JT's comments below originally ran as part of Place to Be Nation's "Seinfeld: The PTBN Series Rewatch" project.
Best Character
Jerry and George were fantastic in this episode, working with a quick wit and never missing a beat. But without Alton Benes in the mix, none of that matters or works. Alton dominated this episode and was a real force as everything moved through him for a majority of the episode. Never once did he crack up or show weakness. He was flawless.
Best Storyline
Jerry and George stuck in a hotel lounge with Alton Benes may be the best storyline we have seen so far. You could feel how uncomfortable they were as every attempt to make small talk completely crashed and burned. George alone botched a quip about ice as well as blatantly lying about reading Alton's book and then freezing when questioned about it. I loved every moment of it.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
There are a few issues at hand here. Should Jerry & George have waited for Elaine or could they have bailed without recourse given how bad things were? Also, should Elaine still have waited for Kramer once he surpassed his five minute promise? Finally, should Kramer have returned Jerry's old jacket once his new one was ruined? I think George and Jerry were stuck, no matter how bad things got. It would have looked really bad and they would have been viewed as even bigger pussies if they snuck out the back door.
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
There was no stated romantic relationship on display this time around but it is clear that there are still lingering issues between Elaine and Jerry. While it isn't overt, Jerry basically takes body blows left and right and also suffers the destruction of his expensive jacket just to protect Elaine. There were many times he could have spoken up and saved himself trouble or his beloved jacket but he just sucked it up and kept it inside. The most obvious time was at the end of the episode when he could have snapped at Elaine about her dad forcing him to wear the coat but took the bullet instead. It was a good subtle story that adds layers to their complex friendship. Relationship Grade: 6/10
What Worked
Jerry & Elaine's banter has gotten really strong very fast and it is on display in the opening scene; Kramer's mooching ways continue to develop as he flat out asks Jerry for his old jacket; George grilling Jerry about the price of the jacket was our Classic George moment of the episode; The entire scene with George, Jerry and Alton in the lobby is aces and one of my favorite scenes is show history; Alton's pure look of disdain throughout the scene is gold.
What Didn't Work
I am still not adjusted to to Jerry caring and fretting over impressing somebody or being on point for a social interaction; Jerry and George are pussies throughout here and it starts with their lame drink orders; Jerry should have spoken up about his jacket or just not worn it when it started snowing, it made him look like an idiot.
Key Character Debuts
Alton Benes
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- "They never find anything in the back, if they had anything good in the back, they would put in the front" - Elaine
- The leather jacket with the pink lining
- George's singing Les Miserables songs
- "What are you Bud Abbott? Why are you calling me an idiot?" - George
- Debut of Kramer's misconception of time
- "Ya like ice?" - George
- "We had a funny guy with us in Korea. Tail gunner. They blew his brains all over the Pacifc. There's nothing funny about that" - Alton
- "We'll say we're frightened...and we have to go home." - George "Yeah that's good. He'd clunk our heads together like Moe." - Jerry
- "He's in da beatchroom" - George
- Kramer owes thousands in back parking tickets
- "Ah, the lift. Like the lure of the siren song, never what it seems to be, but who among us can resist?" - Jerry
- "Pipe down, Chorus Boy" - Alton
- Alton singing the Les Miserables song while driving home
Oddities & Fun Facts
- Elaine's parents are divorced and she is from Maryland
- A Pakistani restaurant is mentioned
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
This wasn't much of an episode, to be honest. But it was a hell of an exhibition. Everything centered around Jerry, George and Alton being trapped in an endless hell of small talk and intimidation. We also got a large dose of character development across the board here, specifically learning about Elaine's relationship with her father as well as the clear ties between her and Jerry that are bubbling underneath everything. Kramer was good in his short spurts too and he ends up wreaking havoc for everybody just so he can babysit some doves. I love the bar scene and it dominates this outing. I will grade as a whole, factoring in that there wasn't much else here, but damn the majority of this was one of the greatest scenes in show history. Final Grade: 6/10
Best Character
Jerry and George were fantastic in this episode, working with a quick wit and never missing a beat. But without Alton Benes in the mix, none of that matters or works. Alton dominated this episode and was a real force as everything moved through him for a majority of the episode. Never once did he crack up or show weakness. He was flawless.
