SEINFELD with Jonas Pope IV
SEINFELD is one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time. Its storylines, quotes and references have infiltrated our cultural consciousness since its debut in 1989. Sports journalist Jonas Pope IV talks about what he loved about the series and if it still holds up.
Transcript
Taylor D Adams: Hey folks, welcome to the Film Nuts podcast. I'm your host, Taylor D. Adams, and today we're talking about one of the most acclaimed sitcoms of all time. From 1989 to 1998, Seinfeld captured the attention of audiences and critics and has since infiltrated our cultural consciousness with references and quotes.
I'm discussing the show today with Jonas Pope IV, a sports writer and journalist from the Raleigh News and Observer. Growing up, a lot of his friends were watching shows like Martin and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, but Jonas was drawn to Seinfeld for its depiction of everyday life. We had a great conversation and being a fan of the show myself, uh, we tried to do more than just exchange references throughout.
So here's Jonas Pope IV talking Seinfeld on the Film Nuts podcast.
How you been, man?
Jonas Pope IV: It's crazy. I've been good, man. Trying to, um, stay busy covering news during the [00:01:00] week, but other than that, I'm good.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah. I was going to say, so now that like, uh, are sports people pretty much shifting to news at this point?
Jonas Pope IV: We're part, we're, we're moonlighting as news people.
Taylor D Adams: I gotcha.
Jonas Pope IV: Like we, we, we do sports whenever we can.
We have free time, but they have us doing news on news schedule, which is fine. It's more, it's something to do, but I miss, I miss games. I miss covering
sports.
Taylor D Adams: I know. I think a lot of people do. I think a lot of people were. Finally, glad , at least the draft is back. So they're like, Oh, let's push out as much stuff as possible.
I don't know how old you are, but like, when did you first watch, start watching Seinfeld?
Jonas Pope IV: . Well, I'm 39.
So I started watching it probably when I was in high school. So I didn't, I don't, I remember, I remember.
Taylor D Adams: Was it on like, I can't, I can't remember exactly the years were like, it aired from 89 to 98, I think like that.
But like, did you start watching it while it was still on like live?
Jonas Pope IV: Definitely. Definitely. I definitely watched it live. I will, I don't think I started, I definitely wasn't watching 89, but I [00:02:00] think I started watching the high school and I went back and kind of caught up, but no, I was definitely watching it live.
As a matter of fact, the final episode aired. day before my senior prom. In 98. And I never forget, I took a friend, I had to take one of my friends to a, to a Meet one of his cousins to get his truck to drive to the prom. . . And I was like, I can take you, but we gotta make it quick because I gotta be at home at eight o'clock.
Make sure I watch Seinfeld . So that's how serious it was. Like, I can drop you off, but we can't sit around. . And do a whole lot of talking because I, I wanna watch.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah. There were no DVRs back then.
Jonas Pope IV: No. , no. If I want, I I did record it. But I did the old fashioned one. I put a VHS. Yeah, I did on my VCR. So yeah, that dates me a little bit.
But no, I definitely watched it all throughout high school. I don't know when I started. But I got older. I definitely like was watching live as it was running. And I think I went back and caught up with the first couple. I don't really like the first couple seasons like seasons one through three.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah, it's it's kind of weird like [00:03:00] because even because I kind of grew up with it too.
I mean, I'm a little bit behind you but like What I did was, I'm pretty sure I remember just watching it first from when it was like syndicated, so like catching reruns on our local Fox station or whatever, wherever it was. And then like when I kind of got into it, my parents were into it too. So sometimes once we got like, it wasn't really catching up, it was more of like, oh, I like this thing when, when does it air ever?
. And so that's when it was still running. So we would watch it together at on N B C at eight o'clock or whatever it was. Yeah. And I was in. I was in elementary school when this thing, when it wrapped up, I think, yeah, I think it wrapped up when I was in fifth grade. Uh, and as an elementary school kid, I remember liking it.
And I still like it to this day, but I think about like, what did I like about it as a 10 year old, like, what could I possibly have understood enough about it? And I probably didn't, but [00:04:00] like, there's enough of like, I think like all ages, humor in it. Like the, the key episodes, like there are some major episodes where it's like, I probably didn't grasp it quite like, uh, The Contest, which is probably my favorite episode of all time.
