The Library

I have to wonder if in this episode, Philip Baker Hall as Lt. Bookman went off script and ad-libbed most of his part. It was so good, the cameras kept rolling and the editors were smart enough to leave it in the show. During his rant, Seinfeld really couldn't keep from laughing and Hall worked that right into his speech. It was beautiful.

Many times Seinfeld has trouble not smiling at scripted jokes, but here, he really almost looses it.

"The Library" might not be quite as polished as 'Seinfeld' episodes down the road but it is well remembered as a high point in the show's early years. This is where 'Seinfeld' was finally coming into its own and it's all on display in this fairly tightly woven twenty two minutes. There's very little that drags and while it is fondly looked back on for the character of Bookman, brilliantly played by the great character actor Phillip Baker Hall, it is entertaining all-round.

The episode begins with high pace and it sustains it quite well throughout the episode. What follows Seinfeld's opening stand-up piece is a phone call that Jerry receives from the New York Public Library whereby he receives the odd and distressing news that a book that he borrowed that he supposedly returned, is overdue and he will be met with a lengthy fine. The episode kicks itself into gear immediately and that too is refreshing and from here on in, the episode is an entertaining ride all the way through. Watching Kramer entice deeply buried feelings of love and lust in a lonely librarian is hilarious, as is the payoff later on where Kramer embarrassingly succumbs to tears while reading the librarian's poetry efforts. Michael Richards again nails the role and he makes even solitary phrases like 'memory burn' in this episode hilarious and memorable unto themselves. The character, the dynamic he adds to the show and the performance are all now at that ideal level.

While at the library, George discovers that his former gym teacher whom he had fired (according to Jerry, George 'sang like a canary') is now a destitute living outside the library. This is the sort of storyline that the show has done a number of times where George, either through no fault of his own or through a fault, has terrible consequences for someone else. It was present in the second season episode, "The Busboy" and will continue to make its presence known throughout the series. While the laughs on George's end may be a tad lacking compared to some of his more powerhouse performances this season, it's still very entertaining and it adds the classic 'Can'tstandya' to the 'Seinfeld' dictionary.

There's also Elaine, who gets the smallest role this episode albeit a still entertaining piece where she has trouble at work with her boss and fellow employees, who for some inexplicable reason seem to harbour feelings of resentment towards her. It's a very small story that gets a neat and amusing payoff later in the episode but arguably this storyline is most significant because it is early signs of Elaine's character becoming a more focal element of the series. Here we see her professional life and much like earlier in the season in "The Truth" where we saw her domestic life, it adds vitality to the character that makes her feel real, which is obviously of vital importance going forward with the series.

I enjoy "The Library" a lot even if my enjoyment does not quite match the reputation it has earned for itself. Phillip Baker Hall and his iconic character of Bookman is the obvious highlight of this episode but it manages to be entertaining beyond a powerhouse guest performance and character. I just don't *quite* consider it to be amazing.

Single Favorite Line: (Lieutenant Bookman recalls the past) "Yeah, '71, that was my first year on the job..bad year for libraries - bad year for America...hippies burning there library cards, Abbie Hoffman telling everyone to steal books...I don't judge a man by the length of his hair, or the kind of music he listens to --ROCK WAS NEVER MY BAG!" (okay, not a "line", a soliloquy - but regardless, too good to pass up!)

Notable Guest Stars: Philip Baker Hall (as Lt. Bookman, NYPL w/ a badge!, and Ashley Gardener (as Marion the librarian)

Memorable Exchange: (with Jerry and Kramer leaning over the counter behind Marion at NYPL) J: "...This woman is completely ignoring me!" - K: "Look at her ..this is a lonely woman looking for companionship...a SPINSTER...maybe a VIRGIN!...maybe she got hurt, a long time ago..she was a schoolgirl, there was a boy, it didn't work out...so now she needs a little tenderness, she needs a little understanding --NEEDS a little Kramer!" - J: "..Then she'll need a shot of Penicillin."

Key Topics: *Overdue Books *Changed Appearances *Wedgies *Deceptive Memory *Henry Miller

Part I Didn't Like: I really wanted them to make more of Mr. Haymen, the former Phys-Ed-tormentor-cum-homeless-loon.

Extra Nice Touch: The editing and writing are in near-perfect harmony.

7 of 10 - One of the three best scripted by Larry Charles

This is the best Seinfeld episode. Mr. Bookman is the star. Peepies and weewees. LMAO.

In 1990, Stephen King's Four Past Midnight hit the shelves: a collection of four tales of horror, it got particularly gruesome in the section called The Library Policeman, a wince-inducing yarn that toyed with the idea of the eponymous "law enforcer". Why am I mentioning this? Because this episode of Seinfeld provides its own take on the figure, and while it is considerably lighter in tone than King's version, it most certainly qualifies as equally smart.

The events of the show are set in motion when Jerry receives a note telling him he still hasn't returned a library book he borrowed in high school (!). Utterly convinced something is wrong, he goes to the library to complain. Two more story lines stem from here: firstly, Kramer becomes infatuated with a librarian ("She needs a bit of Kramer!" Jerry: "Yeah, and then she'll need a shot of penicillin."); secondly, George thinks a hobo sitting outside the building is actually his old gym teacher, a man who used to torment him by deliberately mispronouncing his name: Cantstandya instead of Costanza. In the end, Jerry is forced to deal with Lt. Bookman (Philip Baker Hall) himself, which means there will be a lecture on how everything gets worse, year after year.

"Yeah, '71, that was my first year on the job... bad year for libraries, bad year for America...". That's how Baker Hall, one of the greatest character actors in recent film history, introduces The Library's best scene. Remembered by most people as the sad/manipulative character in the likes of Sydney, Boogie Nights and Magnolia, he has never really hit it big with a cinematic comedy. Sure, his minor role in Bruce Almighty was fun to watch, but a bit of a wasted opportunity. Here, instead, he succeeds in comically deforming his trademark persona while retaining a sort of realistic charm, with the result of Bookman being hilarious, but still believable as a human being. In fact, after seeing this, I kind of wonder whether '91 was good or bad for libraries...