Old Episodes are not good

[ChiBulls2315]

Let me start off by saying that I think this is the best show I've ever seen, but these old episodes are almost unbarable to watch.

Kramer is still weird, but he's more like a creep weird than funny weird. Know what I mean? He just doesn't have that bright look in his face all the time like he does in the later shows.

George whines about everything. I know that's what he does in every episode, but in the early ones, it's like he's not even funny when he's doing it. It's just that he sounds like a big baby when at least in the later shows, when he's whining, he does it in that yelling voice that he does which makes him 10 x funnier.

Elaine is a whole lot lamer in that she's not as much her own woman I would almost say.

Jerry is still the glue guy though. His change isn't as dramatic as everyone elses.


If you notice, it's all in the hairstyle. As soon as Kramer goes from that old look of his hair not being as high and more black to what it usually is and more brownish, George gets balder (and stockier), Elaine goes from that bad poofy hair in the front to the slicker black (and better looking) style, and Jerry's hair gets a bit longer, that's when the show really gets good.

Or if you like, as the show goes on, it gets better. ;)

But those old ones, :smash:

[Brian Damage]

I agree, the first few episodes are almost unwatchable. Kramer is alot weirder, Elaine is alot less independent and still kinda hooked on Jerry and George seems to be more of a serious character with a stable, yet boring job in real estate. It's almost amazing that this show made it past the pilot.

[sinatrastar]

Agreed. It also has a slow-motion feel to it at first.

[Brian Damage]

Not even the studio audience laughed that much.

[DarwinEx]

The first one was bad, but I think they kept getting better. Kramer was a creep LOL.

[wickthayer]

I have heard some people say that the downswing of the show coincided with Elaine paying more attention to her hairstyle in the later seasons.

[dlemond]

I think by Season 3 they were in full swing- as there are a bunch of classic episodes in that year.

The thing that is going to suck when Seinfeld comes to DVD is that we will probably get a Seasons 1 & 2 set first - and then have to wait months for Season 3.

[canjala]

The episode with the stolen statue was great, and I think that was from the second season. But it was not their best work early on.

[Maestro]

The 1st couple epis weren't so great, but I think the early stuff was when it was truley the "about nothing" show (be advised, I dig late seasons too), The Chinese Restaurant #16 being a classic example.

In general, I agree w/ ChiBulls about the character developement, & how Jer's was minimal change...
but it seems the early ones were really about nothing, where later seasons became more formulated sitcom style, a little more contrived-made-to-be-water-cooler-show style.

Later, every epi had to have the mandatory "yada yada" buzz word of the episode, it had to have the 'Elaine-loser-or-weirdo boyfriend' character, the 'what was Jer's gal of the epi like, & why, besides eating peas one at a time, did he dump her this episode' character.
Kramer had to mention his unseen friends and every epi or 2 had to produce a real extreme character (ala Maestro) or one of the fab 4 became that character.

There is good in most seasons, but that's why I really dig the mid, season 5 type stuff. It was a good time (peak) in the shows developement.

[MillenniumMan831]

Yeah, it seemed like Elaine was broke at first, then as she became better off, the show got better. Ironically, as George got more pathetic and down on his luck, the show got way better.

[ChiBulls2315]

It is kind of amazing that the show made it through those ugly seasons. There were a few good ones, but for the most part, I believe the first 2 seasons were really not very good. I kinda wonder if it lasted 2 seasons successfully, why would they change it up so much? Or wasn't it that successful at the start as it was towards the end?

[BobCobb]

As usual, Maestro hit the nail on the head here. I think the show grew slowly over time into the smash hit it bacame ShyBulls.