JT's comments below originally ran as part of Place to Be Nation's "Seinfeld: The PTBN Series Rewatch" project.
Best Character
I thought all four had some highs and lows here, but I will go with Elaine. She did a great job displaying a frustration and anger that we are all very familiar with. I like that it was her stuck in coach whole Jerry screwed her over and went first class, as other shows would have flipped the gender roles there. She really descended into madness quite well, right down to her snapping about first class before finally just screaming at the loser next to her. You go get your cookie, Laney.
Best Storyline
I liked that the premise was the torture of flying, because all of the ingrained minutia is perfect for this show. In fact, they really didn't even scratch the surface of all the potential issues and failures that come with a trip through the skies.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
Should Jerry have offered Elaine the first class seat? It probably would have been the gentlemanly thing to do, but I am sure he really weighed the options. As long as he was confident that Elaine would eventually forgive him, the decision was an easy one. Bye-bye cheap kosher meal with a schmuck in a goofy hat, hello chocolate fudge sundae with a model!
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
Jerry and Tia really hit it off here right off the bat and I will give Jerry credit for working the charm so strongly that he could land a model in just a few hours. Relationship Grade: Stud/10
What Worked
Elaine really played with fire by pissing off the SkyCap dude, funny stuff though; Jerry's absurd running through the airport always makes me laugh and then him taking the first class seat was a great dick move; I like to stop at the duty free shop!; The alternating shots between the very different experiences of Jerry and Elaine were great; Kramer running like a weirdo makes me laugh as well; Elaine trying to will the guy to wake up is a place we have all been; Kramer's ticket purchasing plot falling apart and screwing George, as well as Kramer's insipid attempt once he gets his chance at Grossbard was one giant fail; Kramer coming out the baggage chute is always good for a laugh, as is George stuck in the plane bathroom.
What Didn't Work
While the scene was funny, it is crazy unbelievable that this prisoner would be shackled and walking around the airport gift shops with two guards; The flight attendant that blocks Elaine is a real dick; I hate using this reasoning here for most episodes, but a lot of what happened here is really dated and could or would not have happened today; Also, why is the prisoner just free in the bathroom; The poor security continues when Kramer escapes the officer and sprints down a runway.
Key Character Debuts
- Tia Van Camp
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- Jerry continues to have problems with rental cars
- "All right, fine. I don't care. If the plane crashes, everybody in first class is going to die, anyway." - Elaine "Yeah, I'm sure you'll live." - Jerry
- "If anything, we'll probably get there early. I'll have a chance to go to the Duty Free shop." - Kramer "The Duty Free Shop? Duty Free is the biggest sucker deal in retail. Do you know how much duty is?" - George "Duty." - Kramer "Yeah, "duty". Do you know how much duty is?" - George "No, I dunno how much duty is." - Kramer "Duty is *nothing*. It's like sales tax..." - George "I still like to stop at the duty free shop." - Kramer "I like to stop at the duty free shop. I like to stop at the duty free shop!" - George & Kramer
- "Wow! Coming out of the shower... It's a good thing they gave you that washcloth to cover yourself up..." - Jerry
- Plotting out a traffic route again drives an episode around the airport
- "Why, It's a perfect fit. You must be Cinderella." - Jerry
- "Let's go. Listen to the bell, Grossbard -- it tolls for thee." - Kramer
- "Excuse me? Excuse me, but I didn't get a meal." - Elaine "Are you sure?" - Attendant "Yes, I'm sure! I would know if a tray of food had been served to me." - Elaine "Would you?" - Attendant
- "Oh, man. You know what... they got the fudge on the bottom-- y'see? That enables you to control your fudge distribution as you're eatin' your ice cream." - Jerry "I've never met a man who knew so much about nothing." - Tia
- "Ok, fine. I'll go back... You know, our goal should be a society without classes*! Do you realise that the people up here are getting cookies!" Elaine
- "Oh, you see, that's terrible. The problem is, that curtain is no security-- there really should be a locking door." - Jerry
Oddities & Fun Facts
- Larry David provides the voice of the kosher meal ordering passenger
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
There was some funny scenes and lines here but this was the eventual letdown that you knew was coming after an all-time classic. There were a lot more plot holes than usual and it hurt things for me, especially the stuff with the security guards and Kramer running around the jetway. I like whacky Kramer, but that felt like even a bit much for him. Elaine was really good during her slow meltdown and I enjoyed smug Jerry as well, but there was a lot of laughs left on the table in this one. The Kramer/Grossbard stuff felt rushed and fell flat as well. George did get hosed again, so there is that. A rare semi-miss in a fantastic episode. Final Grade: 5/10
Best Character
I thought all four had some highs and lows here, but I will go with Elaine. She did a great job displaying a frustration and anger that we are all very familiar with. I like that it was her stuck in coach whole Jerry screwed her over and went first class, as other shows would have flipped the gender roles there. She really descended into madness quite well, right down to her snapping about first class before finally just screaming at the loser next to her. You go get your cookie, Laney.
