie leaves the restaurant in anger, but by the opening of the next season, all is resolved in their argument. Safe to assume they worked it out since they’re not quite as neurotic as Larry himself.
The Israel/Palestine Conflict: Curb Edition
While most shows would shy away from even approaching the Palestine/Israel conflict, Curb Your Enthusiasm decides to tackle it head-on… in the form of food and sex.
In this season 8 classic, Larry finds himself enamored with a Palestinian chicken restaurant as well as a beautiful Arab employee at the restaurant named Shara. At the end of the episode, Larry is caught in between his Jewish world and his new love as a bunch of Jewish people protest another Palestinian place opening next to a Jewish deli. The episode rolls credits without showing Larry’s decision but, knowing this man, he definitely went with the chicken and lovely Shara.
Susie’s Affair
A running part of the show is Larry’s bestie Jeff Greene often cheating on his wife Susie with other women. However, in season 9, the passion in the marriage is reignited as Susie is immensely turned on by Jeff’s new cowboy hat. But the hat becomes a burden to Jeff as he gives it back to its original owner. Then we discover that Susie is having an affair with the man now wearing that hat!
With both parties cheating on one another at this point, this plotline is something that can be explored in season 10, as the final episode of season 9 didn’t bring this up.
