Seinfeld (TV Series) The Keys (1992) User Reviews

This Episode is about the characters

[greebull · 9/10 · 5 December 2022]

There's no way you could show someone this episode and have then not laugh at least a few times, even if they're not a 'Seinfeld' fan.

This is a definite "character building" episode of Seinfeld, as it serves as a bookend between Seaon 3 and 4.

Kramer's scenes are hilarious, and are basically 2-3 minute comedy sketches, the most memorable being an absolute classic involving a motorcylist's unfortante past indicent.

George and Jerry's bond / friendship / love-hate relationship is strong in this one. We actually see them threaten to come to blows at one point.

Elaine is shown to be ambitious, trying to write for "Murphy Brown," but little does she know there's someone else who gets involved with that other sitcom.

The bit about the keys is classic 'Larry David + Jerry Seinfeld' formula, with an interesting tidbit of everyday life, mixed with Jerry's stand-up comedy expertise in phrasing and rhythm.

Combine this with the first 2 eps of Season 4, and you have the definitive "Seinfeld" feature length movie.

Season 3: As funny as you know it is despite time dulling its edge a little

[bob the moo · 28 March 2010]

It is not always easy to appreciate a game-changer when you look back on it from many years after it happened, mainly because a true game-changer has such an impact and influence that by the time you look back you're seeing a version of what you now consider "the norm" and wonder what the big deal was. This is sorta the case with Seinfeld because it created the possibility for Curb, Always Sunny and many other similar sitcom that broke away from the traditional family model with the plots you know they have all done. The influence it has had over the decade since is such that it does feel a little like it has lost its edge by comparison rather than by time.

So it is to the credit of the show that, although it has lost a little of its edge in hindsight, it is still funny and entertaining and these are the qualities that have not faded. This season continues the theme of being about nothing while also continuing season 2's involvement of all the characters so that each short episode is a mix of them with plenty going on to be funny. This season has plenty of great episodes such as the parking space standoff, the parking garage fiasco, the limo, the one on the subway and more. Almost all of them are packed with great scenarios and characters that are exaggerated and outrageous but yet have a link to reality and, more importantly, make perfect sense within the show's internal logic. The highlight for me is the library detective Bookman as played by Phillip Baker Hall – such a great character and such a great delivery.

Of course he is only a tiny part where the main cast yet again deliver really well. More and more I'm seeing Seinfeld's own character as the slightly duller of the group, he may be the focal point of the show but he is less funny and interesting than the others. He does do well though and his delivery is very good. Richards' steals a lot of the physical humour though and this season sees the audience starting to appreciate even his entrance with applause and laughter. Alexander does a great Larry David and his frustration with the world not following rules while also trying to avoid the rules himself is well played out ahead of David doing it himself later. Louis-Dreyfuss has better material again and is the equal of all of them. The many supporting characters may not be as great as Bookman but there are still plenty to love – not least of which is Knight's Newman.

This season may not be the show at the height of its powers and time may have hurt it a little by comparison with more recent shows that have been influenced by it, but season 3 of Seinfeld is remarkably well done and funny thanks to strong creative scripts and strong delivery across all the cast members.

Kramer the actor

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 18 December 2008]

Whereas fears of cancellation at the end of Season 2 had made Larry David pander to NBC's requests and write a "conventional" finale (The Deal, which wound up airing as the fourth- to-last episode of the show's second year), by the end of the 1991-1992 season he decided to do things his way and end the third series on a cliffhanger of sorts, even though the program's future was all but secured. As it is well known by now, his decision was one of the most brilliant in the riveting history of American television.

For the first time since the beginning of the series, the issue of Kramer constantly entering Jerry's apartment unannounced is addressed: Jerry becomes very annoyed, and therefore decides to take back his neighbor's spare key. Kramer doesn't take that well, and runs off to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, Jerry and George find out Elaine is writing a script for the popular show Murphy Brown, starring Candice Bergen. Coincidentally, good old Kramer lands a guest spot on the program as Brown's secretary (a role that was played by a different actor each week).

Seinfeld always became something extra when it had episodes which focused primarily on Kramer, so it is no surprise that The Keys is one of the most endearing achievements of Season Three: seeing Michael Richards' reaction to the key situation at the beginning, as well as his one-scene double act with Bergen (always a welcome presence), is just one of his many lessons in goofy comedy acting.

And yet there is something other than Kramer that makes The Keys an essential moment in Seinfeld's nine-year run: it's the episode that led to the show's most celebrated glory, the unrivaled, Emmy-grabbing fourth season (the only one that won the much coveted Outstanding Comedy Series award). An appetizer of successes to come.

Solid ending to season 3

[tarascopablo · 10/10 · 8 May 2023]

Season 2 had a very good ending and season 3 started in a fantastic way. Although some episodes were a little bit weak (the parking spot one, for example) the general level of S3 was pretty funny.

