A field guide to 42 quintessential Larry David facial expressions
LatestYou know Curb Your Enthusiasm as a 38-time Emmy-nominated HBO comedy series — and maybe as a collective fever dream shared by everyone who ever watched Seinfeld — but it’s also an unlikely wildlife documentary, devoted to the study of Larry David in his natural habitat. The Curb creator and star plays a misanthropic, fictionalized version of himself who operates on another plane of emotion, applying his unyielding moral code to every social encounter and sermonizing on the menaces of bald discrimination and the stop and chat (see also: the chat and cut).
But the hilarity of Curb emerges not only from its largely improvised dialogue — Larry is a maestro of his own face. All eight seasons of the long-running TV show will be released for streaming on Amazon Prime today. Before you binge-watch, consult our handy guide to the meaning behind David’s every grimace, eyeroll, and sneer.
1. Triumphant
2. Sanctimonious
3. Jealous
4. Suspicious
5. Chastened
6. Indignant
7. Incredulous
8. Distracted
9. Horrified
10. Disappointed
11. Annoyed
12. Condescending
13. Amused
14. Unimpressed
15. Smug
16. Shocked
17. Resigned
18. Excited
19. Concerned
20. Self-Righteous
21. Humiliated
22. Aroused
23. Flirtatious
24. Offended
25. Hesitant
26. Mocking
27. Bored
28. Defensive
29. Leery
30. Scared
31. Noncommittal
32. Stressed
33. Aggressive
34. Cornered
35. Outraged
36. Sunburned
37. Smitten
38. Defiant
39. Accusatory
40. Wary
41. Unapologetic
42. Indecisive
Molly Fitzpatrick is senior editor of Fusion’s Pop & Culture section. Her interests include movies about movies, TV shows about TV shows, and movies about TV shows, but not so much TV shows about movies.