This isn't a review per se, but more a quick thought looking at Seinfeld. When it picked up a permanent spot on Thursday nights in late 1992, it immediately became one of NBC's most important shows, especially when Cheers finished up its final season at that same time. Ending on top is something most sitcoms and shows don't think of typically, but Jerry Seinfeld picked the right time to do it, ending it on May 14, 1998.
What ensued however is something that the cast and crew sometimes regret. Those who have seen it will know that Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer all go to jail for breaking a Good Samaritan law and all sorts of people they have met throughout the nine seasons talking about the bad experiences they had. From Babu to several girlfriends of Jerry and George, they lined any big guest star they had from previous episodes. It is still held in regard as one of the most negative series finales ever.
Even with that, I think Jerry made the right choice to end it despite NBC not wanting it to finish. For as much as I like the last two seasons of it, there was a kind of fatigue that wasn't there during its prime. It just seemed they were running out of ideas for all four characters and the writing was on the wall of how different it was, even if it was very funny. Had there been a tenth season, I think it would have been a disaster and its ratings wouldn't have been 75 million for a finale.
Still, Seinfeld is still remembered today for a lot of the episodes that are still in people's minds. From The Contest to Festivus, it has its enjoyment, even with how mediocre the last episode was.
Showing posts with label seinfeld. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seinfeld. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Seinfeld: The Deal Review
The Deal is one of Seinfeld's interesting episodes early on in it's run. It's that kind that seems almost like a fan request. Given the Inside Look for it, it was for NBC. They must have thought getting Jerry and Elaine back together would be something audiences would want. There was pressure they gave towards Larry David, and like a number of episodes, it is based on an experience he had. It is one of those concepts that continued on a little bit through the rest of the show's run and even on Curb Your Enthusiasm, David's HBO show.
What is The Deal? David's concept is having a physical relationship but retaining a friendship. It almost seems like a booty call or a friends with benefits. Anyway, the episode begins with Jerry and Elaine looking for something on TV. She finds a naked channel and he gives her a look. That turns into them talking about the last time they have done it with someone and the amount of times they did it together. It also gets them to start creating this idea of doing the physical relationship and continue on to live as friends by creating a series of rules in order to maintain that they are friends and not officially a couple.
But what about the reactions from others? Kramer and George are given the scoop on Jerry and Elaine. Kramer sees Elaine come out of Jerry's room and adds two and two together. George eats at Monk's with Jerry and produces one of the finest speeches to persuade Jerry to discuss sleeping with Elaine. The banter is phenomenal, and George believes sleeping being optional is a bad idea. The theory is put to the test and a couple things that test the deal. Once again, banter comes to Jerry and George. Also, we get a good chance to see Kramer as a great friend despite his craziness. It's a very early episode, but it almost comes like an episode that could have came two or three seasons later.
Coming back to these first few seasons I'm amazed at how well done Seinfeld was early on. They were trying things different than your typical sitcom and most of the time, landing in success. The Deal is no different. It manages to incorporate all four characters. Great banter between Jerry and George. Elaine getting quite a bit of attention. Kramer having a very nice side. Overall, the first two seasons are something and show how much they were trying to get their foot in the door.
Score: 7 out of 10 Season 1 Score: 7 out of 10 Season 2 Score: 7.5 out of 10
As far as new reviews go, I have no clue what will be next, so no review next week. Maybe I'll target some video games that I have been playing recently to give some thoughts into them. Until then, enjoy these reviews of Seinfeld. Home to that and reviews of The Simpsons Shorts.
What is The Deal? David's concept is having a physical relationship but retaining a friendship. It almost seems like a booty call or a friends with benefits. Anyway, the episode begins with Jerry and Elaine looking for something on TV. She finds a naked channel and he gives her a look. That turns into them talking about the last time they have done it with someone and the amount of times they did it together. It also gets them to start creating this idea of doing the physical relationship and continue on to live as friends by creating a series of rules in order to maintain that they are friends and not officially a couple.
But what about the reactions from others? Kramer and George are given the scoop on Jerry and Elaine. Kramer sees Elaine come out of Jerry's room and adds two and two together. George eats at Monk's with Jerry and produces one of the finest speeches to persuade Jerry to discuss sleeping with Elaine. The banter is phenomenal, and George believes sleeping being optional is a bad idea. The theory is put to the test and a couple things that test the deal. Once again, banter comes to Jerry and George. Also, we get a good chance to see Kramer as a great friend despite his craziness. It's a very early episode, but it almost comes like an episode that could have came two or three seasons later.
Coming back to these first few seasons I'm amazed at how well done Seinfeld was early on. They were trying things different than your typical sitcom and most of the time, landing in success. The Deal is no different. It manages to incorporate all four characters. Great banter between Jerry and George. Elaine getting quite a bit of attention. Kramer having a very nice side. Overall, the first two seasons are something and show how much they were trying to get their foot in the door.
Score: 7 out of 10 Season 1 Score: 7 out of 10 Season 2 Score: 7.5 out of 10
As far as new reviews go, I have no clue what will be next, so no review next week. Maybe I'll target some video games that I have been playing recently to give some thoughts into them. Until then, enjoy these reviews of Seinfeld. Home to that and reviews of The Simpsons Shorts.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Seinfeld: The Revenge Review
When Larry David worked on Saturday Night Live, barely any of his skits made it to air. If they did, it was very late in the airing. He would quit and try to come back the next day and act like it never happened. With that in mind, his script of Seinfeld's The Revenge is his incident in the form of George, although a little different.
This is the start of George without a steady job over the next few seasons. He blows up in front of his boss for what seems like no reason and then explains to Jerry about the reason why. Everybody in the real estate office uses the bosses private bathroom and he gets a memo. He blows up in front of his boss and quits. Unfortunately, he feels like he has made a big mistake. The two discuss what to do with other jobs and Jerry comes up with the decision to go back as if nothing happened.
George goes back and his boss doesn't buy into him raging into his quitting. He decides to get his revenge by giving him a Mickey Finn at a party. The set up to do it, quite honestly, is pretty weak and not too funny. This is also the only time Elaine is given screen time. She plays the role of flirting with George's boss quite well, and it's the highlight for the scene. The lengths she goes to be decent until saying something to catch his attention is a nice feat to try.
Jerry and Kramer's storyline is getting ripped off at the laundromat. They both do a set and after the weekend, Jerry has a meltdown. He had a lot of money in his laundry bag, and smooth negotiations go sour with the guy running the place. Kramer decides to get back by putting concrete in the machines. It becomes a sight to see with the mannerisms and movements. His other story, while small but important is dealing with Newman. When it first aired, Larry David voiced the unseen character, who was thinking about suicide and jumping off the building. When they got their guy a year later, they dubbed over it with Wayne Knight doing David's lines.
Overall, it's a good episode, but the second half of it is carried by the laundromat plot.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, reviewing the last episode of the second season.
This is the start of George without a steady job over the next few seasons. He blows up in front of his boss for what seems like no reason and then explains to Jerry about the reason why. Everybody in the real estate office uses the bosses private bathroom and he gets a memo. He blows up in front of his boss and quits. Unfortunately, he feels like he has made a big mistake. The two discuss what to do with other jobs and Jerry comes up with the decision to go back as if nothing happened.
George goes back and his boss doesn't buy into him raging into his quitting. He decides to get his revenge by giving him a Mickey Finn at a party. The set up to do it, quite honestly, is pretty weak and not too funny. This is also the only time Elaine is given screen time. She plays the role of flirting with George's boss quite well, and it's the highlight for the scene. The lengths she goes to be decent until saying something to catch his attention is a nice feat to try.
Jerry and Kramer's storyline is getting ripped off at the laundromat. They both do a set and after the weekend, Jerry has a meltdown. He had a lot of money in his laundry bag, and smooth negotiations go sour with the guy running the place. Kramer decides to get back by putting concrete in the machines. It becomes a sight to see with the mannerisms and movements. His other story, while small but important is dealing with Newman. When it first aired, Larry David voiced the unseen character, who was thinking about suicide and jumping off the building. When they got their guy a year later, they dubbed over it with Wayne Knight doing David's lines.
Overall, it's a good episode, but the second half of it is carried by the laundromat plot.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, reviewing the last episode of the second season.
