As a die-hard fan, I find it remarkable how a show like “Seinfeld,” often labeled as “about nothing,” has left such an indelible mark on pop culture. Given that it barely scraped its way onto television screens, this is truly a testament to the power of creativity and comedy. Born from the minds of Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the series was designed to translate Seinfeld’s unique style of standup comedy for network TV. Fast forward to 1989 when “The Seinfeld Chronicles,” as it was initially known, debuted on NBC, it didn’t exactly set the world on fire. In fact, the network only commissioned four episodes for its first season, but look at where we are today!
Instead of ending it, they decided to continue it for a second season, followed by a third. The series attracted an audience that appreciated its unique humor, and by the fourth season, it was receiving the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. In 2002, TV Guide declared it as the best television show of all time (in their 2013 ranking, “The Sopranos” ranked first). Since then, it has been aired in syndication and streaming platforms.
Focusing on the (mishaps) of Seinfeld, his friend George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander), his former girlfriend Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and their quirky neighbor Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards), the show drew humor from ordinary annoyances magnified to extreme levels. As it unfolded, it introduced a multitude of peculiar side characters reminiscent of a Coen brothers film, and developed an anti-social perspective that contrasted with the audience’s laughter in the studio. Often referred to as a series about nothing, it encompassed everything. Here are the 12 best episodes of “Seinfeld,” listed based on memorable guest appearances, unforgettable catchphrases, IMDb ratings, and the author’s personal viewpoint on the show.
12. The Strike (Season 9, Episode 10)
Kramer resumes work at H&H Bagels following the increase in minimum wage, concluding their 12-year labor dispute. Yet, he steps back onto the picket line after his manager denies him time off for Festivus, a holiday conceived by George’s father, Frank Costanza (Jerry Stiller), as an alternative to gift-giving. Similarly to his dad, George aims to evade office gift-giving by making a phony donation to The Human Fund, a fictitious charity. In the meantime, Jerry becomes involved with a woman (Karen Fineman) who appears stunning in one setting and unattractive in another, while Elaine frantically attempts to recover a sandwich coupon she had given to a man using a fake phone number.
In simpler terms, “The Strike” should be included on this list because it introduced the world to Festivus, an alternative holiday that’s become popular among many. Unlike the traditional Christmas, Festivus includes an annual airing of grievances, strength-testing events, and a metal pole instead of a tree. This episode is particularly notable for Jerry Stiller’s dynamic portrayal of Frank, a beloved character who graced our screens in 26 episodes. Interestingly, when Frank initially appeared in the Season 4 episode “The Handicap Spot,” he was played by John Randolph, and some scenes featuring him were reshot for syndication.
11. The Chicken Roaster (Season 8, Episode 8)
When a Kenny Rogers Roasters franchise sets up shop just outside Jerry’s building, its vibrant red neon lighting gleams into Kramer’s window at night. Sleepless, Kramer attempts to close down the eatery, but Jerry intervenes since his buddy Seth (Mark Roberts) is now employed there after Jerry helped get him fired from his office job. As a result of swapping apartments, Jerry starts adopting his neighbor’s peculiar habits, while Kramer finds himself hooked on the restaurant’s chicken, hiding this addiction from others.
In the meantime, Elaine faces investigation due to regularly charging personal expenses, such as a $8000 Russian sable hat for George, on company accounts – even going as far as purchasing it so he could ask out Kymberly Kalil, a salesgirl. However, when George forgets the hat at Kymberly’s apartment and is unable to retrieve it, Elaine embarks on a journey to locate her superior, J. Peterman (John O’Hurley), who has become lost in the Burmese jungle and appears to have gone mad.
In “The Chicken Roaster,” Jerry Seinfeld impressively portrays Michael Richards, capturing his peculiar mannerisms and rapid, spontaneous speech patterns. This scene is emblematic of the show’s creative detours during its final seasons, which leaned more towards the absurd than the observational. To complement this shift, Elaine’s boss, J. Peterman, with his extravagant behaviors and 1940s-inspired speech style, fits perfectly into the mix. In this episode, he even gets to mimic Marlon Brando’s Captain Kurtz character from “Apocalypse Now.
