10 Best ‘Seinfeld’ Episodes Of All Time

“Seinfeld” remain some of TV’s most watched TV shows from the past 25 years

Seinfeld is a popular American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1989 to 1998. Created by comedian Jerry Seinfeld and writer Larry David, the show is often described as a “show about nothing” and follows the lives of four friends – Jerry Seinfeld, George Costanza, Elaine Benes, and Cosmo Kramer – as they navigate their daily lives in New York City.

The show is known for its observational humor and satire, often exploring social conventions and norms in a humorous and irreverent way. Each episode is typically structured around a series of unrelated events and subplots that eventually converge in unexpected ways.

Created by Larry David and star Jerry Seinfeld, the gang’s all-time excellent sitcom — that’s not just a staple of ‘90s network offerings but of history-making entertainment globally funny — first aired on July 5, 1989, under the title “The Seinfeld Chronicles.” The pilot episode introduced the semi-autobiographical story of a stand-up comic living, loving, and languishing alongside his closest friends in New York City, and would re-air a year later when the first season kicked off in earnest under the simple moniker: “Seinfeld.”

Whilst the series was poorly received by test audiences (so poorly received, in fact, that the series nearly didn’t get made), critics and fans quickly latched onto the brilliance bubbling beneath its simple conceit. With an earworm bass line and a revolving door of hilarious running gags, “Seinfeld” boasted a distinct feel from the start. That self-assuredness would make the series one of NBC’s most successful.

Seinfeld would play a fictional version of himself across nine stellar seasons, with “Seinfeld” racking up 10 Emmys (and an additional 68 nominations) during its 180-episode run. The comedian starred opposite Jason Alexander as George Constanza, a cranky sports fan with terminally bad luck; Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes, a loud and opinionated editor who used to date Jerry; and Michael Richards as Cosmo Kramer, Jerry’s larger-than-life neighbor and an iconic renaissance man of the small screen.

The best “Seinfeld” episodes intertwine the storylines of all four characters, letting Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer’s distinct personalities drive the action to hilarious effect with a fantastic script in every episode. Even in episodes that focus more heavily on one or two of the legendary TV friends, the group’s overarching philosophy — an extension of David and Seinfeld’s combined wisdom and wit — helps specific episodes stand out.

With the caveat that cherry-picking any series as fantastic as “Seinfeld” is an exercise in futility (or should we say, fusilli-ty?): Here are the 10 of the best “Seinfeld” episodes, from “The Switch” and “The Stall” to “The Merv Griffin Show” and “The Contest.”

10. “The Junior Mint (Season 4, Episode 20)

A lot happens in “The Junior Mint”: George invests in some art, Elaine reconnects with an old flame, and Jerry forgets the name of a woman he’s dating. But the main event comes in a surgical operating theater, where Kramer drops a minty, chocolate-coated treat inside of a patient.

9. “The Strike” (Season 9, Episode 10)

It’s a Festivus for the rest of us in this all-time “Seinfeld” holiday episode. Kramer returns to work at H&H Bagels after a 12-year strike — only to immediately go on strike again, when his time-off request to celebrate a fake holiday George’s dad invented gets denied.

8. “The Switch” (Season 6, Episode 11)

Jerry flies too close to the Sun in “The Switch,” a calamitous dating scheme that sees the stand-up comedian attempt to trade one attractive roommate for the other. Simultaneously, Elaine tries to retrieve Mr. Pitt’s tennis racket when she lends it to someone without permission. Plus, the gang finally learns Kramer’s first name.

7. “The Stall” (Season 5, Episode 12)

This grab-bag episode boasts Kramer and George climbing a mountain, plus suspicions that Jerry’s new girlfriend works for a phone sex line. But “The Stall” gets its title and centerpiece plotline from an argument between Elaine and a woman she thinks is a stranger about toilet paper in a movie theater’s restroom.

6. “The Chinese Restaurant” (Season 2, Episode 11)

On their way to see a limited showing of “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” Jerry, George, and Elaine stop by a Chinese restaurant for dinner — without reservations. As showtime ticks closer, the three friends fight hunger, a host of self-made personal pickles, and a restaurant manager who repeatedly insists they’ll only need to wait “five, ten minutes.”

5. “The Marine Biologist” (Season 5, Episode 14)

Lies run rampant in the deeply funny “The Marine Biologist.” Elaine’s naivety, and an annoying electronic organizer, land her in hot water after she repeats one of Jerry’s fibs to a Russian author working with Pendant Publishing. Meanwhile, George pretends to be a marine biologist when he starts seeing an old crush from college.

4. “The Chicken Roaster” (Season 8, Episode 8)

Jerry and Kramer switch apartments, then personalities, when a chicken restaurant’s neon red sign starts shining into their building. Also, this episode: Elaine lies about an expensive personal purchase, then travels to Burma, when she’s audited at J. Peterman.

3. “The Parking Garage” (Season 3, Episode 6)

The gang carpools to the mall and parks in a sprawling multi-level deck. With an air conditioner, live goldfish, and full bladder in tow, Kramer, Elaine, Jerry, and George rush to find Kramer’s car before George misses his parents’ anniversary dinner.

2. “The Comeback” (Season 8, Episode 13)

George’s snide coworker kicks off the hysterical revenge arc of “The Comeback” with the unforgettable line: “Hey George, the ocean called: They’re running out of shrimp!” Armed with what he thinks is the perfect retort, George endeavors to create the conflict again.

1. “The Contest” (Season 4, Episode 10)

After George’s mother catches him masturbating, the embarrassed curmudgeon pledges to never self-pleasure again. Soon, the disbelieving Elaine, George, and Kramer join their friend in a winner-take-all chastity bet for $450.

The main characters are known for their distinct personalities and quirks. Jerry Seinfeld is a successful comedian who often serves as the voice of reason among his friends. George Costanza is Jerry’s best friend and is known for his neurotic and self-deprecating personality. Elaine Benes is Jerry’s ex-girlfriend and close friend, and Cosmo Kramer is Jerry’s eccentric neighbor, known for his wild hair, outlandish ideas, and unexpected entrances.

Over the course of its nine seasons, Seinfeld won numerous awards and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. Its impact on popular culture is also notable, with catchphrases and references from the show remaining a part of everyday conversation even today.