| Highest Rated Episode |  | 1.03 the Robbery
4.000 / 2.106 (7) | | A rare episode in which the actions of the case result in a good samaritan act, this was the first to introduce a crazy plot that would result in the childish actions of the characters. Seinfeld and George use kid tactics over an adult possession, getting into a rare dispute but luckily their friendship overrides so the duo is ensured longevity. This episode also introduces the first of many times we'll see Jerry and George ponder over how much to tip somebody, or Kramer as an investigator for a worthless cause. |
| | Lowest Rated Episode (2-episode tie) |  | 1.05 the Stock Tip
2.000 / 1.982 (6) | Kramer is much more against Seinfeld in this episode than any other. When Seinfeld is on the phone Kramer can't come up with anything better to do than heckle him. He's still performing as a result of other's actions, rather than come up with his own hilarity. He's going out of the way to be random as he mentions friends from a rock concert but unless we see something materialize from that it's worthless. Kramer's obviously treating Seinfeld in this manner to get some laughs but he's out of character in doing so. The window peeping was such a minor element in this show, but in The Contest they incorporate it as a major plot element, despite how strange it is. Something to look forward to.
On reflection, the investing seems a bit too ambitious for the George that we see later in the show, yet perhaps making money off the stock market without doing any real work is just what he's looking for. His character already has no sense of shame; he shows no hesitation in going to the hospital to see what he can do to save his investment. Reading the business section, he's completely oblivious to Elaine's seafood banter to save the dolpins, but I could see him ordering the tuna in any case. Despite his setup as a failure in life as a whole, he is quite independent. Perhaps that's the explanation of his lack of success. Anyway, as rich as he is in this episode, he still can't quite finish the episode without being stingy with money, one of his trademarks.
Elaine's cat-killing scheme seemed a big stretch for a way to get her in the episode. She must have been absent when they wrote it.
The vacation is a good example of how Seinfeld's thought-monologue shouldn't be used in future episodes. The whole scene seems built around the perfume comment, a precursor to the apple pie comment which works much better seeing as how the whole episode is built around it. Then later Jerry and Vanessa bicker like two adults in a serious relationship, and Jerry is no adult. Too much like a normal sitcom that actually tries to incorporate drama. What was the point of this scene?
Interesting closure of the episode. Show ends in the coffee shop, talking about Superman and a new stock option. |
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