Neal Justin: ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ made it OK to feel lousy

Sitcoms have long had a soft spot for grumpy old men. Archie Bunker, Fred Sanford and Lou Grant were all mired in perpetual funks that would drive any therapist to an early retirement. We laughed at their misery, but we never wanted to be them.

Larry David was different. His character in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which airs its final episode at 9 p.m. Sunday, was just as cranky as any of his predecessors. But he relished his rage. Life wasn’t worth living unless you could whine about it. We not only accepted his mood; we envied it.

Jerry Seinfeld had a new stand-up routine about how he enjoys being miserable, even during family vacations. That’s why he and David were the perfect pair to create “Seinfeld.” They both understand that whining can be tons of fun, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of a round of golf or a good cup of coffee.

“Curb” was never as special as “Seinfeld.” Too many episodes went nowhere. Routines became repetitive.

But David deserves credit for throwing temper tantrums that we all wish we could get away with. Before settling down for Sunday’s big finale, here are some classic episodes to revisit:

“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, but the meeting with HBO goes south after Larry goes after an executive for stealing shrimp from his takeout order.

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

“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 carpool lane.

“Opening Night” (Season 4): A star-studded audience, including Mel Brooks and 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 Paul McCartney’s ex Heather Mills.

“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 stand-up meltdown into a memorable piece of theater.