Like I don't know what's going on. Um, but yeah, just like. There was something in it that I really liked about it. It was probably, I guess, the characters, like the fact that, you know, all these characters are pretty outlandish, if you think about it. And Jerry, who's like trying to play the straight man, isn't that good of an actor, but he is good enough to be the glue that holds everybody together.
Cause like when he, when he starts getting angry, it's, you know, it's funny. Like you never, I think they do an episode about that too, where he's not quite, he never gets fully angry. He just,
Jonas Pope IV: Oh, that's one of my favorites. He was like, I can be serious. Like, he's like, George, am I funny? And George looks at like, It's funny.
So even when he wasn't trying to be funny, everybody around him thought he was funny. It's actually one of me and my friends, uh, favorite moments when they're at the restaurant. He's like, George, am I being funny now? He's like, it's funny.
Like I [00:05:00] said, I got into it really when I was like 16, 15, 16, but. Even then, even though I was a little bit older than you were, I still don't know why I was drawn to it so much. Like I got the jokes, like The Contest, I kind of figured out what was going on.
. and some other things, but my peers definitely weren't watching it. My peers were watching stuff like Martin and , other stuff with more African American actors. But I was over here in my own little world watching. Seinfeld but it's just the characters, the jokes. Um, I tell people all the time, one of my friends who's a diehard, Seinfeld fan like I'm.
I think, I think I really was drawn to the fact that it's stuff that it's not right there in front of you. Like they don't boom, throw the joke right in your face. Sometimes you just gotta, you gotta kind of figure it out. I always like, like they kind of comedy, like The Contest, they don't really say what they're doing, but you're smart enough to catch what they're doing and kind of figure it out.
And it just makes everything that much funnier. Like you gotta, you really gotta work sometimes to really understand like, what's the joke here? What's the, what's the, what's the storyline?
Taylor D Adams: Yeah. Cause I imagine like, Almost pitching the idea for that episode. Like, could you say [00:06:00] "masturbate" on national TV?
Like, could you even say that word? On NBC, like, not even a ten o'clock. It was like 8, 8, 30. Yeah, it was like 8, 8, 13.
I often think about the shows that I watched growing up and think about would they, did they still hold up?
And let's say if they were brand new, like coming out today, would they still have like the appeal? And I think for the most part, this would. I did just watch like a video essay. Um, it was basically those like kids react to. So is it these college age kids watching old episodes of Seinfeld and they were they showed them some key episodes.
They showed the soup Nazi one. They showed The Contest. They showed the one with a shrinkage. . And, and then they also showed episodes with, um, uh, the cigar store Indian,
Jonas Pope IV: right? Oh, right. Which would be hella offensive now.
Cut Scene: Yeah. And even, I think at the time too, it was almost, it was almost their foray into like the cringe humor.
. Cause you're even back then when it was airing, like you could tell like the audience is uncomfortable laughing at it, but they find that [00:07:00] Jerry is such an idiot. Like that's what they're laughing at is how dumb he is. And then episodes. I forget the name of this one, but, uh, the one where Jerry is dating the girl with the toy collection.
. And he basically drugs her drugs. . In order to, in order to play with their toys, like the, the end result of like his, his objective is not harmful, but the way he goes about it cannot exist on TV right now.
Jonas Pope IV: Yeah. But definitely what he did back then is what got Bill Cosby in jail now. Yeah, like drugging her just to play with toys, but it, you know, it was funny and
Taylor D Adams: except he was playing Tecmo Bowl and that was about he was doing the G rated things after the drugging
Jonas Pope IV: and then like bringing his friend over to join him.
. Oh, that was the, uh, was that the, uh, did the Merv Griffin episode? The Merv Griffin show.
Taylor D Adams: It might've been that, that whole thing was,
Jonas Pope IV: yeah, that's one of my low key favorite episodes. It was because when Kramer brings Jerry on later, he mentions it. He's like, I hear you drugging, you're drugging your [00:08:00] girlfriend.
Taylor D Adams: He brings her on. We've got a surprise for you. . Oh, man. Yeah, like, that couldn't... There's no way that that would pass. Like... I cannot air now.
Jonas Pope IV: Not at all.
Taylor D Adams: And going back to what you were saying about the first couple seasons, I think, I remember trying to get my girlfriend into it, and we started watching from the beginning, and I knew that, like, the very beginning's, like, What wasn't quite what it ends up being. Um, it's kind of funny, but it's still kind of trying to figure it's it's kind of trying to get its legs, you know, but that first season was only they only had six episodes.
