Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
Related Articles
Seinfeld is perhaps the quintessential ‘90s sitcom. Note that we didn’t say it was the best, it’s just the one that best exemplifies television in the ‘90s. It embedded itself in ‘90s culture. Also, it’s great. Seinfeld was a fresh and funny show that ran for nine seasons and got a lot of stories out of “nothing.” There was no hugging and no learning, but a lot of great TV. We’ve decided to select the best episode of every season of Seinfeld to chronicle the run of the show from its early days to the end of its iconic run.
Season One: “The Stakeout”
The first season of Seinfeld is only five episodes, and also not all that good. It’s fine, but nothing special. “The Stakeout” is basically the first real episode of the show. Kramer doesn’t have a dog and isn’t called “Kessler.” Elaine is actually in it. Plus, it introduces George’s alter ego Art Vandelay.
Season Two: “The Chinese Restaurant”
“The Chinese Restaurant” isn’t necessarily our favorite episode of the second season. That’s probably “The Statue.” However, it’s one of the quintessential Seinfeld episodes. The story is just the gang waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant. That’s it. It’s the sort of low-stakes plotting that Seinfeld made so iconic. They literally even referenced it during the meta run in the show where Jerry and George are working on a TV show.
Season Three: “The Limo”
Hey, there’s a limo waiting to pick up a guy. You know that guy missed his flight. Why not take his limo to get a ride back into the city. That’s what Jerry and George decide to do. Of course, they can’t get away with a decision like that free of consequences. This is Seinfeld, after all. It turns out that O’Brien, the guy whose limo they commandeered, is a white supremacist who was coming to New York to make a speech, and now people think George is O’Brien.
Season Four: “The Junior Mint”
If we were going with iconic, tentpole Seinfeld episodes like “The Chinese Restaurant” with every season, we’d have to go with “The Contest.” This time, though, we couldn’t resist the allure of “The Junior Mint.” Kramer and Jerry drop a Junior Mint into a guy’s open chest cavity during surgery. That’s just great sitcom storytelling. Kramer’s Junior Mint rant is also fantastic.
Season Five: “The Opposite”
“The Marine Biologist” makes a strong contender, but we have to go with the season finale. George decides to make the opposite decision of every impulse he has, and hilariously it works out. Meanwhile, Elaine hits a series of rough turns of events and, as she laments, she becomes the new George. It’s a clever twist for both those characters.
Season Six: “The Switch”
Part of what made Seinfeld work so well is that Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David didn’t care if their characters were likeable. That allowed them to tell stories such as “The Switch,” where Jerry and George try and figure out a way Jerry could switch from dating one roommate to the other without it blowing up in his face. What makes Seinfeld a special show, though, is that the way it plays out is that the roommates are actually into it when Jerry pitches a “ménage a trois” to them.
Season Seven: “The Soup Nazi”
We had to do it. How could we not include “The Soup Nazi?” “No soup for you!” is maybe the most-famous quote from the show. Plus, it’s as good as any other episode from this season. Jerry and his girlfriend’s cutesy talk annoying Jerry’s friends is not a great storyline, but everything else lifts this episode.
Season Eight: “The Chicken Roaster”
Larry David had left the show by this point, and Seinfeld got sillier. “The Chicken Roaster” is indeed quite silly. It’s also hilarious. Kramer and Jerry swap apartments because of a giants neon sign for Kenny Roger’s Chicken Roasters, and in turn they end up swapping personalities as well.
Season Nine: “The Serenity Now”
Well, we knew we couldn’t go with the finale unless we wanted to make people mad. People will accept “The Serenity Now,” though. Watching people angrily yell “Serenity now!” is fun. So is Jerry experiences emotions for the first time. It’s goofy but it all works together so well. Um, except for the part where a kid kisses Elaine. That’s weird and a little upsetting. Of course, when you feel upset, you can always tell yourself “Serenity now.”
