21 of the Most Relatable Seinfeld Episodes

Fans and critics dubbed Seinfeld “the show about nothing” due to the program’s tendency to give airtime to stories that seemingly mean diddly in the scheme of life.

Everyday occurrences that should only take up a fleeting moment in time encapsulated the entire 22 minutes of an episode of Seinfeld. Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld’s style brilliantly juxtaposed the overly dramatic plotting of other sitcoms by realizing that sometimes life’s most memorable sequences aren’t breaking up with a girlfriend but rather getting into an awkward conversation at a dinner party.

1. “The Dinner Party” (Season 5, Episode 13)

Anybody who’s gone a long time without vomiting knows that devastating feeling when their insides have betrayed them, and their lunch is coming back up their throat. Jerry faces the horror of upchucking a spoiled cookie, replete with a hilarious satire of racial discrimination in America. This relatable Seinfeld episode doesn't just invite laughter; it makes viewers think. 

2. “The Parking Space” (Season 3, Episode 21)

George gets into a heated argument with someone else who believes they pulled into the same parking spot before him. The storyline keenly understands the extent of road rage and emotional turmoil that driving brings to so many people worldwide.

3. “The Parking Garage” (Season 3, Episode 6)

Everyone’s had that moment where they park in a large lot at the mall or grocery store, only to forget where their vehicle is when they come out. Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer struggle to find Kramer’s car, and the stress comes with severe consequences. Jerry’s decision to go to the bathroom right in the lot stands out as the funniest subplot!

4. “The Implant” (Season 4, Episode 19)

George’s day gets turned upside down when he offends a fellow partygoer by double dipping a tortilla chip in the dressing at the table. Seinfeld’s ability to understand the cultural relevance of topics like these encapsulates the series’ longevity and cultural relevance in 2023, exactly 30 years after the episode aired.

5. “The Revenge” (Season 2, Episode 7)

Customers and businesses often get into disagreements over money and whether someone paid sufficiently. This season two relatable Seinfeld episode shows the hilarious extent to which Jerry and Kramer will go when they believe their dry cleaner took money from them and lied to their faces afterward.

6. “The Wait Out” (Season 7, Episode 23)

Jeans consistently sell better than almost any other type of casual wear in the United States. Kramer doesn’t usually wear them but decides to put on a tight pair in this episode. He quickly regrets that decision and the relatable Seinfeld storyline hits the funny spot for viewers who know the feeling of denim causing mishaps and discomfort.

7. “The Sponge” (Season 7, Episode 9)

Elaine selfishly buys all of her favorite brands of contraception after an announcement that it will be discontinued soon. Beyond the relatable sexual implications of the storyline, the episode presciently predicted how people go nuts trying to get products they fear won’t exist, such as toilet paper, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

8. “The Contest” (Season 4, Episode 11)

Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine see who can go the longest without pleasuring themselves. The relatable Seinfeld episode remains a modern classic in most television critic circles for its ability to generate levity with a taboo topic, and fans can certainly relate to the struggle of not engaging in solo play.

9. “The Handicap Spot” (Season 4, Episode 22)

Yet another brilliant episode about the unspoken codes involved in driving and parking, “The Handicap Spot,” features George parking illegally in the titular space. The added legal implications of parking in such a reserved area force George to think carefully about the ensuing anger around him.

10. “The Barber” (Season 5, Episode 8)

Severing a relationship with a barber or hairdresser comes with more than a fair share of awkwardness. Jerry learns how petty his stylist is when he cheats on him with a different worker in the same shop.

11. “The Phone Message” (Season 2, Episode 4)

Whether it’s trying to get a boss to answer an email or a potential date to look at flirtatious advances, being left on hold can be one of the most agonizing adventures in society. George mistakes his girlfriend’s answering machine with the idea that she doesn’t like him, and the results are in tune with Seinfeld’s greatest writing yet.

12. “The Hamptons” (Season 5, Episode 21)

Seinfeld understood how to tackle traditionally unmentionable subjects with ease. “The Hamptons” shows George experiencing a man’s worst nightmare: shrinkage. The size of a dude’s package doesn’t mean much in the scheme of things, but means everything to George in this ever-relatable Seinfeld season five standout.

13. “The Summer of George” (Season 8, Episode 22)

George dreams of a liberating summer, but the usual Seinfeld antics get in the way of it manifesting for him. The episode surely conjures up memories in viewers who have similarly imagined living their best lives, only for the reality of the world to hit them right between the eyes.

14. “The Label Maker” (Season 6, Episode 12)

Jerry and Elaine investigate whether Bryan Cranston’s character, Tim Whatley, gives the same gifts to people over and over again. George feels insecure about a man who looks like him trying to pursue the same woman he is. Both storylines give classic, relatable Seinfeld insight into social norms and personal anxieties.

15. “The Pie” (Season 5, Episode 15)

Personal hygiene and social misunderstandings litter this episode about Jerry and his girlfriend. The subject or taste testing someone else’s food and the potential dangers behind doing so add to the plot’s corniness but in the best way possible.

16. “The Pick” (Season 4, Episode 13)

Everyone has a nasty habit they engage in once in a while. From itching a weird spot on their body to checking their nose for boogers, unsanitary escapades happen. Jerry accidentally picks his schnoz, ruining his image with his girlfriend.

17. “The Wink” (Season 7, Episode 4)

Nothing’s more annoying than a twitch in the eye. George experiences this first-hand when fruit juice agitates his eye, causing him to wink at people against his own will. The results of the winks lead others to make hilarious decisions around George.

18. “The Chinese Restaurant” (Season 2, Episode 11)

Waiting for an hour to get into a favorite restaurant can be one of the downsides of eating out. Jerry and his friends learn this when they attend a dinner at the unnamed titular eatery and get into several misadventures in the meantime.

19. “The English Patient” (Season 8, Episode 17)

The urge to see a popular movie just because everyone else loves it becomes the center of attention. Elaine doesn't like the Academy Award-winning film The English Patient, and the response from her boss feels unreasonable yet hilarious.

20. “The Smelly Car” (Season 4, Episode 20)

People who live with a sensitive sense of smell know the struggle of trying to rid their noses of horrific odors. Jerry suffers through the nasal gauntlet when a valet leaves remnants of BO in his vehicle, and Elaine tries to help her friend decide the next best course of action.

21. “The Gymnast” (Season 6, Episode 6)

Another episode in which George makes a socially unacceptable decision: eating out of the trash. George’s girlfriend’s mother can’t believe anybody would subject themselves to such filth, and George soils his reputation with her. Seinfeld loved to discuss whether certain decisions were hygienic, ethical, etc.