Episode Diary 5: The Stock Tip

Storylines: Elaine dates a man who has cats, which she’s allergic to. At first, she tries to “knock them off,” but in the end, she decides to give him an ultimatum. Jerry takes his girlfriend on a long weekend trip. George invests in a stock and sticks with it, even when it starts dipping.

Personal Take: The opening scene of this episode is probably the best glimpse from season 1 of what the show becomes. Jerry and George talk about whether Superman has super humor, the same way he has super strength and super speed. “Either you’re born with a sense of humor or you’re not, it’s not going to change,” George points out. “Why, why would that one area of his mind not be affected by the yellow sun of the Earth?” Jerry counters. To me, this is the essence of the show. It’s probably nothing to most people, but anything important to them is worth discussing in full detail. Sure, it's borderline nerdiness (don't make fun), but still.

There are a couple of other staples of Seinfeld that starts in this episode. The first comes up when Jerry starts discussing how annoying the people sitting behind him and his girlfriend Vanessa were at the movies. Jerry describes two attempts, the “half-turn” and the “full turn with the eye roll”, to get them to stop. Though not really significant examples, these are the first of many sort of made-up terms that pop up on Seinfeld that became a part of normal vernacular. I mean, Jerry uses those terms (and gives demonstrations of them) with the impression that they will be understood. Other more recognizable terms, like “Yada Yada,” stick more than these examples, but this episode was the start of something special.

The other staple that really became a defining trait was the fact that Vanessa reappeared on the show. In “The Stakeout,” the story is left with the audience understanding that she and Jerry are dating. So this episode continued that storyline, not something that was done on sitcoms at the time. Continual arching storylines got their start from Seinfeld, and this was the first example of it.

Other notes from this episode:

-Jerry is wearing a pink shirt for the first time. For some reason, he wears pink shirts a lot in the series.

-Why hasn’t Kramer’s rollout tie dispenser taken off? It’s a great idea (not that I’d need it, since I don’t even own a tie), which is one of the few great ideas he ever has.

- I think it’s hysterical that George orders tuna after Elaine gives Jerry a full spiel about why he shouldn't order the tuna.

-The episode ends with George taking back a dollar bill from the tip he gave the waitress after deciding to look at the receipt, probably the biggest sign of his cheapness to this point in the series.

Gaps in Society: This is more a personal revelation than directly pointed out from the episode, but I’ve realized something about friendship. If you want to test your friendship with someone, take a nine-hour drive to a destination, stay wherever it is for a day or weekend, then drive the nine hours back, all the while being engaged in conversation or activity. If you can still stand the sight of this person after that long, you know you’re friendship (or whatever other relationship) is good. Jerry and Vanessa’s trip had an unfair disadvantage when it rained and they couldn’t do anything but sit in the hotel room. But Jerry was warned beforehand by George (one of the few times George’s advice would’ve helped Jerry) that trips like that are relationship killers. They are, and that’s any relationship, not just a dating one, though that probably gets stressed the most.

Jerry’s bits:

He starts by talking how he doesn’t like getting the check at the end of the meal, because money has different meanings before and after eating. “We’re not hungry now. Why are we buying all of this food?”  he asks. His next bit is about dry cleaning and how the cleaning isn’t truly dry, but that they use liquid at some point. He closes with a bit on how he’d rather do the work and let his money rest than vice versa.

Best lines:

Elaine: George went to the hospital? He’s crazy.

Jerry: He’s crazy? You want to rub out a couple of cats.

Tidbits:

George’s source for the stock tip was recovering from a nose job while in the hospital. George mentions that people don’t recover quickly from a nose job, though in the episode “The Nose Job,” George’s girlfriend recovers quite quickly from it. Hm….

Running jokes/references/connections:

Jerry dates Vanessa, whom he first met in “The Stakeout.” It’s a rare case of Jerry seeing the same woman for more than one episode....This is also the first of several discussions the group has about long weekend trips.

Episode Diary 4: The Robbery

Storylines: Jerry’s apartment gets robbed while he’s away and Elaine house sits for him. Kramer leaves the door open that leads to the robbery. George shows Jerry a new apartment, but ends up wanting it himself.

Personal take: This is the closest the show gets to changing locales. It’s a classic staple of the great sitcoms. From “I Love Lucy” to “Cheers” to one of my favorites, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” there’s always that main set piece that stays the duration of the show. I think it was early enough in the show that it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but now I can’t imagine the show taking place in a different apartment. I think the familiarity with the locations gives a certain continuity that shows otherwise didn’t have before Seinfeld.

