juanmaffeo's Reviews

Rugrats: Tommy's First Birthday (1991)

Season 1, Episode 1

9/10

29 July 2019

To be honest I've never really watched this show as a kid, probably because it was a little old by the time I was growing up. I have glympses of memories watching it, but it was definitely not a regular watch for me.

So, with the goal of catching up with an integral part of the Nickelodeon boom and the cartoon renaissance of the early 90s, I gave the pilot a chance and it certainly didn't dissapoint.

Right from the get go, the first image you see is a POV of Tommy waking up to the sight of his parents. Immediately the show carves its own path with a visual identity that distorts the perspective and has no real interest in depicting places in a realistic way. And that applies to the show in general, it's not about grand stories or exciting action, it's about moments and characters. I mean, this episodes is essencially about the parents trying to have a decent birthday party, oblivious to the babies adventure: trying to eat dog food so they can become dogs.

The genius lies in its simplicity. And the show is executed well above the standard for kids shows. The adults are neither paragons of morality nor stupid assholes, they are flawed human beings. Totally relatable characters. And the babies are just overflowing with imagination and a carefree attituted. Between these two realities you get a terribly dinamic and entertaining show.

Plus the music is made by the leader of Devo. What else can you ask for?

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Seinfeld: The Truth (1991)

Season 3, Episode 2

8/10

"Pity is very underrated"

3 November 2016

There's something about this episode that kept me coming for more and I finally found what it is: realism. I noticed that specifically in the first seasons Seinfeld was really concerned about the realistic quality of the situations the gang experienced, hence, you can always find a Seinfeld referenced to quote in any given real situation. But, as I said, that is more notorious in the first 5 seasons (almost unseen in the last 2) and The Truth is a perfect example of this 'realistic quality'.

Apart from being a ridiculously entertaining episode, The Truth manages to tackle several situations that help build a realistic world within Seinfeld and to further explore their characters. George is dating a pretentious 'artist', Jerry is being audited and Kramer and Elaine are having trouble since he started dating Elaine's roommate. Every single storyline has this realistic quality and gives a sense of depth to each character to the point that you actually believe these people are experiencing this things.

To begin with, there is something about watching Jerry deal with tax problems that makes him extremely human and relatable. I couldn't see this kind of plot line in the latter seasons no matter what. His comments about the sticky situation all ring true and are actually funny and poignant. George problem with the papier-maché artist is just hilarious. We all know these kind of people and every thing George says about it is just on point. And my favorite of the bunch is Kramer and Elaine's story. I don't know what is it, but seeing Elaine deal with a very common issue like your roommate's boyfriend or antics is so refreshing and Julia's performance sells it perfectly. Also I kind of love the fact that Kramer cooks tomato sauce and makes a mess out of it and who couldn't love the picture of Kramer and Tina dancing to tribal music. Bizzardly lovely.

Overall, a perfectly rounded episode with relatable and funny situations and great performances.

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Seinfeld: The Deal (1991)

Season 2, Episode 9

8/10

"No. You see? You got greedy"

29 October 2016

The Deal is the perfect example of how the first two Seinfeld seasons operated: you got the clever stories, the clever dialogue, the sexual themes, the relatable situations and you also had the inconsistent tone and slow pace. The Deal is kind of a mixed bag (specially taking into consideration the heights the show would reach).

Larry David and Tom Cherones manage to break more new ground in the first five minutes than most shows do in their entire run. They simultaneously changed what was appropriate for TV (at least to that date) and made as perfect as a set up could be. Along with The Chinese Restaurant, in season 2 Seinfeld took two giant steps that changed their status from wannabe show to innovating series. Seriously, the opening conversation between Jerry and Elaine was so beyond its time that it was almost to much for them to handle and you see that in the progression of the episode. After that opening scene we get maybe an even better conversation between Jerry and George that paved the way to many of these characters' conversations.

But of course, just like the majority of season 2 (except for The Chinese Restaurant) the uneven choices in tone get in the way. Suddenly the plot changes from irreverent relationship commentary to soup opera melodrama and it just doesn't click. It is most shocking having seen the whole series and one very concerned in avoiding these situations ("no hugging, no learning"). That phrase right there is betrayed several times, at times even in a literal way (2 hugs and a closing lesson).

