Top 6 Best/Worst Sitcom Spin-Off's

Spin-off’s have been around since TV began just about. Andy Griffith was a spin-off of The Danny Thomas Show. I guess it seems like a solid idea, if a cast member is a hit on one show, wouldn’t it stand to reason they would be a hit in their own show? Well, sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t. So, I wanted to take a look at the one which really worked, and the one’s which were dismal failures.

As we know, lots of shows will try this with recurring cast members, and of course there is backdoor pilot approach where he meet someone for the first time ever. For the purposes of this list, I am only talking about shows which sent a regular cast member to their own series. Dramas do this, but as usual we will be looking at sitcom examples. Of course, this is all opinion and feel free to argue, or suggest any I may have missed. 

The Best:

#6. Rhoda-It's funny what will work, and what won't. On Mary Tyler Moore, Rhoda was the loud mouth neighbor. They sent to her own show, and audiences still loved her. The show lasted a few years, and her wedding is considered one of TV's most memorable events.

#5. A Different World-This show had its share of controversy early one. When The Cosby Show sent Denise off to college, this show premiered. It made a nice compliment to Cosby on NBC. After Lisa Bonet left after the first year she returned to Cosby and this show continued. It still qualifies as a spin-off because of how often Hillman was mentioned on Cosby. Also, Cosby regulars continued to appear.

#4. Facts of Life-This is a case of a spin-off taking after its parent show so well that it became its own hit. Mrs. Garrett was the Drummonds housekeeper when she left to be the head of Eastland Girls School. Actually, the show wasn't so good until they added a new character named Jo, played by Nancy McKeon, and revamped the format. This show dealt with serious topics just as its parent show did, and in my opinion was actually a superior vehicle.

#3. Family Matters-This is one of those shows people forget was a spin-off. Yep, it was. On Perfect Strangers Harriet was the elevator operator. We even met her husband Carl in an episode (yes, played by Reginald Vel-Johnson). Basically the show was about a middle class African American family. Funny, it sounds a little like another show that was on around that time. Truth is, this spin-off probably would have been a big fail, had it not been for the addition of Steven Urkel to the cast.

#2. Benson-I loved this show, it was one of the first sitcoms I really enjoyed. The spin-off from the amazing Soap had the butler Benson becoming chief of staff for the governor of, some state. Through the course of the series he would become Budget Director and then Lt.Governor. Robert Guillaume was so funny on this show with his one liners and put downs, and I just wish that the rest of the series would come out on DVD someday.

#1. Frasier-Cheers was going off the air, and NBC was desperate to no lose the audience. So, they took a chance and spun Frasier Crane into his own show. He moved to Seattle and suddenly had family he never had before. The amazing thing is, this show really worked! I won't say it is better than Cheers, but it is certainly up there with it. Something about the smart writing and witty dialogue connected with people, even if in many ways this show was just an

Honorable Mention :

The Simpsons-What? Yes, this was a spin-off my friends. The Simpsons began as a series of shorts on the Tracy Ullman Show. I never watched her show, like most people, but I know that in 1989 FOX took a chance and spun the shorts into an actual sitcom, the first animated on since The Flintstones. It was a little successful. Kidding of course, it was an enormous hit. I wonder if people in 1989 would have ever guessed people would still be watching original episodes in 2012! That is unprecedented. Truth is, I was never a loyal fan, and I think it’s time for the show quietly exit, but that doesn't mean take away from its impressive place in TV history.

Well, that’s some good examples. Now let’s check out some less than stellar fare.

THE WORST :

#6. Gloria-Norman Lear's All in the Family was a piece of television gold. It also spawned a bunch of spin-offs. Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude, and this little show. Never heard of it? That's because it barely lasted a season. 

#5. Three's a Crowd-Most of these examples are just plain bad ideas. Here is the first one. After Three's Company finally came to a close, someone thought it would be great to take John Ritter's character and spin him off. He moves in with his girlfriend, and her father! Oh, the hijinks! The thing that made Three's Company so popular was non-existent here, and this show was as forgettable as it gets.

#4. The Golden Palace-On paper, this probably seemed like a solid idea. When Golden Girls ended, Bea Arthur’s Dorothy left leaving Rose, Blanche, and Sophia. Why not create a show just for them? Well, for one thing because Dorothy was the smart one, and then they had to make Rose a little stronger which flies in the face of her character. The last brilliant thing they did was have the ladies run a hotel. Just them, and Don Cheadle. Hope someone took that paper and burned it.

