Jerry tries to figure out what woman recorded a racy message on his tape recorder, unaware it was Elaine. George buys a baldness cure from China.
Written by: Larry David and Bob Shaw & Don McEnery.
Directed by: David Steinberg
There’s a conception that all men are thoughtless, horny idiots, and nobody spreads this idea as enthusiastically as the men who are thoughtless, horny idiots. Some of my least favourite comedy is written by these men trying to convince the world that everyone is as stupid and horny as they are, so it fascinates me that Larry David has, across his career, made it work by simply showing instances in which this particular guy (which is usually him) was horny and stupid.
I always liked how Elaine fit into the group dynamic; we’ve talked before about how she’s the most ‘relatable’ of the group in that her reactions are generally how a normal person would react. She’s also, for better or worse, the group’s Woman, dealing with women’s issues in a Seinfeld way. It’s incredibly funny to me that she just wants to make a joke that happens to involve sounding sexy; I love how amused she is about her prank and how exasperated she is when she finds out all the guys are crushing on her.
Then, of course, there’s George, who again gets the main meat of this plot – I assume everyone recognised already that Jason Alexander was the strongest actor in the quartet and leaned in on that. I’ve always loved both George’s meekness and how Alexander plays it; he’s almost like a child hoping to get permission, and it’s very funny to compare to his bellowing outrage.
I’m also intrigued by all the little details and byways in this episode; the fridge repairman in the opening, Jerry’s attempt at a cockney accent, the discussion of the minimalist friend with a fat fetish. I always liked how a very tight structure makes these moments stand out more and make the world feel propulsive but lived in.
TOPICS O’ THE WEEK
- I always like when a plot gets kicked off with something from Jerry’s career. There are many sitcoms starring stand-up comedians, but Seinfeld stands alone in making that the character’s career.
- I skipped right over the whole baldness cure plot! It contains multiple instances of comedy from a character having something funny on their head.
- A few great moments of blocking: George having a menu in front of his face when He learns Elaine recorded the message, and Elaine bent over in front of George as he contemplates why he does what he does.
- Getting a Chinese delivery man to translate a phone call is the second-most Larry David moment in the plot, and that phone call instantly turning to a casual conversation is the most Larry David moment.
Biggest Laugh:
Next Week: “The Nose Job”