Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Seinfeld: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

"No soup for you!"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 25, 2024

Merry Christmas, kids! It's that time of year when chunky box sets pop up under the Christmas tree and we're left to ponder things in our heart. Things like, should I buy the 4K or standard Blu-ray version of Seinfeld: The Complete Series with my Amazon gift cards since no one apparently knew me well enough to get me the high-definition debut of one of my all-time favorite sitcoms? Then there's a heavy sigh, the longing of true companionship, the questioning of life decisions, and the cold stare at a family more willing to hand you poorly wrapped socks and ties than to toss their funds together to get you something special. Mom gets plenty. She's over there crying because junior made a card. The wife makes out like a bandit. A diamond pendant, clothes she actually wants. And the kids? Good God, the kids feast on toys like kings. But you? Your dad? The two of you smile, nod and say things like, "all I wanted for Christmas was to have all of you here, in one place. It makes this old heart happy." But you know what you really want to do. Fall asleep to the sweet siren song of Jerry, Kramer, Elaine and George wandering around a parking garage trying to find their car. Preferably in 4K, but Blu-ray will do; after all, the standard BD comes damn close to its big 4K brother, if the widescreen presentation doesn't make your scalp itch. Sigh. Christmas.

Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld's infamously famous show about quote-unquote nothing has stood the test of time as one of the biggest somethings in sitcom history for decades now. Hilarious is an understatement. Memorable, classic and timeless the same. Seinfeld is one of television's greats. Part of the genius of the series' nine seasons is that the nothings will always be funny. Seinfeld doesn't wallow in pop culture humor or jokes that might land in the 1990s but grow tiresome or less amusing as time trudges onward. The show's a gut-buster because it deals in high stakes little moments that mean something to those at the center of the drama or hilarity, but little else to the world.

A rude cook is a brief irritation in the real world. In Seinfeld he becomes the Soup Nazi; a towering villain willing to stand in the way of a hurried woman and the one thing that might brighten her day if she says the wrong word. A neighbor full of good-natured schemes wouldn't be a loyal friend in real life, merely a next-door eccentric always up to strange business. In Seinfeld he's Kramer, beloved by tens of millions for his zany inventions and bizzarro takes on the trivial matters of life. Your ex-girlfriend's embarrassing dance moves would be cause for a groan. In Seinfeld it becomes Elaine's terrible dance to the delight of legions; a cult sensation people can recreate almost step for step, gesture for gesture. And those are just three quick examples out of a potential- hundreds I could mention and get you chuckling to yourself. A bad Seinfeld episode is as rare as a person who never yada yada yada's. The series ruled the airwaves from July 5, 1989 to May 14, 1998 with 180 killer episodes. It continues to murder in syndication, online via streaming, and now on physical media thanks to Sony's new Blu-ray and 4K releases.

Standup comedian Jerry (naturally played by Seinfeld himself). Neurotic best friend George Costanza (my Seinfeld spirit animal Jason Alexander). Hopelessly longing for love ex Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Wild-eyed neighbor Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). The series' fearsome foursome is a force to be reckoned with, but it's the character's characters they encounter from day to day that vaults the show from funny to hilarious. Nosy postal worker and arch-nemesis Newman (Wayne Knight). Jerry's parents Morty (Barney Martin) and Helen (Liz Sheridan). George's parents Frank (national treasure Jerry Stiller) and Estelle (Estelle Harris). Dear, dear Uncle Leo (Len Lesser). Elaine's boss, the indominable Jacopo J. Peterman (John O'Hurley). The forever-antagonized owner of Monk's, Larry (Lawrence Mandley). Morty's arch enemy Jack Klompus (Sandy Baron). Omni-voiced, always faceless Yankee owner George Steinbrenner (Larry David).

