Kramer is mistaken for a murderer in Hollywood, so George and Jerry contact the police about the misunderstanding... After being approached by NBC producers who want to create a comedy TV show about Seinfeld, Jerry and George pitch their concept as a “show about nothing” to NBC CEO Russell. At the same time, George begins dating an NBC producer, Susan, but he gets tired of her fast, and is happy when she breaks up with him... George starts nostalgically missing Susan, but when she agrees to renew their relationship, he gets bored by her instantly, so he picks his nose in order for her to break up with him again... George starts dating a lawyer, Cheryl, who thinks he is funny, so he forbids Jerry to be comical in front of her, fearing Cheryl will leave him if she finds Jerry even funnier.. The NBC TV pilot "Jerry" is filmed, but dropped by a new producer, after Russell quit his job after Elaine dumped him.
Season 4 of "Seinfeld" is among the best ones, forming an era of 'peak Seinfeld', and was unnecessarily diluted only by a couple of lesser episodes which hold it down. The first six episodes and the last three episodes are brilliant, as they form the backbone of this season and contain the highest number of inspired moments. Other episodes in the middle fare less, since the jokes are again meandering between great and subpar, yet they also have some gems hidden in them. Episode 4.2, for instance, has writers Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David in top-notch shape, from sight gags to wacky dialogues (Kramer sneezes and his shaving cream flies from his face into the mirror; while driving inside the police car, George listens to the police siren and goes: “When I was a kid, the police sirens sounded different, they went vioo-vioo-vioo..."). Seinfeld is the master of witty observations about everyday little things in life people don't pay attention to, until he changes the context to make them sound funny. One is found in episode 4.22: Jerry and his friends buy an expensive, giant TV as an engagement present for a couple, but when said couple breaks up, Jerry and George suddenly start wondering if it would be the best to demand the TV back, since the engagement is off, and it looks as if it was just used as a scheme to get them gifts. In the same episode, Jerry is again inspired while doing his iconic stand-up comedy routine which frames every beginning and ending of episode: "The handicapped parking spot is the mirage of the parking desert. Do you know that feeling? You see it, there in the distance. It's almost... And you can't believe your eyes. It's too good to be true. It's a big, wide spot, it's right by the entrance. Somehow, everybody missed it. What is the handicapped parking situation at the Special Olympics? They must have to just stack, like, 100 cars into those two spots!"
Episodes 4.9, 4.12 and 4.14, which play out in an opera, an airplane and a cinema, are simply too close and similar to the already seen "minimalist" episodes in the parking garage and Chinese restaurant from the previous seasons, thus seeming routine and repetitive, whereas episode 4.7 feels, despite a twist on the typical handicapped person story (the "bubble boy" is a jerk), uncomfortable and wrong. Episode 4.11 was hailed a little bit too much: the four protagonists start a bet as to who can endure the longest without masturbating, but what other joke stands out besides the amusing montage of all three of them tossing and turning in bed at night, having trouble sleeping, except for Kramer who "did it" and thus sleeps like a baby? The episode wasn't that very well written nor was it versatile. By far, the highlight is the meta-series subplot of Jerry and George pitching to the NBC producers their idea for a TV pilot, basically "Seinfeld" within "Seinfled". This leads to one of the most surreal and demented two-episodes finales ever, when George is watching all those bald, short actors auditioning in the office for his role, and even Kramer auditioning for the role of Kramer (!), whereas the filming of the TV pilot in the studio is full of giggles. In one joke, George talks to an actor playing Kramer, giving him advice how to play the role, but the actor rejects him, demanding to play Kramer "his own way". This almost escalates when the Kramer actor threatens George to get off his back. One enchanting moment of pure gold is when Sandi, the method actress playing Elaine in the TV pilot, goes for a drink with Jerry, and is so dedicated to exploring her role she says to him: "I want to experience everything she experienced". Sandi then leans forwards, says: "How did Elaine kiss? Did she kiss like this?", and then kisses the confused Jerry. Perfection. Season 4 had much more of a focused storyline with longer story arcs, whereas Seinfeld has numerous lines that cause you to chuckle: "I would think the less time you have in life, the faster you would want to go. I think old people should be allowed to drive their age. If you’re 80, drive 80! If you’re a 100, drive 100!"
Grade:+++
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