So yeah, overall The Deal is an episode that broke new ground but one Seinfeld wasn't quite sure what direction to take to.

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Seinfeld: The Apartment (1991)

Season 2, Episode 5

8/10

"But I need the home-bed advantage"

17 October 2016

What a perfectly rounded episode. A single strong storyline involving Elaine moving into Jerry's apartment and its subsequent regrets and changes.

It is perfectly clear that in this early episodes Jerry is the protagonist of the show. The other characters interact with him (mainly George and little Kramer) but they don't have proper individual stories. That hurts the episode in some way (we want more Kramer!) but it also lets it focus and strengthen its already great idea.

Right from the opening the story begins and it never stops until its very end. Twist and turns in the middle but so much more also. We get quality social commentary and totally relatable conversations/situations. I love it that in this early seasons there are a lot of parties or dinners, mainly a lot of social situations that kind of seem lost its focus on the later seasons. The everchaging scenario for Jerry is always keeping the story moving and the stakes getting higher.

On a side note we a great scene with George pretending to be married in order to attract women (classic George) and a fantastic dialogue between Jerry and Kramer regarding the K-Man un-human nature.

Overall, I feel a lot of the early episodes got lost in the shuffle and nobody regards them as they should. These are greatly written episodes with funny social situations and even if the tone isn't fully realized the foundations are there.

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Seinfeld: The Phone Message (1991)

Season 2, Episode 4

8/10

"Take it easy"

11 October 2016

Another great episode from the early days. It simultaneously has everything prevalent in the first 2 to 3 seasons: relatable social situations, relationship insights, inconsistent tone and some pretentious writing. I personally like better the early seasons over the latter ones. I am willing to see past its amateur faults because there's a sense of creativity, of doing something unique.

The main plot line isn't all that incredible: the episode revolves around George trying to get some messages out of his girlfriend's phone machine and I believe that's partially the weakness of this episode. The main idea isn't very strong and there is nothing else to complement it. There's a minor storyline involving Jerry's neurosis but Kramer and Elaine don't get to do anything. That being said, the episode has its moments. Jerry's insights on the Cotton Dokers commercial is really funny and the whole third act is amazing.

So yeah, just like the majority of the early episodes, it has good intentions and nice ideas, but they are still finding their tone and style.

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Seinfeld: The Chinese Restaurant (1991)

Season 2, Episode 11

8/10

"Where I am?!"

7 October 2016

I made an IMDb list some time ago about the Top 10 most influential Seinfeld episodes and I placed The Chinese Restaurant in the top spot. Revisiting it today, I'm glad to say that I was right on point with that decision. It's definitely not their best episode and possibly not even perfect but the amount of ground they broke within the lapse of 23 minutes is unprecedented. Real time premise, social commentary, clever dialogue and great performances. I mean, there's really nothing else. It is an episode that solely relies on dialogue, that's it. No stories, no twists, no development. But what's most impressive about this episode is that towards the end you start feeling the anxiety for this problem to be over. On initial viewing I thought that this was that the writers just couldn't keep this episode going any longer, but now I realized that they even managed to make you relate to them in a literary way. You want it to be over, you're sick of hearing them get frustrated, the tension keeps building. They make a similar thing on The Parking Garage where you start to feel the claustrophobia of being in that situation.

The only thing I believe holds this episode from being truly perfect is the lack of Kramer and it's not just because he is a great character, but because I believe that with another character the story could've gained another dynamic.

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Seinfeld: The Ex-Girlfriend (1991)

Season 2, Episode 1

8/10

"One motion: right off!"

6 October 2016

I've recently finished a revisiting of the latter seinfeld seasons and my God does this episode feel like a pack of fresh air. I mean, I'm not kidding here, these are two completely different shows. One concerned with social and relationship commentary and another with surrealistic tales of four weirdos. I know I'm probably in the minority here, but I've always preferred the early seasons over the last ones and I know they are imperfect and the creators are still trying to catch the tone and style, but there is a sense of creativity, of wanting to do something unique. I mean, it's not totally unique cause what they really did was take Woody Allen's movie subjects and translate that to the small screen (with the romantic and philosophical themes put aside). But over the years that initial idea would slowly vanished, so I will always considered the first five to six seasons of Seinfeld as their ultimate statement.

