Support NeoGAF

[Apt101]

The first few seasons got bad reviews because it was a fresh take on comedy. A lot of people didn't get it. Now today's crowd looks back on those first two seasons and think they're great, because the last decade-or-so has seen hundreds of shows that were influenced by it.

 

[freeofgreed]

Never watched it, but have always heard people hype it up. I gotta sit down and watch it one of these days.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

First season sucks. Only picks up when the characters personalities are truly revealed.

 

[inm8num2]

The last two seasons were a step down but still pretty good. The characters became caricatures (Jerry always talking in the high pitched voice, George always yelling about something) and the writing suffered without Larry David's input. Still enjoyable and far from being bad, just more silly.

 

[Goldenroad]

Maybe season 1 hasn't aged all that well, but it's only 4 or 5 episodes including the pilot. The rest of it is gold, Jerry, gold.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

wasn't Seinfeld supposed to come to Netflix Instant? or am i confusing shit

Hulu

 

[True Savior]

The first few episodes are definitely the worst. The rest is pretty much perfect , outside of 1-2 exceptions. Even without Larry the show was amazing , albeit much wackier.

 

[CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls]

Everything I've seen of Seinfeld makes it look like a ridiculously boring 90s show on the same level as Frasier.

 

[thenexus6]

I really wish there was a way to easily stream this in the UK I would love to just put on random episodes when i'm bored.

 

[stn]

Its my favorite show ever, love it. Still laughing at re-runs to this day.

 

[BowieZ]

Everything I've seen of Seinfeld makes it look like a ridiculously boring 90s show on the same level as Frasier.

So you've never really sat down and watched either show, then.

 

[The Albatross]

Seasons 1 isn't good, but it's like any first season of any show when it doesn't have itself figured out... Especially back then, networks would take a chance on something before the idea was fully cooked.

Last 2 seasons some episodes are hit or miss, but largely, they're good just the characters devolved into caricatures of themselves as ideas ran dry. At the time, I remember being pissed that Jerry Seinfeld didn't want to do another season, but he was smart to do so... the show never got outright bad because they knew when to quit.

 

[tearsintherain]

Its one of my favorite shows ever but like 80% of the plots revolve around person A not being able to communicate with person B quickly, so I imagine for kids today it'll seem kinda stupid.

 

[BowieZ]

Its one of my favorite shows ever but like 80% of the plots revolve around person A not being able to communicate with person B quickly, so I imagine for kids today it'll seem kinda stupid.

I don't really think that's true though. The Parking Garage probably wouldn't work, but how many kids these days forget to charge their phones? A lot, if my workplace of 20-somethings is anything to go by.

 

[Paltheos]

Most people may disagree with me, but I dislike season one more than I dislike the last season. It just didn't feel like it had come into it's own yet. I still wouldn't call it "bad" though.

That doesn't seem to be the case from these reactions. I agree too.

Edit: I mean that people disagreeing with you doesn't to be the case, and I agree with you. Realized that wasn't clear after I clicked go.

 

[thelatestmodel]

Nope. It just got better, and better, and better. It's a real treasure.

 

[bakerbakes]

Larry David can do no wrong.

 

[Zuhzuhzombie!!]

It was never bad. When Larry David left it definitely got a bit zanier but those seasons still produced the most memorable episodes. Was always great.

What season did he leave?

 

[Monochromaticx]

What season did he leave?

after 7 I believe.

 

[Kaladin]

Post-Larry Seinfeld gave us The Soup Nazi....I'm okay with that.

 

[flkraven]

I only dislike the last season. "Angry George" becomes a caricature. He's basically always screaming and freaking out about small things. It's not his little cute act anymore...it's basically all he does.

To be fair, he had been through a lot up until that point.

