Larry has bad luck on the same golf hole twice.
WAR
71.7
Wins Above Replacement
“The Black Swan” ranks #9 of 120 Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 88.9 — Elite. The episode packs 51 scored jokes at 1.6 per minute, averaging 7.5 on craft and 7.3 on impact, with Larry landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Larry: Larry concludes: 'I don't know who killed that black swan, but whoever did it was a hero. A hero.'
Larry Irony/Sarcasm Absurdist ★ Rewatch Club Member: 'The minute you wanted those crispy onions, you put a gun to that guy's head'
Ed: Ed the stonemason's response: 'I hope I get to do yours real soon, prick.'
Ed Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Larry: Larry gives a huge tip to silence the waiter, abandoning his anti-tipping protest
Larry Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Club Member: Club member blames Larry for Norm's heart attack: 'Norm is dead. That's right.'
All Jokes — 51 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Larry · Nat: Larry discovers his father spelled 'passed' as 'past' on his mother's gravestone to save money
Larry Nat Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Larry · Nat: "past away"? P-a-s-t? Dad, you spelled "passed" wrong. It's not spelled p-a-s-t.
Larry Nat Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Nat: Nat defends the misspelling: 'It has the same meaning. Everybody knows what it means.'
Nat Character Comedy Absurdist Larry · Nat: Larry suggests adding 'blandishments' and 'beloved mother of larry' - Nat responds 'You wanted maybe $6,000 more on the stone?'
Unknown character: 'Lucky he didn't put "beloved moth."'
Larry: I'd like the same thing... Egg whites with lox and well-done onions. I don't want them limp. I really want them crispy.
Larry Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Larry · Andy: No no, it takes a long time to get onions well-done. Believe me. I've ordered this before. I know exactly what I want.
Larry Andy Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Larry: Larry refuses to introduce his friend Jim: 'He's from New York. You're never gonna see him again.'
Larry Character Comedy Observational Larry: Larry dismisses introductions as 'pointless and unnecessary social convention'
Larry Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Larry · Mr. Takahashi: Larry lies to Mr. Takahashi about his father's 'quadruple bypass surgery yesterday'
Mr. Takahashi: Mr. Takahashi's dismissive 'You do this all time. Last warning.'
Larry · Andy: Will you please finish shoveling that shit into your face? It's exactly how I wanted it done.
Larry Andy Irony/Sarcasm Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Larry · Andy · Marty: The golf course delay caused by Andy's crispy onions leads to missing their tee time
Larry: Larry protests the restaurant's 18% included tip plus additional tip space: 'I have to start doing math in my head now?'
Larry Observational Character Comedy Waiter: Um, see, 'cause you didn't leave a tip. And usually when I've provided excellent service, my customers like to tip me.
Waiter Cringe/Discomfort Awkward Silence Callback Larry: Well, there is an 18% tip included. Generally, I do leave an additional tip, but you know what? I'm kind of protesting the additional tip.
Larry Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Callback Larry · Norm: Larry and friends argue with slow golfer Norm, leading to escalating insults
Larry · Andy: Larry sarcastically asks Andy 'Are you happy you had the onions?! Are you glad you had the onions?!'
Larry Andy Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: Larry mimics Andy: 'Crispy onions! They have to be crispy! I can't eat breakfast unless I have crispy onions!'
Larry Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Club Member: Club member blames Larry for Norm's heart attack: 'Norm is dead. That's right.'
Larry: Larry admits 'No, I thought he was a prick' when asked if he liked Norm
Larry Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Club Member: 'The minute you wanted those crispy onions, you put a gun to that guy's head'
Larry · Nat · Cassie: Larry spontaneously offers to pay for his cousin's daughter's college education
Larry · Cassie: Larry refuses to show Cassie's hats to Jerry Seinfeld: 'Jerry Seinfeld is not gonna wear that hat.' 'You don't know!' 'Yeah, I do know.'
