Seinfeld's Puerto Rican Day Parade Episode

Cafe Society
1

I missed this episode when it first aired, and have never seen it in syndication. I thought it was because of the complaints the episode received (from Kramer’s “flag burning”) when it first aired. Yet now I’m here having just enjoyed what was for all purposes a “new” episode of Seinfeld!

I thought it was very good for one of their later episodes. I especially enjoyed the re-appearances of Pennypacker, Vandelay and Varnsen. Mario Joyner (“Jackass!!”) and the local street toughs were a nice addition as well.

2

That was one of the better episodes IMHO…Especially at the end when they are all meet up in the apartment. :smiley:

3

It was only recently added to the syndication rotation. It was verboten for many years. I don’t think NBC ever re-ran the episode either.

I was tickled to recognize Peter Krause for the first time as one of the Nazi’s in “The Limo” this evening.

“Ahhh…the peat.”

4

I beleive it was one of the last three episodes of the series…

Yep, according to Sony, Episode 920 was Puerto Rico, 921-922 were the clip show, and 923-924 were the finale.

5

Why was it so controversial again? I watched it last night, too, and I didn’t see anything particularly shocking, though I wasn’t paying really close attention.

6

Kramer set a Puerto Rican flag on fire, then stomped it out., IIRC.

Happy

7

Smeg, that would be the ridicule that the gang heaped on the PR parade - how irritating it is, noise, traffic, etc - could easily offend someone who interprets those complaints as anti-PR or rascist in general. Not to mention Kramer’s stamping out a burning Puerto Rican flag - granted, it was woven into the plot to have a justifiable rationale, but he still burned a flag and stomped on it - taken out of context, it was controversial.

8

Nitpick: Kramer accidently caused a PR flag to catch fire.

9

Yes, I saw it on its original run and was able to see it last night for the first time in syndication.

It is a good episode, probably the best of their last season. I will always remember it as the last “real” episode of Seinfeld.

10

Well, I for one say, good for them if the ban has been lifted. We’re big kids, we should be able to take it. (BTW fiddlesticks you are right. NBC never re-ran it. You know who does the PRDP broadcast? WNBC!)

Seinfeld was about (nothing, of course, but also…) how these 4 people were so solipsistic, how their entire universe revolved around their making a big deal of trifles. A death was a minor inconvenience, not getting the soup was a tragedy of grand proportions. Alas, some people insisted in believing that it was advocating those attitudes .

Still, you do wonder how the heck the flag scene got greenlighted, in this high-strung day and age…

11

Basically, it got green-lighted because we live in a high-strung day and age. It’s what makes it funny.

12

That was, indeed, a great episode.

“Ay!! Mucho tráfico!!”

Oh, and when Elaine gets stuck under the bleachers?? KILLS me. :slight_smile:

13

I love it when they run into each other in the apartment, and they all refer to each other by their aliases.

“Varnsen.” “Pennypacker.” “Vandelay.” “Pennypacker. Varnsen.” hehehe…

14

I liked the subplot with George wanting everyone to hear his great joke about a movie at the theater, but it’s upstaged by a guy shining a laser pointer at George’s forehead. Then the laser pointer follows George everywhere for the entire episode.

15

This episode has run at least once before in syndication.

In my opinion it’s one of the best episodes of the last season.

-M

16

I did a search and it looks like you’re right :slight_smile:

I guess I missed it the few times it was re-run. It’s funny how the controversy surrounding the episode resulted in me having the treat of watching a “new” episode 5 years after the show ended.

17

I didn’t realize they’d rerun it at all. I remember hearing that it had been banned after it first aired, and I figured, “well, that’s that.”