An Analytical Episode
Guide to:
Season 3, Part 1
Finally NBC had enough faith in this little show to order a
full season. Season 3 premiered on September 18, 1991. This season was a big
turning point for the series, as finally the stories began to be more involved,
with multiple plots running in each episode. Also, the actors began to be more
comfortable with their characters, especially Kramer who finally began to
become the break out character we would come to know and love.
Episode 1, Season 3
The Note
Plot Summary- Jerry freaks out a masseuse, and then proceeds
to get his dentist friend Roy in trouble by asking him to write a note for him
and George and Elaine to get their PT covered by insurance. Roy gets caught
because they got a note for Elaine too, but she had already taken care of it.
Kramer is convinced he sees Joe DiMaggio in a broken down donut shop. George
gets a message from a man, and is disturbed by it.
Best Quote-Hard to describe, but Kramer’s yelping noises he
uses to try to get Joe DiMaggio’s attention are pretty funny.
Nitpick of the episode-Ok; let’s talk about the woman who is
massaging Jerry in the beginning. What kind of paranoid nut is this lady? Jerry
simply talks about a kidnapper who was in the news, making conversation, and
the lady acts like her child is in imminent danger? Then she bans him from the
office. Maybe it was supposed to be funny; I find it a little farfetched. One
way this may have worked is if they established she was new to the city or
something, cliché as that may be.
Seinfeldism of the episode-George thinks “it” moved. I think
you understand that one.
Deleted Scenes-Before Jerry and George ask Roy for the note
we meet Ray’s wife/secretary and she is happy with them in this scene (she
isn’t so happy the second visit, after Ray has gotten in trouble).
Episode Fun Fact-The creators put vocals over the theme
music in this episode. Two female backup singers can be heard harmonizing over
the music. The plan was to make this a regular thing, until NBC heard how bad
it sounded! This is the only episode with that unusual scat music. Also, we
finally get Jerry’s apartment dressed the way everyone recognizes it with the
red table and aqua couch, and it will stay that way the rest of the series.
Final Thoughts-Aside from the annoying lady I already talked
about, this is a real good episode. All the characters are in full force, from
Kramer’s quirkiness to George’s neurotic worrying. A great way to start the new
season.
Grade=B, just a good basic episode
Episode 2, Season 3
The Truth
Plot Summary-Jerry is being audited; thanks to a fraudulent contribution
Kramer told him about. Thankfully George is dating a woman who works at the IRS
who has agreed to help him. However, when George suddenly breaks up with her by telling her the truth,
she takes Jerry’s papers in an emotional breakdown and throws them out. Kramer
is dating Elaine’s roommate Tina, and is driving Elaine crazy with the make-out
sessions and tribal music.
Best Quote-“My cousin Douglas was in a place like this one time.
He came over to my house for dinner. There was no soda and he went berserk. He
was screamin' "where's the Pepsi, where's the Pepsi?"….Jerry
Nitpick of the episode-This is an easy one, but at the
beginning of the episode Jerry is getting his receipts together. At the end, he
is hunting down receipts; didn’t he already have them together?
Seinfeldism of the episode-George gives a version of the “it’s
not you, it’s me” speech he will make famous later on.
Deleted Scenes-None for this episode.
Episode Fun Fact-First episode to establish George’s middle
name is Louis.
Final Thoughts-This is a pretty good episode. It’s amusing
to see George so proud of himself for telling the truth, until he finds out the
ramifications of that decision. This is one episode where the stories switch
off but don’t really come together. This happens a few more times.
Grade=C-,Strong beginning, weak ending
Episode 3, Season 3
The Dog
Plot Summary-Jerry is stuck on a plane sitting next to an
annoying passenger. A medical emergency causes Jerry to be stuck babysitting
the man’s crazy dog. Because of the dog Jerry is unable to attend a movie with
George and Elaine, who go by themselves and find they have nothing to talk
about. Meanwhile, Kramer tries to break up with his girlfriend.
Best Quote-“Prediction. I never see you, or him again for
the rest of my life”….Jerry
Nitpick of the episode-There is a point where Kramer gets
mad at Jerry and Elaine after they point out how horrible Kramer’s girlfriend
is. I always felt it was out of character for him to act like that; he always
respected Jerry’s opinion and wouldn’t get mad at him like that.
