Serenity now! As of June 24, all 180 episodes of “Seinfeld” will be available to stream on Hulu Plus. Say goodbye to nights out and hello to big salads, shrinkage and Soup Nazis. If you’re looking for a place to start (other than the beginning), we rounded up our favorite episodes of the show about nothing.
“The Dealership”
Episode 167; Season 9
If Jerry attempting to buy a Saab convertible with an “insider deal” from David Puddy—who is dating Elaine, then not dating Elaine, then dating Elaine—isn’t enough to hook you, then look to the Twix. George Constanza enters the dealership painfully hungry, only to freak out for 22 minutes over a pesky vending machine, a mechanic with “a short name” and the only candy with the cookie crunch. Not even the outcome of a “candy lineup” (“They were all Twix! You’ve all screwed me again!”), like most things in his life, will fall his way. Elaine’s relationship with Puddy, throughout every moment, directly impacts Jerry’s deal. Rustproofing, transport charge, storage surcharge, additional overcharge, finder’s fee (“Finder’s fee? It was on the lot!”), floor mats, keys (“How ya gonna start it?”). Not to mention Kramer takes a car for a “test drive” for eight hours with the salesman until the car runs out of gas. The interweaving of the group’s agony, all so closely knitted together, makes for the best use of a script and its cast in the entire nine seasons of the series.
–Sean Ely
“The Bizarro Jerry”
Episode 137; Season 8
“Seinfeld” hinges on Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer mostly being terrible, ridiculous people. “The Bizarro Jerry,” an episode referencing the “Bizarro” world of Jerry’s beloved “Superman” comics, finds Elaine discovering how much more pleasant it is to hang with Kevin and his friends Gene and Feldman, all kindhearted opposites of her existing pals. A conventional sitcom would show Elaine choosing her old friends over her new friends. On “Seinfeld,” the good guys toss her back into the depths of the awful and the stupid. Who says this is a show about nothing? P.S. Bonus points for the hilarious Kramer subplot, in which he begins a job for which he has no qualifications and was never actually hired.
–Matt Pais
“The Stall”
Episode 76; Season 5
Part of the genius of “Seinfeld” is that even its random, throwaway jokes tie into the greater humor of the story. No episode illustrates this better than “The Stall,” in which George is obsessed with Elaine’s “mimbo” (male bimbo) boyfriend Tony, Elaine is irate that a woman in the next bathroom stall wouldn’t pass her some toilet paper (“I can’t spare a square”), Jerry tries to hide that said woman is his girlfriend Jane, and Kramer is convinced Jane is the woman he calls on a phone sex line. All of these connections run beneath the surface of seemingly pointless conversations between the four but tie together hilariously with Elaine dumping Tony once George injures him in a rock-climbing accident (“His face! Did something happen to his face?”), Jane dumping Jerry for believing Kramer that she’s a phone sex worker and Elaine getting her revenge by stealing all the toilet paper out of every stall before Jane goes into the bathroom.
–Lauren Chval
“The Pick”
Episode 53; Season 4
You can give a gold star to Julia Louis-Dreyfus for a lot of scenes on “Seinfeld.” Her comedic chops are unparalleled. But “The Pick” takes the cake for my favorite Elaine moment, and subsequently my favorite “Seinfeld” episode. After Kramer takes a photo of Elaine for her Christmas card, it comes to her attention that her nipple is showing. (“Oh, my God! That’s my nipple!” she says with a mouthful of apple and peanut butter.) She becomes the joke of the office with everyone calling her Nip. But the priceless moment comes when George—who didn’t receive a Christmas card and can’t understand why—confronts Elaine about it. Frustrated, she looks at him and asks him multiple times if he wants a Christmas card, and with one quick thrust, she shoves his head into her chest and says, “There’s your Christmas card!” It doesn’t get any funnier than that.
–Sara Amato
“The Boyfriend”
Episodes 34 and 35; Season 3
If I were to pause this look back at my favorite “Seinfeld” episode—in midair, mind you—you’d probably start laughing your ass off. This two-part episode featuring former Mets great Keith Hernandez is a classic based on its Zapruder film spoof alone. But you can’t overlook Hernandez himself and the hilarious conflict he creates within the group. He’s dating Elaine, but would he rather be spending time with Jerry? Not to mention the episode addresses a question that predates Barney Stinson and his “How I Met Your Mother” Bro Code: When is it too soon to help a friend move? Also, if you see Roger McDowell, run the other way.
–Chris Sosa
“The Hamptons”
Episode 85; Season 5
It’s refreshing to see the gang get out of the city and head to the Hamptons for the weekend. Highlights of their getaway include an ugly (er … “breathtaking”) baby and a payoff involving Jerry’s kosher girlfriend and lobster scrambled eggs. George is my all-time favorite character, and he really gets to shine here. Not only does he freak out when everyone else sees his topless girlfriend before he does, we also see him panic after getting caught naked with significant “shrinkage.” He was in the pool, guys!
–Michelle Lopez
“The Parking Garage”
Episode 23; Season 3
This always has been one of my absolute favorite “Seinfeld” episodes. It stands out because all the main characters spend the entire episode stuck in one location together (after forgetting where their car is parked in a garage). The mundane simplicity of the plot lets the absurdity of the characters shine through. The episode would almost be a decent setup for a slasher film if not for the only criminal present being their collective incompetence, and the only gruesome death being a goldfish.
–Lenny Gilmore
