The latest LEGO® Ideas set arrives with Seinfeld (21328). And by the way, it’s real, and it’s spec-tacular. That’s a very famous joke from the show in case you’re confused. Head’s up folks: I am a HUGE Seinfeld fan and this review will be chock full of references and gags. If you’re not a fan of the show, then this might all fly over over your head. Seinfeld is a staple of American TV history and is still considered one of the best sitcoms ever made. The “show about nothing” did everything. With that said, go watch all 9 seasons, laugh hysterically, read our reveal article and then marvel at all the easter eggs and references in this set.
“I declare this, The Summer of George!”
This set will be available for purchase to LEGO® VIP members starting on July 21, 2021 with a general release of August 1, 2021. Will this be “The Summer of George!” of sets? Or will it be time for “The Airing of Grievences”. Read on and let’s find out.
NOTE: This set was provided by The LEGO® Group to True North Bricks for early review. This does not guarantee a favourable review and all opinions are my own. For a breakdown of the rating system, please click here.
LEGO® IDEAS SEINFELD (21328) SUMMARY
- NAME: Seinfeld
- SET #: 21328
- THEME: Ideas
- COST: $109.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 1326
- MINIFIGURES: 5
- VIP RELEASE DATE: July 21, 2021
- GENERAL RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2021
LEGO® IDEAS SEINFELD (21328) QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 89% (great cost-per-brick and cost-per-minute scores for a set this size)
- BUILD: 95% (very clean build with just the right details and some fun construction techniques)
- MINIFIGURES: 92% (excellent minifigure designs with clever accessories a good brig-to-fig ratio)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 100% (great for any Seinfeld fan, and a charming build for any AFOL)
- OVERALL SCORE: 95% (a great pop-cuture tribute and a really well-designed set)
LEGO® IDEAS SEINFELD REVIEW
VALUE: 89%
Seinfeld (21328) comes to us with an excellent cost-per-brick value of $0.084. With a score of 90% this is nicely higher than the average of $0.099 for the LEGO® Ideas theme. Traditionally the Ideas sets have proven to be some of the best values on a per-piece basis. I really savoured my building experience on this set. I wasn’t rushing or being overly slow. My build time clocked in at just under 3 hours (176 minutes) equaling a cost-per-minute of $0.62 or, a build-time value of 88%. Add that all up and yada, yada, yada….you get a very respectable score of 89%.
BUILD: 95%
This set is the Muffin Top – all deliciousness and no useless stump. The packaging is the typical 18+ design with a predominantly black background and ‘greebling’ border. The box contents include: 9 numbered bags, 1 bag containing the triangular ‘girders’ and two 16×16 base plates, a 175 page instruction booklet and a 20 piece sticker sheet (serenity now!!). The build comes together fairly smoothly with no overly difficult or repetitive sections. I love any build that isn’t symmetrical. Anytime I see “now build this again x6” I’m already groaning. Thankfully that is not the case here.
“Giddy-up!”
There are some interesting building techniques in this set – which is great considering how simple a setting it is. The base is ‘finished’ with several rows of 1×6 and 1×4 brown tiles to simulate wood flooring. I think this looks awesome and is definitely better than just leaving exposed studs. Small 1×1 plates are interspersed so minifigures can anchor to something. The walls are built in segments and have only a few connections to the base. Despite this, they are really well secured and feel sturdy. This also allows for fairly accurate angles to the walls. The rug also sports some new printed tiles with diagonal patterns. It looks great and will certainly be a desirable MOC piece.
“That’s a shame.”
The best parts of the build are the kitchen and furniture. The cabinets look simple, but they actually show some really clever (and advanced) connections. Turn the build around and you’ll see the different levels of tiles, bricks and plates that make for a convincing design. But it’s also from the back that the build really shows some haphazard and unfinished qualities. But this is obviously meant to be viewed and displayed in one way, so that’s more an observation than a complaint. I also appreciate the same studio light builds that tie it thematically with the recent FRIENDS sets. Putting them horizontally however doesn’t work as cleanly from my perspective. They were done more effectively and stood out far less in the FRIENDS sets.
“I’m busting Jerry. I’m busting!”
