I'll show you the life of the mind.

[stevewhodigs]

The Best and Worst Episodes of Seinfeld

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the premiere of Seinfeld, I shared my five favorite episodes of each season. I have one last post, a list of 25 episodes. There are two parts. One is an actual ranking of my top 15 episodes (as of right now – I’m sure if I did this again in a few months or years, it would change). The other is a selection of what I consider the 10 WORST episodes of the series.

This latter idea was inspired by my good friend Joe, who is as big a Seinfeld fan as they come. In some ways, it is even more difficult to determine because so many of the episodes are so good, and just about all of them have at least a few good jokes or moments. I guided myself through this process by finding the worst episode of each season.

Here are my ten least favorite episodes of the show, in chronological order:

1-5 The Stock Tip – As great as Vanessa was in The Stakeout, everything falls flat this time. There isn’t enough urgency to the stocks, and it’s weird seeing George come out on top.

2-10 The Apartment – Season 2 was the hardest season to find a worst episode because the lack of highs means minimal contrast, which makes the lows feel more average than bad. I’d say this is my favorite of the ten on this list. George’s plot is strong, but the Jerry-Elaine conflict feels a little too “sitcom 101.”

3-9 The Nose Job – Some interesting concepts here with both George and Jerry being fixated on their respective girlfriends’ appearances, but the execution is so clunky. There’s an actual chess match of the brain versus the penis!

3-19 The Good Samaritan – Hilarious threats George receives after having an affair aside, this one is a rare occurrence of the show feeling like it’s trying to hard via the attempts to coin a new catch phrase instead of “God Bless You” and giving Kramer seizures as a way to be wacky. Jerry’s plot never really clicked for me, either.

4-22 The Smelly Car – I do love how Jerry and Elaine react to the smelly car, but this is a concept that becomes stupider the more you think about it. And after such a strong arc with George over the season, Susan turning to lesbianism but losing her girlfriend to Kramer feels like a weak, more contrived ending.

5-9 The Masseuse – Like the desire to play with the woman’s toys, Jerry trying to get a massage from his girlfriend comes off a little creepier than intended. But the air really gets taken out of this one with the whole Joel Rifkin plot, a topical reference that doesn’t hold up.

6-17 The Kiss Hello – An episode with one or two exceptional storylines can buoy one or two relatively weak ones. But when all four are uninspired and mediocre, it really kills an episode. Thankfully it’s not something that happened often, but it did here.

7-18 The Friars Club – The Flying Sandos Brothers don’t do it for me, this has one of the lesser versions of the “Elaine having issues with a coworker” trope, and though most Kramer plots are enjoyable despite their of logical sense, getting dumped into the East River because he’s asleep but not waking up until he’s underwater is particularly egregious.

8-7 The Checks – Season 8 feels like Season 2: not many highs, so harder to find lows. I do like the series of unfortunate coincidences that befall Jerry each time he sees Brett, but taken together, “Desperado,” the big drawers and the Japanese tourists, and the carpet cleaning cult are too goofy.

9-14 The Strongbox – The episode that launched this whole list as the go to example for one my friend Joe’s least favorite ever. I have to agree with him. Like Fredo, it’s “weak and stupid.” George’s plot is probably the strongest, but it is hard to believe not one but two women would choose to stay with him.

Now for my top 15 episodes. You can read more about why I love each one in the prior posts. I have to say again, this is a reflection of how I feel now, in August 2014. I fully suspect this list could look a lot different if I attempted again sometime in the future. Though I feel good about my two most favorite remaining that way. Here we go:

15. The Pool Guy (7-8)

14. The Bizarro Jerry (8-3)

13. The Contest (4-11)

12. The Fusilli Jerry (6-21)

11. The Heart Attack (2-11)

10. The Serenity Now (9-3)

9. The Library (3-4)

8. The Airport (4-12)

7. The Trip (4-1 & 2)

6. The Pitch / The Ticket (4-3 & 4)

5. The Fix Up (3-17)

4. The Opposite (5-22)

3. The Strike (9-10)

2. The Betrayal (9-8)

1. The Boyfriend (3-15 & 16)

That concludes my journey through Seinfeld. Thanks for reading.

[stevewhodigs]

My Top Five Episodes of Seinfeld Season 9

July 5th 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the TV show Seinfeld. As one of my all-time favorite shows, I wanted to celebrate the occasion by sharing my top five favorite episodes of each season and writing what I love about them. I found that trying to determine the best episode on each disc of the DVD sets (each of the 8 volumes has 4) and adding in a 5th favorite was a good way to manage this task, though I couldn't always stick to that. Also, all top fives are listed in airing order, not ranked. There’s more background info here.

Season 9

I became a fan of this show through syndication, watching reruns every night, but I did watch it on air during this final season. George works for Play Now and Kruger Industrial Smoothing. Elaine and Puddy get back together for what might be the epitome of the on-again-off-again relationship. Jerry and Kramer have many zany adventures, alone and together. Most of the significant minor characters of the series appear at some point during the season, in the clip show, or the finale. While it has some duds probably from exhaustion, the show absolutely could have kept going. But, as George discovered, it’s all about ending on a high note and leaving us wanting more. The show did, ensuring a long lasting legacy as one of the greatest TV shows ever made. It might be coming to Netflix soon, so Seinfeld will continue to delight us.

This is another season with a very strong four and a tie for fifth. So I’ll do six episodes and no honorable mention, though I will say a few words about the Finale. Here are my favorites:

9-2 The Voice

Along with The Bubble Boy, this was my other favorite episode when I was first getting into Seinfeld. I got a kick out of the stupid voice Jerry was doing, which you can tell he is also. Looking at it now, it’s not a strong story, though somewhat amusing. Elaine and Puddy's torrid romance still works for me, especially the combo of a great Elaine voiceover as she goes back and forth on whether to call Puddy and then the later scene opening with him going “So the gloves were right by the phone? That is pretty funny.” His later “It’s brutal!” is so good too. I love Kramer getting an intern for Kramerica Industries, Darin. He’s a tenacious little monkey. George’s plot is very solid. He can’t be fired, so Play Now makes his life a living hell to force him to quit. A classic Costanza battle of wills.

9-3 The Serenity Now

The Costanzas are always gold, and this is my favorite appearance of theirs. After George gets fired, he works for his father selling computers out of the garage, along with nemesis Lloyd Braun. Estelle’s off-screen “You’re not giving away our water pick!” never ceases to crack me up, and I love Frank recounting his inspiration to sell computers: he saw a provocative movie on cable TV called The Net with that girl from the bus. Frank uses the mantra “Serenity Now” as a way to keep calm – a delicious irony on its own – and Kramer adopts it after the neighborhood boys begin to sabotage his Anytown, USA, front porch (a screen door on the apartment). Jerry gets in touch with his emotional side, but when George becomes emotional, it scares Jerry straight. Elaine discovers her shiks-appeal is NOT a myth, like the yeti, or his North American cousin the Sasquatch.

9-8 The Betrayal

To me, this is one of the most amazing episodes of any television show. The conceit is that the entire story is told backwards. Jerry, Elaine, and George go to India for Sue Ellen Mischke’s wedding, and Kramer is dealing with the threat to “Drop Dead” levied by his former friend FDR – Franklin Delano Romanowski. Kramer’s story involves a great appearance from Newman and his unbelievable birthday wish hot streak (which he uses to snag a cover girl model who is very enchanted to learn that “all certified mail is registered, but registered mail is not necessarily certified”). The best detail is Kramer's lollipop getting progressively bigger instead of smaller. The other three are enmeshed in a web of secrets and lies about sexual encounters. Elaine’s vault and its combination – peach schnapps – makes a memorable appearance. I also love George’s barely contained anger: “Funny guy!” and “You can stuff your sorry’s in a sack, mister!” The play with time is brilliant. I especially love the three second earlier sneeze, seeing where the stories originate in the last/first scene, and best of all, the tag as the moment Jerry moves in, revealing how his relationship with Kramer becomes what is. Genius.

9-10 The Strike

This one emphasizes Festivus, the holiday invented by Frank Costanza (he’s so prolific!) that the Costanzas celebrated instead of Christmas. His scene explaining the origin of Festivus is magnificent. Staff writer Dan O’Keefe brought this story to the show because his family actually did something similar. The holiday involves feats of strength and airing of grievances. The whole gang makes it out to celebrate. George brings boss Kruger because he got caught giving out fake Christmas gifts. Elaine is there with some bookies because she got caught giving out fake phone numbers. Kramer goes back on strike almost immediately after going back to work at H&H Bagels – the prior strike had lasted for the entire show, so we never saw Kramer holding a steady job. Jerry meanwhile dates Gwen, the sometimes beautiful, sometimes hideous, two face. This episode is special to me because I have celebrated Festivus a few times.

9-6 The Merv Griffin Show & 9-19 The Maid

This one requires a large leap of logic – Kramer discovers the old set of the Merv Griffin Show show and sets it up in his apartment, turning his regular life into entertainment – but it is quite funny. He’s a natural host, and Newman is a great sidekick. My favorite quip is “El Paso? I spent a month there one night.” Elaine’s plot of dealing with The Sidler, a quiet guy at work who appears at inopportune times, is a good one and relatable. Jerry tries to take advantage of a woman to play with her toys. The undertones are a bit queasy but the literalness (she really has a big toy collection) helps lighten it. George has run over a squirrel and has to help nurse it back to health. He’s pissed about the bill, but also because he thought humans and squirrels had an agreement.

