The real glory of Season Four begins here, with a two-part episode that emphasizes just how wonderfully insane the stories could get in Seinfeld and why Larry David and the other writers got away with it every time: it's just so much fun to watch.
Back in New York after the recent trip to L.A., Jerry is asked to pitch a sitcom to NBC executives. George decides to help and comes up with a show about "nothing". Meanwhile, a person known as "Crazy" Joe Davola starts stalking Jerry, Kramer has one of his quirky ideas again, and Newman has trouble with a speeding ticket.
There's nothing like hindsight, obviously, but even back in 1992 it must have been possible to realize Seinfeld was really becoming something special, despite Jason Alexander thinking Larry's idea about an "arc" went against everything the show embodied. Man, how wrong was he: predating Curb Your Enthusiasm's second season (in which Larry, playing "himself", tries to come up with a new successful comedy series) by nine years, the show-within-the-show storyline is arguably one of the funniest things that have ever aired on American network television. If it weren't for that arc and its shameless self-referencing (right down to the casting of Bob Balaban as Russell Dalrymple, a fictional version of Warren Littlefield, the NBC guy who gave Seinfeld the green light against all odds and whom Balaban played for real later on), there would be no 30 Rock.
Still not convinced? Okay, then how about this: when Jerry questions George's talents as a writer, the "Lord of the idiots" (who, let's remember this, is based on Larry David) replies: "What writer? It's a sitcom!". Considering this is the season that got Larry a long awaited Emmy for Best Writing, the irony is almost too delicious.
Back in New York after the recent trip to L.A., Jerry is asked to pitch a sitcom to NBC executives. George decides to help and comes up with a show about "nothing". Meanwhile, a person known as "Crazy" Joe Davola starts stalking Jerry, Kramer has one of his quirky ideas again, and Newman has trouble with a speeding ticket.
There's nothing like hindsight, obviously, but even back in 1992 it must have been possible to realize Seinfeld was really becoming something special, despite Jason Alexander thinking Larry's idea about an "arc" went against everything the show embodied. Man, how wrong was he: predating Curb Your Enthusiasm's second season (in which Larry, playing "himself", tries to come up with a new successful comedy series) by nine years, the show-within-the-show storyline is arguably one of the funniest things that have ever aired on American network television. If it weren't for that arc and its shameless self-referencing (right down to the casting of Bob Balaban as Russell Dalrymple, a fictional version of Warren Littlefield, the NBC guy who gave Seinfeld the green light against all odds and whom Balaban played for real later on), there would be no 30 Rock.
Still not convinced? Okay, then how about this: when Jerry questions George's talents as a writer, the "Lord of the idiots" (who, let's remember this, is based on Larry David) replies: "What writer? It's a sitcom!". Considering this is the season that got Larry a long awaited Emmy for Best Writing, the irony is almost too delicious.