Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 Finally Brings Back 1 Unexpected Larry Rival After 15 Years

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, episode 1!

Summary

• Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12 brings back beloved character Auntie Rae after a long absence, adding hilariously bizarre storylines to the show.
• Auntie Rae’s return highlights the great addition of Leon’s family to the show, bringing new perspectives and humor outside of the usual confines.
• The show continues to improve and explore timely storylines, showcasing the quarrels and affection between Auntie Rae and Larry, and even tackles political implications.

After 15 years of being absent from the show, Curb Your Enthusiasm’s season 12 premiere marks the return of a beloved character originally introduced in season 6. Among the greatest attributes of Curb Your Enthusiasm’s cast is its revolving door of guest stars and recurring figures, with many returning after years to find themselves in the middle of another one of Larry’s social disasters. Curb Your Enthusiasm’s last season is no different, with plenty of familiar faces coming back for season 12’s hilariously bizarre storylines.

In Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, episode 1, Larry reveals that he’s taking a trip to Atlanta after being offered a substantial paycheck to attend a party and act “cordial.” Much to his dismay, Larry also brings along the star of his Young Larry TV show, Maria Sofia, though he does get to bring his roommate and friend, Leon Black, on the trip. While there, Larry heartwarmingly reunites with a character who hasn’t been on the show since 2009, with their switches between quarreling and affection, thankfully, not missing a beat after all these years.

New episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm release Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.

Auntie Rae Returns To Curb Your Enthusiasm For The First Time Since Season 7

Ellia English reprises her role as Auntie Rae, the aunt of J.B. Smoove’s Leon Black and Vivica A. Fox’s Loretta Black. Auntie Rae was introduced in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 6, episode 1, “Meet the Blacks,” which saw Larry and Cheryl take in a family from New Orleans who were displaced after Hurricane Edna destroyed their home. Even through Larry and Cheryl’s separation, the Black family ended up staying with him until the beginning of season 7, though Leon (who was already living in Los Angeles) remained Larry’s roommate for the next five seasons.

Before Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, the last time Auntie Rae appeared in the show was season 7, episode 2, when she, Loretta, and Loretta’s children fled Larry’s house. Loretta seemingly saw Larry cheating on her, and as the taxi drove away, Auntie Rae stuck her middle finger out at Larry and bid him farewell with the words, “F*** you, Larry David! That’s some bull***!” However, when Larry and Auntie Rae finally reunite in season 12, she greets L.D. and her nephew Leon with a welcoming hug in Atlanta – though they still bicker as if no time has passed.

Auntie Rae’s Return Confirms How Great Of An Addition Leon’s Family Was To Curb Your Enthusiasm

The introduction of Leon and his family marked a refreshing turning point for Curb Your Enthusiasm. The revolutionary comedy show was already known for its biting social satire and witty political commentary, but Leon’s family adjusted this by giving Larry and the show itself more perspectives. Leon and the Black family unlocked a new type of humor and observational perspective that took the show outside its typical confines of wealthy white celebrities and entertainment business culture, not to mention also avoiding a decades-old complaint about the noted lack of people of color in Larry David’s Seinfeld.

Auntie Rae’s return is a reminder of how far the show has continued to improve since she and her nephew Leon debuted back in season 6, especially as they provide a substitute for Larry’s own largely absent family. With Larry ending Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, episode 1 in jail after bringing Auntie Rae water in an Atlanta voting line, the show brings her back for what’s shaping up to be a timely storyline that warrants various perspectives. Even without the larger political implications, it’s a joy to see Auntie Rae and Larry fighting over simple irritations like their head sizes ruining a pair of glasses.