In The Maid, Jerry starts dating his cleaning lady. As the relationship gets more serious, she cleans less, so it becomes a question of what he’s paying for. Elaine gets a new phone number, only to find it was used by an old woman when she gets calls from a little boy looking for his “Gammy.” Meanwhile, George desires to have a new nickname at the office. He wants to be T-Bone, gets dubbed Koko to his dismay, and then his scheme to get out of it results in him becoming Gammy. “Hey, is that T-Bone!” “No T-Bone? Why no T-Bone?” and “Gammy’s getting upset!” are big lines for me. Now that I live in NYC, Kramer’s long distance relationship plot – she lives downtown – has made any trip to the East Village special, because that’s where First and First, the nexus of the universe, is.

The Finale (9-23 & 24). On the one hand, it is jarring and a little disappointing that the show goes to Latham, Massachusetts to put the gang on trial for violating the Good Samaritan law. It doesn’t feel like a Seinfeld episode, which makes it a weird choice for a finale. However, the idea of showing that the four characters are awful people, with a parade of guests and clips from the show’s past, is fitting and brilliant. I suppose people didn’t want to be confronted with this, because we all came to like the foursome so much. So it’s a provocative episode for sure. But with its conceit and callbacks like Judge Art Vandelay and the very last conversation being the first one (Jerry and George discussing sweater button placement), I think its ultimately a pretty good one, even if not an all-time classic.

Season 9 also includes The Butter Shave, The Blood, The Junk Mail, The Slicer, The Apology, The Dealership, The Reverse Peephole, The Cartoon, The Strongbox, The Wizard, The Burning, The Bookstore, The Frogger, The Puerto Rican Day, and The Chronicle. Highlights include George mixing food and sex, Kramer’s confrontation with the Postmaster General, George trying to get an apology from Jason Hanke (A drafty apartment. A sweaterless friend. A crappy giveaway Met Life windbreaker), the candy bar lineup (“They were all twix!), the Joe Mayo party, Puddy’s 8 Ball jacket, and Jon Polito as Silvio, Kramer playing ping pong against old people, Kramer and Mickey acting out diseases for med students, Uncle Leo and the Cape Fear spoof, “I’m going to jump over this counter and punch you in the brain!”, George and the real life Frogger, and the first meeting of Art Vandelay, Dr. Van Nostrand, and Kel Varnsen.

That’s the last season. I think I have one more post coming, on my LEAST favorite episodes of the show. But thanks for checking out all these lists of my favorites. It’s been a lot of fun for me to revisit and figure out what I love most, I hope you enjoyed it, too.

[stevewhodigs]

My Top Five Episodes of Seinfeld Season 8

July 5th 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the TV show Seinfeld. As one of my all-time favorite shows, I wanted to celebrate the occasion by sharing my top five favorite episodes of each season and writing what I love about them. I found that trying to determine the best episode on each disc of the DVD sets (each of the 8 volumes has 4) and adding in a 5th favorite was a good way to manage this task, though I couldn't always stick to that. Also, all top fives are listed in airing order, not ranked. There’s more background info here.

Season 8

I learned from the DVDs that Jerry figured season 8 would be the last. He didn’t think he’d be able to run it and star in it for more than one year without Larry David as co-show runner. Thus, the Seinfeld logo for Season 8 has a checkerboard flag in anticipation of a finish line – appropriate for a man who loved cars so much. If you didn’t know, each season has a distinct color scheme for the logo, which I think is kind of cool. Season 8 wasn't the last, but it was the first without any standup routines in the show (which had been lessening over time). Some mini plots include Elaine taking over the J. Peterman catalog, George heading the foundation dedicated to Susan, Kramer selling his stories to J. Peterman (drawing on the actions of the real life inspiration from Kramer), and George leaving the Yankees.

This season had four episodes I knew wanted in the top five and then two I simply could not decide between. So I’m doing a top six with a tie for fifth place and no honorable mentions.

8-3 The Bizarro Jerry

One thing I love about Seinfeld, and which I think it does better and more clearly than almost every other sitcom, is its sense of group dynamics. That means interconnected storylines, pairings, mimicry, and in this case, parallels. Elaine becomes friends with Kevin, Gene, and Feldman, plus their lovable neighbor Vargas. They play off Jerry, George, Kramer and Newman, respectively, and it's brilliant. Meanwhile, actual Jerry dates a woman with “man hands," and there's a humorous scene of them out to dinner. George starts using her picture and his story of Susan to go out with beautiful models in a secret club that disappears before he can get too close. Kramer accidentally starts working, which turns into a domestic parody, with Jerry as the concerned housewife and Kramer as the overworked businessman. I love the montage of Kramer "working" (briefcase full of crackers!), and the scene of his inevitable dismissal.

8-8 The Chicken Roaster

Remember what I said above about loving the group dynamics in the show? This episode makes it for Jerry and Kramer switching apartments and becoming each other. It pays off 8 seasons of what we know about each and is hilarious (not to mention Mr. Marbles). It happens because a new Kenny Rogers Roasters comes to the neighborhood and shines into Kramer’s window. He hates it, but Jerry has a friend working there, so they switch. However, Kramer develops a love for the chicken, which Jerry ferrets out of Newman in a brilliant scene by making him try broccoli. I love Newman’s outburst, “Vile weed!” Elaine is being investigated by an accountant. A point of contention is a big fur hat that George started wearing. He left it at a lady’s house because of his “jingle” style of dating: he might be annoying at first but with persistence he’ll stick.

8-14 The Van Buren Boys

George has to give a Susan Ross Foundation scholarship. It's great that he selects an average student named Steven who wants to be an architect. But George revokes the offer when Steven switches to city planner, so Steven falls in with the Van Buren Boys gang. Desperate to avoid their wrath, George attempts to rob the Seinfelds, who totally miss the point. I love George’s “That’s what it was when I was bangin’!” Kramer inadvertently figured out their sign by holding up eight fingers. When Elaine tells Peterman that story, he decides to use Kramer’s life for his own memoirs, which Elaine is ghostwriting. I love that Peterman takes a shine to Kramer’s story about getting his pants dirty. “The very pants I was returning. That’s perfect irony!” I also like that Kramer, desperate for stories after selling his to Peterman, buys some awful bunion stories from Newman.

8-19 The Yada Yada

One of the biggest catchphrases of the entire series, it’s used by a girlfriend of George who seems to skip over parts that might make George doubt their relationship. Like sleeping with an ex boyfriend, for instance. There's two great parts of Elaine's iconic “I've yada yada’d sex.” First, is the camera moving with her raising her hand. Second, the line, “No, I mentioned the bisque.” Tim Whatley returns. He’s now Jewish and making jokes about it, which offends Jerry – as a comedian, not a Jew. That's revealed in a funny confessional scene at a Catholic church. Kramer and Mickey go on a double date, which is just brilliant. They wear the same outfit and they fight over who is supposed to be with who. Eventually they settle it and Mickey gets married to his date, which might be the only onscreen wedding of the show, an interesting detail.

8-1 The Foundation & 8-2 The Soul Mate

Here’s the tie for 5th place. The first episode mirrors life, with Jerry’s concern over taking over the show finding a representation in Elaine becoming the new J. Peterman. My favorite part of her in charge is saying the new issue is “a peach” with the cigar and having to repeat it. Kramer inspired her with a speech about her katra and his karate domination – only he’s battling little kids. Classic. After some interest from Mulva / Dolores, Jerry starts investigating what level of commitment a man has to demonstrate to get a woman really interested. I love the survey in the coffee shop. George is enjoying his freedom. His outfit of a blazer with no shirt underneath and gym shorts as he yells, “It’s open” always gets me, as does the talk of eating a block of cheese the size of a car battery.

In The Soul Mate, Jerry and Kramer are in conflict over the same woman. Kramer uses Newman’s help to woo her. Newman whispers lines to him at the bookstore. It’s great how Newman reacts to the “junk mail” comment. I also love how he tries to get someone to help with his love for Elaine but keeps getting interrupted, and this exchange, “Her name is Pam.” “I don’t know the woman, but she sounds quite fetching.” Also, the cartoonish chase scene of Jerry and Newman is great. George mounts an investigation to see if Wyck and the foundation board of directors think he murdered Susan. The little model to simulate he makes is hilarious. Elaine bonds with a guy over not wanting to have kids, love her flirting with, “It’s been done to death”.

Season 8 also includes The Little Kicks, The Package, The Fatigues, The Checks, The Abstinence, The Andrea Doria, The Little Jerry, The Comeback, The Money, The Susie, The Pothole, The English Patient, The Nap, The Millennium, The Naps, and The Muffin Tops. It’s a strong batch with highlights that include Elaine dancing, George as the bad seed, Newman investigating Jerry for mail fraud, George and timeless art of seduction, "Desperado," Little Jerry Seinfeld the chicken, “Well the jerk store called, they’re running out of you!,” Elaine working with Morty, Newman on fire, perhaps the best Steinbrenner episode with George sleeping under his desk and a bomb threat, “These are my everyday balloons,” and George pretending to be a tourist to date a woman.

What are your favorite episodes of Season 8?