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Seinfeld: The Heart Attack Review
Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David must have put a lot of confidence in Larry Charles to write episodes during Seinfeld's second season. He was at the helm for the last one, The Statue. Here was another with The Heart Attack, This one is mostly a George and Kramer plot with small ones from both Jerry and Elaine. We also get a look at some of the wackiness of Kramer and the unseen friends he knows about.
Jerry, George, and Elaine eat at Monk's when George starts thinking he is having a heart attack. His two friends don't buy into it, especially Jerry. With a trip to the hospital, it's not a heart attack. Instead, it is just a need to remove his tonsils... again. The gang visits him, and Kramer finds out the about the tonsil removal. He advises against it with a mention of Bob Sacamano having a botched surgery for a hernia. A suggestion is made to a holistic healer, Tor. Of course, George accepts that.
The guys go to the healer. Tor, played by Stephen Tobolowsky, fits in that eccentric kind of person that only Kramer would know. He wants George to try or stop using certain things, does a few rituals and attempts to help with the tonsil issue. All three have different mindsets and that is where it is funny. Jerry doesn't buy into it. George is a little concerned about the methods. Kramer will believe anything. The second half of the episode is a bit out of control and will have you laughing until the end.
B-plots for this one are pretty small. The episode starts with Jerry watching a cheesy movie with Larry David acting out the character in the film. He thinks he has material for his stand up and writes it down during the middle of the night. However, he can't figure out what he has written. No one can describe it. Not even Tor. Elaine's plot is meeting George's emergency doctor and going on a date with him. It's not a normal one as he holds on to her tongue to describe parts of it and the taste buds. Both of these stories will net a few chuckles.
This is a very funny episode. Leaps and bounds, probably the funniest of the second season.
Score: 9 out of 10
Next week's episode review involves Mickey Finns and concrete revenge.
Jerry, George, and Elaine eat at Monk's when George starts thinking he is having a heart attack. His two friends don't buy into it, especially Jerry. With a trip to the hospital, it's not a heart attack. Instead, it is just a need to remove his tonsils... again. The gang visits him, and Kramer finds out the about the tonsil removal. He advises against it with a mention of Bob Sacamano having a botched surgery for a hernia. A suggestion is made to a holistic healer, Tor. Of course, George accepts that.
The guys go to the healer. Tor, played by Stephen Tobolowsky, fits in that eccentric kind of person that only Kramer would know. He wants George to try or stop using certain things, does a few rituals and attempts to help with the tonsil issue. All three have different mindsets and that is where it is funny. Jerry doesn't buy into it. George is a little concerned about the methods. Kramer will believe anything. The second half of the episode is a bit out of control and will have you laughing until the end.
B-plots for this one are pretty small. The episode starts with Jerry watching a cheesy movie with Larry David acting out the character in the film. He thinks he has material for his stand up and writes it down during the middle of the night. However, he can't figure out what he has written. No one can describe it. Not even Tor. Elaine's plot is meeting George's emergency doctor and going on a date with him. It's not a normal one as he holds on to her tongue to describe parts of it and the taste buds. Both of these stories will net a few chuckles.
This is a very funny episode. Leaps and bounds, probably the funniest of the second season.
Score: 9 out of 10
Next week's episode review involves Mickey Finns and concrete revenge.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Seinfeld: The Statue Review
The Statue is an interesting one for Seinfeld's second season. They manage to give all four characters a chance to shine in the episode. Jerry and Kramer bring out a big box from the apartment basement containing stuff from Jerry's grandfather. It's just clothes and hence the name of the episode, a statue. George becomes enamored about it since a bad moment in his childhood involved it. A quick game between Kramer and George results in the pint size guy winning.
Jerry has a show and needs his apartment cleaned. He relies on the help of Ray, a guy that is with a Finland author whose book that Elaine is looking over at Pendant. One to notice is Jerry's clean freak persona as it is cleaned very well. Just the amazement at it is funny in itself. Jerry and Elaine go visit Ray and author Rava. Everything seems normal until Jerry notices a statue similar to what he and his friends saw. Cue the accusation ideas and injustice about it.
Really, the second half is trying to prove the statue was stolen and trying to get it back. This is the first we see Kramer used very well and the kind of mannerisms and emotions that Michael Richards would bring to the show. Jerry, George, and Elaine all have this cynicism and it blows up right in their faces, making the whole thing come funnier than what you would expect out of Seinfeld.
They got it rolling for the episode and it was nice to have all four involved in the main plot. No B or filler stories. Just an effort to get a statue and a funny ending that seems like what the show would have. Do you think Ray stole it?
Score: 8 out of 10
Next week's review is George's heart attack from hell.
Jerry has a show and needs his apartment cleaned. He relies on the help of Ray, a guy that is with a Finland author whose book that Elaine is looking over at Pendant. One to notice is Jerry's clean freak persona as it is cleaned very well. Just the amazement at it is funny in itself. Jerry and Elaine go visit Ray and author Rava. Everything seems normal until Jerry notices a statue similar to what he and his friends saw. Cue the accusation ideas and injustice about it.
Really, the second half is trying to prove the statue was stolen and trying to get it back. This is the first we see Kramer used very well and the kind of mannerisms and emotions that Michael Richards would bring to the show. Jerry, George, and Elaine all have this cynicism and it blows up right in their faces, making the whole thing come funnier than what you would expect out of Seinfeld.
They got it rolling for the episode and it was nice to have all four involved in the main plot. No B or filler stories. Just an effort to get a statue and a funny ending that seems like what the show would have. Do you think Ray stole it?
Score: 8 out of 10
Next week's review is George's heart attack from hell.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Seinfeld: The Stranded Review
The Stranded is an episode that didn't air during Seinfeld's second season. Instead, it aired early in its third season. A quick message before the episode when it first aired had Jerry explaining about particularly George to assure the audience what they were watching was an episode that was made the year before.
Jerry and George are at a drug store finding flea medication. George asks Jerry to come to a party down in Long Island, mostly for a girl he saw in his office. We get to see a cheapness factor in him from buying medicine. The two along with Elaine go to the party. George is immediately with the office girl. Jerry and Elaine make conversation with others and try signals to get out of bad ones. They put some good humor into this part of the episode. George is told about making love and feels intimidated. Elaine gets a few bits of her own, including mocking a woman and getting angry over fur coat. Jerry doesn't have much else.
George leaves with the car with the office girl. Jerry and Elaine rely on Kramer and a phone call. Unfortunately, he comes by very late, way after the party. To the point where the wife of the home gets very frustrated. Jerry writes his address and number down for the husband Steve. It's interesting the guest star for that guy was Michael Chiklis. Long before The Shield and Fantastic Four, he was utilized for the second half of episode, which consists of him hanging out in Jerry's apartment and getting drunk with Kramer. There isn't much else. Another fur bit at the end, and George trying to steal from the drug store while explaining to Jerry his situation with the office girl.
There are some stuff to make you laugh, but overall, not a strong episode. It's nice to see all four involved in the main plot and a few callbacks to other episodes, however.
Score: 6 out of 10
Next week's review involves all four characters for the main story as well.
Jerry and George are at a drug store finding flea medication. George asks Jerry to come to a party down in Long Island, mostly for a girl he saw in his office. We get to see a cheapness factor in him from buying medicine. The two along with Elaine go to the party. George is immediately with the office girl. Jerry and Elaine make conversation with others and try signals to get out of bad ones. They put some good humor into this part of the episode. George is told about making love and feels intimidated. Elaine gets a few bits of her own, including mocking a woman and getting angry over fur coat. Jerry doesn't have much else.
George leaves with the car with the office girl. Jerry and Elaine rely on Kramer and a phone call. Unfortunately, he comes by very late, way after the party. To the point where the wife of the home gets very frustrated. Jerry writes his address and number down for the husband Steve. It's interesting the guest star for that guy was Michael Chiklis. Long before The Shield and Fantastic Four, he was utilized for the second half of episode, which consists of him hanging out in Jerry's apartment and getting drunk with Kramer. There isn't much else. Another fur bit at the end, and George trying to steal from the drug store while explaining to Jerry his situation with the office girl.
There are some stuff to make you laugh, but overall, not a strong episode. It's nice to see all four involved in the main plot and a few callbacks to other episodes, however.
