Episode Rankings: Seinfeld

Seinfeld is a show about nothing. It's also a show about everything. Poking fun at social conventions and human nature, tackling pretty much any topic in the most flippant of ways, and completely destroying your expectations of what a sitcom can and should be. You've probably already seen Seinfeld and have its conversational cadence of its characters seared into your brain, but if you haven't yet, you're in for a funny, weird, and ground-breaking sitcom. Here's my ranking of its episodes:

1. The Chinese Restaraunt (S2.11)
2. The Soup Nazi (S7.06)
3. The Betrayal (S9.08)
4. The Opposite (S5.21)
5. The Invitations (S7.22) - Utterly genius
6. The Marine Biologist (S5.14)
7. The Pilot: Part 2 (S4.24)
8. The Hamptons (S5.20)
9. The Merv Griffin Show (S9.06)
10. The Yada Yada (S8.19)
11. The Pitch (S4.03)
12. The Outing (S4.17)
13. The Chicken Roaster (S8.08)
14. The Ticket (S4.04)
15. The Parking Garage (S3.06)
16. The Puffy Shirt (S5.02)
17. The Bizarro Jerry (S8.03)
18. The Caddy (S7.12)
19. The Pilot: Part 1 (S4.23)
20. The Serenity Now (S9.03)
21. The Opera (S4.09)
22. The Abstinance (S8.09)
23. The Race (S6.10)
24. The Boyfriend: Part 2 (S3.18)
25. The Airport (S4.12)
26. The Dinner Party (S5.13)
27. The Little Kicks (S8.04)
28. The Dealership (S9.11)
29. The Jimmy (S6.18)
30. The Bottle Deposit (S7.20)
31. The Pie (S5.15)
32. The Implant (S4.19)
33. The Package (S8.05)
34. The Cafe (S3.07)
35. The Lip Reader (S5.06)
36. The Muffin Tops (S8.21)
37. The Parking Space (S3.22)
38. The Cadillac (S7.14)
39. The Fire (S5.19)
40. The Red Dot (S3.12)
41. The Movie (S4.14)
42. The Soul-Mate (S8.02)
43. The Maestro (S7.03)
44. The Switch (S6.11)
45. The Summer Of George (S8.22)
46. The Boyfriend: Part 1 (S3.17)
47. The Revenge (S2.07)
48. The Engagement (S7.01)
49. The Diplomat's Club (S6.21)
50. The Van Buren Boys (S8.14)
51. The Calzone (S7.19)
52. The Wallet (S4.05)
53. The Tape (S3.08)
54. The Secret Code (S7.07)
55. The Glasses (S5.03)
56. The Fatigues (S8.06)
57. The Rye (S7.11)
58. The Strike (S9.10)
59. The Cheever Letters (S4.08)
60. The Foundation (S8.01)
61. The Postponement (S7.02)
62. The Cigar Store Indian (S5.10)
63. The Millenium (S8.20)
64. The Wait Out (S7.21)
65. The Fix Up (S3.16)
66. The Label Maker (S6.12)
67. The Statue (S2.06)
68. The Raincoats (S5.18)
69. The Comeback (S8.13)
70. The Pledge Drive (S6.03)
71. The Bookstore (S9.17)
72. The Library (S3.05)
73. The Junior Mint (S4.20)
74. The Keys (S3.23)
75. The Watch (S4.06)
76. The Soup (S6.07)
77. The Barber (S5.08)
78. The Alternate Side (S3.11)
79. The Nap (S8.13)
80. The Doodle (S6.19) 
81. The Little Jerry (S8.11)
82. The Burning (S9.16)
83. The English Patient (S8.17) - The episode itself is fine but I think it's one of the best-aged in the whole show
84. The Deal (S2.09)
85. The Bubble Boy (S4.07)
86. The Fusilli Jerry (S6.20)
87. The Andrea Doria (S8.10)
88. The Butter Shave (S9.01)
89. The Nose Job (S3.09)
90. The Shower Head (S7.15)
91. The Shoes (S4.16)
92. The Reverse Peephole (S9.12)
93. The Chinese Woman (S6.04)
94. The Stall (S5.12)
95. The Wink (S7.04)
96. The Scofflaw (S6.13)
97. The Subway (S3.13)
98. The Frogger (S9.18) - The last truly great episode of Seinfeld
99. The Jacket (S2.03)
100. The Truth (S3.02)
101. The Face Painter (S6.22)
102. The Non-Fat Yogurt (S5.07)
103. The Doll (S7.16)
104. The Chaperone (S6.01)
105. The Pothole (S8.16)
106. The Pick (S4.13)
107. The Slicer (S9.07)
108. The Kiss Hello (S6.16)
109. The Pool Guy (S7.0 8)
110. The Checks (S8.07)
111. The Conversion (S5.11)
112. The Smelly Car (S4.21)
113. The Letter (S3.21)
114. The Chronicle (S9.21) - I don't care if it's a clip show! That final montage still gives me the feels!
115. The Beard (S6.15)
116. The Stand In (S5.16)
117. The Visa (S4.15)
118. The Apartment (S2.05)
119. The Voice (S9.02)
120. The Hot Tub (S7.05)
121. The Big Salad (S6.02)
122. The Virgin (S4.10)
123. The Money (S8.12)
124. The Sponge (S7.09)
125. The Wizard (S9.15)
126. The Sniffing Accountant (S5.04)
127. The Mom And Pop Star (S6.08)
128. The Pez Dispenser (S3.14)
129. The Understudy (S6.23)
130. The Good Samaritan (S3.20)
131. The Susie (S8.15)
132. The Wife (S5.17)
133. The Gum (S7.10)
134. The Phone Massage (S2.04)
135. The Masseuse (S5.09)
136. The Trip: Part 2 (S4.02)
137. The Secretary (S6.09)
138. The Suicide (S3.15)
139. The Friar's Club (S7.17)
140. The Couch (S6.05)
141. The Ex-Girlfriend (S2.01)
142. The Seven (S7.13)
143. The Mango (S5.01)
144. The Limo (S3.19)
145. The Contest (S4.11) - Sorry, but I stand by my claim that this episode hasn't aged well
146. The Note (S3.01)
147. The Gymnast (S6.06)
148. The Wig Master (S7.18)
149. The Doorman (S6.17)
150. The Handicap Spot (S4.22)
151. The Stock Trip (S1.04)
152. The Maid (S9.19)
153. The Trip: Part 1 (S4.01)
154. The Robbery (S1.02)
155. The Blood (S9.04)
156. The Pony Remark (S2.02)
157. The Old Man (S4.18)
158. The Strongbox (S9.14)
159. The Stranded (S3.10)
160. The Stakeout (S1.01)
161. The Junk Mail (S9.05)
162. The Busboy (S2.12)
163. The Bris (S5.05)
164. The Apology (S9.09)
165. The Pen (S3.03)
166. The Baby Shower (S2.10)
167. The Cartoon (S9.130
168. Male Unboarding (S1.03)
169. The Heart Attack (S2.08)
170. Highlights Of A Hundred (S6.14)
171. The Dog (S3.04)
172. The Puerto-Rican Day (S9.20)
173. The Finale (S9.22) - Worst (intended) series finale ever

