Seinfeld (TV Series) The Busboy (1991) User Reviews

A good ending for season 2

[tarascopablo · 8/10 · 1 May 2023]

Seinfeld is perhaps one of THE best sitcoms ever in American television. Season one has always been short but a strong introductions to the characters and the series itself. Whit Busboy, season two ends after a lot of laughs but also with a more maturity for the characters.

For me, the greatest legacy a sitcom can have is that the humor still works after 10, 20, 30, 40 years. Seinfeld still works. Maybe the younger audiences might be lost in some jokes that are way too old for them to relate too (like the voicemail tape episode) but still, Seinfeld still works.

I saw the show for the first time in 1999 and i rewatched in 2011. Now, in 2023 i still laugh with every episode and perhaps season 2 might be the best because it´s when the characters finally "settled".

Was it my fault

[dannylee-78082 · 7/10 · 2 March 2023]

1. George gets Antonio fired 2. Kramer leaves the door open 3. Elaine kicks out a friend

Solid episode. It had rather cliche moments but Elaine really popped off in this episode. Her monologue about driving to the airport at supersonic speed was quite a moment for her. It's in stark contrast with the previous episode as this one has more absurdist element to it whereas the previous episode was much more grounded in reality. While I do understand that the previous episode is much more heralded I don't yet have a strong preference. I still thought this was a strong finish to season 2. I know that Seinfeld doesn't have an overarching storyline and the order of the episodes don't even matter. But at the end of season 2, I'm still convinced in the series and will continue to watch!

Oh George

[safenoe · 7/10 · 6 April 2024]

The Busboy is one I first watched back in the 1990s, and upon reflection, I didn't realize that the focus was on George, Kramer, and Elaine, but not Jerry, much to the chagrin of some network executive. Anyway, it reminded me of an article I read when the series wrapped up that one episode Jerry would have liked to have was one that focused on the minor (yet essential) characters of the Seinfeld universe, with the main characters featured in the background, but sadly this episode never came to pass. Anyway, here George has a run-in with a busboy, and in future episodes he does the beast with two backs with a work cleaner, and he has a soft spot for Lupe, a hotel cleaner.

THE Elaine episode of Season 2

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 31 January 2008]

As the second series of Seinfeld comes to its end, Julia Louis-Dreyfus shows her full potential by stealing the entire show with just one scene. And she isn't even part of the main story! No, that bit of the episode involves George, who inadvertently got a busboy fired from a restaurant and tries to apologize with Kramer's "help", only to make the matter much worse. Meanwhile, Jerry just stays in his apartment listening to everybody's problems, particularly Elaine's attempts to get an annoying boyfriend out of her apartment.

It is the latter event that marks the comedic high point of The Busboy, all thanks to Louis-Dreyfus' hilarious desperation (used to great effect in subsequent seasons as well) and ace line-delivery (the most inventive list of excuses since John Belushi's monologue in The Blues Brothers). In one brief moment, she shows exactly how self-absorbed and shallow she can get, and audiences love her for that.

That single sequence nearly sucks all the energy out of the episode; fortunately, that is not the case, with George and Kramer's encounter with the busboy being a milestone in the show's "awkward situations" list. It is a memorable event especially because it contains two firsts on Kramer's CV: it's the first time he's out of his apartment (after 15 years, if we are to believe Jerry's words in the pilot), and also the first time he speaks Spanish, a recurring joke that enabled Michael Richards to combine his astounding physicality with astute wordplay, spawning a lot more classic scenes.

A little thing worth noticing: technically, this isn't the season finale (it's The Deal, but the last four shows of Season Two aired in the wrong order), but it doesn't really matter; Seinfeld remains unmissable nonetheless.

The busboy's comin'!

[Otoboke · 2 February 2008]

Again, I don't see what the big deal is with this episode. It's a good twenty minutes yes, but it's certainly not the best I've seen from the series nor is it anywhere near perfect. One thing I did notice however was that the writing at least on a professional and well-considered level is certainly improving. 'The Busboy' was noticeably low on jokes, particularly during the first half, but the way in which plots are used to coincide with each other is used with great effect, leading to a fantastic ending that wraps up all loose ends in a hilarious fashion.

