Analytical Episode Guide-Seinfeld (Season 9, Part 1)

An Analytical Episode Guide to:

 

Season 9, Part 1

It was announced about mid way through season 9 that this would in fact be the final season of Seinfeld. To be honest with you, that didn’t disappoint me. The show had veered so far from what it once was. The jokes were broad, the stories were silly, and the characters almost parodies of themselves. We will talk about this more as we go, but the best example of this is George. He goes from being a likable neurotic to a total loon, full of rage and screaming like a nut all the time. Why did this have to happen? The finale was incredibly hyped, in fact I think only Cheers and maybe MASH could top it for the amount of attention it received. As a result, expectations were extraordinarily high. Everyone would be watching and wondering, could the final episode possibly live up to the hype even with the return of Larry David? Well, before we try to answer that let’s first talk about the episodes which came before it in this final season.

Episode 9, Season 1

The Butter Shave

 

Plot Summary-Kramer begins shaving with butter. George fakes a handicap to land a job. Jerry resent Bania for riding his coattails. Elaine has a flight from hell with Puddy who has returned to her life.

Best Quote-“Jerry let’s face it, I’ve always been handicapped. I’m just now getting the recognition for it”…George

Nitpick of the episode-Why is the man sitting next to Elaine dubbed vegetable lasagna? I never got that joke.

Seinfeldism of the episode-Bania is a “time slot hit”

Deleted Scenes-Bania rides Jerry’s coattails again at a deli

Episode Fun Fact-Julia Louis Dreyfuss has a story which involves her separate from the other cast and sitting for the majority of the episode because had just given birth and was on maternity leave.

Final Thoughts-One of the major trends for this season was bringing back recurring characters, we get Bania and Jenna (from The Pothole“) here, and almost every episode of the season brings back one or more characters. Then the finale brings back all of them, but we’ll get to that. As for the episode, Elaine is back in evil bitch mode again! It is really amazing in the last couple seasons how she switched back and forth. One episode she would be so nice, and then the next she would be so shrill you couldn’t stand her. We also get Puddy back. I never understood why they brought him back, but was ok with it. I guess the creators decided to finally give Elaine a long term relationship and making it with someone we’re already familiar with saves a lot of time. Her story aside, this is a decent episode. Jerry complaining about Bania is great parody of how the show made others popular by airing after it. Although the success rate of that is hard to gauge, does anyone remember Caroline in the City, Veronica’s Closet, or Madman of the People? I think Mad About You is the one show to start after Seinfeld and do well on its own merit. George pretending to be handicapped seems perfectly in character, so no problem with that. I like the way they acknowledge the previous season ender and then quickly push it away. Yeah, Kramer gets the silly story of the week but somehow it works for me. The opening to the episode had the guys sporting moustaches; glad that didn’t last past the opening credits.

Grade=C+, A decent enough start to the season

Episode 9, Season 2

The Voice

 

Plot Summary-Jerry enjoys his imitating the voice he pretends his girlfriend’s stomach makes. Kramer hires an intern. Play Now tries to force George out. Elaine bet Jerry that she can Puddy are not getting back together

Best Quote-“Braking up is like knocking over a coke machine. You can’t do it one push. You have to rock it back and forth a few times and then it goes over”….Jerry

Nitpick of the episode-I think George should have taken the offer of six months pay and ran. Why push his luck? Well, I’m sure he wishes he did that in the end. Why did the intern get in trouble for what happened with the ball of oil but Kramer didn’t?

Seinfeldism of the episode-Saying Hello! In that odd voice, Elaine backslides with Puddy

Deleted Scenes-A callback to the opening conversation from the previous episode

Episode Fun Fact-Kramerica is references here for the first time since the second episode of the series!

Final Thoughts-This is one of the few episodes in this season to almost feel like a classic Seinfeld episode. The only downside is that it is clear they are desperately trying to make the voice a catchphrase. You’d think they would realize that it doesn’t work when they force it. It works when it happens by accident. I just like all the stories in this episode, and enjoy the way they all connect in the end. It’s nice to see Jerry win some money for once, as Elaine continues to backslide with Puddy. George is classic here and the lengths the company goes to get rid of him is hilarious. Kramer is great being the mentor so to speak. Jerry is also classic, deciding he likes the voice over the girl. I like how they had everyone else tire of it but him, for once Jerry comes off as the immature one in the group. Not much else to say, just a solid episode.