Now we can move on to this episode. I don't know what was I thinking but I've always remember this episode to be a kind of "meh" one. My God was I wrong. From start to finished The Ex-Girlfriend is an unstoppable vehicle for Seinfeld to explore as much social situations as they can. From relationships breakups to dating with a friend's ex girlfriend to even minor story lines like Elaine's (a situation a could definitely see myself experiencing) or Jerry's stand up bits. The only things that hold this episode from being truly great for me is the underusage of Kramer (though he wasn't that prevalent on this early episodes) and a couple of odd serious scenes that really feel most un-seinfeld. Nevertheless, this is Seinfeld's sixth episode ever and it is astounding that they already have a clear sense of purpose even if they don't match with style or tone.

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Stranger Things: Chapter Four: The Body (2016)

Season 1, Episode 4

8/10

"Pretty good"

4 September 2016

Warning: Spoilers

Holy crap, that ending. I don't really care if I thought that wasn't Will's body on the previous episode, the fake body revelation here had me on the edge of my seat.

Acting wise, there are some amazing performances here with Hopper knocking it out of the park. Johnathan keeps being one of my favourite characters (and one of the best acted) and Dr. Benner finally talks.

Story wise, it's a notable improvement over the two previous episodes, but it has a couple of missteps. The bullies' scene was unnecessary (they could've showed that El cares for Mike in more interesting way), we get some cringeworthy scenes with Nancy (the interrogation with the cops, the argument with her mom), but it definitely succeeds in other parts. Hopper's storyline gets more and more interesting, we get more Alien- esque scenes (which I can't get enough of) and a lovely scene involving El's look change.

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Stranger Things: Chapter Three: Holly, Jolly (2016)

Season 1, Episode 3

7/10

"Like Reagan's Star Wars"

4 September 2016

The search for Will continues and our three parties get new information.

Joyce finds a way to communicate with Will using lights, Hopper starts getting suspicious about Hawkins Lab and the kids... well, they don't do much on this episode. The real star here is Eleven. We get two amazing flashbacks that enrich her past. You now realize this is where the story lies, within this three story lines.

But there's something else: freaking Nancy. I mean, I got nothing against the character but she and her storyline is consistently the weakest part of this show. It has nothing to do with the rest of the story (the Barb crap is no way to connect stories) and it has the most clichéd moments and characters. I'm getting pretty tired of the bullies and her romance with Steve. Seriously, it adds nothing to the main story.

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Stranger Things: Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street (2016)

Season 1, Episode 2

7/10

"Promise"

3 September 2016

A bit of a downfall from the excellent pilot, you can see that this is an 'matching plots' episode. There's less substance but it's enjoyable nevertheless.

Although it's a lesser episode than the previous one, it does have better individual scenes. We get too ridiculously tender scenes: one with Mike and El on the sofa and another with Jonathan and Will listening to The Clash. And then we get a tremendously powerful scene about an El's flashback from the lab. Millie Bobbie Brown gives a mouthdropping performance on this episode, as well as Winona Ryder which shines in a scene involving Will trying to communicate with her. That being said, she's still being a little to over the top.

Moving on to the negatives, this episode is filled with clichéd moments. The ones you saw on the pilot get worse here. We get some cheesy lines ("this isn't you"), more stereotypical characters (shitty father), but the worst thing about the episode is that it propels very little the plot. I still don't think that Nancy's story line has anything to do with the rest of the show. I mean, in the end they made the monster take Barb, but that's no way to connect the stories. And also the tone is kind of all over the place. On the pilot we got a fun tone with a darker one underneath but here it's not fun or dark. I mean, when the monster appears on the Byers' house it does ring weird. It wasn't set up or even hinted in the whole episode.

Overall, an enjoyable filler but an inferior to the pilot.

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Stranger Things: Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers (2016)

Season 1, Episode 1

9/10

"Well, The Hobbit"

3 September 2016

What a great way to start a series. This episode has everything that will be prevalent in the rest of the season: 80's vibe, friendship, "romance", mystery and horror. Although the horror element is pretty restrained compared to the rest of the season, it is a great way to introduce the menace that's taking place in Hawkins.

