Seinfeld's Worst Guest Star Made It Impossible To Root For Their Character
It's been off the air for 25 years, but fans of the iconic sitcom Seinfeld continue to discuss the bests and the worsts of the series.
Arguments for the "bests" can be hotly debated, but almost all agree on the worst: Everything about Kathy Griffin.
Griffin appeared twice as Sally Weaver, college roommate of George's late fiancé, Susan Ross.
We first meet Sally in Season 7's The Doll, when Jerry bumps into her while performing in her hometown of Memphis, TN. She returns for the final season's The Cartoon, which is when she becomes one of the most hated guest stars by fans.
Jerry and Kramer meet her on the streets of New York City and Kramer proceeds to tell Sally about Jerry's dislike of her acting. She doesn't take it well, claiming he ruined her life. She decides to give up show business.
He's determined – mostly because of guilt – to take back what he said and encourage her. She creates a one-woman show called "Jerry Seinfeld, the Devil." It lives up to the name – an absolute attack on the man she now loathes.
It's a huge success and she begins playing in front of huge crowds and on television. She apologizes in private but continues her show to huge success. Jerry eventually gives up on trying to fix anything and cuts off contact.
Kramer runs into Sally again and puts his foot in his mouth once more. He tells her about Janet, George's new girlfriend who looks shockingly like Jerry. Of course, she uses this new information for her show: Jerry's so egotistical, he forces his friends to date women that look like him.
Fans hate the entire subplot, with Sally having no redeeming qualities. Jerry goes out of his way to help advance her career, but she continues to attack him as much as she can.
On top of her character, fans have said Griffin herself wasn't very good. They said Sally's standup routine left them "stone-faced" because of the terrible delivery; the only funny parts were the other characters' reactions to her.
The episode was based on real events between Seinfeld and Griffin. During her first appearance on her show in 1996, he was apparently a little rude to her. She then ridiculed him on HBO Comedy Half-Hour in October 1996 as revenge.
He took it far better than his fictional counterpart, writing her a letter congratulating her for the show and inviting her to Season 9. The hard feelings seem to have subsided, with Griffin happy to be part of the final ten episodes of the iconic series.