Score: 6 out of 10
Next week's review involves all four characters for the main story as well.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Seinfeld: The Apartment Review
Seinfeld's first season episode, The Robbery, featured Jerry, George, and Elaine wanting new apartments. The Apartment focuses more on Elaine and the relationship/friendship aspect of both her and Jerry.
Jerry hears commotion from two guys. They mention a neighbor above him died. A search for a new tenant is resolved when he suggests giving it to Elaine. He gives her the news, we see a get out and shove. Jerry instantly regrets the decision, explaining what he did to George later at night. You can't blame him for not thinking this through immediately. Just the idea of an ex-girlfriend living in your building is something that no one wants to think of. It delivers a bit of tension and humor to the situation.
With that in mind, Jerry can't think of anyway to get rid of Elaine. The same two guys, Manny and Harold, cause commotion again, and he hears after talking to them in the building hallway that Manny is getting the apartment for five thousand dollars. He gets a plan to disappoint Elaine, which works well until Kramer opens his mouth about money not being a factor.
The rest of The Apartment has Jerry trying to find a way out and the ending for it is very interesting that makes it very funny and that not every show gets a happy ending. For the B plot, George decides to do an experiment. A friend of his got married and single women are flocking to him. He gets a wedding band from Kramer that belonged to his father. It's disappointing that they didn't try in multiple, but then it would detract from the main story. With what they put in, it's hilarious. Just the stuff women say to him with the ring on makes him the reason to be called "lord of the idiots."
Kramer doesn't have much for this episode. He puts mousse on his hair and adds to the A plot for Jerry and Elaine. It's amazing regarding the evolution of his hair and how crazier it looked as the show got further into the 90s. Writer Peter Mehlman makes good use of guest stars Tony Plana and Glenn Shadix without them overstaying their welcome in the episode as Manny and Harold. Giving a new writer a chance paid dividends. A solid episode in its own right. A decent main plot that gets laughs with a great B plot showcasing how low someone can get.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's episode review is an episode that didn't air during Season 2.
Jerry hears commotion from two guys. They mention a neighbor above him died. A search for a new tenant is resolved when he suggests giving it to Elaine. He gives her the news, we see a get out and shove. Jerry instantly regrets the decision, explaining what he did to George later at night. You can't blame him for not thinking this through immediately. Just the idea of an ex-girlfriend living in your building is something that no one wants to think of. It delivers a bit of tension and humor to the situation.
With that in mind, Jerry can't think of anyway to get rid of Elaine. The same two guys, Manny and Harold, cause commotion again, and he hears after talking to them in the building hallway that Manny is getting the apartment for five thousand dollars. He gets a plan to disappoint Elaine, which works well until Kramer opens his mouth about money not being a factor.
The rest of The Apartment has Jerry trying to find a way out and the ending for it is very interesting that makes it very funny and that not every show gets a happy ending. For the B plot, George decides to do an experiment. A friend of his got married and single women are flocking to him. He gets a wedding band from Kramer that belonged to his father. It's disappointing that they didn't try in multiple, but then it would detract from the main story. With what they put in, it's hilarious. Just the stuff women say to him with the ring on makes him the reason to be called "lord of the idiots."
Kramer doesn't have much for this episode. He puts mousse on his hair and adds to the A plot for Jerry and Elaine. It's amazing regarding the evolution of his hair and how crazier it looked as the show got further into the 90s. Writer Peter Mehlman makes good use of guest stars Tony Plana and Glenn Shadix without them overstaying their welcome in the episode as Manny and Harold. Giving a new writer a chance paid dividends. A solid episode in its own right. A decent main plot that gets laughs with a great B plot showcasing how low someone can get.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's episode review is an episode that didn't air during Season 2.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Seinfeld: The Phone Message Review
I'll give the skinny for why The Phone Message exists. An unmade episode, The Bet, was cancelled quickly, and Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote this very quickly. If you want more into the cancelled one, check out my blog. The Phone Message is based on stuff that happened to David and on the Inside Look, a canned skit he wrote for Saturday Night Live.
It's a Jerry and George episode, mostly George's. He explains to Jerry about going on a date with a girl after being called a wuss at work. It's an interesting concept. The date with goes actually well. Jerry has a date, too, and it goes successful as well. Both go downhill. George's date, Carol, asks him to go up for coffee and he declines. The regret he has is funny. Jerry goes back to his place with his date, Donna. A discussion of funny material leads to talk over a Dockers commercial. He hates it, she likes it.
George becomes obsessed with what happened and he leaves a phone message. He leaves a few more and fears the worst that Carol will hear what he had to say and responding a few days in a row. In Elaine's only scene in the episode, she talks about a brother in law doing something stupid on an answering machine and switched a tape at the person's apartment. It leaves George doing the idea and getting Jerry to help him out.
The only thing I'll say with the last part of the episode is that it feels like an advanced version of The Stakeout except for a few different reasons. Jerry and George's banter is funny and they feed off each other very well. Just the concept alone is good. Jerry's story is just the Dockers thing with Donna. It reminds me of some episodes when the show got big where Jerry talks certain things about his dates to his friends and the dates getting pissed. Though the last of his story is not necessarily his fault. As I said, Elaine only has one scene, but it is pivotal. Kramer only has two scenes. One is a stand up bit for Jerry and pissing off Donna in the other one for the Dockers thing.
It could be worse. Not a bad episode, but definitely comes off as a first season episode.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review is another apartment searching episode.
It's a Jerry and George episode, mostly George's. He explains to Jerry about going on a date with a girl after being called a wuss at work. It's an interesting concept. The date with goes actually well. Jerry has a date, too, and it goes successful as well. Both go downhill. George's date, Carol, asks him to go up for coffee and he declines. The regret he has is funny. Jerry goes back to his place with his date, Donna. A discussion of funny material leads to talk over a Dockers commercial. He hates it, she likes it.
George becomes obsessed with what happened and he leaves a phone message. He leaves a few more and fears the worst that Carol will hear what he had to say and responding a few days in a row. In Elaine's only scene in the episode, she talks about a brother in law doing something stupid on an answering machine and switched a tape at the person's apartment. It leaves George doing the idea and getting Jerry to help him out.
The only thing I'll say with the last part of the episode is that it feels like an advanced version of The Stakeout except for a few different reasons. Jerry and George's banter is funny and they feed off each other very well. Just the concept alone is good. Jerry's story is just the Dockers thing with Donna. It reminds me of some episodes when the show got big where Jerry talks certain things about his dates to his friends and the dates getting pissed. Though the last of his story is not necessarily his fault. As I said, Elaine only has one scene, but it is pivotal. Kramer only has two scenes. One is a stand up bit for Jerry and pissing off Donna in the other one for the Dockers thing.
It could be worse. Not a bad episode, but definitely comes off as a first season episode.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review is another apartment searching episode.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
The Bet, An Unmade Seinfeld Episode
Any TV show will have plot ideas that either are shelved, revised or brought back. Like most, Seinfeld has ones that never saw the light of day. It's most famous one almost made it to production, but didn't because of how uncomfortable the cast was. That would be The Bet or The Gun in this short blog
You're going to have a hard time finding the inside look of it since it's near impossible to find, so I'll go by what I've read on articles and any recollection from watching the inside look. For the episode, Elaine thinks about arming herself with a gun for protection in a bet against Jerry. Another bet consists of George and Kramer in one whether or not Kramer had sex with a flight attendant. They had stuff set up for this. They had guest stars, a set. Everything seemed to be in order when they started production in late 1990.
Then again, this was written by Larry Charles. As I've said in The Baby Shower review, his type of episodes were dark plots and absurd moments. His script got the main cast feeling very uncomfortable. Just the stuff that he wanted Julia Louis-Dreyfus to say would send a chill down your spine. I know this is a sitcom and all, but this would have been a banned episode or at least controversial if this was filmed and aired. References to assassinated presidents would not have helped. Gun related humor for the most part is typically unfunny, especially for a show that had struggles early on.
This is why The Phone Message exists. I'm sure that the crew had to keep Charles at bay with his material. There's a lot of things you can get away with in film and channels like HBO, but not prime time networks. Luckily, he calmed a bit and while he still wrote dark stories, they didn't go completely overboard like this unmade episode.