On this very first episode we get to know almost every character that will appear on the season and all of the performances are on point. Except maybe for Winona Ryder's. I mean, I get that's she should be freaked out, but her performance is so over the top that the contrast with everyone else is insane.

Also, the tone of this episode is gold. From the fun moments with the kids to the creepy appearance of the monster and the awesome Alien-esque montages in the laboratory, is great filmmaking.

But it's not perfect. Apart from the ridiculous amount of stereotypes (bullies, jocks, nerds, cops) it does fall in familiar places. I know it is an homage to 80's movies but this series is airing in 2016 and the audience has changed. They don't expect bullies anymore or the nerd going out with the popular kid.

Apart from that, I think this is a fantastic way to set up a show.

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Seinfeld: The Shower Head (1996)

Season 7, Episode 15

6/10

"You're an Adonis!"

2 September 2016

An entertaining filler, it is nevertheless kind of substanceless.

The parts involving uncle Leo are the best by far and the Costanza's situation is really funny but everything else feels thin and disjointed.

Elaine story had potential but it never reached it, the shower problem was kind of funny and that's it. The Seinfeld's moving in an out of apartments was a mess and we didn't get anything from the season's arc (George's engagement).

Overall, it's not a bad episode but certainly not in the level of Season's 7 classics.

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Seinfeld: The Cadillac (1996)

Season 7, Episode 14

5/10

"We're gonna be late for the premiere"

31 August 2016

I think this episode has some good ideas but the execution was very poor.

First of all, there's absolutely no need for this episode to be an hour long. I mean, you could see certain scenes that go on longer than they should clearly because they just didn't have enough material. Besides that, it's just not that funny. The ideas are good but the execution was not the best.

Kramer's story is funny in paper but the way they handled it not only was repetitive and monotonous but it made the story even more disjointed with the rest of the gang. The cinematic style was just out of place. George's story has a good idea: infidelity. That's a key aspect of marriage, but I don't think that the Marisa Tomei idea was the best. And Jerry's story line is simply boring. I don't know, Jerry's parents are not between my favourite supporting characters and this story is just so thin in paper that it's obvious they couldn't fill forty minutes of good material. And finally, Elaine's participation in George's story or her sudden change of heart for Jerry was just weird. I mean, it looked like she was constantly flirting with him and those scenes were just awkward.

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Seinfeld: The Seven (1996)

Season 7, Episode 13

7/10

"So this is the Fortress of Solitude"

29 August 2016

A somewhat uneven episode, it is enjoyable in itself but it lacks the creativity and craft of The Rye or The Caddy.

Three story lines. Elaine and Kramer's bike situation, George and his baby names and Jerry and his one-dress girl. Out of the three, Jerry's is the best. It actually has one of the best ideas of the entire series: a person who always uses the same clothe! That's gold, Jerry! Gold! It is incredibly relatable and the way they handled it only makes it funnier. Unfortunately the other two stories aren't quite on the same level of quality.

George's story kind of comes and goes. Sometimes it's really funny, sometimes it's really annoying, but above all, is borderline ridiculous. Jerry's story is handled in a wacky way, but it is a relatable situation, but George's isn't. I don't know, it doesn't seem like a funny idea. And Elaine and Kramer bike issue is only funny with Newman. Here he reaffirms he is the best supporting character of the series and whenever he is on screen the story gets more interesting.

Overall, a sometimes funny, sometimes hilarious, sometimes dull episode.

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Seinfeld: The Caddy (1996)

Season 7, Episode 12

9/10

"This is quite a life I lead here"

29 August 2016

Another highlight from Season 7, this episodes shines with enjoyment. It's got to be one of the most entertaining and fast-paced episodes of the season. There's so much going on and everything is on the same level of quality.

We got two main stories. On one hand, we got George's storyline which is incredibly dense compared to previous episodes. Because he locked the car with the keys in it, Mr. Wilhem thinks that he's putting in extra hours. That's a killer idea right there. Also, I love that George decides to take a few days off to the cabin with Susan. It's like a momentary lapse of time in which he's happy with the relationship. The other story is Elaine and her "Lex Luthor", Sue Ellen Mishky. This character is so insane and yet so plausible that it lends itself for numerous gags. Jerry and Kramer tie this story with George's by crashing George's car at the sight of Sue Ellen using a bra as a top. So then they decide to sue her and we get a more that welcome reappearance from the great Jackie Chiles.