[stevewhodigs]

My Top Five Episodes of Seinfeld Season 7

July 5th 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the TV show Seinfeld. As one of my all-time favorite shows, I wanted to celebrate the occasion by sharing my top five favorite episodes of each season and writing what I love about them. I found that trying to determine the best episode on each disc of the DVD sets (each of the 8 volumes has 4) and adding in a 5th favorite was a good way to manage this task, though I couldn't always stick to that. Also, all top fives are listed in airing order, not ranked. There’s more background info here.

Season 7

This season comes close to the dizzying heights of Seasons 4 and 5, but in my opinion doesn’t quite reach them. It has a great season-long arc of George’s engagement and wedding planning – and a very controversial end to that story, as I’ll discuss. This is the last season to have Larry David (though he did come back to write the series finale), marking a transition into a broader, wackier style for seasons eight and nine, though the shift was already beginning here. Elaine now works for J. Peterman, her most memorable employer. Season 7 also features memorable guest characters like the Rabbi, Jackie Chiles, the Maestro, the Soup Nazi, and Sue Ellen Mischke, plus strong turns from old favorites like Newman, the Seinfelds, the Costanzas, and Uncle Leo.

Here are my five favorite episodes:

7-4 The Wink

It's not an exceptional episode, but it’s one of those impeccably constructed ones packed with jokes where everything ties up elegantly.  Not every show hums along so well during its seventh season. The highlight for me is George’s “Pulp can move, baby!” I enjoy seeing the way the winks appear and how everyone reacts to them. A misunderstanding on Kramer’s behalf leads to a fun scene of him having to get an autographed Yankees birthday card from a hospitalized little boy. “You gotta promise you’ll do something for me.” “I know. Get out of this bed one day and walk again.” “Yeah, that would be nice, but I really just need that card.” Jerry and Elaine are embroiled in a story that involves wake up calls, mutton, and napkins. It’s especially interesting to see cousin Holly emasculate Jerry over his eating habits. That doesn’t happen to him much.

7-8 The Pool Guy

You know Ramon the pool guy makes Jerry truly uncomfortable when he feels more at ease with Newman. It’s harsh but hilarious seeing them each refuse to give mouth-to-mouth after Newman’s cannonball. I find the aftermath even better, with Elaine asking “How can you possibly show your face there again?” and Jerry saying “Oh, I can’t. They revoked my membership. Newman too.” This episode is rife with fake films, something I always like. That’s because Kramer becomes a movie phone guy, which is very funny. This is already a stacked episode, and I haven’t mentioned George. When Susan starts hanging out with Elaine, he gets worried about “world’s colliding” and the conflict between “Independent George” and “Relationship George.” For after all, “A George divided against itself cannot stand!” So great.

7-10 The Gum

Fun fact: Seinfeld never did an official Christmas episode, but had five that loosely filled that role: The Red Dot (Season 3), The Pick (4), The Race (6), this one, and The Strike (9). All of them are strong. Here, Lloyd Braun (recast since his season 5 appearance) is fresh out of a mental institution. I love the lengths Kramer goes to make him feel normal. He forces Jerry to wear goofy glasses and order boxes of gum (“This is what the holidays are all about. Three buddies, sitting around, chewing gum”), convinces Lloyd that Elaine is starved for his attention, and eats a very old hot dog – “a perfectly sane food to eat.” Meanwhile, George runs into an old neighbor who suspects he is insane. The shift in perspective that suddenly makes him indeed seem that way, despite not actually acting any differently, is a stroke of genius.

  7-16 The Shower Head

This episode has a lot to like: visual jokes (hair styles altered by their showers), a phrase that entered my lexicon ("low flow"), character reactions that mirror my own (who likes a low flow shower?), and another uneasy alliance between Jerry and Newman. Speaking of uneasy alliances, I absolutely love the flip-flopping conversations Jerry has with Uncle Leo to either host or ward off his parents. The “Adonis” and “grim death” moments are so good. Elaine’s poppy seed drug test issue is funny for Peterman talking about opium (it's great anytime he discusses drugs) and her sad “But I wanted to see the bushmen!” George faces the thrilling possibility his parents will move away, which causes conflict with the Seinfelds, who don't care for them. Frank’s angry phone call, starting with “This is Frank Costanza” and escalating to “We’re going to be all over that shuffleboard court!” is awesome.

7-21 & 22 The Bottle Deposit

Another great hour-long episode. Jerry has another goofy car mechanic, though David Puddy is nothing like crazy Tony, who drives off with Jerry’s car in a fit of possessiveness. Elaine goes to an auction of the JFK golf clubs for J. Peterman, only to get in a bidding war with her rival Sue Ellen Mischke, making it all the worse when the clubs become hostage in Jerry’s car. Kramer and Newman seek to capitalize on Michigan offering 10 cents for recycling bottles. The nut is cracked when Newman realizes a mail truck with extra spillover for Mother’s Day will overcome the time and gas costs. This leads to one of my all-time favorite Kramer lines, “Newman, you magnificent bastard!” However, he later turns on him to help Jerry. George is on his own trying to complete an inscrutable project for Mr. Wilhelm. I enjoy him pondering the lyrics to “Downtown.”

Honorable Mentions

I dig The Cadillac (7-14 & 15), wherein Morty gets impeached (love Klompus saying, “I cannot hold it in any longer!” and the old man who remarks, “If you think so”). It also boasts a great George-Elaine pairing for his date with Marisa Tomei and attempts to hide it from Susan using an importer-exporter ruse. The Invitations (7-24) sees George’s engagement end because Susan dies! I’m sure it was shocking, but it’s a brilliant character decision and yet another bold move for the show. What I really love, though, is seeing Jerry meet his female equivalent, as played by Janeane Garofalo. I feel compelled to mention that The Hot Tub (7-5) feels like the episode I’ve seen on TV the most times. I do get a kick out of Jean Paul Jean Paul, as well as George having a grand old time with the Houston Astro bastards.

The season also includes The Engagement, The Postponement, The Maestro, The Soup Nazi, The Secret Code, The Sponge, The Rye, The Caddy, The Seven, The Doll, The Friars Club, The Wig Master, The Calzone, and The Wait Out. Lots of highlights in this bunch, like “Who told you to put the balm on?!”, “No soup for you!” (and Elaine doing Pacino: “Hoo-ah!”), the pairing of George and J. Peterman and the secret ATM code, “Who!? Who does not want to wear the ribbon?!”, the meeting of the Rosses and the Costanzas and a discussion about the chicken, the rooster, and the hen, Frank Costanza’s incredible phone message to Jerry, George’s seven gesture with the whistle (plus, “It’s got cachet out the yin-yang!”), Frank, Kramer and the Maestro playing billiards with no pants, Steinbrenner’s love of calzones, and Mickey saying “Good night” while pretending to be a little boy.

What are your favorite episodes and moments of season 7?  

[stevewhodigs]

My Top Five Episodes of Seinfeld Season 6

July 5th 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the TV show Seinfeld. As one of my all-time favorite shows, I wanted to celebrate the occasion by sharing my top five favorite episodes of each season and writing what I love about them. I found that trying to determine the best episode on each disc of the DVD sets (each of the 8 volumes has 4) and adding in a 5th favorite was a good way to manage this task, though I couldn't always stick to that. Also, all top fives are listed in airing order, not ranked. There’s more background info here.

Season 6

To me there is a dip in Season 6 after the previous two stellar seasons, but it’s still strong. Over the course of its 24 episodes, Elaine gets hired and fired by Mr. Pitt, George begins his tenure with the New York Yankees, the Costanzas separate, and we meet three brilliant supporting characters: comedian Kenny Bania, dentist Tim Whatley, and one my favorites, David Puddy, Elaine’s longest boyfriend of the show (though he really takes off in Season 9).

Here are my five favorite episodes:

6-5 The Couch

Poppie returns and goes into business with Kramer. They establish a make-your-own-pizza place, which serves as cover for the show to explore abortion. It’s clever, but it feels more self-conscious and forced than The Contest or The Outing. However, the other three characters could have sat and read the phone book because the George plot alone makes this a classic for me. It might be my favorite story of his. He joins a book club, but instead of reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s, he decides to rent the film. Only (as informed by Patton Oswalt in his first TV role) the video is checked out. Undeterred, he tracks down the Temple family to watch. It absolutely kills me how undaunted he is, especially when he asks if there’s “anything to nosh” and gets perturbed by Mrs. Temple coming home and making conversation with her family.

6-12 The Label Maker

Elaine gives the titular object to Tim Whatley who re-gifts it to Jerry. I admit it doesn’t sound funny. But the payoffs are a sad Elaine generating sparks with Tim and Jerry’s “I don't trust this guy. I think he regifted, he degifted, and now he's using an upstairs invite as a springboard to a Super Bowl sex romp." George dates a woman with a male roommate. It bugs him so much he schemes for his ouster, only to find that the guy owned everything he loved about the apartment (there’s a fun echo of The Switch too). On top of all this is a wonderful Kramer-Newman story. They are embroiled in a game of Risk. Kramer’s “The Ukraine is weak” might be the classic line, but my favorite moment is the crane shot of Newman running down the street after Kramer at full speed, a breathtaking and hilarious sight.

6-18 The Doorman

Elaine has to take care of Mr. Pitt’s apartment while he’s away, which leads to trouble after Jerry gets into a confrontation with the building’s doorman (Larry Miller, doing great work). But what makes this episode truly memorable is George, Kramer, and Frank Costanza coming together for the bro – or the mansiere. This means the return of Sid Farkus, George and Estelle walking in on Frank and Kramer listening to the cha cha record on the hi-fi, George and Kramer telling Jerry about Frank’s “big breasts” with George saying, “I was throwing up all night. It was like my own personal Crying Game,” George looking down his shirt and jiggling, and best of all, the below exchange where George tries to ferret out information about his grandmother from his mother.