You're going to have a hard time finding the inside look of it since it's near impossible to find, so I'll go by what I've read on articles and any recollection from watching the inside look. For the episode, Elaine thinks about arming herself with a gun for protection in a bet against Jerry. Another bet consists of George and Kramer in one whether or not Kramer had sex with a flight attendant. They had stuff set up for this. They had guest stars, a set. Everything seemed to be in order when they started production in late 1990.
Then again, this was written by Larry Charles. As I've said in The Baby Shower review, his type of episodes were dark plots and absurd moments. His script got the main cast feeling very uncomfortable. Just the stuff that he wanted Julia Louis-Dreyfus to say would send a chill down your spine. I know this is a sitcom and all, but this would have been a banned episode or at least controversial if this was filmed and aired. References to assassinated presidents would not have helped. Gun related humor for the most part is typically unfunny, especially for a show that had struggles early on.
This is why The Phone Message exists. I'm sure that the crew had to keep Charles at bay with his material. There's a lot of things you can get away with in film and channels like HBO, but not prime time networks. Luckily, he calmed a bit and while he still wrote dark stories, they didn't go completely overboard like this unmade episode.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Seinfeld: The Chinese Restaurant Review
While Seinfeld today is regarded as one of the greatest sitcoms ever, it still had hurdles in 1991. For one, NBC was not pleased with their episode, The Chinese Restaurant. To keep in mind, this was a mid season replacement show. This was a production in the middle of producing season two episodes, but like The Busboy, aired very late. The network did let it air in late May. If you get a chance, watch the inside look. They had quite a bit of people talking about it, including an NBC executive.
It's a premise that is so simple, yet executed well by both Larry David and Jerry, based on an actual experience the two had. Jerry, Elaine, and George are out trying to get seated at a Chinese restaurant. That's it. No Monk's Cafe, no Jerry's apartment. Just stand up at the beginning and end, with the episode taking place only in that restaurant. That alone pissed off NBC to where they hated it. Hard to imagine since this is one of the show's most loved episodes.
As per usual for a Seinfeld episode, they're not getting seated and they wait desperately. I really wish I could talk more about this episode, but there's no filler. Jerry wants to go see in the theater Plan 9 From Outer Space. He also makes a lie to his uncle about going to his place for dinner, but gets caught in the end. George is waiting on a phone call from a girl, and you can pretty much guess what happens. Elaine doesn't have anything other than being very hungry. Kramer is not in this episode, which is a little strange Their idea was he never left his apartment as they explained in the inside look.
Hunger does a lot when someone doesn't get their food. David and Seinfeld make it very apparent with Elaine and give her quite a bit of emotions. It's weird having George trying to be a normal human in society. Easy to see why he becomes a funny cheapskate jerk as the show goes on. Even Jerry having issues with family is funny. Anything he does wrong, and many members will find out. A nice guest star they had was James Hong playing the host of the restaurant and being a thorn in the three's side. Then again, he's just doing his job.
Despite no Kramer, it's very funny, and less is more is not a bad thing. You don't see an episode go 15 minutes and then head for it's first commercials. It's rather easy to forget how strong some of these early episodes are, especially for a second season one.
Score: 8 out of 10
Next week's episode is one that was written quickly because of an unmade episode never making it past rehearsals.
Hunger does a lot when someone doesn't get their food. David and Seinfeld make it very apparent with Elaine and give her quite a bit of emotions. It's weird having George trying to be a normal human in society. Easy to see why he becomes a funny cheapskate jerk as the show goes on. Even Jerry having issues with family is funny. Anything he does wrong, and many members will find out. A nice guest star they had was James Hong playing the host of the restaurant and being a thorn in the three's side. Then again, he's just doing his job.
Despite no Kramer, it's very funny, and less is more is not a bad thing. You don't see an episode go 15 minutes and then head for it's first commercials. It's rather easy to forget how strong some of these early episodes are, especially for a second season one.
Score: 8 out of 10
Next week's episode is one that was written quickly because of an unmade episode never making it past rehearsals.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Seinfeld: The Jacket Review
The Jacket has got to be one of the more interesting episodes in Seinfeld's history. It's more the behind the scenes stuff that occurred rather than the episode itself.
Jerry is browsing through jackets and finds himself a nice suede one. It fits him well and after a little concern about the price, he buys it. There seems to be this obsession over the fact that he loves it so much. To the point of Kramer taking his old jacket. Outside of that, the next big plot involves Jerry, Elaine, and George. All three are to meet and go to dinner with Alton Benes, Elaine's father.
For the guest stars before this episode, it consisted of small named actors or ones that they found on the street. Seinfeld went all out and got Lawrence Tierney. The Inside Look on the DVD for this episode goes really into the casts feelings about the actor and the character. Larry David based Alton on a girlfriend's father, but the cast and crew were scared. This is a guy in his 70s that still had that same personality that he had in movies from the 40s and 50s. Those mob films, gangster ones. It's funny that his career was still going high a year and a half later when Reservoir Dogs hit theaters. Even from what I read, the crew of The Simpsons had issues with Tierney when he voiced a store security guy for an episode a few years later.
The idea of parents appearing in episodes from time to time is not unusual. Unfortunately, Tierney taking a knife off the set was a breaking point. A shame, though, because Alton terrifies Jerry and George very well. Talking about war and a tail gunner getting killed feels dark but still funny considering who he is talking to about it. Even early on in the episode, Elaine is uncomfortable having not seen her father in a while.
Outside of Jerry's main plot, George's is singing Les Miserables and they show it a handful of times. It helps a bit considering Jason Alexander being involved in theater. Kramer and Elaine have their own little story of their own. Kramer is watching birds for a magician and needs someone to watch them for a few minutes. He tried to get Jerry and George to do it, but they didn't. A funny bit includes Jerry knowing how his neighbor functions. Elaine winds up late to meet her father and the two. Her explanation is the opposite of how she was in The Busboy in that she is very animated about what happened with watching the birds. We do get a mention of her job at Pendant Publishing, a place that will have quite a bit of episode plot lines for her.
The ending is what you would expect out of anything Larry David writes. With what he and Jerry wrote for the episode, it's a great one. All four characters have their moments and are hilarious. Improvement of the stories and characters with each passing episode shows the genius of this sitcom.
Score: 8 out of 10
Next week's review is an episode NBC hated.
Jerry is browsing through jackets and finds himself a nice suede one. It fits him well and after a little concern about the price, he buys it. There seems to be this obsession over the fact that he loves it so much. To the point of Kramer taking his old jacket. Outside of that, the next big plot involves Jerry, Elaine, and George. All three are to meet and go to dinner with Alton Benes, Elaine's father.
For the guest stars before this episode, it consisted of small named actors or ones that they found on the street. Seinfeld went all out and got Lawrence Tierney. The Inside Look on the DVD for this episode goes really into the casts feelings about the actor and the character. Larry David based Alton on a girlfriend's father, but the cast and crew were scared. This is a guy in his 70s that still had that same personality that he had in movies from the 40s and 50s. Those mob films, gangster ones. It's funny that his career was still going high a year and a half later when Reservoir Dogs hit theaters. Even from what I read, the crew of The Simpsons had issues with Tierney when he voiced a store security guy for an episode a few years later.
The idea of parents appearing in episodes from time to time is not unusual. Unfortunately, Tierney taking a knife off the set was a breaking point. A shame, though, because Alton terrifies Jerry and George very well. Talking about war and a tail gunner getting killed feels dark but still funny considering who he is talking to about it. Even early on in the episode, Elaine is uncomfortable having not seen her father in a while.
Outside of Jerry's main plot, George's is singing Les Miserables and they show it a handful of times. It helps a bit considering Jason Alexander being involved in theater. Kramer and Elaine have their own little story of their own. Kramer is watching birds for a magician and needs someone to watch them for a few minutes. He tried to get Jerry and George to do it, but they didn't. A funny bit includes Jerry knowing how his neighbor functions. Elaine winds up late to meet her father and the two. Her explanation is the opposite of how she was in The Busboy in that she is very animated about what happened with watching the birds. We do get a mention of her job at Pendant Publishing, a place that will have quite a bit of episode plot lines for her.
