An Analytical Episode Guide to:
Season 8, Part 3
Episode 12, Season 8
The Comeback
Plot Summary-George tries to make up for missing a chance to
zing a co-worker. Elaine falls for a mysterious video store staff member. Kramer
gets Elaine to help him write a living will. Jerry buys a racquet based on the opinion of a
man who knows nothing about tennis.
Best Quote-“Believe me Kramer given the legal opportunity I
will kill you”…..Jerry
Nitpick of the episode-Kramer didn’t know one can come out
of a coma? He saw it for his own eyes back in Season 2! By the way George, that
comeback is awful. You shouldn’t have wasted your time.
Seinfeldism of the episode-Kramer wants to die with dignity
Deleted Scenes-George fantasizing about using his zinger,
Kramer trying not to get hurt
Episode Fun Fact-The indoor tennis court in this episode was
really a tent which covered an outdoor tennis court. Which was a fine idea
until it started to pour down on it.
Final Thoughts-This episode is full of cute moments. For
once mean Elaine is funny, in the scene with Kramer where they work out the
details of the living will. I like her story in this one, which of course ends
in humiliation for her. This is classic George, obsessing about a comeback he
failed to make. I know that feeling, been there. A normal person would let it
go, but not him! Even flying to Akron just to zing the guy. I didn’t like how
he ends up looking after he finally zings him and the bit about the other guy’s
wife being in a coma. That was a forced moment to connect back to Kramer’s story
and unnecessarily make George look bad but it was lame. Why did the guy move to
Akron if his wife is in a coma? Jerry’s story is really good, the whole thing
with Milos is great, and the stuff with his wife is great. I love how Jerry doesn’t take his crap in the
end. Kramer ending up in the hospital in the end and the gag with Elaine
unplugging the VCR was lame. However a weak ending doesn’t change the fact this
is a good episode, which is something I will not be saying a lot today.
Grade=B+, solid episode
Episode 13, Season 8
The Money
Plot Summary-George discovers his parents are rich. Jerry
tries to buy back the Cadillac his parents sold. Kramer can’t sleep in the same
bed as her girlfriend. Elaine is upset when J Peterman suddenly returns.
Best Quote-“And you misinterpret this how?”….I love this
little line of Jerry’s, used it myself
Nitpick of the episode-George’s parent’s sleep in separate
beds? Don’t you love it when the creators just make stuff up like that? They
slept in the same bed in “The Cigar Store Indian”! The scene where Morty attaches
his exercise equipment to Kramer’s door infuriates me. Wouldn’t common sense
make him attach it to Jerry’s door????? One could argue he didn’t want to
disturb Jerry, but did he give any thought to Kramer scared to death in his
apartment that someone was breaking in?
Seinfeldism of the episode-Kramer’s girlfriend has “jimmy
legs”, George thinks Elaine is sticking it to him, it being her new found
wealth
Deleted Scenes-Elaine getting annoyed with Jerry’s father
Episode Fun Fact-Sandy Baron, who played Jack Klompus, was
in a coma just days before production. The shot of the car in the swamp was an
impressive special effect for the time.
Final Thoughts-This episode is like they took “The Shower
Head” and tried to rewrite it. At least, that’s how it feels. More of Jerry’s
parents and that Cadillac, and more of George’s parents and their moving to
Florida. It just feels like we’ve seen it before. I get the feeling the
creators realized there was nowhere else to go with Elaine running the catalog,
which may explain Peterman’s sudden return in this episode. It’s actually kind
of nice to have him back too. Kramer’s
story isn’t bad; it’s fun to see him become a parody of a sitcom husband in the
end. Jerry’s story is so…I don’t know, terrible. It is nice to see Klompas
again but the whole thing is just so lame. Jerry flies back and forth to
Florida as if he were crossing the street and throws money away buying a
Cadillac his parents don’t want. And George’s story doesn’t work either, why do
his parents suddenly now realize they have money to burn?
