Ep 5. Denise Handicapped

Larry David returns in the seventh season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the HBO comedy series that looks at the life of its creator from a hilariously oblique angle. Each episode features verité-style footage of David (playing himself) as he gets into everyday predicaments with both fictional and real-life personalities. With cast regulars Jeff Garlin (as manager Jeff Greene), Susie Essman (as Jeff's wife, Susie), Cheryl Hines (as Larry's ex-wife, Cheryl) and JB Smoove (as Larry's live-in friend, Leon) reprising their roles, comes the new episode titled "Denise Handicapped."

In "Denise Handicapped," Larry encounters a problem when he tries to park his car in a handicapped spot to pick up some chicken. He is attacked by a woman named Denise Handicap who accuses him of faking a limp to get the parking spot. The woman follows him into the restaurant where he's picking up his chicken, and continues to berate him. Later on in the episode, Larry's date accuses him of being insensitive for constantly bringing up Denise Handicap and making light of her disability. This leads to an interesting conversation about what is and isn't acceptable when joking about handicapped people.

Meanwhile, Jeff and Susie are having marital problems and Jeff asks Larry to help him out and talk to Susie. Larry agrees, and finds out that Jeff had an affair with a waitress at the Club and that Susie found out, leading to their current problems. Larry ends up accidentally spilling the beans to Susie about Jeff's affair, leading to their intense argument at the restaurant where Larry is picking up his chicken.

Later on, Larry is rehearsing a play with his friend, Ben Stiller, when he's confronted by Denise Handicap once again. She demands that he come to her house and see for himself that she's truly handicapped, so Larry agrees to go with her. When they arrive at her home, he finds out that she actually is handicapped, and feels guilty for ever doubting her. The episode ends with Larry and Jeff making plans to attend a charity event for disabled children, in an effort to "make things right."

Overall, "Denise Handicapped" is a classic episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" that mixes humor with deeper issues. The episode is often cited as one of the greatest in the show's history, and is a must-watch for any fan of Larry David's unique brand of comedy.