Best of Seinfeld

I'm nearing the end of my third viewing of all the Seinfeld episodes. The first was in the 90s when it originally aired, plus all the reruns on cable TV through the 2000s. The second was with my wife when she first moved here. It's still as funny as I remember it, even if it is more dated. All the social observations are prisoners of the 90s, though many of them would resonate today. And that is why I've enjoyed this cycle as much as the others, if not more.

Contrary to popular opinion, I like the later seasons more than the early and middle ones. The show seemed to get better as time went on, going hand in hand with the acting improvements, especially Jerry's. He really nailed that dumbfounded look when one of his friends had a bonehead idea. He looks at them as if he can already see the insanity of the plot unfolding before him, and we are in for another wild ride.

The comedic writing of Seinfeld is second to none. Plots are interwoven masterfully to make you forget the seemingly inconsequential event at the beginning of the episode that serves as the "butterfly effect" to corrupt an often routine situation into an awkward, hilarious one at the end. I often struggle to remember that key moment at the beginning of an episode as I'm nearing the end: the one that makes me realize, if this one little thing hadn't happened this whole mess could have been avoided. A great idea for a book would be to dissect each episode, analyzing each moment for the chaos generator. It helps that each of the four are neurotic, insecure people, which always seems to attract a crazy moment in real life. I'm thinking about you, mom.

I used to think of Kramer as this zany, eccentric individual who was secretly a genius. Upon this viewing I see him more as an endearing idiot but still hilarious. Elaine is much more vain than I remember her. George is more relatable as I get older, so I actually like him better than I did before, though he does get away with some horrible things. Jerry is Jerry and he will always be Jerry, the ambivalent viewer making snide remarks at all the stupidity while engaging in it himself unwittingly.

 My favorite episodes:

 The Marine Viologist
 The Pothole
 The Serenity Now
 The Label Maker
 The Gum
 The Package
 The Little Kicks
 The Contest
 The Boyfriend
 The Airport
 The Voice

This ranking is based on laughs, enjoyment, memorable quotes, and scenes that I have rewatched over and over. For example in "The Label Maker" it is the risk game. In "The Package", it is the write-off scene.