JT's comments below originally ran as part of Place to Be Nation's "Seinfeld: The PTBN Series Rewatch" project.
Best Character
George and Kramer were really strong here but I enjoyed Jerry the whole way through. He had some really well timed one liners and all the stuff with the glasses was top notch, especially when he was staring out of the car window at George. The Chesty LaRoux dig was really good too. Enjoy that gum, Jerome, it was well earned!
Best Storyline
Deena thinking George had dementia was fantastic, especially with how it tied everything together so beautifully. It wove in the car fire, Ruthie Cohen, the florist with the hose, Elaine's cleavage, the gum, the glasses, Henry VIII and of course Lloyd Braun. It was vintage Seinfeld storytelling at its best from start to finish.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
Should you wear fake glasses to help convince a guy he isn't nuts? No, just say you wear contacts. They existed in 1998. Easy out. And screw that whack job Braun anyway. Smarmy prick.
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
No Susan = All the buys. Ruthie and that horse is a match made in heaven. She rode her steed with such conviction and pride. Relationship Grade: 10/10
What Worked:
It is kind of cool to have a Christmas episode as I feel we don't always get one; Kramer saying "Jeffrey Har-Harwood" with the pipe in his mouth is a favorite of mine; Lloyd Braun returns and he brings some awesome Chinese gum; George telling everyone about Lloyd's breakdown; Kramer's theater tour was fantastic; I love Jerry's "Nah you don't wanna be uncomfortable" line as he and Elaine slink down in their seats; Pop fucking up George's car as Deena breaks the news about the dementia; Elaine's cleavage is pure HACHE MACHE status; The cop's "lady you sold me" line is delivered so well; Jerry wearing the glasses is great; Lloyd walking in as George was buying the gum and saying he thought he didn't chew it; The whole gum chewing scene in Jerry's apartment, especially Jerry cleaning the glasses; Deena and George in the park; Jerry has two killer lines back to back with the "high flying cashier" and "Chest LaRoux"; Ruthie just showing up everywhere to torment George is so good and I love the payoff of the florist not having his hose; RIP Jon Voight Car; That hot dog; Jerry not recognizing George because of the glasses and then capping with the "He's trying to fool Lloyd Braun" is legit laugh out loud good; Deena catching George in the Henry VIII outfit and Elaine flirting with Haarwood are nice cappers
What Didn't Work
Deena is kind of presumptuous and should be a bit more accepting that her demented father destroyed George's car since she saw him banging around under the hood
Key Character Debuts
- Jeffrey Haarwood
- Deena
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- "With Spartacus?" - George "Well, it's a rare archival print." - Kramer
- "Why would I spend seven dollars to see a movie that I could watch on TV?" - George "Well, why go to a fine restaurant, when you can just stick something in the microwave? Why go to the park and fly a kite, when you can just pop a pill?" - Kramer
- "I think I finally figured out what the flavor is in this gum. It's a little lo-mein-y." - Jerry
- "Nah, I gotta deliver some Christmas presents to my parents." - George "I thought your parents were outta town?" - Jerry "Why d'you think I'm going now?" - George
- "Aw, c'mon Kramer, this is ridiculous. I'm not gonna put these on." - Jerry "Oh. Okay. So he'll just think that the two of you didn't sit with him on purpose. Ooh yeah, that's very nice. Very nice." - Kramer
- "Now see, this is what the holidays are all about. Three buddies, sitting around, chewing gum, huh?" - Kramer
