"Seinfeld" The Ex-Girlfriend (1991)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Tom Cherones

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Seinfeld" (1990)

Original Air Date:

23 January 1991 (Season 2, Episode 1)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

After George breaks up with his girlfriend, Jerry decides that he wants to see her.

Plot Keywords:

Neurotic | Eccentric | Stand Up Comedian | Friendship | Neighbor

Cast

Jerry Seinfeld	...	Jerry Seinfeld
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Elaine Benes
Michael Richards	...	Kramer
Jason Alexander	...	George
Tracy Kolis	...	Marlene
Karen Barcus	...	Receptionist

Runtime:

23 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:PG (video rating)

Company:

Shapiro/West Productions

Trivia:

This episode was originally scheduled to air on January 16, 1991. But it was postponed one week due to news coverage of the US invasion of Iraq.

Quotes:

Marlene: I'm sorry Jerry, I just can't be with someone if I don't respect what they do.
Jerry: You're a cashier!

Movie Connections:

References The Blob (1958)

A splendid start for Seinfeld's second season!

Jerry talking about traffic, George having girlfriend problems, Elaine having problems with people in general, Kramer occasionally passing by with his latest crazy idea... It's all business as usual in the twisted universe of Seinfeld, whose second year begins as brilliantly as the previous one ended.

At the center of events is George's ex-girlfriend, Marlene, whom Jerry starts dating. Needless to say, he gets tired of her attitude pretty quickly, although he finds himself unable to dump her because of the "psychosexual hold" she has on him. In the meantime, Elaine can't understand why someone she met through a mutual friend doesn't say hello to her anymore, and Kramer insists everyone try the superb cantaloupe he bought at a store that just opened.

As familiar as it has become, the format of the series never gets old or boring: the mix of stand-up comedy, everyday life, quirky characters, yada, yada, yada, (that's "Seinfeldian" for "et cetera") keeps raising hysterical laughs, even when the premise is extremely ordinary (read: dull). I mean, how many stories have we heard about people's ex-girlfriends? Far too many, right? Wrong: in the hands of Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, the subject develops in the most unexpected way, leading to one of the most original break-ups I've ever seen on screen, big or small.

The outspoken king of the episode, though, is George: this is the season where he began to show his more awkward side, and alongside The Apartment (and of course The Revenge) this is his finest moment in Series Two. Whether he is complaining about a chiropractor's bill, demanding that Jerry get some books for him from Marlene's apartment or reacting in a truly unique way to a quite unusual event ("I think I swallowed a fly!"), it is no wonder this insecure loser is one of the most loved characters in the history of US television.