There’s some great appliance and furniture builds in this set. The couches are a nice accurate colour and have a good useable depth. The fridge is a standout thanks to the clever use of parts to show water and ice dispensers. The shelving units are also accurate and there’s a neat build for the office desk using fairly few (but effective) parts. It had the fun parts of a modular build, with pop culture twists sprinkled in for extra entertainment. The set only loses some points for the heavy need for stickers to get those references across. No way around that however as printed tiles wouldn’t make sense. And the back of the set is basically Elaine dancing in LEGO® form…a “dry-heave set to music” if you will.
MINIFIGURES: 92%
Seinfeld (21328) comes with 5 amazing minifigures. These are some great designs with some key outfits that perfectly represent each character. Each of the major players gets a unique torso print, dual-sided face print and hair piece. Well everyone except poor George Costanza, he only gets the one face print and it’s just a ball of anger, which is so very apt and hilarious. There are no leg prints on any of the characters, but this is a minor detail as most characters only ever wore simple pants (plus the odd skinny jeans or velvet track suit). Each figure also has at least one accessory, and in some cases two. Each one is a hilarious nod to a famous scene or gag that should be immediately recognizable to any Seinfeld fan. The overall minifigure score is a wickedly good 97%
“It’s a Festivus miracle!”
The brick-to-minifigure ratio comes in at a very good 265 pieces-per-figure. This puts it at 86%, which is higher than the Ideas theme average of 339. All told, Seinfeld scores an excellent 92% for it’s outstanding minifigure selection. Did I mention how much I love these minifigures? And congrats to Wayne Knight for his second amazing minifigure after his debut in the Jurassic Park: T-Rex Rampage (75936) set. And an even bigger thank-you to The LEGO® Group making a Festivus pole. Absolutely hilarious. It truly is a Festivus for the rest of us.
ENTERTAINMENT: 100%
Looking at this set as a whole now, how does it rank as a building experience? I would say it’s great. There are fun techniques, nice details and some great real-world builds. I’m always impressed with how many different ways the LEGO® design teams find to make a sink, a fridge, a chair, etc. Vignette/setting sets like this can really bring some inspiration to aspiring designers. Although this is in the 18+ range, a younger fan can certainly find some fun and imaginative stories to tell with this build. Take away the Seinfeld connection and you still get a nice architectural build and totally modular scene to reinvent. I absolutely enjoyed all parts of this build. But just a head’s up that the air conditioner is loose and will fall out of the window (careful for passing dogs).
“Alright! High five”
- The fridge has 3 ‘yadas’, superman magnet, a photo of show creator Larry David, the cafe’s menu and a note to ‘Call Schmoopie’, Jerry’s overly cute ex-gf.
- The infamous stereo involved in mail fraud
- A VHS copy of Prognosis Negative
- It’s Fusilli Jerry! Kramer’s pasta-art series
- The large baseball poster above Jerry’s desk
- The famous oil painting of Kramer
- George’s infamous boudoir photo
- Uncle Leo (Hello!) with crazy eyebrows
- The Commando 8 air conditioner
- The Coffee Table Book of Coffee Tables
- The vintage Porsche poster
- A website page for Vandelay Industries
OVERALL: 95%
Seinfeld (21238) is an excellent set with major credit going to fan designer Brent Waller. His original design is nearly identical to the released set. That is so rare for Ideas releases and a testament to his design. His total fandom of the show is evident in so many details. Now I’m sure my opinion has been greatly influenced by my obsession with this show. And I’m very ok with that 😁 The set is not perfect of course; the back is very rough looking, there’s a lot of stickers and there’s potential for limited appeal. But these are all VERY minor issues and easily overlooked. After seeing how great this turned out, I really hope we see a follow-up set like we did with the FRIENDS Apartments (21292). Here’s hoping we get to double-dip the chip for Seinfeld goodness.
“Sweet Fancy Moses!”
What do you think of the LEGO® Ideas Seinfeld (21328) set? It’s definitely got more of a niche target market, but being one of the most popular and longest-running sitcoms in TV history, I’m confident it will have a broad appeal. Will you be picking this one up? Are there any other TV shows that need their own set or theme? Comment below and let us know what you think. And as always, keep on brickin’.
-Frank
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Such a great set!
It certainly is!