JT's comments below originally ran as part of Place to Be Nation's "Seinfeld: The PTBN Series Rewatch" project.
Best Character
I enjoyed pretty much everyone, despite the faults of the episode, but I really thought Kramer had the most hits throughout. Every line he delivered about that fucking highway was said with such dedication and love that he drew you right into the storyline. Everything he did was so illegal but done from the heart and it ends with him sending Newman and his flounder up in flames. Taking down the signs, widening the lanes, stealing a chain, spilling ammonia, he did it all in this one.
Best Storyline
Again, I thought everything worked well enough but Kramer's highway storyline was consistently funny and cracked me up the whole time. It started well and built to this amazing peak of Newman being burnt to a crisp in his mail truck while bootlegging flounder. So great.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
Kramer really was on to something with his bitching about the failing infrastructure of America. Ahead of his time. I mean, it is ridiculous to think a zany celebrity with zero political background and a public incident based on racism could be president, but perhaps he could run and raise his concerns to the country from that perch?
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
Jenna is way too good for Jerry. He botched that one big time. She should have dunked him and his flared nostrils in the toilet. Relationship Grade: 100,000 Revolutions/10
What Worked:
Jenna's unknowing big grin as she brushed her teeth was pretty funny; I like George calling Jerry finicky, prissy and fastidious; Kramer mixing up Phil Rizzuto for Richard Nixon; The China Panda phone guy giving the half ass "yeah first time" cracked me up; Elaine's funny voice while tricking China Panda; George listening to the "Do Not Duplicate" warning on his keys; I always laugh at the "Holy Cow" coming up from under the pothole and Jerry calling him a "poor son of a bitch" gets me every time; Jerry clearly tricking his girlfriend into using bleach as mouthwash was next level OCD; Kramer cleaning the highway and diving across the lanes of oncoming traffic to grab a can was fantastic, as was Kramer taking all the signs into Jerry's apartment to clean them and then bragging about wheeling the big trash items into the woods; Kramer telling George to contact him at the emergency call box; Jerry's tool shed line is amazing as is Kramer asking where it was minutes later; Newman running fish on the weekends is peak Newman; The maintenance guy trolling George and mocking h is snort was good; Kramer painting over the lane lines while spilling paint all over the seat of his car is peak Kramer; Everyone packed into Elaine's "apartment" is a great parody of how the foursome always somehow finds each other when needed; Kramer "borrowing" the random rusted chain; Jerry sleeping in his car to avoid the apartment; Jerry leaving Jenna to clean herself up and telling her to "Have a nice life" is as shitty as it gets; Newman singing before getting lit up in flames is a GOAT scene
What Didn't Work
How did Jenna possibly get that much toothpaste on the toothbrush and be mid-brushing in those few seconds Jerry washed his hands?; Why didn't Elaine just walk her lazy ass over to the restaurant if she wanted the food so bad?; Also, why would the delivery guy take the food back? What a waste, you are already there, just let her have it; And, if Elaine is ordering THAT much flounder, just take her money and shut up!
Key Character Debuts
- Jenna
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- "Ah, baking soda. Annoying little product. 'I can do this. I can do that.' Why doesn't this stuff just shut up?" - Jerry
- "So I'm sure whatever germs it landed on were knocked out, and by the time the rest of them realised what was going on, you had already grabbed it out." - George "How many years of med school did you have?" - Jerry
- "They don't actually have to squeeze his head to get him to say 'holy cow', do they?" - Jerry "Just the last few innings of a double-header." - George
- "Yeah, I'm part of the solution now Jerry. Yeah, I went down there and I checked it out this morning. Here, take a look. Mile one-fourteen." - Kramer "Aw, looks just like you." - Jerry "Aw, I'm beaming Jerry." Kramer "So what d'you have to do? Pay to keep it clean?" - Jerry "They try to push you into using their cleaning crew, with all their so-called maintenance equipment." - Kramer "That old scam." - Jerry "Yeah, well that's why I'm doing it all myself. This parenting isn't about delegating responsibility, it's about being there." - Kramer "At the side of the road, with a pile of garbage." - Jerry "Quality time." - Kramer
- "No, stings the throat. Anyway, so I was coming along here, and I felt like a piece of cake, you know? But then I thought, it's morning, I should really have a muffin. I like those chocolate chip ones. Then I figured, well, they're really both cake. So I, uh, I sat on that bench for a little while, twenty minutes or an hour, and then I figured, check and see what you were up to. (a thought occurs to him) Wait a minute, wait a minute. The broad jump! The broad jump over the pothole on Eighty-sixth Street!" - George
- "Oh, so now you're finding fault on a sub-atomic level." - Elaine "Maybe if I could shrink myself down, like in Fantastic Voyage, and get inside a microscopic submarine, I could be sure. Although if there was something there, it might be pretty scary. Course, I would have that laser." - Jerry "Jer, do you see where this is going?" - Elaine "Being really clean and happy?" - Jerry "Jerry, you have tendencies. They're always annoying, but they were just tendencies. But now, if you can't kiss this girl, I'm afraid we're talking disorder." - Elaine "Disorder?" - Jerry "And from disorder, you're a quirk or two away from full-on dementia." - Elaine "Hmm, that could hurt me." - Jerry
