In one of this episode's funniest scenes, George Costanza (Jason Alexander) looks at a dryer and then says: "This is the dullest moment I've ever experienced.". Quite ironic, given this line is spoken in one of the most hilarious TV products of all time (some even say Seinfeld is the best US sitcom ever, and it is hard to disagree).
Though a bit different from the rest of the show, this pilot has everything you would expect from the series: an everyday premise, sharp writing and some of the best characters to have appeared on American television. The plot is extremely simple: stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld, playing "himself", is receiving a visit from a woman he met in Michigan and, uncertain as to what he should do, discusses his options with his best friend George, whose interpretation of events keeps changing, depending on the so-called signals. In between, the two also get to talk about buttons, laundry ("You can't over-die, you can't over-dry!") and coffee, with Jerry's goofy neighbor Kramer (Michael Richards) adding to the absurdity of certain situations, all of which are later incorporated in the protagonist's stage routine.
As with every other episode of the series, the main pleasure derives from seeing comedy gold spun from a pitch so simple it would probably be boring as hell in another program. Then again, this is Seinfeld, the "show about nothing", where the writers, headed by Larry "Curb Your Enthusiasm" David, were able to make random topics riveting with the same ease as Quentin Tarantino (minus the constant swearing, of course).
The consistent genius of the comedy is also the main reason why it is easy to overlook a few minor "flaws": there's no Elaine; George is oddly confident for a self-proclaimed "lord of the idiots"; Kramer has a dog that is never seen again in the series and, completely out of character, knocks on the door before entering Jerry's apartment (he does, however, atone for that misstep by extracting two slices of bread from his pockets and saying: "You got any meat?"). Normally, such inconsistencies would undermine an episode's value. But we're talking about a show that received its strength from having no real continuity, and therefore the right thing to do is the following: ignore the defects (it is a pilot, after all), get the DVD and watch The Seinfeld Chronicles for what it is - the smart, witty beginning of the smartest, wittiest thing that's ever aired on the small screen. End of story.
Though a bit different from the rest of the show, this pilot has everything you would expect from the series: an everyday premise, sharp writing and some of the best characters to have appeared on American television. The plot is extremely simple: stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld, playing "himself", is receiving a visit from a woman he met in Michigan and, uncertain as to what he should do, discusses his options with his best friend George, whose interpretation of events keeps changing, depending on the so-called signals. In between, the two also get to talk about buttons, laundry ("You can't over-die, you can't over-dry!") and coffee, with Jerry's goofy neighbor Kramer (Michael Richards) adding to the absurdity of certain situations, all of which are later incorporated in the protagonist's stage routine.
As with every other episode of the series, the main pleasure derives from seeing comedy gold spun from a pitch so simple it would probably be boring as hell in another program. Then again, this is Seinfeld, the "show about nothing", where the writers, headed by Larry "Curb Your Enthusiasm" David, were able to make random topics riveting with the same ease as Quentin Tarantino (minus the constant swearing, of course).
The consistent genius of the comedy is also the main reason why it is easy to overlook a few minor "flaws": there's no Elaine; George is oddly confident for a self-proclaimed "lord of the idiots"; Kramer has a dog that is never seen again in the series and, completely out of character, knocks on the door before entering Jerry's apartment (he does, however, atone for that misstep by extracting two slices of bread from his pockets and saying: "You got any meat?"). Normally, such inconsistencies would undermine an episode's value. But we're talking about a show that received its strength from having no real continuity, and therefore the right thing to do is the following: ignore the defects (it is a pilot, after all), get the DVD and watch The Seinfeld Chronicles for what it is - the smart, witty beginning of the smartest, wittiest thing that's ever aired on the small screen. End of story.