"The Junk Mail"
After watching this episode I felt a bit of sympathy towards the show. This episode is probably the best this season (but that isn't saying much). The *ideas* behind this episode had potential, but they simply weren't executed very well in many departments. There were deficiencies in the writing, directing, and acting realms.
Kramer's plot line was contrived and ill-conceived. It is as if the writers have this image of what the Kramer character is: a man who endlessly involves himself in outrageous situations that make little or no sense whatsoever. But is this the Kramer we all grew to love and adore in the first 7 seasons? I think on the *surface*, Kramer *is* a "hipster-dufus", a character that could easily be exploited by elementary writers who fail to realize that Kramer isn't a cartoon, but rather a character who's originality is exhibited by the fact that his eccentricities are realistic. In other words, we are astounded by Kramer because he *isn't* a cartoon; he amazes us becuase his exsistence is plausible and realistic. But in the last two seasons, and most prominately this season, Kramer has become a cartoon. The delicate balance between maintaining realism and plausibility while keeping the audience laughing has been exploited by turning the Kramer character into a laugh-a-minute, prat-fall machine. The writers are taking Kramer's eccentricity too far; his ideas don't make *sense* anymore. What is interesting in "The Junk Mail" episode is that the writers seemed to have realized how cartoonish Kramer was becoming, and they seemed to have made an effort to bring back some sensibility to the character.
The idea behind Kramer's plot in "The Junk Mail" is a good one, but it fails to recongize the simplest factors of Kramer's personallity. Would Kramer really become so offended by a few catalogs? It seems to me that the plot was simply a "prop" of sorts. We know Kramer is going to do something weird, and writers are also well aware of this. It seems that what Kramer does isn't really much of an issue with the writers as long as it is eccentric, rediculous, or weird. The writers don't take into account the complexity of the Kramer character. What is happening is that the writers are exploiting Kramer's "hipster dufus" persona for cheap laughs. They aren't using his deep intelligence and eccentricity to pave new roads of comedic excellence.
There were some funny moments within the Kramer/Newman plot line. Unfortunately, the writers once again drifted into rediculous, cartoonish realms towards the end of the show. Wilford Brimley's appearance looked promising, but it was so poorly executed that any possibility of a good laugh was stifled. Think about the directing and the acting in the scene where Kramer was being interrogated by the Post Master General - Why was Kramer getting so worked up? Why was he on the verge of tears? Brimley wasn't really being that harsh at all. It was another contrived scene where the director, the actor, and the writers tried so hard to conjure up a few laughs while trying to get by without any *substance*.
I think the most lackluster plot in the show was Elaine's infatuation with the "Wiz" guy. It's not that it was a horrible idea, but couldn't these so-called "top quality" writers come up with something more interesting (and funny)? The Elaine chacter in this episode was lacking wit, charm, and *sense*. When I look at her I see an empty, contrived character. Her purpose now is simply to provide the American television viewing audience with a female character in a show populated with male characters. She lacks originality and *purpose*. Her plot lines revolve around sex, men, and cheap jokes. In the past, the topics of sex and boyfriends were covered with *class*, unlike in today's episodes. In fact, she bearly spends any time with George, Jerry, and Kramer. And this leads me to my next point...
None of the characters spend any time with each other. They are so busy with their plot lines that none of them have time to sit down at Monks and talk about *nothing*. The show has become very fast-moving and it has become over-loaded with plots, yet it is becoming more and more lackluster. Watching Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and George rush around in their little worlds endlessly trying to fullfill their plot-line agendas reminds me of an army of ants as they scurry around trying to prepare for the coming winter. The difference between ants and Seinfeld is that the ants have a purpose. On Seinfeld, I wonder at times why the characters bother themselves with such asinine chores (which we call "plot lines"). In the Larry David Years things seemed more settled down, more laid-back and calm. In an effort to produce laughs, the writers have resorted to pumping the show full of "fluff" in search of a "holy-grail" of originality and intelligence that will hopefully reinvigorate the show.
George's plot also had potential. Here his parents essentially become tired of him. This is a plausible, funny idea. Yet it is very poorly executed by the writers. Things become overly complex while remaining unrealistic and unsensible. George goes to great lengths to regain his parents attention to the point where things become confusing and unrealistic. In the end, the plot line is simply a generator of soulless laughs. We end up with scenes of George's parents having sex, and George running through the forest yelling inaudible lines with his cousin chasing after him, and more of George's parents simply acting weird and out of character. In the last line spoken on Thursday's episode, George yells, "Make it stop!" I second that notion.
Jerry's plot also had potential. But due to the overload of plot lines in the show, Jerry's plot never gained much substance. It is as if the writers had trouble fitting it into the show since there was so much other stuff going on. Jerry's old boyhood friend was another contrived character. It was a set-up from the beggining. Jerry explains to us that his friend is very sensitive, we then encounter scene where Jerry's friend's insensitivity is to be tested. In these scenes, we are supposed to laugh when we see the formula taking place. Jerry can't get rid of the van because Jerry's friend is overly-sensitive. This design never produces many laughs because it survives on a formula, not good acting or writing.
If there is a bright spot in Thursday's episode it would have to be Jerry's acting. This is the best I've seen him this season. He was relaxed, sensible, and he also had a few good lines that tickled my funny bone. This is the way Jerry *ought* to act.
Strangely, Kramer's acting seems to be on a sort of "roller coaster" ride of unpredictability. This past season Kramer has reverted more and more into a child-like state. Yet, in Thursday's episode, he is more serious and troubled. Kramer is at his best when he is confident, eccentric, and sensible, like he was in such episodes as, "The Hamptons", "The Parking Garage", and "The Chaperone". We haven't seen that kind of Kramer in a long time...
At this point, I don't think that things are really going to turn around. Hopefully, Jerry will gain some momentum in the coming weeks as evidenced by his performance on Thursday. The writers still don't seem to have a good grasp on the Kramer character. Their view of what Kramer is about is too simplistic and shallow to produce anything but cheap laughs, cartoonish plots, and goofish acting. The writers also don't seem to have much of a grasp on Elaine. She is a prop. A loose end that needs to be cleaned up or repaired. And George has simply *lost* his intelligence and ability to show us new, paranoid ways of viewing life.
Another annoying little thing that I continue to notice is the poor lighting effects that are used on the show. If you will recall the scene where George is in his parents kitchen you might have noticed how *bright* everthing seemed. It is as if there are a couple of hundred flourescent lights installed above every set. I simply find the *look* of the show this season to be more unrealistic than ever. When I watch the *old* episodes I notice that the lighting in each set is very realistic and the coloring of the film is very warm and real. Doesn't anyone on the Seinfeld production team even notice this?
For now I'll keep watching...and hoping.
Justin Tribble Sedona, Az.