The dog days of summer are here. Along with that unbearably uncomfortable, sweltering heat reverberating off the pavement comes a return of the unbearably uncomfortable Larry David. Season 8 of the universally-acclaimed HBO series starts with a cold opening that finishes the scene that concluded Season 7. Just as it seems Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) and Larry are about to reunite over the "Seinfeld" reunion show, Larry notices Cheryl's absent-minded habit of placing beverages directly on tables without a coaster. Insisting that Cheryl phone Julia Louis-Dreyfuss to inform her that it was Cheryl's fault Julia's oak table got ruined at a party, Larry makes good on the self-sabotage we all saw coming. Cue "Frolic," and curtain-up on a new installment of first-world problems at their finest.
"The Divorce," of course, deals with the final legal separation of Larry and Cheryl begun in Season 6. The chemistry between Larry and Cheryl Hines is still clearly apparent on-screen, however, leading to a very amusing exchange in the couples' bedroom as they're arguing over who gets to keep some candlesticks. "Any time a woman is in this bedroom, I figure I have to ask," Larry explains after an unsolicited request for some break-up sex. The episode also features the return of several of the colorful ensemble cast, and each of the principals gets a decent amount of screen-time in the first episode. Susie (Susie Essman) gets a shot at Jeff (Jeff Garlin) about even thinking about a divorce ("I'll have your balls thumbtacked to my wall!"), Funkhouser (Bob Einstein) gets on Larry's case about convincing his wife to join him on a business trip to London ("You are a colossal prick, you know that?!"), and Leon once again steals the show when asking about Funkhouser's sex life after he decides to get a divorce on Larry's advice ("You ran that ass into the ground, didn't you? Like a rental car?"). The episode gives all of the ensemble cast a chance to shine for a moment, illustrating just how well-developed these characters have become over the past several seasons and how dynamic and hysterical their improvised exchanges can still be under the well-trained pen of David.
"The Divorce" continues the Curb tradition of introducing a conflict that will likely last throughout the season, while still focusing on one or two major societal issues that form the basis of the comical adversity present throughout the self-contained episode. Gary Cole does a spirited turn as Joe O'Donnell, the fictionalized version of Frank McCourt, current embattled owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the Curb universe, Larry once again borrows from reality, referring a "more kosher" lawyer to O'Donnell than his current fake Jewish lawyer, who subsequently loses the team in O'Donnell's own divorce negotiations because of ineptitude. O'Donnell, of course, blames Larry, and punches him out before he can interrupt his own divorce arbitration with Cheryl. Larry subsequently loses his home, setting up the move to New York that will occur later in the season.
Also included in this week's episode were verbal instructions to a pre-teen about use of a tampon ("There's an inner-tube and an outer-tube!"), a discussion of the legality of buffet-sharing, and the ethical ramifications of canceling one's Girl Scout cookie order ("Actually, I find them abhorrent. But come on in!"). "The Divorce" may have come at a time when summer-time TV doldrums have lulled me into a state of low-expectations (I'm living on re-runs of "The Wire" and Thursday nights on FX with "Wilfred" and "Louie" exclusively at the moment), but tonight, it seemed like a welcome return to form for a show that has consistently performed at a high-level for a decade now. I cannot wait to see where Funkhouser's bachelor-hood and Larry's new digs take him next week. Bravo.
Verdict: 4.5/5 stars
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