Seinfeldism of the episode-After Elaine mentions how she and
George can’t seem to communicate when they are going one on one, Jerry points
out that “one on one” is a whole different game, can’t pass off.
Deleted Scenes-There was a whole part of the ending cut, a story
involving Kramer feeding the dog Turkish taffy was dropped and a scene at the
end of the episode when the guy comes back upset his dog is different.
Episode Fun Fact-One of the first Seinfeld made-up movie
names appears here. “Prognosis: Negative”
was an actual script Larry David wrote but never produced.
Final Thoughts-This is one episode I can appreciate the
situation Jerry finds himself in. How can you say no? I suppose I could say my
apartment doesn’t allow dogs. It’s interesting to see George and Elaine without
Jerry, the scene illustrates just how important he is to the group. Kramer’s story is the only downer, sure the
scene where he chews the girl out is funny but then he stays with her, only to
finally break up with her in the end. The story feels forced and drawn out.
Grade=B-, Kramer’s story just feels out of place
Episode 4, Season 3
The Library
Plot Summary- Jerry gets a call from the New York Public
Library that he never returned a book from twenty years earlier. At the
library, George sees a homeless man and believes him to be a teacher he got
fired when he was in school (after the teacher gave him a wedgie). The library cop grills Jerry while George tries to
find out if the homeless man is in fact the former teacher. Elaine worries that
she is going to be fired, while Kramer begins dating the librarian named
Marion.
Best Quote-“The Dewey decimal system, what a scam that was.
Boy this Dewey guy really cleaned up on that deal”…..Kramer
Nitpick of the episode-Yep, another nitpick on George and
his neurotic worrying. If a teacher did to me what this teacher did to him, I
wouldn’t care what happened to him. George was 100% in the right doing what he
did, why does he feel guilty? That’s right, because he’s George.
Seinfeldism of the episode-Elaine points out how important
lunch is at office jobs.
Deleted Scenes-None for this episode.
Episode Fun Fact-We see Elaine’s boss Mr.Lipman for the
first time but he is played by a different actor. Also we see the bike hanging
in Jerry’s apartment for the first time.
Final Thoughts-This
is a very good episode. It’s one case of two stories coming together at the
end. We see that the teacher George got fired has had the book Jerry thought returned
to the library! The library cop is also one of Seinfeld’s more memorable characters;
his rant as if he were a Private Investigator on Dragnet is always fun to
watch. The one down side, going back to my nit, is that the teacher is made to
be almost too reprehensible so we feel no pity for the man at all.
Grade=B+, as good an
episode as it is Elaine’s story ultimately goes nowhere.
On a personal note, this episode ends with Jerry talking
about how weird a school day was when one had Gym. I vividly remember being in
high school when I first heard that and could totally relate, now that it is over 20 years later
it makes me feel old. Anyway, on with the episode guide…….
Episode 5, Season 3
The Pen
Plot Summary-Jerry and Elaine arrive in Florida for a ceremony
honoring his father. The night before a friend of his father’s shows Jerry a
special pen. When Jerry expresses an interest, the man gives Jerry the pen. An
uproar is then started over it, especially Jerry begrudgingly returns the pen.
Elaine pulls her back on a sofa bed and winds up taking too many back pills.
Best Quote-“All I said was I like the pen!”…..Jerry
Nitpick of the episode-As much as I hate to say it, Jerry
was the one wrong in the episode. His mother was right; he never should have
taken the pen.
Seinfeldism of the
episode-“The Pen” would be referenced again
Deleted Scenes-None for this episode.
Episode Fun Fact-This episode only has Jerry and Elaine,
George and Kramer were written out. Apparently Jason Alexander didn’t
appreciate this, and after he expressed his anger to Larry David it never
happened again.
Final Thoughts-The good news is that the writing is so
strong in the episode that it holds up even with George and Kramer totally
absent. The bad news is, well, that they’re still absent. This is another
episode where Jerry gets to watch something he does spiral out of control so
much that it affects people around him, in this case his parents. It is nice to
see Jerry’s parents and Uncle Leo again. Elaine is just here to observe and get
some laughs acting silly, but Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is so much fun to watch we
don’t mind.
Grade=C+, I have to give it a low grade because of no Kramer
and George
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