And I was like, Oh, really? That was it. And then season two, they got a little bit more. And then season three, that's when they finally got the full order, I think. . And that's when I thought they started to get more into what the show was going to. Like the appeal of what the show was going to be.
Jonas Pope IV: I remember when, um, again, I'm dating myself. This is back when you weren't streaming things. You had to buy a box, box sets of DVDs. And I remember
Taylor D Adams: I still do that. [00:09:00] Yeah. I still buy stuff. Yeah. ,
Jonas Pope IV: I can't remember what year it was exactly. Well, in the first seasons, one and two came out together. I remember one of the best, but I was like, you know what?
I'm not going to watch them, but I'll get them because I want the whole collection. I wouldn't feel right not having the whole collection. And I knew eventually I would get all nine seasons, but I remember behind season one or two, I don't think I've ever opened them. I don't think I've ever really sat in that, sat down and watch seasons one and two.
I may have like kind of skimmed through it. I think, I think maybe, uh, the restaurant, uh, episodes and maybe season one, two or three,
Taylor D Adams: the Chinese restaurant?. I think it's episode two, uh, season two. Sorry.
Jonas Pope IV: Okay. So I probably definitely watched that one, but even, even now, like in syndication, it comes on TBS, uh, in the morning, it's like Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
And if it's season one, two, I just won't to watch it. I know so many episodes. I just, I just can't get into those early episodes. I mean, I appreciate them for setting the foundation, but Once we get like four or five and it's, it's, it's, it's rolling then.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah. It makes me curious. 'cause if that, like if, let's say that show came out today and they had that first season, like six episodes or something like that.
I [00:10:00] feel there would be zero traction. I feel like, like I watch 'em now and I'm like, I just, I can't, like they're, they're tr they're trying, they're not there yet. That's the thing. Yeah. Um. But I'm very curious to know, like, I don't know what kind of behind the scenes support he got from NBC and they're like, all right, third season, that's it.
Or something like that. And then third season ended up being more of what they envisioned. And then the rest is kind of history.
Jonas Pope IV: And I was reading a book called Seinfeldia I haven't even finished it yet, but he talked about that. Like it was first few seasons. Like it was on the ropes every, every year was on the ropes, but it's surviving.
I know NBC is like, thank God it did.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah, that was, uh, yeah, it ended up being this. cultural phenomenon. Like there's so many references uh From the show that are like in the modern even modern day pop culture now, like everybody knows what the soup Nazi is like Yeah, everybody knows Festivus.
Jonas Pope IV: There's nothing that's anything wrong with that.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah. That, that whole thing.
Jonas Pope IV: If I'm having a conversation with [00:11:00] someone I'm not really able to yadda yadda, yadda. Like, well, yeah, I'm texting my friend like yada, yadda, yadda, they know exactly what I'm talking about.
Cut Scene: Double dipping is probably the one I experienced the most like at parties and stuff like that.
Jonas Pope IV: I'm quick to tell somebody like, we're out having French fries as cats on table or like don't double dip. It's like what Yeah. Don't put your mouth. It's like putting your mouth in the whole. Don't do that.
Taylor D Adams: And they're, they had some really smart episodes at the time. Like they had the one, um, Keith Hernandez one with the magic loogie.
Yeah. Like that's a, that's a straight up JFK. Yeah. Like they took the entire movie and. Made it about a spitball. Like it made about a loogie. It was ridiculous.
Jonas Pope IV: That was pretty early too. That was a pretty early episode. I think so, yeah. And I think that was one of the episodes I watched before I was like fully invested. And but I had seen JFK. It was pretty neat. If it was a little JFK thing. But yes, that's, that's a, that's, that's a pretty solid episode.
Because he went back into the left. Yeah. Magic loogie.
Taylor D Adams: The whole like. Jerry demonstrating the exact project like [00:12:00] projection of the of the loogie is just ridiculous. It's it's there's so many things that the show still holds up no doubt and I'm curious to see like how long it will still going with people still making references because like there's a newer generation of TV watchers that are that exists now and now that Seinfeld is streaming like I wonder if they will actually Watch it, be involved, be invested.
