The only episode of Seinfeld directed by Jason Alexander

When he’s not making us laugh on shows like “Harley Quinn” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (not to mention the ever-present “Seinfeld” reruns and the “Criminal Minds” episode where he had an incredible wig) Jason Alexander works behind the camera as a director, writer and producer . By this point in his considerable career, the actor and entertainer had helmed several noteworthy projects, including episodes of hit sitcoms like “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Young Sheldon,” as well as “Criminal Minds.”

Despite the strong trash culture surrounding Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld’s hit comedy “Seinfeld,” it seems that not many people actually know about Alexander’s directorial contribution to the show. He actually cut his teeth as a director on the third-season episode “The Good Samaritan,” which became Alexander’s first-ever credit as a director in 1992. Later in the show, he also directed two episodes of the clip show, though it’s a corny, self-titled one. – Congratulatory clip shows – now a relic of a bygone television era – are so often skipped entirely by viewers that it’s unclear whether they actually count as episodes at all (even if they are It was kind of a “Seinfeld” finale). But fortunately, the “real” episode directed by Alexander is a good one.

“The Good Samaritan” isn’t a cold “Seinfeld” classic, but it’s a fun watch worth revisiting knowing that Alexander was likely directing himself in all of his scenes. In this film, Jerry (Seinfeld) tries to establish relationships with two unpredictable women – one the perpetrator of a hit-and-run and the other the victim. Meanwhile, George (Alexander) nearly breaks up his marriage after clearly saying “God bless you” to a woman who sneezed during dinner with Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and the couple. George begins having an affair with the woman, but ends up fleeing the city out of fear of her husband. Meanwhile, Kramer (Michael Richards), on his bizarre journey, begins having seizures every time he sees Mary Hartman on television.

This episode is perhaps best remembered for Kramer’s strange diagnosis, the sneezing bug, and lines like “I’m speechless. Speechless! I have no words!” However, in the long run, it’s an episode that escalates the show’s funny and superior exploration of moral bankruptcy. At this point, we’re still a bit shocked that George would commit adultery or that Jerry’s initial sense of moral obligation to report a dangerous driver crumbles when it turns out to be a beautiful lady. After several seasons, George is at his last endearing self In “Seinfeld”, ignoring the tragic death of his fiancée, Susan Thanks to cheap envelope glue. The offer is up It ended at the end of the series Which directly references the “Good Samaritan” laws that share a name with this episode’s title.

We have Alexander and episode writer Pete Melman — as well as unforgettable guest stars like Melinda McGraw and Helen Slater — to thank for this crazy step down the ladder into the entertaining, unforgivable pit of bad behavior in which “Seinfeld” thrived. No doubt Alexander also has the line on his resume to thank for some of the directing gigs he landed in the years since. In his first directing project after Seinfeld, he made the leap to show business, directing and starring in the now-forgotten comedy “For Better or Worse.” This film is not currently available to stream without renting or purchasing, but you can watch “The Good Samaritan” and the rest of “Seinfeld” on Netflix now.