Finally saw the one episode I missed

Since I know almost every line in all episodes, I was surprised when I saw a 'new' episode for me. "The Busboy". This was in fact one of the worst episodes overall.

Rich Kanski wrote...

a

Screw you. _I_ liked it, and that's all that counts.

I hear ya, Eric. I also immensely enjoyed "The Busboy". I don't know what it is with these "Bad Episode Bandwagon Jumpers". Maybe it's because they read the review in Entertainment Weekly? Maybe they just read about how "bad" an episode is and this acts as a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy? I don't know. It doesn't make sense.

I also thought "The English Patient" was extremely funny, and the Izzy Mandelbaum character was inspired genius. But it appears that the B.E.B.J. have targeted that episode as well.

Dave <ratboy> wrote:

ugh. i hope that was a sarcastic comment.

Not even a little bit.

I guess you've never spent any time around elderly folks, have you?
Izzy is a wonderfully real stereotype, and Bridges played it to
perfection.  I'm just sorry they were only able to fit him into two
episodes.
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I'm a Social Worker in a Nursing Home, thank you. Point well taken as your opinion . . . but with all due respect to Lloyd Bridges, I personally didn't find humor in any of the 3 generations of Mandalbaums. No hard feelings?

Dave (ratboy) wrote:

You may have pinpointed the reason I didn't respond to him (or to his father and son in the episode with all three of them, although I liked Elaine's story in that episode). Lloyd Bridges played the character very well, but I never did think "Seinfeld" was at its best when the writers just lazily threw a stereotype out there and called it a supporting character (the rabbi is another one who comes to mind in addition to Iz, perhaps others).

The characters I really loved were the ones who were originals. No one would ever claim that Newman was a hilariously true-to-life representation of the behaviors and attitudes of mailmen; that may have been a small part of him, but it was almost incidental. I've never seen any character on a sitcom who expressed himself quite like Mr. Peterman did; certainly he had nothing to do with popular stereotypes about businessmen or clothing tycoons, and he had even less in common with the "real" Mr. P. And David Puddy, in fact, was originally presented as the *reverse* of the auto mechanic stereotype -- honest, plain-spoken, etc.

Todd K

Ok. So it's "agree to disagree" time again. Considering the 180+ episodes and the literally thousands of characters we've been introduced to, I don't think the occasional stereotype is such a bad thing.

FWIW, I also loved Bruce Mahler's "Rabbi Glickman" character. First, he was absolutely vital to the plot and not just thrown in extraneously. And if you rewatch his scenes, you'll see that he's not the stereotype rabbi at all. Maybe it's because I'm Jewish and have come into contact with a number of rabbis in my life, but to me Glickman is not your 'typical' rabbi.

Good examples, Todd, but again. even if only 5% of the characters
introduced came from a mold (or a sitcom writers workshop), then I'd say
Seinfeld is still miles and miles ahead of the curve.
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Rich Kanski wrote:

It was pretty rank, wasn't it? I don't know if it's the worst ever, but it's definitely one for the hall of shame, right up there with Izzy Mandelbaum's second appearance, as well as the one where Jerry does the silly voice.

The only episode I have never managed to catch is actually a very good one, by all accounts. It's the one where Jerry takes Kramer's keys away and Kramer leaves town. I always either miss it outright or only see the last five or ten minutes. I believe it's also the one where Jerry learns that Elaine wrote an episode of "Murphy Brown."

Todd K

Curious to know what you both didn't like about it.

Rich Kanski wrote:

Agreed (one of)

Atoddk wrote:

Also agreed, but I'd certainly add the first Mandalbaum episode to the list.

One of the best. The small list of episodes that I've missed (and am embarrassed about) includes "The Yada Yada," "The Hot Tub," and "The Calzone."

Brantley30 quoted and responded (re: bad episodes) Atoddk wrote:

If the whole episode had been on the level of the Mandelbaum characters and their back injuries, and the silliness about the Cubans, I would agree. But there were other things in it I thought were quite funny all three times I've seen it. Like when George was musing about the ways in which Neil might look different from him, and he suggested "a cane, maybe a monocle," and Jerry said, "Who do you think she's dating, Mr. Peanut"? That ep also had a classic Peterman line: "I hope you're watching the clothes, Elaine, because I can't take my eyes off the passion."

Also, BTW, as my reaction to the film "The English Patient" was only slightly warmer than Elaine's, I felt as though she were speaking for me. "Sex in a tub? That doesn't work. Give me something I can use!" And, best of all, "I can't take this anymore! It's just too long! Stop telling your stupid story about the desert and just DIE!"

But the second Izzy episode, "The Blood"...ugh. No redeeming features at all, that I can recall.

Todd K

The bit with the "keys" episode (or was it a subsequent one) when Jerry and George are in the backseat of a cop car always has me in stitches.."Hey, George..roll down the window!"

Jim