Best Storyline
Jerry and George stuck in a hotel lounge with Alton Benes may be the best storyline we have seen so far. You could feel how uncomfortable they were as every attempt to make small talk completely crashed and burned. George alone botched a quip about ice as well as blatantly lying about reading Alton's book and then freezing when questioned about it. I loved every moment of it.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
There are a few issues at hand here. Should Jerry & George have waited for Elaine or could they have bailed without recourse given how bad things were? Also, should Elaine still have waited for Kramer once he surpassed his five minute promise? Finally, should Kramer have returned Jerry's old jacket once his new one was ruined? I think George and Jerry were stuck, no matter how bad things got. It would have looked really bad and they would have been viewed as even bigger pussies if they snuck out the back door.
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
There was no stated romantic relationship on display this time around but it is clear that there are still lingering issues between Elaine and Jerry. While it isn't overt, Jerry basically takes body blows left and right and also suffers the destruction of his expensive jacket just to protect Elaine. There were many times he could have spoken up and saved himself trouble or his beloved jacket but he just sucked it up and kept it inside. The most obvious time was at the end of the episode when he could have snapped at Elaine about her dad forcing him to wear the coat but took the bullet instead. It was a good subtle story that adds layers to their complex friendship. Relationship Grade: 6/10
What Worked
Jerry & Elaine's banter has gotten really strong very fast and it is on display in the opening scene; Kramer's mooching ways continue to develop as he flat out asks Jerry for his old jacket; George grilling Jerry about the price of the jacket was our Classic George moment of the episode; The entire scene with George, Jerry and Alton in the lobby is aces and one of my favorite scenes is show history; Alton's pure look of disdain throughout the scene is gold.
What Didn't Work
I am still not adjusted to to Jerry caring and fretting over impressing somebody or being on point for a social interaction; Jerry and George are pussies throughout here and it starts with their lame drink orders; Jerry should have spoken up about his jacket or just not worn it when it started snowing, it made him look like an idiot.
Key Character Debuts
Alton Benes
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- "They never find anything in the back, if they had anything good in the back, they would put in the front" - Elaine
- The leather jacket with the pink lining
- George's singing Les Miserables songs
- "What are you Bud Abbott? Why are you calling me an idiot?" - George
- Debut of Kramer's misconception of time
- "Ya like ice?" - George
- "We had a funny guy with us in Korea. Tail gunner. They blew his brains all over the Pacifc. There's nothing funny about that" - Alton
- "We'll say we're frightened...and we have to go home." - George "Yeah that's good. He'd clunk our heads together like Moe." - Jerry
- "He's in da beatchroom" - George
- Kramer owes thousands in back parking tickets
- "Ah, the lift. Like the lure of the siren song, never what it seems to be, but who among us can resist?" - Jerry
- "Pipe down, Chorus Boy" - Alton
- Alton singing the Les Miserables song while driving home
Oddities & Fun Facts
- Elaine's parents are divorced and she is from Maryland
- A Pakistani restaurant is mentioned
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
This wasn't much of an episode, to be honest. But it was a hell of an exhibition. Everything centered around Jerry, George and Alton being trapped in an endless hell of small talk and intimidation. We also got a large dose of character development across the board here, specifically learning about Elaine's relationship with her father as well as the clear ties between her and Jerry that are bubbling underneath everything. Kramer was good in his short spurts too and he ends up wreaking havoc for everybody just so he can babysit some doves. I love the bar scene and it dominates this outing. I will grade as a whole, factoring in that there wasn't much else here, but damn the majority of this was one of the greatest scenes in show history. Final Grade: 6/10
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