10. The Bubble Boy (Season 4, Episode 7)
In this gaming world, as I embark on a journey with my crew towards Susan’s (Heidi Swedberg) family’s cabin, we stumble upon an intriguing tale about a young boy who lives in a protective bubble due to a compromised immune system. Eager to meet a fan of Jerry’s, we arrange a visit when his father (Brian Doyle-Murray) shares the news. However, a detour at a diner delays Jerry and Elaine, leaving George and Susan to handle the bubble boy solo. Meanwhile, Kramer, accompanied by Jerry’s girlfriend, Naomi (Jessica Lundy), arrives at the cabin only to accidentally torch it down after igniting one of his illicit Cuban cigars.
In the perspective of “Seinfeld,” it seems hardly anyone escapes being made fun of, including those usually evoking sympathy. For instance, a child confined to life in a plastic bubble due to illness would typically be seen as heroic (like John Travolta’s character in “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble”). However, this character is revealed to be an unpleasant individual, showing that being ill doesn’t necessarily make someone kind-hearted.
A disagreement arises during a round of “Trivial Pursuit,” as a typo on a card incorrectly identifies the Moors as the “Moops” in reference to the Spanish invasion from the 8th century. This humorous moment is famously remembered in “Seinfeld” lore, where George’s stubbornness over the game’s outcome leads him to inadvertently sending the character with a medical condition to the hospital.
9. The Boyfriend (Season 3, Episodes 17 and 18)
The initial “Seinfeld” episode entitled “The Boyfriend” centered around Jerry’s friendship with New York Mets player Keith Hernandez. Eager to strengthen their bond, Jerry found himself feeling envious as Keith started dating Elaine and seemed to favor her over him. When Elaine ended things with Keith due to his smoking habit, he unexpectedly asked Jerry for help moving – a request that felt overwhelming given the freshness of their friendship.
Kramer and Newman (portrayed by Wayne Knight) have an ongoing dispute with Keith due to an incident they refer to as “the spitting event.” They claim that he spat at them after they teased him during a game. In contrast, George is frantic to prevent his unemployment benefits from expiring, so he invents a fictitious company, Vandelay Industries, where he claims to have had a job interview.
The plotline in this “Seinfeld” episode is packed with numerous entertaining elements, such as the unusual team-up of Kramer and Newman, George’s persistent scheming, and insightful commentary on male-female relationships. It’s no surprise that it needed two episodes to cover everything. Among other things, it includes a funny spoof of Oliver Stone’s “JFK,” where Jerry presents the “second spitter” theory to clear Keith. Additionally, it showcases George using the fictitious Vandelay Industries for a bogus career, leading to amusing consequences when he gives the unemployment office Jerry’s phone number instead.
8. The Library (Season 3, Episode 5)
On a visit to the local library, Jerry discovers an unexpected large fee for not returning “Tropic of Cancer”, a book he borrowed in high school. As we delve into Jerry’s past, it’s revealed that he gave this very book to George, who unfortunately misplaced it during an incident at the locker room involving their gym teacher, Mr. Heyman (alias Biff Yeager), who infamously gave George a wedgie. Subsequent events led to Mr. Heyman losing his job and, according to George’s suspicions, now resides as a homeless man sleeping outside the library.
Simultaneously, Kramer embarks on an illicit relationship with the library worker, Marion (Ashley Gardiner). Her poems deeply move him to tears. In an attempt to secure her position, Elaine presents Marion’s poetry to their supervisor, Mr. Lippman (Harris Shore), as a promising literary discovery.
In the sitcom “Seinfeld”, numerous talented guest actors graced the screen during its airtime, some of whom later found fame with their own shows (notably Bryan Cranston who played dentist Tim Whatley). However, none can match the brilliance of Philip Baker Hall as Lieutenant Bookman. This library investigations officer made unexpected appearances at Jerry’s apartment, always in search of answers. Later in life, Hall attained movie stardom due to his collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson in “Hard Eight”, “Boogie Nights”, and “Magnolia”. His performance as Lieutenant Bookman is reminiscent of Jack Friday from “Dragnet”. This dramatic portrayal comes like a flash of lightning, made all the funnier because Hall plays it completely straight.
