Ep 9. Affirmative Action

In season 1 episode 9 of Curb Your Enthusiasm entitled "Affirmative Action," the plot hinges on Larry David's guilt over a perceived slight towards his black physician. As the episode begins, Larry is seen advocating for the benefits of affirmative action at an NAACP meeting, where he argues that providing opportunities to minority groups can ultimately benefit society as a whole. However, when a black doctor that he had been seeing for years leaves her practice, Larry assumes that it must be because she had been offended by one of his comments or actions.

While trying to make amends, Larry becomes increasingly paranoid and fixated on race, leading to a series of comedic misunderstandings and awkward social encounters. For example, he donates money to a charity for African-American scholarships, only to realize that the donation is going towards funding a tuition decrease for a wealthy black student from a prestigious private school. Larry also attempts to hire a black actor to play a waiter in his wife's play, only to offend the actor by assuming that he should be able to do the role without any training or experience.

The episode is noteworthy for its exploration of the complicated dynamics around race and guilt, as well as its skewering of liberal platitudes around affirmative action. At the same time, it is typical of Curb Your Enthusiasm's trademark humor, which revels in the social discomfort of its characters and the absurdity of their predicaments.

Overall, "Affirmative Action" stands out as one of the strongest episodes of the first season, demonstrating Larry David's ability to tackle complex topics with both intelligence and humor.