DVDs About Nothing: Seinfeld Seasons 1-3

By Jonathon Berohn

It hasn’t quite been like the torture of sitting hopelessly in the Chinese Restaurant, but the long wait for Seinfeld to make its DVD debut has certainly seemed like a cruel joke for true Seinfeld fans. Fortunately, that wait is over, and we can now watch our favorite episodes over and over again.  OK—not all our favorites, as the first release encompasses only 3 of the show’s 9 seasons, but it’s certainly a good start.

The Meat

Naturally, the episodes are the heart of the Seinfeld DVD release.  Be forewarned, though, that—even for the diehard fan like myself—the first season is a bit rough.  The cast and the writers were obviously still finding their way.  Once you get past the awkward first few installments, though, you right back in the Seinfeld we all know and love. To be fair, the early episodes aren’t that bad, they just show their age more than the later shows when Jerry and crew were firing on all their comic cylinders.

The Extras

The Seinfeld DVDs are packed full of interesting extras like Jerry’s original Tonight Show appearance, making-of documentaries, and plenty of comments and reflections from the entire cast and creative team.  Oddly enough, none of the cast members ever appear together in these extras.  This approach not only misses out on any sort of interaction (which couldn’t help but be entertaining), but is also leaves the impression that the cast members don’t get along.  All in all, though, the extras help flesh out the Seinfeld experience and really let you in on how everything came together.

The Salt and Pepper Shakers

That’s right, salt and pepper shakers from the fictional Monk’s Diner.  This is what you get if you shell out an extra $20 or so for the deluxe DVD package.  Oh—and you also get a set of Seinfeld playing cards.  Huh?  I guess for some true fanatics these might be desirable to have.  For me it’s all about the show.  I’ll save the extra money for some Chinese food.