Yes Larry David has millions of dollars, unlimited opportunities in Hollywood and enough resources to come out on top, even when he clearly loses. However, Leon is the biggest winner in the history of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," as he's the only person in the universe who's figured out how to out-Larry Larry.
We met Leon Black (J.B. Smoove) back in 2007, when the Black family is displaced by Hurricane Edna (based on Hurricane Katrina), a vicious storm that dismantles the entire state of Louisiana. Coverage of the news leaves Cheryl David (Cheryl Hines) distraught – depressed and hungry to do something nice for the people of Louisiana. She asks Larry if they could adopt a family who was affected by the storm and take care of them until they got back on their feet. To this, Larry says hell no.
Later that night, the Davids find themselves playing a couples game with the Funkhousers and the Greenes. In this particular game, you have to guess the identity of the person in your friend group who your spouse would consider having sex with. Marty Funkhouser is up first, and after complimenting all of the women present, he settles on his wife. He would always choose his wife. This is the easiest question in the world for Larry to answer, he doesn't care who's watching or who will judge – because he knows if he gets a pass from Cheryl, he isn't going to waste that pass on Cheryl, he's going to go for Richard Lewis's young girlfriend Cha Cha (Tia Carrere).
This bold outburst – a clear embarrassment to Cheryl – lands Larry in the doghouse. He begs for forgiveness, telling Cheryl he would do anything in the world to make things right – so they adopt the Blacks, a family of four they pick up during the first episode of the sixth season, when they move in.
We don't meet Leon until the next episode, when Loretta Black (Vivica Fox), smokes a cigarette and burns down the house – causing the lot of them to take up at another residence, where Leon, the brother of Loretta moves in.
Leon was not affected by Hurricane Edna. He had already been living in LA, but if his family struck it big with a rich Hollywood producer, then why shouldn't he benefit too?
Three key things happen in the sixth season that permanently connect Larry and Leon for the next 17 years:
-
Larry falsely accuses Leon of ejaculating on a fresh comforter set
Larry is uncomfortable with Leon moving in – being as though he wasn't a victim of the hurricane – but decides to play ball and lets him stay. This almost explodes when Cheryl finds evidence of semen on the comforter set in Leon’s guest room. She approaches Larry, who is ready to kick Leon out. Leon stands his ground though, telling Larry that he has too many sexual partners to be masturbating on Larry’s comforter, and even if he wants to masturbate in Larry’s house, he can't because there are “no visuals,” and nothing that look at, mainly because Larry only has basic cable.
Later in the episode we find out that Jeff (Jeff Garlin) is the culprit, and Larry gives Leon an appropriate apology.
-
Someone steals Larry’s beloved Joe Pepitone jersey, but Leon retrieves two
Larry goes to the cleaners to pick up his Joe Pepitone jersey, only to find out that they had given it away to someone else. The owner tells Larry that this is the law, sometimes you gain an extra piece of clothing form the cleaners and sometimes you lose. Larry is clearly upset but there is nothing he can do.
While Larry is apologizing to Leon for the false ejaculation accusations, he notices a guy wearing his jersey. Leon hops out of the ride and takes the jersey. Later on in the episode they see another guy with the same jersey, and then Larry checks the size of the jersey Leon has recently snatched and realizes that they have the wrong one, so Leon takes the right one too, and now the duo have a matching set. Best friends for life.
-
Larry costs Leon a job
Leon has been going on job interviews, trying to find employment so that he can make enough money to move out.
Larry has been getting calls from telemarketers all day who just wanted talk, talk, talk. He and Leon realize that they have the same cell phones and at some point they make a mistake and switche devices. Leon gets a call from a place that wants to offer him a position, but Larry has his phone, thinks it's a telemarketer and curses the guy out. Leon remains unemployed and has been unemployed ever since.
If Leon would have gotten that job then we never would have known how great of a partner to Larry he would be. This is where we thank God for making Larry an a**hole.
Throughout the years Leon has remained a resident at Larry David's home, and the perfect sidekick: the yin to Larry’s yang and the only person able to balance Larry out.
Leon is Larry’s ultimate protector. At the same time, only Leon can attack Larry, disagree with Larry and have conflict with Larry. Over the years he grows into the person that Larry did not know he needed. Like the episode where a contractor is trying to rip Larry off, but decides to adjust the price once he sees that Larry has a Black friend living at the residence.
Leon is also the one who gives Larry the courage to get back out there and date after he separates from Cheryl by diagnosing him with “mopey d**k.” Jeff tries to educate Leon on the actual phrase “Moby Dick,” the book by Melville, but Leon insists by telling Larry that he is “mopey d**k” because his peins is moping as a result of him laying around all day, mourning a woman that doesn't want him.
Leon goes on to start multiple businesses with Larry, which includes a company that gives people who work at magazine stands and parking garages a chance to go take bathroom breaks, always gives Larry the best advice on race relations and relationships and is right there with him when he opens Latte Larry's, a spite store to rival Mocha Joe.
What's more impressive is the Leon has found a way to avoid working traditional nine-to-fives, and lives a glorious life for free. Sure, he starts a business here and there, but all of these companies come from conversations with Larry and rise as quick as they fail – leaving Leon the opportunity to eat delicious food, do hot yoga and travel. The beauty of this situation is that Leon lives a life as if he's the one who created "Seinfeld" even though he has never worked on the show, because he has brilliant insight like Larry, the ability to get under people's skin like Larry, but none of the responsibilities that Larry has. Leon won, because Leon just gets to be Leon, who everyone loves.
Maybe "Curb" shouldn't end . . .