As far as the coin-flipping debacle in this episode goes, there are a couple things to consider. First of all, if George had won the coin toss after it hit the counter, then he wouldn’t have said anything; however, I do agree with George. I would re-flip the coin. I love the choose game they play instead.

On a side note, I think it’s interesting that Elaine is upset about losing the deposit on the Uhaul like it just happened, even though it had to have been a while after that happened since the new people who took the apartment were all moved in and everything. It’s not a big deal, but I don’t think anyone thought of the time that would’ve lapsed.

Gaps in society: This is an obvious one. People get robbed. It happens. They go to the police. Nothing happens. If, for some reason, people try to take matters into their own hands, like Kramer does in the episode, that usually spells trouble. Where problems come in is if it isn’t your fault. Accidents happen, but someone needs to be held accountable for that (Kramer, in this case). I think he should’ve made Kramer buy all the stuff that was stolen, or at least a new TV.

The other odd situation about two friends wanting the same apartment usually involves more mature ways of being handled. Some might even compromise by sharing it as roommates (can you imagine George and Jerry as roommates?). But no, these two have to play games like little children to see who should get the apartment. Good stuff.

Jerry’s bits: He opens with how sticking up your middle finger is really arbitrary, and that he would feel worse if someone gave him the “toe” instead of the “finger.” His next one is about how policemen don’t really do anything after a robbery. He later talks about how kids resolve disputes by “calling it,” which is perfectly legitimate.

Best lines:

Policeman: Well Mr. Seinfeld, we’ll look into it, and we’ll let you know if we find anything.

Jerry: You ever find anything?

Policeman: No.

Elaine: Jerry, it’s a walk-in closet. Look, I’m walking in it…What do you think?

Jerry (after closing the closet door): I like that.

Tidbits:

This episode was the first one written by someone other than Jerry and Larry David…. This was the first episode that Kramer slides in. He did so because he was late for a cue. But from that, Kramer started to slide into Jerry’s place.

Running jokes/references/connections:

Elaine gets a break from her roommate, the waitress/actress, who isn’t seen until final episode of season 2 in “The Deal.”

Episode Diary 3: The Stakeout

Storylines: Elaine brings Jerry to a friend’s birthday party. In exchange, Jerry brings Elaine to a family wedding. At the birthday party, Jerry meets a girl who is a lawyer, but he doesn’t get her name or much other useful information. So he tracks down where she works and stakes out her lobby while waiting for her.

Personal take: Easily my favorite of the Season 1 episodes. It feels the most like the way the rest of the series goes. The group talks/consults with each other about what’s going on in their lives and tries to get a handle on the situation. Jerry gets the stakeout idea from his father. Elaine and Jerry share thoughts on the best location for a stakeout, etc.

Basically, they discuss ways to handle certain social situations pertinent to the stories in the episode. This becomes a backbone of the series. This is the first time Elaine and Jerry deal with each other in dating situations after they break up. At first, Elaine doesn’t handle the “spectacle” of Jerry flirting with another woman, and understandably so. Of course, she has moved on to another guy, too. Still, it’s awkward to be friends after a break-up, let alone discuss relationship stuff after that. But these two show that it can be done in a mostly natural way (mostly).

Gaps in Society: It’s comical seeing to what lengths people will go to track down a person for whatever reason, unless it’s stalking, which is another situation entirely. To me, it seems like a legitimate tactic to try. Sure, it’s transparent, but can’t that be a good thing? I guess in this day and age, people will consider it stalking, especially in the online scene....The other topic obviously is how a man and a woman can stay friends after dating. Is it possible? Sure. Is it likely? No. And, perhaps most importantly, do many people try? That's probably 50-50. It's one thing to keep trying for the relationship, but once someone has said he/she doesn't want you in his/her life anymore, that pretty much puts the nail in the coffin on a post-breakup friendship.

Jerry’s bit: He starts out by talking about how women will write a check for stuff that costs $3, but it won’t take long because women write so many checks. “The checkbook comes out of a holster. ‘Who do I make it out to?’” Jerry says about women writing checks.

He later talks about how Plato came up with the idea for a plutonic relationship and named it after himself.

He concludes by comparing two people who have broken up with each other to two magicians who are trying to entertain each other.

Best lines:

Jerry: So, do you date immature men?

Vanessa: Almost exclusively.

Tidbits:

“The Stakeout” is the third episode in the season, but was aired before episode 2, “Male Unbonding.”... Jerry’s father is played by Phil Burns for the only time in the series. Barney Martin takes over the role the rest of the way.