The episode flows smoothly from one storyline to the other, it has a perfect pace, a good chunk of excellent supporting characters and a little, yet important advance in the season's arc.

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Seinfeld: The Rye (1996)

Season 7, Episode 11

9/10

"That's perverse!"

12 August 2016

The Rye is without a doubt one of the highlights of Season 7. Everything about it clicks.

Like many great single-plot episodes (The Limo, The Contest), The Rye has a killer story. Although it does have another story, the one that dictates the episode is George's. This is one of the best stories concerning the season's arc: George's engagement. Here we get a crucial element in the long term relationship and that is the parents of the couple meeting. This leads to one of the best acted scenes of the season: the dinner scene. We get perfect chemistry from Susan's parents, hilarious dialogue from Frank and Stelle and George just dying. But it doesn't end there. George later tries to replace the bread Frank stole from the house and the plan the gang comes up for this is both hilarious in execution and resolution.

The other story is about Elaine dating a jazz musician. It's not bad by any means but it feels disjointed with the rest of the story. So that's mainly what keeps this episode from being perfect.

Nevertheless, this story doesn't hurt the enjoyment of the episode, so this remains one of the best of the season

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Seinfeld: The Gum (1995)

Season 7, Episode 10

4/10

"Interesting texture"

11 August 2016

I guess I am in the minority here but I really didn't enjoyed this episode. I mean, it has its good things but overall it was really boring and unclever. Seinfeld was always a show that shined in making social commentary and having clever dialogue (at least the first seven seasons) but here everything is goofy and uninspired.

First of all, I guess there's nothing I can do because the Kramer character is, with each episode, getting further and further away from the character he was for the first six seasons. Michael Richards is playing him increasingly weirder and the writers are giving him increasingly unrelatable stories and setting him apart from the gang. His story with Lloyd Braun is funny at times but there are moments where nothing happens and even the audience doesn't know where to laugh. Jerry doesn't really have a storyline but his interactions are really funny.

George's story is the best by far. You really buy that someone could take his character as a paranoid freak and Alexander plays perfectly the role of the misunderstood. But I can't go on without mentioning Elaine's role on this episode. This has to be the most disrespectful take on the character up until that point: shamelessly objectifying the character and a clear clue that the writers had no doubt whatsoever of how to incorporate her with the main story. It makes me mad.

Other than that, I may have laughed three or four times in the whole episode and there's no development of the season's arc, so that's always a shame.

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Seinfeld: The Sponge (1995)

Season 7, Episode 9

8/10

"Run down your case for me again"

10 August 2016

What an entertaining episode. Four great story lines and a swell pace.

Although there are four stories, only three of them interconnect with each other. As you may have guessed, Kramer is the one set apart. Nevertheless his story is quite entertaining even if the good stuff only appears in the end. From the moment he goes to the AIDS walk everything clicks. Bob and Cedric make another stellar appearance and we get a hilarious, though pretty fantastical, scene concerning Kramer and his non-ribbon attitude.

But the great part of this episode is the other three stories. Although they interconnect with each other beautifully, they all are strong individually. Jerry is dating a woman that's too good for him, George is dealing with the no-secret Susan's policy and Elaine is surviving the sponge hiatus. The season's arc gets a key aspect in the long term relationship book and that is no matter what's the topic, you have to share with your wife. Elaine shines in her quest for sponges and the subsequent analysis for using them.

A great episode all in all.

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Seinfeld: The Pool Guy (1995)

Season 7, Episode 8

6/10

"2 adults... 1 child"

10 August 2016

I'm kind of split over this one. It has great and bad ideas and a mediocre execution.

The good things about this episode come from the George-Susan-Elaine's storyline. At this point, there's no doubt that the George-Susan arc is the best part of this season. Whenever they don't use that, the episode falls flat. Here we get a great side of the long term relationship when Susan starts to invade George's friend zone. So, everything about this story is great.

The problem is the rest. Jerry's story has its fair share of good ideas, with everything concerning the fact he can't make new friends, but the narrative is boring. And the pace is as languid as it can get. You can see they didn't have much material to work with because every scene lingers for too long and nothing substantial happens.