6-21 The Fusilli Jerry

If you have the DVDs, you can check out what I believe is the funniest blooper on the entire show: Frank Costanza’s various takes of falling on the Fusilli Jerry statue ("You want a piece of me?" is a close second). The real scene concludes the story line where Kramer gets the wrong license plate - he ends up with a proctologist’s ASSMAN - and is viewed as a threat to wooing Estelle. The rest of the gang has stories that center around Jerry’s patented “move.” He’s angry that his mechanic David Puddy (his first episode) used it on Elaine, but he aware how hard it is to come by an honest mechanic. Elaine’s exasperation at the men’s petty squabble, which takes on tones of comedy and hackdom, is great. George tries to do the move too, but his girlfriend is mad he had to write it out to remember. 

6-22 The Diplomats Club

Some criticism of Seinfeld concerns how it handles race and ethnicity, which may not be outright cruel but sometimes hits uncomfortable caricature. This episode seems to slightly acknowledge that with George’s attempt to prove he has African-American friends, though it’s not for any reason beyond needing to look good at work. I do enjoy how the story brings back characters from earlier episodes, including the Temples, and George’s attempt to claim that "Exterminator" was just a nickname. What really gets me in this one is how elaborately tied together Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer’s stories are with the flights and Mr. Pitt’s illness. Perfectly interlocking. Also, the Texan who Kramer bets flight departure and arrivals against is a favorite minor character of the series. After all, “Nobody hustles Earl Haffler!”

Honorable Mentions

There’s a lot of zaniness in The Pledge Drive (6-3), with the high talker, George driving Danny Tartabull, eating candy bars with a fork, and Uncle Leo’s worry about Jerry cashing his Nana’s checks (“she’s on a very fixed income!”). I also really enjoy The Race (6-11). Real-life Superman fan Jerry Seinfeld dates a woman named Lois and enters a footrace to defend his honor, complete with an incredible slo-mo finale that uses the Superman film theme music. I love Elaine getting bumped out of the frame. There’s a lot going on with communism, too. Elaine dates a communist, George uses the personals in the Daily Worker and gets sent to Cuba by Steinbrenner, and Kramer and Mickey argue its merits while serving as a Santa and Elf.

Season 6 also includes The Chaperone, The Big Salad, The Chinese Woman, The Gymnast, The Mom and Pop Store, The Soup, The Secretary, The Switch, The Scofflaw, The Highlights of 100, The Beard, The Kiss Hello, The Jimmy, The Doodle, The Face Painter, and The Understudy. Some of the highlights are Larry David in a cape, George eating the éclair out of the garbage, Mr. Pitt and the Woody Woodpecker parade balloon, Jon Voight’s car and bite, the reveal of Kramer’s first name as Cosmo, George’s hairpiece, Jerry taking a lie detector test about Melrose Place, the first “George is getting upset!”, “Gotta support the team!”, and Frank’s Korean lover.

What do you love about Season 6?

[stevewhodigs]

My Top Five Episodes of Seinfeld Season 5

July 5th 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the TV show Seinfeld. As one of my all-time favorite shows, I wanted to celebrate the occasion by sharing my top five favorite episodes of each season and writing what I love about them. I found that trying to determine the best episode on each disc of the DVD sets (each of the 8 volumes has 4) and adding in a 5th favorite was a good way to manage this task, though I couldn't always stick to that. Also, all top fives are listed in airing order, not ranked. There’s more background info here.

Season 5

This season is nearly as good as Season 4. It has plenty of great episodes. While it has no arc quite as rich as the development of Jerry, season 5 does have running plots of George moving back in with his parents and Kramer developing his coffee table book. Season 5 also introduces us to Mickey and Poppie, low talkers and close talkers, the Elaine mannequin, and so much more.

This season has two of the best discs of the series, so my typical framework of one from each and a wild card doesn’t hold here. Here are my five favorite episodes:

5-2 The Glasses

The episode is named after George’s new pair from the Gloria Vanderbilt collection. Jerry calling him “Elton” is good, but Kramer’s “Madam” is killer. I am a huge fan of Uncle Leo and I put his scene here serving as go-between on the Paul Simon concert tickets as one of his absolute best. I love his remarks about Cousin Jeffrey: he stays in touch with his botany teacher because they are “Actual friends! Like equals!” and “His favorite animal is the leopard. He likes the spots” The two stories connect because George believes he saw Jeffrey making out with Jerry’s girlfriend Amy (Anna "Skyler White" Gunn). Jerry’s “You’re eating onions, you’re spotting dimes, I don’t know what the hell is going on!” is a great moment.

5-4 The Sniffing Accountant

Elaine meets one of her only recurring boyfriends, Jake Jarmel. I enjoy that they fall out over exclamation points. George is impressed hearing they met when he came over and “felt her material,” but mimicking it is the “unforeseen incident” that mars his bright future as a bra salesman. Even better is the scene with his parents before the interview. Frank offers knowledge, “You know about the cup sizes? You got the A, B, C, the D. D’s the biggest.” I love the Seinfelds, but the Costanzas are a TV family like no other. The title refers to Jerry’s fear that his accountant is a drug user. He’s so concerned he even agrees to work with Newman - “Tuesday has no feel” is one of my all-time favorite lines of his. Undercover Kramer is a sight to behold. It's one of his best plotlines in the series, in my mind.

5-13 The Marine Biologist

It’s a dumb joke, but Jerry convincing Elaine the original title of War and Peace was War, What is it Good For? is amusing and causes her trouble with famed (fictional) Russian writer Testikov. Jerry also lies to an old classmate that George is a marine biologist. George would rather be an architect, but he rolls with it when he finds out she’s interested. “Then of course with evolution the octopus lost the nostrils and took on the more familiar look that we know today.” Naturally on their date they come across a beached whale. The story George tells at the coffee shop is my favorite moment of the four together in the entire series. It's also my favorite example of the power of a multi-camera setup with a live audience. Though a less prevalent style now, it is undeniable the crowd’s energy elevates the scene.

5-21 The Hamptons

I am sure even people who have never seen an episode of Seinfeld (if they exist) know about the shrinkage plot. Classic George Costanza. The embarrassment comes on a day when everyone else saw his girlfriend topless (great reactions: Kramer “Yo Yo Ma!” Jerry “Boutros Boutros Ghali.” Elaine “Nice rack”). He retaliates by making lobster eggs to feed Jerry’s kosher girlfriend Rachel. This episode is a black-and-white cookie of two prominent George moods: ashamed and vengeful. Elaine is enchanted to be called “breathtaking” by the doctor, then disturbed when he uses the word on the ugly baby too. Her attempt to get the truth is good. Kramer has some fun on the beach (love the montage) and catches lobster, drawing the ire of host Michael. “My father was a lobsterman!”

5-22 The Opposite

George laments that he’s always doing the wrong thing. In a memorable scene, Jerry remarks, “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right." A wholesale transformation occurs. It's a brilliant idea alone, but having almost 100 episodes of George to play off makes for a classic. I love George confronting people in the movie theater with the Buddy Rich tribute, "We're gonna take it outside, and I'm gonna show you what it's like!" Doing the opposite leads to his first meeting with George Steinbrenner, a beloved side character. We see that Elaine simultaneously suffers a reversal of fortunes: losing her job and her boyfriend (mostly because of Jujyfruit), and Jerry is positioned in the middle as Even Steven. Kramer’s coffee table book plot apexes with an appearance on Regis and Kathy Lee. “I’m tellin’ ya, this guy is bonkos!!”

Honorable Mentions

I find Disc One (the first five episodes) incredibly strong, but my picks were somewhat unconventional considering the more widely appreciated episode The Puffy Shirt (5-3) between them. I don't love it quite the same, yet with the low talker, “But I don’t wanna be a pirate!” and George’s meteoric rise and hasty fall as a hand model, I understand why it’s so esteemed. The Fire (5-18) is an amazing example of George’s selfish behavior. He bolts out of a birthday party ahead of women, children, and the elderly. I love his interactions with Eric the Clown (Jon Favreau). Also Kramer’s bus story is a close second to the title of best story. Along with George's whale tale, both are richer for being retellings, not flashbacks or present moments where we see. It is a real pleasure to be in the moment of the recounting because of the excellent performances.

Season 5 also includes The Mango, The Bris, The Lip Reader, The Non-Fat Yogurt, The Barber, The Masseuse, The Cigar Store Indian, The Conversion, The Stall, The Dinner Party, The Pie, The Stand In, The Wife, and The Raincoats. The plentiful highlights include the mohel’s amazing performance, the BL (beautiful lineswoman), the real life ambition of The Non-Fat Yogurt to film two endings in the event of either NYC Mayoral Election outcome, “That Johnny Depp, he make-a me cry!", Frank Costanza's love of TV Guide, Kramer’s Kavorca, George going to “scale some rock” with his man crush, the mimbo, Mickey’s eye bulge when George uses the word midget, more Uncle Leo, this time talking Jerry’s printing, and the legendary appearance of The Executive, Morty Seinfeld’s biggest mark on the raincoat business.

What are your favorites from this great season?

