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Rating: 5:
One of the strongest starts of any Seinfeld series : Series 7 has one of the strongest starts of any Seinfeld series - the first five episodes are classics, and in fact critically acclaimed episode 6, The Soup Nazi, is actually quite disappointing in comparison.

As always, the mix of characters is the key here - George's anxiety is upped a notch with his impulsive engagement, and works brilliantly against the relaxed Jerry; Elaine is back on form as a confident woman - deciding whether her date is "spongeworthy" - and there are some great set pieces with Kramer, particularly the sequence of events that end in him striding down the street in classic pimp outfit.

The production of the DVD is first class as usual, with 'Inside Looks', commentaries and deleted scenes for most episodes, along with docs and bloopers. There's one problem: the Inside Look for episode 1 does give away the (brilliant) ending of the series, as it assumes you've already watched it on TV - but that aside this is intelligent, clever, well written and often genre-pushing comedy at its best.

Rating: 3:
almost but not quite... : Season 7 of Seinfeld is notable for its weakness when compared with the previous series. It doesn't really get going until disc 2; I don't recall laughing hardly at all at disc one, and even when it does get going it's a fairly hit and-miss affair. Perhaps it's just me but I found the most critically acclaimed episodes very mediocre, i.e. The Soup Nazi.

That said there are a few memorable episodes such as 'The Wig Master', 'The Calzone', 'The Sponge', 'The Rye', 'The Caddy', and 'The Cadillac'. The last episode where Susan dies was a mistake I think; it did't offend me, it just wasn't funny. You can do death in a sit-com but just not how it was done here.

Not my most watched season of Seinfeld by a long way but still worth a look for all Seinfeld fans.

Rating: 5:
The best comedy just got better each season. : This was the final season with Larry David (from Curb Your Enthusiasm), and alongside season 8 this is regarded by many as the pinnacle of the Seinfeld series. There are many superb episodes here such as the Soup Nazi but the season is most noteworthy for the consistently high standard of the episodes. That said, the most controversial episode still doesn't sit too well, with the death of George's fiance treated quite indifferently by the characters. Its quite groundbreaking for a primetime sitcom (although technically Seinfeld was not a sitcom but a series of comedy specials,) but personally the episode is probably a step too far. But as far being a great comedy this season in particular has no low points; every single episode is hilarious.

As with all Seinfeld DVD releases you get a documentary about the show, bloopers, commentaries on certain episodes, unreleseased standup by Mr Seinfeld himself and for many episodes the "inside look", which is a 2-3 minute interview with cast memebers or writers about the actual episode. Also all of the episodes are uncut, meaning that they are slightly longer than the ones that are broadcast on TV (though to be honest I haven't noticed any real differences between the DVD episodes and the aired ones.) If you want to find out even more there are 'notes about nothing' for each episode, which can be turned on to appear on the screen while episodes are playing.

The episodes this season are;
1 the engagement (George gets engaged while Elaine and Kramer kidnap a dog)
2 the postponement
3 the maestro
4 the wink
5 the hot tub
6 the soup nazi
7 the secret code
8 the pool guy
9 the sponge
10 the gum
11 the rye (with the magical horse rusty, and George's stealing parents)
12 the caddy
13 the seven
14 the cadillac (part 1)
15 the cadillac (part 2)
16 the shower head
17 the doll
18 the friar's club
19 the wig master (Kramer wearing the technicolour dreamcoat and being wrongly arrested for being a pimp)
20 the calzone
21 the bottle deposit
22 the bottle deposit
23 the wait out
24 the invitations
thats 24 episodes of comedy gold and it doesn't get much better than this. If you even remotely like comedies or want to see how clever and funny US shows can be (take note Friends) you need to buy this. If you like Seinfeld this is easily one of the best seasons, and its both funny and clever. And unlike most US sitcoms this is not a drama or soap (again take note Friends) and you won't be subjected to any cheesy 'heartwarming' scenes. The characters aren't really that nice, but they are funny and thats what its all about.

Rating: 5:
A comic masterpiece : Season 7 of Seinfeld is the last to feature the talents of head writer and series co-creator Larry David, who would go on to find equal critical acclaim in HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Therefore, this is a must buy for Seinfeld fans, as while season's 8 and 9 contain great episodes and moments, they lack the bite that Larry David's fevered imagination provided the show.

In season 7, the main subplot is the engagement of ne'er do well George Costanza to ex-girlfriend Susan, a woman whom he accidently got fired from her job at NBC and converted to lesbianism. The impending marriage of this odd couple provides some genius moments, and the show's finale, "The Invitations", contains a surprise twist that provoked controversy when it was first broadcast. There are some standout episodes that have to be seen, including "The Doll", "The Wink" and classic "The Soup Nazi", and, as usual, the rogues' gallery of supporting characters, from Newman and Frank Costanza, to Kenny Bania and J.Peterman, make scene-stealing appearances. The DVD comes jam-packed with special features, including commentaries, deleted scenes, 'notes about nothing', documentaries and the 'Seinimation' segments.