Best Storyline
I liked that the premise was the torture of flying, because all of the ingrained minutia is perfect for this show. In fact, they really didn't even scratch the surface of all the potential issues and failures that come with a trip through the skies.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
Should Jerry have offered Elaine the first class seat? It probably would have been the gentlemanly thing to do, but I am sure he really weighed the options. As long as he was confident that Elaine would eventually forgive him, the decision was an easy one. Bye-bye cheap kosher meal with a schmuck in a goofy hat, hello chocolate fudge sundae with a model!
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
Jerry and Tia really hit it off here right off the bat and I will give Jerry credit for working the charm so strongly that he could land a model in just a few hours. Relationship Grade: Stud/10
What Worked
Elaine really played with fire by pissing off the SkyCap dude, funny stuff though; Jerry's absurd running through the airport always makes me laugh and then him taking the first class seat was a great dick move; I like to stop at the duty free shop!; The alternating shots between the very different experiences of Jerry and Elaine were great; Kramer running like a weirdo makes me laugh as well; Elaine trying to will the guy to wake up is a place we have all been; Kramer's ticket purchasing plot falling apart and screwing George, as well as Kramer's insipid attempt once he gets his chance at Grossbard was one giant fail; Kramer coming out the baggage chute is always good for a laugh, as is George stuck in the plane bathroom.
What Didn't Work
While the scene was funny, it is crazy unbelievable that this prisoner would be shackled and walking around the airport gift shops with two guards; The flight attendant that blocks Elaine is a real dick; I hate using this reasoning here for most episodes, but a lot of what happened here is really dated and could or would not have happened today; Also, why is the prisoner just free in the bathroom; The poor security continues when Kramer escapes the officer and sprints down a runway.
Key Character Debuts
- Tia Van Camp
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- Jerry continues to have problems with rental cars
- "All right, fine. I don't care. If the plane crashes, everybody in first class is going to die, anyway." - Elaine "Yeah, I'm sure you'll live." - Jerry
- "If anything, we'll probably get there early. I'll have a chance to go to the Duty Free shop." - Kramer "The Duty Free Shop? Duty Free is the biggest sucker deal in retail. Do you know how much duty is?" - George "Duty." - Kramer "Yeah, "duty". Do you know how much duty is?" - George "No, I dunno how much duty is." - Kramer "Duty is *nothing*. It's like sales tax..." - George "I still like to stop at the duty free shop." - Kramer "I like to stop at the duty free shop. I like to stop at the duty free shop!" - George & Kramer
- "Wow! Coming out of the shower... It's a good thing they gave you that washcloth to cover yourself up..." - Jerry
- Plotting out a traffic route again drives an episode around the airport
- "Why, It's a perfect fit. You must be Cinderella." - Jerry
- "Let's go. Listen to the bell, Grossbard -- it tolls for thee." - Kramer
- "Excuse me? Excuse me, but I didn't get a meal." - Elaine "Are you sure?" - Attendant "Yes, I'm sure! I would know if a tray of food had been served to me." - Elaine "Would you?" - Attendant
- "Oh, man. You know what... they got the fudge on the bottom-- y'see? That enables you to control your fudge distribution as you're eatin' your ice cream." - Jerry "I've never met a man who knew so much about nothing." - Tia
- "Ok, fine. I'll go back... You know, our goal should be a society without classes*! Do you realise that the people up here are getting cookies!" Elaine
- "Oh, you see, that's terrible. The problem is, that curtain is no security-- there really should be a locking door." - Jerry
Oddities & Fun Facts
- Larry David provides the voice of the kosher meal ordering passenger
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
There was some funny scenes and lines here but this was the eventual letdown that you knew was coming after an all-time classic. There were a lot more plot holes than usual and it hurt things for me, especially the stuff with the security guards and Kramer running around the jetway. I like whacky Kramer, but that felt like even a bit much for him. Elaine was really good during her slow meltdown and I enjoyed smug Jerry as well, but there was a lot of laughs left on the table in this one. The Kramer/Grossbard stuff felt rushed and fell flat as well. George did get hosed again, so there is that. A rare semi-miss in a fantastic episode. Final Grade: 5/10
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