Seinfeld (Season 9)

This is it, the final season of one of the most ground-breaking and influential seasons of all time, this was its chance to stick the landing. And for a while, it seemed like it would... but then the finale happened...  

The first two-thirds of this season was pretty great all around. I think the fact that this is the final season means that a lot of people tend to forget just how amazing the first half of the season is, but Season 9 got off to a phenomenal start! It felt like it was keeping up the same level of quality of Season 8, packing in tons of iconic moments, scenes, and vernacular. Can you believe that Festivus wasn't introduced until this season? And neither was Serenity Now! We got an episode that pioneered the concept of an episode taking place in reverse. At its best, Season 9 is Seinfeld at its most creative and hilarious. Around the second half, Seinfeld was started to drop off in quality a bit, but even then, there were some solid episodes like The Frogger. Even with several weaker episodes near the end, including the divisive The Puerto Rican Day and the lazy clip show episode The Chronicle, as long as they stuck the landing, this could still have been one of Seinfeld's best seasons.

ButSadly, not only did they not stick this landing, Seinfeld ended up having probably my least favorite series finale of all time. It's genuinely stunning just how much of a disappointment The Finale is. While the concept of the main cast finally being called out for being jerks by a bunch of returning characters is definitely a good way to end the season, this was absolutely not the way to handle it. I've already voiced my complaints about Seinfeld's bizarre turns, but having the main cast arrested for breaking a law that was never implemented before this episode after a long, drawn-out trial that brought back a bunch of side characters who live in completely different locations just felt fantastical. Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer are incredibly flawed, petty and arrogant individuals who have done some pretty bad things (The Invitations, anyone?), but they're still not much different from any other average person. Why do they need to get arrested? They get punished every single episode anyway, it just doesn't make sense. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad if the episode was funny, but it wasn't. It was a glorified clip show, packed with flashbacks, and all of the returning characters did nothing outside of spouting their catchphrases. If any show deserved a "and life goes on" ending, it's Seinfeld, but instead we have something far more dramatic, unrealistic, and cynical than anything the show has ever done.

