31 Years Ago, the Best Sitcom Ever Released Its 100th Episode And It Doesn’t Hold Up At All in 2026

Since its premiere in 1989, Seinfeld has endured as one of the greatest television shows of all time, earning itself generations of fans in the process. That popularity is an illustration of the general timeliness of the sitcom’s conceit and the relatability of the situations the characters find themselves in. Even decades later, there’s still much to appreciate in the episodes, which did a great job of capturing the minutiae of everyday life through a humorous lens. Still, there’s no denying that some aspects of Seinfeld have become dated in the 21st century. Many problems that were main sources of conflict could easily be resolved with smartphones, for instance. There’s one Seinfeld episode in particular that doesn’t hold up at all today, and it has nothing to do with specific ’90s period details.

On February 2, 1995, the 100th episode of Seinfeld premiered. Titled “The Highlights of 100,” this was Seinfeld‘s version of the clip show concept, as it recapped some of the show’s most memorable moments from the first 99 episodes. As fun as it is to take a trip down memory lane with Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine, the big 100th episode celebration has essentially been rendered moot in today’s landscape.

Seinfeld‘s 100th Episode Was Perfect for the 1990s (but It Makes No Sense Now)

It’s funny to think about now, but there was a time when Seinfeld was far from a guarantee to get to 100 episodes. In the show’s early days, NBC executives weren’t sold on the premise, especially after the pilot performed poorly with test audiences. But Seinfeld had some notable supporters behind it, and the initial couple of seasons (which were much smaller orders than typical TV seasons for that time period) did well enough in ratings to justify making more. With that behind-the-scenes journey in mind, it’s easy to understand why the Seinfeld crew wanted to do something special to commemorate 100 episodes. Looking back at all they accomplished after a rocky start was only logical.

“The Highlights of 100” was also perfect for Seinfeld viewers at the time. During the show’s original run in the ’90s, you could only watch it during its scheduled broadcast window or if you taped episodes yourself. So, a retrospective clip show was a great slice of nostalgia for audiences. When “The Highlights of 100” initially aired, it had likely been years since many of the people watching had seen such memorable moments like Kramer declaring he was out of the contest, Keith Hernandez’s date with Elaine, and George’s monologue from “The Marine Biologist.” The clip show served as a victory lap for the cast and crew, but it was also amusing for viewers, reminding them of what made them fall in love with the show in the first place. It was also a great way for newcomers to catch up on what they missed in earlier seasons.

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As perfect as “The Highlights of 100” was in the ’90s, the episode truly has no place in modern times. The entirety of Seinfeld is streaming on Netflix. It’s available for purchase on home media in multiple formats. You can search for specific clips on YouTube. Simply put, there’s no need for a two-part retrospective episode when fans can relive all of their favorite Seinfeld highlights on demand. Movies and TV shows are products of the time they’re made in, and in Seinfeld‘s case, there’s no greater proof of that than “The Highlights of 100.” For years, this was a staple of the sitcom formula, but it’s fallen by the wayside due to how viewing habits have evolved.

“The Highlights of 100” was not the only time Seinfeld made use of the clip show format. In the show’s final season, the hour-long episode “The Chronicle” aired. This fittingly was the penultimate Seinfeld broadcast, serving as a complete retrospective of the entire series leading up to the divisive finale. Much like “The Highlights of 100,” this was a way for fans to look back at all the hilarious moments and hijinks. Viewers were also treated to some never-before-seen footage, including bloopers, making this akin to a special feature you’d find on a DVD release. And similar to “Highlights of 100,” “The Chronicle” doesn’t really have a place in today’s world of binge watching and streaming.

You Can Still Watch Seinfeld‘s Clip Show Episodes Even Though They’re Obsolete

Even though clip shows are now out of style, fans still have easy access to the ones Seinfeld put together. “The Highlights of 100” and “The Chronicle” are included on the home media releases and are streaming on Netflix. If these episodes were scrapped from syndication, streaming, and other releases, it would be understandable. They’re basically relics of a bygone era, but in the spirit of making the complete series readily available to people, it’s nice to see they’re still included in the event any curious viewers want to watch them.

While Seinfeld itself is easy to recommend, it’s harder to sell today’s audiences on taking the time to sit down and watch “The Highlights of 100.” Since it’s just a look back on the show’s first handful of years, it doesn’t do anything to move any dangling story threads or character arcs forward (Seinfeld was unique in the sense that it attempted to maintain continuity across its episodes). Seinfeld doesn’t even do anything all that special with the formula; it’s not as if Larry David and Co. found a distinct way to put their own spin on the concept, adding entertainment value. The only new bit in “The Highlights of 100” is Jerry breaking the fourth wall to introduce the series of clips about to follow. If someone’s in the middle of binging Seinfeld, there’s no real reason to watch it other than completionism.

It doesn’t make much sense to watch the Seinfeld clip shows in the context of a full series rewatch, but there’s still a scenario where they might be worth checking out. For longtime fans looking for a quick Seinfeld fix, both “The Highlights of 100” and “The Chronicle” are essentially prepackaged YouTube rabbit holes that you can just cue up on Netflix at your leisure. It isn’t the same as watching the original episodes, of course, but if you don’t have the time to binge nine seasons of TV, the clip shows are an alternative.

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