These classic ‘Seinfeld’ episodes wouldn’t work today

Dubbed the “show about nothing,” Seinfeld is the prototypical sitcom and one of the first to dedicate entire episodes to the mundane: awkward dating moments, getting lost in a parking garage, and waiting in line for a babka.

But while Seinfeld remains one of the most acclaimed TV shows of all time, we found that some of its most famous storylines don’t quite hold up in our modern, mobile world.

Episode 2: The Stakeout

The original plot: Jerry meets an attractive girl at a birthday dinner but only remembers the name of the company where she works. With no other option, he and George stakeout her office lobby to wait for her to pass. When they can’t get their story straight about why they’re there, George insists on saying he’s an architect, and the whole thing blows up in Jerry’s face.

The plot in 2014: Jerry meets an attractive girl at a birthday dinner, but only remembers the name of the company where she works. With no other option, he looks her up on Facebook through a common friend. He quickly finds her full name, where she went to college, and what her favorite quote is. After swiping through her old photos for a good 10 minutes, he accidentally “likes” the one of her in a bathing suit and the whole thing blows up in Jerry’s face.

Photo by melenita/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Episode 23: The Parking Garage

The original plot: Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer can’t find their car in the shopping mall parking garage after buying an air conditioner. While constantly going in circles and up and down stairs, the group becomes separated, Jerry relieves himself in a corner, and all hope is soon lost.

The plot in 2014: Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer can’t find their in the shopping mall parking garage after buying an air conditioner. Kramer pulls up his MyCar Locator app on his Android phone, they all find the car, and get home earlier than expected. 

Episode 54: The Movie

The original plot: Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer all plan to catch a late screening of the new blockbuster, Checkmate. George goes early to buy the tickets and meet everyone at the door. When they keep missing each other and end up in multiple theaters, their movie night is ruined.

The plot in 2014: Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer all plan to catch a late screening of the new blockbuster, Checkmate. George buys the tickets early online, and sends a group text to let everyone know where to meet. Everyone loves the movie and has a great night together.

Episode 77: The Dinner Party

The original plot: Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer are on their way to a dinner party and want to bring a babka from one of the city’s best bakeries. After waiting in line for ages and getting their car trapped by a double parker, they give up on the dinner party and everyone goes back home upset.

The plot in 2014: Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer are on their way to a dinner party and want to bring a babka from one of the city’s best bakeries as their contribution. Elaine has a Taskrabbit wait in line for her and deliver the babka to her office. They all arrive at the party on time and everyone agrees the babka was their favorite.

Photo by ginnerobot/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Episode 9: The Phone Message

The original plot: After an awkward ending to an otherwise enjoyable date, George is worried that he’s missed his chance. He leaves a series of increasingly desperate, and hostile, messages on his date’s home answering machine before discovering she’s out of town. Jerry and George are forced to hatch a half-baked plan to steal the tape from her apartment.

Photo by micurs/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

The plot in 2014: After an awkward ending to an otherwise enjoyable date, George is worried that he’s missed his chance. He texts his date a quick text the next day and finds out she’s heading out of town but wants to meet up as soon as she’s back.