7. The Hamptons (Season 5, Episode 20)
The group travels to the Hamptons to visit Elaine’s friends’ newborn infant, accompanied by Jerry’s girlfriend Rachel (Melanie Smith), who follows a kosher diet, and George’s companion Jane (Melora Walters), whom he hasn’t made love with yet. Tensions arise when Jane sunbathing naked is witnessed by Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer while George is shopping for tomatoes, and escalate further when Rachel enters the scene, finding George without his swimming trunks after a night swim, leading her to assume… you know. In the meantime, Kramer engages in illicit lobster fishing, and Elaine finds it puzzling when her family doctor, Ben (Richard Burgi), calls her stunning — a term he later applies to her friends’ unattractive baby.
In the sitcom “Seinfeld,” numerous phrases were introduced that have since become commonly used in everyday language. For example, before “The Hamptons,” there wasn’t a term to describe what happens when a man gets out of a pool and experiences a reduction in his swimsuit area. Following the episode, this phenomenon was given a name: “shrinkage.” In addition, the episode showcases George at his most vindictive and petty, as he employs the lobsters that Kramer caught to retaliate against Rachel for revealing his personal issue to Jane.
6. The Parking Garage (Season 3, Episode 6)
The group heads off to a shopping mall in New Jersey for Kramer to purchase a new air conditioner. However, they become disoriented trying to locate his vehicle in the multi-tiered parking garage. Kramer struggles under the weight of the heavy appliance, Elaine worries that their new goldfish might not survive until they find the car, George is already running behind schedule to meet his parents, and Jerry urgently needs to use the restroom.
In summary, the episode concludes with the characters discovering Kramer’s car and experiencing trouble starting the engine, leaving them stuck in an apparently endless predicament. They are surrounded by people eager to escape the garage, indifferent to their plight. This situation mirrors the show’s overall cynical perspective on life.
Seinfeld” frequently ventured beyond traditional television storytelling norms, deriving inspiration from ordinary hassles like forgetting where you parked your car. While most people have experienced this, it’s uncommon to turn it into a full 22-minute TV episode. However, “The Parking Garage” transforms this trivial annoyance into an existential drama reminiscent of Beckett, depicting the endless quest of man through the wilderness. This might seem quite profound for a sitcom, but Seinfeld consistently managed to extract profound themes from seemingly insignificant situations.
5. The Marine Biologist (Season 5, Episode 14)
George’s job stability and truthfulness are quite questionable, which might explain why he has more fictitious jobs like being an architect or importer/exporter than genuine ones such as real estate or working for the New York Yankees. This duality is exemplified in “The Marine Biologist,” where George tells his high school crush, Diane (Rosalind Allen), that he’s a marine biologist rather than unemployed. Simultaneously, Jerry dates Corrine (Carol Kane), whom he meets when she gets struck by Elaine’s electronic organizer after it’s thrown from a moving limo by an annoyed Russian author (George Murdock) whose book she’s editing.
Fans of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” are aware that Larry David often establishes a seemingly small joke in the initial scene which significantly pays off at the end. In a subplot from “The Marine Biologist,” Kramer takes his new golf clubs to the beach and hits balls into the ocean. Later, George and Diane encounter a stranded whale, forcing him to demonstrate his fake marine biology knowledge. He discovers that the whale’s blowhole is blocked, and as he recounts the story at Monk’s, he reveals the culprit: Kramer’s golf ball. This moment adds an extra layer of humor to one of the show’s most memorable episodes.
4. The Outing (Season 4, Episode 17)
At their regular lunch spot, Monk’s, Elaine pretends to converse with Jerry and George as if they were a pair in a same-sex relationship, all to baffle the listener in the neighboring booth. Later on, during an unexpected visit at Jerry’s apartment, a New York University journalist named Sharon (Paula Marshall) appears for an interview. Interestingly enough, she turns out to be the very person who overheard their conversation earlier at the cafe.
George’s constant arguments with Jerry lead Sharon to believe they are in a relationship, a theory she shares in her article. However, when this theory turns out to be true by accident, George tries to use it as an opportunity to end things with his girlfriend (Kari Coleman). This attempt becomes tricky when George unexpectedly walks in on Jerry and Sharon kissing in George’s own apartment.
