JT's comments below originally ran as part of Place to Be Nation's "Seinfeld: The PTBN Series Rewatch" project.
Best Character
I really wanted to give this to Elaine for her great performance at the bar, but Kramer takes this one again. His early scene trying to shake down the laundromat owner was good, but watching him attempting to pour the concrete into the washing machine was a thing of beauty and the first time we really get a dose of his physical comedy prowess. I loved how every time he looked to finally have it down, something else happened to thwart him. And then his line at the end, "I didn't realize it was a full box" to explain why he was covered in powder was fantastic. Layup decision here for that one scene alone.
Best Storyline
I liked the parallel revenge storylines and for a while it seemed like George's scheme would lead the way, but Kramer dumping concrete powder all over the place swung my vote completely. Even the scene prior where Kramer continues his interrogation prowess was really funny. Jerry's form of distraction, asking about washing machine cycles, was so inane that he should be embarrassed it even worked. George and Elaine showed off some great chemistry in the bar but I thought that scene dragged just a bit towards the end.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
When is it OK to destroy somebody's property for revenge? In "The Statue", Jerry was confident that Ray stole his statue and went right at him verbally. He tries that again here, but once again he fails. So, he again listens to Kramer, but this time they decide to destroy a washing machine as revenge. The plot is a poor one for a few reasons: a) they have no real proof the guy took Jerry's money, b) it was really obvious that something was up as it was going on, and c) the guy would know it was them based on watching Kramer having loaded up the machine that eventually broke. It was really a no-win situation as Jerry was going to be forced to pay for the damage either way, if the money was found or not. If you are going to cause destruction to even out a perceived slight, be a bit more sure and have a much better plan in place.
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
Elaine talking about routine trips to nudist colonies is about all we have in this one. But the thought of that alone makes this a win. Relationship Grade: 10/10
What Worked
George's speech when he quit and the fact that he quit because he couldn't use the private bathroom anymore is so very George; Jerry's explanation of why he wants to keep his laundry separate from Kramer's was an example of how Jerry's standup bits can translate into dialogue on occasion; George and Jerry discussing career options is a great scene and the delivery is perfect on both ends; Jerry's idea for George to just show back up at work after quitting was pretty smooth; Rick is a pretty good sleaze ball; George planning his revenge even though he quit was great and it still felt well deserved for Rick because he was such a douche; Jerry's take and argument about the laundromat's warning sign is very accurate; Kramer loading the cement into the washing machine was a classic scene; Also, we finally got a good dose of all four and them being split off into different pairs was nice to see; George threatening Linda with tearing off her wig was a nice touch given how annoying she is
What Didn't Work
There was a lot going on in this episode, and they didn't really have time for the stand up cut-in, especially one that wasn't really too funny; George's co-workers are really annoying, which was probably the point; We don't get to see what happened to Rick that cost George his job again, how did he find out George did him wrong?
Key Character Debuts
Newman (Voice Only)
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- George's obsession with toilets continues
- "Maybe I could be an announcer, like a color man. You know how I always make good comments during the game?" - George "Yeah, yeah you make good comments..." - Jerry "So, what about that?" - George "Well you know, they tend to give those jobs to ex-ball players and people that are...you know...in broadcasting" - Jerry "Well, that's really not fair." - George
- "You got a Mickey source?" - Jerry
- "The best revenge is living well!" - Jerry "Well, there's no chance of that!" - George
- "What did you say?" - Jerry "I said wave to me when you pass my window" - Kramer "Did he wave?" - Jerry
- Kramer is wearing Jerry's ruined leather jacket when they go to the laundromat
Oddities & Fun Facts
- Newman is suicidal and is voiced by Larry David
- Jerry hides large amounts of cash in his laundry bag
- Kramer is compared to Lex Luthor by Jerry for not using his mind for good
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
This episode felt very similar to the one before it in that it was quite solid but not one that really stands out over time. It had some good moments but I felt there was potential to be a home run and they just missed crushing the pitch. If this premise was transported into season six or seven, I think they would have killed it. As is, there were still some good bits, with Kramer's concrete assault leading the way. It was nice to finally see a dose of Kramer's physical comedy and it was eye opening how good he was at it. I also enjoyed Elaine and George working on a scheme together as there chemistry has developed quite well. Again, there were things here to like and not much to hate, but not one that will be looked at as a classic. That Seinfeld Curve is a tough one. Final Grade: 5/10
Best Character
I really wanted to give this to Elaine for her great performance at the bar, but Kramer takes this one again. His early scene trying to shake down the laundromat owner was good, but watching him attempting to pour the concrete into the washing machine was a thing of beauty and the first time we really get a dose of his physical comedy prowess. I loved how every time he looked to finally have it down, something else happened to thwart him. And then his line at the end, "I didn't realize it was a full box" to explain why he was covered in powder was fantastic. Layup decision here for that one scene alone.