Despite my issues with the finale, the first two-thirds of the season did still give us some great episodes:

The Serenity Now: I don't think I mentioned this much but Frank Costanza is a genuinely hilarious side character and he had a ton of great episodes this season. The Festivus episode is great and all, but I love how Frank implants this "Serenity Now" phrase in everyone's minds resulting in most of the episode's storylines.

The Merv Griffin Show: So the concept of Kramer getting a Merv Griffin set and installing it in his apartment is a bit out there, but it's just so funny. I love how the other characters use it as an excuse to voice their issues, while Kramer spends the whole episode acting out the show. And the plot about George trying to play with his girlfriend's toys is great too.

The Betrayal: The Betrayal is the last of my Top 3 Seinfeld episodes, probably for being the absolute best usage of reverse chronology of all time. Not only did this episode introduce the concept, but the way it utilized this technique to tell its jokes is nothing short of phenomenal, particularly the sneeze gag. Not to mention the main storyline of the group going to India for a wedding being incredibly fun in its own right. Not to mention the fact that it coined yet another iconic quote "Stuff your sorries in a sack" (I also used this phrase a ton before knowing where it came from).

Overall, Seinfeld's ninth season had a stellar start with some of the show's best episodes, but the quality slowly dipped throughout, ending on one of the worst series finales ever.

2/5 Stars

My ranking of the Seinfeld seasons is:

8 > 4 > 5 > 7 > 3 > 6 > 9 > 2 > 1

My ranking of the Seinfeld finales is:

5 > 7 > 4 > 8 > 3 > 6 > 1 > 2 > 9

Favorite Episode: The Chinese Restaurant

Seinfeld (Season 8)

Usually when the main showrunner or writer leaves, it marks the point at which the show begins to decline (Community, Frasier). However, Seinfeld didn't actually have that issue. As a matter of fact, despite Larry David's absence, Season 8 is my favorite season of the show.

After the slightly overwhelming wedding arc, Season 8 doesn't really have a story arc. The closest thing would be George dealing with the fallout of Susan's death, pretty much experiencing a conga line of embarrassment throughout the course of the season. You'd think this would be depressing or repetitive, but let's face it, this is George. From being forced to start a foundation in Susan's name to being fired from the Yankees to breaking his leg, George's series of unfortunate mishaps managed to be hilarious throughout the season. With the exception of that plot thread, however, most of Season 8 was standalone episodes, meaning that its quality pretty much depended on its humor. Thankfully, Season 8 is easily one of the funniest seasons of the show. It takes a more absurdist turn compared to the Larry David seasons, while still blending it with the social commentary that Seinfeld is well-known for, resulting in iconic episodes like The Yada Yada and The English Patient. I think this formula works pretty much perfectly for Seinfeld, allowing for some of the show's funniest episodes.

Just like Season 7, Seinfeld's eighth season manages to maintain an exceptional level of quality from start to finish. Looking back through the season, the only episode I didn't love was The Susie, and even that wasn't all that bad. Pretty much every single episode here was solid, packed with great jokes and funny character moments. The only thing that I really feel is missing here is Seinfeld's edge. Larry David took so many gutsy risks throughout his run that were pretty much non-existent here. When you compare Season 8 to its predecessors, it really does feel more like an average sitcom than its own thing. And while there were a ton of great episodes, none of them really reached the heights of the show's best. However, I think the sheer quality on show manages to make up for this issue. As mentioned before, Season 8 is one of the funniest seasons in Seinfeld. So many of the jokes managed to land for me, and the writers still managed to coin a ton of iconic terms such as "man-hands" and "yada yada". 

There were a ton of really strong episodes in Season 8, but my favorites include:

The Bizarro Jerry: This episode was just a ton of fun. I love the concept of a show's cast meeting their dopplegangers (HIMYM made a whole storyline out of it), and it was really funny to see Jerry go crazy over Elaine dating is a bizarre version of him. The scene where Jerry, George, and Kramer meet their bizarre counterparts is one of the most striking and memorable scenes in the show.

The Little Kicks: Coming right after The Bizarro Jerry is another really funny episode which has Jerry accidentally master the art of movie bootlegs. The whole concept is hilarious, but the way it ties together with the other storylines is even better. George trying and failing to bootleg is amazing, but it's Elaine accidentally recording her dance over the bootleg which is even better!

