Wednesday, Dec. 07, 2011

Curb Your Enthusiasm, 'Mister Softee'

Larry David has been making interlaced comedy plots pay off for so long that he makes an incredibly tough job seem simple, like hitting a baseball. Or in this case, catching one. Casting Bill Buckner — famous for his flubbed World Series catch — as himself, David weaves together stories about a childhood trauma involving soft-serve ice cream, an overly talkative therapist, a car with a raunchily hilarious mechanical defect and Buckner's own ignominy (about which he proves a great sport), leading to a climax that allows Buckner to catch a falling baby. I would not have expected to find on Curb a story of redemption, but this one makes the highlight reel.