#3. Joanie Loves Chachie-Wow, talk about bad ideas! Happy Days had a ton of success with Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy, so why not Joanie Loves Chachi? Because Joanie and Chachie aren't that interesting! I was lucky enough to miss this show when it was on, but have heard enough about it. Did they really think Erin Moran and Scott Baio had soooo much chemistry that they could carry a show? Sorry, and the musical numbers in every episode just made matters worse. This lasted a short time, and the two were back on Happy Days before long.

#2. AfterMash-Why??? Why would the creators of MASH, one of the greatest shows in history, think that fans would flock to a new show if they took a few random cast members and made a St.Elsewhere knock off? The show featured Col.Potter, Klinger, and Father Mulcahey settling into civilian life at a hospital and was just soooo lame. The show barely lasted two seasons, and has been considered by many to be one of the worst shows of all times. For years, it was the prime example of a horrible spin-off. That was, until......

#1. Joey-NBC hoped that the magic which made Frasier a hit would happen again, so they took Joey off Friends and brought him to Los Angeles. Apparently the networks never realized that shows centered on dim witted character just don't work. Anyone remember Flo? On Friends, Joey was there for comic relief and his dumbness worked because it was only part of the show. It just didn't work here. Can't say they didn't try, but the whole feel of this show was just, wrong. In my opinion, one of the big mistakes this show made was making little to no references to Friends. Every example I mentioned, even the bad ones, had references to the parent show including occasional cameos. Frasier even had Lilith on in its first season. Joey did none of that, and I think it hurt the show. Joey's friends were everything to him, and the idea he could just run off to LA and not even attempt to keep in touch with them was not only hard to believe, in my opinion it turned a lovable character into a bit of a jerk.

Honorable Mention :

Some shows take annoying characters and make shows for them. Amazingly enough, they don’t work for some reason.  Fish was the annoying Barney Miller spin-off, The Tortelli’s was that OTHER Cheers spin-off, and Top of the Heap was the Married with Children spin-off no one talks about. Then there are ideas that were just stupid from the get-go. The Brady Brides anyone?

Spin-off’s are a way of life in television, but as we can clearly for every one done well there are plenty more out there which are just terrible. Hope you enjoyed this, and if I missed any please feel free to comment.

Sitcom Face Off-Home Improvement vs Everybody Loves Raymond

This is not a new article, it’s in fact my first sitcom face off. I am finally sharing it here because I never have. Also, as I read this I realized how much more I could have discussed these shows. Being my first article I really hadn’t gotten the format down. So I have re-written it and even reconsidered some of  the categories. Hope you like it, and I realize this is my third sitcom face off article in a week so this will be the last one for awhile.

Trying something different where I will take two sitcoms and decide which one is better. The two shows’ I have decided to start with may not immediately seem that similar, but as you will see they do have some things in common. They are both good family sitcoms, but which one is superior?

VS   

                   

Home Improvement premiered in 1991 and at first people wondered if it would even catch on. How could Tim Taylor blowing things up every episode be interesting? What we got was a reasonable family sitcom with some good laughs. Everybody Loves Raymond premiered in 1997 and wasn’t a hit right away either. But once fans started to notice this little show, they loved it. But which was better?

 

Analytical Episode Guide-Seinfeld (Season 2, Part 2)

An opinionated Viewer's Guide to :

 

Season  2, Part 2

Episode 6, Season 2

The Chinese Restaurant

 

Plot Summary-Jerry, George, and Elaine are trying to catch a movie but end up getting stuck waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant (that’s pretty much it!).

Best quote-“You know we’re living in a society! We’re supposed to act in a civilized way!”….an exasperated George.

Nitpick of the episode-This is a very hard episode to nitpick, but I will mention that Jerry refers to a sister. What sister?  

Seinfeldism of the episode-This is classic Seinfeld, the quintessential show about nothing.

Deleted Scenes-George discusses pulling his hamstring when kicking out the sheets in a hotel bed, this same dialogue makes it into a later episode.

Episode Fun Fact-Kramer never left the apartment in this point in the series, which is why he is absent from this episode. Michael Richards was reportedly upset about this. Also, let’s just say NBC wasn’t too excited about the premise for this one.

