Seinfeld: The Series Rewatch - "The Fix-Up" (S3, E17)

JT's comments below originally ran as part of Place to Be Nation's "Seinfeld: The PTBN Series Rewatch" project.

Best Character

Even though he had very low volume this time around, I am going with Kramer. Jerry and Elaine were very good in their roles but they tapered towards the end, peaking with the scenes where they sell their respective friends on the date. George was good too, but this wasn't his strongest outing. But Kramer? Oh yes. Doling out defective condoms, busting up fights and spitting wisdom like a wise old sage, Kramer nailed each every scene he was given this time around.

Best Storyline

There was really just one storyline, so the fix up wins by default. It was a strong storyline that delivered some classic lines and funny laughs. It also had a good payoff that made George look good for once...until he ate.

Ethical Dilemma of the Week

After mutually agreeing to share all information about the fix up, should Elaine and Jerry have been more open after the first date? No, they handled it correctly. You don't spill the beans on that stuff until it comes out organically, as it did. They were both good friends throughout this episode, defending their pals across the board.

Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)

Obviously the main relationship on display here was George and Cynthia and it was a twisted ball of complexity. Obviously there was a lot of pressure on them to make it work, but Cynthia seemingly bails quickly and puts this one to bed...or kitchen, I guess. It was destined to fail from the start because Cynthia didn't have the best image of George heading in. Sad stuff. Blue condoms for all...out of sadness. But then! A glimmer of hope! George did the right thing...Cynthia was happy! And then...George ate. It will never work. Relationship Grade: 3/10

What Worked

I enjoyed the cutting back and forth between Elaine & Cynthia and George & Jerry, good dichotomy setting up the story of the episode; Cynthia was really good, very funny and good delivery; Despite being such a dick, it was cool of Jerry to defend George to Elaine, even though he kind of sucks; As someone that has tried multiple fix-ups, I really enjoyed all the nuances fleshed out here; I dug the scene where George was grilling Jerry about Cynthia, including Jerry's nonplussed delivery, and vice versa with the girls; Kramer and the condoms was great, especially when he told Elaine to "take half a bag"; I love Kramer busting up the two fights and spewing his wisdom after settling things down; Great framing with George walking in when Elaine reveals that Cynthia missed her period.

What Didn't Work

Not enough Kramer, but that is an ongoing complaint; George sprawled out in bathrobe on the bed was a bit disturbing.

Key Character Debuts

- N/A

Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes

- "I mean it's gotten to the point where I'm flirting with operators on the phone. I almost made a date with one." - George "Oh, so there's still hope." - Jerry "I don't want hope. Hope is killing me. My dream is to become hopeless. When you're hopeless, you don't care, and when you don't care, that indifference makes you attractive." - George "Oh, so hopelessness is the key." - Jerry "It's my only hope." - George
- "You know what your problem is? Your standards are too high." - Elaine "I went out with you." - Jerry "That's because my standards are too low." - Elaine
- "Well let me tell you something about George. He is fast. He can run like the wind. And he's strong. I've seen him lift a hundred pounds over his head without even knowing it. And you wouldn't know it to look at him, but George can bait a hook." - Jerry
- "What does he look like?" - Cynthia "Um, well, he's got a lot of character in his face. Um, he's short. Um, he's stocky." - George "Fat. Is that what you're saying, that he's fat?" - Cynthia "Powerful. He is so powerful, he can lift a hundred pounds right up over his head. And um, what else. What else. Oh, right. Um, well, he's kind of, just kind of losing his hair." - Elaine "He's bald?" - Cynthia "No! No, no, no, he's not bald. He's balding." - Elaine "So he will be bald." - Cynthia "Yup." - Elaine
- "Thick, lustrous hair is important to me." - George
- George prepares notes for his phone calls
- "Why'd I think it was timbre? Yeah, she could do voiceover commercials, why didn't you tell me about her voice?" - George "I didn't notice the voice." - Jerry "It's mellifluous!" - George
- Kramer mentions Bob Sacamano, his friend that just got a job at a condom factory
- George prefers sex in the kitchen when it is the first time
- "I keep wracking my brain to try and figure out what I did. I was smart, I was funny, I made great small talk with the waitress so she could see I could relate to the commoners, you know, I'm a man of the people." - George
- "You want to fight with someone? Fight with me. Oh, by the way George, you know those condoms I gave you? They're defective, don't use them." - Kramer
- "I was just trying to help your bitter, twisted friend." - Jerry
- "She missed her period? Oh my god. I can't believe it! I'm a father! I did it! My boys can swim! I can do it! I can do it!" - George

Oddities & Fun Facts

N/A

Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)

This was a great dialogue episode with a fantastic relatable premise. Nothing crazy needed as the characters all did the heavy lifting through their talking and interactions. This is one of those forgotten episodes that housed a couple of all time phrases ("My boys can swim!") and lots of laughs but isn't in that upper tier because it is just missing that one intangible that pushes the true Hall of Fame episodes to the top of the pyramid. This episode made me laugh out loud enough to grade highly but fell a bit flat towards the end and was missing IT to get it to the highest grade level. Still, it was one worth checking out if you haven't in a while. Final Grade: 7/10