[stevewhodigs]

My Top Five...Ten...Episodes of Seinfeld Season 4

July 5th 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the TV show Seinfeld. As one of my all-time favorite shows, I wanted to celebrate the occasion by sharing my top five favorite episodes of each season and writing what I love about them. I found that trying to determine the best episode on each disc of the DVD sets (each of the 8 volumes has 4) and adding in a 5th favorite was a good way to manage this task, though I couldn't always stick to that. Also, all top fives are listed in airing order, not ranked. There’s more background info here.

Season 4

I am not alone in thinking that Season 4 is the show’s best. It is the only season that won the “Best Comedy Series” Emmy, and I’ve seen many critics list this as the peak. I agree. I believe the season has the highest number of great episodes, for one thing. It gives us Susan, the Costanzas, and a slew of memorable guest characters, plus many indelible quotes and plotlines. Additionally, this is the best the show ever did with a long running arc, which made the season as almost as cohesive as individual episodes. Its meta nature makes it even funnier. I’m a big fan of continuity and in-jokes, so that’s all right up my alley.

Due to such high quality, I am doing a top ten for Season 4. I’ll try to keep each write up brief. If forced, my would-be top five is marked with asterisks, with The Outing and The Junior Mint as honorable mentions.

Here it is:

4-1 & 2 The Trip*

Definitely an odd episode for taking place in LA (where the show was actually filmed, aside from some second unit footage, a fact that blew my mind since the show is SO New York) and the lack of Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus was pregnant), but I love it for being a madcap delight. It’s amazing seeing George get mocked by George Wendt and Corbin Bernson and learning he dresses based on mood: “This is morning mist.” I can’t fail to mention one of my all-time favorite Kramer lines, “Yes, well, that was an unusual choice for the Stooges.”

4-3 & 4 The Pitch/The Ticket*

The true beginning of Season 4. It launches the season long plot of Jerry and George making a pilot for NBC, thereby introducing us to Susan and Russell Dalrymple (not an easy last name to spell, even for George). It is here that the description “The Show About Nothing” probably entered the cultural lexicon permanently. Newman shines as he tries to get out of paying a parking ticket, and we meet “Crazy” Joe Davola, an under-appreciated guest character I get a real kick (in the head?) out of.

4-7 The Bubble Boy

When I was in high school watching reruns everyday, this was one of my favorite episodes. It may have lost a little luster, but it still holds up overall because of the titular character. Rather than played for sympathy, he’s an angry young man, making him the perfect foil for George. All of their interactions are great. The peak is “Oh no. I’m sorry, it’s the Moops.” I enjoy the Bubble Boy’s father talking about Yoo-Hoo and hemoglobin. Jerry’s line “It’s like Coco Chanel dating a fishmonger” in reference to his girlfriend Naomi’s atrocious laugh always cracks me up.

4-11 The Contest*

Considered one of the best ever episodes of the show, as you may know. The four things I want to say about it are 1) how incredible it is as a piece of storytelling for never using any profanity, instead a lot of euphemisms and clever visual humor to fill in the blanks, 2) the overlooked fact that this is the FIRST APPEARANCE of Estelle Costanza, who is stellar here and always, 3) the opening scene in the booth is one of the show’s best demonstrations of the quartet’s impeccable chemistry, and 4) “I’m out!”

4-12 The Airport*

The intricacy of this one is fun. George and Kramer yo-yo between JFK and La Guardia as they attempt to pick up Jerry and Elaine. It was a smart choice to have Jerry get first class and the ensuing benefits, because as I’ve said before, there’s not much better than a harried Elaine. Elaine and the kosher meal, Jerry saying “Lilac” with the second syllable stressed, George being told “You are a blurb!” and Kramer’s “Listen to the bell, Grossbard. It tolls for thee!” all really get me. My friends and I often mimicked the “Hey, remember me?” gesture.

4-13 The Pick

Jerry getting caught by his model girlfriend while appearing to pick his nose is a hilarious situation. Love the Elephant Man homage: “Are we not human? If we pick, do we not bleed?” Better still is the payoff to Kramer’s cologne idea for The Beach (after his talk last season with one of Calvin Klein’s flunkies) becoming stolen: he gets a chance to model as compensation. After all, his buttocks are sublime. Topping all that is the Elaine Christmas card, which exposes that little round circular protuberance, her nipple. The way George’s hair stands after he “receives his card” is a masterful touch.

4-14 The Movie

This one feels akin to The Airport with all its missed connections, or a successor to The Chinese Restaurant and The Parking Garage. Of note is the first appearance of the most famous fake movie in the show, Rochelle, Rochelle: a young woman’s strange, erotic journey from Milan to Minsk. I am a big fan of Pat Buckles, the proto-Kenny Bania. His bizarre request, “Could I keep my trench coat in your closet for a few months” just kills me. I love the running joke of each character ridiculously describing each other’s appearances.

4-16 The Outing

The origin of “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” which is a perfect Seinfeld line. I love how the plot plays on the Jerry and George dynamic in the scene where the NYU reporter to suspects they are gay but neither of them realizes immediately. Ever the opportunist, it is brilliant that George later tries to use the rumor to get out of a relationship. The parental reactions are stupendous. I especially love the callback to The Contest, where this time when George visits his mother in the hospital, it is two men having a sponge bath in silhouette.

4-21 The Junior Mint

One of those episodes that fit what I call the Gary Principle, named after my dad, who first raised this point to me: it is easy to remember that specific plotlines occurred and their jokes, but it is easy to forget when they occur in the same episode. This one obviously has the mint falling into Elaine’s boyfriend’s body because of Kramer and Jerry watching the surgery, but it also has Jerry’s girlfriend Dolores. Or should I say Mulva? What a one-two punch. I love how Kramer describes the junior mint: “It’s chocolate, it’s peppermint, it’s delicious! It’s very refreshing!”

4-23 & 24 The Pilot*

The culmination of season four: we finally get to see Jerry. I love the casting process where they discover an Elaine, a Kramer, and a George – who thinks the real George must be a real loser. It’s neat that they use previous dialogue in the scripts. I enjoy George having a health scare and confronting actor-Kramer about the raisins, and Kramer telling actor-Kramer about his particularities. I think it’s one of the most effective season ending scenes on any show, with nearly all of the secondary characters and guests of the year shown viewing the pilot.

Honorable Mentions

Bumping out The Implant (4-19) shows you how deep this season is. It’s another that fulfills the Gary Principle, for it has Jerry, Elaine, Sidra and “They’re real, and they’re spectacular,” plus George and the double dip (and the attempt at a bereavement discount). Oh, and Kramer un-ironically saying “It’s like a sauna in here.” I also like The Wallet / The Watch (4-5 & 6) for the classic Morty moment of “My wallet’s gone! My wallet’s gone!,” some nice Uncle Leo, George “negotiating” and then having to visit Russell’s penthouse, and a very solid Kramer-Elaine pairing as she elicits him to help break up with her psychiatrist boyfriend.

Season 4 also includes The Cheever Letters, The Opera, The Virgin, The Visa, The Shoes, The Old Man, The Handicap Spot, and The Smelly Car. I do have to point out Davola’s phone message with the hair on his tongue and his desire to put the kibosh on Jerry, the old men Jerry and George volunteer with (and them getting to mimic those two in a tag scene), and “What am I, hard of smelling?” among other highlights.

What are your favorites of this magnificent season?

[stevewhodigs]

My Top Five Episodes of Seinfeld Season 3

July 5th 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the TV show Seinfeld. As one of my all-time favorite shows, I wanted to celebrate the occasion by sharing my top five favorite episodes of each season and writing what I love about them. I found that trying to determine my favorite episode on each disc of the DVD sets (each of the 8 volumes has 4) and adding in a 5th wildcard was a good way to manage this task, though I couldn't always stick to that. Also, all top fives are listed in airing order, not ranked. There’s more background info here.

Season 3

I consider this to be the most underrated Seinfeld season. It seems the later episodes when the show was a monster hit are more popular. The show was still on the rise during Season 3, but it has tons of highlights. It was the first full length season, one that included the physical introduction of Newman, among other memorable characters.

Here are my five favorite episodes:

3-4 The Library

Two words: Joe Bookman. He’s one of the all-time best guest stars. Philip Baker Hall gives such a brilliant performance, it’s no wonder that the real Jerry Seinfeld can barely stop himself from laughing in the incredible scene when Bookman comes to his apartment to lay down the law. “Well I got a flash for you, joy boy: party time is over.” The snappy editing is a nice touch. Also, George crosses paths with an old tormenter, his gym teacher Mr. Heyman. I love that these two storylines give us flashback scenes of Jerry and George in high school, with both actors playing themselves in goofy costumes. Kramer wooing Marion the Librarian and Elaine trying to use her poetry aren’t as raucous, but still solid additions.  

3-6 The Parking Garage

Basically the Chinese Restaurant with Kramer. I suppose this could be considered a retread, but having the fourth character adds energy, and the writing team hit on another perfect scenario for a real-time exploration of modern frustration. There is more urgency, with George needing to take his parents out for their anniversary, Jerry having to pee, Elaine having goldfish that may not survive, and Kramer lugging around a heavy air conditioner. I enjoy Jerry making up excuses when he gets caught urinating (especially “I could get uromysitisis poisoning and die”) so that George has nothing to use when he gets caught later. Elaine has some great moments of indignation (always something she does well) when people ignore her and her fish. I want to mention the serendipitous ending: the car not starting was completely unscripted.