My problem with the episode stems from Elaine's side-plot which is again shelved to mere dialogue rather than showing any action from it. I felt there was a lot of potential to be had with the annoying flatmate, but unfortunately we don't get to see just how annoying he was. Nevertheless this does not impair a brilliant scene involving Elaine that not only develops her character successfully for the first time but also gives the episode one of its funniest moments. Julia plays the scene excellently, flying around the room shouting in a panic and throwing clothes around like a mad woman, all the while being completely convincing and hysterical at the same time.

George gets a much larger role in this episode, as does Kramer as his assistant, when they track down a busboy that George accidentally got fired, to apologise. Alexander plays the scenes in as awkward a way as possible, keeping true to the character that has been developed thus far. It's not exactly great comedy, but it's still great to watch. I felt however that Richards stole most of the laughs in these scenes, disregarding the social awkwardness that George embodies throughout; a good way to counterbalance and provide comedic relief. Not my favourite storyline with George so far, but it was nice to see him play such a big part in this one nonetheless.

As was the case with many previous episodes, I found myself laughing most during Jerry's stand-up scenes. I think I chuckled a few times during the other moments, but really didn't find 'The Busboy' to be amongst the funniest of episodes I've seen to date. As I said earlier however, you can see a noticeable shift in writing here that I hope will be a good foundation for some clever yet much more humorous stories. Kudos to Larry and Jerry for finally establishing some sort of character in Elaine though- She's finally beginning to grow on me.

Fire

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 17 June 2020]

I like the bit where he left the door open and lost the cat

The busboy's coming

[jamariana · 6/10 · 12 July 2017]

"The Busboy" is not my favourite episode of "Seinfeld", but it does feature the supremely funny moment where Elaine wakes up late and realises that her male friend is close to missing his plane. She panics and maniacally packs his luggage and attempts to drive him to the airport as fast as she can. Some great comedic acting from Julia Louis Dreyfus in that scene. The rest of the episode is not as funny. The whole busboy situation I found unfortunate and hardly worth making a joke out of - he loses his job, his cat goes missing, and he falls down a flight of stairs. Decent episode, nonetheless, especially for Elaine's scene and Jerry's stand up piece on missing flights.

Busboy use to live in the same place as the guy in the Strongbox episode. I guess Busboy moved out.

[ThunderKing6 · 10/10 · 26 March 2023]

The dialogue of this show is uncanny. These characters can sit and talk and it would still be a funny show.

March 26th 2023rd

What occurred in this episode of Seinfeld?: Jerry didn't say anything

George didn't do anything wrong but apparently he got the Busboy fired.

Elaine has guy issues

Kramer was a crutch for George when he met the Busboy at his home.

The story and the production overview: A static fine episode that was able to pull away with great jokes, scenes, moments and dialogue.

Highlight: Busboy was vintage. I'll give Elaine her props for that rushing scene.

Laugh meter: 9

What can be learned?: Restaurants should not use candles because it may start a fire.

Verdict: Boy this was a good little episode.

George's unintentionally harmful remark gets a busboy fired and Elaine dates a guy she hates for no good reason

[SLionsCricketreviews · 6/10 · 6 February 2018]

And with "The Busboy", the trend of 'Seinfeld's' second season continues where the premise sounds both promising and attuned to the sensibilities of 'Seinfeld' as it is known today, but the execution as far as the writing is concerned is somewhat lacking and it mostly has to do with the show not yet finding a sustainable voice for itself.

