Plot: What’s it about?
This is it. This is the season that “Seinfeld” went from a cult classic to unquestionably one of the best television shows to ever air. “Seinfeld”, the self-proclaimed “show about nothing” certainly was about something when it aired some of the its best episodes in the series. It usually takes the cast of a really good show a few seasons to get the kinks worked out and really hit its stride. This is the case with “Friends”, “M*A*S*H”, “Cheers” and so on…Perhaps the greatest episode of the show is “The Contest” when George’s mother (in a great performance) catches him, uh…well you know, to a Glamour magazine no less. This sparks the quartet to embark on a contest to see who can go without sex, of any kind, the longest. Temptations abound: George is aroused by the nurse giving a spongebath, Kramer spots a woman across the street who walks around naked in her apartment, Jerry is dating a virgin, and Elaine is in the same aeorbics class as John F. Kennedy Jr. Suffice it to say, when they call an episode a “classic” – this is what they’re talking about. It didn’t stop there, though…other episodes like “The Junior Mint” and “The Implant” where Teri Hatcher’s breasts are the center of everyone’s discussion (and with her resurgance on “Desperate Housewives”, they might be again)!
It’s really more of the same with this season and the show continued to get better and better. However, the concensus is that the next three (Seasons 4-6) are the best out there. Unlike many shows that overstayed their welcome (*cough* “Friends”), “Seinfeld” went out at its peak and the rise to it began here. As I was watching the season again, I was reminded as to how many great episodes are in this set. The show became so ingrained in our pop culture that it’s impossible not to recognize it. I mean really…when someone says “Not that there’s anything wrong with that” or “He’s a dunker” – I immediately think back to “The Outing” and “The Dunker” respectively. The season featured it’s share of memorable guest stars as well. Jane Leeves (“The Contest”), Teri Hatcher, Corbin Bernsen to name a few. And let’s not forget the supporting players of the season: Ping, Babu, Crazy Joe Davola, Russell Dalrymple, and of course “The Drake” (love the Drake). I could go on and on about how great this season is, but if you’re one of the few people who hasn’t seen every episode on reruns and have missed any of these – this is the season to get. Of all the television shows on DVD, this is probably in the top 5 to have in any collection.
Video: How does it look?
As “Seinfeld” was hitting its stride, more money was pumped into the production. This, naturally, gives us a better picture of what was going on. Colors seem sharp and vivid throughout and I noticed a visible improvement in image quality as compared to the first few volumes. On the whole, these episodes reflect their broadcast quality and in most cases, exceed it. Fans of the show will find more definition than the reruns on cable. A fine, above average job here.
Audio: How does it sound?
Television comedies never have been (and most likely never will be) too heavy on the audio. Newer drama shows like “C.S.I” and “Without a Trace” use more of the entire sound stage, but “Seinfeld” delivers just about what we might expect. The dialogue sounds rich and full, and I have to say that I was a bit surprised at how good even the early episodes sounded. The Dolby Surround mix does what it can to deliver a good-sounding track and it succeeds for the most part. I don’t think I can recall any instance in which I was blown away by the sound, but then again I wasn’t supposed to be. Overall, it’s a good, solid track that will more than serve its purpose – not that there’s anything wrong with that…
Supplements: What are the extras?
The four disc set comes equipped with plenty of bonus materials (most of which are the commentaries), but certainly enough to please fans out there. There are some deleted scenes sprinkled here and there, but the commentary tracks are what really make this work. Tracks like “The Trip” and “The Junior Mint” are classic with Seinfeld and Larry Charles (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) hammering it up. I could go into detail about each and every track, but they’re all about the same. Suffice it to say that with a season that has this many great episodes, watching them with the commentary track on is nearly a given. Also included are the same “Notes About Nothing”, a pop up type of triva track that is interesting, but tends to tangent off into some pretty obscure things. The documentary “The Breakthrough Season” shows us what we alrady know – that this season is where “Seinfeld” became the number 1 show in America and it’s a pretty decent look at how and why this happened. A parody that the cast did on “Regis and Kathy Lee” (back when it was still “Regis and Kathy Lee”) is quite amusing. The fourth season is the year that “Seinfeld” won the Emmy for Best Comedy before “Frasier” went on its five year run. Folks, this is a “Must Buy” here, plain and simple.
