The Trip: Part 1

There's no denying that Season 4 is Seinfeld's most acclaimed season (and its best), but my god did it start off bad.

I really didn't have a soft spot in my heart for The Keys (previous episode). It felt completely out of place with the series' tone in general and The Trip is the continuation of that mistake. Above that, it's not funny (specially Part 1). You know how some episodes aren't really good but you can laugh or giggle at some gags. Well, not here. The jokes often don't land, the general story is lame and there's no Elaine and that can only hurt the episode.

Above having an awful script, the direction is awkwardly weird. It's overly cinematic (in the worst way), the pace is as languid as it gets, even the audience isn't enjoying it that much.

This whole mini story of Kramer's escapade to LA feels out of place and, most importantly, unnecessary. For me Season 4 starts with The Pitch. It's logical: it sets up the actual arc that will continue throughout the season and it's actually in the level of quality of this season. These two episodes feel like the writers had to close the stupid story they opened in Season 3 finale.

Kramer has a "treatment" of a movie he is trying to get made. Along the way he meets a nice young lady. Soon she ends up murdered and dumped along a road ala the hillside stranglers. Oh isnt that funny - not! Also the detective investigating is way over the top - not particularly funny either. Jerry and George arrive in LA for Jerry's Tonight Show appearance (why Kramer is there first isnt really explained). It is some what funny George his annoying self with other guests on The Tonight Show Corbin Bernsen and George Wendt. Jerry's performance bombs and he blames it on hotel house keeper Lupe for throwing away his hand written joke list. George has a crush on Lupe and goes on and on it is not her fault. Resolution of murder isnt very good either though cameo by Keith Morrison he of the ghoulish voice on NBC's Dateline is a nice touch.

Hey again from me to you. I have another review for you. It's about the Trip where we see Kramer take a fall.

February 26 2023 is the date that this very review was written.

About: Kramer is in LA trying to make it big.

Jerry is on the tonight show

George meets 2 actors.

No Elaine which made this episode good.

Story and production: this is part one of A non stop fun and full of laughter episode. The story went by really well.

Production was fabulous. I believe this was the first time a Seinfeld episode takes part in a real place and not in studio.

Highlight: All George scenes. His scenes with the 2 actors and Lupay were fun.

Laugh Meter: 10

What can be learned?: George was right with the bed sheet tucks

Should you watch this?: Yes.

The signs were clearly displayed in the Season Three finale The Keys, and The Trip: Part 1 confirms it: Seinfeld's fourth season is the show at its most inspired, provocative and constantly, endearingly funny. It's the only time the series won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy (the remaining five seasons lost out to another NBC sitcom classic, Frasier), and it's also the year that saw Seinfeld become the ratings success it had deserved to be since 1990 (courtesy of Rick Ludwin's decision to air the show right after Cheers, which was in its final season).

Picking up from the discovery that Kramer has moved to Los Angeles and become an actor, The Trip has Jerry go to L.A. to make an appearance on The Tonight Show and George come with him to look for Kramer. What they don't know is that their friend is involved in a case of mistaken identity, and while Kramer gets in more trouble than usual, George manages to make a total ass out of himself once again by suggesting some of his crazy ideas to famous NBC stars such as Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law) and George Wendt (Norm from Cheers).

The true genius of The Trip: Part 1 lies in what can be seen as a foreshadowing of the season's now legendary story arc about Jerry and George making a sitcom. The storyline isn't actually introduced until Episode 3, but the program's willingness to make fun of its own network is already visible in most of the episode, be it when Jerry talks to Jay Leno (a parody of the comedian's real-life guest appearance on the famous talk show) or the instantly hilarious moment when George asks Wendt if they could use another setting instead of the bar (it would be like asking Larry David to stop using Jerry's apartment).

In short: the show's love for self-mockery is most evident in the fourth season, and an appetizer of some of the series' finest moments are visible in this episode. It's so good, it doesn't even matter that Elaine is absent for the first time since the pilot (in which she didn't even exist yet).

There's interplay between Jerry and George, and between the two of them and others, that is reminiscent of some of the best buddy relationships from comedy tv history. Very different from the usual Seinfeld humor, it's so goofy, but so funny, especially the bit at the public phone. (Watch for Jerry's brief homage to Barney Fife.)

Kramer's story is funny, but the bit actors they hired (the Norma Desmond-like neighbor and crazy van guy) are a riot, as is usually the case with the one-offs the production brings on.

I've seen both parts of The Trip more times than I could count and I still laugh each time.