More? How 'bout Jerry's high on... erm... life dentist Tim Whatley (Bryan Cranston, God love 'im.) On-again off-again baritoned boyfriend David Puddy (Patrick Warburton). Hot-tempered little person Mickey Abbott (Danny Woodburn). NBC president Russell Dalrymple (Bob Balaban). Hack comedian Kenny (Steve Hytner). Kramer's strange lawyer Jackie (Phil Morris). George's would-be in-laws the Ross's (Warren Frost and Grace Zabriskie). Immigrant who thinks Jerry is a "very, very bad man" Babu Bhatt (Brian George). Supervisor Matt Wilhelm (Richard Herd). "Top of the Muffin to You!" founder and owner Mr. Lippman (Richard Fancy). And Jerry's many, many, many girlfriends. And those are mainly the people who pop up in more than one episode. There's an endless array of unforgettable one-off characters; more perhaps than any other sitcom has popularized.

Any single group of characters could be a sitcom all their own. George's high-strung family. Kramer's wacko friends. Elaine's parade of bad boyfriends. Jerry's encounters with everyone from The Bubble Boy to Izzy Mandelbaum. But a single plotline never dominates. Jerry's standup opens each episode, a string of two to four subplots are introduced in succinct fashion, then it's off to the races, leaping back and forth between Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer as they encounter weird denizens of New York, search for love, scramble up the corporate ladder, switch career paths, try and fail to get married, deal with crazy parents, or vie to win heightened social battles with anyone who stands in their way.

It's hard to describe how exactly Seinfeld is a "show about nothing" to those who haven't savored it, or who've reached the subplot in which Jerry meta-pitches a show about nothing to the series' faux-NBC head honchos. Ongoing plotlines are kept to a bare minimum, one-and-done episodes reign supreme, and anything complex is tossed out in favor of wandering around a parking garage for twenty-plus minutes, searching for a car. It's the mundane made remarkable, the trivial made electric, the ordinary made extraordinary. Sharp scripts and sharper comic performances are the brew on tap here, and it's in those razor-witted characters, serrated showdowns and cutting banter that Seinfeld rises to the top of the sitcom pile. It will never be everyone's favorite sitcom -- no sitcom could -- but you can hop into any episode, drop by Monk's Cafe for any conversation and walk away with guaranteed laughs. You could almost watch the series entirely out of order (as anyone who came to love the show in syndication will attest) and come away completely satisfied with the ride.

Viewed in 2024 -- in quite the hurried late-December marathon -- the series still soars. Even episodes I've watched at least a dozen times still land devastating blows to the funny bone. Only a handful of misguided eps (I'm looking at you series finale) serve as dips and dives throughout the show's nine seasons, and they're fortunately very few and far between. Will there every be another sitcom like it? One that gathered millions together as was the case in the '90s? Probably not. With the advent of the internet, digital streaming, and on-demand binge watching, appointment TV is likely dead. Water cooler chat is more about avoiding spoilers than discussing the night before. And shows about nothing... well, has there been any more? Seinfeld remains the reigning champ, and time only ages it like fine wine. Grab the 4K release (original 1.33:1 broadcast aspect ratio) or the BD edition (1.78:1 modern streaming/syndication aspect ratio) and enjoy it all over again.

Seinfeld: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The primary difference between the Blu-ray and 4K releases -- other than the 4K edition's HDR10 boost and inherent increase in detail -- is the aspect ratio at which the series is presented. While the 2160p 4K edition offers the original broadcast presentation at 1.33:1, the standard 1080p/AVC-encoded Blu-ray edition features a more modern 1.78:1 widescreen presentation. Thankfully, though, it appears to have received the same back-to-the-elements remaster as its 4K cousin, making for little to gripe about. It really comes down to subjectivity. Despite how much I prefer the 1.33:1 4K version and want to trumpet its qualities, the truth is the Blu-ray is nearly as good, particularly for those who grumble every time a release requires the use of black bars at the sides of the screen. Grain is essentially identical, though there is a touch more chunkiness in some shots. The only other difference I'll swear to is the amount of crush. Both versions see the occasional crush (the culprit being some episodes' relatively low lighting and the original photography rather than an issue with either encode), but the Blu-ray struggles a bit more, presumably because of the lack of HDR10. Otherwise, all is well. Those who are price conscious will find it terribly easy to settle, as you needn't settle very far to go with the Blu-ray over the 4K edition.