The Chicken Roaster: Kramer's storyline over fighting with a Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurant is easily the highlight of this episode, especially when Kramer and Jerry switch apartments and suddenly take on each other's mannerisms. Michael Richards and Seinfeld absolutely kill it with their performances here, making for one of the show's funniest episodes.

The Abstinence: I thought it was really funny to see George become a better and smarter person by not having sex, but it was once again Kramer's storyline that really shines. Kramer's storyline about trying to sue a tobacco company is great, and probably has Jackie Chiles' funniest appearance in the show. 

The English Patient: This episode isn't anything amazing or anything, but it has easily one of the most timeless premises in the whole show. Elaine doesn't like a movie that everyone else loves, I'm sure every single person has experienced something like this. I know I definitely feel that way about Infinity War. Because of this episode, my family and I tend to use "The English Patient" as shorthand for a movie that's a box office success that everyone's gonna forget about eventually.

The Yada Yada: I mean, this is a genuinely funny episode on its own merits, but nothing holds a candle to the iconic "yada yada" subplot. I'm not gonna lie, this might be one of the most influential TV episodes ever made. "Yada yada" was a phrase I heard ever since I was born. Who knew that it was coined by a sitcom only a few years prior?

The Muffin Tops/Summer Of George: I like how most of this season depicted George's decline after his few years of relative success. The end of the season nails it by having George fired from the Yankees, then having the worst summer ever, and I love the parody of that hospital scene from last season where the gang doesn't even seem to care about George breaking his leg. It was a memorable way to poke fun at those who thought that episode "went too far".

Overall, Season 8 is my favorite season of the bunch. It may be a bit bizarre and lacking in bite, but it's just too funny to hate. Pretty much every episode here is solid at least, and the best episodes are some of the funniest in the show.

5/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 7)

Coming after the fairly lackluster Season 6, Seinfeld managed to come back swinging with easily its best season in a while as it attempts to bring together everything that made the show great.

Season 7 is Larry David's last season before he left the show, so it seems like he wanted to go out on a good note. Thankfully, Seinfeld's seventh season is easily one of the most consistently solid seasons of the show. It's also the only other season (along with Season 4) to have a story arc, this time being about George planning to get married to his girlfriend Susan. I don't love it as much as the "pilot arc", but it's a solid throughline for the season with an amazing ending. I really like how the premiere and finale parallel each other, and some of the wedding hijinks are genuinely entertaining. However, I'm not a massive fan of Susan. She gets a lot of focus here, but she doesn't really fit in with the rest of the group. Even more, unlike Season 4, I do feel like this "wedding arc" takes up a bit too much of the season, with plenty of episodes feeling like they're just spinning their wheels until the finale. It really feels like Season 7 has less standalone episodes than most of the other seasons because of this story arc, which is a massive shame, especially since those mark some of the highest points in Season 7. Episodes like The Soup Nazi and The Caddy don't involve the wedding at all, and they're awesome! It really makes me wish that this "wedding arc" stayed a bit more in the backdrop for most of the season.

Generally, Season 7 is a much funnier season than its predecessor. It's probably not as funny as Season 5 or as shocking as Season 4, but I think it strikes a pretty strong balance for the most part. It really does have some of the most iconic episodes in the show, particularly The Soup Nazi and The Invitations. I also think Season 7 is probably the most consistent season, maybe second to Season 8 (I'll get there soon). Even the worst episodes of the season are just kind of dull, while the best episode is one of my favorites in the whole show. I mentioned before that the best Seinfeld seasons have the best selection of episodes, and while Season 7 doesn't have as many high points as the show's best, most of the episode are at least pretty solid. The character work this season is also pretty good. I already mentioned George getting married, but there's also plot threads like Elaine's new job and Jerry falling in love with someone exactly like him, both of which are entertaining places for the characters to go.

There are a bunch of highlights scattered throughout Season 7, such as:

The Soup Nazi: The Chinese Restaurant is my favorite episode, but this is easily the funniest. I keep coming back to The Soup Nazi, thinking it should get old but it just doesn't! The titular chef is a hilarious and memorable side character, I love Elaine's reactions to the whole thing, and that payoff where Elaine gets her revenge is too good. And the fact that it's all based on a real person just makes the thing even funnier.

The Caddy: This episode was really funny. I love the fact that everyone thinks George is dead just because he went on vacation, and the way the show managed to move all of its pieces into place for this misunderstanding to occur is just genius.

