"Seinfeld" The Apartment (1991)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Tom Cherones

Writers:

Larry David (creator) &
Jerry Seinfeld (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Seinfeld" (1990)

Original Air Date:

4 April 1991 (Season 2, Episode 5)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

When an apartment becomes available in Jerry's building, he helps Elaine get it, only to regret his decision to do so. George starts wearing a wedding ring because he's heard that it helps single guys pick up women. |

Plot Keywords:

Neurotic | Eccentric | Stand Up Comedian | Friendship | Neighbor

US TV Schedule:

Tue. July 14

11:00 PM

TBS

The Apartment

#2.5

Cast

Jerry Seinfeld	...	Jerry Seinfeld
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Elaine Benes
Michael Richards	...	Kramer
Jason Alexander	...	George
Tony Plana	...	Manny
Glenn Shadix	...	Harold
Jeanine Jackson	...	Roxanne
Leslie Neale	...	Rita
Theresa Randle	...	Janice
Patricia Ayame Thomson	...	Susie (as Patricia Amaye Thomson)
Melody Ryane	...	Joanne
David Blackwood	...	Stan

Runtime:

23 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:PG (video rating)

Company:

Shapiro/West Productions

Trivia:

This is the first episode where Elaine does her "Get out!" shove.

Quotes:

Jerry Seinfeld: People don't turn down money. This is what separates us from animals.

"You have no idea what an idiot is"

"Is that right? I just threw away a lifetime of guilt-free sex and floor seats for every sporting event in Madison Square Garden, so please, a little respect, for I am Costanza, lord of the idiots!". This exchange, spoken at the end of The Apartment, is probably the best ever written for the series, and a glorious closure for an episode that once again shows how cynical, selfish and shallow the show's protagonists are (the famous "no hugs, no learning" principle).

Causing the entire mess is an apartment in Jerry's building, which the comedian inadvertently recommends to Elaine after it is vacated. Alas, it doesn't take him too long to realize having his ex-girlfriend live only a few feet away would be excruciating, and so he tries to discourage her from moving in by all means possible. Meanwhile, Kramer's hair is stuffed with mousse, and George has discovered single women are turned on by wedding rings.

The funniest thing about this show is the transformation that occurs in Jerry: previously, we had seen him uneasy, embarrassed, even sad, but never angry and actually scheming against another person. Of course, since this is a series "about nothing" with no sign of continuity (in fact, references to other episodes are so brief and casual one could start watching Seinfeld from Season 6 onwards and still get what it's all about: nothing), such a shift in personality needs no explanation and is just an excuse for entertaining audiences throughout the 23-minute runtime.

Even funnier is the fact that, despite this being, in theory, Jerry's story, the whole thing is gloriously hijacked by Richards and Alexander, the former making Kramer's traditionally goofy hairstyle much goofier and the latter bringing a fresh wind of innovation with his raging assessment about himself. Maybe that's the most shocking aspect of Seinfeld: prior to this episode, the closest any TV character had come to self-criticism was when Homer Simpson, in May 1990, said: "Maybe I'm not that bright"; a mere eleven months later, the greatest sitcom of all time showed the world that even the small screen was no longer a safe place.