For everything in "The Busboy" that feels either unsatisfying or mildly tedious, there's something I genuinely enjoy and for that alone, it is worth a watch particularly for 'Seinfeld' fans. George reporting the busboy's hazard is perfectly written and acted so as not to make George sound like a snitch and the manner in which Kramer carries himself inside the busboy's apartment is perfect for how it contradicts George's attempts at being socially appropriate. It is among the earlier episodes for me where Kramer genuinely adds an unavoidable and rare dynamic to the scene, even in the early couple of seasons of the show that feel a little lethargic.

The Elaine storyline suffers, as one user has already mentioned, by showing next to nothing of the story and allowing it to progress purely through the span of time. We see nothing of Elaine's exasperation with her boyfriend reaching any sort of boiling point and ultimately, it feels a little underwhelming. It's largely an issue with Seinfeld's second season where Elaine, such a distinctive voice to the series, is an afterthought, a little prop whose storylines largely take place off-screen. And despite that, there is one *great* little scene with Elaine where she wakes up late after her alarm had not gone off and frantically prepares her boyfriend for his flight in a desperate attempt to get him out of her life. Julia Louis Dreyfus gets arguably her second distinctive moment in the season (and the series thus far) as she nails the physical humour associated with the scene.

Largely however, "The Busboy" feels a little underwhelming. There's just not too many jokes at play here either and despite some great moments, it feels like an episode that is just that: an episode with great moments that doesn't really come together. Despite this not having been the original second season finale (that was "The Deal" which ended with Jerry and Elaine consummating their relationship once more at the insistence of studio heads), I'm glad to see the second season and the show take a rather major leap forward to the show that I know and love.

Not as Engaging

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 28 January 2022]

While eating in a restaurant, a menu catches fire because a busboy was careless. When George points it out to the manager, the young guy gets fired. This leads to George's incredible guilt and he and Kramer go to the guy's apartment to apologize. This is a disaster. Meanwhile, Elaine has a meltdown trying to get rid of a guy from Seattle who is staying with her.

Elaine

[alexanderhatkins · 5/10 · 13 January 2022]

Elaine was so darn cringey is this episode. The whole story is great except for her. Her monologue is extremely painful. The busboy storyline is great though.

Season 2: Provides a very funny return for its increased episode run

[bob the moo · 14 February 2010]

Although there is a long way to go in the series, season 2 is already looking like the place for me where the show starts to settle in. The longer run of episodes obviously reflects positive returns from the very short first season, and the show strengthens what it did well from the start. Specifically this what Jerry's standup bits do – which is to observe real life and take it, twist and elaborate into a way that is funny but also still recognisable as having the roots of the comedy in the original observation. In this regard this season improves upon the previous by having better "observations" and by doing a better job of elaborating them and twisting them.

By observation what I mean is that the plots are better. They are a little less simple as they mostly have several threads all worked together and complimenting each other – OK some "threads" are so small they are practically one-liners but generally there is more going on than one thing. The best example is the one in the Chinese restaurant, the central "plot" is simple but each of the characters has their own set of worries or moments of social awkwardness that add layers of comedy to the proceedings. Like many sitcoms now, this allows for plenty of episodes that start out with something simple but are exaggerated into something more complex and comic as a result, indeed it is hard to imagine that Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia would exist had Seinfeld not laid the foundations all those years ago.

Having said that though one of the problems with looking back is that it is very hard to look at it as fresh. Because the approach and the format has been used in other shows such as Sunny and Curb, it is all too easy to watch this show with those in mind. In doing this one forgets that Seinfeld broke the sitcom mould for the time and to a point it does feel now like it is actually a "traditional" sitcom whereas at the time it was anything but. This not only plays out in the style of the show but also in the humour as it is perhaps not as cruel nor as sharp as some of its descendants would be. This is an unfair complaint but it deserves at least a mention, because not everything dates well and in a way Seinfeld's influence has caused itself to date in a way that is evident in this season.