And concerning Kramer's contribution, there are things I like and things I don't like. In the beginning it seems that Kramer we'll go back to have a more related-with-the-gang lifestyle (considering how apart from them he has being from the start of the season). We get a great conversation with Jerry, he actually goes to the movies with him and he gets together with the gang and Susan at the coffee shop (the first time the full gang got together in there). But inevitably, the writers think of something to exclude him from the normal world by giving him a storyline in which he gets his new phone line confused with the movie phone service. And that's a shame.

So, yeah, an episode with good ideas but a turtle pace and an isolated Kramer.

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Seinfeld: The Secret Code (1995)

Season 7, Episode 7

6/10

"You're gonna marry this woman... most likely"

9 August 2016

Here we get the first misstep in Season 7. It's not a terrible episode, actually it is and enjoyable one, but I can't remember a single time I had laughed during its run.

We got four stories here: Elaine with the Fred's issue, Jerry with the Leaping Larry plot, Kramer with the firemen routes and George with J Peterman. Actually, George's story starts off with a killer idea: Susan asks him to tell her his credit card code and George doesn't want to, so she says it's part of the relationship, they have to trust each other. This would have been a great vehicle to give the arc another level of depth, but unfortunately the story goes elsewhere and loses its north.

The other three stories are simply the weakest bunch of the season so far. Elaine's plot is too neurotic to function, Jerry's is a bit-turned-story and Kramer's is the bad type of weirdness Seinfeld touches in the late seasons.

A somewhat entertaining disappointment.

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Seinfeld: The Soup Nazi (1995)

Season 7, Episode 6

8/10

"Just pick it up!"

9 August 2016

Warning: Spoilers

Now, I really would've loved to see The Soup Nazi when it first aired. When nobody knew anything about the place or the character and be able to experience it for the first time. Sadly I've not only heard a million times about this episode, but I've been stupid enough to watch certain scenes from Youtube when I was younger. So when I watched The Soup Nazi for the first I was more than familiar with everything and that made a huge difference.

Revisiting it this time, I tried to maintain a clear head and not think about what I remembered from the episode and this is what I make of it.

The Soup Nazi has a killer idea. It's not just the character of the chef or the things that happen inside the store, but rather the way people react to the soup fever. It starts as a kind of myth and when the gang goes there everyone is losing their s*** about the soup and are willing to accept the Nazi's requests in terms of client behavior. Also, it's great that the writers decided to bring familiar characters to the store, like Bannia or Newman. This gives it another sense of realism. So, yeah, everything about the Soup Nazi is perfect.

Unfortunately the other two stories aren't quite as good. They are good stories nevertheless. Jerry has a girlfriend with which he is constantly using baby dialogue and I'm sure everyone has encounter this at least once in his/her life. As a consequence, George decides to do the same with Susan in front of Jerry just to prove to him that it is quite the annoying habit. Susan's reaction gives another level of depth to their relationship and, therefore, to the season's arc.

The other story revolves around Elaine buying an armoire from the street and Kramer taking care of it until the moving crew appears on Monday. Eventually a gay/robbers couple decides to take the armoire with them and scare the s*** out of Kramer along the way. I don't know exactly what it is about these two guys but I couldn't find them more entertaining. Because, I mean, I listen to their dialogues and it is not specifically funny but it's just so original that right from the get go they are different from any supporting character that had appeared before them (and there were quite a few). Anyway, Kramer gets another armoire from the Soup Nazi and Elaine finds that inside its shelves are the recipes of all the Soup Nazi's famous soups. So, in spite of all the mistreatment she received from the Nazi, she decides to take him out of the business. Nevertheless I kind of feel sad for the guy.

As I said, not a perfect episode, but definitely a strong addition to Season's 7 streak of great episodes.

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Seinfeld: The Hot Tub (1995)

Season 7, Episode 5

9/10

"All right, adult contemporary!"

8 August 2016

Another great filler. By that I mean that it's one of the episodes that doesn't propel the season's arc (George's engagement) and on this particular one Susan doesn't even appear.