And then from there, like, will it continue to live on? Cause it's like, it's, it's iconic to us, no doubt. Um, I think for the most part it will with the exception of like those, like couple episodes that culturally would just not fly if they aired nowadays. But I think for the most part, it'll be good. Yeah.
Jonas Pope IV: I think, I think it will live on forever. I mean, people, people are still watching, uh, golden girls and good times. I mean, I think that'd be a watch Seinfeld as long as they can.
Taylor D Adams: So you mentioned that. Kind of coming up, like you were the only one of your friends that watched Seinfeld. Like did you try to get your other friends into [00:13:00] it or, and they were not interested?
Or how did that kind of go?
Jonas Pope IV: That's funny you mentioned that. So I thought, so I, this, it's funny you said that again. One of my best friends I knew he watched it because we would talk about it in class and he's probably, he's my Seinfeld expert. He's a guy I go to if I have a question he watch, he knows about it more than I do.
, so for a long time I thought we were the only ones watching. I'll never forget. Um, me and my friends in the car one night, my senior year, coming back from like a game or something. Uh, and then one of my friends, who I had no clue ever watched, he just goes, he just randomly goes, "Hellooooooo"!
You know the episode where you talk about I thought you had a stomach.
You watch Seinfeld? He's like, yeah, yeah, I've seen the episode. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, wait, have you been watching Seinfeld? He's like, yeah, I watch it. I watch it every night. And so we went this whole two or three years of high school being friends and not knowing, not knowing the other person actually watched the show.
So that was, that's kind of funny. But yeah, I have, I have a friend, like I've known him since I was like five. He's like the San Francisco expert. He's my, he's my guy I go to when I have a question about one of the shows. But yeah, he and I, um, We can have full conversations in [00:14:00] Seinfeld references
But my other friend, I think they watched, they weren't as into it as we were.
Taylor D Adams: I mean, was that like, what was it about, did you watch those other shows too? Like, did you watch, uh, the shows that your friends were also watching?
Jonas Pope IV: Yeah. I mean, I watched them a little bit later, but I was always loyal to Seinfeld. I was, Seinfeld was the one I had to watch.
It was must like NBC says must see TV.
Taylor D Adams: What was it viewing it from kind of a comparison standpoint? Was there something about Seinfeld that. What was it about Seinfeld that intrigued you more than kind of the other shows that your friends were watching at the time?
Jonas Pope IV: I know it probably sounds cliche, but it is, it was about nothing.
It felt so much like regular everyday life. Like to this day, like I'm 39 years old, I can still, something, something can happen during my day. Like, Oh man, this reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld, or this could have been on Seinfeld, or this kind of scenario happened on Seinfeld. It was just so relatable to my, my regular, you know, day to day life, as opposed to maybe [00:15:00] Fresh Prince.
Now I wasn't living in Bel Air with my rich uncle. I couldn't relate to that. . You know, I can relate to doing something stupid with my friends. You know what I'm saying? Or, I can relate to being embarrassed by something I did in front of some peers. And that was more relatable than, uh, just, you know, or these other shows that were going on.
Taylor D Adams: That's what's super interesting about Seinfeld to me is that looking back on it, um, thinking about watching it as I was coming up, I wasn't really thinking about what I was watching. I was just kind of watching it. And I remember, you know, I was young enough to be a very optimistic person about the world And I was like, why don't they ever have a happy ending?
Like I kept thinking that and then the more I the more I grew up the more I got older I realized that they were doing the opposite of what every other show was like Every other show was wrapping everything up in some kind of lesson. Um, Even i'd say to an extent, uh, it's closest tv relative might be Friends I mean, I might even air I think they aired back to back around the same night for sure.
Um, But that was even more of [00:16:00] an optimistic show. It was basically a rom com and it was entertaining, but there was never this show Seinfeld kind of paved the way for people, characters that aren't necessarily bad, but they're not great. . They're selfish, very selfish, selfish people.
And I think it paved the way for a lot of the other shows that came after it about, we started to watch shows about terrible people. Terrible being kind of a superlative adjective, but we started watching shows where the people aren't perfect We started watching shows that are about a group of friends who are really tight and care about each other But they're all assholes or something like that.
Jonas Pope IV: Yeah, they're real people. Do you watch? Um, do you watch it's always sunny in Philadelphia.
Taylor D Adams: I do I have it out I would say I used to, I haven't watched it in a couple of seasons. Um, but I, it took me a while to come around to it too. Like I didn't start watching it until probably a couple of years ago.
