“Seinfeld,” a beloved 90’s sitcom, still warms viewers with a distinct comedy style and nostalgia. Set in the classic Manhattan apartment complex, the show follows four friends as they face the challenges of living in New York City. The star of the television series is none other than famous stand-up comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, and he keeps each new storyline fresh and unique with his hilarious quips and his distinctive sense of humor.
“The Chinese Restaurant” (season 2 episode 11) a classic example of Seinfeld’s offbeat sense of humor, stars Seinfeld and his friends: Elaine Benes (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander). The episode follows Seinfeld, Benes and Costanza going to a Chinese restaurant without a reservation before a one-time showing of “Plan 9 from Outer Space.”
Despite the host’s promises of a short wait time, the three friends end up waiting for hours in the front of the restaurant. The group finally decides to give up and leave, but just as the door shuts behind them, the host calls out for their table. Viewers raved about the episode after it was aired, with IMDb calling the show “The best episode yet, a huge landmark of both television and the series, and definitely an early classic…’”
Another instance of Seinfeld’s timeless wit and charm is “The Parking Garage” (season 3, episode 6), captivating audiences with its nonsensical storyline and lively banter. Featuring the show’s classic foursome: Kramer, Elaine, George, and Jerry, the episode details the group’s struggles in finding Kramer’s car, which they are unable to locate in the huge, multi-leveled parking garage.
Each character also has their own subplot. Elaine fears that her newest purchase – a goldfish – will not survive the hunt for the car. Jerry has to use the bathroom badly, and George must be at his parents’ house to celebrate their anniversary. These smaller additions to the narrative gave the episode more depth. The episode was a hit, and was ranked #33 on TV Guide’s 1997 list of the 100 Greatest TV episodes of All Time. IMDb reviews are no different, saying that “The Parking Garage is a wildly hilarious episode, that’s one of my favorites, the story in this one is brilliant!”
Many Notre Dame students have also praised the show. “Seinfeld has been a classic for me my whole life,” says NDB sophomore Alex Davidow. “I grew up watching it with my family, and what I loved about it was that I had never watched anything like it. Like the famous saying, it really is a show about nothing, but that is what I love about it.”
‘Seinfeld’, one of the quintessential television series of the 20th century, has not failed to enthrall audiences around the nation. The quick-witted, dynamic “show about nothing” will no doubt continue to deliver a delightfully enchanting blend of nostalgia and humor to even more viewers in future years.
