An Analytical Episode Guide to :
Season 4, Part 2
I said last week that season 4 brought us the best episodes
of the entire season. To be fair, that wasn’t the episodes I reviewed last
week. This week, well, you’ll see……
Episode 7, Season 4
The Bubble Boy
Plot Summary-Jerry and George are planning to bring their
girlfriends to Susan’s cabin for the weekend. However, a poorly timed answering
machine message and a plea by the father of a child who lives in a bubble
derail the plans. George and Susan end up visiting the Bubble Boy because Jerry
is unable to follow George while Jerry and Elaine end up at a cafe. While George and The Bubble Boy argue over Trivial
Pursuit, Kramer and Jerry’s girlfriend make it up to the cabin, but one of
Kramer’s cigars falls on some newspapers and…you know the rest.
Best Quote-“He’s a bubble boy. He’s a boy who lives in a
bubble,”…..Jerry
Nitpick of the episode-We know George is cheap, and selfish,
but asking Susan for the change from the tolls while she is staring at her parent’s
burning cabin, stunned, is a new low even for him.
Seinfeldism of the episode-The Bubble Boy, need I say more?
Deleted Scenes-None for this episode
Episode Fun Fact-The café Jerry and Elaine stop at in this
episode would later be re-used as Reggie’s diner.
Final Thoughts-What a great episode. In fact, what a great
start to a great string of episodes. Ok, the next one is not as strong but
we’ll talk about that in a minute. The
idea of even doing a show about a child with an auto-immune disorder is risky,
but as usual this episode does it right. We never actually see the Bubble Boy
and then when we hear him we get this loud voice and crass personality. This was just a brilliant script. We also get
a look at how hard it is to be famous as Jerry whines about a comment he
autographed on a photo. I also like Susan in this episode; she really fit into
this group well, in her own way. A
Trivial Pursuit card with a misprint? Genius! I could go on and on about this
one.
Grade=A, just a fantastic episode
Episode 8, Season 4
The Cheever Letters
Plot Summary-Jerry and George struggle to write their pilot
script. Elaine accidentally makes her secretary quit by making her aware of a
comment Jerry made. Trying to make it up to her, Jerry makes and even more
embarrassing comment. Susan discovers a secret about her father after a shoebox
was the only thing that survived the fire. Kramer tries to get more Cuban
cigars.
Best Quote-“You were the one talking dirty, I was just
trying to catch up,”….Jerry explaining himself
Nitpick of the episode-Gotta love Kramer, he really can’t understand
why George would find it awkward to ask Susan’s father for more cigars after it
was those same cigars that burned his beloved cabin down!
Seinfeldism of the episode-Jerry’s response to the girl he
is making out with, “You mean the panties your mother laid out for you.” I
agree with George, it’s abnormal but not offensive.
Deleted Scenes-Elaine explains in detail what happened with
her assistanct. This was an understandable cut, since Elaine is basically just
explaining events we just witnessed in the previous scene. We see George
apologize to Mr.Ross for what happened with the cabin just before the box of
letters arrives.
Episode Fun Fact-One of the biggest laughs from any episode
comes at the end, when Elaine reveals she is aware of Jerry’s ill-conceived
comment.
Final Thoughts-This episode is a pretty strong follow up to
the previous one. I never really cared for Elaine’s story in this, if you can
even call it that. It’s ironic that she gets the best laugh of the episode at the
end. We also meet Susan’s parents for this time here, and what an interesting
pair they are. Of course we find out her father had a homosexual affair with
John Cheever, although he remains married to his wife later on. We see Jerry
and George struggling with their script, while Kramer actually visits the Cuban
embassy for cigars. He gives away the jacket which was the focus of several
episodes last year for the illegal cigars.
Grade=A-, the episode starts kind of slow but ends very
strong
Episode 9, Season 4
The Opera
Plot Summary-Kramer has talked Jerry, George, and Elaine
into going to the opera. Jerry gets a scary message from Joe Davola, who just
happens to be the “Joey” that Elaine has been dating. Elaine sees a new side of
Joe, and barely gets out of his apartment. When she and Jerry compare notes they realize
they are being stalked by the same guy. George and Kramer try to scalp tickets
when they come up a few people short.
Best Quote-“That is one angry clown,”…..Jerry
Nitpick of the episode-There is some dialogue about how
George had given such a bad toast at a wedding, the bride’s father physically
threw him out. That’s Ok, but later in this episode we see George running into
the same guy. The father overhears George swearing, and proceeds to put
him in a headlock and take his tickets.
Um, what was the reason for that? I don’t care how much the guy hates George,
in real life he would be arrested for assault for doing something like that.
Seinfeldism of the episode-Davola promises to put the kibosh
on Jerry
Deleted Scenes-There is a pointless scene where Jerry and Elaine
open a jar of pickles. The edit creates a nitpick in the final episode as a jar
of pickles appears out of nowhere. Also, more of George scalping his ticket and
telling Susan to go without him. Also a cut ending with Kramer sleeping and the
two clowns in the episode sitting where Elaine and Jerry had been.