Jonas Pope IV: And that's an extreme, that's an extreme version of Seinfeld.
Same dynamic, three, three guys, one girl just turned up a notch. It's the exact same dynamic in Seinfeld.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah, no, yeah. That's, [00:17:00] that was probably as close in relation to me too. Another show it kind of, um, I would say it's a predecessor for, was also FX show The League. I feel like it's kind of in the similar vein, um, with just, People who are all very tight knit and very basically love one another, but they're all extremely bad to each other.
And I think that's like, I, it started to portray not only like real life, I think, but like real life friendships, like we're not always, like we always support one another friends, always support one another, but they're not going to be a hundred percent. Positive all the time. Like if you really are connected with someone you're going to make fun of them Like that's kind of you're not going to be rosy all the time Like you're just gonna you know, you're going to crack some jokes, but ultimately have their back.
Um, and I think that yeah, this should definitely kind of pave the way for that kind of genre of of tv Um, and it's definitely not for everybody but it's for a lot of people though Like it's a lot of people.
Jonas Pope IV: I was like people asked me about it and I was like, you know, try it Give it a try but [00:18:00] If it's not for you, that's okay.
And I understand that because I tell my brother, like, it's not for, uh, Seinfeld it's not for everybody. . And I, this is no, this is something I always thought, you have to be very smart and very sharp to catch the jokes and understand it to really get Seinfeld.
Taylor D Adams: . And they do this, they do this really clever thing of, and it's kind of like, it's very, so mimics everyday conversation with your friends is that if we're in a group of four people and one of them starts talking about one topic, then the second person will go back to a previous, just start talking about a previous topic that isn't even mentioned.
And then the first person will. on their original topic. Like they're just talking to no one, but they're around each other. And that's one of the, I started just picking up on that a little bit more going back recently. I watched a couple of episodes. It's like it's that kind of humor that you're really gonna to pay attention to what they're talking about.
Cause they're not talking to anybody. They're just talking and people are around to hear them.
Jonas Pope IV: Another thing too, just kind of going back, what you said about a cookie cutter TV shows. And back in day, you know, the NBC [00:19:00] It could have easily made like Jerry and Elaine eventually get together and start dating.
That's what we see on so many TV shows and movies, but they didn't. It's like, no, they're just gonna be friends. They were ex, not going to that a whole lot. They used to date. They're just friends, man. We're not gonna force this relationship on everybody on this show. And I'm so glad they never did that with so many other shows would go that route.
But yes, that's why they were unique that way. And they stood out and they did their own thing that way. Like you said, they didn't mind picking on each other. That's my favorite part because me and my friends, you know, we pick on each other all the time.
Taylor D Adams: That's what you do, man.
Jonas Pope IV: What's your, what's your, uh, I know this is your show.
I shouldn't be asking you the question.
Taylor D Adams: No, I'm, this is a conversation. This is a conversation.
Jonas Pope IV: What is your favorite, favorite episode? I guess that's a very easy question. People always ask. What's your number one? .
Taylor D Adams: Uh, The Contest I think is.
Jonas Pope IV: Yeah, you did say that's right.
Taylor D Adams: Soup Nazi is up there.
I think from, I think actually the soup Nazi episode, which nowadays you can't really throw that word around but the soup Nazi, Nazi episode at the time, it, the window that originally aired in, I [00:20:00] feel was, was probably the episode that got me into the show because I saw kind of how outrageous the characters can behave.
I don't know. It was just something that about that episode that really got me. . There was also another episode that, I can't remember what it was. Um, it might've been the episode where Jerry is hosting the marathon runner in his apartment. Mm-hmm. . Um, but there was a moment when
Jonas Pope IV: Jean Paul,
Taylor D Adams: yes, there was a moment when.
Uh, pretty sure it was this episode, but it was a, it was like the B story. Um, I'm pretty sure it was a moment where Elaine was heating a muffin up in the microwave. I remember this very specifically. She's heating a muffin up in the microwave and she missed the timer or burn it or something like this.
And... She yells "shoot" and I remember I was with my parents when we were watching this and in the moment We all thought she said "shit" and we all just looked at each other I'm I think I'm 10 like at this point we all just looked each other like did did she just say that like was that? [00:21:00] This is a network TV and for some reason and that's not like I don't remember anything else about the episode other than I think it had to do with the marathon runner, but like That's just a specific moment.