 

[Monochromaticx]

Post-Larry Seinfeld gave us The Soup Nazi....I'm okay with that.

nope. that was with david in season 7

 

[KHlover]

Maybe it's the German localization, maybe it's the age gap - the fact remains that I never found Seinfeld to be terribly funny. I recognize that it invented like 90% of the tropes used in modern comedy though, so you'll never hear me badmouth it beyond quoting the relevant TVtropes trope:

"Seinfeld is unfunny"

 

[Kaladin]

nope. that was with david in season 7

It was...I was thinking it was 8.

Still...Post-Larry gave us Serenity Now!

 

[tearsintherain]

Since its sorta relevant, for the seinfeld fans who missed it earlier this month Jason Alexander explained why Susan died off in the show. I never knew it and its so weird - the cast just couldn't act with the actress playing Susan:
http://www.eonline.com/news/663107/...ains-why-seinfeld-killed-off-george-s-fiancee

Also season 7 of Curb Your Enthusiasm had a long Seinfeld reunion subplot and its worth watching the entire season for any Seinfeld fans.

 

[Catdaddy]

Rewatching it myself on TBS, and the weakest is Season 1, but still excellent. There are a few shows that are subpar compared to other shows, but a subpar Seinfeld episode is equal to the best shows of other good series. I do miss TBS taking “Puerto Rican Flag Day” out of syndication, cause it had the “George vs the laser pointer” part. IMO the only series that came close to the consistency of Seinfeld was Arrested Development….then they made a Season 4 and blew it.

 

[Kaladin]

Rewatching it myself on TBS, and the weakest is Season 1, but still excellent. There are a few shows that are subpar compared to other shows, but a subpar Seinfeld episode is equal to the best shows of other good series. I do miss TBS taking “Puerto Rican Flag Day” out of syndication, cause it had the “George vs the laser pointer” part. IMO the only series that came close to the consistency of Seinfeld was Arrested Development….then they made a Season 4 and blue it.

FTFY

 

[markhimself46]

This and Curb are two of the most consistently strong shows ever. Larry David is great with characters, dialogue, and story-telling.

 

[Gentle Rodriguez]

I honestly got a bit upset that George was okay with his wife dying because of him being cheap, I was always okay with the characters being assholes but that's straight up sociopath behaviour and I thought it was a bit much. Don't like the decision to let Susan die in general, there's tons of other ways to write her out of the show.

 

[BumRush]

No, I think it's a consistently amazing show. The writing, the characters, the fact that it was literally about nothing...just so good.

 

[E the Shaggy]

The last season certainly gets goofier, but I still love it all the same.

"IT'S TWIX! THEY'RE ALL TWIX! IT WAS A SET-UP! A SET-UP I TELL YA BUT YOU SCREWED ME! YOU'VE SCREWED ME AGAIN!"

 

[RoadHazard]

Nope. It wasn't always as great as it could be, but it was never bad IMO. And at its best it was THE best. Nothing has reached its comedy heights ever since. I really don't get people who straight up dislike it. I mean, opinions and all, but those people are just wrong. And crazy.

Actually, I wonder if there's any correlation between people who dislike Seinfeld and those who love lowest common denominator junk like Two and a Half Men. Hmm, I wonder indeed...

 

[Rapscallion]

I honestly got a bit upset that George was okay with his wife dying because of him being cheap, I was always okay with the characters being assholes but that's straight up sociopath behaviour and I thought it was a bit much. Don't like the decision to let Susan die in general, there's tons of other ways to write her out of the show.

One thing that shows like Seinfeld and The Simpsons really ushered in was the philosophy that sitcom can just be comedy; it doesn't need life lessons, morals, or emotions. If that's your philosophy, then even death is not immune to that.

It would be different if the actress died or something actually happened in real life, but them not taking a character's death seriously is par for the show.

 

[pgtl_10]

Its one of my favorite shows ever but like 80% of the plots revolve around person A not being able to communicate with person B quickly, so I imagine for kids today it'll seem kinda stupid.

No I think more people could relate to Seinfield than any other show. The plots really involved everyday life.

 

[inm8num2]

The basic operating principle of Seinfeld was "No hugging, no learning". That's why the show worked so well.

