• I like little touches, such as anyone who sees Elaine's horrible dancing happens to mutter an appalled "Sweet fancy Moses!" And Uncle Leo is routinely referred to as Uncle Leo - e.g. when he's signed for Jerry's broken stereo and Newman realises he can't get Jerry on mail fraud, he frowns at the signature, looks up and mutters "Uncle Leo?" as though that's actually what Uncle Leo wrote as his signature! Then when Jerry pleas clemency with the bookstore manager over Leo's shoplifting, the manager says "Ah yes, Uncle Leo." ^^


    When Jerry mentions 'Leo' Kramer asks "Leo? Who's Leo?" JERRY: Uncle Leo. KRAMER: Oh, Uncle Leo. I forgot his first name.


    Another minor gag I love is when the photo-store woman's colleague says the photos have been confiscated and hands her a business card, she frowns at it and says "Newman?" and we see it in close-up with literally just the US Mail logo and 'Newman'!


    I mean, those are kind of surreal flourishes but they're not too extreme.


    It always amuses me that the imposing black woman who works in the charity store is called Rebecca de Mornay, same as the diminutive blonde actor, and obviously a few of the audience find it funny as well judging from the titters when she says her name in both the episodes she appears in. When George is trying to palm off his flagged book she says "How about I jump over this counter and punch you in the brain?" :D

    Abandon all reason

    Edited once, last by Backdrifter ().

  • I agree that Season 9 was a little too over the top at times. Every episode had some great moments that season (e.g. I saw the b-boppin’ and scattin’ episode last night) but many also had Kramer doing things that were for me just too wacky—installing a garbage disposal in the shower; the whole Merv Griffin set fantasy (I think that was season 9, but I might be wrong) asking Jerry where the stock of Kaiser rolls were for his meat slicer. It’s like the character had completely lost touch with reality. As Liquid Len phrased it, they definitely went the surreal route the last season or two.

  • I agree that Season 9 was a little too over the top at times. Every episode had some great moments that season (e.g. I saw the b-boppin’ and scattin’ episode last night) but many also had Kramer doing things that were for me just too wacky—installing a garbage disposal in the shower; the whole Merv Griffin set fantasy (I think that was season 9, but I might be wrong) asking Jerry where the stock of Kaiser rolls were for his meat slicer. It’s like the character had completely lost touch with reality. As Liquid Len phrased it, they definitely went the surreal route the last season or two.

    Yes I didn't much care for the whole Merv Griffin set-up, that was too silly. I wasn't too bothered by the shower sub-plot, partly because if I didn't have other stuff to do I too would be inclined to spend most of my time in the shower. I did like the little detail in that one of Kramer calling Puddy for mechanical advice and we find Puddy sat motionless next to the phone squinting into space. And Elaine: "She's a complete whacko, all I did was cough on her door handle, put her stapler in my armpit and rub her keyboard on my butt - I mean, come on..."


    I like when George is complaining to Hanky's sponsor about the lack of a Step 9 apology, the sponsor asks what George thinks he can do about it, George incredulously says "Well aren't you the boss of him?!"


    JERRY: Why did they send you to Rageaholics?

    GEORGE: Probably because THIS WHOLE UNIVERSE IS AGAINST ME! It makes me SO MAD!"

    Abandon all reason

  • Yes I didn't much care for the whole Merv Griffin set-up, that was too silly.

    I don’t think the show as a series ever jumped the shark, but that Merv Griffin episode was about as close as it got. I remember watching it with my former wife when it first aired and we both agreed it was time for Jerry and the gang to call it quits. I consider that episode to be one of the most maddeningly stupid episodes of any good sit-com series I’ve ever seen.

  • Damn, Len! You and I have the same sense of humor because that’s one of my all-time VERY favorite exchanges on that show!!

  • I don’t think the show as a series ever jumped the shark, but that Merv Griffin episode was about as close as it got. I remember watching it with my former wife when it first aired and we both agreed it was time for Jerry and the gang to call it quits. I consider that episode to be one of the most maddeningly stupid episodes of any good sit-com series I’ve ever seen.

    oh man…I must be nuts. My 3 kids and I always reference that one as one of our top 10 favorite episodes!!! Kramer was gold on that! George walks into the set looking confused!! Kramer is eating and drinking like a freak…”And…we’re back!”

  • oh man…I must be nuts. My 3 kids and I always reference that one as one of our top 10 favorite episodes!!! Kramer was gold on that! George walks into the set looking confused!! Kramer is eating and drinking like a freak…”And…we’re back!”

    Hey bro, different strokes for different folks. Based on your username I should probably defer to you on this one :)

    • Official Post

    oh man…I must be nuts. My 3 kids and I always reference that one as one of our top 10 favorite episodes!!! Kramer was gold on that! George walks into the set looking confused!! Kramer is eating and drinking like a freak…”And…we’re back!”

    Haha. For some reason you just reminded me of the ‘Movie Phone’ episode from an earlier season.

    Kramer: Why don’t you just tell me the name of the movie you selected!

