May 14, 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of the finale of Seinfeld. After a quarter-century off the air, the “show about nothing” is arguably as popular as ever. Co-creator Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm has extended the sitcom’s trademark sense of humor well into the 21st century, and Seinfeld’s move to Netflix in October 2022 introduced the series to an entirely new audience of streaming TV fans. The show’s so popular with today’s TV fans, in fact, that our list of The Best Seinfeld Episodes Of All Time has nearly 30,000 votes — more than The Best Episodes Of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The Best Cheers Episodes Of All Time, or The Best Big Bang Theory Episodes Of All Time.
So which episodes are considered the very best of the series by Seinfeld’s biggest fans? Our readers seem to think the show hit its peak midway through its nine-season run — episodes from Seasons 4 and 5 make up 44% of the Top 50 entries on the list, whereas the last four seasons account for only 40%. But beyond the numbers, which episodes are most beloved? Let’s break down the Top 5 best episodes of Seinfeld ever.
#1: “The Soup Nazi”
Named after what is certainly one of the most memorable secondary characters in sitcom history, it’s no surprise that “The Soup Nazi” tops this list. The character’s eye-grabbing nickname comes from the exacting standards to which he holds his customers, reserving the right to deny soup to anyone he deems undeserving of it — “no soup for you!” The episode’s subplots center on an armoire that Elaine trusts Kramer to watch, and Jerry’s girlfriend, who has a fondness for baby talk.
This show is not just the most popular Seinfeld episode among our readers, but also #11 on The Best Single Episodes In Television History, just behind Game of Thrones’ “Blackwater” and the pilot episode of Lost. Those who love “The Soup Nazi” are also 4X more likely to enjoy The Sopranos’ “Pine Barrens,” It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s “The Nightman Cometh,” and The Office’s “The Convict.”
#2: “The Opposite”
Lots of the most popular Seinfeld episodes are memorable for supporting characters like the Soup Nazi or the Bubble Boy, or for “Seinfeld-isms” like “yada yada yada” or “spongeworthy.” The final episode of Seinfeld’s fifth season, “The Opposite” is an exceptional episode because it hinges on the mannerisms of one of its most relatable main characters, George Costanza, with hilarious results. Insecure and neurotic, George decides to reverse his bad luck with women by doing the exact opposite of what his instincts tell him to do, making him appear far more confident and profound than he really is. The episode is hugely rewarding for longtime fans who have seen George ruin more potential relationships than they can count by showing what that dynamic would look like if it were reversed.
Other famous episodes of television that fans of “The Opposite” are more likely to love include The Simpsons’ “Mr. Plow,” and The Office’s “Booze Cruise,” both of which are 3X more likely to appeal to those who love Seinfeld’s fifth season finale. But they have an equal affinity for Breaking Bad’s “Face Off,” the fourth season finale that sees Walter White and Jesse Pinkman’s tense relationship with drug lord Gus Fring reach a violent conclusion.
#3: “The Marine Biologist”
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Another episode that centers on George’s love life, “The Marine Biologist” is so-called because George, desperate to impress a former college classmate, has Jerry tell her that he’s dedicated his life to the study of oceanic wildlife. This ruse lasts for only a short while before George and his new girlfriend encounter a beached whale during a romantic walk along the shore — and she expects him to use his expertise to help the massive animal.
Those who voted for “The Marine Biologist” on our list of the best Seinfeld episodes tend to have more of a taste for older television than those who voted up the previous two episodes. They’re 3X more likely to also like “Turkeys Away,” an episode of the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati that premiered in 1978. They’re as likely to love Cheers’ Season 2 finale “I’ll Be Seeing You Pt. 2,” which premiered in 1984, and The Twilight Zone’s 1964 classic “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.”
#4: “The Contest”
Few episodes of television are more famous (or rather, infamous) than “The Contest,” which features all four main characters competing to see who can remain “master of their domain” the longest. NBC found the sexual topic of the episode unsuitable for TV, so the topic is broached with plenty of innuendo and implication — a workaround that probably ended up making the episode funnier. In the end, Larry David won the Emmy for outstanding writing in a comedy series for his work on the episode.
Those who love the #4 best Seinfeld episode (and the #16 Best Single Episode In Television History) have a taste for classic 2000s television. They’re 3X more likely to enjoy “Bastogne,” episode 6 of the WWII miniseries Band of Brothers, as well as iconic comedy episodes “Scott Tenorman Must Die” from South Park and “Motherboy XXX” from Arrested Development.
#5: “The Rye”
Premiering January 4, 1996, “The Rye” sees the families of George and his fiancée Susan Ross meet for dinner. When George’s father takes back home a loaf of rye bread he brought with him, upset that it wasn’t served at dinner, it becomes a point of contention for both families. George hopes to plant an identical loaf in the Ross’s home to nip the family feud in the bud, a plan that produces one of the most iconic moments of the show: Jerry stealing the last loaf of rye bread from an old woman on the street.
Our data doesn’t tell us much about those who voted for “The Rye,” but it can tell us that the episode has been gaining traction in recent years. While “The Soup Nazi” has never been lower than #5 on the list, for example, “The Rye” was down at #21 a year ago — in May of 2021, it was as low as #76. Could it be that new generations of viewers who streamed the show on Hulu and now Netflix view the episode more positively than the original audience?
These stories are crafted using Ranker Insights, which takes over one billion votes cast on Ranker.com and converts them into actionable psychographics about pop culture fans across the world. To learn more about how our Ranker Insights can be customized to serve your business needs, visit insights.ranker.com, or email us at [email protected].