- "Hey, you should see the Berkhardt, Jerry. My mile is spotless. I mean the big stuff was easy. Cinderblocks, air-conditioners, shopping carts, I just rolled 'em into the woods." - Kramer "Yeah, that stuff's all natural anyway." - Jerry
- "Could be anything. The whole apartment's a biohazard." - Jerry
- "So, you got any black paint?" - Kramer "Yeah, in my toolshed, next to the riding mower." - Jerry
- "Now, where's that tool shed of yours?" - Kramer
- "Oh that's nice, kind of a hard-labour fantasy camp." - Jerry
- "I told you yesterday to haul that trash outta the basement." - Mrs. Allister "Yeah, I am so sorry." - Elaine "Some of the children have been playing near it and putting it in their mouths." - Mrs. Allister "Well, a lot of it is vegetable..." - Elaine
Oddities & Fun Facts
- The Arthur Burghardt Expressway was named for the actor who had been called in to audition for the series several times without being cast.
- Jerry's girlfriend (Jenna) is played by Kristin Davis of Sex and the City and Melrose Place.
- Jerry mentions that he was drinking a Cel Ray. Cel Ray is a celery flavored soft drink made by Dr. Brown's that is popular in New York City and a few other areas.
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
I thought this was a very strong episode that falls short of the Hall of Fame due to some glaring easily closed potholes (most of which I laid out in the "What Didn't Work" section). I thought individually all of the characters were great in their delivery and execution and there were some really great scenes in here. The Newman scene is a classic. I thought Jenna was a really good character too and I wish they kept her around for a mini arc before having Jerry nuke here. I also enjoyed how everything tied together and paid off with them all being involved in some sort of blue collar maintenance work and each fucking it all up. My grade will be high but just know it should have probably been a perfect score if they had been a little tighter across the board. Holy Cow! Final Grade: 8/10
Best Character
I enjoyed pretty much everyone, despite the faults of the episode, but I really thought Kramer had the most hits throughout. Every line he delivered about that fucking highway was said with such dedication and love that he drew you right into the storyline. Everything he did was so illegal but done from the heart and it ends with him sending Newman and his flounder up in flames. Taking down the signs, widening the lanes, stealing a chain, spilling ammonia, he did it all in this one.
Best Storyline
Again, I thought everything worked well enough but Kramer's highway storyline was consistently funny and cracked me up the whole time. It started well and built to this amazing peak of Newman being burnt to a crisp in his mail truck while bootlegging flounder. So great.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
Kramer really was on to something with his bitching about the failing infrastructure of America. Ahead of his time. I mean, it is ridiculous to think a zany celebrity with zero political background and a public incident based on racism could be president, but perhaps he could run and raise his concerns to the country from that perch?
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
Jenna is way too good for Jerry. He botched that one big time. She should have dunked him and his flared nostrils in the toilet. Relationship Grade: 100,000 Revolutions/10
What Worked:
Jenna's unknowing big grin as she brushed her teeth was pretty funny; I like George calling Jerry finicky, prissy and fastidious; Kramer mixing up Phil Rizzuto for Richard Nixon; The China Panda phone guy giving the half ass "yeah first time" cracked me up; Elaine's funny voice while tricking China Panda; George listening to the "Do Not Duplicate" warning on his keys; I always laugh at the "Holy Cow" coming up from under the pothole and Jerry calling him a "poor son of a bitch" gets me every time; Jerry clearly tricking his girlfriend into using bleach as mouthwash was next level OCD; Kramer cleaning the highway and diving across the lanes of oncoming traffic to grab a can was fantastic, as was Kramer taking all the signs into Jerry's apartment to clean them and then bragging about wheeling the big trash items into the woods; Kramer telling George to contact him at the emergency call box; Jerry's tool shed line is amazing as is Kramer asking where it was minutes later; Newman running fish on the weekends is peak Newman; The maintenance guy trolling George and mocking h is snort was good; Kramer painting over the lane lines while spilling paint all over the seat of his car is peak Kramer; Everyone packed into Elaine's "apartment" is a great parody of how the foursome always somehow finds each other when needed; Kramer "borrowing" the random rusted chain; Jerry sleeping in his car to avoid the apartment; Jerry leaving Jenna to clean herself up and telling her to "Have a nice life" is as shitty as it gets; Newman singing before getting lit up in flames is a GOAT scene
What Didn't Work
How did Jenna possibly get that much toothpaste on the toothbrush and be mid-brushing in those few seconds Jerry washed his hands?; Why didn't Elaine just walk her lazy ass over to the restaurant if she wanted the food so bad?; Also, why would the delivery guy take the food back? What a waste, you are already there, just let her have it; And, if Elaine is ordering THAT much flounder, just take her money and shut up!
