The main characters of Seinfeld spend a lot of time at Jerry’s apartment, and one fascinating fan theory shared the reason why. Of all the settings on the popular 1990s sitcom, from the cozy coffee shop Monk’s to the various workplaces of Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and George Costanza (Jason Alexander), Jerry’s place is the most charming location.
The kitchen is always stocked with cereal, along with plenty of food that Kramer (Michael Richards) helps himself to, and Elaine and George come by when they have nothing going on or want to share big news.
While it would make sense if Jerry and his friends hung out at each other’s places, it’s interesting that they spend most of their time at his, and this compelling fan theory sheds light on why.
There’s A Simple Reason Everyone Was Always Over At Jerry’s Apartment
According to this fan theory posted by a Redditor, George, Kramer, and Elaine are at Jerry’s apartment so often because he goes on tour as a comedian so much. Since he’s traveling so frequently, they’re aware of when he’s back in New York City and like to drop by.
This is a logical explanation, especially since Jerry has shared that he isn’t a fan of people dropping by unexpectedly. As another Redditor pointed out, in Seinfeld season 3, episode 21, “The Letter,” he says that Elaine “likes the pop in” and continues, “I’ve told her how I hate the pop in.” He adds that George “likes the pop in too.”
But Jerry seems pretty calm and content about it in this scene, and he welcomes George and Elaine into his space. And, when Kramer makes one of his dramatic entrances and essentially falls right into the apartment, which is a perfect example of the Seinfeld character’s popular physical comedy, Jerry shrugs it off.
If Jerry had a regular job or didn’t travel for work, it would be odd for the others to come by so much, and it would feel like they were invading his space and privacy. But, since they don’t get together all the time because he has such a successful comedy career, he’s happy to spend time with them.
This Theory Also Explains Why Seinfeld’s Characters Change So Much Between Episodes
The fan theory goes even deeper and explains that the main characters on Seinfeld experience so many shifts in their lives because they don’t see Jerry every day. The fan wrote that this is “why they’re all constantly having to catch up with each other to discuss their various personal issues.”
This is an interesting point, especially since the beauty of sitcoms is that every episode feels the same. You can watch them out of order and still follow the plot, the characters tend to act in similar ways, and it’s comforting. These things all apply to Seinfeld, too, but the characters experience a lot of life changes throughout each season.
While many sitcoms have a lot of dating storylines and speak to the anguish and anxiety of first dates, breakups, and wondering if that special someone will ever come around, you still can’t help but notice how many people the Seinfeld characters date.
It feels like Jerry has a new girlfriend in almost every episode, Elaine is often in an unhappy relationship, and George is always wondering how he got himself into a frustrating romantic situation. This fan theory explains that their love lives are always in flux because they see Jerry a few times each month.
If we think that more time passes between each Seinfeld episode than we previously thought, it’s a total game-changer. It makes Jerry and his friend’s romantic and professional plotlines feel even more relatable than they already did.
Many people in their 20s and 30s experience job changes and have a mix of meaningful and more casual relationships before settling down. And it’s common to, like George and Jerry, question whether we want to stay single or consider marriage. If we think that Seinfeld’s episodes take place over a brief time period, then Jerry and his friends’ lives feel chaotic and unrealistic.
But, if they hang out several times a month, then their storylines simply reflect the typical ups and downs of life. That’s another reason to celebrate and rewatch the sitcom. While we all love special episodes like “The Chinese Restaurant,” we can also appreciate the show’s smaller moments, like when George comes by Jerry’s apartment to talk about his problems.
Seinfeld’s Premise Probably Wouldn’t Work In The Age Of Cellphones And The Internet
It’s fun to imagine what Seinfeld episodes would look like now, and the X account @ModernSeinfeld suggested some contemporary storylines, like George using OkCupid to find love. But the truth is that it’s hard to imagine the sitcom’s premise making much sense today, especially since we use cellphones all the time and go online so frequently.
Today’s sitcoms have a challenge that is tough to get around: the fact that friend groups don’t have to physically see each other in order to hear about each other’s lives and chat. We can text our friends any time, send them a funny meme on Instagram, and FaceTime if we don’t have time to see each other in person.
The truth is that if we simply showed up at someone’s house or apartment these days, they might worry that something was wrong, or that we had terrible news to share. And if we watched that happen on a show, we might think the same thing.
When you rewatch a show like Seinfeld, you can’t help but think about what a different time it was. If the sitcom aired today and Elaine and George stopped by Jerry’s apartment, you would wonder why they didn’t just text him about what was going on.
Some shows get around this problem by having the main characters be roommates, like in New Girl, but it would be boring if every sitcom had that same premise. Other shows have avoided this issue entirely by having a brand new setting that hasn’t been seen before.
The fantastic The Good Place, for example, is set in a location that is meant to be heaven, and it makes sense that they interact in person frequently. But a contemporary sitcom set in a big city is going to have trouble because the characters don’t have to see each other in person in order to chat.