3-10 The Alternate Side

Has one of the most memorable quotes of the series: “These pretzels are making me thirsty!" which each character gets to say in a different context throughout the episode. But there is more than just Kramer in a Woody Allen film, which is where that line originates. George starts parking cars, and of course it’s a disaster. His boss Sid is an underrated guest character (“Who’s putting your pants on?”). Jerry’s car gets stolen, which leads to some funny interactions with the thief and the rental agency. The latter scenes to me are interesting examples where you can feel Jerry channeling stand up into the writing. The best plot might be Elaine and her elderly boyfriend Owen, who has a stroke. Her “Yankee bean” break up scene is awesome, as is the later reveal that “He was just using me for sex.”

3-15 & 16 The Boyfriend

I'm counting all two-part episodes as one. It helps for picking a top five, plus some of the hourlongs are excellent. The Boyfriend is said to be one of cast and crew members’ all time favorites. The reputation is deserved. The title refers to Keith Hernandez, playing himself. His presence creates three top notch plots. Elaine’s is probably the most straightforward, with her and Keith striking up a relationship (great voiceover makeout scenes), but it elevates when Jerry gets thrown in the mix. He plays it like he's in love with Keith, too. The concern over level jumping via helping with the move (“Is that a thick marble?”) and the jealousy over the Game 6 bar discussion are two highlights. Meanwhile, Kramer and Newman hold a vendetta for believing Keith to have spit on them after a game. This leads to an amazing JFK homage. If that’s not enough, you have an all-time George story: his desperate attempts to gain unemployment benefits. The “Say Vandelay!” “And you wanted to be my latex salesman” scene is iconic.

3-17 The Fix Up

I sometimes feel that people don’t enjoy this one as much as my brother and I do, but it is one of the few episodes to have received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing. Jerry and Elaine decide to set up George with Elaine’s friend Cynthia. I love how this creates a really cool structure: we see Jerry and George’s side of things intercut with Elaine and Cynthia’s throughout. The contrasts between what George and Cynthia want and think are so funny, as well as how Jerry and Elaine have to react. Then there's much humor in how Jerry and Elaine interact with each other – sometimes on a team, sometimes defending their ally. It could be a “Men are from Mars” situation, but because we are dealing with George Costanza, we get a unique take. From the “pinkish hue” of the “good cheek” to Jerry saying Cynthia’s body is “Really very nice and good,” to how Elaine has to describe George (“He’s bald?!”), it’s laugh after laugh. Kramer joins the fun with some defective condoms from his friend, Bob Sacamano.

Honorable Mentions

Being the only episode to not include both George and Kramer, there was no way I could fit in The Pen (3-5). But with Jack Klompus (“Do me a personal favor! Take the pen!”), lots of Helen, Morty, and Uncle Leo, and Elaine on painkillers ("Stella!"), it still makes a strong case. I also enjoy The Subway (3-13) as one of the rare episodes to keep the characters on their own almost the entire time. George’s “Will I see you again?!” after getting robbed slays me, I love all the horse racing lingo in Kramer’s story, and Elaine cements her status as the show’s strongest voiceover talent – seriously, any time she narrates herself, she sounds funny and her acting is perfect – on the way to a lesbian wedding.

The rest of the season includes The Note, The Truth, The Dog, The Cafe, The Tape, The Nose Job, The Red Dot, The Suicide, The Pez Dispenser, The Limo, The Good Samaritan, The Letter, The Parking Space, and The Keys. I will no longer be doing highlights for all the other episodes. But briefly, Season 3 also gives us “I think it moved!”, the first of many great fake movies with Prognosis Negative and Ponce De Leon, George crushing on Elaine after he learns she left Jerry a secret dirty message, the debut of Dr. Van Nostrand, an all time top Costanza moment of “Was that wrong?,” Hennigan’s, the Kramer painting, and much more.

What are your favorites?

[stevewhodigs]

My Top Five Episodes of Seinfeld Seasons 1 and 2

Today, July 5th 2014, marks the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the TV show Seinfeld. It’s a show that needs no introduction. I will say that it is one of my favorite TV shows – maybe my favorite – and one of my all-time favorite creative works of any kind.

In honor of the occasion, I will share my top five favorite episodes of each season. This is no small task, as each season has well more than five great episodes; I will likely not always able to stick to five. Seinfeld was called a show about nothing, but it’s closer to being a show about everything. As such, everyone will have jokes, plot lines, characters, moments and styles that appeal to them most, making an exercise of determining favorites different for anyone that chooses to attempt it. I do suspect some of the consensus classics, what one might call the “best” episodes, would appear in most lists, but for me this is about favorites, not bests.

I start today with Seasons 1 and 2 together, like in the DVD set. I will share lists for the subsequent seasons on their own. Speaking of the DVD sets, I found that trying to determine my favorite episode on each disc (each of the 8 volumes has 4) and adding in a 5th wild card was a good way to manage this task. It didn’t always line up, but it surprised me how often it did. I’ll write about why I love each episode in my top five. These are going to be listed in airing order. It was hard enough coming up with five, I didn’t feel I had time to rank them, too.

Got it? Good. Giddy up!

Seasons 1 & 2

The show was not yet what it would become, but the signs were there. It was more grounded and low key than the wacky, heightened last seasons, so sometimes the early episodes get labeled as slow or boring. It’s a mistake to overlook them, though.

Here are my five favorite episodes:

1-3 The Stakeout

The titular stakeout scene is to me the first true classic of the show. Jerry and George have outstanding interplay, with the best moment being the first appearance of George’s pseudonym Art Vandelay and his desired profession as an architect. Jerry first meeting Vanessa is strong too, especially with how he has to handle Elaine. I love Elaine’s exasperated “No, YOU had wooden teeth!” on the cab ride home. Also establishes the close bond of Kramer with Jerry’s parents – a highlight is his attempt to play “Quone” in Scrabble.

2-4 The Baby Shower

The first episode written by Larry Charles, whom I feel is the show’s most distinctive writer outside of Jerry and Larry David. Big picture significance, this episode is the first to completely weave all of its plots together, which became a true hallmark of the show, and in turn a big reason why I gravitate towards narratives with similar structure. Kramer has several great lines, including “Jerry, it’s the 90s, it’s hammer time." I love George's story most, which is classic Costanza: He holds deep resentment over how he was wronged, he has a detailed scheme to turn things around, and after all the buildup it almost instantly fails.

2-6 The Chinese Restaurant

The first consensus classic for its groundbreaking idea to have the characters wait for a table at a Chinese restaurant in real time for the full episode. The knock against this is a lack of Kramer, but I do enjoy how each of the other three has a little arc. It’s like a play. George revealing why he needs to call Tatiana is incredible. And Bruce the maitre’d is one of the lesser appreciated but knockout guest characters of the show. I particularly love the whole “Cartwright” exchange with George. “Of course I’m not Cartwright!!!”

2-7 The Phone Message

I like this one for reasons similar to The Stakeout: an absurd plan centered around gaining a woman’s attention is hatched. Or in this case, keeping it, after George becomes convinced he blew his chances and leaves a series of increasingly frantic and angry messages. I love the parallel storytelling of Jerry and George’s dates, George’s anecdote about wanting 365 pairs of underwear, the delayed understanding George has about coffee (“Coffee isn’t coffee. Coffee is sex!”), and the scene of them trying to swap out the answering machine tape, with code phrases and, “Your father wears sneakers in the pool?”

2-11 The Heart Attack

An all around absurd episode with a Larry David cameo (on TV shouting “Like flaming globes, Sigmund!”) and Jerry pretending to kill George, and one I find hilarious. You can feel the show locking in on defining traits for each of the four characters. George goes to holistic healer Tor Eckman because he’s cheap, Kramer suggests Tor because of his aversion to corporations and mainstream culture (though he seems pleased when he says "It's like Sizzler's opened a hospital"), Jerry goes along to mock them (“I love cramp bark”), and Elaine meets a man that seems promising but reveals his quirks soon enough. The running joke of Jerry’s note is great (“Fax me some halibut” is a favorite interpretation), as is the ambulance drivers’ fight over the Chuckle. And let’s not forget “I’m an eggplant! I’m a mutant!” and the first utterance of “Is it lupus?!”

Honorable Mentions

Almost making the cut are The Pony Remark (2-2) for the introduction of Uncle Leo and the whole Manya dinner party scene (“Who leaves a country packed with ponies to come to a non-pony country? It doesn't make sense…am I wrong?”) and The Deal (2-13) which has the brilliant “This and that” scene with Jerry and Elaine, but an uncharacteristically positive ending that was completely ignored at the start of season 3. The birthday gift plot culminating with Jerry defending “pal,” George giving her $91, and Kramer’s “Yeats” is wonderful, and I love Tina saying "Such a great improv class tonight," too.

Quick highlights for the rest:

1-1 The Pilot: Besides it being the first episode? It’s awesome to see Jerry and George’s rapport there from the beginning and how much of it involves obsessing over social minutiae. And I find the “Laundry day from clothes’ perspective” stand up bit amusing.

1-2 Male Unbonding: Introduction of Elaine, who helps Jerry make some great excuses to avoid old friend Joel (“We’ve got choir practice…that evening of Eastern European national anthems”). Plus, “I’m hypoglycemic!”

1-4 The Apartment: Funny to see Jerry and George at odds with each other and them resolving it over a child’s game.

