Conceived by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David as the story of how a comedian gets his material, Seinfeld spent nine seasons evolving into a self-described “show about nothing” that was really a show about everything, tackling everything from the most mundane (and most frustrating) social conventions to bigger issues like censorship and abortion.
There were only a couple of bad episodes of the show. Almost all of them were pretty good, a lot of them were great, and a few of them – recognized by their stratospheric IMDb ratings – were truly spectacular. So, here are the best scenes from IMDb’s 10 top-rated Seinfeld episodes.
The Merv Griffin Show (9.1) – Newman Co-Hosts Kramer’s Imaginary Talk Show
When Kramer finds the sets from The Merv Griffin Show in a dumpster, he drags them back to his apartment, rebuilds the set, and starts hosting the show around the clock for an imaginary audience.
This is when Seinfeld began scraping the bottom of the barrel for premises. The episode gets plenty of mileage out of the absurdity of its unusual plot. At one point, Kramer brings on Newman as a co-host.
The Hamptons (9.1) – Significant Shrinkage
The most significant contribution to Seinfeld lore to come out of season 5’s “The Hamptons” is the term “shrinkage.” When Jerry’s girlfriend walks in on George getting changed after being in the pool (and the cold water has caused some shrinkage), he’s horrified.
The episode’s co-writer Peter Mehlman came up with the term, and reportedly received a very enthusiastic response from Larry David, who encouraged him to use it a bunch of times throughout the script.
The Chicken Roaster (9.1) – Jerry Becomes Kramer (And Vice Versa)
When the neon red lights from a Kenny Rogers-owned chicken restaurant across the street starts keeping Kramer up at night, he agrees to temporarily switch apartments with Jerry.
The red lights frazzle Jerry’s brain and turn him into a fast-talking goofball in the mold of Kramer, whereas being in Jerry’s apartment turns Kramer into the voice of reason that Jerry usually is.
The Abstinence (9.1) – “Look Away, I’m Hideous!”
Kramer doubles down on his smoking habits after being kicked out of Monk’s for puffing on a cigar and starts smoking cigars constantly. He decides to sue the tobacco companies when this begins to affect his appearance.
When Jerry notices that the tobacco has turned him into a gaunt prune, Kramer takes a look at himself and (with hysterical delivery by Michael Richards) says, “Look away...I’m hideous!”
The Bizarro Jerry (9.2) – Elaine Goes To Kevin’s Apartment
Season 8’s “The Bizarro Jerry” was one of the first episodes that Jerry Seinfeld made after taking full creative control of the show following co-creator Larry David’s departure. It’s about Elaine meeting a guy named Kevin who’s Jerry’s exact opposite. The oppositeness goes deeper than just his personality.
When Elaine visits Kevin’s apartment, she sees that his wacky neighbor knocks before entering, he gets along with the postal worker who lives down the hallway, and there’s a unicycle hanging on his wall instead of a bicycle.
The Marine Biologist (9.3) – “The Sea Was Angry That Day, My Friends...”
At the end of “The Marine Biologist,” George recounts for his friends the story of how he saved a beached whale. He’d been lying about being a marine biologist, so he was called upon to help, and stepped up to the plate despite being terribly unprepared.
The monologue is delivered brilliantly by Jason Alexander. The scene takes place at Monk’s, but Alexander’s delivery takes us to the beach. And it has the perfect punchline, as the obstruction in the whale’s blowhole is revealed to be one of the golf balls that Kramer whacked into the ocean.
The Outing (9.4) – “...Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That!”
When Jerry and George are mistakenly outed as gay in the press, they repeatedly tell people that it’s incorrect – and then add, “...not that there’s anything wrong with that!”
This line is reportedly what sold Jerry Seinfeld on the idea. Larry Charles pitched the idea, but Seinfeld worried it would be considered homophobic – until Charles used that phrase and Seinfeld realized it would be a perfect catchphrase for the episode.
The Soup Nazi (9.6) – “No Soup For You!”
Season 7’s “The Soup Nazi” would be nothing without the titular character, easily the most memorable single-episode character in Seinfeld history – and maybe even in the running for the most memorable single-episode character in TV history.
The episode’s best scene is the one that introduces us to the Soup Nazi and his now-iconic catchphrase: “No soup for you!” And of course it would be George who overstepped and got banned from the store.
The Opposite (9.6) – “...We’re Gonna Take It Outside And I’m Gonna Show You What It’s Like!”
In the season 5 finale “The Opposite,” George decides that all his natural instincts are wrong and decides to do the opposite of what he’d normally do. And before too long, he’s more successful than he’s ever been in his life.
One night, when he’s out at the movies with a girl he met in Monk’s, he explodes at two guys who are talking through the movie. The line “...we’re gonna take it outside and I’m gonna show you what it’s like!” was taken from a bootleg recording of Buddy Rich yelling at his big band players for playing too loud.
The Contest (9.6) – “I’m Out!”
Widely regarded to be the show’s best episode – and considered by some publications to be the best episode of television ever – season 4’s “The Contest” flew right over the heads of TV censors with a storyline about masturbation that never actually uses the word “masturbation.”
Just a few minutes after making the bet and beginning the titular contest, Kramer sees a nudist out of Jerry’s window, goes into his apartment, returns after a short while, slams money down on the kitchen counter, and says, “I’m out!”