References/running jokes/connections:

This is the first reference to Jerry and Elaine having dated before....An old woman says “When you’re dead, you’re dead. That’s it, you’re not going anywhere.” This is obviously a reference to Jerry’s material in the first episode about how you can’t over-die for the same reason you can’t over-wet or over-dry....This is the first of many references to George’s made-up alter ego, Art Vandelay, whose original purpose was to be a friend he and Jerry were meeting while on the stakeout....George also begins the running joke of pretending to be an architect....It’s the first of two times that the profession of being an importer-exporter is mentioned, the other being “The Cadillac.”

Episode Diary 2: Male Unbonding

Storylines: Jerry gets stuck dealing with a friend he’s never liked. Jerry, with the help of Elaine, comes up with excuses not to see him after attempting to break up with the guy. Kramer first talks about his pizza place where people make their own pie.

Personal take: This is my least favorite episode. It’s not because it’s a bad episode, though it certainly isn’t great. It’s because people like Jerry’s friend are the worst people I can think of. It’s painful to watch. It’s so annoying to try and be friends with people who never listen to what you have to say. They’re so self-involved and they abuse your willingness to listen to them by blabbering about things that only pertain to them. Why call it a friendship, then? Honestly, there really is nothing interesting in the episode.

This is the first episode that begins to delve into the psyche of George Costanza. After a woman breaks up with him, he decides to eat a meal with her before leaving. He then complains that he had to pay. “The least she could do is send me off with a sandwich,” George says. That, coupled with how George has a huge jar of pennies that he takes to the bank, kind of give hints into how cheap George really is.

Gaps in Society: This is a major gap in society. There are just some people that are oblivious to the fact that their so-called friends don’t like hanging around them. How is it that people can care so little about their friends? “He’s so self-involved,” Jerry says. That’s how. In no way does the episode exaggerate how frequently these occurrences happen. I’ve been in conversations with people where they simply aren’t listening to what I’m saying, even if I make up some pretty crazy stuff, like what Jerry does in the episode. It’s just pathetic.

Jerry’s bits:

His first one is about how men are magnetically drawn to any activity using tools.

He later talks about how it’s not possible for guy friends to break up with each other.

He has a small bit about having to go through bank lines even when there’s no one in line.

His final bit is about pretending you’re hosting your own little talk show when talking to people with whom you have nothing in common.

Best lines:

Elaine: I never made a man cry. I even kicked a guy in the groin once, and he didn’t cry. I got the cab.

Jerry: Couple of tough monkeys.

Tidbits:

“Male Unbonding” is the only episode that doesn’t start with the word ‘the.’... Seinfeld’s arpartment was numbered 411 at first before its permanent change to 5A.

Kevin Dunn, who plays Jerry’s friend Joel, was considered for the role of George before (thankfully) Jason Alexander was cast. Other actresses who auditioned for the role of Elaine include Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond), Rosie O’Donnell and Helen Hunt, who turned down the role (thankfully).

References/running jokes/connections:

Kramer answers his phone by saying “Kramerica Industries,” and makes the first reference to his pizza place where people make their own pies.

Episode Diary 1: The Seinfeld Chronicles

Storylines: Jerry has a woman come in to visit him, but misreads signals, which George tries to help him understand better.

Personal Take: The one that started it all, the Seinfeld Chronicles actually established a purpose for the show (it wasn’t originally going to be a show about nothing). Seinfeld was about how comedians got their material. It actually seemed like a novel idea. It was fun to watch Jerry’s stand-up comedy put together all the little bits and pieces of discussion throughout the episode. Obviously the show took different directions for the better, but it’s cool that it didn’t truly stray from the original idea.

Gaps in Society: A lot of what Jerry has said the show tries to address/explain in its comedy is the unspoken rules and understandings in society that often lead to problems. He called them gaps in society. In this episode, he invites a woman to stay with him in his apartment in a sort of romantic way. But it turns out she’s engaged. If he had known that, he wouldn’t have invited her over. How is it that something like that can fall through the cracks? Was he in the wrong for assuming the woman would know what his intentions were when he invited her? These sort of misunderstandings get called into question throughout the series as the group tries to understand why things are understood a certain way

Jerry’s bit: The early episodes had longer, extended bits of Jerry doing stand-up comedy, since the show, after all, was about how a comedian gets his material. The material often connected very strongly with the storylines in the episode.

His first bit was about people getting ready to go out, then, once they were out, thinking about getting back.