 

[Link]

Rewatching it myself on TBS, and the weakest is Season 1, but still excellent. There are a few shows that are subpar compared to other shows, but a subpar Seinfeld episode is equal to the best shows of other good series. I do miss TBS taking “Puerto Rican Flag Day” out of syndication, cause it had the “George vs the laser pointer” part. IMO the only series that came close to the consistency of Seinfeld was Arrested Development….then they made a Season 4 and blew it.

I'm pretty sure The Puerto Rican Day is back in syndication. I know I've seen it recently.

 

[kittoo]

I mean, there are better episodes than others for sure, but I think even the worst episode of seinfeld is a lot better than the best episode of a lot of other shows.

Exactly. The quality from season 2 onwards is absolutely crazy. Its God-tier, as someone said. Nothing will ever come close. Every single episode seems absolute classic.

 

[Rapscallion]

Exactly. The quality from season 2 onwards is absolutely crazy. Its God-tier, as someone said. Nothing will ever come close. Every single episode seems absolute classic.

It's one of the few shows that I can think of a "bad episode". Even at its worst (the finale, maybe?) it's still a pretty funny show.

The only other long running shows I can think that have had such consistency are Curb and Malcolm in The Middle. It's Always Sunny is getting there too.

 

[Jigorath]

There was a definite drop in quality after Larry David left. It was still good, but not as good.

And the finale sucked, I know what they were going for but it sucked. Jackie Chiles is the worst lawyer on the planet for not pointing out the carjacker may have had a gun.

 

[Catdaddy]

I'm pretty sure The Puerto Rican Day is back in syndication. I know I've seen it recently.

I believe its in there, but some stations won't air it and I think TBS is one of them. I know I haven't seen it in years, maybe since it aired back in the late 90s.

 

[PetriP-TNT]

I remember thinking there was one bad (/weird) episode somewhere around season 7 that only made me feel uncomfortable but otherwise it's gold jerry, gold

 

[Ambient80]

So you've never really sat down and watched either show, then.

Lol right? They were totally different, although I found both to be hilarious in their own way.

 

[Plinko]

It dipped in quality a little towards the end there but it was never bad.

Seinfeld at its worst is still better than most comedies at their best.

I disagree. It got even better as time went on. Season 9 gave us plenty of classics. I thought the show was really weak at the beginning of its run but picked up in season 3 forward.

 

[RibMan]

Seinfeld was a good show that had its fair share of bad episodes. I'd say it's a 7/10 show - good, but it has a lot of issues.

Examples of great episodes:

1) The episode where Jerry is dating a deaf woman who can read lips. The dinner scene where Jerry and George are talking by trying to hide their lips is executed brilliantly.

2) The episode where Jerry is trying to get a massage from the masseuse he's dating. Excellent execution of a really simple joke.

3) The episode where Elaine determines whether the guy she's seeing is Sponge-worthy or not. The interview she conducts is brilliant.

Examples of bad episodes:

1) The episode in the mall parking lot where they're trying to find Kramer's car. Tedious episode.

2) The episode where George goes in to interview for a bra-salesman position. The way he

Spoiler

doesn't get the job by tugging the bra of the female executive

doesn't fit his character. He's portrayed as an idiot, but he's not that stupid.

3) Any episode with George's parents. Unlike Jerry's parents, George's parents are deliberately written to be excessively loud and ignorant, which doesn't really work. This brings me to the next section...

...Examples of terrible writing:

1) When Elaine is trying to breakup with her boyfriend who happens to be a psychologist. She gets Kramer to pretend to be her boyfriend and then proceeds to setup a call between Kramer and her boyfriend. For some reason, Kramer lets the guy walk all over him and completely fails to hold his ground. This is in direct contrast to the way they setup Kramer's character in the missing vase/statue episode, wherein Kramer

Spoiler

goes over to the thief's apartment and gets the statue back by posing as a tough detective

. Prior to the psychologist episode, as a viewer, you're watching Kramer and thinking "He's clumsy but he's badass". After the episode you're left thinking "He's clumsy and he's a coward". They just cheapened his character and gave him unlikeable qualities.

