Ep 2. Ted and Mary

In Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 1 Episode 2, titled "Ted and Mary," we witness Larry struggling with a moral dilemma. He is offered two tickets to a Dodgers game by his friend Jeff, but things take an unexpected turn when Jeff informs him that they are not just any tickets -- they are the team owner's.

Meanwhile, Larry's wife Cheryl and her friend Mary are constantly at odds over a seemingly trivial issue. Mary is insistent that Cheryl give her a recipe for some muffins she had at their house the previous week. Cheryl, on the other hand, is reluctant to share the recipe, causing tension between the two.

Larry finds himself in a quandary when Mary mentions that her husband Ted was recently diagnosed with cancer and that the tickets were for him. Larry wants to attend the game but feels guilty about taking advantage of Ted's illness to score VIP seats.

As Larry tries to wrestle with his conscience, he finds himself embroiled in a series of hilarious misadventures. He ends up having an argument with a parking attendant, causing them to lose their parking spot, and accidentally spills coffee on Ted's rug. Adding to his troubles is a bizarre incident where he feels compelled to take an unflattering picture of Mary's daughter for no apparent reason.

Meanwhile, Cheryl's reluctance to share the muffin recipe leads to her being accused of being overly secretive. Trying to make amends, Cheryl offers to bake the muffins for Mary, but things go awry when Larry accidentally eats them all.

The episode ends on a bittersweet note as Larry finally decides to give Ted the tickets, but it's too late, and the cancer-stricken man had already passed away.

Overall, "Ted and Mary" is a standout episode that showcases the show's unapologetically awkward humor and the nuances of everyday human interactions. It's a testament to Larry David's genius in finding humor in the most mundane situations, and his ability to keep audiences on the edge of their seats with his unpredictable storytelling.