When I saw Larry David speak some years ago at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, he told a huge crowd the show would conclude when his character went to another country for several episodes.
On Sunday night, fans saw the first episode of Season 12, called “Atlanta,” where Larry is offered big bucks to go to the Georgia city to mingle at a party.
Maria Sofia Estrada (Keyla Monterroso Mejia) — who is now a diva from her success on “Young Larry” — is also coming on the trip with her dog named Pachuka. Larry is supposed to be cordial but annoys the host who hired him and may not get his fee because he called a woman a forbidden nickname.
At lunch, Larry is worried when he learns the waiter’s mother has died. Larry looks foolish when his glasses are messed up and he has to wear a spare pair from Leon’s aunt.
Maria is mad at Leon for fat-shaming her dog, who later gets Larry into trouble. At a hotel, he describes a maid as “farbissiner,” Yiddish for a mean person.
“I wonder if a Black man going to Africa is like a Jew going to Israel,” Larry tells Leon. “I’ll tell ya what, let’s plan a trip. We’ll hit the Congo and then we’ll go to Tel Aviv.”
The implication is they will each find a woman for themselves. Larry has to stay in a relationship with Urma (Tracey Ullman) for at least 6 months as he is advised any sudden change could wreck her mind. Larry gets busted due to a little-known law involving water and voting.
Predictions for the series finale
With 11 episodes left, I’ve been contemplating what kind of bold conclusion would be suitable for a character as cantankerous as Larry David. Here are my top predictions for the series finale:
Shara becomes a horror and Larry is kidnapped
In season eight, Larry had a passionate romance with Shara, a Palestinian woman who worked at a Palestinian restaurant that served delicious chicken. In my prediction for the series finale, Larry meets her in Tel Aviv and they rekindle their romance, but she hands him over to a terrorist.
Larry annoys the terrorists to no end by criticizing their songs, videos and uniforms. The terrorists can’t stand being around him anymore and let him go out of sheer annoyance. In his glory, Larry becomes the next prime minister of Israel. He gets Iran to end its nuclear program by promising that no American will ever say “LOL” again.
Larry becomes president
In an attempt to attract young Hispanic voters, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agree to a dance-off that will be judged by Maria Sofia Estrada. Both men injure themselves, opening a shot for Larry to step in and become president.
Larry ends up in the slammer
Maria Sofia and Larry continue to fight and hate each other. He threatens to go public and spill the truth — that she only got the part on the show because of pressure her father put on him regarding his swimming pool, which did not have proper fencing.
When her dog dies, she blames Larry and he goes to jail. This would be a full circle moment because in the first episode of “Curb,” Larry gets arrested. Plus, the finale of “Seinfeld,” which Larry wrote and produced, involves the main cast being thrown in jail.
Peace deal goes up in flames
Larry is playing poker when he meets influential Israeli, Saudi and Palestinian leaders. He negotiates peace in the Middle East, but while arguing about the proper way to do the Horah, a lit cigar flies out of his mouth and sets their building on fire. This would be a call back to his coffee joint which went up in flames.
Larry nearly drowns in the Dead Sea
Fearing drowning, Larry is reluctant to go into the Dead Sea, but he is assured by Susie and Jeff that with the high salt level, one can’t drown. Somehow, he goes underwater anyway, until Cheryl rescues him and they get married.
A part for a life?
Leon accidentally sleeps with the wife of a Congo leader. They nearly execute Larry and Leon, but Jeff has an idea to offer him a part on a TV show. The only problem is the Congo leader’s audition tape is terrible, and Elon Gold, playing a Hulu exec, isn’t sure he can make it work.
The last supper?
At an interfaith meal in Haifa, some argue that falafel is originally Palestinian and was culturally appropriated by the Jews. Larry starts choking on the falafel ball and needs the Heimlich maneuver.
Only the Palestinian woman who he was arguing with only moments before knows how to do it. Half of her family tells her to save him while the other half isn’t so sure. Larry has flashbacks to the time a woman passed out after choking on his scone.
I want to be an Israeli citizen
While in Israel, major news breaks that Martin Scorsese and Ted Danson have been recording Larry without his knowledge and have amassed damning evidence against him, including a bribe for Aaron Rodgers to come to the Jets on top of the money the team gave him.
Larry petitions the Israeli courts to make him a citizen, but a trial brings all of the people who Larry wronged to the Holy Land. When it looks grim, he asks his lawyer, Ben Shapiro, if the Israeli Supreme Court can be overruled. They say it can — if he can make coffee that is better than Starbucks.
Originally Published Feb 6, 2024 09:11PM EST