The Bottle Deposit: The best double-length Seinfeld episodes pretty much just pad out the length with hilarious jokes, and The Bottle Deposit is no exception. Kramer's plan to make money off of recyclables by driving them to Michigan is hysterical and is packed with great moments, while Jerry's car is stolen with Elaine's golf clubs inside. Once the two storylines intersect, it results in a hilarious pursuit throughout the second half of the episode. The Bottle Deposit is pure Seinfeld zaniness and I love it.

The Invitations: We knew Susan had to go, George couldn't get married and Larry David knew that, so for his last episode, he killed her off in the most ridiculous way possible: Toxic stamps. I could write an essay on how genius this finale is. Jerry's engagement that parallels the premiere, the shocking twist about Susan, the gang's hilariously underwhelming reaction to Susan's death. Was it overly cruel? Perhaps. But it was also brilliant, surprising, and hysterical resolution that absolutely made this season.

Overall, Season 7 is one of the show's better seasons. It's consistently strong throughout and it has a pretty solid story arc with a strong ending, even if it overwhelms the season at times.

4/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 6)

Coming after what's generally considered to be the peak of Seinfeld, Season 6 was a bit of an underwhelming followup, not because it's bad, but because it's kinda boring.

Season 6 of Seinfeld strikes a pretty solid balance between Season 4's heavy arc-driven nature and Season 5's standalone nature, pretty much revolving around the fallout of The Opposite. George is trying to adjust to his new job at the Yankees, while Elaine is struggling to pick her life back up after losing pretty much everything. I think this works pretty well for the show, as it can keep a standalone formula while also having a solid amount of plot progression culminating in a rewarding finale. This season also contains the show's 100th episode, so what would Seinfeld do for such a massive occasion? Well, they'd do an hour-long clip show, of course. I'd mark this as one of the show's worst episodes, but I'm not even sure if it counts. But despite this massive low point in the middle of the season, Season 6 doesn't really have any high points to even it out.

My biggest problem with Seinfeld's sixth season is that it's boring. There are solid episodes, and several funny jokes, but there wasn't a single episode that I genuinely loved. I think the lack of experimentation definitely holds this season back, I don't think there was a single episode that really tried to break new ground in the way that episodes like The Chinese Restaurant, The Contest, and The Mango did. It felt like the people behind the show were so confident in their formula that they lost the willingness to experiment, resulting in a season that just felt like it was going through the motions. Don't get me wrong, Season 6 was still fun, but by Seinfeld standards, it's just so average. 

There aren't many highlights this season, but there are a few episodes of note:

The Chinese Woman: This episode was generally pretty average, but I want to give particular mention to "The Cape", who this episode should really be named after. It's one of my favorite jokes in the series, if anything because seeing Larry David pose in a cape is so hilariously dumb, I can't help but love it.

The Race: I adore this episode's main storyline about Jerry participating in a race. The Superman references, the hilarious ending, the fact that Jerry actually wins for once. The subplots aren't as amazing, but it's hard to really care with a main storyline this much fun.

The Switch: Cosmo! This episode is legendary for the sole reason that we finally learn Kramer's first name. But even aside from that moment, I love the subplot about Jerry's "non-laughter" girlfriend, along with his attempt to scare her off by proposing a threesome. This was just a generally entertaining episode and formed the high point of the season along with The Race.

The Jimmy: Jimmy is one of my favorite side characters of the show. I love his attitude, and I love the confusion he causes by referring to himself in the third person. We also get some great guest stars in the form of Bryan Cranston and Mel Torme, it's a great time all around.

Overall, Season 6 of Seinfeld wasn't necessarily a bad season, but it was fairly dull and unmemorable compared to the rest of the show.

3/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 5)

Coming after the insanely ambitious fourth season, Seinfeld dialed things down a bit for its fifth outing, focusing on the humor instead. While this did lead to the funniest season yet, it definitely wasn't as cohesive as Season 4.

With the exception of the season finale, Season 5 of Seinfeld didn't really have much of a story arc like Season 4 did. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is a bit of a shame given just how well done the pilot arc was, especially given how well it managed to tie the whole season together. It doesn't help that the first half of the season, while having some great episodes of its own (The Puppy Shirt, The Lip Reader), just wasn't as consistently strong as Season 4. At first, it was hard not to see this fifth season as a step down in a lot of aspects. However, starting from The Dinner Party, the second half of the season marked one of the greatest stretches of episodes Seinfeld had ever seen. From here to the finale, there wasn't a single weak episode, and it was packed with some of the best and most iconic moments in the whole show.