The main story here is Jean Paul Jean Paul. Elaine is letting him stay in her apartment but Jerry is concerned that Jean Paul might oversleep again under Elaine's hospitality. This is kind of a throwback to Elaine storyline with the wake up guy because they do hire one on this episode for Jean Paul. Jerry and Elaine are particular great on this episode, Jerry giving one of his best performances of the season and Elaine getting one of her first assignments as a J. Peterman Catalogue writer. The conclusion of her writer's block is a thing of beauty.

But what I think drags this episode down is the other two stories. Kramer's is the best of the two because it is directly related with Jerry and Jean Paul but nevertheless I have to say I miss the old Kramer. The Kramer that was a eccentric person but with a normal life. On the first five seasons Kramer would never have a story where he would put a hot tub in the middle of his apartment. I'm not saying it isn't funny but it definitely sets him apart from the rest of the gang. And George's story is funny sometimes but it's really dumb. Nothing really happens and George's best moments of the season comes from his arc with Susan and she's not even in this episode.

An entertaining episode nevertheless.

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Seinfeld: The Wink (1995)

Season 7, Episode 4

7/10

"Just a salad..."

8 August 2016

Another entertaining episode from Season 7 even though it may come as weaker than the previous three.

A lot of weird things going on but thankfully is a good weirdness. Elaine starts dating his wake up guy and for some reason I find this idea very entertaining. I mean, it definitely is unrelatable but it's just so original you can't help but go alone with it. The same case goes for George's storyline: Jerry spills some grapefruit on George's eye, making him to wink involuntarily. This sets up most of the events that take place in the episode and, to its merit, it is quite funny in the beginning but as the episode continues George's wink habit disappears out of the blue. So that's kind of lazy from the writers.

The other two story lines are Jerry trying to prove his manhood to Elaine's relative and Kramer trying to get the Yankee's signed card back from an ill kid at the hospital. Both stories are crazy and give us great moments.

Apart from that we get the first appearance of the great George Steinbrenner.

On a side note, I'd like to point out the job of continuity the writers are doing with this season. Similar to Season 4, every episode acknowledges something that happened earlier in the season (on this case Elaine's relationship with dogs).

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Seinfeld: The Maestro (1995)

Season 7, Episode 3

8/10

"Nor should you"

8 August 2016

Another great episode from Season 7 although this feels more like a filler. Geroge's arc doesn't get much development but it is a strong episode in itself.

On this episode we get two brand new supporting characters and two of the best. Jackie Chiles and The Maestro. Jackie gets on board with a full fleshed out personality and gives pieces of dialogue that are comedic gold. The Maestro, on the other hand, has to be one of the most original characters on the show. A guy who conducts the Policemen Benevolent Association Orchestra a wants to be called Maestro no matter the situation? Genius!

Kramer's café latte incident (that began on the previous episode) gets a somewhat dumb resolution. So that's a little disappointing. On parallel we get the story about George's concerns about the well being of the security guard in Susan's uncle shop. This is the kind of weird approach I think works because it is definitely absurd but you could see George doing it. However, what I do think is weird and doesn't work is Jerry's problem with the availability in Tuscany. It's too neurotic for him and by the end of the episode it reaches a level of disbelief that ruins it.

An entertaining filler, nothing more, nothing less.

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Seinfeld: The Postponement (1995)

Season 7, Episode 2

8/10

"Yeah, I don't know what that means"

8 August 2016

Another great episode to propel George's engagement arc.

Although The Postponement is a weaker episode than the season opening one, it does achieve at something that The Engagement couldn't and that is the cohesive connection of stories. Whereas in the opening episode you had George's story on one side and Elaine's dog problem on the other, in The Postponement you have George postponing the wedding and Elaine reaction to this wedding. Jerry and Kramer just bounces around these stories.

George's arc continues to be awesome with him finding out he and Susan have nothing in common and later finding out a key aspect of serious relationships. And after Susan agrees on the postponement he surprisingly seems happy with his situation.

But without a doubt, the highlight of this episode is Elaine. The Postponement gave the character more depth and complexity than the entirety of Season 6 did. In fact, everything about her has a level of realism that's not that common in Seinfeld. From the way she confesses to the Rabi to the way she fakes happiness in front of George. A high note of the season.

In summation, a great episode to propel the plot but also the characters.

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