Seinfeld: Jerry & Elaine’s Relationship Timeline, Season By Season

Audiences wanted Jerry and Elaine to get back together. The chemistry was present and palpable, but Seinfeld was never a sitcom to play by the conventional rules, and Jerry’s relationship, in its various forms, with Elaine was no exception.

Couples seldom tended to last long on Seinfeld, making Elaine’s continued inclusion in Jerry’s life all the more interesting. The concept of staying friends after a breakup is a tough sell, but the show pulled it off for nine seasons. There are significant events in Jerry Seinfeld—the character, not the real-life comedian—and Elaine Benes’ relationship throughout the show’s many seasons.

9 Season 1

Audiences tend to agree that the first season had not yet found the series’ level footing. There are five total episodes, Elaine isn’t in the pilot, and the presentation is, overall, a bit rough.

Elaine is introduced in the second episode, “The Stake Out.” This episode was released 10 months after the pilot failed to kickstart the series’ run. She’s instantly framed as Jerry’s ex, yet they remain friends. While that in and of itself isn’t unheard of from a sitcom, Jerry’s relationship with Elaine feels just as organic as his relationship with either George or Kramer.

8 Season 2

Season two of Seinfeld was a big step towards the series’ peak, but it wasn’t quite there yet. The series is also still figuring out Elaine. For instance, her father is introduced in “The Jacket” only to never be heard from again.

While that episode, in particular, shows Jerry (and George) going out of his way for Elaine, she herself is barely even in it. Audiences continue to know that Jerry and Elaine are close, but she’s yet to be truly developed and characterized. The season’s ninth episode, “The Deal,” set Jerry and Elaine up to be more than friends again, but the development was short-lived.

7 Season 3

If there was a season of Seinfeld that really went the extra mile in terms of full-fledged character development, it was season three. This was especially true for Elaine, who started to drift away from being the voice of reason to acting just as selfish and odd as the remainder of the group.

Season three not only fleshed Elaine out as an individual, but as a former partner to Jerry, as well. The season contains what is arguably the best exploration of their dynamic: “The Pen.” In it, Elaine hurts her back on Jerry’s parents’ guest bed. After taking some pain medication, Elaine becomes a hazy mess and spews some of Seinfeld’s most memorable quotes.

6 Season 4

The fourth season of Seinfeld is highly-regarded. In fact, this was the only season to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Furthermore, the quartet of actors was each nominated for an Emmy, including Louis-Dreyfus and Seinfeld. While this season’s central arc of Jerry and George pitching a sitcom about “nothing” is iconic, it doesn’t leave much room for Elaine.

However, the Elaine-Jerry dynamic is given its due in “The Bubble Boy.” The episode’s B-plot is another joint venture for the two. This time, they lose George, speeding ahead in his car, en route to the home of a boy in a plastic bubble.

5 Season 5

Seinfeld‘s fifth season had two episodes that shed further light on Jerry and Elaine’s relationship, and the premiere “The Mango” is the most significant. The group discusses “faking” in bed. At this point, Elaine informs Jerry that she “faked” with him every time. This episode is significant because it puts Elaine and Jerry back in the same bed for the first time since the series’ second season.

The season’s thirteenth episode, “The Dinner Party,” was a more fun analysis of their dynamic. Jerry and Elaine are stuck in a bakery line, ticket in hand. Unfortunately, the chocolate Babka they’re trying to get eludes them for various reasons. The episode, featuring one of Seinfeld‘s biggest arguments, focused on finding fun new ways to put the duo through the wringer.

4 Season 6

Season six went the extra mile in fleshing out Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character. A lot of focus is directed towards her new job with the snooty and eccentric Mr. Pitt. Furthermore, lots of fun character details such as her favorite food—revealed in the eighty-eighth episode”The Big Salad”—are included.

The season didn’t take Jerry and Elaine’s dynamic any further, but it did further reveal the tendency of Seinfeld characters to ruin each other’s relationships. One example of this is Jerry and Elaine contemplating whether her boyfriend is a “re-gifter.”

3 Season 7

The fourth episode of season seven, “The Wink,” featured some seldom-seen, subtle tension between Jerry and Elaine. While there are no verbal sparring matches, Jerry dating Elaine’s cousin causes problems.

Arguably the best plot the two share in the season comes with “The Hot Tub.” Elaine hosts an Olympic runner from overseas in her apartment. Her duty is to ensure that the runner does not miss his race for a second time. Jerry frantically attempts to ensure this happens, primarily because of Elaine’s irresponsibility, and this leads to many great moments between the two.

2 Season 8

The penultimate season has the series’ definitive flashback scene to Jerry and Elaine’s dating days. In “The Little Kicks,” Elaine unknowingly humiliates herself at the office holiday party with her unique dancing.

When George informs Jerry of what he saw, there’s an instant, horrified recognition. Then, the episode takes viewers back in time to Jerry and Elaine on the street. She bursts into her jerking, kicking dance, and Jerry hilariously recoils in horror.

1 Season 9

The final season of Seinfeld almost gave fans Jerry and Elaine’s biggest moment in the controversial finale. Before getting to that point, there were plenty of great moments in the loose triangle of Jerry, Elaine, and David Puddy. This is particularly true in “The Dealership” where Jerry tries to save their relationship just so he can get a good deal on a new car.

In “The Finale,” Jerry and George are going to finally sell their show about “nothing.” The two grab Elaine and Kramer and jump onto a plane—then the plane starts to go down. Elaine almost uttering “I’ve always-” wouldn’t be a big deal in any other sitcom. In Seinfeld, though, characters seldom display outright affection for one another. Elaine nearly telling Jerry she’s always loved him was the closest the series’ writers were ever going to take the duo to cliche.

About The Author

Ben Hathaway
(296 Articles Published)

Ben Hathaway is a Senior Writer (Lists) for Screen Rant. A former Therapeutic Day Treatment counselor, Ben is now a career writer. When not working, he is writing and self-publishing (on Amazon) novels under the name Scott Gray. In his spare time, he’s reading on the porch or watching every film under the sun. Ben can be contacted at [email protected].

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