Elaine tells Jerry that her new boyfriend – who happens to be Jerry’s mechanic – has used one of Jerry’s moves in bed, and Jerry is so annoyed he asks him to stop using it. Kramer receives new license plates that say ASSMAN. George’s mother has an eyejob done.

Teleplay by: Marjorie Gross
Story by: Marjorie Gross, & Jonathan Gross and Ron Hauge & Charlie Rubin
Directed by: Andy Ackerman

You know, it makes complete sense that Jerry would be weirdly pedantic and possessive about how he has sex. The distance between Jerry’s attitude towards sex and his attitude towards standup isn’t even subtext – he literally compares it to someone stealing his act, a grave offence in the standup community. I find a lot of Jerry’s attitude makes the most sense when you think of him as automatically a standup comedian, no matter where he goes; both Seinfeld (comedian) and Larry David have said that the initial pitch for Seinfeld has a show about how a comedian gathers material was a lie they said to get the show made, but there’s still an essence of that to the show, even this deep in.

This is the deepest this show has ever dived into sex itself. Sex has come up as a plot device frequently; Jerry learning Elaine faked orgasms, or Jerry and Elaine rekindling their sexual relationship. This is the first to really dive into how the characters are having sex. I once read a rather profound insight into the show – that it was profane without being obscene and obscene without being profane, and you feel that here. You get enough detail – both in Jerry’s descriptions and in what we actually see – to get the gist of what’s happening without it ever feeling TMI.

Meanwhile, we get one scene that feels like pure, uncut Seinfeld, as the characters discuss the motivations behind someone getting an ASSMAN licence plate. My mental image of the show is people breaking down the meaning behind banal-but-strange actions; when characters in other shows do it, my mind always jumps to Seinfeld; for example, there’s a scene on otherwise high-octane thriller The Shield where characters discuss why women enjoy buying expensive handbags that always felt very Seinfeldian to me. Kramer seizing the floor is such a great beat here; of course he somehow knows proctologists.

TOPICS O’ THE WEEK

• This is our first appearance of Patrick Warburton as Puddy! He’s not quite the glorious character he would become – a little more irritable and snappish than usual – but Warburton already injects him with a jock energy, snapping out each line quickly.
• “So what if they have a lobster? Suddenly you’re a shellfish connoisseur?”
• “I’m out there rubbin’ two sticks together, you’re walking around with a Zippo!”
• Kramer parks his car and does an absolutely shithouse park job.
• “You know what, do me favour, don’t even do the move anymore. You’re gonna give it a bad name.”
• Great moments in blocking: not a gag, but Kramer kissing Estelle hello. Sally’s butt wiggle as she leaves the room before the Assman is a hoot.
• Frank’s offhand line “I feel vigorous!” has become oddly useful to shitposters.
• Of course George would try putting sexual crib notes on his hand.

Biggest Laugh:

Next Week: “The Diplomat’s Club”