Final Thoughts-I remember hearing about this show ages ago, and like everyone else wondered “what? An episode about three people waiting for a table?” What can you say about this episode? Just a perfect show, talk about a slice of life. Even “The Parking Garage” later had to have some contrivance added to make the story watchable; here the story is plain and simple. Jerry recognizes someone he can’t place, George is waiting for the phone, and Elaine is starving. Brilliant script and quite simply one of the best episodes of the series.

Grade=A, The only thing missing in this is Kramer

Episode 7, Season 2

The Phone Message

 

Plot Summary-Jerry and George both have dates on the same night. George is doing well, until he misses the point of Carol asking if he would like to go up to her place for some coffee. This bothers him until he leaves a foolish answering machine message on her machine. Jerry’s date goes well until he mentions hating a certain commercial that his girl really liked. George decides to sneak into Carol’s apartment and switch the answering machine tape (wow, is that dated!) so she never hears the messages and gets Jerry to help. Elaine and Kramer have no story.

Best Quote-“I don’t know what your parents did to you”….Elaine to George

Nitpick of the episode-I never understood why George worries about his gaffe so much. I mean, it was a first date. If she was turned off, then just right it off and go on to the next one.  I guess this was still early in the series, since George gives basically that same advice to Jerry much later in “The Serenity Now”. He acts like he just destroyed a serious long term relationship. (Yes, I know this is George I am talking about),

Seinfeldism of the episode-This may be George at his most neurotic

Deleted Scenes-None for this episode.

Episode Fun Fact-This was a replacement episode for another which was scrapped. The scrapped episode involved Elaine buying a gun, and was considered way to dark for a Seinfeld show.

Final Thoughts-It’s amusing how dated this show is now, but unlike The Baby Shower it’s still funny and clever. I remember this episode making me laugh out loud when it first aired, especially the line about George’s father wearing sneakers in the pool. That was a great moment. The downside is while this is a great Jerry and George episode, Elaine and Kramer has little to do.

 Grade=B, good episode but not above average

Episode 8, Season 2

The Apartment

 

Plot Summary-Jerry gets Elaine an apartment in his building right above him, and then instantly regrets it because he is afraid Elaine will be over all the time. He worries about how to tell Elaine, until Kramer steps in and solves the problem for him by getting an even more annoying tenant for the apartment. George borrow Kramer’s fathers engagement ring to test the theory that women are drawn to men with engagement rings.

Best Quote-“My censor quit two years ago. Checked into a clinic, emotionally exhausted”….George to Jerry

Nitpick of the episode-I think Jerry is overreacting to the idea of Elaine moving in. Would it be so hard to establish some ground rules? I mean, really, what’s the difference she’s over his place all the time anyway!

Seinfeldism of the episode-First time Elaine shouts “Get out!”

Deleted Scenes-None for this episode.

Episode Fun Fact-Jerry’s apartment is finally 5A.

Final Thoughts-This episode doesn’t work but it really tries to. It’s like they realized they can’t just have Jerry do a nice thing, so first they have him do the nice thing which makes no sense, and then they make him worry about it until it’s finally undone, but not before it costs him. This would be fine, but it’s so transparent here that it takes the fun out of the story. Same with George’s story, his experiment with the ring blows up in his face. Of course Kramer again barely has a story but he does get involved with the plot at least. As for the end of the episode, that is a stretch.

Grade=C

Episode 9, Season 2

The Stranded

 

Plot Summary- Jerry and Elaine accompany George to a party for a co-worker. After being forced to mingle with boring party guests, George leaves with a girl leaving Jerry and Elaine stranded. Kramer comes to pick them up, at about 2:00 in the morning infuriating the hostess. A week later, the host of the party shows up at Jerry’s apartment. Since Jerry has made plans, he takes off and thanks to Kramer; the host of the party gets a hooker which Jerry is caught with.

Best Quote-“Maybe the dingo at your baby”….Elaine to a snooty party guest.

Nitpick of the episode-Why does Jerry give the host his home address? He sure pays for it. I also love how the guy doesn’t buzz in first.

Seinfeldism of the episode-Elaine’s feelings about fur (which fade later on) comes up here, and George’s cheapness is in full force. After he believes he was shortchanged at a pharmacy, he attempts to steal some medicine to even the score. It doesn’t work very well.