- "You see that woman on the horse? She stole twenty dollars from me. Yeah, I might've gotten it back, but Lloyd Braun interfered!" - George "So again it all comes back to Lloyd." - Deena
- "So you say she was on a horse?" - Jerry "I'm telling you, that cashier is riding horses on my money." - George "Well, here's what I propose. Go down to the stables, snoop around. See if any high-flying cashier's been throwing twenty dollar bills around with big lips." - Jerry
- "Well, if it isn't Chesty La Rue." - Jerry "What?" - Elaine "I was chewing gum with Lloyd Braun, and he was bragging about the peepshow you gave him at the Alex." - Jerry
- "Ah, well if they're not in the box, I'm sure they'll turn up soon. Listen, could you keep an eye on the place? I wanna go out and get some paraffin wax, and bring out the lustre of this vintage countertop." - Kramer
- "The Jon Voight car is no more." - George
- "This hotdog's been here since the silent era. You'd have to be insane to eat it." - Attendant
- "Look, honey, I know you're trying to get Lloyd to notice you, but this is too much. Parading around in a wet t-shirt." - Kramer "Uhh, I got sprayed with a hose." - Elaine "Yeah, well, I'm sorry, but the Alex is a family theatre, not one of your swing joints." - Kramer
- "And I suppose Lloyd Braun had something to do with it too." - Deena "No, not Lloyd Braun. But the cashier." - George "What cashier?" - Deena "You remember the woman on the horse? She wanted my spot." - George "To park her horse?" - Deena "No, she wasn't on the horse." - George "So, your car caught fire because of my father and the woman on the horse?" - Deena "That's right. And him!" - George "The man with the flowers?" - Deena "Yeah, yeah, the flower guy." - George
- "Well, I... I'd love to lend it to you, but I doubt if it would fit a man of your impressive, Raymond Massey-like, physique. The only person who could really fit into this costume, would have to be a short, stocky, man of somewhat generous proportions." - Jeffrey
Oddities & Fun Facts
- Lloyd Braun is now played by Matt McCoy instead of Peter Keleghan (S5, E7)
- The Jon Voight Car is officially dead; George had purchased it in The Mom & Pop Store (S6, E8)
- Larry David plays the cashier on the street
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
I love this episode. The storytelling is so awesome and every single weaves together and pays off at the end. We also got a monumental moment when the Jon Voight Car bites the dust. Braun's return was well done too, paying off his meltdown with Dinkins and sets up Deena's psychological breakdown of George so well. Kramer is great when he is being a condescending dick and that was on full display here. The hot dog gag, the pipe, Elaine's chest, Haarwood... just lots of goodness littered all through this one. Plus a Larry David appearance! Can't go the full monty here because it definitely is missing a little something from kicking it to that tier but it is really damn close. Final Grade: 9/10
Best Character
George and Kramer were really strong here but I enjoyed Jerry the whole way through. He had some really well timed one liners and all the stuff with the glasses was top notch, especially when he was staring out of the car window at George. The Chesty LaRoux dig was really good too. Enjoy that gum, Jerome, it was well earned!
Best Storyline
Deena thinking George had dementia was fantastic, especially with how it tied everything together so beautifully. It wove in the car fire, Ruthie Cohen, the florist with the hose, Elaine's cleavage, the gum, the glasses, Henry VIII and of course Lloyd Braun. It was vintage Seinfeld storytelling at its best from start to finish.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
Should you wear fake glasses to help convince a guy he isn't nuts? No, just say you wear contacts. They existed in 1998. Easy out. And screw that whack job Braun anyway. Smarmy prick.