While this season was light on any sort of plot, Season 5 did make up for it in its humor. This is easily the funniest season yet, and most of the episodes at the very least mastered Seinfeld's usual formula of bringing together all of its disparate threads into one hilarious punchline. Season 5 has some of Seinfeld's best and most iconic punchlines, whether it's George burning his "perfect" hands, Kramer being a ball man, and of course, the legendary Marine Biologist speech. I also think this season struck the perfect balance between grounded and caricatured, which previous seasons had sometimes struggled to really nail. Most of the episodes in Season 5, even the weaker ones, did a good job of fixating around a simple, relatable concept and slowly escalating it throughout the episode.

There were a bunch of highlights this season, including:

The Puffy Shirt: I know opinion on this episode is generally split, but I've always loved it. The Puffy Shirt could have been a dumb concept, but it led to one of Seinfeld's best performances, and the whole fiasco at the Today Show that ended off the episode is still one of the funniest scenes in the show.

The Dinner Party: Also known as what I like to call the babka episode, The Dinner Party is entirely based on the conflict that stems from bringing wine and cake to a friend's dinner party. Most of the set pieces here are relatable, from double parkers to waiting on a long line. I also think this episode is noteworthy for having one of the few vomit jokes that actually made me laugh, so kudos for that.

The Marine Biologist: The first twenty minutes or so of this episode is pretty above average Seinfeld fare, but it all works into setting up easily the greatest Seinfeld payoff of all time, rivaling that of The Parking Garage. George's now iconic speech is easily one of the funniest moments in the series, Jason Alexander's best performance, and a phenomenal punchline that ties together the entire episode.

The Hamptons: This whole episode is just a nonstop streak of iconic moments. The coining of the term "shrinkage", the ugly baby situation, the lobster. None of it really has anything to do with the titular location, but it's just a relentlessly paced series of phenomenal jokes, nearly all of them landing.

The Opposite: After an entire season of standalone episodes, The Opposite stood out as a surprisingly massive shift to the status quo. It starts out as a goofy commentary on how Elaine always succeeds, George always fails, and Jerry's kind of even, but it ends with Elaine and George completely switching places. George becomes a success and gets a great job while Elaine loses pretty much everything, and it sticks! The events of this episode affect the next three seasons of the show! But even aside from the huge ramifications, this is easily one of the series's funniest episodes. A phenomenal way to end the season.

Overall, Season 5 had a bit of a slow start, but its comedy was some of the best in the whole show, and the second half was easily Seinfeld's best streak of episodes.

4/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 4)

After three seasons of a slow increase in quality, Season 4 is the first massive boost of quality that Seinfeld has had, resulting in easily the best season yet.

Right from the start, Seinfeld's fourth season establishes itself as something different by actually giving us a seasonal arc. Season 3 hinted at it by ending on a bit of a cliffhanger, but this season really leans into it, with a story arc about Jerry and George trying to shoot a pilot. I love this arc, the meta commentary on the tv industry is absolutely up my alley, and it appears just often enough throughout the season that it doesn't detract from Seinfeld's iconic standalones. Speaking of which, Season 4 has one of the best collections of standalone episodes out of any season. There's a sense of ambition here, where it feels like the writers are trying to do something new every single episode. It's like an entire season's worth of The Chinese Restaraunts. And even though I don't love every episode here, I can't deny the sheer cultural impact so many of them ended up having. 

For the first time in the series, Seinfeld's general level of quality feels consistent and strong. Even in Season 3, it felt like for every solid episode, there was one that was pretty bad. But this season, nearly every episode was at the very least solid. Even episodes that I didn't enjoy myself have a ton of merit. The Trip may have been goofy and bizarre, but it's easily the show's most ambitious two-parter and there's a novelty to seeing the cast goof around in California. And I may not have loved The Contest, but it's cultural impact can not be understated (more on that later). One of my favorite aspects of Seinfeld's fourth season is how it solidifies the show's formula of having fairly disparate subplots all tie themselves together in the end, more than any other season prior. The comedic payoffs in some of these episodes is downright masterful, and the way in which this season manages to tie every single episode together in the finale is just phenomenal. 

At its best, Season 4 has some of the strongest episodes in the whole series:

The Pitch: While The Trip was technically the season premiere, this episode introduced the season's storyline and characters proper. Susan, Russell, and Crazy Joe all made their debuts here, and the pitch storyline is pretty much entirely introduced. And I love the fact that Jerry is trying to pitch a "show about nothing", it's the perfect parody of the skepticism that has been shown towards Seinfeld for a large portion of its run.

The Ticket: This follow-up for The Pitch doesn't have the same amazing meta humor as its predecessor, but it makes up for just being so darn hilarious. Jerry and George being scared of Crazy Joe Davola, Kramer's concussion, Newman's speeding ticket, the payoff at the end, it's all so well-written. And it continues to set up plot points for this season like the watch and Jerry and George getting the go ahead for their pilot.