1-5 The Stock Tip: I love that the stocks are for televising opera and a robot butcher. Plus, “My Uncle Pete showers four times a day and he can’t count to ten. So don’t give me hygiene.”

2-1 The Ex-Girlfriend: Elaine goes from “nods to nothing." George’s consternation about the chiropractor (“What, am I seeing Sinatra?!”) and “I think I swallowed a fly!” What can happen?” are good. And it’s unconventional to see George give Jerry his blessing on dating Marlene.

2-3 The Busboy: The George-Kramer pairing to help the busboy is great (“Como se dice ‘waterbed’?”), and I love Elaine’s monologue about the failed airport run. Oh, and “Seattle is the pesto of cities.”

2-5 The Jacket: The first and only appearance of Elaine’s dad. George has Les Miz stuck in his head, does a good Alton Benes imitation (“He’s in da bat’room”), and hilariously reacts to the cost of Jerry’s jacket.

2-8 The Apartment: A Jerry-Elaine conflict that Kramer helps resolve because “Occasionally, I like to help the humans,” and the memorable “I just threw away a lifetime of guilt-free sex and floor seats for ever sporting event in Madison Square Garden. So please, a little respect. For I am Costanza. Lord of the Idiots!” after George's fake wedding ring plan backfires. Plus, Elaine’s first “Get out!” push.

2-9 The Stranded: I love how miserable Jerry and Elaine are at the party and their code signals, but they stay for George (great when he tells Jerry he said “I long for you” to his coworker and Jerry saying “It’s not bad.”). Elaine and the George Washington Carver aficionado takes the cake. “I’ve often wondered if he worked with the pecan. Now is that considered a nut? Because I know the cashew is a legume.”

2-10 The Statue: Interesting guest characters in the very odd but apparently passionate couple Ray and Rava. The best is Kramer faking being a cop to get the statue back (“Just make love to the wall, pervert!”)

2-12 The Revenge: A brilliant George-Elaine pairing (with Jerry-Kramer together in the B story). Anytime George shout-whispers is great (Here so he can get his coworker to move), and the beginning and end bits of George sitting on the floor of Jerry’s apartment contemplating career options are quite funny.

[stevewhodigs]

Coen Brothers Countdown - #1 The Big Lebowski

The Coen Brothers are my favorite directors. Their newest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, just came out. In honor of that, I thought it would be fun to share how I rank all the Coen Brothers films based on how much I like them, not necessarily how good they might be. I’ll be counting down one each day from worst to first.

And so the countdown comes to a close. #1 is The Big Lebowski. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. It is my favorite Coen Brothers film, which places it high in the running for my favorite film of all-time. I know I’m overrating it to some extent, but yeah, well, you know, this is just, like, my opinion, man. It hits most of the Coen signatures I outlined yesterday, including one I forgot: all their films have excellent cinematography (the opening credits scene is so lovely it always makes me want to bowl). More importantly, though, the Big Lebowski is a perfect film to me, with everything I love most about movies. I just want to say, I’m an enormous fan. On a personal level, it has been a source of inspiration. I’ve been limiting these pieces to 300 words. However, I went to 350 yesterday and I’m going over the line today.

Now, there is some circularity at work because the film helped shape my tastes. I can’t remember exactly when I first saw it, but it occurred whenever it came out on VHS, so probably late 1998 or early 1999. This was my first encounter with the Coen Brothers, about whom I knew nothing. The film didn’t yet have a cult following or legacy, either. It was about as close to an “in a vacuum” viewing experience as you can get, just my friend Hank and I in his basement. I was like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie… What’s my point? Here’s my point, dude. Something about the film took hold of me and hasn’t let go. I have kept coming back to it ever since, and each time, new shit came to light. I probably haven’t watched any other movie as many times.

What’s so great about it? First, the dialogue. Every line is memorable. I really love the screenplay’s reflexivity, its numerous echoes and callbacks. It feels like almost everything gets repeated, often by a different character than the originator. “This aggression will not stand,” goes from George Bush to the Dude, for instance. Another hilarious example is the Dude’s “You mean, coitus?” after Maude says it moments earlier.

Like in other Coen films, the already strong writing is magnified by the brilliant characters that vocalize it. The cast is an assortment of eclectic individuals, and each is fascinating, detailed, charming, and at least a little abnormal. Of course there’s Jeff Bridges at the center of everything as Jeffery “The Dude” Lebowski. He’s paired with the awesome Walter Sobchak, and they’re two of the all-time great characters and performances in cinema, disagree and you are entering a world of pain. Walter’s outsized performance and lines like “I can get you a toe” or “Donnie, you’re out of your element,” had a hand in hooking me that first watch. Plus, there’s Steve Buscemi’s Donnie, John Turturro’s Jesus, Julieanne Moore’s Maude, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Brandt, Jon Polito’s Da Fino…aw, look at me. I’m ramblin’ again. Seriously, everyone in this is magnificent.

I eventually learned that The Big Lebowski plays off Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep, which includes an old man in a wheelchair and a convoluted crime scheme among its many parallels, making the Dude a humorous riff on the noir detective archetype. The Coens were also inspired by people they knew in real life and a serious of wacky incidents that befell those individuals – including a stolen car and homework in a baggy. It’s an exquisite fusion of influence and real life, but the beauty of this is its simplicity. You don’t need to know any of that to enjoy the film because of the imagination and talent of Joel and Ethan. That’s a Swiss fucking watch.

Another strand in the old Duder’s head is that all of the music is diegetic, or played within the lives of the characters. Thus, it’s one of the rare Coen films with a full soundtrack. It happens to be musically diverse and well-curated, including classical, German techno, Kenny Rogers, and you can even hold out hope for the Creedence.

At the heart of it all is the great character interplay and enthralling dynamics – Walter and the Dude being the foremost example. What’s especially cool is how this has been replicated in real life for me, because so many other people deeply love the film. Watching and quoting The Big Lebowski has served as a bonding experience among so many different groups of friends. 15 years of beautiful tradition, watching with everyone from my dad to various roommates, you’re goddamned right I’m living in the past! I can’t even begin to list all the dialogue that has emerged in conversations with a wide variety of people. There are ways, dude. But you don’t wanna know about it, believe me. Simply put, the shared social experience elevates the Big Lebowski, already a film of such resonance to my sensibilities, beyond everything else.

Well, that about does her. Wraps her all up. It was pretty good countdown, don’t ya think? I had a lot of fun writing it. Thank you all for reading and responding. I liked doing this so much that I may have to do it again with a new director, genre, theme, or works of another medium. We’ll see.

Hope you folks enjoyed yourselves. Catch ya further on down the trail.

[stevewhodigs]

Coen Brothers Countdown - #2 Fargo

The Coen Brothers are my favorite directors. Their newest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, just came out. In honor of that, I thought it would be fun to share how I rank all the Coen Brothers films based on how much I like them, not necessarily how good they might be. I’ll be counting down one each day from worst to first.

The countdown is almost over. I have enjoyed how this process has made me more clearly understand what the Coen Brothers do well and what makes them distinct. In turn, I have confirmed my belief that the film at #2 is the platonic ideal of “Coenesque.” Am I talking about Fargo? You betcha!

Let’s start there, with dialogue, first of the Coen signatures. Fargo is at or near the top of the most quotable list: “You should see the other guy” and “You gotta have a breakfast, Margie,” are just two favorites. It’s partly because of how the words are said, which ties to the second hallmark of unique regional settings and the importance of place. In other words, none of their films are set just anywhere. This is the Midwest film: the accents, the colloquialisms (“The heck do ya mean?”), and the weather – hard to have a wood chipper make sense otherwise. The excellent writing and vivid location enhance their third special trait: great characters. Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson, Steve Buscemi’s Carl Showalter, and William H. Macy’s Jerry Lundegaard are iconic, fleshed-out creations, and it’s a real pleasure watching them interact in multiple indelible scenes. Good bunch of supporting players, too.

The Coen Brothers consistently honor and tweak genre conventions, their fourth defining characteristic. Fargo is in the lineage of noir-inspired, dramatic “crime gone wrong” films with Blood Simple., The Man Who Wasn’t There, and No Country For Old Men. I like it the most because it best incorporates the Coen attributes above, plus the final one: skillful balancing of comedy and drama. Fargo is a serious and violent movie, but it is also hilarious – the most satisfying blend they’ve yet struck, and probably the most grounded. I also really like how the darkness of such a murderous plot is lightened somewhat by Marge and her deeds, not something they do often, making it their best balance of bleakness and modest but earned hope as well. This is a superior film that succeeds on every level and the most perfect distillation of the Coen Brothers sensibility.

[stevewhodigs]

Coen Brothers Countdown - #3 No Country For Old Men

The Coen Brothers are my favorite directors. Their newest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, just came out. In honor of that, I thought it would be fun to share how I rank all the Coen Brothers films based on how much I like them, not necessarily how good they might be. I’ll be counting down one each day from worst to first.

I mentioned yesterday that it basically came down to a coin toss between Miller’s Crossing and today’s entry at #3, No Country For Old Men. If you’ve seen it, you know No Country is not a film that loses a coin toss – had to tip my hat to one of the Coen Brother’s most memorable scenes. It’s their only film to win Best Picture and the first time they adapted a book, the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy. It proved a beautiful pairing of like-minded creative spirits.

