Seinfeld Nine!

Created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, Seinfeld is quite simply the best show ever on television.  Even TV Guide agrees with me.  Excellent actors, except maybe Jerry, great guests and superb comedic writing make this show one that can be watched over and over.  Hilarious reoccurring actors like Frank and Estelle Costanza, Newman, George Steinbrenner, and many, many more contribute to the greatness of Seinfeld.  Plus it’s a show about nothing.  Normal every day activities that can happen to anyone make this a can’t miss show.  I have seen every episode and can say they were all funny except for the finale, which was a shame.  But in honor of the show lasting 9 seasons here are my 9 favorite episodes.

9.  The Switch – We learn the first name of Kramer.  More importantly Jerry is dating a non-laugher but is interested in her roommate who has a great laugh and personality.  George and Jerry scheme and come up with a ménage a trios plan which would disgust the non-laugher but get the roommate interested.  The plan according to George turns out better than expected, but not to Jerry who doesn’t want to become a silk robe wearing, cigars smoking type of guy. 

8. The Puffy Shirt –Jerry and Elaine go on a double date with Kramer and his low-talking date who is also a clothing designer. During the dinner Kramer leaves to the bathroom leaving Jerry and Elaine to try to understand what she is saying. Without realizing it, Jerry agrees to wear a puffy shirt on his appearance on the Today Show where he will be promoting Goodwill. Meanwhile, George has to move in with his parents, which are the funniest reoccurring characters on the show, and his life hits a new low.  However he catches a break as his hands get spotted at a restaurant by a specialty model talent head.  George gets a brief glimpse of fame until the low-talker ruins it.

7.  The Implant – The first episode I had ever seen and was instantly hooked.  I, like Jerry, wanted to know if they were real.  Jerry dumps Teri Hatcher after thinking she is fake with her implants.  Come to find out they save Elaine from her fall and she lets Jerry know that they were real and spectacular.  This is also the episode of double-dipping. 

6. The Marine Biologist – Jerry gets George into some shenanigans as a Marine Biologist to impress the “it girl” from school even though George had always wanting to be an architect.  George even saves a beached whale that is beached due to Kramer’s golf drives. 

5.  The Airport – George and Kramer attempt to make the perfect airport pickup of Jerry and Elaine.  Jerry gets to ride first class while Elaine is behind the curtain in coach.  George and Kramer get into much ballyhoo in the process including messing with Time’s Most Wanted Man and strong-arming a former roommate for past due share of the rent.

4.  The Phone Message – I don’t like leaving messages and George possibly leaves the worst message ever.  It’s long, obnoxious and mean enough to lose the girl he’s dating.  It’s even worse than Mikey’s in Swingers.  So Jerry and George come up with a plan to switch the tapes inside her apartments and thus, the craziness begins.  George is at his best here, neurotic as ever.

3. The Hot Tub – Elaine takes in a NYC marathon runner from Trinidad & Tobago.  After meeting with Houston Astros representatives George can’t stop calling everyone bastards and sons of bitches.  The runner picks up the foul language and calls Jerry’s neighbor, an illegitimate child, a bastard and the super, a son of a bitch. Then he gets kicked out of Elaine’s building the night before the race.  Jerry takes him to the hotel but pisses off the wake up guy call so Jerry brings him to his apartment.  The runner just wants to get some sleep but Kramer’s industrial hot tub causes the electricity to go out and the Tobagoan oversleeps.

2.  The Soup Nazi – Elaine gets banned from the café for 1 year but gets her revenge at the end.  Elaine’s armoire gets stolen from Puerto Rican street toughs that intimidate Kramer.  The funny part is the street toughs don’t look that tough, in fact they look like partners, and not partners in crime.  Later Jerry and Kramer try to confront them but the street toughs intimidate them and they run off.  Kramer tells the story to the Soup Nazi and he shows his soft misunderstood side and gives Kramer an armoire to give to his friend who happens to be Elaine.  Elaine finds the secret ingredients to the incredible soups in the armoire and goes to the Soup Nazi to put him out of business.

1.  The Outing – Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but George and Jerry pull a prank that they are gay to an eavesdropper.  However this eavesdropper is a writer and reveals Jerry’s sexual preference to the AP.  The article comes out that they are partners and the comedy ensues.  Even Kramer calls out Jerry with the gig being up, for being slim, neat and single into his 30s.  Jerry invites the writer over to his apartment to try to explain that he likes women.  In an attempt to dump his girlfriend George brings her to Jerry’s apartment so Jerry can confirm their gayness but Jerry won’t go along.