Season 3 ends with a surprise move to LA by Kramer who is pissed of because Jerry took away his spare keys and now he can´t enter Jerry´s place whenever he pleases.

I think that although Seinfeld is about "nothing" and that there is this rule where events from previous episodes rarely affect the characters so there is no much place for character growth... but this S3 finale allows us to see some growth for each one but specially Kramer. Boy does he get a lot of development.

Kramer began as a supporting character but his weird attitudes got more and more loved by the audience so he got more involved with the show and in this episode we finally got to see more and more of him.

I love this episode.

[Sirus_the_Virus · 10/10 · 27 August 2009]

The Plot: Jerry lets Kramer borrow his spare keys. Kramer uses them to his advantage and Jerry takes them away from him. Kramer gets so upset that he takes off to California. Then with Jerry, Elaine, and George, there is a big key mix-up and Jerry and George end up finding a script for Murphy Brown that Elaine is writing.

I love The Keys. This was a Seinfeld episode that I will never forget. I have seen almost all of episodes, and they're all fantastic. I like The Keys for too many reason. But the thing that I like the most about it is the journey that Kramer goes on to get to California. Kramer gets on with a biker who had a big head injury. He gets in a van with a group of hippies. He also gets in to a Semi and hits on the driver.

A Verbal Masterpiece

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 21 August 2022]

The genius of this show is the writing and the execution. The whole business of people exchanging keys so they can look after each other goes off the rails when Jerry, justifiably, catches Kramer using his apartment while he is out. Not once, but three times. When Kramer apologizes and changes his personality, more fun starts.

La

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 19 June 2020]

I like the bit where Kramer hitches a ride in a truck and a motorcycle

Like how they ended season 3 and how it connects with season 5

[ThunderKing6 · 10/10 · 26 February 2023]

The keys. The sacred item. It can open and close doors until you lose em.

This review was published on the second month (February) of 2023 on number twenty six.

About: Kramer loses Jerry's keys because he was being invasive in Jerry's apartment house.

Everyone else squanders about each other's keys.

Also Kramer moves to California

Story and production: Story was clever and funny. I loved the pathetic antics about keys. Very juvenile yet great.

Production and flow was really good.

Laugh Meter: 10.

Highlight: Elaine and George mumbling at Jerry. The key confusion dialogue. "do you yearn?"

What can be learned?: taking away keys can lead to problems.

Should you watch this? Yes. It's Last ep before the classic seasons 4 of Seinfeld which by far was the best season of all time.

Please watch this episode.

The key to success

[safenoe · 10/10 · 28 March 2024]

Candice Bergen guest stars as Murphy Brown, in an episode-within-an-episode featuring Kramer as one of Brown's revolving door of secretaries. The Keys is one of my all-time favorite episodes of Seinfeld, along with its accompanying episodes The Trip Part 1, and The Trip Part 2. The idea of Kramer travelling across the continent to seek fame in Hollywood is surreal, and really starts to become peak Seinfeld.

The keys at the center of The Keys comes to define the relationship between Jerry and Kramer, and we wonder what will happen now that Jerry has offended Kramer. We shall see with the start of season four init.

Out of place

[juanmaffeo · 5/10 · 16 June 2016]

I think this episode has its good and bad things. The good is the fact that it sets an arc for the following two episodes and we get some exploration into Kramer's character. The bad is that it is disjointed as hell.

I've always had an ever changing relationship with Larry Charles. Sometimes he can deliver classics like "The Subway", "The Airport, "The Outing" and sometimes he delivers out-of-place, dull episodes like "The Bris", "The Baby Shower", "The Trip Pt.1" and this one. He always had a more bizarre point of view, but sometimes it just feels out of place in the context of the other episodes.

There are two story lines here. One is the triangle key problem between Jerry, Elaine and George and the other is Kramer's trip to LA. I think both stories are weak. The "key" story line is as hollow as it gets. The dialogue is 60% fast-complicated speeches about the keys' destinations. I'm not kidding. Kramer's story would fit better in a eight season episode. It is so Ackerman's style that it feels even more out of place here. The contrast between seeing Kramer rollerskating in LA and the gang arguing in Jerry's apartment is so weird. It really feels like too different shows.

The Keys is a classic way to end a brilliant season in season 3!, as this story would continue on to Seinfeld's breakthrough season, season 4!.

[callanvass · 27 April 2006]

(plot). Jerry takes away Kramer's spare keys to his apartment. This leads to further key swapping among the foursome. Kramer sets out for Hollywood to pursue his acting dreams. Jerry and George discover that Elaine is secretly writing a script for Murphy Brown.

