Crazy Seinfeld Theory: Kramer had a wife who died

I know you're not supposed to frick with Seinfeld, but I was thinking about it and this one makes a lot of sense.

First, we'd have to assume that the wife died before he met Jerry, which would be plausible as they had not known each other their whole lives. (We see in the last episode the day Jerry and Kramer meet in the same New York apartment they live in throughout the series.)

It would also explain Kramer's seemingly endless source of income. If he married a rich woman (not far-fetched to due his "Keh-vorka"), or if there was some sort of life insurance policy or accident settlement, then there might finally be some semblance of an explanation for his previously inexplicable amount of money. The guy lived for over a decade in a New York city apartment without holding a paying job for more than a week. This would certainly count as some sort of explanation.

Also, his psychology fits the mold of a widow. He has an emotional detachment to women that extends beyond the life of the ordinary New York bachelor. He and his mother were estranged for years. Elaine was probably the woman he was closest to over the course of the series, and there is a later episode where he is unsure of her last name.


His odd habits and weekly fascinations, while entertaining, are indicative of his struggle to occupy his mind. All of his wild projects seem like diversion tactics. Everybody has met that one odd character in their lives who went through some kind of tragedy and never really got right again - Kramer doesn't fit that mold?

His dependency on Jerry is another clue. When taking the sexual relationship completely out of the equation, Kramer and Jerry function a lot like a married couple. They bicker back and forth almost daily. Kramer shares everything of Jerry's and has 24/7 unquestioned access to his apartment and everything he owns. (The show even toys with this idea themselves in the episode where Kramer goes to a job that does not officially employ him.)

We've always known this, and their interaction is probably my favorite part of the show, but the argument can be made that Jerry is partly a replacement for Kramer's deceased wife. He is a substitute for everything that isn't sexual; for the sexual parts, he turns to whatever woman comes along with no real attachment.


That's all I've got for now. I know it's a bit of a stretch, but I had fun with it.