Seinfeld TV Show • Page 19

Vulture did a ranking of every episode and had The Puerto Rican Day Parade as the worst episode. That is probably close to accurate.

 

That definitely is, but the George/Andrea Doria survivor makes up for it.

 

Also the bad-breaker upper with Elaine is pretty funny. "Big head".

 

"he pulled *it* out"

 

The last half of season 9 is really good imo

 

The Ultimate Punchline: “Seinfeld” and the Restrained Jubilation of Death in Comedy

 

Every God damn year lol

 

This is why the ending of Season Seven would have worked as a perfect finale. Their complete indifference to Susan's death is the lowest they can go, and the return to normalcy after the intrusion of Susan, the only character to really infiltrate the foursome for any period of time, is the final statement on the idea that nothing really changes.

 

I think the betrayal is the worst episode actually. I usually skip it.

 

Another post-Larry David episode.

 

Yeah I’m finishing season 9 now. The worst episodes are from season 8 and 9 but I still think there are enough good ones to justify these 2 seasons.

 

See watching the dealership and it’s one of the best episodes.

 

The highs are very high and the lows are uncharacteristically silly, the consistency is lacking, and you definitely have to suspend your disbelief more, but "unwatchable" is hyperbole

 

Probably the worst thing about the post-David seasons is how absurd they made George. Building a sleeping area under his desk and eating during sex. It ruins his character.

 

I've thought about trying to find a way to sleep under my desk dozens of times at work

 

I loved the eating during sex idea and how it played out.

 

i used to have to work on Sundays at a really slow call center, and most of those Sundays i'd be working the shift by myself. so i kept a pillow and a blanket in my desk drawer and on my lunch break, i'd sleep under my desk for 30-40 minutes. it was heaven.

and on days when it was busier, or more people were working, i'd keep a blanket and pillow out in my car too, so i could sleep out there on my lunch breaks, if i wanted a nap.

 

Both of those are perfectly George moments.

 

The criticism of later seasons is just silly. The show has dozens and dozens of "over the top" silliness throughout its run. Towards the later seasons, maybe irs exaggerated a bit more as there's way more focus on "4 different storyline" at once but im sorry the "late seasons are bad" opinion stinks.

 

The tonal shift is a lot more than a bit. Television comedies almost always end up using more and more broad comedy over time, but the shift after Larry David left is very clear. His comedic voice is so distinctive that to pretend things were the same when he left is to diminish his role on the show.

The show has three very distinctive periods. You can tell what seasons they are from right away. Seasons One and Two are very dry and awkward. They feel like warmups for what is to come. Season Three, but especially Season Four, finds that perfect blend of critiquing the absurdities of modern life while turning up the absurdity of the situation. Season Seven starts to become more broad but it really becomes a more absurd, slap-stick comedy in Season Eight. They literally have a bizarro episode. Kramer throws a barrel of oil out of a window. They go to India. Newman becomes a cannibal and chases a toasted Kramer around the room. A woman has man hands. Those plots wouldn't fit in seasons 3-7.

 

but they're funny. that's all that matters

 

I understand being in the minority. Network sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory get huge ratings. I looked up highlights last night and Kramer was feeding Elaine meat under her door because the doorknob broke and they were waiting for the locksmith. Apparently she does not have any food or water in her big apartment and a brief wait for a locksmith was so long she was going to die?

 

the woman having man hands storyline is totally something that could have been in an earlier season.

 

I liked the more absurd plots. I think most of my favorite episodes are from seasons 7-9, but can definitely see how others wouldn't be drawn to those.

Crazy Joe Davola was a character/storyline that never sat well with me.

 

Joe Davola is definitely something that didn't age as well as people have become more sensitive to mental illness. It is also a lot darker than the show overall.

There was an episode where Elaine was supposed to buy a gun but halfway through making it they all agreed it was too dark.