Best Storyline
I liked the parallel revenge storylines and for a while it seemed like George's scheme would lead the way, but Kramer dumping concrete powder all over the place swung my vote completely. Even the scene prior where Kramer continues his interrogation prowess was really funny. Jerry's form of distraction, asking about washing machine cycles, was so inane that he should be embarrassed it even worked. George and Elaine showed off some great chemistry in the bar but I thought that scene dragged just a bit towards the end.
Ethical Dilemma of the Week
When is it OK to destroy somebody's property for revenge? In "The Statue", Jerry was confident that Ray stole his statue and went right at him verbally. He tries that again here, but once again he fails. So, he again listens to Kramer, but this time they decide to destroy a washing machine as revenge. The plot is a poor one for a few reasons: a) they have no real proof the guy took Jerry's money, b) it was really obvious that something was up as it was going on, and c) the guy would know it was them based on watching Kramer having loaded up the machine that eventually broke. It was really a no-win situation as Jerry was going to be forced to pay for the damage either way, if the money was found or not. If you are going to cause destruction to even out a perceived slight, be a bit more sure and have a much better plan in place.
Relationship Scale (Scale 1-10)
Elaine talking about routine trips to nudist colonies is about all we have in this one. But the thought of that alone makes this a win. Relationship Grade: 10/10
What Worked
George's speech when he quit and the fact that he quit because he couldn't use the private bathroom anymore is so very George; Jerry's explanation of why he wants to keep his laundry separate from Kramer's was an example of how Jerry's standup bits can translate into dialogue on occasion; George and Jerry discussing career options is a great scene and the delivery is perfect on both ends; Jerry's idea for George to just show back up at work after quitting was pretty smooth; Rick is a pretty good sleaze ball; George planning his revenge even though he quit was great and it still felt well deserved for Rick because he was such a douche; Jerry's take and argument about the laundromat's warning sign is very accurate; Kramer loading the cement into the washing machine was a classic scene; Also, we finally got a good dose of all four and them being split off into different pairs was nice to see; George threatening Linda with tearing off her wig was a nice touch given how annoying she is
What Didn't Work
There was a lot going on in this episode, and they didn't really have time for the stand up cut-in, especially one that wasn't really too funny; George's co-workers are really annoying, which was probably the point; We don't get to see what happened to Rick that cost George his job again, how did he find out George did him wrong?
Key Character Debuts
Newman (Voice Only)
Iconic Moments, Running Themes & Memorable Quotes
- George's obsession with toilets continues
- "Maybe I could be an announcer, like a color man. You know how I always make good comments during the game?" - George "Yeah, yeah you make good comments..." - Jerry "So, what about that?" - George "Well you know, they tend to give those jobs to ex-ball players and people that are...you know...in broadcasting" - Jerry "Well, that's really not fair." - George
- "You got a Mickey source?" - Jerry
- "The best revenge is living well!" - Jerry "Well, there's no chance of that!" - George
- "What did you say?" - Jerry "I said wave to me when you pass my window" - Kramer "Did he wave?" - Jerry
- Kramer is wearing Jerry's ruined leather jacket when they go to the laundromat
Oddities & Fun Facts
- Newman is suicidal and is voiced by Larry David
- Jerry hides large amounts of cash in his laundry bag
- Kramer is compared to Lex Luthor by Jerry for not using his mind for good
Overall Grade (Scale 1-10)
This episode felt very similar to the one before it in that it was quite solid but not one that really stands out over time. It had some good moments but I felt there was potential to be a home run and they just missed crushing the pitch. If this premise was transported into season six or seven, I think they would have killed it. As is, there were still some good bits, with Kramer's concrete assault leading the way. It was nice to finally see a dose of Kramer's physical comedy and it was eye opening how good he was at it. I also enjoyed Elaine and George working on a scheme together as there chemistry has developed quite well. Again, there were things here to like and not much to hate, but not one that will be looked at as a classic. That Seinfeld Curve is a tough one. Final Grade: 5/10
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