Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Stars: Larry David, Jeff Garlin, J.B. Smoove, Susie Essman, Cheryl Hines, Bob Einstein and guest stars Paul F. Tompkins and Gary Cole

The Big Idea: The season premiere is titled “The Divorce,” and to elaborate on the title specifically would be too big a spoiler. Suffice it to say that there is at least one divorce happening in the episode (and as many as three eventually), and that fact leads Larry to be at odds with a Jewish attorney who turns out not to be Jewish (Tompkins), a Major League Baseball team owner (Cole), a whole troop of cookie-selling Girl Scouts and Marty Funkhouser (Einstein).

There’s also a cringe-inducing encounter involving Larry and a teenage girl who’s gotten her first period (Justified scene stealer Kaitlyn Dever), while Leon (Smoove) continues to be Larry’s seemingly permanent houseguest and source of frank wisdom about women.

To Watch or Not to Watch: Yes, and DVR it, because you’re going to want to watch it more than once. It’s not an exaggeration at all to say that this promises to be the best Curb season ever – no small thing for a show in its eighth season – and there’s one simple reason why. In the past, Larry has always gone about life in his Larry way, but often with an apologetic air. But no more. He’s full-on Larry this season, butting heads with anyone who dares to go against the societal rules by which Lar thinks we all should operate. Girl Scouts, Susie Greene, Susie and Jeff’s teenage daughter, the owner of the Dodgers and a New York mechanic (the inspiration for Brad Garrett‘s overzealous mechanic Tony on Seinfeld?) are but a few of Larry’s nemesis this season, and it’s with pure glee that he tangles with them.

TV Screener Tidbit: Both Ricky Gervais and Michael J. Fox guest star as themselves later in the season (and, yes, will have issues with Larry), but stay tuned for the Sept. 4 episode, “Mister Softee.” Not only does it give us a hilarious glimpse at the teenage Larry, but it also reveals an encounter from his past that really explains a lot about why Larry is so, well, Larry. For more scoop on the new season, check out my Curb preview feature at AOL TV.

Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s 8th season premieres Sunday, July 10, at 10PM ET on HBO