JT's comments below originally ran as part of Place to Be Nation's "Seinfeld: The PTBN Series Rewatch" project.
Best Character
I have to go Jerry here. Kramer and George had their moments and Elaine was good too, but Jerry was the most consistent throughout. Whether he was discussing history's kind women, running through women's names or making fake plans for the Poconos, he had a bunch of classic lines and memorable scenes. Add in the Junior Mint fumble and his Hall of Fame ad lib and you got it all.
Best Storyline
This is really close for me. The Junior Mint incident is an all time classic and yet another crossover moment for the show, as Junior Mint jokes immediately flooded pop culture after this. But the quest to solve the mystery of Mulva locks it up. Watching Jerry transition from cocky to panicky was great and by the end the stakes had risen so high it felt like a brutal kick in the nuts that he figured out the name right after he blew it. Dolores was a hell of a catch. Bad looks, Jerome.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
At what point should Jerry have asked Mulva her name? I say right out of the gate, the first date. He is a comedian, make it funny! Stop trying to be so sneaky! Also, why would Dolores really get so angry that he didn't know her name. She obviously never told him it and then danced around revealing it to Kramer and George. This was all very avoidable.
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
George and Susan B. Anthony seemed like oil and water on the surface, but they could have had the passion bright enough to match the light of a million stars. If he could get past his obvious issues, Soos could have been oiling up his bald head in no time. Relationship Grade: 10/10
What Worked
I have always loved Kramer's desire to convert his apartment to a log cabin; I also enjoy George's rationalization for watching the movie at George's; I have enjoyed Jerry and Elaine's random digs at each other about their relationship this season; Kramer's stealth search for gloves was funny, as was his questioning of the doctor about the retractor; Superficial Elaine is pretty good, falling for Roy after the weight loss and his compliments; The yo-yo callback was awesome; So much random humor in here between Home Alone and the Clara Barton stuff; Jerry's initial attempt at discovering the name followed up by the coffee shop sleuthing with George was good; Jerry's fat bastard line was gold; The surgery scene is pretty iconic and instantly became yet another pop culture crossover moment; Kramer and George attempts at outing Mulva's name; I like to think that the only thing that healed Roy was George Costanza's terrible luck; Roy housing the spaghetti while the Doctor discusses God's miracle was a nice dichotomy; The Joseph Puglia line has always been a favorite of mine
What Didn't Work
George immediately trying to blow his found money feels a little un-Costanza like; Why exactly would George and Susan B. Anthony not get along?; Jerry should have just asked Mulva her damn name, she was pretty awesome
Key Character Debuts
Roy the Artist
Dr. Siegel
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- "Produce section. Very provocative area. A lot of melons and shapes. Everyone's squeezing and smelling...It just happened." - Jerry
- "The whole apartment. And I'm buying that fake wood wallpaper. I'm gonna surround myself in wood. It's gonna be like a log cabin. Cuz I need wood around me. Wood, Jerry... Wood." - Kramer
- "Oh, come on Jerry. You gotta see the operation. They're gonna cut him open. His guts'll be all over the place." - Kramer "Yeah, that's true..." - Jerry "They'll saw through bone. You'll see what's *inside* bone..." - Kramer
- "Yeah, so she and "Triangle Boy" can go out to fancy restaurants." - Jerry
- "Y'know what it is? It's "Clara Nightingale Syndrome". He falls ill, she falls in love." - George "You mean Florence Nightingale." - Jerry "What'd I say? Clara?" - George "Yeah, you must have meant Clara Barton." - Jerry "Clara Barton? What did she do?" - George "I'm not sure, but I think she was nice." - Jerry "Susan B. Anthony I think I'd have a problem with." - George "Yeah, I think you would." - George
- "Y'know I remember when I was a kid growin up, kids would make fun of my name like you wouldn't believe-- "Jerry Jerry Dingleberry", "Seinsmelled"." - Jerry
- "Aretha!" - George "No..." - Jerry "Bovary!" - George "Alright, that's enough." - Jerry
- "Alright, alright. Just let me finish my coffee... then we'll go watch them slice this fat bastard up." - Jerry
- The Junior Mint incident and subsequent descriptions become another pop culture phenomenon, as does the name Mulva
- "Because it's a little mint. It's a Junior Mint." - Jerry
- "Hey, this wallpaper is very good. My place looks like a ski lodge!" - Kramer
- "Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It's chocolate, it's peppermint -- it's delicious!" - Kramer "That's true." - Jerry "It's very refreshing!" - Kramer
- "I have no medical evidence to back me up, but something happened during the operation that staved off that infection. Something beyond science. Something perhaps from above..." - Dr. Siegel
- "Oh, well, I really think I'm falling for you...Joseph Puglia..." - Jerry
- "Dolores!" - Jerry
Oddities & Fun Facts
- Jerry's line about going to watch the fat bastard get sliced up was ad libbed
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
Another episode, another classic. Season four has been amazing. This is clearly the season that saw the show really break through and become iconic in pop culture. The Junior Mint and Mulva lines became very popular and were frequently quoted in the aftermath of the original airing. Jerry was top notch and even in a wicked throwaway storyline George provided some really strong laughs. Depraved Elaine was a lot of fun too as we rarely get to see her be so superficial about a relationship. The K-Man's log cabin was a good C-storyline as well. Oh, and that fat bastard line. What a line. Final Grade: 7/10
Best Character
I have to go Jerry here. Kramer and George had their moments and Elaine was good too, but Jerry was the most consistent throughout. Whether he was discussing history's kind women, running through women's names or making fake plans for the Poconos, he had a bunch of classic lines and memorable scenes. Add in the Junior Mint fumble and his Hall of Fame ad lib and you got it all.