Grade=C-.Not bad but not great
Episode 14, Season 8
The Van Buren Boys
Plot Summary- Jerry’s girlfriend seems perfect but no one else
likes her. George gives and then takes back a foundation grant. Peterman enlists
Elaine to ghostwrite his autobiography. When his stories are bland she gets
Kramer to sell his.
Best Quote-“She’s the loser of the group. Every group has someone
that they all make fun of. Like us with Elaine”….George
Nitpick of the episode-I never understood why suddenly Jerry’s
parents forgot they hated George’s folks at the end of this episode
Seinfeldism of the episode-George gives the grant to the kid
because he wants to be an architect like George pretends to be
Deleted Scenes-Peterman trying to get a good idea, Newman
reciting stories to Elaine
Episode Fun Fact-Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is obviously pregnant
in this and the next several episodes
Final Thoughts-This episode isn’t the worst one today, but
it’s not the best either. The whole story with Jerry and his girlfriend doesn’t
work. What does everyone else see that Jerry doesn’t? It may have worked if it
were clear to the audience as well, and then we could laugh at clueless Jerry. It
is kind of fun to have Peterman back, and the stuff with Kramer is kind of
funny. We get to really see how important his stories are to him. But the stuff
with the Van Buren Boys just does not work for me. And the whole intervention
George and Kramer have with Jerry is just, weird.
Grade=C, weak
Episode 15, Season 8
The Susie
Plot Summary-Elaine’s co-worker calls her Susie by mistake.
Kramer sets his watch an hour ahead. George avoids his girlfriend to stall her
breaking up with him so he can make a big ball entrance. Jerry makes a bet with
old friend Mike and accidentally breaks his thumbs.
Best Quote-“Well I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by such
stupidity”…..Elaine
Nitpick of the episode-Well, the obvious. Why didn’t Elaine
just correct Peggy right away? One of the main flaws of the story is that in
the end she finds out Elaine was not Susie, making everything that happens in
that story pointless.
Seinfeldism of the episode-George’s hilarious answering
machine message
Deleted Scenes-None for this episode
Episode Fun Fact-Mike returns, we haven’t seen him since “The
Parking Space” in Season 3
Final Thoughts-This is generally considered one of the worst
episodes of the series. It feels like they just gave up in that last scene at
the funeral, if they aren’t going to take it seriously how are we supposed to?
Every story in this episode sucks, simple as that. George is the only one which
is kind of ok, the answering machine is funny, but then it gets dumb when
Kramer takes the place of his girlfriend. Why does making a big ball entrance
seem like such a big deal? The scene where they both enter the ball is dumb. And
Kramer’s story about adjusting for daylight savings time early is so pointless
and stupid. Jerry’s story simply isn’t funny, are we supposed to laugh at the site
of Mike with two broken thumbs? Of course we have Elaine’s story which, again,
starts out pretty good. I’ve even had that happen. It just takes a turn into
such a silly series of events that it dooms the episode which never recovers.
To top it off we get another Wrath of Khan parody, because it was just so funny
when they did in the season premiere.
Grade=D+, I never hated this episode but after watching it a
few times do concede its real lame. If the writer admits this episode sucked,
who am I to disagree?
Episode 16, Season 8
The Pothole
Plot Summary-George loses his keys in a pothole. Elaine
movies into a janitors closet to get Chinese food. Jerry knocks his girlfriend’s
toothbrush into the toilet. Kramer adopts a highway.
Best Quote-“By the time I finish with her mouth she’ll be
able to eat off it”…..Jerry
Nitpick of the episode-How did Kramer not realize that
painting over the lines would cause a huge traffic jam? Take four lanes and have
them instantly converge into two, what do you think is going to happen? By the
way, toilet water is as clean as any other water until it’s used. Just saying.
Oh, and why does Elaine take the trash out she doesn’t really work in that
building?
