For a show famously about nothing, there’s a lot going on in Seinfeld. From one-off characters (What ever happened to Jerry’s landlord Silvio?) to offscreen regulars (My friend Bob Sacamano …) to enough references to unseen siblings to make your head spin (Jerry has a sister?!), the lore of the NBC smash hit that changed the sitcom runs deep. As Larry David explained to Rolling Stone in 2014, he and Jerry Seinfeld conceived of the show as a way to show viewers what goes into writing stand-up comedy. “That was also part of the whole initial concept,” he said. “We would follow Jerry around throughout his day or week, and whatever he experienced in the episode, he would do a stand-up routine about it at the end. So really, it was going to be called ‘Seinfeld,’ or, parentheses, ‘How a Comedian Gets His Material.’” Over nine seasons and 180 episodes, there’s more material than most people could keep straight. How do you stack up?
Scoring:
0-30 percent: Ladies and gentlemen, I implore you. Have you watched this show since it was in reruns on terrestrial TV? You’re pretty sure there’s four main characters, and pride yourself on remembering the lanky one’s first name, but aren’t quite sure why the zaftig neighbor seems to have it out for the main guy. Lucky for you, all nine seasons are streaming on Netflix — for now.
30-60 percent: Prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay good. (OK, that’s from the other show, but it feels appropriate.) You know your Shmoopie from your Mulva, can remember most of the times Elaine and Puddy broke up, and can sing along with George’s answering machine message, but still notice new cameos and voiceovers from Larry David on each rewatch. You have a healthy relationship with the show — ironically, something that none of the characters in it could really pull off.
60-100 percent: You are the master of your domain. You’ve questioned whether dates are spongeworthy, used the phrases “lesser babka” and “I don’t trust men in capes” in regular conversation, and cracked a little smile when you pass a Latvian Orthodox church. You’ve shouted “Get out!” while pushing a friend in excitement and tripped your way into a room (though hopefully missed the table). You appreciate the time capsule to an old New York that Seinfeld offers, where people are terrible, work comes second, and long conversations over diner coffee reign supreme.
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