March is in like a lion, out like a lamb. The same can be said for the third season of Seinfeld, but perhaps in reverse.
Season 3 serves as a bridge, connecting the obscure, often bizarre inaugural episodes with the mainstream breakout of Season 4. And it connects them quite well.
The 22 episodes mark the first time the show would have a full block of programming. Season 3 includes iconic Seinfeld lines. All fans of the series know what “take the pen” and “can’t stand ya” refer to. “Maybe the dingo ate your baby” and “these pretzels are making me thirsty” come from forgettable episodes but are universally known.
It begins the metamorphosis from cult show to breakout star. By the time Season 3 is finished, the characters are completely fleshed out.
George is fully neurotic, fretting the implications of a massage by a man in “The Note” and battling rival New York City drivers in “The Parking Space” and “The Alternate Side.” Kramer is finally out of the apartment, and his sexual prowess is on full display in “The Truth” and “The Good Samaritan.” Elaine is the most level headed. Jerry has begun his girlfriend-of-the-week shtick.
Larry David has stated that Season 3 is the turning point for the show. Episodes like “The Dog,” “The Tape,” “The Stranded” and “The Keys” are some of the series’ worst. As is “The Fix Up” which won an Emmy, a testament to the incompetence of mainstream critics. “The Suicide” goes on that list too, but it earns bonus points for bringing us Wayne Knight in the role of Newman.
The weird episodes from the early seasons continue. “The Nose Job” has strange angles and artsy cuts, and the first appearance of Kramer’s alter ego, Professor Van Nostrand. “The Pen” takes us to Florida for the first time, and we spend the entire episode in Del Boca Vista with Jerry’s parents and the incomparable Sandy Baron as Jack Klompus.
“The Red Dot” brings us the first Christmas episode, along with Hennigan’s scotch and Richard Fancy as Mr. Lippman. “The Boyfriend” is the first two-parter and features the first celebrity appearance of baseball player Keith Hernandez.
The writing turns darker, and no topic is off limits. Seizures, coma’s, even the assassination of JFK are comically touched on. And there’s the ultimate WTF episode with “The Limo.”
Watching from an analytical perspective is fascinating. The genesis of the show, and now the climb to its zenith starts here. A season that has woeful episodes like “The Dog” and “The Tape” and ends with Kramer leaving for Hollywood still managed a host of classics – and some of my all-time favorites.
“The Library” is a memorable episode that brought us goofy flashbacks and the noir library cop, Lieutenant Bookman.
“The Parking Garage” is iconic for a show about nothing. The gang gets lost trying to find where they parked. Jerry has to pee, George is running late, Elaine has fish, Kramer is lugging an air conditioner. Its comedic brilliance.
“The Café” is ripe with humor. George and Elaine scheme to cheat on an IQ test. Kramer gets his first entrance applause. And we meet Babu Bhatt, a classic side character. The episode has one of the best ending lines (freeze frame cut to credits) in the series.
“The Subway” was one of my first favorite episodes when I started watching as a teenager. It marks the first time each of the four characters have their own specific and isolated story. We can easily see how the episode was the foundation for later scripts.
“The Pez Dispenser” has one of my favorite sequences – Kramer and his cologne that smells like the beach.
“The Note” is the 38th episode of the series, and one of my favorites. While season 3 ends with a clunker, “The Note” shows Seinfeld firing on all cylinders. It’s the launching point for what’s to follow.
Seinfeld is available to stream on Netflix