The ending is what you would expect out of anything Larry David writes. With what he and Jerry wrote for the episode, it's a great one. All four characters have their moments and are hilarious. Improvement of the stories and characters with each passing episode shows the genius of this sitcom.
Score: 8 out of 10
Next week's review is an episode NBC hated.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Seinfeld: The Baby Shower Review
Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David wrote every episode of Seinfeld prior to The Baby Shower. This one here was headed by Larry Charles, who was responsible for a number of episodes up until its fifth season in 1994. It's an episode that attempts to give Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer a story with their paths crossing altogether.
For the title episode reason, Elaine is holding a baby shower for Leslie, a girl she knew in college. She doesn't have a place, so Jerry give her his apartment as he is going out of town to do some stand up. Something about her friend makes her want to do this. and gain George went out with Leslie once and got chocolate sauce on a shirt, resulting in him wanting revenge. Kramer's story is getting cable installed for free for Jerry from Soviet cable installers.
With Kramer's story, it becomes something you will see out of Charles' episodes. Jerry decides to get cable installed and gets a visit from the FBI. Kramer squealed and the cable installer was undercover. The result is Jerry trying to escape and getting killed. Charles was always known for dark plots and absurd moments. Whether these helped Seinfeld or not is up to you. In The Baby Shower, it is used very well and funny. Check out the bloopers for this episode as Jerry can't stop cracking up when Kramer starts mumbling about the death of his friend. It turns out to be a dream and the stand up is cancelled because of a snowstorm.
Everybody gets together by the end of the episode. The night of the shower, George gets Jerry and readies his revenge on Leslie. Kramer has the cable installed and the installers begin eating up the food. One of the additional stories includes Jerry going out with a girl once and not calling her back This one loses her shit.. In the end, things go south for everybody except Kramer. Leslie is still not pleased about Elaine. George's shirt gets worse, and Jerry gets the cable uninstalled with unforseen consequences.
There's not much else. One of the recurring things is the mentions of the Kennedys within a five year span. Other than that, another solid episode that stays consistently funny throughout. Not the greatest of story lines, but it's getting there.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, a nice jacket and Alton Benes.
For the title episode reason, Elaine is holding a baby shower for Leslie, a girl she knew in college. She doesn't have a place, so Jerry give her his apartment as he is going out of town to do some stand up. Something about her friend makes her want to do this. and gain George went out with Leslie once and got chocolate sauce on a shirt, resulting in him wanting revenge. Kramer's story is getting cable installed for free for Jerry from Soviet cable installers.
With Kramer's story, it becomes something you will see out of Charles' episodes. Jerry decides to get cable installed and gets a visit from the FBI. Kramer squealed and the cable installer was undercover. The result is Jerry trying to escape and getting killed. Charles was always known for dark plots and absurd moments. Whether these helped Seinfeld or not is up to you. In The Baby Shower, it is used very well and funny. Check out the bloopers for this episode as Jerry can't stop cracking up when Kramer starts mumbling about the death of his friend. It turns out to be a dream and the stand up is cancelled because of a snowstorm.
Everybody gets together by the end of the episode. The night of the shower, George gets Jerry and readies his revenge on Leslie. Kramer has the cable installed and the installers begin eating up the food. One of the additional stories includes Jerry going out with a girl once and not calling her back This one loses her shit.. In the end, things go south for everybody except Kramer. Leslie is still not pleased about Elaine. George's shirt gets worse, and Jerry gets the cable uninstalled with unforseen consequences.
There's not much else. One of the recurring things is the mentions of the Kennedys within a five year span. Other than that, another solid episode that stays consistently funny throughout. Not the greatest of story lines, but it's getting there.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, a nice jacket and Alton Benes.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Seinfeld: The Busboy Review
The Busboy is a weird episode to air out of order. When it first hit television, it was at the start of summer 1991. Why, I don't know.
In this episode, Jerry, George, and Elaine are enjoying dinner at a nice restaurant. As they discuss things, a busboy puts a menu way too close to a candle. It catches fire and the three caught sight of it with George putting out the flames. A manager comes out to find out what happened, and George tells him of the busboy leaving them there and Elaine making a sarcastic remark.. The result is the busboy being fired, and him giving a glare at George. That persuades him to go to the guy's apartment and apologize to him with Kramer in tow after Elaine helps him find the guy's place.
One issue some executives had was that Jerry didn't have much screen time. That will definitely shock some that the creator and star didn't have a plot despite writing the episode. With the Inside Look, the other members of the cast were happy they were give a chance to shine. Really, Kramer doesn't have much of a story either other than accompanying George to see the busboy. Both of them make things even worse when the busboy's cat runs out of the apartment and. Elaine's story is a boyfriend that she is trying to get rid of. He has to be on a morning plane to Seattle. This is one of the highlights of this episode as she tries desperately to get moving after oversleeping and explaining what happened to Jerry and George with taking him down. Just the breakdown alone at the end is hilarious.
The ending is a weird one considering the whole "no hugging, no learning" mentality. For the busboy, he is happy George got him fired and things are on the up and up. However, he gets in a scuffle with Elaine's boyfriend, resulting in a tumble off screen. That's basic gist for the episode. Elaine has to help her guy and George has to help with the busboy after their injuries. It's a solid episode. Not as good as Pony Remark, but still a good one to watch.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, cable hookups get Jerry in trouble
In this episode, Jerry, George, and Elaine are enjoying dinner at a nice restaurant. As they discuss things, a busboy puts a menu way too close to a candle. It catches fire and the three caught sight of it with George putting out the flames. A manager comes out to find out what happened, and George tells him of the busboy leaving them there and Elaine making a sarcastic remark.. The result is the busboy being fired, and him giving a glare at George. That persuades him to go to the guy's apartment and apologize to him with Kramer in tow after Elaine helps him find the guy's place.
One issue some executives had was that Jerry didn't have much screen time. That will definitely shock some that the creator and star didn't have a plot despite writing the episode. With the Inside Look, the other members of the cast were happy they were give a chance to shine. Really, Kramer doesn't have much of a story either other than accompanying George to see the busboy. Both of them make things even worse when the busboy's cat runs out of the apartment and. Elaine's story is a boyfriend that she is trying to get rid of. He has to be on a morning plane to Seattle. This is one of the highlights of this episode as she tries desperately to get moving after oversleeping and explaining what happened to Jerry and George with taking him down. Just the breakdown alone at the end is hilarious.
The ending is a weird one considering the whole "no hugging, no learning" mentality. For the busboy, he is happy George got him fired and things are on the up and up. However, he gets in a scuffle with Elaine's boyfriend, resulting in a tumble off screen. That's basic gist for the episode. Elaine has to help her guy and George has to help with the busboy after their injuries. It's a solid episode. Not as good as Pony Remark, but still a good one to watch.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, cable hookups get Jerry in trouble
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Seinfeld: The Pony Remark Review
Season 2 of Seinfeld started to rise in what made the show great. The Pony Remark is not just a good episode. It's a great one. For the title of it, it has the involvement of Jerry's family and people you will never see again. It is a couple's 50th anniversary and Jerry, Elaine, and Jerry's parents go to it. This is the first time seeing Barney Martin's take of Morty. It is also the first time seeing the obnoxious but funny Uncle Leo, played by the late Len Lesser. Both characters really add to the humor.
At the dinner, Helen mentions horses to Manya, the wife of the 50th anniversary couple. Jerry and Elaine make conversation about that and ponies, with Jerry saying he hated people with ponies. Manya reacts negatively to it. He tries to damage control what he said, even after she leaves the room. It is one of the funniest moments for this episode. The next day, Jerry gets a phone call and finds out Manya died.
Whether or not you want to view this as Jerry's remark killing Manya is up to you. Anyway, that's the main plot, The funeral has some funny scenes with him, Morty, who tries to avoid paying full fare back to Florida by airplane, and Elaine. She tries so hard at getting Manya and her husband Isaac's apartment.For this episode, she is consistently funny throughout it and one of the shining moments so far for the character.
There isn't much to the B-plots. Jerry has a championship game in softball. George isn't seen until halfway through the episode. It's strange. There's not anything, but he is part of the softball team as well. Kramer's plot is building levels in his apartment and making a bet with Jerry about doing it. He doesn't do them and doesn't adhere to the agreement of going out to dinner for not building the levels. Just the argument before and after the bet is hilarious due to Jerry believing in the project failing and flipping out when Kramer doesn't want to do it.