I remember about what they tried to do on TV and it makes me appreciate What they were trying to do. They were trying to do something that didn't exist They're trying to do something new and obviously we said pave the way for a bunch of other shows that similar Vein to come out after it But what about, what about you?
What was, what's your, do you have, do you have a favorite? I like to ask this question. Do you have a favorite episode? And then you have an episode where it might be the best. Like, I think there is a difference.
Jonas Pope IV: No, there definitely is a difference. I think mine is one in the same. My favorite episode is,
is The Strike
It could be so many things happening in one episode. You know what I'm saying? It can be so many different storylines with each individual person. And it just makes it so much better because like, oh man, this is going on, this is going on too.
But that's my episode because I always have my, like it's loaded. The [00:22:00] episode is loaded. You got the Festivus thing going on. You got Kramer going back to work. And then you got Elaine trying to dodge these guys, so she gave her a number, a fake number to. Like, you can get this free sub, this free Atomic sub, and then at the end it all just kinds of come together.
But yeah, that's, that's my favorite. I think that's probably the best, like, there's so many things for them. So I quote, like, Jerry, uh, dating the girl who, um, The Two Face, the good, the bad, and the ugly. She looks good in one, like, when we break the different, like, she's a Two Face. Like, my friend and I would talk about it all the time.
Oh man, you know, I saw this girl, she looks okay. I was like, she's a Two Face. And so, just stuff like that, and then Kramer, like, going on strike, like, just, and then the whole festive story, like, it's just so, the episode is loaded. That's the best way for me to describe the episode is that it's loaded.
That's my favorite, and I think it's the best. Like, so, the storylines for each person in the episode, It's like quality,
Taylor D Adams: you're right. Like there's so many quotable chunks from that entire episode. Like you start describing it and I'm thinking of all the dialogue that's happening within that. Like George's dad [00:23:00] describing Festivus and then the whole two faced and Jerry goes to chase after her.
It's like, it comes back to us. Bad lighting. Like we remember that specific line. I think a lot of the quotability also has to do with the fact that like this show is super heavily. Syndicated like in the nineties and even the two thousands and even now. So we're like, it's on all the time.
Cut Scene: Yeah. I was watching this morning.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah, we have, we have plenty of opportunities to watch it too. There's plenty of opportunities for it to kind of infiltrate our minds and the cultural zeitgeist or what have you.
Jonas Pope IV: And the crazy part about it is, um, I can have like not seen an episode if forever. And the minute it starts running, it's like muscle memory.
Like, Oh yeah, a lab could be coming up and I can say the lab perfectly right there with them. Like, Oh my God, I haven't seen the episode in years. How do I even remember that?
Taylor D Adams: It's crazy what your brain holds onto
Jonas Pope IV: This morning, the episode was on when, um, when George is dating the girl who looks like Jerry, um, .
And then I think the episode came out after that was the one when they go to, they go to Joe Mayo's party and they have the fur coat. He's like, Hey, don't tap. [00:24:00] You know, once you make sure people don't tap on the glass, like sure thing, Joe Mayo. I said that this is kind of just walk up to the room and she was like, you know, they ever do a rebrand of Seinfeld.
We'll make sure you're on there. So, you know, all these lines, it's like, I can be doing one thing and it can be as background noise. And as soon as the line comes up, I just say it right there with them. Now you realize that I even remember that line.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah. And there's so many kind of going off of that.
There's
so many side characters that exist within this universe that are still kind of. Remember, like soup Nazi. That's a character. You remember he existed for exactly one episode. Yeah. And oh, he was, except the finale. He, he came into the finale.
Uh, putty. Like putty. Yeah. Joe Mayo. Joe Mayo. Um, and a lot. Yeah. A lot of these, Tim, a lot of these side characters are huge stars. Like we recognized him from,
Jonas Pope IV: but Tim Whatley was, Wal Was Walter White from Breaking Bad?
Taylor D Adams: Yeah. Yeah. Brian Cranston was the dentist. That was ridiculous.
Jonas Pope IV: Also, I pointed this out on Twitter the other day.
I'm sure you know this breaking bag has. Tim Whatley. . Saul was up there before the episode, he dated Elaine. You know that?