Ed · Larry: Stonemason Ed interrupts Larry's call to trash Derek Jeter: 'That guy sucks... He's the most overrated player in baseball'
Ed Larry Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Larry · Andy · Marty · Jeff: Larry accidentally kills the swan and his friends realize it's Takahashi's beloved pet Kyoko
Larry: He attacked me! He leapt at me! You think I wanted to kill it? I didn't want to kill a swan!
Larry Physical/Slapstick Cringe/Discomfort Larry · Jeff: He attacked me! He leapt at me! Did you provoke him? No, I didn't do anything.
Jeff: Jeff's philosophy: 'The only time I tell her I'm playing golf is when I'm with another woman!'
Jeff Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Larry: Larry's logic: 'Swan killers leave. People who aren't swan killers stay, have lunch, socialize'
Larry Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Larry: Hey, let me remind you of something, asshole: you're talking way too loud about swan killing in the dining room.
Larry: Larry argues about fruit consumption: 'You can't have fruit twice in one day. You get the acid. It'll rip a hole in your stomach.'
Larry Observational Character Comedy Larry · Andy · Marty · Jeff: The group panics seeing what they think is a search party but it's just a bird
Larry · Friends: Larry justifies killing the swan: 'It was self-defense! What could it have possibly done to you?' 'It could've killed me.' 'It's not a wild boar!'
Takahashi · Larry: It was a bird. What were you so scared of? A bird! It was self-defense! What could it have possibly done to you? It's not a wild boar!
Mr. Takahashi: Mr. Takahashi's interrogation using the tee sheet: 'Only one other group played. Course not crowded. Respect for Norm.'
Takahashi · Marty: You. You smart guy. You not kill swan. But you know who kill swan. You tell me, free dues. No more dues. For life? Whole life.
Mr. Takahashi · Jeff: Takahashi insults Jeff: 'You stupid. Yes. You marry big-mouth wife.' Jeff agrees: 'She does have a big mouth.'
Larry: Two days in a row. This is worse than playing behind him.
Larry Dark/Subversive Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: Larry's outrage: 'I make this generous offer to pay for your daughter's education and now you want me to put your wife through cosmetology school?!'
Larry Character Comedy Escalation Nat: Nat deflects: 'Who knows? She might be a drug addict' about his daughter potentially not going to college
Nat Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Nat: Nat reveals he told his wife about the swan: 'I had to tell her, Larry. Don't worry. She's not gonna say anything.'
Nat Callback Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: Larry threatens to destroy Cassie's hat collection: 'The blue hat, the orange hat, the one with the cockle shells, the one with the feathers, and let's not forget the red one you're making for that asshole stonemason'
Larry Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Ed: Ed the stonemason's response: 'I hope I get to do yours real soon, prick.'
Ed Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Larry · Ed: I'm an asshole? Who are you? I'm ed... The stonemason. ah.
Larry Ed Escalation Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Larry · Jerry: Larry complains Jerry didn't introduce him: 'What about your policy? No introductions.' 'I know, but there's extenuating circumstances.' 'So I'm hoisted on my own petard.'
Larry: At Norm's memorial, Larry theorizes the swan killed Norm: 'I believe this is what happened: Norm had the heart attack on the 12th hole near the pond... I think he was attacked by the black swan.'
Larry Absurdist Misdirection ★ Rewatch Larry: Larry concludes: 'I don't know who killed that black swan, but whoever did it was a hero. A hero.'
Larry Irony/Sarcasm Absurdist ★ Rewatch Larry: Larry gives a huge tip to silence the waiter, abandoning his anti-tipping protest
Larry Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Mr. Takahashi: Mr. Takahashi is convinced by the big tip that Larry couldn't be the swan killer: 'Now I know a man so generous could not have killed my black swan'
Larry · Mr. Takahashi: Larry convinces Takahashi to eliminate the additional tipping by making it a flat 25%: 'Nobody wants to sit and do math after they eat'
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