It's a constantly funny episode. They make good use of the parents. Leo's debut is good. With exception from George, the use of the main four was getting better and funnier. All the ingredients necessary to make an episode really worth watching.
Score: 8 out of 10
Next week's review is George trying to make peace with a busboy.
Score: 8 out of 10
Next week's review is George trying to make peace with a busboy.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Seinfeld: The Ex-Girlfriend Review
Let's kick off 2018 beginning with Seinfeld's second season. When it aired on NBC, it had a weird airing of their episodes. For the sake of this, I am going by the DVD order that they had.
The Ex-Girlfriend is in basic terms, a Jerry and George centric episode. George has had enough of his latest girlfriend, Marlene. Whether he should break up or not is the question. Jerry suggests getting it done quickly. During the episode, he does make the break up official, but with one issue. George enlists Jerry to get some books he left at Marlene's apartment. What does happen is Jerry falling for this Southern type girl. I wish I had more to say regarding this episode, but that's the main plot. The ending for it is hilarious in itself, especially when you watch the bloopers for these first two seasons.
George does have a plot of his own, and it showcases what audiences would love about him. He goes to a chiropractor and is in and out in a flash. With that he decides to not pay for the bill, or at least the entire thing. This is the kind of character we would see as time went on. A cheapskate who does not want to be ripped off or have to pay exuberant amounts for stuff he views as worthless. As far as Elaine and Kramer go, they have miniscule plots. Elaine's story is one about her neighbor and how it's lead from saying hi to just nodding to no nod. It's kind of funny, but a very weak one. Kramer's is about fruit. One of the nice things about Seinfeld is it's continuity, and it is nice to see them come back a few seasons later with his disapproval of bad fruit. He hates the cantaloupe and wants something that will taste good.
That's about it for the episode. All four characters are getting fleshed out more into the eccentric selfish jerks you grow to love. The actress playing Marlene does a very good job with the Southern accent. Overall, it's a solid open to their first actual season on the air during TV season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review: Who had a pony growing up? The Pony Remark, Seinfeld's first very good episode.
The Ex-Girlfriend is in basic terms, a Jerry and George centric episode. George has had enough of his latest girlfriend, Marlene. Whether he should break up or not is the question. Jerry suggests getting it done quickly. During the episode, he does make the break up official, but with one issue. George enlists Jerry to get some books he left at Marlene's apartment. What does happen is Jerry falling for this Southern type girl. I wish I had more to say regarding this episode, but that's the main plot. The ending for it is hilarious in itself, especially when you watch the bloopers for these first two seasons.
George does have a plot of his own, and it showcases what audiences would love about him. He goes to a chiropractor and is in and out in a flash. With that he decides to not pay for the bill, or at least the entire thing. This is the kind of character we would see as time went on. A cheapskate who does not want to be ripped off or have to pay exuberant amounts for stuff he views as worthless. As far as Elaine and Kramer go, they have miniscule plots. Elaine's story is one about her neighbor and how it's lead from saying hi to just nodding to no nod. It's kind of funny, but a very weak one. Kramer's is about fruit. One of the nice things about Seinfeld is it's continuity, and it is nice to see them come back a few seasons later with his disapproval of bad fruit. He hates the cantaloupe and wants something that will taste good.
That's about it for the episode. All four characters are getting fleshed out more into the eccentric selfish jerks you grow to love. The actress playing Marlene does a very good job with the Southern accent. Overall, it's a solid open to their first actual season on the air during TV season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review: Who had a pony growing up? The Pony Remark, Seinfeld's first very good episode.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Seinfeld: The Stock Tip Review
There are SPOILERS for this episode. Fair Warning to those who haven't seen this episode.
Seinfeld always had the mantra of "no hugging, no learning." That meant the characters didn't learn anything following what they did throughout its run. The Stock Tip is an interesting one in its own right. Not because of the plot idea, but the way Larry David and Jerry wrote this episode. It was still in its infancy and they were trying different things while still straying from most typical sitcoms of the time.
It's another Jerry and George episode. For this one, George looks at the stocks and decides to invest in one involving opera. He gets Jerry to get a piece of the stock as well. Things go south and Jerry panics. No one knows where the man in charge is following the stock going down a few points. George tries to visit the main guy, but fails at trying to talk to him. In the end, he keeps his stock, while Jerry sells his.
I know this is a very, very early episode in its run, but it's an extremely rare sight to see George on the receiving end of something good. The end of the episode shows him acting like a big shot and explaining a new stock to Jerry and Elaine, but we also get to see a bit of cheapness with footing a meal bill. As with the other episodes of this season, David and Jerry are still trying things with the characters that would eventually mold them and make them really loved.
Jerry has a B-plot for The Stock Tip. He is still with Vanessa, the woman who he staked out a few episodes before. An idea in his mind is taking her for a weekend getaway. Elaine offers ideas of where to go and George thinks it would ruin the relationship. It's funny that even Vanessa shares the same sentiment as George, although a little more optimistic. The predicament for what happens next is expected. A romantic together leads to a break up with Jerry knowing how bad of an idea it was.
Elaine's story is another relationship one. Her newest boyfriend is a delight, but has cats which gives her allergies. One thing to see is how she is regarding animals. She was a bit like an activist in the early seasons. Still, she has her moments. Kramer is only in a couple scenes. His stuff is smiling at Jerry's misery because of the stock decline and another idea he has. I think his roll out tie dispenser is not a bad idea in itself.
Really, all four characters have funny moments throughout the episode. There is a bit of Superman humor and a couple other small bits that make the episode good. For a very short first season, Seinfeld may not had been strong, but it was consistent at getting laughs.
Score: 7 out of 10
I'm taking November off from TV review blogs. I'll come back sometime in December and start doing some reviews of The Simpsons. Enjoy the reviews of both Seinfeld and The Simpsons for now.
Seinfeld always had the mantra of "no hugging, no learning." That meant the characters didn't learn anything following what they did throughout its run. The Stock Tip is an interesting one in its own right. Not because of the plot idea, but the way Larry David and Jerry wrote this episode. It was still in its infancy and they were trying different things while still straying from most typical sitcoms of the time.
It's another Jerry and George episode. For this one, George looks at the stocks and decides to invest in one involving opera. He gets Jerry to get a piece of the stock as well. Things go south and Jerry panics. No one knows where the man in charge is following the stock going down a few points. George tries to visit the main guy, but fails at trying to talk to him. In the end, he keeps his stock, while Jerry sells his.
I know this is a very, very early episode in its run, but it's an extremely rare sight to see George on the receiving end of something good. The end of the episode shows him acting like a big shot and explaining a new stock to Jerry and Elaine, but we also get to see a bit of cheapness with footing a meal bill. As with the other episodes of this season, David and Jerry are still trying things with the characters that would eventually mold them and make them really loved.
Jerry has a B-plot for The Stock Tip. He is still with Vanessa, the woman who he staked out a few episodes before. An idea in his mind is taking her for a weekend getaway. Elaine offers ideas of where to go and George thinks it would ruin the relationship. It's funny that even Vanessa shares the same sentiment as George, although a little more optimistic. The predicament for what happens next is expected. A romantic together leads to a break up with Jerry knowing how bad of an idea it was.
Elaine's story is another relationship one. Her newest boyfriend is a delight, but has cats which gives her allergies. One thing to see is how she is regarding animals. She was a bit like an activist in the early seasons. Still, she has her moments. Kramer is only in a couple scenes. His stuff is smiling at Jerry's misery because of the stock decline and another idea he has. I think his roll out tie dispenser is not a bad idea in itself.
Really, all four characters have funny moments throughout the episode. There is a bit of Superman humor and a couple other small bits that make the episode good. For a very short first season, Seinfeld may not had been strong, but it was consistent at getting laughs.
Score: 7 out of 10
I'm taking November off from TV review blogs. I'll come back sometime in December and start doing some reviews of The Simpsons. Enjoy the reviews of both Seinfeld and The Simpsons for now.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Seinfeld: The Robbery Review
The Robbery is an interesting one in the short first season of Seinfeld. It sort of is based on some stuff that did happened to Jerry. Unfortunately, it's somewhat of a weak episode, but still holds on to some funny moments. It is also one of the few times that George's job as a real estate agent is used in the early days of its run.