Grade=B+, One of my favorites from this season

Episode 9, Season 3

The Serenity Now

 

Plot Summary-George competes with Lloyd Braun at selling computers. Kramer installs a screen door on his apartment door. Jerry gets in touch with his feelings. Elaine is suddenly desirable to Jewish men.

Best Quote-“Kramer I am so sick of you coming in here and eating all my food. Now shut that door and get the hell out of here!”….Jerry proving he can get angry  

Nitpick of the episode-While it’s true Jerry isn’t the warmest person, since when is he unable to get angry? Sorry not buying that one.

Seinfeldism of the episode-Serenity Now!! Elaine is a shiksa

Deleted Scenes-None for this episode

Episode Fun Fact-Mr.Lippman, The Rabbi, and Lloyd Braun are our recurring characters of the week

Final Thoughts-Before George starts screaming like a nut in every episode, we see Frank and Estelle doing it. When they were yelling at each other in earlier episodes it was funny, here they are just yelling and it is annoying. The story doesn’t even really make sense, why would Frank want to sell computers? Just a lame excuse to bring Lloyd Braun back. However, that is not the worst thing in this episode. We have Kramer setting up a screen door and then yelling at kids as if they lived in a neighborhood and they were across the street throwing things at his house. It wasn’t funny when Cheri Oteri did it on Saturday Night Live, why would it be funny here? It isn’t, because it requires a little too much suspension of disbelief. Then he destroys 20 computers in a fit of anger…Ok. Elaine’s story isn’t so bad though it doesn’t really go anywhere. As for Jerry’s story, I am not sure what to think about that. It is a good idea to have Jerry get in touch with his feelings, but the result is he is really not very interesting anymore. That kind of hurts the episode in a strange way. And what was the point of having him propose to Elaine? It isn’t bad but I am glad we get the old Jerry back in the end.

Grade=B-, not bad, except for the screaming

Episode 4, Season 9

The Blood

 

Plot Summary-Kramer stores his blood in Jerry’s freezer. George tries to combine food and sex. Jerry’s parents hire him a personal trainer. Elaine gets stuck babysitting for a friend’s kid.

Best Quote-“I can feel his blood inside me, borrowing things from my blood”….Jerry

Nitpick of the episode-Can a car run on blood? Did I really just type that? What are the odds that Jerry, Kramer, and Newman all have the same blood type? If the knife hit his jugular he is lucky to be alive, even someone who doesn’t know much about anatomy knows how dangerous that is. But I never understood how the whole scenario worked, did Kramer actually transfer his stored blood to Jerry in the kitchen? How would that work? Did he perform surgery or something too? And shouldn’t the kitchen be a bloody mess (literally)? This episode has so many plot holes it’s giving me a headache.

Seinfeldism of the episode-Kramer is Jerry’s blood brother

Deleted Scenes-Jerry and Newman trying to be friends, Jerry at the blood bank

Episode Fun Fact-Final television appearance for Lloyd Bridges

Final Thoughts-Why would they bring back Izzy, one of the worst creations this show ever came up with? To be fair, he is better here than he was in “The English Patient”. In fact, believe it or not, he is one of the good things in this horrible episode. The whole story about Kramer and his blood in not only a bit disturbing, but it’s also pointless. It just doesn’t really go anywhere. We have Elaine worrying about why her friend doesn’t want her babysitting, and then regretting it when she is welcome and even trying to get out of it. Yeah, that made sense and was well thought out. George’s attempt to combine food and sex is disturbing to, why would you want to do that? The bit with the pudding skins is so dumb it makes the muffin tops seem inspired. Then there’s that scene where Newman and Kramer are making sausage after watching an instructional video on how to make sausage….wtf??? There is just something about this episode that never sat well with me. Jerry’s story isn’t funny. First he is lucky he doesn’t get killed by the X-Acto knife (hilarious), then he whines about Kramer’s blood inside of him (dude, he saved your life!), and then to finish the episode we get the hysterical ending where Jerry is being dragged by the car which happens to be leaking blood. Someone please tell me what is funny here?  Oh, and last but not least we get the tag where Newman has donated his blood to Jerry. They all scream as if they had just read the script for the first time.