Deleted Scenes-None for this episode.

Episode Fun Fact-Larry David was so dissatisfied with this episode that he shelved it for a year.

Final Thoughts-This episode starts out real strong, Jerry and Elaine get stuck at a party because Kramer takes forever to pick them up. However, the second half sort of takes a nose dive. The whole thing with the hooker in Jerry’s apartment is a little hard to swallow. The host, played by Michael Chiklis, is truly obnoxious when he just barges in on Jerry and then gets involved with a hooker. The whole last ten minutes of the episode gets kind of stupid.

 Grade=C-, this show goes right downhill after the first half

Episode 10, Season 2

The Statue

 

Plot Summary-Elaine has been assigned to work on a manuscript for a new writer named Rava, whose actor/student husband has agreed to clean Jerry’s apartment. George finds a statue he broke as a child, and is all excited to let his parents know. When Jerry and Elaine visit the writer and her husband, they see the same statue Jerry had in his apartment. Jerry and George are unable to get the statue back, and Elaine loses the assignment over the dispute. Kramer takes matters into his own hands to right the wrong.

Best Quote-“Shouldn’t you be out on a ledge somewhere?”….Jerry to Ray

Nitpick of the episode-So, did Ray take the statue or was it a coincidence? This is never really made clear. Also it seems that the series had yet to establish Jerry is a neat freak.

Seinfeldism of the episode-First mention of Elaine’s boss, Mr.Lipman

Deleted Scenes-None in this episode.

Episode Fun Fact-Kramer kind of breaks out as a character in this one with his Joe Friday bit, slowly he was becoming more than a just a punch line.

Final Thoughts-This is an interesting episode because we see the three main character of Jerry, George, and Elaine just being dumped on. Jerry gets his statue stolen, Elaine loses an assignment over it, and George is unable to rectify the mistake he made when he was young. Then it’s Kramer to the rescue and in the end when all seems to happily resolved, the statue breaks! This episode is a stand out example of how these four characters are just never allowed to have positive experiences. This is one time when the supporting characters of also fascinating, Rava and Ray are certainly unique people.

Grade=A-, the only downside is there is no clear resolution to whether or not Ray took the statue, although Ray gets his comeuppance anyway in one of Kramer’s first really great scenes.

Next week we will conclude our look at Season 2, including the one episode of Seinfeld I hate!!!

My Top 10 Personal Favorite Disney Movie Moments

For some reasons, I have a lot of problems with Disney movies. Especially the old ones. Take Lady and the Tramp. In this movie the parents go away, leaving an aunt to watch the Darling's baby. However this aunt hates dogs and after Lady has a scuffle with the aunt's Siamese cats, the aunt proceeds to muzzle Lady! I saw this movie a few years ago, and as a pet owner I was incensed. If someone who was watching my pet did that....well, of course I understand that this drives the rest of the movie. And to be fair, the aunt does apologize in the end. However it just seems like Disney films are filled with moments like that, moments which piss me off for some reason.

However, that doesn't mean there aren't moments that I love. These are timeless moments that bring a smile to my face (or tear to my eye) each and every time I see them, and I decided to share them with you today. Some are songs, others are lines of dialogue, but they are my personal favorite Disney moments.

When Sitcoms Get Real

One of TV's primary responsibilities is to bring people together during a difficult time, and help healing. Awhile back I did an article on when sitcoms do "very special" episodes. These are episodes where the series takes a serious turn and does a show on a social topic. They can be deadly serious like when Family Matters had its famous gun episode. These issues can include drugs, alcohol, and any number of things really. The one subject I didn't touch on in that other article was when sitcoms are affected by real life tragedies, moments so jarring or controversial  in the real world they are touched on in the fictional world of sitcoms. While these episodes will have the occasional laughter, usually they are mean to touch us and make us realize that we are not alone when thing happen.

Sometimes the writers will spin an episode about an event, but will change details so they are not talking about the actual event. For example, Murphy Brown's take on the O.J.Simpson mess was to create a story about a fictional sports hero who had gotten into trouble. The story and debate continued onto Love & War (It kills me I never taped that! I would share a clip if I could find one because Murphy's final speech in the episode is really good). Seinfeld did the same, but it was all for laughs.

Then there are shows that don't hide it, they dive right in and deal with the event honestly and frankly. I wanted to look at a few of these today.

