Of all the surprises for a Curb Your Enthusiasm finale to pack, a pointed reference to Donald Trump’s first impeachment might be among the most flummoxing. But that’s one of several head-scratching developments in “The Mormon Advantage,” the 10th episode of Curb’s 11th season, which has been uneven pretty much from the start. Like “Irma Kostroski,” “The Mormon Advantage” has a bit of an unfinished air—Larry’s hopes of repealing Santa Monica’s fence law are definitely sunk by episode’s end, but this season’s most electric players make their exits rather unaccountably. Instead of a Larry-Irma or Larry-Marcus-Sofia Maria showdown (either would have been satisfying), we get retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman reprising his role as a whistleblower.
There is fun to be had in the wait for the reveal of just how Larry will cross paths with a man hailed as a national hero, and in watching Marcus suggest that there’s such a thing as too much Ted Danson (even in a bald cap, this is simply an impossibility). Leon yelling about “Stockholm tappin’” and finding himself stranded in Los Angeles while the latest Mary Ferguson makes her way to Asia (with Vindman, no less) is a solid resolution to that whole storyline. But overall, “The Mormon Advantage” is the season in microcosm: a whole lot of elements that don’t quite come together.
Maybe Larry David and Jeff Schaffer wanted to avoid the dovetailing of their previous season finale “Spite Store,” but Vindman’s cameo just seems an odd fit...
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