Key Character Debuts
- Jenna
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- "Ah, baking soda. Annoying little product. 'I can do this. I can do that.' Why doesn't this stuff just shut up?" - Jerry
- "So I'm sure whatever germs it landed on were knocked out, and by the time the rest of them realised what was going on, you had already grabbed it out." - George "How many years of med school did you have?" - Jerry
- "They don't actually have to squeeze his head to get him to say 'holy cow', do they?" - Jerry "Just the last few innings of a double-header." - George
- "Yeah, I'm part of the solution now Jerry. Yeah, I went down there and I checked it out this morning. Here, take a look. Mile one-fourteen." - Kramer "Aw, looks just like you." - Jerry "Aw, I'm beaming Jerry." Kramer "So what d'you have to do? Pay to keep it clean?" - Jerry "They try to push you into using their cleaning crew, with all their so-called maintenance equipment." - Kramer "That old scam." - Jerry "Yeah, well that's why I'm doing it all myself. This parenting isn't about delegating responsibility, it's about being there." - Kramer "At the side of the road, with a pile of garbage." - Jerry "Quality time." - Kramer
- "No, stings the throat. Anyway, so I was coming along here, and I felt like a piece of cake, you know? But then I thought, it's morning, I should really have a muffin. I like those chocolate chip ones. Then I figured, well, they're really both cake. So I, uh, I sat on that bench for a little while, twenty minutes or an hour, and then I figured, check and see what you were up to. (a thought occurs to him) Wait a minute, wait a minute. The broad jump! The broad jump over the pothole on Eighty-sixth Street!" - George
- "Oh, so now you're finding fault on a sub-atomic level." - Elaine "Maybe if I could shrink myself down, like in Fantastic Voyage, and get inside a microscopic submarine, I could be sure. Although if there was something there, it might be pretty scary. Course, I would have that laser." - Jerry "Jer, do you see where this is going?" - Elaine "Being really clean and happy?" - Jerry "Jerry, you have tendencies. They're always annoying, but they were just tendencies. But now, if you can't kiss this girl, I'm afraid we're talking disorder." - Elaine "Disorder?" - Jerry "And from disorder, you're a quirk or two away from full-on dementia." - Elaine "Hmm, that could hurt me." - Jerry
- "Hey, you should see the Berkhardt, Jerry. My mile is spotless. I mean the big stuff was easy. Cinderblocks, air-conditioners, shopping carts, I just rolled 'em into the woods." - Kramer "Yeah, that stuff's all natural anyway." - Jerry
- "Could be anything. The whole apartment's a biohazard." - Jerry
- "So, you got any black paint?" - Kramer "Yeah, in my toolshed, next to the riding mower." - Jerry
- "Now, where's that tool shed of yours?" - Kramer
- "Oh that's nice, kind of a hard-labour fantasy camp." - Jerry
- "I told you yesterday to haul that trash outta the basement." - Mrs. Allister "Yeah, I am so sorry." - Elaine "Some of the children have been playing near it and putting it in their mouths." - Mrs. Allister "Well, a lot of it is vegetable..." - Elaine
Oddities & Fun Facts
- The Arthur Burghardt Expressway was named for the actor who had been called in to audition for the series several times without being cast.
- Jerry's girlfriend (Jenna) is played by Kristin Davis of Sex and the City and Melrose Place.
- Jerry mentions that he was drinking a Cel Ray. Cel Ray is a celery flavored soft drink made by Dr. Brown's that is popular in New York City and a few other areas.
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
I thought this was a very strong episode that falls short of the Hall of Fame due to some glaring easily closed potholes (most of which I laid out in the "What Didn't Work" section). I thought individually all of the characters were great in their delivery and execution and there were some really great scenes in here. The Newman scene is a classic. I thought Jenna was a really good character too and I wish they kept her around for a mini arc before having Jerry nuke here. I also enjoyed how everything tied together and paid off with them all being involved in some sort of blue collar maintenance work and each fucking it all up. My grade will be high but just know it should have probably been a perfect score if they had been a little tighter across the board. Holy Cow! Final Grade: 8/10
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