Episode Fun Fact-We find out Kramer is terrified by clowns
Final Thoughts-Ok, I said every episode today would
be
great. I forgot about this one. I hate Joe Davloa, and the episode is
really
kind of boring. How is being stalked by a crazy person dressed up like a
clown
supposed to be funny? They tried to have the episode follow the opera
Pagliacci,
which is great if you are familiar with that Opera. However, as much as I
may
dislike this show I like it much better than the other opera related
episode this series produced.
We’ll talk about that one in a few weeks. George's story is
predictable, you when he talked about the toast he will run in the
father again, and sure enough he does. The best scene in the episode is
when
Elaine sprays Bianca in Davola’s eyes to get out of his apartment. Very
nice.
Grade=C, Really only one story in this episode and it’s not
funny at all
Episode 10, Season 4
The Virgin
Plot Summary-Jerry dates a woman who happens to be a virgin.
After Elaine accidentally offends her she rushes out to apologize. While George
and Jerry struggle of their script, Elaine crosses against a light on the way
back and knocks over a Chinese delivery boy. Elaine is sued, and Jerry and
George have not come up with one idea for their series. Meanwhile, Kramer has
given away his TV and now watches it at Jerry’s apartment. At the meeting Jerry
pitches a story idea about his character getting into an accident and the
person who hit him is forced to become his butler. Also at the meeting George
absentmindedly kisses Susan, which has repercussions for him after she is
fired.
Best Quote-“Yeah, since she met him she’s been vomited on,
her family cabin burned down; she learned her father’s a homosexual, and she
got fired from a high paying network job. Yep, they had a real good thing going,”….Elaine
recounting George’s destructive affect on Susan; of course little did she know
that he had only scratched the surface.
Nitpick of the episode-The woman at the end of the episode
is beyond mean. She laughs George’s job of writing a sitcom off so rudely that
it just crosses the line into un-realistic.
Seinfeldism of the episode-The Virgin is the seinfeldism of
this episode.
Deleted Scenes-Jerry drags his TV to Kramer’s apartment, fed
up with him watching it at his place all the time.
Episode Fun Fact- There is a moment where Jerry pitches the
idea of waiting for a table at a Chinese Restaurant. The execs are not impressed, and this of
course mirrors what really happened when that classic episode was first
pitched.
Final Thoughts-This
is such a fun episode to watch. All the stories really blend together at the end
of act 1, and it’s a lot of fun. This is such a busy episode that the plot
thread of George getting Susan fired doesn’t even come until halfway through the
second act. The scene where George complains that he is in a relationship is
classic, George can never be happy with what he has, even if he complains when
he doesn’t have it. Elaine’s story about losing a diaphragm at a party is classic
and her lawsuit comes up in a later episode. Kramer’s story is weak, but Michael
Richards does a great job making the most of an otherwise boring story.
Grade=B+, Very well
written, but after a strong and busy first half the second half sort of runs
out of steam
Episode 11, Season 4
The Contest
Plot Summary-George’s mother catches him, well, doing
something personal. This sparks a contest between the four concerning who can
stay the longest without, you know. Jerry is frustrated because he is still
dating the virgin, George deals with his bedridden mother, Elaine deals with
her attraction to JFK Jr, and Kramer deals with a naked woman across the street
from Jerry’s apartment. In the end, Jerry loses the girl, Elaine loses JFK Jr
who goes off with Jerry’s girl, and Kramer gets the naked woman across the
street.
Best Quote-“I’m out!”…..Kramer, in one of his best moments
Nitpick of the episode-I guess if I have to nitpick
something in this episode, then I will choose the obvious. At this point
in the
series George was not yet living in his parents’ house. He has his own
apartment.
So why he chose to do, what he did, in that house is beyond me. (for the
record, this is really stretching this episode is very hard to
nitpick).
Seinfeldism of the episode-Jerry is “master of his domain”, George
is “lord of the manor”, and Elaine is “Queen of the county”. We also get George’s
mom, in her first appearance, describing how she had just gone out for some
milk only to come home and find her son treating her body like it was an
amusement park!
Deleted Scenes-The episode was supposed to begin with Elaine’s
fitness instructor talking about the class Elaine would be in. In fact, if you
watch the episode even though the scene was cut the instructor Joyce is sitting at the counter
through that whole opening. We also see George coming back with the sandwich
his mother wanted only to find the hot patient has left the room. George then
makes an excuse to dart out after her, and this scene is so dumb I’m glad they
cut it.
Episode Fun Fact-As I noted, this is the first appearance of
George’s mother Estelle. Reportedly the moment when George tosses tic tac’s at
her mother was improvised.
Final Thoughts-Well, here it is. The greatest Seinfeld
episode ever. No joking, this is as good an episode as it gets. This is one
episode I vividly remember laughing out loud at. I think it’s safe to say the opening
scene in the coffee shop is the most famous scene in the series. Here are the
reasons this is the greatest episode: First, the episode makes fun of something
no other show would normally touch. Second, the episode makes fun of this
subject in a way that is totally inoffensive but also extremely funny. They do
this by not actually using, that word, which makes it all the funnier. This concept
would be copied by others over the years most notably by Everybody Loves
Raymond. Third, we get some great jokes and catchphrases. It’s a real funny
episode. Finally, we see how this show really is about the mundane as we even
get a scene with Jerry just talking to his mother on the phone while watching
cartoons. This is the quintessential episode, so much so it even won an Emmy
for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
Grade=A+, what more can I say? A perfect episode.
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