The Opera: Crazy Joe Davola is easily one of my favorite side characters in the series but he peaks in this episode, perfectly toeing the line between hilarious and genuinely terrifying. The constant selling and swapping of tickets on the line to the opera is just so much fun, and the comedy is absolutely relentless. While I'm usually a bit mixed on Seinfeld's more bizarre episodes, The Opera does a good job of keeping it in check enough to be thoroughly hilarious.

The Airport: Similarly to The Subway, The Airport focuses on mining as much humor out of a single vehicle as possible. Jerry and Elaine once again get most of the relatable comedy, from rescheduling your flight to trying to sneak into first class, but George and Kramer's more goofy subplot is still incredibly funny in its own right. It's just a really solid episode of the series.

The Outing: First, here's some context. This was an episode about gay people that aired in the early 90s, and yet somehow, it managed to age pretty remarkably. The running thread about Jerry and George's attempts at not being perceived as gay or homophobic is still absolutely hilarious, and the line "Not that there's anything wrong with that" is just plain iconic. And of course, like all of Seinfeld's best episodes, the individual exchanges and bits of dialogue are just top-notch too. Easily one of my favorites in the series.

The Pilot: What an amazing finale. Seinfeld ends its fourth season by having Jerry and George finally air their pilot, only for it to be predictably shot down at the last season. I already loved the pilot story arc, but what really made this finale rewarding was the fact that it brings back all of the side characters from the season, and I mean everyone. Seeing them react to the pilot was a lot of fun and easily the highlight of the episode.

But before I end this review, you may be noticing that I'm missing a particularly iconic episodes. Well...

The Contest: At the time, The Contest was one of the most influential TV episodes ever made. It's a showcase of just how far this show will go, and the lengths to which is goes to avoid saying the s-word (sex) is still impressive today. And I'm not gonna lie, "master of my domain" is a brilliant pun and Larry David should be patting himself on the back daily for coming up with that. This episode is absolutely worth noting for its cultural impact alone. However... 

I'm going to be perfectly honest here when I say that I didn't enjoy it. I didn't find the writing that much better than any average Seinfeld episode, I didn't find myself laughing all that much, and the main premise of the titular contest just doesn't appeal to me at all. As a matter of fact, I doubt most people would even understand what made the episode so beloved if you didn't know its cultural impact. I also think "the virgin" character is one of the few parts of Seinfeld that aged terribly. The fact that the cast would only refer to her as "the virgin", as if that was her only personality trait, doesn't sit well with me at all. For me, The Contest is a culturally important episode, but it's not one I enjoy watching.

Overall, Season 4 is easily the most ambitious season of Seinfeld through and through. It had a strong central arc, tons of iconic episodes, and a massive cultural impact, even if not all of it aged the most gracefully.

5/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 3)

With its third season, Seinfeld manages to continue its slow and steady increase in quality, pretty much perfecting the formula that makes the show so iconic.

As a whole, Seinfeld's third season is the first full-length season of the show, and the first season that really seems to have establish the show's formula. With The Chinese Restaurant having already been released, Seinfeld's reputation as "the show about nothing" has been pretty much set in stone, so Season 3 really starts to amp up the relatability factor. The Chinese Restaurant wasn't the exception anymore, pretty much half of the season had episodes like this. We got an episode about trying to find your car in a parking lot, riding home on the subway, and the problems that stem from giving your friend keys to your house. But despite this, Seinfeld would also begin to develop some of its signature bizarreness that becomes more and more prevalent as the show goes on. However, given the incredibly low-key and grounded nature of most of the season, events like the cast being trapped in a limo with Neo Nazis and Kramer going to California and becoming an actor just felt out of place. While the relatable humor is probably at its best yet, the writers of Seinfeld still haven't seemed to figure out how to pull off the show's more goofy side.

Even more, Seinfeld's general quality episode-by-episode still isn't the most consistent yet. While Season 3 does have far more high points than Seasons 1 & 2 combined, it wasn't even close to reaching the heights of The Chinese Restaurant, with the best episode of the season falling short of anything amazing. And at its worst, Season 3 has some of the worst storylines in the entire series, with The Dog being my absolute least favorite episode to not be a clip show or the series finale (I'll get to that in a later review). Despite my gripes, however, Season 3 still pretty much nails the characters, with the main cast continuing to give out amazing comedic performances. And the moment-by-moment dialogue is still pretty funny even if some of the storylines fall a bit short. Unlike the second season, I can definitively say that there were a whole bunch of episodes I really enjoyed, even if Seinfeld still has a ton of room to grow.