Taylor D Adams: Uh, I don't specifically, but I mean, Bob Bodenkirk was big in the 90s, so I mean, I'm sure he was doing some guest roles and stuff.
Jonas Pope IV: So [00:25:00] Elaine was a, he was a doctor, he was testing, he was studying to be a doctor, he wasn't a doctor yet. . But Elaine wanted to introduce him as a doctor to everyone she met. , that was Skylar was in the early episode dating Jerry one time.
Taylor D Adams: Oh, really? Yeah, there's I mean Daphne from Frasier like she's Jerry's girls at one point. I think she plays the Virgin.
Jonas Pope IV: One of the girls from sex in the city ends up being his girlfriend. Who's
Taylor D Adams: Terry Hatcher?
Jonas Pope IV: She's from just from Desparate Housewives . From sex in the city. It was oh, he dropped a toothbrush in the toilet
Taylor D Adams: Oh, uh, Charlotte, I think was the character's name. I don't know the actor's name. . Um, but yeah, no, yeah, that one. Yeah. Terry Hatcher, like they're real and spectacular.
That's one of the, that's a quotable line for sure.
Jonas Pope IV: Oh yeah, exactly. Like, Oh, it was so funny yesterday. A friend of mine was talking about some balm. He puts on to make them feel better. . And I immediately went into Jackie Childs. I was like, who told you to put the balm on? It's just funny, like, things like that happen.
You just pop up with a Seinfeld line
Taylor D Adams: Basically, we've gotten to a point where we've consumed so much [00:26:00] TV and movies that are so quotable, we literally can have like minutes of a conversation using only quotes. And part of me thinks that's a remarkable thing that there are so many things that exist that have infiltrated our consciousness.
But the other time I'm like, Oh man, do we all lack original thought or like, what are we working on here? Oh yeah. Um, I remember the finale. Yeah, airing, the finale, like we were going back to what you're talking about earlier, like, I gotta be home. I gotta be home to watch the finale. Um, at the time, like when it was over and they're basically at a, be in jail for a year.
Um, I remember thinking like, at that point I was, that was my first reference, I think, to being consciously aware of. a tv show ending like I just want like as a kid you just watch things because they're on like you're not necessarily paying attention to almost what happened the previous episode or anything like that um because I was [00:27:00] like at the time when it aired for me I'm I'm in elementary school like I'm not watching a lot of prime time tv like that's not a thing we're doing but Seinfeld and Friends are the shows that I watch um and so like having at that point being consciously aware that it was ending I was like So there are no more like that was the first time I was like, Oh, this, this is it though.
This is the end. I remember thinking like, Oh, I'm kind of disappointed, but like Looking back on it. No, this ending made absolutely a hundred percent sense to me like these people Have not been the greatest people on the planet and they're finally being kind of judged for their they're paying for their actions These are the consequences and it's a year in jail because they've never done anything abhorrent Other than the side of maybe Jerry drugging his girlfriend to play with her video games, but outside of that, like there were just people who had flaws that ended up being the wrong place at the wrong time and they have to go to jail for a year.
Jonas Pope IV: Yeah. People didn't like the ending though, but to me, I [00:28:00] thought the best part about the, uh,
Cut Scene: I don't think people like endings though. Like, I don't think, I can't think of an ending that I think is globally, that is globally accepted as perfect. Like that's, that's how it should end.
Jonas Pope IV: Yeah. I thought people were okay with Breaking Bad, speaking of Tim Whatley.
But, I think one thing I took away from the end, even to this day, I still watch this is how they, like, like we said earlier, how they, how they brought everybody back and like, how they, how they put people on the stand to. To testify as character witnesses. And like, it really made you look back like that.
These people really were assholes. Like they were jerks and kind of bad people. Not, not, not like criminal, but they were like, they were, they were bad people. . They were, they were very selfish and bad people. And you don't, you don't, you didn't realize it throughout the run. I mean, I, you know. George was bad.
He admitted. He was bad.
Taylor D Adams: He basically committed manslaughter.
Jonas Pope IV: They brings people back and they want to stand testify. And you're looking around like, they were pretty bad and. I thought it did. It put a perfect bow on the [00:29:00] series.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah. And that episode where Susan dies was probably. . It was dark, but the way all the characters handled it was absolutely perfect to who they were.
. Like, it's so weird to have a death happen in a series and then they all just go, wow, okay. And
then they walk away from it.