Jerry goes to Minneapolis to do some stand up. He has Elaine in charge of watching his apartment with a set of demands. When he gets back however, a number of his items are stolen, all thanks to Kramer leaving his door open. Questions arise before and after the robbery about Jerry and the possibility of finding a new apartment due to problems with the building. Luckily, George has the keys and with badgering from him and Elaine, Jerry decides to look at the apartment.
For the rest of the episode, it becomes a fight between Jerry and George for whoever wants the apartment after Jerry decides he's going to move in. It's stuff that children would do. The ending for it is not one of its strong points, but it does shows the idea of what the characters could have had or not had. Honestly, I don't have much to say for it. It's a straight forward episode with a focus on one thing and that's it. Jerry's story is the apartment with George and Elaine in the mix.
George is basically doing his job for his friend and gets a bit jealous and envious of what Jerry is going to get. That's the stuff that makes the character great. Elaine doesn't have much other than wanting to get out of her own apartment because of her roommate. It won't be the last time she has issues with her. She has a few funny moments for this episode. Kramer's scenes are explaining what happened that led to the robbery and about a neighbor who he thinks robbed Jerry. His stuff isn't too funny.
It feels like a different approach compared to the other episodes, but you can see how much more they were trying to get Elaine in a number of scenes alongside Jerry and George. The second half feels like filler with the stand up, which is very funny in itself. It was probably hard to write any humor considering how straight forward it was. Like I said, it has its moments, but overall, the weakest of Season 1
Score: 6 out of 10
Next week, Jerry and George invest in stock.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Seinfeld: Male Unbonding Review
POTENTIAL SPOILERS:
Now this is what we're talking about. The look, the theme, the characters. A big blueprint for what Seinfeld would become. It was a gamble to make four more episodes. Note that I am going by production order rather than when these episodes originally aired. So onto Male Unbonding, the only episode without "The" in it. (I think Seinfeld should have let the writers come up with some creative episode names. Some of them during its run are B-plot and not the main focus)
It's a Jerry episode for the most part, but with Kramer creating the reason for it. Jerry gets a call from a friend since childhood, Joel Horneck, who talked to Kramer. The comedian cannot stand the guy as he complains to his neighbor and George. An idea to end the friendship is skeptical but tried. Joel, played by Kevin Dunn, is a huge prick with a very short attention span. He doesn't care for what Jerry says and harasses a waitress at the coffee shop. Jerry decides to end it, but it backfires, resulting in his "friend" crying and tries to make amends.
Throughout the episode after that, Jerry tries to do whatever he can to avoid Joel. For the most part it works. George's story is pretty small, but he does serve as an important part of Male Unbonding. He has a decent relationship with a woman that goes south following an incident at a theater. However, he is the main reason for Jerry wanting to end the friendship with Joel. Not much else is there for him other than rolling coins from a huge jar of change and flipping out on Jerry for giving up tickets to the Knicks game.
Kramer, much like the pilot, has very small screen time. As mentioned, talking to Joel over the phone is the catalyst for the episode. This is also the episode with mentions of Kramerica Industries and a pizza place where people can make their own pizza, ideas that would resurface when the show got big. This is also the first produced episode with Elaine Benes. Like Kramer, she doesn't have much screen time as well. She has no story other than helping Jerry with his problem with Joel and hearing the sob story.
As I watch this, you can see the stuff that got Seinfeld and Larry David's feet wet. They needed a good impression and hit it out of the park. The characters feel a bit like what millions would watch throughout the years. It's got the stuff that they obsess over such as the relationships. Really, the only thing that isn't good is the lack of both Kramer and Elaine in the episode. Even George a little bit, but that part is minor. Despite that, it was a step in the right direction back in 1990. It's another solid episode in it's very short first season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, Jerry decides to stake out a woman he saw at a get together.
Now this is what we're talking about. The look, the theme, the characters. A big blueprint for what Seinfeld would become. It was a gamble to make four more episodes. Note that I am going by production order rather than when these episodes originally aired. So onto Male Unbonding, the only episode without "The" in it. (I think Seinfeld should have let the writers come up with some creative episode names. Some of them during its run are B-plot and not the main focus)
It's a Jerry episode for the most part, but with Kramer creating the reason for it. Jerry gets a call from a friend since childhood, Joel Horneck, who talked to Kramer. The comedian cannot stand the guy as he complains to his neighbor and George. An idea to end the friendship is skeptical but tried. Joel, played by Kevin Dunn, is a huge prick with a very short attention span. He doesn't care for what Jerry says and harasses a waitress at the coffee shop. Jerry decides to end it, but it backfires, resulting in his "friend" crying and tries to make amends.
Throughout the episode after that, Jerry tries to do whatever he can to avoid Joel. For the most part it works. George's story is pretty small, but he does serve as an important part of Male Unbonding. He has a decent relationship with a woman that goes south following an incident at a theater. However, he is the main reason for Jerry wanting to end the friendship with Joel. Not much else is there for him other than rolling coins from a huge jar of change and flipping out on Jerry for giving up tickets to the Knicks game.
Kramer, much like the pilot, has very small screen time. As mentioned, talking to Joel over the phone is the catalyst for the episode. This is also the episode with mentions of Kramerica Industries and a pizza place where people can make their own pizza, ideas that would resurface when the show got big. This is also the first produced episode with Elaine Benes. Like Kramer, she doesn't have much screen time as well. She has no story other than helping Jerry with his problem with Joel and hearing the sob story.
As I watch this, you can see the stuff that got Seinfeld and Larry David's feet wet. They needed a good impression and hit it out of the park. The characters feel a bit like what millions would watch throughout the years. It's got the stuff that they obsess over such as the relationships. Really, the only thing that isn't good is the lack of both Kramer and Elaine in the episode. Even George a little bit, but that part is minor. Despite that, it was a step in the right direction back in 1990. It's another solid episode in it's very short first season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, Jerry decides to stake out a woman he saw at a get together.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Seinfeld: The Seinfeld Chronicles Review (Good News, Bad News)
WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
If there was ever an auspicious way to begin a good run on television, Seinfeld might be a prime example. It may be hard to think today it was deemed to fail, but in 1988, test audiences were not impressed with what creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote. For NBC, they let it die off in the summer of 1989, airing it in July. It was one that could have been on Fox or a couple of other networks, but it took some convincing to even get a first season. NBC took a shot. They did with Cheers after a dreadful debut in 1982 and it grew into one of the 80's biggest sitcoms.
For the pilot, The Seinfeld Chronicles, it is such a different animal. Outside of its initial broadcast, your only chance of watching the original version is on DVD, which they provide that and the revised broadcast with the familiar sounds you know and love. Some things will be familiar like Jerry's apartment despite looking a little different. Kramer is Kessler, which they would address very late in the show's run. And the local coffee shop, Monk's, is not here.
Getting into the pilot, Jerry and George Costanza are in a talk throughout the episode of a woman Jerry met doing stand up. George doesn't buy into the woman being serious into his friend and Jerry is confused at times during most of it. This is the kind of stuff that would be a staple during the show's run. It's talking about the little things such as signals and even talking other stuff like laundry. One of the bits early on was Jerry's stand up, which they integrated heavily in the first season. They certainly add a bit to how Jerry feels during the episode and adds to the humor of it, which is surprisingly solid for a pilot.
Really, it's mostly a Jerry episode. There isn't much for George, but you can see the chemistry between Seinfeld and Jason Alexander with the scenes they have. They provide strong humor with how they interact in the facets of life. Kramer isn't seen in much of it, but how he is is a start to the wackiness he would add to many episodes. One thing people will find odd is no Elaine. Obviously, they were trying something different before they created her with the waitress Claire. For that character, played by Lee Garlington, her very brief moment in the pilot is somewhat funny, though it is a monotone approach to acting.
It is a little rough around the edges. The original theme is very outdated and cheesy, even for the 80's. Kramer's dog feels out of place. As I said, it's mostly a Jerry episode, but that shouldn't deter anyone from watching it. I expected it to be the norm of most pilots, but I find it to be a surprisingly solid one. The novelty of its initial broadcast makes it a much watch just to see what it was like back in July of 1989.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review involves Jerry trying to end a friendship with an obnoxious guy.
