Rob & Akiva Need a Podcast #1: Perfect Strangers Season 3, Ep #7 Recap
Aug 19, 2018
Rob and Akiva Need a Podcast Ep #001 – A Podcast About Anything…
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur have been looking for another podcast to start since the finale of the Seinfeld: Post Show Recap in 2017. In each episode Rob & Akiva will spin a wheel of listener submitted podcast ideas to figure out what the next episode will be about. The first spin got us to recap Season 3, Episode 7 of the ABC sitcom, “Perfect Strangers”
Perfect Strangers: Season 3, Ep #7 Recap of “The Horn Blows at Midnight”
Rob and Akiva recap what happens when a psychic gives Balki a terrible prediction about the fate of Cousin Larry.
Rob & Akiva are STILL Trying to Figure out What to Podcast Next
Aug 12, 2018
Rob and Akiva are STILL Trying to Figure Out What to do Next
We Lied. We said the next time you heard Rob & Akiva it would be the start of a new podcast but the feedback was too all over the map… so we’re back with another podcast to figure it out.
What Happens Next? Rob & Akiva on the Podcasting Comeback Trail
Jul 29, 2018
What Happens Next? Rob & Akiva Talk Podcasting Comeback Possibilities
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur reunite after many months away from the Seinfeld podcast to talk about the options to potentially record again in the future.
Seinfeld The Frogger LIVE | Episode 174 Recap Podcast
Nov 15, 2017
Recorded LIVE in front of a studio audience in Manhattan, New York, Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur finsih their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 9, Episodes 18, “The Frogger.”
Curb Your Enthusiasm | Season 9 Premiere Recap Podcast
Oct 03, 2017
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” Season 9 Premiere Post Show Recap Podcast
Fresh off completing the full rewatch of Seinfeld, Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur recap Season 9 Episode 1 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.
Seinfeld: The Feedback | Post-Series Questions Podcast
Oct 01, 2017
After Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur complete their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode, they discuss their ratings of the Finale and answer your questions.
Seinfeld: The Quiz & The Clip Show | Episodes 177 & 178 Recap Podcast
Sep 17, 2017
AJ Mass hosts a quiz between Rob and Akiva then Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 9, Episodes 21 & 22, “The Clip Show.”
Seinfeld: The Puerto Rican Day | Episode 176 Recap Podcast
Sep 09, 2017
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 9, Episode 20, “The Puerto Rican Day.”
Seinfeld: The Bookstore | Episode 173 Recap Podcast
Aug 28, 2017
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 9, Episode 17, “The Bookstore.”As a bonus, Rob and Akiva talk with the episode’s guest star, Jonathan Penner!
Seinfeld: The Wizard | Episode 171 Recap Podcast
Aug 13, 2017
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur Alexander Chester continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 9, Episode 16, “The Wizard.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 9, Episode 12, “The Reverse Peephole.”
You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going topostshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast.
Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Apology”.
Emails – Finally, Chester chimed in with an array of takes. Amir thought George only wanted Nina because Jerry never got her. Dan the benefactor had Newman’s back when Jerry insulted him in his own apartment, noting that Jerry was out of line. Alex pointed out a continuity error based on a crossover episode of Mad About You. Vicki asked if either of them have tried clams casino. Lindsay asked if they’ve attended a destination wedding. Ariel asked if they think the episode would still be funny if watched in normal order, to which Akiva decided Mike Bloom needs to test the theory. Leading off as always, Johnny De Silveira asked how Jerry and George decided they would go to India for a wedding they weren’t invited to.
Episode Ranking – 12
Kramer’s storyline – While he is invited to go, Kramer stays home from the trip to India to deal with a problem he is having with FDR (Romanowski). Kramer attended FDR’s birthday party, but when he blew out his candles, he gave Kramer an evil look. He reveals to Kramer later that he wished Kramer would drop dead. Desperate to get this jinx off of him, Kramer tries to take Newman’s wish, then tries wishing wells, eye lashes, and wishbone. In the end, FDR was just upset about Kramer hitting him with a snowball, so Kramer agreed to let FDR hit him with one to even up the score. Grade: Akiva – 2 sari’s in a sock, Rob – 2 sari’s in a sock
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine has been invited to attend Sue Ellen Mischke’s wedding in India, though she suspects Sue Ellen invited her last minute as an “unvitation”. She buys tickets for them all to go, but Kramer declines, leaving George to take his new girlfriend Nina. Soon after arriving, Elaine discovers she had a romantic relationship with the Pinter, the groom to be, years ago when he went by the name Peter. She swears Jerry to secrecy, but he tells George who shouts it out during the wedding ceremony, causing Sue Ellen to call off the wedding.Grade: Akiva – 3.5 sari’s in a sock, Rob – 3 sari’s in a sock
George’s Storyline – George wants Jerry to set him up with a woman he used to date named Nina. But when he met her on the street, he was wearing boots that made him taller, leaving him compelled to keep wearing them every time he sees her. When Kramer decides not to go to India, George jumps at the chance to bring Nina. While in India, George notices Jerry acting strange, so he gets Elaine drunk so she can spill the beans. She tells him Jerry did sleep with Nina, but he can’t say anything. When chaos starts to ensue at the wedding, George brought the whole thing to a halt when he shouted out how Elaine had slept with Pinter. Nina revealed she didn’t like either of them, and only wanted a free trip to India. Grade: Akiva – 3.5 sari’s in a sock, Rob – 3 sari’s in a sock
Jerry’s Storyline– Jerry agrees to set up George with a woman he used to date but never slept with. He liked her, but didn’t connect because they communicated so well, there were never awkward pauses. When he talks with her about George, there is an awkward pause, and they sleep with each other right there. Elaine finds out, but agrees to never tell George. Jerry goes along to Sue Ellen’s wedding with Elaine, and while there, he gets Elaine drunk so she’ll reveal what George has been upset about. She tells him George got her drunk and she spilled the beans about Nina and Jerry. Grade: Akiva – 3.5 sari’s in a sock, Rob – 3 sari’s in a sock
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur laced up their big boots and are ready to bring you the next Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time the guys discussed “The Betrayal”, which first aired November 20, 1997 as part of season nine. The episode was written by Peter Mehlman and David Mandel.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Betrayal
Seinfeld: The Slicer | Episode 163 Recap Podcast
Jun 11, 2017
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 9, Episode 7, “The Slicer.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Slicer
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur are fresh from earning their doctorate in podcasting and are ready to bring you the next Seinfeld Post Show Recap . This time the guys discussed “The Slicer”, which first aired November 13, 1997 as part of season nine. The episode was written by Gregg Kavet, Andy Robin and Darin Henry.
