An uncurbed tribute to Larry David

So you've never been enthusiastic about "Curb Your Enthusiasm." When it premiered in 2000, maybe you were too kind-spirited, optimistic and gosh-darn happy to appreciate a curmudgeon with the capacity to throw a temper tantrum over a cold grilled-cheese sandwich.

But times have changed. The bank account has shrunk. You've gotten divorced. Hair is falling out in clumps. In other words, you're finally ready to embrace Larry David.

For the newly bitter among you, here are the 10 best episodes in the show's history, the perfect primer for the start of the eighth season:

"The Group" (season 1): A former girlfriend begs Larry to come with her to an incest- survivor meeting, where he proceeds to tell the group that his name is "Todd" and that he was molested by his uncle.

"The Shrimp Incident" (season 2): Julia Louis-Dreyfus is eager to reteam with Larry, the co-creator of "Seinfeld," but the meeting with HBO goes south after Larry goes after an executive for stealing shrimp from his takeout order.

"The Doll" (season 2): The daughter of a TV executive asks Larry to cut her doll's hair, then freaks out when she realizes it won't grow back. Larry tries to remedy the situation by lopping off the head of another doll belonging to his manager's little girl.

"Trick or Treat" (season 2): Larry ticks off teenage girls, an artist in a wheelchair and a neighbor who bristles at the sound of Wagner. Larry gets his sweet revenge, but not before getting into a fight over the origin of the Cobb salad and the difference between men who are bald and those who shave their heads.

"Grand Opening" (season 3): The restaurant finally lands on a cook -- who turns out to have Tourette's. Larry's support for him in a final shot is, at once, one of the most obscene yet sentimental moments in the series' run.

"The Car Pool Lane" (season 4): Larry buys pot for his father, but not before hiring a hooker to accompany him to a Dodgers game so he can use the car-pool lane.

"Opening Night" (season 4): A star-studded audience, including Mel Brooks and Jerry Seinfeld, eagerly anticipate watching Larry bomb in his Broadway debut, but he surprises everyone with a rollicking performance in "The Producers" -- until he forgets his lines.

"The Freak Book" (season 6): Larry gets booted out of Ted Danson's birthday party when he tries to present him with a photo album of deformed people. He later bonds with John McEnroe over their love of the book, but the budding friendship disintegrates after they accidentally insult Heather Mills, leading to an epic shouting match.

"The Table Read" (season 7): The "Seinfeld" cast prepares for a reunion show, but not before Larry goes nuts after Jason Alexander borrows his pen and Michael Richards turns a reference to his standup meltdown into a memorable piece of theater.