2) Elaine in later seasons. In earlier seasons, her character was witty, aggressive, and wise-cracking. In later seasons (Especially after she starts working in fashion) they make her react like a child to different situations; She's always on the verge of tears.

3) George's character. They took the "Whiny and cheap friend who always counts his change" angle too far, and on multiple occassions (as a viewer) you find yourself rooting against George because of how he lets a small amount of money affect his life. They made him too cheap and too whiny.

Overall, I'd say Seinfeld is better than a lot of shows from the late 80's and 90's, but it doesn't reach the legendary status of other sitcoms e.g. South Park, Friends.

 

[True Savior]

I disagree. It got even better as time went on. Season 9 gave us plenty of classics. I thought the show was really weak at the beginning of its run but picked up in season 3 forward.

Agreed. Season 9 has George faking being disabled , Serenity Now , Food + Sex combo , Merv Griffin Show , George trying to get airbrushed from a photo , the backwards weeding , kramer getting back to work , the dealership , the reverse peephole , george lies about the the house in the hamptons , uncle leo shooplifting and bathroom book . All of this is more or less hysterical.

 

[RibMan]

Its one of my favorite shows ever but like 80% of the plots revolve around person A not being able to communicate with person B quickly, so I imagine for kids today it'll seem kinda stupid.

Yep. I've literally heard people ask "Why were people so slow back then?" in relation to Seinfeld. A lot of the jokes in the show rely on people being either a) Very slow to respond or b) Weirdly scared to ask stuff (e.g. The episode where George doesn't hear what his boss said in the bathroom and is scared of asking his boss to repeat the instructions).

 

[Gentleman Jack]

To be fair, he had been through a lot up until that point.

Everything bad that happened to George that wasn't directly inflicted on him by his parents or Kramer was his own fault.

 

[Plinko]

Examples of bad episodes:

1) The episode in the mall parking lot where they're trying to find Kramer's car. Tedious episode.

This episode is an absolute classic. Fantastic writing.

2) The episode where George goes in to interview for a bra-salesman position. The way he

Spoiler

doesn't get the job by tugging the bra of the female executive

doesn't fit his character. He's portrayed as an idiot, but he's not that stupid.

Earlier in the episode, George was intrigued about how Jake Jarmel picked up Elaine by feeling her material. It made perfect sense in the storyline.

...Examples of terrible writing:

1) When Elaine is trying to breakup with her boyfriend who happens to be a psychologist. She gets Kramer to pretend to be her boyfriend and then proceeds to setup a call between Kramer and her boyfriend. For some reason, Kramer lets the guy walk all over him and completely fails to hold his ground. This is in direct contrast to the way they setup Kramer's character in the missing vase/statue episode, wherein Kramer

Spoiler

goes over to the thief's apartment and gets the statue back by posing as a tough detective

. Prior to the psychologist episode, as a viewer, you're watching Kramer and thinking "He's clumsy but he's badass". After the episode you're left thinking "He's clumsy and he's a coward". They just cheapened his character and gave him unlikeable qualities.

The entire joke was that the therapist had complete control over anyone and everyone. That's why Kramer gives in.

2) Elaine in later seasons. In earlier seasons, her character was witty, aggressive, and wise-cracking. In later seasons (Especially after she starts working in fashion) they make her react like a child to different situations; She's always on the verge of tears.

I absolutely 100% agree here. I hated what they did to the Elaine character. The first few seasons she was smart. By season 7/8, she was a sex-crazed lunatic who was incredibly selfish.

.

 

[xDUMPWEEDx]

RIP George's high score and Frogger machine.

 

[E the Shaggy]

Examples of bad episodes:

3) Any episode with George's parents. Unlike Jerry's parents, George's parents are deliberately written to be excessively loud and ignorant, which doesn't really work. This brings me to the next section...

George's parents gave us Festivus though.