Seinfeldism of the episode-Jerry the neat freak
Deleted Scenes-None for this episode
Episode Fun Fact-The stunt where Kramer runs into a busy
highway for a piece of trash was a dangerous one for Michael Richards
Final Thoughts-Jerry is officially a neat freak as of this
episode, as even Elaine points out his annoying habits have finally crossed the
line into disorder. The way he rips his apartment apart because of the risk
that “something” was in a toilet bowl is funny. Kramer once again makes a silly
story work. He takes the adopt a highway program a littler to literally. George’s
story is also silly but somehow it works, especially the sight of him in that
hard hat. Elaine’s story is the only weak one; I just can’t get behind her
quest for some flounder. While it’s weak it isn’t her worst story either. One
great thing about this episode is the way the stories connect to each other actually
makes some sense in this one. Of course, the ultimate gage in this one is when
the toilet explodes. Jerry takes one look at his drenched girlfriend, and walks
right out the door. That’s a nice guy. Finally, I never really liked the throw
away gag with Newman at the end. Yeah it’s a great sight gag but really not
that funny, more disturbing.
Grade=B+, this episode is a gem in the midst of a lot of
crap
Episode 17, Season 8
The English Patient
Plot Summary-Elaine hates the English Patient. Kramer asks
Jerry to bring some Cubans back from Florida. Jerry offends an elderly fitness
trainer. George is attracted to a woman because she confuses him with her
boyfriend.
Best Quote-“C’mon man, help a brother out”….Kramer
Nitpick of the episode-So there are only three people who
work at this crepe place who know how to make crepes? Mandelbaum says with the
three in the hospital there is no one there so they have to close it up. Does
that make any freaking sense at all? Especially when Izzy lived in Florida!!!
Also, I love how we see Jerry’s parents moving in a condo when we last saw them
in a trailer. What happened? Guess the creators didn’t care to explain.
Seinfeldism of the episode-Jerry informs George that he has “out-neiled”
Neil (best I could come up with)
Deleted Scenes-Elaine and Peterman still at the theatre
after the movie has ended
Episode Fun Fact-Not really an episode fun fact, but I have
actually never seen this movie so can’t comment if I agree with Elaine or not
Final Thoughts-Painful. I loved Lloyd Bridges but, really?
Is older people throwing their backs out really supposed to be funny? Yeah,
that’s hilarious. At least The Susie had a few charming moments; this is bad
all the way through. First of all, the jokes about the old people in Florida
are getting really lame. Elaine’s story is the only one that feels a little
decent (there’s a switch), but even that is lame. I understand if Elaine doesn’t
like the movie but she gets a little carried away. I think the joke was
supposed to be her offending everyone, but it just doesn’t work and makes her
look like a nut. George’s story isn’t all bad I guess, but it isn’t great
either. He wonders how the hot girl is dating someone who looks like him, but
hasn’t he dated some good looking women during the series? Allison a few episodes
earlier was pretty good looking, Marisa Tome almost went out with him, and
there was the supermodel back in “The Switch”. Why is this such a big deal? The
whole bit with Jerry and the Mandelbaum’s is just…..awful. I might buy it if
this were a cartoon, not a sitcom we’re supposed to take at least a little
seriously. That scene where Jerry picks up the TV and moves it I almost expect
to hear the Loony Tunes music or something……Sigh, I guess I have to talk about
Kramer’s story now. I can buy that the Cubans were real Cuban citizens not
cigars, I can buy they were Dominicans not Cubans, and I can even buy that
Kramer gets them to work at The Magic Pan to help because there is no one else
to roll the crepes. But when the crepes start squirting their filling because
they are rolled to tight and the stuff acts like acid……that’s it for me! I mean
they make it sound like Neil was going to need reconstructive surgery or
something…what the hell was in those crepes!!! Oh, and we end with a plane being
taken hostage, yeah my side is splitting that’s so funny.
Grade=F, only the second time I have given an F. There is
just NOTHING redeeming this one
This season started pretty good but really got bad toward
the end, will it recover in its last few episodes or just get worst? Come back
next week to find out
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