Otherwise though the season is very funny and justifies the longer run by being an improvement on the first season in terms of plots and laughs but also in the performances. Seinfeld himself is as steady a hand as he was in the first season and there isn't a lot of difference there (but then nor does there really need to be). Elaine is better used thanks to the varying of the plots and provision of threads specifically for the other characters and Louis-Dreyfus does a good job here. Her "normal" performance is rather dominated by two exaggerated comic turns that both find their feet a little more in this season. First is Alexander's George "Larry David" Costanza – a wonderfully bitter little man full of anger at the world and also at himself for the way he fails to do all that he wants to do. Alexander hits it perfectly as he starts restrained and builds. Richards' Kramer, on the other hand, is never anywhere other than crazy and he delivers it real well – the hair and the clothes help him but he is a great bit of energy to throw into the odd scene in each episode.

Overall season 2 builds on the firm base of the first very short season. The plots are better with more variety and the greater involvement of the four characters seems to improve them as part of the show and as performances. Time has dulled its edge a little but it is still a very funny and very clever twist on the sitcom that continues to influence today.

..Maybe I'll try that pesto.

[bombersflyup · 4/10 · 2 January 2022]

The Busboy is about George apologizing to a busboy after getting him fired and Elaine trying to get rid a man from her house, who's driving her mad.

Perhaps the worst episode of the entire series. Season 2 has some sub-par ones, this one seems to be out of order too. For starters the manager wouldn't have pointed them out, but this Antonio character is the absolute worst, with stupid physical mannerisms. Also, if you go to the door to let strangers in, you should close the door yourself knowing about the cat, no? There's just no way you'd help someone behaving like this, Jerry was right. Plus George wants to go to this guy's place by himself, yet is afraid when in a safe space in Jerry's apartment, that doesn't make sense. The standup's pretty weak as well. Elaine though, hilarious trying to get this guy to the airport "You want a brown sweater, you got a brown sweater," hehe. The speech is very similar to the successful "The Marine Biologist" speech and doesn't work here though.

Take the K-man.

Spanish-speaking busboy

[vivianla · 14 February 2022]

Elaine tells the guys as they eat pasta in a restaurant that she is having a guy stay over her place. When a menu catches on fire, George notices it and explains to the manager. We see the busboy get fired. Later George feels guilty and goes to see the busboy with Kramer. Kramer immediately assumes the guy speaks Spanish which George facepalms to. The guy is named Antonio and he loses his cat Paquita because Kramer forgot to close the door. Elaine hates the guy. Jerry asks Elaine if they had sex which Elaine says no because for the last five days she told him she has been on her period. Elaine wakes up late with the guy and rushes him to the airport. They don't make it. Antonio thanks George for getting him fired because in the section he formerly worked in, they died. Antonio and Elaine's guy get into a fistfight.

Season 2: The First Glimpses Of Real Quality (5/10 stars)

[zkonedog · 5/10 · 5 June 2022]

This 12-episode second season of Seinfeld isn't any great shakes, to be sure. It contains a number of boring or outright bad half-hours. The show was almost cancelled half way through this run (resulting in a long break) and the final few episodes were confusingly aired out-of-order. But what S2 does accomplish, however, is the creation of a few legitimately solid installments that give just enough hope for the future.

After a few episodes--The Pony Remark, The Jacket--that are significantly better than anything S1 had to offer, S2 produces a run of clunkers: The Ex-Girlfriend, The Apartment, The Statue, The Phone Message. At this point, the show is still far too reliant on strictly observational humor and hasn't yet hit on the character personas that would ultimately push it to iconic status.

But then, the episodes The Heart Attack & The Deal suddenly--and somewhat inexplicably--are an enormous uptick in humor and just overall quality. It is almost as if the writers at this point started really nailing the characters and their eccentricities. The final few episodes of the season--The Baby Shower, The Chinese Restaurant, The Busboy--don't quite live up to that new standard, but they were also produced earlier (aired later) and thus a bit difficult to reconcile.

Overall, I keep plugging away at Seinfeld as a first-time-2022-viewer because the consensus seems to be it takes off in S3. I'm still not sure yet that I'll be around for the long-haul, but S2 at least gave me a few glimmers of hope that improvement is indeed possible within the show.