  • I think the last season was the weakest as well, but it had its moments. The Apology, The Burning, The Bookstore, The Strike, The Slicer all funny episodes.


    But I know everyone will think I’m being the fly in the ointment, but I really do adore that Merv Griffin episode. I’m a nut. 😂😂😂

  • Haha. For some reason you just reminded me of the ‘Movie Phone’ episode from an earlier season.

    Kramer: Why don’t you just tell me the name of the movie you selected!

    That movie Phone one was hysterical!!! I think that was The Pool Guy episode.


    KRAMER: Hewwo and welcome to Movie phone. If you know the name of the movie you'd like to see, press one.

    GEORGE: Come on. Come on.

    KRAMER: Using your touch-tone keypad, please enter the first three letters of the movie title, now.

    (George presses 3 keys)

    KRAMER: You've selected ... Agent Zero? If that's correct, press one.

    GEORGE: What?

    KRAMER: Ah, you've selected ... Brown-Eyed Girl? If this is correct,
    press one.

    (George looks baffled)



    KRAMER: Why don't you just tell me the name of the movie you've
    selected.

    GEORGE: Chunnel?

    KRAMER: To find the theater nearest you, please enter your five digit zip-code, now.

    (George enters his zip-code)


    KRAMER: Why don't you just tell me where you want to see the movie?

    GEORGE: Lowes Paragon, 84th and Broadway.

    KRAMER: (picks up paper) Chunnel, is playing at the Paragon 84th Street cinema in the main theater at 9:30 PM.

    GEORGE: Yeah, now I gotcha! (hangs up the phone and rushes out the door)



    KRAMER: It's also playing in theater number two at 9:00.

  • I think the last season was the weakest as well, but it had its moments. The Apology, The Burning, The Bookstore, The Strike, The Slicer all funny episodes.


    But I know everyone will think I’m being the fly in the ointment, but I really do adore that Merv Griffin episode. I’m a nut. 😂😂😂

    I don't think you're a nut, you just have a differing opinion. As I said, I've always liked the little touches of daftness in the show, and yes of course Kramer is established early on as an eccentric character with ridiculous ideas. But I thought even in context of those aspects, the Griffin concept was too silly and felt like overly-imposed whackiness that was out of place. Consequently it fell a bit flat. I felt it took the show too far towards the "HEY LOOK HOW KEEERRR-AZY WE ARE!" enforced zaniness of things like Scrubs. Mind you, that said, even then it's still far superior to those!

    Abandon all reason

  • That movie Phone one was hysterical!!! I think that was The Pool Guy episode.

    Yes it was that one. It's also the 'worlds colliding' one - "You're killing independent George!"


    It's another one where we've adopted dialogue into everyday speech, we'll sometimes use the stilted "why don't you just TELL me..." when it fits.


    Prompted by Moviefone - speaking of movies, I've been meaning to mention here a favourite theme running through the show, namely the fictitious films that often crop up. For some reason I always find it amusing and even the made-up titles, which aren't usually trying to be funny, just are! I know there are fansites where all the fictitious movies have been listed but without 'cheating' and looking at those, off the top of my head the ones I can recall right now are:


    Prognosis Negative

    Cry, Cry Again

    Firestorm (later an actual film)

    The Other Side of Darkness

    Sack Lunch (Elaine: "Don't you wanna know how they got in there?")

    The Pain and the Yearning (Elaine reading the synopsis: "An old woman experiences pain and yearning...")

    Checkmate

    Rochelle, Rochelle

    The Muted Heart

    Ponce de Leon


    I know there are loads more, I think I remember reading there are 20 or 30. Of course there's Deathblow - Kramer mimicking the portentous voiceover: "Deathblow. When someone wants to kill you, not because of who you are, but for different reasons altogether..." ("Oh, man! We're missing the death blows!")


    I also love the occasional snatches of dialogue we hear - "Quick! Everybody out of the Chunnel!" During Checkmate a voice is heard, "What's this... a chess piece?" "Ah yes... only a game..." And of course, "Oh Rochelle, Rochelle... take off those wet clothes, come here by the fire."


    After Kramer's spooked by the comatose woman in The Other Side of Darkness he gives DNR instructions to a lawyer, then watches the end of the film where the woman regains consciousness with "I feel so refreshed. Someone get me a toothbrush!"


    In the very real Lost In Translation, Anna Faris's character is promoting a film called Midnight Velocity. That definitely has the fictitious Seinfeld movie energy!

    Abandon all reason

    Edited 2 times, last by Backdrifter ().

  • Saw “The Dealership” last time. Ah, what a classic episode: Coco (“Yeah that monkey’s alright” and “We haven’t agreed to anything. We just saw the same monkey”); “High-five . . . On the flip side!”; “It’s ThunderDome!”; “Everybody’s ripping me off!”; and of course “TWWWIIIIIIIXXXXXX!”

  • George calls Jerry from the street on the intercom buzzer….”Prooooognoooooosis Neeeeegatiiiiiive!” 😜😜😜😂‼️