Top Guy
1) The Contest
The beauty about Seinfeld was that each show had various plotlines interweaving. While most viewers remember the “Master of Your Domain” contest between the four principal characters, they might not remember that this is the same episode where Jerry dates a virgin, George’s mother is hospitalized after catching him masturbating, Elaine has an exercise class with John Kennedy Jr., and Kramer falls for a nudist in the adjacent building.
2) The Junk Mail
Kramer opts out of the mail—and wages an anti-mail campaign—after getting one too many Pottery Barn catalogs. Hilarity ensues.
3) The Strike
This is the one with Festivus, a truly great anti-Christmas holiday featuring the airing of the grievances and the feats of strength. The episode gets its title from Kramer’s storyline—he goes back to work after being on strike for 12 years.
4) The Implant
As a teenager, I couldn’t tell whether Teri Hatcher’s breasts were real, but I knew they were fantastic. This also is the episode where George double dips a chip.
5) The Race
This is another episode where each character gets a major plotline. Jerry has to race an old high school rival to impress his new girlfriend; George responds to a personal ad in The Daily Worker, and then becomes the Yankees liaison to Cuba; Elaine gets herself and her Communist boyfriend blacklisted from a Chinese restaurant; and Kramer loses his department-store Santa gig for spouting Communist propaganda. And it all happens in less than 30 minutes.
The beauty about Seinfeld was that each show had various plotlines interweaving. While most viewers remember the “Master of Your Domain” contest between the four principal characters, they might not remember that this is the same episode where Jerry dates a virgin, George’s mother is hospitalized after catching him masturbating, Elaine has an exercise class with John Kennedy Jr., and Kramer falls for a nudist in the adjacent building.
2) The Junk Mail
Kramer opts out of the mail—and wages an anti-mail campaign—after getting one too many Pottery Barn catalogs. Hilarity ensues.
3) The Strike
This is the one with Festivus, a truly great anti-Christmas holiday featuring the airing of the grievances and the feats of strength. The episode gets its title from Kramer’s storyline—he goes back to work after being on strike for 12 years.
4) The Implant
As a teenager, I couldn’t tell whether Teri Hatcher’s breasts were real, but I knew they were fantastic. This also is the episode where George double dips a chip.
5) The Race
This is another episode where each character gets a major plotline. Jerry has to race an old high school rival to impress his new girlfriend; George responds to a personal ad in The Daily Worker, and then becomes the Yankees liaison to Cuba; Elaine gets herself and her Communist boyfriend blacklisted from a Chinese restaurant; and Kramer loses his department-store Santa gig for spouting Communist propaganda. And it all happens in less than 30 minutes.
Top Lady
1) The Parking Garage
This episode, which consists entirely of the four characters looking for their car in a garage, perfectly captures the anti-sitcom aesthetic of the show.
2) The Boyfriend (Parts 1 and 2)
Jerry meets Keith Hernandez at the gym, and Hernandez later starts dating Elaine. These two episodes also contain the “JFK” spitting parody (featuring Kramer and Newman), George telling the unemployment office he has a job pending with Vandelay Industries, Kramer dropping a baby, Jerry feeling like things are moving too fast when Keith asks for help moving, and George talking about getting to sleep with a tall woman: “like a giant.”
3) Serenity Now!
George’s dad starts yelling this whenever he gets mad. This is also the one where Kramer installs a screen door, and sits in front of it with a barbecue grill flags, and later, a sparkler. Also, a kid at a bar mitzvah tongues Elaine, because now he is a man.
4) The Susie
This episode has a whole other b-plotline about Kramer’s friend Mike thinking Jerry is a dangerous maniac; but the memorable part is Elaine’s imaginary alter-ego at work, “Susie.” Many memorable sitcoms involve funerals, but this might be the only one for an imaginary person.
5) The Fusilli Jerry
Where to begin? Most memorably, Kramer gets a license plate that says “ASSMAN” by accident but uses it to park in a doctor’s parking space at the hospital. This one also features “stopping short” and “the Move” (passed on from Jerry to Elaine’s boyfriend Puddy to George).
This episode, which consists entirely of the four characters looking for their car in a garage, perfectly captures the anti-sitcom aesthetic of the show.
2) The Boyfriend (Parts 1 and 2)
Jerry meets Keith Hernandez at the gym, and Hernandez later starts dating Elaine. These two episodes also contain the “JFK” spitting parody (featuring Kramer and Newman), George telling the unemployment office he has a job pending with Vandelay Industries, Kramer dropping a baby, Jerry feeling like things are moving too fast when Keith asks for help moving, and George talking about getting to sleep with a tall woman: “like a giant.”
3) Serenity Now!
George’s dad starts yelling this whenever he gets mad. This is also the one where Kramer installs a screen door, and sits in front of it with a barbecue grill flags, and later, a sparkler. Also, a kid at a bar mitzvah tongues Elaine, because now he is a man.
4) The Susie
This episode has a whole other b-plotline about Kramer’s friend Mike thinking Jerry is a dangerous maniac; but the memorable part is Elaine’s imaginary alter-ego at work, “Susie.” Many memorable sitcoms involve funerals, but this might be the only one for an imaginary person.
5) The Fusilli Jerry
Where to begin? Most memorably, Kramer gets a license plate that says “ASSMAN” by accident but uses it to park in a doctor’s parking space at the hospital. This one also features “stopping short” and “the Move” (passed on from Jerry to Elaine’s boyfriend Puddy to George).
1 comment:
Those are pretty good lists! I'd add "The Outing" (not that there's anything wrong with that!). And before you know it, will be Festivus time again! Haul out the aluminum pole!
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