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
No Susan = All the buys. Ruthie and that horse is a match made in heaven. She rode her steed with such conviction and pride. Relationship Grade: 10/10
What Worked:
It is kind of cool to have a Christmas episode as I feel we don't always get one; Kramer saying "Jeffrey Har-Harwood" with the pipe in his mouth is a favorite of mine; Lloyd Braun returns and he brings some awesome Chinese gum; George telling everyone about Lloyd's breakdown; Kramer's theater tour was fantastic; I love Jerry's "Nah you don't wanna be uncomfortable" line as he and Elaine slink down in their seats; Pop fucking up George's car as Deena breaks the news about the dementia; Elaine's cleavage is pure HACHE MACHE status; The cop's "lady you sold me" line is delivered so well; Jerry wearing the glasses is great; Lloyd walking in as George was buying the gum and saying he thought he didn't chew it; The whole gum chewing scene in Jerry's apartment, especially Jerry cleaning the glasses; Deena and George in the park; Jerry has two killer lines back to back with the "high flying cashier" and "Chest LaRoux"; Ruthie just showing up everywhere to torment George is so good and I love the payoff of the florist not having his hose; RIP Jon Voight Car; That hot dog; Jerry not recognizing George because of the glasses and then capping with the "He's trying to fool Lloyd Braun" is legit laugh out loud good; Deena catching George in the Henry VIII outfit and Elaine flirting with Haarwood are nice cappers
What Didn't Work
Deena is kind of presumptuous and should be a bit more accepting that her demented father destroyed George's car since she saw him banging around under the hood
Key Character Debuts
- Jeffrey Haarwood
- Deena
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- "With Spartacus?" - George "Well, it's a rare archival print." - Kramer
- "Why would I spend seven dollars to see a movie that I could watch on TV?" - George "Well, why go to a fine restaurant, when you can just stick something in the microwave? Why go to the park and fly a kite, when you can just pop a pill?" - Kramer
- "I think I finally figured out what the flavor is in this gum. It's a little lo-mein-y." - Jerry
- "Nah, I gotta deliver some Christmas presents to my parents." - George "I thought your parents were outta town?" - Jerry "Why d'you think I'm going now?" - George
- "Aw, c'mon Kramer, this is ridiculous. I'm not gonna put these on." - Jerry "Oh. Okay. So he'll just think that the two of you didn't sit with him on purpose. Ooh yeah, that's very nice. Very nice." - Kramer
- "Now see, this is what the holidays are all about. Three buddies, sitting around, chewing gum, huh?" - Kramer
- "You see that woman on the horse? She stole twenty dollars from me. Yeah, I might've gotten it back, but Lloyd Braun interfered!" - George "So again it all comes back to Lloyd." - Deena
- "So you say she was on a horse?" - Jerry "I'm telling you, that cashier is riding horses on my money." - George "Well, here's what I propose. Go down to the stables, snoop around. See if any high-flying cashier's been throwing twenty dollar bills around with big lips." - Jerry
- "Well, if it isn't Chesty La Rue." - Jerry "What?" - Elaine "I was chewing gum with Lloyd Braun, and he was bragging about the peepshow you gave him at the Alex." - Jerry
- "Ah, well if they're not in the box, I'm sure they'll turn up soon. Listen, could you keep an eye on the place? I wanna go out and get some paraffin wax, and bring out the lustre of this vintage countertop." - Kramer
- "The Jon Voight car is no more." - George
- "This hotdog's been here since the silent era. You'd have to be insane to eat it." - Attendant
- "Look, honey, I know you're trying to get Lloyd to notice you, but this is too much. Parading around in a wet t-shirt." - Kramer "Uhh, I got sprayed with a hose." - Elaine "Yeah, well, I'm sorry, but the Alex is a family theatre, not one of your swing joints." - Kramer
- "And I suppose Lloyd Braun had something to do with it too." - Deena "No, not Lloyd Braun. But the cashier." - George "What cashier?" - Deena "You remember the woman on the horse? She wanted my spot." - George "To park her horse?" - Deena "No, she wasn't on the horse." - George "So, your car caught fire because of my father and the woman on the horse?" - Deena "That's right. And him!" - George "The man with the flowers?" - Deena "Yeah, yeah, the flower guy." - George
- "Well, I... I'd love to lend it to you, but I doubt if it would fit a man of your impressive, Raymond Massey-like, physique. The only person who could really fit into this costume, would have to be a short, stocky, man of somewhat generous proportions." - Jeffrey
Oddities & Fun Facts
- Lloyd Braun is now played by Matt McCoy instead of Peter Keleghan (S5, E7)
- The Jon Voight Car is officially dead; George had purchased it in The Mom & Pop Store (S6, E8)
- Larry David plays the cashier on the street
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
I love this episode. The storytelling is so awesome and every single weaves together and pays off at the end. We also got a monumental moment when the Jon Voight Car bites the dust. Braun's return was well done too, paying off his meltdown with Dinkins and sets up Deena's psychological breakdown of George so well. Kramer is great when he is being a condescending dick and that was on full display here. The hot dog gag, the pipe, Elaine's chest, Haarwood... just lots of goodness littered all through this one. Plus a Larry David appearance! Can't go the full monty here because it definitely is missing a little something from kicking it to that tier but it is really damn close. Final Grade: 9/10
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