Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse. Spoilers will be included in this review.
Seinfeld: The Dinner Party is the 13th episode of the 5th season in the hit sitcom, created by Larry David and stars Jerry Seinfeld, Micheal Richards, Jason Alexander, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The episode follows the four friends as they meet up to go to a dinner party they have all been invited to, before getting on their way however they decide to stop for wine and cake as a gift to the hosts. What follows is a zany night of adventures that none of them expected.
Under The Lens: Event scripting & Character interaction
Event scripting: Seinfeld on its own is a masterclass in comedy television, and The Dinner Party itself is no exception. It is perhaps one of the finest episodes of half-hour television ever aired and showcased everything that made Seinfeld iconic. The episode events are almost perfectly scripted, with encapsulated events happening to the different members of the gang, there really is no climax to the episode, only payoffs for the various events for each person. Each of these events ranges from the zany to the commonplace, and the episode jumps from Jerry suffering food poisoning to a possible middle east dictator double parking and blocking in Geroge and Kramer.
Character interaction: the heart of a sitcom is its cast, and many sitcoms have failed at creating a core cast whose interactions form the foundation of the narrative. The Dinner Party excels at showcasing how our characters interact with each other, and the world around them. This episode primarily shows the pairing of Geroge and Kramer and Jerry and Elaine, then all four of them. It’s interesting seeing Kramer and Geroge without Jerry to control the quirks they each exhibit which results in many hijinks. However the unlike other shows the hijinks take a backseat to the conversations and developments between the friends.
Highlights
- When George and Kramer have an interaction with a man who doubled parked and blocked them in and discovers he may or may not be Saddam Hussein
- The interactions with various nefarious side characters such as the liquor store owner or bakery clerk
- The vast majority of the episode took place outside of Jerry’s apartment and we got to see a wider swath of the world of the show
Quotable Quote
Jerry Seinfeld: Look to the cookie Elaine, look to the cookie!
Something to think about
Have you ever had a wild night out with friends where nothing went as planned?
Conclusion
Overall The Dinner Party is an excellent half-hour of television, it perfectly balances our character’s comedic talents with each other while giving us some unlikely pairings. The episode had near-perfect script encounters and dialogue and is capped off by the bizarre appearance of a middle eastern dictator. Now of this episode should work, such as the pairing of Kramer and Geroge who are both the funny man in the shows various comedy duos. However, with this script and setting, it works brilliantly showing a different side to them. The Dinner Party may be one of Seinfeld’s finest episodes, balancing humor, antics and jump the shark moments into a wonderful blend.
