There are episodes that deliver more dramatic twists, more cutting commentary, or wackier premises, but this one is simply Seinfeld firing on all cylinders. Watching it now, the biggest shock is how not all that shocking it is - it’s an entire episode about masturbation that never so much as whispers the word, instead relying on knowing looks and increasingly uproarious euphemisms (“master of my domain”) to move along Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer’s wager on who can abstain the longest. Seinfeld may be most famous for its ability to mine comic gold out of mundane annoyances, but it also excels at building out stranger situations that no ordinary person should ever find themselves in, and “The Limo” is a prime example of the latter.Īsk any Seinfeld fan to name the best episodes, and there’s a strong chance “The Contest” is up there. But the episode remains one of Seinfeld‘s most surprising storylines, as Jerry and George’s glee over stealing a stranger’s limo ride transforms into desperation and mortal fear once they realize exactly whose car they’ve planted themselves in. Collectively, the episode feels like a multifaceted rumination on what might be the city’s ultimate social compact: Mind your own damn business on the train, or all bets are off.Īdmittedly, “The Limo” hits different in 2021 the idea of George and Jerry finding themselves en route to a rally of armed neo-Nazis doesn’t feel quite as absurd as it might have in 1992. From Elaine’s internal screaming as her crowded train gets stuck, to Kramer’s mad dash to try to secure a seat, to Jerry’s inability to stay awake, each of the minor misadventures that follow will have the ring of familiarity to anyone who’s spent much time on the subway - even if most of us haven’t literally had the shirts stolen off our backs, as George does here. With its focus on everyday inconveniences and grumping about social niceties (“We are living in a society!” George barks after someone cuts ahead of him to use the pay phone), “The Chinese Restaurant” is a perfect early example of the quintessential Seinfeld formula.Įven by Seinfeld standards, “The Subway” is a particularly New York-y episode, plopping all four principals on the 5 train before sending them their separate ways at 42nd Street. The entire episode unfolds in real time as Jerry, George and Elaine do nothing more exciting, or more aggravating, than wait for a table that the host (James Hong) has reassured them will be ready in just “five, 10 minutes.” In the end, nothing is learned, nothing is solved, and nothing is accomplished - not even dinner, since the group leaves just seconds before they’re finally called to be seated.
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But “The Chinese Restaurant” is when the series truly clicks into place as a show about nothing.
Seinfeld‘s wry sense of humor shines through from the start, and even the weakest of the early episodes are good for some laughs. “The Chinese Restaurant” (Season 2, Episode 11) Critic's Notebook: Donald Trump's 34 Felony Counts Put Him at the Center of the Political Universe (Again)
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