By the way, all of these are on YouTube so if the video’s I attach don’t work for some reason then please don’t hesitate to follow the link to seek the clips out.

WKRP in Cincinnati/The Who Concert Disaster-Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati on December 3, 1979. The performance was marred by tragedy when eleven fans were killed and several injured in a rush for seating at the opening of a sold-out concert. In the episode "In Concert", WKRP had been promoting the event and giving away tickets. This episode basically deals with the emotions after the tragedy. I would never know this episode existed but caught it on a re-run once, and never forgot it. I guess that is one reason why these shows exist, to remind people after time has faded the story out of the collective conscience.

 http://youtu.be/Ch92FIHx-Hs?t=13m49s

Punky Brewster/Challenger Disaster-The shuttle challenger exploded on January 26, 1986 just 73 seconds after takeoff. As most people my age were, I was very into this event because of the whole teacher in space angle. I still remember watching a special on it the night before. And will never forget when I first heard the news. It is well established that Punky dreams of being an astronaut. In "Accidents Happen”, after her class sees the shocking events unfold the problem becomes, does she still want to become an astronaut? Punky has always dreamed of being astronaut, and even though her friends think she is crazy, she still wants to be one someday. Buzz Aldrin then appears and talks to Punky. For a silly show Punky Brewster had moving episodes, this was one of them. As you will see in the clip, the lesson is that as sad a tragedy as that was, if you want something bad enough you shouldn't let anything stop you.

 http://youtu.be/wN5U0EZU0qw

Full House/San Francisco Earthquake-At 5:04 local time a 6.9 mag earthquake struck the bay area on October 17, 1989. I was riveted by this story; I will never forget the pictures on TV of the destruction. It was truly amazing. The quake killed 63 people and delayed the World Series that year. Full House was set in San Francisco, so an episode probably seemed logical. "Aftershocks" is about Stephanie, who is scared to leave her father's side because it took him so long to get home the night of the earthquake, and she was scared she would never see him again. Of course, being Full House the solution comes easily, a therapist gets to the root of the problem very fast and it is quickly solved. Still a decent episode, especially the scene I am sharing below. Let me explain, at this point in the series Stephanie was a pretty mature kid. She was smart, had lots of self confidence, and usually led her group of friends. In this scene Danny tries to leave for a business meeting, and she starts to have a meltdown. For this character, this is way out of character and the scene is a bit jarring.

http://youtu.be/skgSKa0hLJs

Designing Women/Clarence Thomas Hearings-In October 1991 When George Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, the nomination hearings became a national circus after Anita Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassment. The hearings became very detailed, not to mention controversial, and this episode “The Strange Case of Clarence and Anita” did a pretty decent job of summarizing both sides of the argument. Of course being Designing Women the Anita Hill argument was discussed intelligently while the Thomas side of the issue was just ridiculed, but that's what this show did. Women were good and men bad. Nevertheless, this episode dives right into the actual issue rather than trying to cleverly discuss it by creating an “original” story based on it. Anyway, here is the clip.

 http://youtu.be/BPGgq4Fsa58

A Different World/South Central LA Riots-On April 29, 1992 a jury acquitted three white and one Hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a high-speed pursuit. Thousands of people in the Los Angeles area rioted over the six days following the verdict. The episode "Honeymoon in LA" has Whitley and Dwayne reliving their experience of being in LA during the riots. The show recounts the events and the debate around them pretty thoroughly. Of course, hot racial related topics were the norm for this show. This is one time they tackle a real life topic, just a few months after the event actually took place.

 http://youtu.be/gCfFtstoCfU

Becker/September 11th-I don't think I need to explain what happened on September 11, 2001. A few dramas did touch on the events, such as West Wing and Third Watch, however sitcoms stayed away. Then came this episode of Becker called “A Subway Story”, which for most of it was a very normal episode. Becker is trying to get somewhere but an old lady in the subway keeps stalling his efforts. Finally, we find out what she is trying to do. Turns out she is trying to get to ground zero, but can't bring herself to go. See, she lost a son that day. The scene is very well done, nothing specific but enough detail is given so more than get the idea. And I commend the show for doing it.

http://youtu.be/OIQNOBtvd2g?t=7m1s

Unfortunately, it doesn’t need to be a local or national tragedy to have these kinds of episodes. Very often sitcoms have to deal with the personal loss of a member of the cast, and a tribute episode about that person is shot. Shows which have had these kinds of episodes include Barney Miller for Jack Soo, Night Court for Selma Diamond, Cheers for Nicholas Colassanto, Gimmee A Break! for Dolph Sweet, and Cosby after the amazing Madeline Khan lost her battle with cancer. The Royal Family was supposed to be the vehicle for Redd Fox to make his return to TV, until he suddenly collapsed on set and passed away.

