"The Hero" was another classic episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm with a fantastic ending that I definitely did not see coming. It was so rewarding to see LD have such a heroic moment on that subway that the thought of him getting his long laces stuck in the door never cross my mind for a second.

I didn't see the long laces coming back into play at the very end, because they had already made a return earlier in the episode. Stupid Hank, who was so tremendously played by SNL veteran Chris Parnell, tripped on his own laces, which caused the wine spill on Ricky Gervais and Donna to break up with Larry, creating a domino effect for the rest of the events of the episode, as Curb does so well.

Before even hearing the news that Curb was making its way to New York for season eight, it broke that Gervais would be appearing, and I got all excited. If this is the only episode he appears in, it will be disappointing, but at the same time I'm not sure I could take much more of him in this context. As interesting a dynamic that Larry and Ricky created, I don't think they meshed together all that well.

Speaking of the Extras star, why do celebs agree to come on to Curb as themselves and be absolute fools? I know they're only versions of themselves, but how does Ricky not come off as a complete jerk here. At least Larry is a lovable jerk, whereas Ricky was a snob who buys expensive wine as a gift, brings his own DVD to a party, makes Larry pay for the gifted tickets, can't admit he's seeing Donna, and cries at the burglar. Sure I'll do this, but rename my character Dicky Pervais.

On the very bright side of "The Hero" we witnessed Larry commenting on his own flirting abilities, the entire Broadway whispering incident, what I think may have been the first stare down of the season, and LD singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" while flossing in an airplane bathroom.

Now decide whether you'd rather act "coachy" or "first classy," and then tell us how you would have dealt with Larry's predicaments this week:

The Gift
LD's stance: This is a two-parter. First Larry felt that if you give someone a gift at a restaurant, it was impolite of Ricky to order such an expensive bottle of wine. Then it was of his opinion that if someone offers you a gift of tickets, they are not expecting you to then pay for those tickets when you go to pick them up at the box office.
My Perspective: Oh Larry is absolutely correct on both accounts! This reaffirms how moronic Ricky Gervais was in this episode. If you are offered a gift of a bottle of wine, you look over the prices, and make a choice that is someone near the middle, but closer to the cheaper end. Ricky's explanation that looking at the price ruins the gift is ludicrous.  Then if you are giving someone a gift of tickets, you have to tell them ahead of time that they will have to pay for them. If that would have been the case, I know that both LD and myself would have just said "No thanks pal." 

The Restaurant Revolution
LD's Stance: If the waiter is taking too long to bring you your food that you can see is waiting for pickup, it is okay to go grab it yourself.
My Perspective: While I would always be too afraid to pull off this move, I'm not hating on Larry for it. If the waiter's job isn't a priority, then taking the initiative yourself is okay in my book. As a passive aggressive, I would just leave a really poor tip, but different strokes for different folks. Regardless, the waiter's argument is moot these days, because the waiters don't even bring you your food anymore. It is always someone else bringing out the food.  All the waiters do it seems like is take your order and bring it back to the kitchen. Are the plates too hot for their delicate hands?  Are they too busy taking the other three orders in their section?  I'm not sure why this is happening, but it needs to stop.

As always, here are some of our favorite quotes from "The Hero." Don’t forget to check out all the best one-liners at our Curb Your Enthusiasm quotes page.

Waiter: I am the waiter.
Larry: Yet we were the ones waiting, so we became the waiters.
Jeff: This man's a hero. He just revolutionized the way restaurants work my friend. No one's gonna go hungry again. | permalink

Susie: Don't impose your desires on my whole cuisine. | permalink

Hank (to Larry): When I first saw you, I guessed you for a Spaniard. I'm glad you're not Spanish. I'm not a fan of the Spanish. | permalink

Hank: I don't even know how to write cursive anymore. | permalink

Susie: Ya know Larry, I think you're taking the wrong tactic with these women. I really do. I think you have to present who you reall are.
Larry: I did present who I really was; a phony, a fraud, a prevaricator. I presented who I was. | permalink

Dan Forcella is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow him on Twitter.