Larry David channelled Donald Trump in an amazing Curb Your Enthusiasm finale - featuring the Ukraine whistleblower who almost sunk Trump’s presidency.
The final episode of season 11 featured Vindman, the former lieutenant colonel who was at the centre of Donald Trump’s Ukraine scandal.
In the episode, Larry David is pressured into hosting a party for Vindman, at which he calls him a “hero” for raising the alarm on Mr Trump’s controversial phone-call with the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
The call, in which Mr Trump seemed to pressure him into investigating Joe Biden as part of a quid pro quo, led to his first impeachment.
(Mr Trump denied that he’d done anything wrong, and later said: “I’m the only one to get impeached on a perfect phone call, like a perfect phone call.” We’ll come back to this in a moment.)
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Throughout the same episode, Larry is seen working to try to get a city law overturned which requires people to have a five-foot fence around their home swimming pools.
To try to achieve his aims, he pressures Councilwoman Irma Kostroski to help him, and offers to make a large donation to her church if she votes to repeal the rule.
But when Vindman overhears Larry’s call and offer to Kostrovski, the relationship sours.
Vindman tells Larry he’s “very concerned” by the Kostrovski call, calls his offer of payment a “bribe,” and relives his whistleblower days by saying he’ll have the call transcribed and sent to the city council.
Larry fires back by using the Trump administration vernacular that it was a “perfect call”. But Vindman insists it was “far from perfect”.
It was an utterly unexpected and hilarious storyline, to cap off what has been a slightly hit-and-miss season.
Vindman himself was clearly buzzing after making his appearance alongside a comedy great:
I had a great time on #CurbYourEnthusiasm! You can watch the season finale now on @hbomax
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) December 27, 2021
I would like to thank @ohsnapjbsmoove for his suggestion that I title my next book: China and Russia, On That Sh*t. https://t.co/Nc43NuCUM6
His wife asked people to stop fan-girling over him in case the newfound fame goes to his head:
Let’s take it down a notch, Dawn, I still have to live with him and the trash isn’t going to take itself out.
— Rachel Vindman (@natsechobbyist) December 27, 2021
It may not have been the perfect call, but it was the perfect episode, according to some:
LMAO, Larry David went full trump on Curb Your Enthusiasm with Lt. Col. Vindman on the show.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) December 27, 2021
Not a perfect call, but damn near a perfect episode! 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/9MW5qVxcgl
Some thought the episode would definitely send Trump crazy:
Colonel Vindman is on #Curb which will drive Trump more insane!!
— Jonathan Jewel (@jonathanjewel) December 27, 2021
Trump DESPERATELY wants to be embraced by Hollywood but he’s stuck with his brainless cult which he can’t stand to be around
😂😂😂😂
All in all, Vindman’s acting debut was seen as a huge success:
I cannot believe we just had a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode centered around Alexander Vindman
— Jacob Shamsian (@JayShams) December 27, 2021
Regardless of where your opinion of him and his actions, one thing is objectively true.....
— Justin Redalen (@Justinredalen) December 27, 2021
Alexander Vindman appearance on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is the single greatest guest/cameo appearance in the history of television. Just perfection.
Larry David pulling Vindman for the season finally is epic
— Bing Bong Bubba (@UncleBubba_88) December 27, 2021
Turns out Vindman is kinda funny too who knew
— Tom Brennan, The Reason For The Season (@Brennanator) December 27, 2021
Vindman was recently in the news after saying he believes that Tucker Carlson “hates” the United States.