So the first “real” episode(“Male-Unbonding”) of Seinfeld Series 1 following the pilot….now largely recognisable as “Seinfeld” with the opening credits now playing over the opening standup and Julia Louis-Dreyfus added to the regular cast (although only one main scene in this episode).

The apartment exterior is now the well-recognised location scene of the nine series. Jerry and George’s opening conversation in the lift is classic “show about nothing” dialogue. George laments how he told a girl he liked her to cover his embarrassment at diving in his pocket for something and coming out with some used dental floss. What’s funny about this scene is George’s wearing of a bum bag is left without comment until the final moments of the conversation. We all know it looks ridiculous, but Jerry saves the best for last observing that George appears as if his “belt is digesting a small animal”.

The second scene in the apartment is classic early Seinfeld as well. Kramer is making himself right at home on Jerry’s couch and chatting on his phone. It’s for Jerry…his old childhood ping-pong buddy Joel who wants to get together. And here David and Seinfeld neatly introduce the central plot of the episode…how to break up with a friend you no longer have anything in common with. A familiar social dilemma which Jerry follows through with in the stand up.

Then in the diner (the real diner!) Jerry endures a boring lunch with Joel. While Joel interrogates the waitress as to their type of turkey Jerry amuses himself with outlandish conversation pieces that Joel completely misses. “I’m thinking about going to Iran…it’s the annual terrorists’ luncheon”. Amazing how this episode from the late 90s is still topical today in so many ways. Anyway, needless to say Jerry’s attempt to “break -up” with Joel fails dismally, with Joel in tears and Jerry feeling bad and then asking him to a basketball game. It’s quite the scene with Jerry trotting out the “It’s not you, it’s me” line.

Jerry and George then appear in the bank…one of the few scenes in such a location (although the bank does feature in the later series when Jerry’s Nana has to go to Chemical Bank when Jerry cashes years of her birthday cheques and they bounce). George is waiting patiently to cash in his big jar of change. Some nice exchanges here which set up George’s cheapness, a character flaw which is mercilessly exploited in many future storylines.

Back in Jerry’s apartment then with George rolling his own change after the bank refuse to count it for him. And joy of joys, Kramer’s first crazy scheme (which recurs later in the Poppy/restaurant episodes)…an idea for a restaurant where customers make their own pizza pie. The phone rings and Jerry tells a lie to get out of going to the game with Joel….”he has to tutor his nephew”.

Cut to Elaine and Jerry now in the apartment. Delightfully she mocks Jerry who is writing a list of possible excuses he can use next time Joel rings. And here again they capture the tone of Elaine as a character very neatly with her noticeable attitude to going out with Jerry to a cappucino bar

Elaine: “What are we going to do there…talk?”,

Jerry: “We could talk”,

Elaine: “I’ll go if I don’t have to talk”.

And so it goes on. Lovely.

Suddenly Joel and Kramer appear at the door. Joel took Kramer to the game in Jerry’s place. The list of excuses Jerry and Elaine then come up with to avoid socialising with Joel at a later date is wonderful. My personal favourite is their protestation of choir practice where they are rehearsing for a concert of “Eastern European national anthems”…”what with the wall being down and all”.

Stand-up. The End.

How quickly it improved from the pilot.