But on to the specifics. The Blu-ray boasts rich, warm colors, beautifully balanced contrast leveling, satisfying black levels, decidedly solid delineation, and primaries that pack some hefty punch. Skin tones are dialed in perfectly and very lifelike, and the bold, at-times garish hues of the 1990s are on full display, from neon blues to featherweight lavenders to buoyant oranges and yellows. Seinfeld is as colorful a show as any, and the new remaster showcases it well. Detail is also very good -- very, very good -- from the clean, halo-free edges to the crisply defined textures of Kramer's jackets, Jerry's button-ups, George's sweaters and Elaine's tops. A largely consistent and pleasing veneer of grain is present at all times, without ever swarming the foregrounds too much or mucking up the proceedings. Add to that a complete lack of print or film damage or blemishes, an absence of encoding issues like artifacting or banding, and no real problems to point to other than the aforementioned crush, which is exceedingly minor and easy to look past.

Oh, and those old DVDs? Like the 4K edition, the standard Blu-ray release of Seinfeld makes anything that's come before it laughably outdated. The upgrade is so substantial, so obvious, so worthy of every dollar the box set will cost you that you'll never need to save space for those old chunky sets again. The edge goes to the 4K, obviously. But that's the only way you could do better with Seinfeld, and many who don't care about the aspect ratio will argue that the difference in price is too good to pass up.

Seinfeld: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Slap bass has never sounded so good, nor have Junior Mints rattled in a box so simultaneously sweetly and menacingly. Seinfeld: The Complete Series includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that nearly matches the video presentation pound for pound. Dialogue is clear, intelligible at all times, and neatly prioritized, without anything in the way of effects that overwhelm the foursome's voices. Outdoor scenes come complete with street noise and thinner voices, but that's a product of the shoot and production, hardly an issue with the lossless mix. The rear speakers, in fact, are bustling with light, airy activity and plenty of finely tuned directional subtleties, making each location, apartment, store and street corner sound the part. LFE output isn't overly aggressive but lends plenty of support when called upon, lending weight and presence to heavier effects and music downbeats. Dynamics are excellent too and, like the video transfer, there's next to nothing here to criticize. Purchase with confidence.

Seinfeld: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Seinfeld: The Complete Series features simple packaging: an outer slipbox that houses eight black 4K BD cases, the first for Seasons 1 & 2, each that follows after with a single season, from 3 to 9. Nothing fancy. Nothing special. But nothing cumbersome or annoying either. Well, aside from some missing special features, among them several documentaries (e.g. the hour-long documentary about the show's origins), archival TV appearances and promos, Sein-imations, "Notes About Nothing" subtitle trivia tracks and easter eggs. Available extras, though, include:

Seasons 1 & 2

• Audio Commentaries
• Deleted Scenes
• Inside Look Segments
• "The Seinfeld Chronicles" Alternate Episode
• "The Revenge" Alternate Episode
• Bloopers

Season 3

• Audio Commentaries
• Deleted Scenes
• Inside Look Segments
• Bloopers

Season 4

• Audio Commentaries
• Deleted Scenes
• Inside Look Segments
• "The Handicap Spot" Syndicated Version
• Bloopers

Season 5

• Audio Commentaries
• Deleted Scenes
• Inside Look Segments
• Bloopers

Season 6

• Audio Commentaries
• Deleted Scenes
• Inside Look Segments
• Bloopers

Season 7

• Audio Commentaries
• Deleted Scenes
• Inside Look Segments
• Bloopers

Season 8

• Audio Commentaries
• Deleted Scenes
• Inside Look Segments
• Bloopers

Season 9

• "The Roundtable," a retrospective featuring Larry David and the cast
• Audio Commentaries
• Deleted Scenes
• Inside Look Segments
• Bloopers

Seinfeld: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Which to buy, which to buy? Price conscious consumers and those without 4K players really only have to answer a single question: how much do you care about the series' aspect ratio and original broadcast presentation? If you prefer watching Seinfeld as God intended, pony up the extra gift cards and go with the 4K edition, which boasts HDR10 colors, more detail, and a 1.33:1 broadcast transfer. If you don't care or prefer a widescreen presentation, though, you'll be happy to know it still looks fantastic. Sony clearly put effort into both releases rather than heavily favoring the 4K edition. Buy with confidence. Both sets come highly recommended.