Seinfeld (TV Series) The Checks (1996) User Reviews

Great show...

[tenthousandtattoos · 8/10 · 22 July 2007]

One of my all-time favourite episodes of this great show. Unlike a lot of Seinfeld fans I really love the 8th and 9th seasons of this show after Larry David's departure. I don't know...the more zany slapstick stuff in these later episodes and just the general chaotic weirdness of every episode really got me laughing in fits, and seem to stand up better to repeated viewings than the earlier ones, which have dated quite poorly not just in the wardrobe...but the humour itself. Whereas, good old slapstick is timelessly hilarious! In this episode, Kramer befriends the Japanese tourists, Elaine dates the "Desperado" guy, and Jerry and George try to sell the "Jerry" pilot to Japanese TV.

This episode has scenes that, to this day, still make me p*ss myself laughing...like the bit where Brett and Karl Farbman pull up in the ferrari to find Jerry caught in the rain...this is one of the most brilliant collection of comedy lines I've ever seen in a sitcom...it's great. The fact that Jerry Seinfeld doesn't mind poking fun at himself is a constant source of laughs in this show, and put to excellent effect in this exchange. Brett is great...as the weird guy obsessed with Karl Farbman's furniture designs and hopelessly obsessed with the song, "Desperado". This episode also has a great Kramer moment (there are many, I'll just pick one!) where he comes to get cereal for his Japanese boarders..."Rice Krispies...East meets West, Jerry!"

Not Terribly Memorable

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 17 March 2023]

Elaine hooks up with another weirdo. He is handsome and obviously has a lot of money, but he becomes catatonic when he hears the Eagles' song "Desperado." He cuts off all contact with the world at this point, including Elaine. When the guy meets Jerry, he assumes that as a comic, Jerry is on the skids and his apartment is a dump (which it sort of is). Jerry finds out a commercial he did in Japan is extremely popular there and he receives a 12 cent royalty check each time it is shown. He spends the entire episode endorsing these little checks until he gets carpel tunnel. George meets with Japanese businessmen and tries to sell the pilot he did with Jerry. Quite a few things going on with little resolution. Oh and there is something about twirling umbrellas.

Seinfeld and Mr Sparkle

[safenoe · 7/10 · 25 March 2024]

Kramer tries to persuade Jerry to sell his show to a Japanese network, by pushing the argument that in New York, Jerry's just an apple, but in Japan he would be an exotic fruit. Kramer hosts three Japanese tourists, and even houses them in his large drawers which just happen to be large enough to accommodate them because Kramer thinks accommodation is so small in Japan (some truth to that kind of, although New York City apartments are quite small also). Anyway, I wonder of The Checks inspired The Simpsons episode about Homer and Mr Sparkle, the episode being In Marge We Trust, which was broadcast in 1997.

Wooooo

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 23 June 2020]

Desperado sucks anyway. Witchy woman is heaps better

Giving the Pilot Another Go

[Samuel-Shovel · 5/10 · 26 February 2019]

In "The Checks", Jerry starts receiving hundreds of small royalty checks from a Japanese game show that features him in the theme song. It gets so bad that signing them all starts cramping his hand. Elaine dates a man obsessed with a furniture designer he works with and a song by the Eagles. Kramer befriends a group of Japanese businessmen he shows around NYC. George tries to resurrect their TV pilot for Japanese television.

This episode is bizarre. Making the Japanese men sleep in the cabinets is problematic to say the least. That image is the only memorable thing from this episode to be honest. Kind of a Season 8 dud.

Wooooo

[bu-rn_hollywood_bu-rn · 1/10 · 18 November 2020]

Desperado sucks anyway. Witchy woman is heaps better. ''Well, isn't the president allowed to do anything that they want...'' Me; ''Reminds me of the current U.S. President...'', Co-STAN-za, ''Re-TAR-ded!!!''

weird episode.

[ThunderKing6 · 5/10 · 28 August 2023]

It's one of those episodes where it was very messy.

August 28th 2023rd

What was this episode of Seinfeld about?: Jerry signs Checks and feuds with Elaine's wonky boyfriend

Elaine dates a wonky guy who gets hypnotized by a song whenever it played. It's such a beautiful song.

Kramer goes crazy around Japanese people.

George wants to be brainwashed by a wonky cult.

The story and the production overview: Mhmm... A weakly executed and unamused episode

Highlight: Guy stopping to listen to the song and the guy being killed after a doctor stopped to listen to a song.

Villain: Elaine's Wonky bf for being rude to Jerry. The Japan network for being rude to George and Jerry for no real reason.

Laugh meter: 3

Overall, a meh episode

What can be learned?: Desperado is a nice song

Verdict: Witchy Woman!!!