Of course the two most tragic of these was News Radio after Phil Hartman was unbelievably killed, and 8 Simple Rules after John Ritter suddenly passed away, almost ten years ago. I will have more to say about John Ritter later, in another article. Finally, Who's The Boss? had a very moving episode after comedian and popular recurring character James Coco suddenly passed away. He had appeared a few times playing Tony’s father-in-law, and when he died unexpectedly the show put out a special episode in his honor, shown in the link below as an example of these kinds of episodes.

http://youtu.be/lW3DKU1CxYE?t=13m57s

I feel like I forgot a lot more examples of these, if I did please let me know. As we can see, while sitcoms are meant to make us laugh they can also make us very sad, and it is these episodes that these shows seem more real to us than any others. I hope you enjoyed this look at when sitcoms get real.

Random Thoughts - Betty White's 90th Birthday

Last night on NBC we got treated to Betty White's 90th Birthday Special. As I watch I feel compelled to write a few thoughts down. Some people are big in entertainment, and others transcend that and simply are entertainment. It's amazing to think I knew Betty White as well as my parents, and today's kids know her as well as I did. How many celebrities that you loved as a kid do today's kids know and love? She has done countless talk shows and game shows. Of course she did The Carol Burnett Show. I really got to know her on a 1987 special "This is Your Life", which I still have on tape somewhere. One of my favorite Betty White moments was a guest spot in an episode of Who's The Boss? This was the classic episode where Angela and Tony end up in the same bed. Betty White was the snobby reporter who catches them. She was fantastic in that episode, going head to head with Katherine Helmond, another legend in her own right. I want to be honest, I knew who Betty White was when I was very young but truth is I never like her that much. Her characters were always either mean or sex craved....or both. She was a spoiled rich girl in Mama's Family, and this is especially true of her Mary Tyler Moore character Sue Ann Nivens, who should have been on my "characters we love to hate" list. I finally really fell in love with her on a little show called The Golden Girls. Her portrayal of the naive, child like Rose Nylan was nothing short of brilliant. She was funny and convincing. It's hard for actors to convincingly portray naive (look at Matt Le Blanc on Friends) but she did. But when you compare her role on Golden Girls to her role on Mary Tyler Moore, you realize how amazing she is. How many performers can play both sides of that spectrum so well? I loved everything she did on that show, from her endless St Olaf stories to her more serious episodes. Of course I have followed her career after that show ended, which included series and movies many of which were forgettable. I saw her in Proposal, and she was the only thing in it I liked. Of course she did SNL last spring, and was amazing. Betty White is a legend who never stops, and I hope that never changes.
I have to throw a complaint in as long as we are on the subject. NBC's special last night was a great tribute, but it was way to obvious the show was on NBC. There was way to many plugs for that network, and her early career was almost ignored. What a shame.
Happy 90th Birthday to Betty White, a true icon!

Analytical Episode Guide-Seinfeld (Season 2, Part 1)

An Analytical Episode Guide to :

 

Season 2, Part 1

After airing in the summer of 1990, the series' second season was bumped off its scheduled premiere of January 16, 1991, due to the start of the Persian Gulf war. It settled in a regular time slot on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. and eventually flipped with veteran series Night Court to 9:00. I always liked this paring, not sure why but these shows kind of complimented each other. It was also amusing to see Night Court which was on its last legs, followed by Seinfeld which was just getting started.

As I discussed before, I am doing these in the order they are presented in the DVD sets. Here now are the first five episodes :

Episode 1, Season 2

The Ex-Girlfriend

 

Plot Summary-George finally musters the courage to break up with his girlfriend     Marlene. When he asks Jerry to go pick up some books he left, he accidentally strikes up a relationship of his own with her. At first he is annoyed by her, but then begins to fall for her. He is afraid to tell George, but he is then inspired by Elaine’s confrontation of an acquaintance to reveal the truth. George gives Jerry the green light, and Jerry thinks all is good until Marlene breaks up with him after seeing his comedy act. Kramer’s only role is bragging about the amazing fruit got at Joe’s fruit stand, and our first time seeing his love for golf.