Here are some of the high points of this third season:

The Parking Garage: Easily my favorite episode of the season, this episode pretty much entirely revolves around the cast losing their car in a massive parking garage. I think it suffers a bit from trying to emulate what made The Chinese Restaurant so great, but it's still a hilarious and well-written episode with one of the greatest punchlines in television history (which was actually a complete accident!)

The Subway: This entire episode was about the four main characters taking their own separate subway rides home, and while not all of the subplots were great (or very realistic), it perfectly captures the vibe of taking one of the NYC subways. As a New Yorker myself, Elaine's subplot about dealing with a series of train delays is easily one of the most relatable storylines in the whole show.

The Boyfriend: This is one of the few double-length episodes in Seinfeld, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't deserve the extra length. The Boyfriend isn't really noteworthy for any one specific subplot, it's just a general funny episode with a ton of memorable moments and plot threads. Keith Hernandez playing himself, the "spitting incident" monologue that expertly parodies JFK (the movie), Vandelay Industries, it all just forms a genuinely enjoyable episode of the show.

The Parking Space: Not to be confused with the other parking-related episode, The Parking Space focuses around George and Elaine fighting over a parking space with Jerry's friend, which is always a fun storyline to base your sitcom episode around. It's hilarious how the conflict slowly escalates over time, but it's the two police officers getting involved that really got me.

Overall, Season 3 is definitely an improvement on the first two with a great increase in the relatability factor, even if its high points aren't super high and its low points are still pretty low.

3/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 2)

It's hard to review a Seinfeld season, since they don't tend to have running seasonal storylines (with a few exceptions). The best Seinfeld season has the best lineup of episodes, plain and simple, and while the second season is a massive improvement on the first, it's still not anything amazing.

Seinfeld is infamously a show about nothing. The whole show is build around relatable humor, so each episode has its characters put in situations that many people tend to experience. Season 2 still seems unsure if this is the route it wants to take, however, as it still contains a whole bunch of generic sitcom plots like the first. For every episode like The Chinese Restaurant, we get something like The Duel that focuses almost entirely on Jerry and Elaine figuring out if they want to end up together. Speaking of which, something odd that I noticed about Seinfeld's second season is that it has the worst continuity in the whole show. Seinfeld tends to have a light continuity in that events from previous episodes are at least referenced, so there is something to gain from watching the show in order. That is not the case in Season 2, however. George made a ton of money from stocks back in Season 1, but that wasn't brought up at all. And the aforementioned The Duel ends with Jerry and Elaine starting a relationship together. Next episode, they're both single again.

This isn't to say Season 2 of Seinfeld is bad. Generally, the writing is far sharper and more funny, and the penultimate episode of the season, The Chinese Restaurant, is easily the funniest and most confident episode yet. Even better is the characters, who are far more dynamic and enjoyable to watch. Seinfeld's cast is iconic, and for good reason. Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine have an amazing dynamic, and all have their own little character quirks that make them memorable. Kramer, in particular, is pretty much perfect already. Michael Richards found a way to make the character his own, and you just can't imagine him being played by anyone else.

Despite the short length of the season, there are still a few good episodes:

The Revenge: This episode pretty much solidifies the Kramer that we know today. His laundromat subplot is really funny, and showcases Michael Richard's amazing penchant for physical comedy. Also, Newman makes his first appearance, albeit an offscreen one.

The Chinese Restaurant: For such a generally average season, it's astonishing that it manages to have my favorite episode in the whole show. The Chinese Restaurant is genius. It perfectly captures the pain of waiting for an table while also just being a genuinely hilarious bottle episode. Easily one of the finest comedic episodes of all time.

Overall,

2/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 1)

Okay, seriously, how am I supposed to review this season? It's four episodes long, and all of the episodes are frankly kind of generic. *sigh* I guess I'll try my best...

Seinfeld is a show about nothing. Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and George are friends who go through life, and every single episode is essentially just a slice of life sketch about the four. As the show goes on, Seinfeld starts to lean into commentary on society and relatable humor but these first four episodes are just an average sitcom. Some of the jokes are funny, some of the jokes fall flat, but none of the episodes truly stick out to me in any way. The cast is great and there is a ton of potential for the show that obviously gets achieved later on, but this first season is too short and generic to really make much of an impact.

Overall, Seinfeld's first season is short and lacks any high points for the show. It's a solid foundation, but there's a reason most people seem to forget it exists.

1/5 Stars