The first time I saw this, I was absolutely riveted. Amazing acting, for one, and the deliberate pacing and suspense (the almost complete lack of a score is particularly striking) were so deftly handled it was like the Coens achieved perfection of the crime gone wrong form. But the ending, particularly the fates of Josh Brolin’s Llewelyn Moss and Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh, was gut wrenching. I was shocked, even upset, by the choices and how they were handled. Additional viewings have helped me better separate my worldview from the movie’s own merits. Though they are still tough outcomes, it is gratifying to be challenged. All great art provides a new perspective on life and has deep personal resonance.

I have since read the book as well. The film is a very faithful adaptation. So much so it almost diminishes the sense of how much Joel and Ethan had to do with the film’s greatness. But it takes a lot of skill to make an amazing building, no matter how good the plans are. I believe that the Coens elevated their game to honor the source material. I consider this to be their most impressive piece of filmmaking and just about technically flawless. It is a stunning film.  

[stevewhodigs]

Coen Brothers Countdown - #4 Miller's Crossing

The Coen Brothers are my favorite directors. Their newest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, just came out. In honor of that, I thought it would be fun to share how I rank all the Coen Brothers films based on how much I like them, not necessarily how good they might be. I’ll be counting down one each day from worst to first.

I haven’t worried about being “wrong” on this countdown since it’s about my tastes. But I was wrong about one thing. The choice between #12 and #11 actually comes second in difficulty to the choice between ranking films #4 and #3 – and I’m not sure I got it right. For this project, I watched chronologically. Someday I will watch based on these ranks to see how they hold up. Until then, it’s with a heavy heart I give Miller’s Crossing the high hat and place it at #4.

I believe this is the hidden gem of the Coen Brothers’ filmography. Without question, it is their first true masterpiece, the first time they fully merged all their hallmark traits, particularly formal mastery with modern wit. It is a Prohibition Era gangster drama with a large cast of characters. Everything filters to us through Tom Reagan (played by Gabriel Byrne), the Irish Mob’s second-in-command. The Irish face troubles from the rise of the rival Italians, while Tom personally deals with his love for Verna (Marcia Gay Harden) and his hate for her bookie brother Bernie (John Turturro).

Most of their films – really, good films in general – get better with time. Miller’s Crossing assuredly does. That’s first because the plotting is intricate. There are many twists as the gangs fight and characters turn on each other. But more so than that, I feel we pick up on additional nuances of Tom over time. Calm, tough, and calculating on the surface, yet not without underlying vulnerability, he’s one of the best Coen protagonists. The ending of the film is richly poignant. I also want to shout out the score, which has the most distinct theme in Coen films. Please watch this excellent movie if you haven’t, my brief write-up hardly does it justice.

[stevewhodigs]

Coen Brothers Countdown - #5 Barton Fink

The Coen Brothers are my favorite directors. Their newest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, just came out. In honor of that, I thought it would be fun to share how I rank all the Coen Brothers films based on how much I like them, not necessarily how good they might be. I’ll be counting down one each day from worst to first.

We have arrived at the top five, a bunch of great films that can stand well with anything, in my opinion. At #5 is Barton Fink, which you may have noted inspired the name of this tumblr. It is probably the hardest Coen Brothers film to describe, let alone explain, but that’s also why it sticks with viewers for so long after watching. That’s been my experience, anyways. All the puzzling over it has made my esteem grow.

I categorize Barton Fink in a group with A Serious Man. Both are what I call “existential films” that question self and purpose. They are slower, moody, more overtly dramatic – though quite comedic, too. I think Barton Fink has some of the most hilarious moments and best lines of any Coen Brothers movie. Yet it also is the most confusing and mysterious. The titular character, played excellently by John Turturro, is a writer who moves from New York to Los Angeles to write films in 1941. To give that Barton Fink feeling to B pictures. It’s less of a Hollywood satire than a look into the often terrifying soul of the creative process, with a vaguely horror film mood manifested by its cramped, stifling hotel setting.

I can’t tell you what the ending means or if certain events that take place happen. I have no idea if John Goodman’s Charlie is even real or merely symbolic. But I do know that I absolutely love the character and performance. There are some days when I think it’s better than Walter Sobchak. Michael Lerner’s Jack Lipnick is amazing too, probably my favorite of all Coen old men behind desks. The Barton-Charlie and Barton-Jack relationships are great. It’s a bizarre, somewhat “difficult” film, but I find Barton’s struggles and all the questions raised so compelling.

[stevewhodigs]

Coen Brothers Countdown - #6 O Brother, Where Art Thou?

The Coen Brothers are my favorite directors. Their newest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, just came out. In honor of that, I thought it would be fun to share how I rank all the Coen Brothers films based on how much I like them, not necessarily how good they might be. I’ll be counting down one each day from worst to first.

The #6 film on this list currently holds the crown for best Coen Brothers film soundtrack: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (though Inside Llewyn Davis will surely challenge it). It is simply impossible to separate the soundtrack from the film, in part because the music is so prominent and internal to it. Many of the songs are performed by characters, and all of them connect in some way to the action and story. It’s a great selection of American roots music and it became a huge hit, arguably overshadowing the film within pop culture.

The film is more than just an excellent soundtrack, though. It’s the story of three fugitives on the run, seeking treasure, and getting in adventures throughout the Deep South during the Great Depression. It also happens to be a loose adaptation of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey and incorporates tall tales and American lore. The group is led by George Clooney – his first time working with the Coen Brothers – as Everett Ulysses McGill. His charm and loquaciousness (“I’m the paterfamilias!”) make for a fun lead. The interplay between him, Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) and Pete (John Turturro) is quite enjoyable. I especially like that their guise as the Soggy Bottom Boys and having to performing their hit single is an important plot element.

O Brother is similar to Raising Arizona and Hudsucker Proxy with its quirky regionalism, uplifting story, and broad retro humor. It’s like True Grit as a journey with beautiful American scenery. I enjoy its episodic structure, particularly how most parts revolve around a song. It’s like a film made out of music videos with many memorable scenes. At times, it can feel like the parts are greater than the whole, but overall this film really works for me.

[stevewhodigs]

Coen Brothers Countdown - #7 True Grit

The Coen Brothers are my favorite directors. Their newest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, just came out. In honor of that, I thought it would be fun to share how I rank all the Coen Brothers films based on how much I like them, not necessarily how good they might be. I’ll be counting down one each day from worst to first.

The Coen Brothers’ most recent film (not counting their current release), True Grit, clocks in at #7. This is their second remake, and like Ladykillers, I haven’t watched the original. Unlike Ladykillers, though, this is a much more successful effort because it is actually a good movie. It is also the first literary adaptation on the countdown. I’ve read the book, and the Coen take is faithful.

True Grit is about a young woman’s quest to bring her father’s murderer to justice in the post Civil War era. It’s a Western and also a coming of age story. The latter makes it a surprising choice for Joel and Ethan because depicting children has been one of their few real weak points. That changed once they met Hailee Steinfeld. She gives an outstanding performance. The other highlights of the strong cast include Jeff Bridges as Rooster (a reunion that excited me), Matt Damon’s La Boeuf, and Barry Pepper’s Ned Pepper. It’s a visually beautiful film, too, with a lovely diversity of American landscapes that evoke classic Westerns.

This is easily the most populist Coen Brothers film, the aspect which fascinates me most about it. It’s currently their highest grossing by far (170m), it was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and it’s one of their few rated PG-13. A criticism would be that it lacks any edge or signature flair. Instead, I choose to see it as a great balance between what the Brothers do well and what has economic and mass appeal. That’s no easy feat. I don’t feel their sensibilities are diminished to a level that takes away from our enjoyment because the craft is still so strong. I might be upset if they continued down this path exclusively, but as an occasional effort, I am all for it.

[stevewhodigs]

Coen Brothers Countdown - #8 The Hudsucker Proxy

The Coen Brothers are my favorite directors. Their newest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, just came out. In honor of that, I thought it would be fun to share how I rank all the Coen Brothers films based on how much I like them, not necessarily how good they might be. I’ll be counting down one each day from worst to first.

#8 on my countdown is The Hudsucker Proxy. I am probably overrating this, perhaps more than any other film on the list. But I like it and, though no masterpiece, I feel like it’s the forgotten film of the oeuvre. Along with Intolerable Cruelty, this is the other Coen movie with a screwball comedy influence. I prefer Hudsucker, and a lot of that boils down to intent. It was a “bigger” movie for them, but one they wanted to make.

It’s a period film set in late 1958 New York City with strong stylistic influences of Preston Sturges, Frank Capra, and Howard Hawks films. It may be a bit much for some – Amy Archer’s (Jennifer Jason Leigh) affected speech is sometimes grating, for instance. There is also a fantastical element that culminates in a big deus ex machina moment. And not a flaw but a thing to note, I believe this is the only Coen film to have any non-linearity in narrative.

The Hudsucker Proxy better overcomes the style-over-substance and supernatural issues that afflicted other films ranked lower on this list because I like the classic story arc of the film. The hero is Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins), a young man from Muncie, Indiana trying to make it in the big city, and we watch his rise, fall, and redemption. I particularly like the thematic conflict of creativity versus conformity and how it relates to commerce. Though the love story is obvious, Amy’s subterfuge makes for some interesting scenes and Norville’s gazelle & antelope-or-ibex monologue is great. Also, this is a good time to highlight the Coen’s affinity for authoritative old men, often found behind desks. Waring Hudsucker is one of their best. It’s possibly an outlier in the canon, but The Hudsucker Proxy is not one to overlook.