Best Storyline
This is really close for me. The Junior Mint incident is an all time classic and yet another crossover moment for the show, as Junior Mint jokes immediately flooded pop culture after this. But the quest to solve the mystery of Mulva locks it up. Watching Jerry transition from cocky to panicky was great and by the end the stakes had risen so high it felt like a brutal kick in the nuts that he figured out the name right after he blew it. Dolores was a hell of a catch. Bad looks, Jerome.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
At what point should Jerry have asked Mulva her name? I say right out of the gate, the first date. He is a comedian, make it funny! Stop trying to be so sneaky! Also, why would Dolores really get so angry that he didn't know her name. She obviously never told him it and then danced around revealing it to Kramer and George. This was all very avoidable.
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
George and Susan B. Anthony seemed like oil and water on the surface, but they could have had the passion bright enough to match the light of a million stars. If he could get past his obvious issues, Soos could have been oiling up his bald head in no time. Relationship Grade: 10/10
What Worked
I have always loved Kramer's desire to convert his apartment to a log cabin; I also enjoy George's rationalization for watching the movie at George's; I have enjoyed Jerry and Elaine's random digs at each other about their relationship this season; Kramer's stealth search for gloves was funny, as was his questioning of the doctor about the retractor; Superficial Elaine is pretty good, falling for Roy after the weight loss and his compliments; The yo-yo callback was awesome; So much random humor in here between Home Alone and the Clara Barton stuff; Jerry's initial attempt at discovering the name followed up by the coffee shop sleuthing with George was good; Jerry's fat bastard line was gold; The surgery scene is pretty iconic and instantly became yet another pop culture crossover moment; Kramer and George attempts at outing Mulva's name; I like to think that the only thing that healed Roy was George Costanza's terrible luck; Roy housing the spaghetti while the Doctor discusses God's miracle was a nice dichotomy; The Joseph Puglia line has always been a favorite of mine
What Didn't Work
George immediately trying to blow his found money feels a little un-Costanza like; Why exactly would George and Susan B. Anthony not get along?; Jerry should have just asked Mulva her damn name, she was pretty awesome
Key Character Debuts
Roy the Artist
Dr. Siegel
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- "Produce section. Very provocative area. A lot of melons and shapes. Everyone's squeezing and smelling...It just happened." - Jerry
- "The whole apartment. And I'm buying that fake wood wallpaper. I'm gonna surround myself in wood. It's gonna be like a log cabin. Cuz I need wood around me. Wood, Jerry... Wood." - Kramer
- "Oh, come on Jerry. You gotta see the operation. They're gonna cut him open. His guts'll be all over the place." - Kramer "Yeah, that's true..." - Jerry "They'll saw through bone. You'll see what's *inside* bone..." - Kramer
- "Yeah, so she and "Triangle Boy" can go out to fancy restaurants." - Jerry
- "Y'know what it is? It's "Clara Nightingale Syndrome". He falls ill, she falls in love." - George "You mean Florence Nightingale." - Jerry "What'd I say? Clara?" - George "Yeah, you must have meant Clara Barton." - Jerry "Clara Barton? What did she do?" - George "I'm not sure, but I think she was nice." - Jerry "Susan B. Anthony I think I'd have a problem with." - George "Yeah, I think you would." - George
- "Y'know I remember when I was a kid growin up, kids would make fun of my name like you wouldn't believe-- "Jerry Jerry Dingleberry", "Seinsmelled"." - Jerry
- "Aretha!" - George "No..." - Jerry "Bovary!" - George "Alright, that's enough." - Jerry
- "Alright, alright. Just let me finish my coffee... then we'll go watch them slice this fat bastard up." - Jerry
- The Junior Mint incident and subsequent descriptions become another pop culture phenomenon, as does the name Mulva
- "Because it's a little mint. It's a Junior Mint." - Jerry
- "Hey, this wallpaper is very good. My place looks like a ski lodge!" - Kramer
- "Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It's chocolate, it's peppermint -- it's delicious!" - Kramer "That's true." - Jerry "It's very refreshing!" - Kramer
- "I have no medical evidence to back me up, but something happened during the operation that staved off that infection. Something beyond science. Something perhaps from above..." - Dr. Siegel
- "Oh, well, I really think I'm falling for you...Joseph Puglia..." - Jerry
- "Dolores!" - Jerry
Oddities & Fun Facts
- Jerry's line about going to watch the fat bastard get sliced up was ad libbed
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
Another episode, another classic. Season four has been amazing. This is clearly the season that saw the show really break through and become iconic in pop culture. The Junior Mint and Mulva lines became very popular and were frequently quoted in the aftermath of the original airing. Jerry was top notch and even in a wicked throwaway storyline George provided some really strong laughs. Depraved Elaine was a lot of fun too as we rarely get to see her be so superficial about a relationship. The K-Man's log cabin was a good C-storyline as well. Oh, and that fat bastard line. What a line. Final Grade: 7/10
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