His next bit was about laundry, which includes one of the best lines ever. “So they’re showing me on the commercial how to get out blood stains. Is this a violent image to anybody, blood stains? I mean come on, you got a t-shirt with blood stains all over it, maybe laundry isn’t your biggest problem right now. You need to get the harpoon out of your chest first.”

Another bit he does is about how many cotton balls ladies need, and why they’d need so many.

His final bit is about what men want (women), and how they get them. “How do we get women? Oh, we don’t know that. We don’t know, the next step after that, we have no clue. This is why you see men honking car horns, yelling from construction sites. These are the best ideas we’ve had so far.”

Best lines:

George: I can’t believe you’re bringing in an extra bed for a woman that wants to sleep with you. Why don’t you bring in an extra guy, too?

Jerry: You can’t over-die, you can’t over-dry.

Tidbits: The opening dialogue about the second button being the key button was, of course, the same dialogue exchange Jerry and George have in the series finale. Perfect way to end the show....The episode originally was going to be called “Stand up.” ... After the pilot episode, NBC placed an order of four episodes, the smallest order in television history....Kramer’s dog was written into the script because Jerry had a dog bit he was going to perform during his stand-up routine. But the bit was cut (because it didn’t pertain enough to the show), so the dog is there for no reason, and never appears again.

References/running jokes/connections:

George mentions to Jerry that he shouldn’t trust what his instincts tell him, but that he should do the opposite. This theory gets proven true in “The Opposite.” ... Kramer interestingly knocks on Jerry’s door before coming in, something he rarely does....This is the only episode in which Elaine does not appear. George says “I am aware of you” to Kramer, which becomes a theme in a couple of episodes, most notably “The Barber.”

Gaps in Society: The essence of the show

There's a scene in "The Lip Reader" where the group has a serious discussion on proper etiquette regarding a certain situation. George's girlfriend Gwen breaks up with him (by giving George's "It's not you, it's me routine" to him, at that), but the two of them were planning on going to a party that Friday. So Jerry poses the question about what to do in the situation. "If a couple breaks up, and they had plans to go to a mutual site, who withdraws? What's the etiquette?"

In another episode, "The Dinner Party," George becomes frustrated after finding out he is obligated to bring something to a party he was invited to. "You mean just going because I'm invited, that's rude?" he asks. He's angered at how society has forced him into this situation, lest he becomes an outcast.

These are just two of the many situations the group is forced to decipher, explain or simply understand. They're what's called "Gaps in Society."

Gaps in society are the unspoken rules that are still somehow understood by the majority of people. A lot of funny situations in the show (and a lot of other sitcoms) are results of people not knowing these rules, thus creating humorous responses. What makes Seinfeld so different from other shows is the group's attempt to understand these rules. They have conversations about these things that, to some people, might seem like nothing. But in reality, everyone at one time or another talks with their friends about these unspoken rules, if for no other reason than to understand them. The group certainly had its share of odd situations:
"She eats her peas one at a time."
"She just took credit for my salad."
"He's a regifter."

In fact, the group often times tries to justify these unspoken rules in their favor, which often times backfires, or at least reveals how horrible these four people really are. These characters are very selfish, immature, greedy, conniving people who often lie and take the easy way out of many situations. How often have you watched the show and thought "I can't believe they're really doing that," or "I can't believe they're really talking about this." That's what makes the essence of the show. These four characters get so hung up on the little things that you wouldn't think matter (though often times they do matter) that they forget the bigger picture.

What's interesting, though, is that, more often that you might think, the group is right! Seriously, why do we have to buy presents for people all the time? Why should people be condemned for picking their nose (everyone does it!)? What is people's obsessions with the kiss hello? These are the questions that demand explanations, because these occurrences happen too often for no valid reason. Things like this really add so-called depth to the show, if even about the most inane subject.

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As I get rolling with the episode diaries, a feature on each one will discuss the gaps in society discussed on that show. Some of them will be obvious, rather important topics that significantly pertain to the episode, others will be little things that I feel deserve discussion, and others will be in between.

Welcome to the site!

Hey everyone, Jeremy here. As anyone who knows me knows, I am one of the biggest Seinfeld fans ever. I decided to start my blogging career with a tribute to the greatest TV show I've ever seen. Most of what you read on this site will be my inner thoughts about the show. This site will have episode diaries that will have the same features (storyline recaps, show references, personal thoughts, etc), breakdowns of all the main characters on the show, Top 10 lists of various topics, and so much more. Hopefully this blog will bring back great memories for everyone and even encourage people to bring their own insights to the table.

Thanks for checking out the site, and enjoy!