Best Quote-“You’re a cashier!”…..an astonished Jerry to Marlene

Nitpick of the episode-George leaves his books at Marlene’s. This sound like the same George who couldn’t even read Breakfast at Tiffany’s later on? Actually, if you look at the books they show quickly they are all self-help books, which kind of makes sense.

Seinfeldism of the episode-Elaine is referred to as the “Queen of Confrontation” by Jerry

Deleted Scenes-The opening scene in the car is longer, George proposes faking a kidnapping to get out of his relationship. Also there is more with Kramer and the cantaloupe.

Episode Fun Fact-The actress who played Marlene would appear again in “The Big Salad” as a very different character.

Final Thoughts-The writing in these early episodes is amazing. It’s really true, every little thing is analyzed and dissected. First we get the details about how George broke up with his girlfriend, and then his thoughts on the chiropractor which is pretty funny. The difference to later episodes is really amazing. This is one episode where I don’t mind the standup coming in the middle of the episode, it comes at a good spot and is real funny. Elaine sort of gets a story, but I would bet anything if this were a later episode we would have seen her confrontation, not just heard about it. Early in the series everything was seen through Jerry’s eyes, so no cast members had scenes without him. By the end of this season, Larry David finally started to realize how limiting that is and, as we will see in a moment that started to change in a big way.

Grade=B-, This is a clever episode and pretty funny, though nothing above average.

Episode 2, Season 2

The Pony Remark

Plot Summary-Jerry takes Elaine along with his parents who are in town for to the 50th anniversary dinner of their second cousin Manya and her husband. At the dinner, Jerry  and Elaine are trying to make conversation when he accidentally insults Manya. The next day, Manya has suddenly passed away and Jerry wonders if he was responsible. He goes to the funeral even though it means missing the championship softball game. This is really the only story in the episode, George whines about never having sex, and Kramer decides to build levels in his apartment to live like they did in Ancient Egypt.

Best Quote-“Who figures an immigrant is going to have a pony?”….Jerry trying to defend himself

Nitpick of the episode-Gotta agree with Jerry, glad that Leo is proud of his son but, my lord, the kid just works at the park department! Not really a nit, but I have wanted to say that for ages.

Seinfeldism of the episode-There really isn’t one, so here is Jerry’s offensive remark: “In fact, I hate anyone who ever had a pony when they were growing up”. Manya immediately responds, “I had a pony!”

Deleted Scenes-None in this episode.

Episode Fun Fact-First appearance of Uncle Leo, who would go on to become a favorite recurring character with good reason.

Final Thoughts-This may be the first truly relatable episode. Who hasn’t blurted something out that they regretted almost instantly? This show was actually nominated for a writing Emmy. I can see Jerry’s point, if Manya had a pony where she lived then why did she come to this country? But that doesn’t excuse what he said. This was a great episode, very well written.

Grade=B+, dropped a point because George is hardly in the episode, the creators still hadn’t figured out how to give each character equal plot lines.

Episode 3, Season 2

The Busboy

 

Plot Summary- When George gets a busboy fired, he and Kramer go over to the man’s apartment to apologize. In the process Kramer leaves the apartment door open and the busboy’s cat escapes. Elaine has a guest from out of town named Ed whom she can’t wait to see leave. However, the alarm clock doesn’t go off and she is unable to get him on his plane despite her best efforts. When Elaine’s friend runs into the busboy at Jerry’s apartment, a fight occurs.

Best Quote-“The busboy’s coming!”….Kramer

Nitpick of the episode-As funny as the scene where Elaine panics trying to get Ed to the airport is, it’s also foolhardy of her. It would have been easier to endure one more day, and bid him adieu the next day. She could have at least made sure he was packed and ready to go the night before.

Seinfeldism of the episode-No real one, but this is the first time George and Kramer get a scene without Jerry, and we can easily see why it was not the last. It's also unique for the show at the time to show Kramer out of Jerry's apartment and interacting with society a little.