If there was ever an auspicious way to begin a good run on television, Seinfeld might be a prime example. It may be hard to think today it was deemed to fail, but in 1988, test audiences were not impressed with what creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote. For NBC, they let it die off in the summer of 1989, airing it in July. It was one that could have been on Fox or a couple of other networks, but it took some convincing to even get a first season. NBC took a shot. They did with Cheers after a dreadful debut in 1982 and it grew into one of the 80's biggest sitcoms.
For the pilot, The Seinfeld Chronicles, it is such a different animal. Outside of its initial broadcast, your only chance of watching the original version is on DVD, which they provide that and the revised broadcast with the familiar sounds you know and love. Some things will be familiar like Jerry's apartment despite looking a little different. Kramer is Kessler, which they would address very late in the show's run. And the local coffee shop, Monk's, is not here.
Getting into the pilot, Jerry and George Costanza are in a talk throughout the episode of a woman Jerry met doing stand up. George doesn't buy into the woman being serious into his friend and Jerry is confused at times during most of it. This is the kind of stuff that would be a staple during the show's run. It's talking about the little things such as signals and even talking other stuff like laundry. One of the bits early on was Jerry's stand up, which they integrated heavily in the first season. They certainly add a bit to how Jerry feels during the episode and adds to the humor of it, which is surprisingly solid for a pilot.
Really, it's mostly a Jerry episode. There isn't much for George, but you can see the chemistry between Seinfeld and Jason Alexander with the scenes they have. They provide strong humor with how they interact in the facets of life. Kramer isn't seen in much of it, but how he is is a start to the wackiness he would add to many episodes. One thing people will find odd is no Elaine. Obviously, they were trying something different before they created her with the waitress Claire. For that character, played by Lee Garlington, her very brief moment in the pilot is somewhat funny, though it is a monotone approach to acting.
It is a little rough around the edges. The original theme is very outdated and cheesy, even for the 80's. Kramer's dog feels out of place. As I said, it's mostly a Jerry episode, but that shouldn't deter anyone from watching it. I expected it to be the norm of most pilots, but I find it to be a surprisingly solid one. The novelty of its initial broadcast makes it a much watch just to see what it was like back in July of 1989.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review involves Jerry trying to end a friendship with an obnoxious guy.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Too Many Commercials
As television has grown to where there are lots of cable networks competing, there is always a constant. That is the constant feed of commercials. In a time of watching stuff on AMC and Spike, you will always find five minutes of commercials before going back to the show or film before getting another five minutes. With that in mind, here is one that will creep up and anger people more. It is seven minutes of commercials per break.
Last year, I watched a few movies on cable. Early in the year, I watched an airing of Jackass: The Movie on MTV. It's not lengthy, but there was a point in the middle of the film where it was bombarded with two straight breaks of seven to eight minutes. A few months later, I watched the 60s version of The Jungle Book on Freeform. That film was not lengthy, either, but it was reaching points where it had some of the commercial lengths as Jackass did and had a two hour fifteen minute air time on the channel. As I look at some of these channels, it's been very evident for years that they are desperate for money and a few extra commercials is their way of getting more revenue in a time where people are going to Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, and other sites to get their TV or movie fix. The thought of every channel going seven minutes is a scary one.
As of now, the biggest offender is Viacom. Most of their channels employ tactics to get extra commercials. The air times on stuff like Comedy Central, MTV, and BET is beyond absurd and stupid. Looking at what is on for films for the rest of the week, two films had three and a half hour air times. These weren't dramas or even mob films. They were comedies that aren't that long. One clocked at below an hour fifty and the other was a few minutes past two hours. The tactic might work for Viacom in the short term, but long term is going to be a rough road if it backfires.
Syndication cuts are pretty obvious when it boils down to TV shows, but that's for another topic if it gets made. The tactic is time compression, which is speeding up shows to fit in the half hour time span of the syndicated version of the show to get more commercial time. Some movies do that, but they go more for cutting stuff for both time and content. This was a big deal a few years ago when sites and a few entertainment shows talked about a video one did on YouTube in 2013 on Seinfeld reruns ten years earlier at the time. He did a test in 2015 to see how much of a difference it was and it was sped up a little more.
It's not just TBS. It's pretty much the case with any network that has shows up until the 90s to early 2000s. Even some of the early SpongeBob SquarePants episodes suffer because of the era it was in. Yeah, original content like The Walking Dead may get millions of viewers, but for anyone wanting reruns of shows, the choice is obvious now these days. Networks are still going to wonder why they keep losing viewership. Netflix, Hulu, and other sites have access to all episodes of a show and barring certain things like Saturday Night Live and South Park, should be uncut and unaltered. You can watch as many times as you want before deals expire on shows.
Movies, on the other hand, is tougher. It's hard to know when a deal can be made on some films, popular or unpopular. Networks envy the most recent ones and try to get them on HBO or Showtime before going to a cable network like FX or AMC. Companies are making deals to stream exclusively on one platform, though, making them adjust pretty well to the modern era of watching things. Unfortunately, not every film will make it to an online site and unless you're not able to find on DVD or Blu-ray, you might be stuck with the cable version.
Could we see a time where there is ten minutes of commercials in one break? I hope not. With losing viewership from a number of networks (some of which cannot be blamed on commercials) and rising costs per household, it could be a reality that will be dreaded, even if you are dedicated to something like a 15-hour South Park marathon. Only time will tell, and it may look no good.
Last year, I watched a few movies on cable. Early in the year, I watched an airing of Jackass: The Movie on MTV. It's not lengthy, but there was a point in the middle of the film where it was bombarded with two straight breaks of seven to eight minutes. A few months later, I watched the 60s version of The Jungle Book on Freeform. That film was not lengthy, either, but it was reaching points where it had some of the commercial lengths as Jackass did and had a two hour fifteen minute air time on the channel. As I look at some of these channels, it's been very evident for years that they are desperate for money and a few extra commercials is their way of getting more revenue in a time where people are going to Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, and other sites to get their TV or movie fix. The thought of every channel going seven minutes is a scary one.
As of now, the biggest offender is Viacom. Most of their channels employ tactics to get extra commercials. The air times on stuff like Comedy Central, MTV, and BET is beyond absurd and stupid. Looking at what is on for films for the rest of the week, two films had three and a half hour air times. These weren't dramas or even mob films. They were comedies that aren't that long. One clocked at below an hour fifty and the other was a few minutes past two hours. The tactic might work for Viacom in the short term, but long term is going to be a rough road if it backfires.
Syndication cuts are pretty obvious when it boils down to TV shows, but that's for another topic if it gets made. The tactic is time compression, which is speeding up shows to fit in the half hour time span of the syndicated version of the show to get more commercial time. Some movies do that, but they go more for cutting stuff for both time and content. This was a big deal a few years ago when sites and a few entertainment shows talked about a video one did on YouTube in 2013 on Seinfeld reruns ten years earlier at the time. He did a test in 2015 to see how much of a difference it was and it was sped up a little more.
It's not just TBS. It's pretty much the case with any network that has shows up until the 90s to early 2000s. Even some of the early SpongeBob SquarePants episodes suffer because of the era it was in. Yeah, original content like The Walking Dead may get millions of viewers, but for anyone wanting reruns of shows, the choice is obvious now these days. Networks are still going to wonder why they keep losing viewership. Netflix, Hulu, and other sites have access to all episodes of a show and barring certain things like Saturday Night Live and South Park, should be uncut and unaltered. You can watch as many times as you want before deals expire on shows.
Movies, on the other hand, is tougher. It's hard to know when a deal can be made on some films, popular or unpopular. Networks envy the most recent ones and try to get them on HBO or Showtime before going to a cable network like FX or AMC. Companies are making deals to stream exclusively on one platform, though, making them adjust pretty well to the modern era of watching things. Unfortunately, not every film will make it to an online site and unless you're not able to find on DVD or Blu-ray, you might be stuck with the cable version.
Could we see a time where there is ten minutes of commercials in one break? I hope not. With losing viewership from a number of networks (some of which cannot be blamed on commercials) and rising costs per household, it could be a reality that will be dreaded, even if you are dedicated to something like a 15-hour South Park marathon. Only time will tell, and it may look no good.
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