Compared to other sitcoms with cheesy plotlines about misunderstandings and chaotic situations, Seinfeld is said to be “a show about nothing.” According to UpworthyLarry David told Charlie Rose in 1998 that the premise wasn’t part of the original pitch as the show was meant to be about “how a comedian gets his material.”
While the show does explore Jerry’s stand-up career, Jerry, Cosmo Kramer, George Costanza, and Elaine Benes are just trying to get through each day and are known for behaving badly and getting frustrated. There are many fan favorites and clever storylines on Seinfeld that feel distinct to this show.
10 The Characters Get Stuck In A Parking Garage
“The Parking Garage” is one of the most rewatachable Seinfeld episodes and also feels unique to the sitcom. When Kramer, Jerry, Elaine and George go to the mall so Kramer can buy an A / C unit, Kramer and his friends can’t recall where his car is.
On the surface, this plotline doesn’t sound like much at all, and it seems like it would be boring since this happens all too often in real life. Instead, the storyline is hilarious and hard to look away from as the characters become more and more stressed out and upset about the situation that they find themselves in. The timing couldn’t possibly be worse, with Jerry needing to use the washroom and George late to have dinner with his parents. The characters, of course, don’t handle the situation well.
9 Elaine Pretends To Live Somewhere Else To Order Flounder
In the season 8 episode “The Pothole,” Elaine pretends that she lives in what is actually a janitor’s closet in a building across town because she’s desperate to order flounder from a Chinese restaurant. Since the place won’t deliver to Elaine’s address, she has to figure something out and she’s determined to succeed. This is another storyline that sounds like it wouldn’t amount to much but ends up being memorable.
Only on Seinfeld could a character be so invested in a certain take-out order that they would go to these lengths to get it. Since the sitcom focuses on the small, petty annoyances of daily life, this storyline fits right in.
8 George Offends By Double Dipping At A Party
George tells many lies on Seinfeld and makes many mistakes, and he offends at a party in the season 4 episode “The Implant” when he double dips. Only Seinfeld could take a conversation about being polite and having manners at a gathering and make it an entire storyline.
While his fellow partygoers aren’t thrilled with his behavior, George sees nothing wrong with what he has done, and fans are used to seeing George be both insecure and totally sure that he’s in the right. Only George could take dipping so seriously and make it seem hilarious and riveting. It would be easy to watch George behave poorly at any party or gathering as he always throws himself into social situations and acts perfectly awkward.
7 George Celebrates “The Summer Of George”
In season 8, George is no longer working for the New York Yankees, but he doesn’t mind losing his job because he gets three months’ severance. He tells Jerry that it’s going to be “The Summer of George” because he wants to have a lot of fun and just be himself.
If this storyline happened on another show, it wouldn’t be funny, as it would seem like the character should be job hunting and more concerned about their situation. But since fans love George and know that he likes to work as little as possible, and he’s always scheming, it works perfectly and feels like another offbeat part of his journey.
6 Jerry And His Friends Wait At A Restaurant
Season 2’s “The Chinese Restaurant” will always stick out as one of the greatest pieces of TV comedy, with Jerry, George, and Elaine wondering why they can’t just be seated and order their dinner. Elaine in particular gets hungrier and more and more upset as time goes on and even thinks about eating food off of a strangers’ plate.
It doesn’t sound all that exciting to watch characters wait to get a restaurant table and yet the writing and acting in this episode contribute to a completely fascinating episode. Viewers can put themselves in the characters’ shoes and relate to wanting to eat and being tired of waiting. The addition of Elaine considering trying to win a beat about taking a strangers’ food is just quirky enough as well.
5 Elaine Is Upset With The Lack Of A / C At Jerry’s Parents’ Condo
Jerry and Elaine’s memorable Seinfeld moments include in the season 3 episode “The Pen” when they go to Florida to see his parents. Elaine sleeps on a sofa bed and hurts her back and also complains about the lack of air conditioning in the condo.
Like wandering around a parking garage and wanting to get a table for dinner, it doesn’t sound all that thrilling or funny to watch someone sweat and say that they need A / C. And yet, thanks to Elaine’s comedic timing and how much Jerry’s parents refuse to learn how to use the A / C system, this storyline stands out. It showcases Jerry and Elaine’s close, long-term friendship and how honest they are always with each other, as she complains with abandon. Perhaps if Elaine was staying with someone who she didn’t know as well, she would be more polite, but she knows she can be herself with Jerry.
4 Kramer Wants To Pay For Food He Eats From Jerry’s Kitchen
One of the funniest and most comforting parts of Seinfeld is seeing Kramer bursting into Jerry’s apartment, sharing stories, giving bad advice, or taking food. When Jerry comments that Kramer is eating a lot of his fridge contents, Kramer says that he will write down every thing that he takes and then at the end of each week, he’ll pay for it.
This might seem too odd to work, and yet it’s funny and endearing watching the friends argue about how much Kramer owes Jerry. Before too long, Kramer says that Jerry is asking for too much money and they both realize that this arrangement is causing tension in their relationship. The two friends don’t often fight so this is both light-hearted and serious storyline.
3 Elaine Can’t Dance At All
The fan favorite season 8 episode “The Little Kicks” sees Elaine dancing in front of her co-workers, who realize that she doesn’t have much rhythm. This is so funny to watch because Elaine has no self-awareness about this situation.
While many sitcoms could feature a character who is a bad dancer, Elaine moves her body around in a unique and odd way, and since fans associate this storyline with this beloved character, it has become one of the staples of the show.
2 George Wants To Act Like The Opposite Of Himself
George has many relationships on Seinfeld but often feels that he has trouble talking to people who he likes and he is never sure that he will find love. In the season 5 episode “The Opposite,” he throws caution to the wind and tells a woman at Monk’s that he doesn’t have a job and is living at home. She likes him and agrees to go out, which surprises him since he wouldn’t normally be honest.
Not every sitcom character is as well-developed as George and so if some were to act like the opposite of themselves, it might not be that memorable or easy to tell. George, on the other hand, is so clearly himself all the time that when he wants to be the opposite, he’s confident, cool, calm and collected.
1 Helen And Morty Don’t Want To Socialize With George’s Parents
Can two parents not wanting to spend time with another set of parents really be a hilarious sitcom plotline? He Seinfeldit works, as Jerry’s mother and father Helen and Morty make excuses so they don’t have to have dinner with George’s parents Estelle and Frank.
Estelle and Frank are offended and George is upset, too, but Jerry understands that his parents can choose who they want to hang out with. This might seem too simple and almost too relatable to be a sitcom storyline but the best part of Seinfeld is how many of the scenarios feel like they could take place in the real world.
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