 Grade=D+, just disturbing and far fetched

Episode 5, Season 9

The Junk Mail

 

Plot Summary-Kramer tries to cancel his mail. An old friend gives Jerry a van. George is cut loose by his parents. Elaine meets the man of her dreams, so she thinks

Best Quote-“As much as I hate the idea of being a van guy, it’s much better than hanging out here with the nocturnal dirty people”….Jerry

Nitpick of the episode-Why does Kramer go to such lengths to get Jerry’s van, couldn’t he have just asked to borrow it? I certainly wouldn’t want to hurt Fragile Frankie’s feelings, but giving Jerry a van was beyond stupid. It hardly makes sense to drive a car in Manhattan.

Seinfeldism of the episode-where there’s Chinese food, there’s leftovers

Deleted Scenes-Elaine going behind the counter of the coffee shop (in an idiotic moment I am glad they cut), Elaine riding with the Wiz mascot in full costume

Episode Fun Fact-I used to see commercials for “Nobody Beats the Wiz” all the time when I was in college so this episode brings back some nice memories, but I don’t recall an annoying spokesman. Never heard of it? Look them up; they were big in the New York area.

Final Thoughts-Watching this episode right after the last is odd, it’s like this episode things are back to normal after the horribleness of the last. For some reason I really like the Kramer story in this episode. It’s funny, back in season 5 I commented that in almost every episode that Kramer had little to do or his story was lame, but season 9 he usually had a strong story and was often the best part of the episode. This is a good example; I guess the creators realized who the big draw was. Kramer was the one character who stayed in character, right to the end. Ok, getting off track. I like the story here and the Wilfred Brimley cameo. Who doesn’t get tired of the endless catalogue’s we get every day? Elaine’s story isn’t bad either. But is it ever resolved? (actually yes, in a deleted scene). Jerry’s story is lame because the character of Fragile Frankie is just bad. He digs a hole in the woods when he is upset? Why? And why is Jerry so worried about protecting his feelings? George’s story is good in the start but kind of goes nowhere. At least Frank and Estelle are over their manic yelling from their previous episode, they are much  more likable here. The whole thing about George dating his cousin is ultimately pointless. This episode was a tad ahead of its time, since mail is even more obsolete these days.

 Grade=B-, good stories which go nowhere, except Kramer’s

Episode 6, Season 9

The Merv Griffin Show

 

Plot Summary-Kramer recreates the set to The Merv Griffin Show in his apartment. Jerry drugs a woman so he can play with her amazing toy collection. Elaine deals with an annoying co-worker. George is forced to care for a squirrel he hit with his car.

Best Quote-“One minute Elliot Gould’s sitting on you the next thing your yesterday’s trash”….Kramer regarding the set

Nitpick of the episode-I will talk more about this in a second, but why does George tolerate the situation in this episode? The girl isn’t giving him anything, why not just dump her? Why take care of a squirrel? Oh, don’t get me started…….

Seinfeldism of the episode-Elaine’s co-worker likes to “sidle up”

Deleted Scenes-None for this episode

Episode Fun Fact-Jerry’s apartment does not appear; it had to be taken down to make room for the talk show set

Final Thoughts-Amazing that any part of this episode works. The whole idea of the Merv Griffin show is really way out there, but it is funny. But where did this idea come from? This is Seinfeld, the show about the little things in life everyone deals with, right? But somehow Kramer makes it work. Seeing Jim Fowler was funny. Jerry’s story is pretty good, it’s really a story about date rape, the toys take the place of, well, you know what. This was a very good way to approach a sensitive topic, and I give the show credit for how it was handled. Elaine’s story is filler, but since I loved tic tac’s I can’t help but find it amusing. Well, that’s it for this episode and it was pretty good…….sigh, I have to talk about the George story, don’t I? Can’t we just call it a day?  Ok, let’s talk about George’s story which is so stupid, so lame, and so not funny that I could rant all day about it. What in the world were the writers on when they wrote this? I mean, Jerry Seinfeld saw the script about a bionic squirrel that George has to take care of and thought it was funny? Really?? I do like how even George seems aware that the story is ridiculous, but this is just so bad! It starts as story about pigeons refusing to get out of George’s way, and that isn’t all bad. But when it diverges into the insanity with the squirrel….it just gets dumber and dumber. I think you get the idea, so will stop here.

Grade=C, George’s story really hurts this one which is way out there as it is