As a gamer, I’ve noticed that many TV shows from the ’90s didn’t exactly handle gay storylines with the sensitivity we appreciate today. Given Seinfeld’s knack for offending just about everyone, you might expect their approach to “The Outing” to be pretty cringeworthy by modern standards. Yet, surprisingly, it was a step ahead of its time, using satire to poke fun at homophobia instead of reinforcing it. The line that Jerry and George use when denying being gay – “Not that there’s anything wrong with that” – is a clever twist. It not only provides a defense against accusations of bigotry but also mocks those who still hold such beliefs, suggesting they’re outdated and unfounded. And guess what? That episode won a GLAAD Award for Best Comedy Series!
3. The Soup Nazi (Season 7, Episode 6)
In a fresh soup eatery, Jerry and George visit, with the proprietor, Yev Kassem (Larry Thomas), famously known as “The Soup Nazi” due to his stringent regulations when ordering soup. Jerry successfully navigates through the line, but George is forbidden after asking for an absent bread piece. Simultaneously, Elaine consents to procure soup for Kramer in return for watching a wardrobe she acquired from the street. However, she too is barred, as the wardrobe gets pilfered by Bob and Cedric (Yul Vasquez and John Paragon), who bully Kramer into fleeing.
Later on, Jerry decides to part ways with his girlfriend, Sheila (Alexandra Wentworth), due to her overt displays of affection at the soup kitchen causing him discomfort and affecting his regular visits. However, Sheila’s actions grate on George, leading him to try to outdo both Sheila and Jerry by kissing Susan (Heidi Swedberg) in front of them, which unfortunately ends up causing more problems instead.
Is there any character from the “Seinfeld” series more universally recognized than “The Soup Nazi”? The man, who received an Emmy nomination for his acting, governs his kitchen like a tyrant, barking “No soup for you!” if he’s displeased with you. However, beneath this dictatorial facade lies the soul of an artist, which Kramer quickly perceives. He yearns to share his soup with an admiring audience, one that can place their orders swiftly and settle their bills just as quickly.
2. The Chinese Restaurant (Season 2, Episode 11)
Jerry, George, and Elaine walk into a Chinese eatery for a quick meal prior to watching “Plan 9 from Outer Space.” The host (James Hong) informs them that a table will be ready in about five or ten minutes. In her hunger, Elaine agrees to Jerry’s bet: she’ll snatch an egg roll off someone else’s plate for $50. Simultaneously, George frets over having left his girlfriend’s apartment during intimacy due to the need to use the bathroom. Jerry is anxious that his uncle might discover he faked sickness to dodge a dinner date with him when he spots his secretary (Judy Kain) dining at another table. In the end, they depart without ever sitting down, and as they go, the host calls out, “Seinfeld. Three people.
Experiencing “The Chinese Restaurant,” one could ponder the atmosphere back then, as it resembled a single-scene play, somewhat like a modern-day “Waiting for Godot” but featuring New York yuppies instead of existentialists. Breaking norms with its plotless structure was bold, innovative, and trailblazing, yet almost jeopardized by NBC due to its nonconformity to traditional network television standards. However, within its 22 minutes, “Seinfeld” ascended from being a decent show to an all-time classic.
1. The Contest (Season 4, Episode 11)
After Estelle (Estelle Harris), George’s mother, ends up in the hospital due to his careless behavior towards his health, he swears never to repeat such actions. Jerry doubts this resolution, sparking a bet among them, along with Elaine and Kramer, about who can resist temptation the longest. Jerry is drawn towards his new girlfriend, Marla (Jane Leeves), Elaine by the possibility of dating John F. Kennedy Jr., while George finds himself enticed by a beautiful nurse attending to a stunning patient in the same hospital room as Estelle. Kramer, on the other hand, struggles due to a woman who frequently goes nude in the adjacent building.
During a time when almost anything you can think of is available online, the audacity of “The Contest” was truly astounding. In 1992, the notion of dedicating an entire television episode to the topic of masturbation was inconceivable. Larry David, who received an Emmy for writing it, had to devise numerous subtle expressions to ensure they wouldn’t clash with the network’s Standards and Practices guidelines. However, these constraints ultimately led to the creation of one of the wittiest “Seinfeld” scripts ever written, as well as one of its most enduring catchphrases: “master of my domain.
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2025-06-11 15:32