Jonas Pope IV: Then you remember he went back later. He went back to the same hospital later because he hurt his back. They were like George? He was like, same hospital. Like, wow. He slipped on envelopes. It hurt his back to the same hospital. I do like, I do like how, um, that show would call back to like, Previous seasons or stuff that had happened.
, I mean a lot of shows do that, but I thought it was very neat
Taylor D Adams: And that was a weird thing too is like up until this streaming platform Not necessarily with Seinfeld existing on a streaming platform but since streaming platforms have existed like we've started to get shows That you can binge and a lot of times on a [00:30:00] regular show, if it airs once a week, sometimes you might forget some stuff.
That's why they put the recap in the beginning, but on a bingeable model, like you immediately remember stuff. So I recently started rewatching Seinfeld and I basically started at season four because it's. Like a really good season and from the very beginning like like four or five episodes in like it all is connected It's never how I used to think of it of each individual's episode is just different stories, but they are all connected There's an overarching thing that they're going through.
And it's just something that like you don't I didn't realize at the time but now i'm like, oh wow, this is There's a lot more going on here than I used to think as the nine to ten year old just watching the show Cuz I thought Kramer was funny. Like that was that was basically it. Yeah. Well Jonas.
Thanks for joining me, man This is this is fun to talk about
Jonas Pope IV: Oh no problem, I enjoyed it. I could talk about Seinfeld until I turn blue in the face
Taylor D Adams: I know it's like these good shows like you can definitely just start just talking about and a lot of it is conversation we're like Oh, you remember the one time?
Oh, you remember the [00:31:00] one time? Like, that's all it is.
Jonas Pope IV: So that's it. And I want to tell you this before I leave. I did, uh, my claim to fame with Seinfeld is I went to a, uh, a trivia night over the summer at a, a crank brewery. It's downtown. I think it's like Dawson street.
Cut Scene: Crank arm? Crank arm.
Jonas Pope IV: Crank arm. Yeah.
. Yeah. So they had like
one of my friends, she does a lot of trivia. She's like, Hey, they got a Seinfeld trivia. I was like, Oh man, you gonna play with me? She's like, I've never seen the show. So I was like,
I put it on Twitter. Like I'm going to a Seinfeld trivia.
Who wants to come? Like nobody can answer. I ended up going by myself. She and I went together. Yeah. She's like, I can't play. I never watched the show. So I ended up playing and it was like six or seven teams. Like teams full of people, like four or five people per team. . I came in second. So that's my claim to fame.
Okay. I slayed so many teams by myself.
Taylor D Adams: What was the most obscure question you got right?
Jonas Pope IV: I can't even remember. It was, it was last summer. I can't remember to be honest with you, but it was some stuff that I dug up and she was like, how do you know that? Like, why do you remember that? She was like, why do you remember this most most random things about this show?
You'd be surprised.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah. It's just like [00:32:00] stuck in your memory. Like it's been the show's been with you since. You were a senior in high school like even before even before then.
Jonas Pope IV: Yeah My senior year was the last year. Even before then and I still watch it. Like I don't If
I turn the tv on it's on I can't watch.
Yeah, I can't not watch something.
Taylor D Adams: Well, it's good talking to you, man. Um, stay safe . Stay stay stay indoors. I think this uh, I think this whole stay at home order is in place till the 8th at least and
Jonas Pope IV: then we'll kind of May 8th.
Taylor D Adams: Yeah. And then we'll start, we'll start the phases of what that's supposed
Jonas Pope IV: to look like, but uh, That's fine with me.
I'm fine with staying home.
Taylor D Adams: But anyway, um, stay safe, man. Thanks for talking with me.
Jonas Pope IV: Hey, I appreciate it, Taylor.
Taylor D Adams: It was great talking with Jonas. Seinfeld is definitely one of the great sitcoms of all time. But after looking back on it after more than 20 years since it ended, there are definitely some problematic episodes, but that's to be expected.
It comes with the territory of the evolution of art over time. We're a little more sensitive and aware of other people's plights, but I think the important takeaways from this series are its redefinition of what sitcom characters could be, and how we can find humor in the everyday. So, that's it for this week.
If you like what you heard, please subscribe to keep up to date with more episodes, and be sure to rate us and leave a review. It helps with the uh, algorithm, or something like that. Anyways, until next time, Serenity now.