Deleted Scenes-None in this episode

Episode Fun Fact-This was the first time on this show that two seemingly separate stories come together at the end. Also, finally the other co-stars get the story and Jerry just kind of observes what is going on. We also get the first glimpse of George’s odd obsession with bathrooms. As you may know, this was the final episode of the season but for some reason appears here in the DVD set, which is why it is a little more ahead of the shows which will follow it in terms of characterization.

Final Thoughts-As I mentioned, this episode is a sign of where the series would go with two separate stories converging at the end. However, I have to say this episode is not one of my favorites. Maybe there is too much of the busboy, and I feel no sympathy for him since he did kind of deserve to get fired.  I never felt like George had to be guilty about anything, what was he supposed to do ignore the menu? Sure George points the finger at the busboy, but really wouldn’t he have taken the blame anyway? Plus, if he was fired just like that that probably wasn't the first mistake he's made. Anyway, I am over analyzing. The scene where Elaine tries anxiously to get rid of her friend Ed is hilarious, I still remember laughing out loud when I first saw that scene.

Grade=C-, Elaine’s great scene isn’t enough to make this episode a winner

Episode 4, Season 2

The Baby Shower

Plot Summary- Jerry agrees to let Elaine have a baby shower for an old friend named Leslie who once humiliated George on a date. Kramer convinces Jerry to get illegal cable, and the Russian men appear to install it the same night as the shower. After an aborted flight, George brings Jerry home hoping to confront Leslie. Instead, he bows down to her like a wimp while another woman yells at Jerry because he never called her again after they went out on time. Jerry changes his mind about the cable, and the Russian men respond by busting Jerry’s TV.

Best Quote-“Alright I said I had a good time and I’d call, but who takes that literally?”…..Jerry

Nitpick of the episode-Jerry’s story in this episode is remarkably dated. At the start of the episode we see him playing with rabbit ears, or antenna.  I know it’s not fair to judge it from today point of view, but honestly even for 1991 that seems dated. He is a successful standup comedian and he can’t afford basic cable? And the reason the cable installers are Russian is beyond me.

Seinfeldism of the episode-None, there is a surreal dream sequence where Jerry gets gunned down in his apartment.

Deleted Scenes-None in this episode.

Episode Fun Fact-This episode was the result of taking three separate stories and blending them together. Still pretty unusual for this show at this time.

Final Thoughts-This episode is interesting, it is fun to see three stories flow together in one scene. You really need to pay attention to the opening scene to understand the final one. Leslie is a very obnoxious character, maybe one of the few on this show I would have loved to see someone punch in the face. George is really in character, all set to stand up to the woman and then becoming a sniveling wimp.

Grade=C, sorry the cable story is just weak. You could cut it and lose almost nothing. Everything else is pretty solid.

Episode 5, Season 2

The Jacket

 

Plot Summary-Jerry buys an expensive suede jacket with a funny lining. He and George agree to meet with Elaine’s father and go out to dinner. However, when they arrive Elaine has not showed yet. Jerry and George have to tolerate Elaine’s very overbearing father. Elaine had been held up because of Kramer and some doves. When leaving for the restaurant, it begins to snow but Jerry is unable to reverse his jacket and it ends up ruined. George’s only ”story” is a song from Le Mis he can’t get out of his head.

Best Quote-“We had a funny guy with us in Korea. Tailgunner. They blew his brains out all over the Pacific. There's nothing funny about that”….Mr.Benes

Nitpick of the episode-Tough one, but I tend to wonder why Jerry doesn’t stand up to Elaine’s father. If I spent tons of money on a coat, I would do what I wanted with it. Elaine might be furious but she’d get over it. But I can see why that would be awkward.

Seinfeldism of the episode-Kramer asks Jerry if he could do a “solid” for him.

Deleted Scenes-The opening scene in the store was longer.

Episode Fun Fact-Lawrence Tierny played Elaine’s father. Think he was scary on the show? Apparently he played a practical joke on set involving a knife, and he scared the crew so much we never saw him again.

Final Thoughts-This is a really good episode. There is something really amusing about seeing Jerry and George so terrified by Elaine’s father. Normally in sitcoms, characters would never express that kind of emotion so openly. This is one of the things that make Seinfeld so realistic. At least finally Kramer gets involved with the story, even if it is in an indirect sort of way.

Grade=A-, The show is really good, even with the lack of storylines for the other characters but George does get a few great lines.

We will continue our look at season 2 next week.