Stand-up is still king in Seinfeld–Season 2
Jerry Seinfeld is back and bringing his friends Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George Costanza (Jason Alexander), and Kramer (Michael Richards). As they navigate the city of New York, they find themselves looking for apartments, quick fixes for tonsils, trapped in a Chinese restaurant, and dealing with problems with the opposite sex.
Seinfeld—Season 2 aired from January 23, 1991 to June 26, 1991. At this point, the series had relatively low ratings, but following Cheers, the show began picking up speed. The show was nominated for Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series (“The Pony Remark”) and Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series (“The Deal” and “The Pony Remark”). The second season was collected with the first season and the order is the original scheduled order. The collection also includes “The Stranded” which was shelved and actually aired as part of season 3.
5-10 Minutes…
Seinfeld really starts to pick up here. There are still some first season jitters, but for the most part, the gang is formulated with most of the personalities developed. You are less likely to notice a difference in this season than the episodes of season 1.
This season does have some real classic episodes and it did surprise me to rewatch it since I thought many of these episodes were later in the series run. Episodes like “The Jacket”, “The Pony Remark”, “The Chinese Restaurant”, and “The Busboy” have some great moments and are classic episodes that are part of Seinfeld’s classic run.
The show does have some firsts. Seinfeld’s parents return in “The Pony Remark” and Jerry’s father was recast as Barney Martin from the first season, and you get Jerry’s rather loud Uncle Leo (Len Lesser) who also gets referenced in “The Chinese Restaurant”. You get Elaine yelling her classic “Get out!” in “The Apartment” and “The Revenge” features an unseen suicidal neighbor named Newman…who was originally voiced by Larry David (Wayne Knight revoiced the scene for syndication).
Seinfeld…living on the frontlines of modern medicine…
There was a bit of controversy this season with an episode called “The Bet” (or “The Gun”) which the actors refused to do. It featured Elaine getting a gun and some off color jokes about assassinations like Kennedy and Oswald. “The Phone Message” was made to replace “The Bet”.
Seinfeld is a great series. It was of course played into the ground in reruns in the late ’90s and early ’00s, but now it is kind of nice to revisit it after some breathing room. If by chance you were too young or missed the whole Seinfeld boat, it is worth checking out because it has held up and you can see its influence on TV shows even today.
Seinfeld—Season 2 Complete Episode Guide:
“The Ex-Girlfriend”
2.1 The Ex-Girlfriend Airdate: 01/23/91
George (Jason Alexander) dumps his girlfriend Marlene (Tracy Kolis), and when George forces Jerry to get his books back, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) and Marlene end up dating. Meanwhile, George finds himself angry with Jerry over forcing him to go to a chiropractor. Elaine (Julia-Louise Dreyfus) deals with a neighbor who keeps ignoring her.
“The Pony Remark”
2.2 The Pony Remark Airdate: 01/30/91
Jerry takes Elaine to a family party with his parents (Liz Sheridan and Barney Martin) and accidentally insults Manya (Rozsika Halmos) by saying that he didn’t like people with ponies. When Manya dies, Jerry wonders if he’s to blame. The funeral is scheduled for the same day as Jerry’s softball playoffs.
“The Jacket”
2.3 The Jacket Airdate: 02/06/91
Jerry sees an expensive suede jacket and decides to make a jump and purchase it. Jerry and George have a dinner with Elaine’s father (Lawrence Tierney) who is a famed author, and the jacket might get Jerry in trouble.
“The Phone Message”
2.4 The Phone Message Airdate: 02/013/91
Jerry and George have dates on the same night. While Jerry wonders if he can date a woman named Donna (Gretchen German) who likes a commercial that Jerry hates, and George misses an attempt to go upstairs with her date. After leaving a number of messages, George realizes that he has to try to switch out her phone tape before she gets them.
“The Apartment”
2.5 The Apartment Airdate: 04/04/91
When an apartment opens up in Jerry’s building, Jerry decides to get the apartment for Elaine. Jerry realizes he might have made a mistake and tries to find a way to keep Elaine from moving in. George experiments with wearing a wedding band to pick up women.
“The Statue”
2.6 The Statue Airdate: 04/11/91
Jerry inherits his grandfather’s belongings which includes a statue that George broke when he was young. When Elaine hooks Jerry up with her client’s boyfriend Ray (Michael D. Conway) to clean his apartment, Jerry finds the statue missing…but it shows up in their apartment, Jerry suspects it has been stolen.
“The Revenge”
2.7 The Revenge Airdate: 04/18/91
George quits his job in a fit of anger but is convinced by Jerry to go back like nothing happened. When his boss (Fred Applegate) humiliates him, George plots revenge with Elaine by planning to slip him a mickey. Jerry takes his laundry and Kramer’s laundry to the cleaners and loses $1,500 in it…leading Kramer to convince Jerry to seek revenge.
“The Heart Attack”
2.8 The Heart Attack Airdate: 04/25/91
George believes he’s having a heart attack and is rushed to the hospital. When George discovers his tonsils have regrown, Kramer tells him to avoid doctors and goes to his holistic healer Tor (Stephen Tobolowsky). Elaine finds herself going after George’s doctor (John Posey) but finds he’s really interested in his craft.
“The Deal”
2.9 The Deal Airdate: 05/02/91
Elaine and Jerry find themselves bored and decide to sleep together…with rules. When Elaine’s birthday approaches, Jerry and Elaine find that even friends-with-benefits have problems.
“The Baby Shower”
2.10 The Baby Shower Airdate: 05/16/91
Elaine finds she has to have a baby shower for her friend Leslie (Christine Dunford) and asks if she can use Jerry’s apartment. George decides he has to confront Leslie about their past. Jerry debates getting illegal cable from one of Kramer’s contacts.
“The Chinese Restaurant”
2.11 The Chinese Restaurant Airdate: 05/23/91
Jerry skips out on dinner with his Uncle Leo (Len Lesser) to see Plan 9 from Outer Space, and George questions if his relationship is over. George, Elaine, and Jerry might find the whole night might be scrapped if they can’t get in at the Chinese restaurant.
“The Busboy”
2.12 The Busboy Airdate: 06/26/91
When George and Elaine blame themselves for getting a busboy fired, George decides he has to try to get the busboy a new job. George and Kramer’s attempts to make amends with the busboy (David Labiosa) go wrong. Elaine tries to get a visiting boyfriend (Doug Ballard) out of her life by getting him to the airport.
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