Seinfeld: Season 2

The second season of Seinfeld has over twice the amount of episodes of the first season, and after watching the "How it all Began" documentary, it was interesting to see that Larry David and Jerry thought this would also be the series end.   This is why Jerry and Elaine end the season as a couple as they were feeling heat to put the two together.  Regardless, this season still has this show trying to find it's groove, but man there are some great episodes here.  As with season 1, how can you not recommend.

Favorite Episodes:

2.2 The Pony Remark: Jerry: "I hate anyone who ever had a pony growing up".  Great Aunt: (in thick accent) "I HAD PONY!"

2.4 The Phone Message:  George leaves an embarrassing message on his girlfriends machine and has to get the machines tape.  George: "It's a machine! The little light is blinking right now, 'Come and listen to the idiot! Hey everybody, the idiot's on!"

2.6 The Statue:  Going through a box of old items Jerry inherited, Kramer finds a statue, turns out it's identical to the one George broke when he was a boy, Jerry promises it to George who is ecstatic he can finally redeem himself to his parents.  Jerry's college student maid steals it.   George: "When I was ten years old, my parents had this very same statue on the mantle of our apartment. Exactly, and, one day, I grabbed it, and I was using it as a microphone. I was singing, "MacArthur Park", and I got to the part about, "I'll never have that recipe again," and it slipped out of my hand and it broke. My parents looked at me like I smashed the Ten Commandments. To this day, they bring it up. It was the single most damaging experience in my life, aside from seeing my father naked."

2.11 The Chinese Restaurant:  The entire episode takes place as Jerry, George and Elaine wait for a table in a Chinese restaurant.  Elaine:"It's not fair that people are seated first-come, first-serve. It should be based on who's hungriest. I feel like just walking over there and taking some food off somebody's plate.  Jerry: "I'll tell you what, there's fifty bucks in it for you if you do it."

Stranger Things

Stranger things came recommended to me, I started to watch it, and then somehow it BLEW UP.  It was everywhere and everyone is watching it, that's okay, I don't have to be hipster who liked a show before everyone else.  Stranger things is considered a mashup of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King.  That's a pretty good mashup in my opinion.  My wife and I have very dissimilar tastes in television, we both loved this one though.  I'm not going to get into any spoiler territory, so I'll leave this with a very simple "highest recommendation".  It's fantastic.

Men in Black 3

More like "Meh in Black 3" amirite?  It's fine.  Nothing will ever top the origin story, not that it's epic, but it was by far the most fun/intersting.  Josh Brolin shines in this as a young Tommy Lee Jones and that alone is worth the price of admission.  It was okay for a rainy afternoon between nightshifts, but otherwise, pass.

Fastball

I reviewed Knuckleball a few months ago and enjoyed it.  Fastball (not the same production company by the way) primarily explores the question of "who throws the hardest".  How would a pitcher from the 30's compare with the fireballer's of today?   I've always thought should Justin Verlander in his prime pitched in the 20's and 30's, that he would dominate...but that's not necessarily the case.  Narrated by (who else) Kevin Costner, this documentary pleases.  Recommend.

Seinfeld: Season 1

I purchased the complete series of Seinfeld during "Prime Day" from Amazon for $38.  I was hoping to find this series digitally, but physical was the only format it's available without subscribing to another streaming service.  Everyone knows the show is fantastic, but the first series is a little rough and quite short at only 5 episodes.  As you'll remember, this season features Jerry's "first" dad, who is much less charismatic than the actor portraying his father in later episodes.  Still though, some classic moments early on in this series life.  How can you possibly not recommend.

Favorite Episodes:

1.3 The Robbery - Jerry's apartment is broken into, George finds him a new one but finds out he wants it too. Jerry: "[They stole my] answering machine... Boy, I hate the idea of somebody out there returning my calls."

1.4 Male Unbonding - Jerry doesn't like his childhood friend who keeps persisting they get together. He decides to break up with him like he would a girlfriend.  George: ""So we order lunch and we're talking. Finally she blurts out how it's not working. So as she's saying this I'm thinking, 'Great, the relationship's over and the egg salad's on the way.' So now I've got the decision - do I walk or do I eat? ... Sat there for twenty minutes chewing. Staring at each other in a defunct relationship."