Jerry’s parents sell the Cadillac he bought them, so he schemes to get it back. George realises his parents must have a lot of money, so he tries to figure out how healthy they are, only to convince them to spend all their money now. Elaine hires Morty Seinfeld, only for J Peterman to return and take back the company. Kramer struggles to sleep in the same bed as his girlfriend.
Written by: Peter Mehlman
Directed by: Andy Ackerman
George’s insecurity about his money manages to combine with Jerry’s attempt to do his parents a favour to make a really meaty episode. I’m struck by his initial bristling at Elaine buying him something; certain that she’s lording it up over him, to Jerry’s exasperation. Recently, I read a book called Stone Age Economics, laying out how the economy of hunter/gatherer societies actually worked. The most interesting point was that your average person was, while materially poor, abundant in resources above and beyond what they’d ever need, especially compared to the amount of work they had to do. The second-most interesting point and the one relevant here is that political power in such societies was related to your ability to give things away to the group as opposed to hoarding it – that is to say, if you had stuff to give away, you were the chief. The book makes it clear that this really put you at the whims of your people more than really giving you power over them.
This connects to Seinfeld in how we’re seeing the stories play out. George takes it as a dig and a demonstration of power that Elaine can casually buy him coffee; the part of his brain dedicated to finding nuts and berries is telling him a new chief is in town, and it ain’t him. One way of looking at his resentment here is that his physical needs are completely met but there’s still an instinctual need to rely on other people, and that’s scrambling up in his brain. You can kind of see the reverse in Jerry with his parents; if you look at him as a self-appointed chief, he’s trying to do good by his tribe but seeing the results not work because to his parents, they are the chief with all their needs met. It’s common to think modern society has made us ‘soft’, but what Seinfeld implies is that we’re so self-reliant that our ability to give to each other, at least in an immediate sense, is getting messed up.
TOPICS O’ THE WEEK
- Sarah Silverman! Unfortunately, she had an unpleasant experience here. Michael Richards was famously aggressive on set, and she was one of the few to give it back to him.
- “Jerry, we can only stay four days.” / “Well, I’m upset, but we’ll make the most of it.”
- “It’s not the sex, Jerry – ehhhhhhhHey, Seinfelds!”
- “Yeah, when it’s your money, it’s fascinating.”
- “She treated me to the Arabian mocha joe.” / “And you misinterpreted this how?”
- “I gotta tell ya, Kramer, ya might be more than a couple of tweaks away from a healthy relationship.” An absolutely spectacular delivery from Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
- Great moments in blocking: when George asks about his aunt, Frank looks to the ceiling as he says “She’s deceased,” and George, puzzled, looks up as well. It’s not quite blocking, but Kramer standing wrapped up in the blanket is adorable.
- “You need a pen? Still works.”
- “I need a shoe shine kit. He always hides it from me.”
- “I think that my resume speaks for itself.” / “Where is your resume?” / “I don’t have it, I’ll mail you one.”
- “Think I lost my pen too.” / “You know, this almost makes it all worthwhile.”
- Honestly, in George’s position, I’d choose the comfort over the money.
- “Kudos, Elaine, on a job… done.” / “What about my stock options?” / “I think not.”
- “Jerry’s gone! He humours me! You could humour me.”
Biggest Laugh: There’s a very Simpsons sense of self-awareness here that tickles me. It even feels especially atypical for a Seinfeld character, especially one outside the main cast.