The Keys is a classic way to end a brilliant season in season 3!, as this story would continue on to Seinfeld's breakthrough season, season 4!. It always cracks me up when I see Kramer rollerskating, and I also loved it when he appeared on Murphy Brown as Stven Snell,plus this is extremely well written by Larry Charles, and directed by Tom Cherones. The scene where Elaine catches Jerry and George looking at Eliane's script for Murphy Brown is very funny, and this is one of thew few times George and Kramer have scene together by themselves, plus it's extremely well made as well. While Season 4 was the true breakthrough seasons I believe 3 started it, especially with this one, and the scene where Kramer is jamming to the music, and his car breaks down is also quite amusing, plus The scene in the restaurant with the no face fighting was funny too. The Keys is a classic way to end a brilliant season 3!, as this story would continue on to Seinfeld's breakthrough season, season 4, and I say go see it now Seinfeld fans if you Haven't!. ***** out of 5.

Favorite quotes (opening). Jerry: What is it about sleep that makes you so thirsty?. Do dreams require liquid?, it's not like I'm running a marathon I'm just lying there.

(Jerry bumps into Kramer in middle of the night). Jerry/Kramer: AHHHHHHHHHHH. Jerry: Kramer what are you doing here?!. Kramer: Jerry calm down, It's OK. Jerry: Oh god. Kramer: I'm sorry,I didn't wanna wake ya up!, now I was watching 30 Seconds Over Toyko,and I you know wanted to get some popcorn, so I used the spare keys that you gave me, to come into your apartment and get your popcorn. Jerry: You scared me!!!. Kramer: It's just me. Jerry: That's enough!!.

Weakest Episode of this Season

[DKosty123 · 3/10 · 5 January 2015]

As much as I like the fact this episode is different from others in having a single plot (krys) for all the characters, it just is not as effective as other shows for these reasons. It starts off with a few classic comedy blackouts that are funny. Then it works it's way into the keys becoming a problem for everybody. The keys are also a problem writing the episode as not only can the cast not keep track of their keys, they lose the viewers too about halfway through this mess of a script.

Then they go off the wall and weaken the show even more and bringing another sit com into the story line for no really good reason other than having Candice Burgen (Murphy Brown) guest star in order to try and save this mess and it really does not work. Kramer gets on the set of that show after leaving on a car trip where his car breaks down and there is no explanation of how he and the broken down heap gets him to the Brown show. There is no explanation of why Elaine is interested in writing a script for the show at all.

It looks like by using the guest this script is admitting weakness by bringing in the guest and "jumping the shark" so to speak. Unlike other shows where thing usually make sense at least, nothing here makes any sense. This one goes below previous shows this season such as "The Letter" is a much better script.

This is the last episode I would use as an example of one of the best sit-Com's ever. It makes an episode like "The Chinese Restaurant" and "The Marble Rye" look even better in comparison.

I am a big fan of this series but this outing is in my opinion one of it's worst. It is still funny, but the confusing mess of a script puts it a notch below most episodes of this series.It is better than some season one entries but coming just after "The Letter" is a real let down.

"Do you yearn?"

[itamarscomix · 28 January 2012]

Season 3, Episode 23, "The Keys"

With the season 3 finale, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld finally had the confidence to bring Seinfeld to its full potential. After a full season of expanding and forming the show's unique humor, and for the first time with more confidence in the series' future, "The Keys" was the first season finale to end on a cliffhanger, and the first time an episode set up a story arc of multiple episodes, after three seasons of nothing but standalone episodes, and it also paved the way for the groundbreaking fourth season - the first full-season story arc.

That's not all "The Keys" is notable for. The episode doesn't have as many memorable one-liners as some earlier episodes, but it has some of the best writing of any episode so far; it's a rare case in which all four characters take part in one complete storyline, rather than four separate threads, and it makes for some wonderful interaction between them we rarely get to see, as the relationships are explored beyond the one between Jerry and Elaine which formed much of the humor of the first seasons. It also may be the first time we get to see Kramer as a fully-formed, complex character rather than just the buffoon he was before, and his one scene with George is one of the series' defining moments. Great acting and great writing make "The Keys" the first truly classic season finale for Seinfeld and a great sign of things to come.

Up here, I'm already gone.

[bombersflyup · 5/10 · 3 September 2022]

The Keys is about Jerry constantly finding Kramer in his apartment and gets fed up, in turn Kramer heads off for California.

One of the weaker episode's, but it's fine. The whole whose keys belong to who's rambling filler nonsense and not funny. George was to simply give Elaine's keys back to her so she could give them to Jerry, so George could simply give Jerry the keys he needs. The highlights would be George and Kramer in the diner and also the scene with Newman. Unfortunately the episode contains multiple poor Kramer skit scenes, well below show's standard. Jerry's standup's also not great.