Jerry’s Storyline– Jerry is on a date with a dermatologist named Sara, but her belittling him for not being a life saver gets on his nerves. When he learns she is a dermatologist, he incorrectly assumes she couldn’t save lives and wants to bust her on it. Right after he calls her out on this at a restaurant, a man she saved from skin cancer comes over to the table to thank her. A few days after this mishap, Jerry starts developing a rash, which he thinks is payback from Sara. He calls her out on this as well, but then learns soon after the rash was caused from Kramer using Jerry’s bath towel to clean his slicer. Grade: Akiva – B+, Rob – B-
George’s Storyline – George is interviewing for a new job at Kruger Smoothing, when he notices himself in the background of one of Mr. Kruger’s family vacation photos. It reminds George of an altercation several years ago that led to him throwing Kruger’s son’s boom box in the water. Desperate to keep Kruger from remembering him, George steals the photo to have himself photo-shopped out. When he gets it back, Kruger was removed instead, and could only be put back in if George gets a shirtless photo of him. Having Kramer pose as a dermatologist during the cancer screening allowed this to happen, though Kruger refuses to have a mole looked at based on the mole being the same size in his photo. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – A-Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine’s neighbor is out of the country, but has forgotten to turn off the alarm clock. Kramer helps her by blowing the fuse, but this causes a new problem when the automatic feeder for the neighbor’s cat shuts off. Now with the problem of having a starving and meowing cat next door, Elaine once again elicits Kramer’s help, this time by borrowing the meat slicer to feed meat to the neighbor’s cat. She ends up damaging the slicer when she gets too comfortable and uses it to even out her high heels. Grade: Akiva – C, Rob – D+
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer is fed up with sandwiches and deli meat in general, so he decides to buy his own meat slicer. Despite buying so much meat the butcher gave him a free white coat, he lends the slicer to Elaine for her problem with the neighbor’s hungry cat. This coat comes in handy though when George enlists Kramer to be apart of his plan to get a shirtless picture of Kruger by having him pose as a doctor. Kramer wraps himself into Jerry’s storyline by causing Jerry’s horrible rash when he used his bath towel to clean the slicer with toxic metal cleaner. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – A-
Episode Ranking – 57
Emails – Johnny De Silveira shared how he enjoyed the callback to Kramer’s fear of clowns in the Joe Devola episode. Lindsay asked the guys if they’ve purchased any useless kitchen appliances. Mikewrote in wondering if Nicole belittles Rob about how she saves lives every day. Shawn Falconer checked in, noting that the Kenny Kramer Tour schedule won’t be out until later this summer. Craig pointed out the discrepancy in George’s hairline in the series premiere versus the 1989 in that photo. Pat asked why George didn’t just leave the picture alone. Amir wondered why Elaine wouldn’t just call the super of the building. Finally, Chester chimed in with an array of takes.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Betrayal”. Send in your questions by emailingseinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going topostshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Merv Griffin Show | Episode 162 Recap Podcast
Jun 03, 2017
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 9, Episode 6, “The Merv Griffin Show.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Junk Mail
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur’s Seinfeld Post Show Recap is like the mail, it can never be stopped. This time the guys discussed “The Junk Mail”, which first aired October 30, 1997 as part of season nine. The episode was written by Spike Feresten.
Jerry’s Storyline– Jerry old summer camp friend “Fragile” Frankie arranges for Jerry to get a car as payment for a spot he did for the dealership. Frankie can only get him a van though, and Jerry has to pretend to like it to protect Frankie’s feelings. He tries to discretely sell it in New Jersey, but Kramer convinces him to take out an ad and sell it himself. Kramer tries to buy the van in “trade”, and while borrowing it, George decides to use it for his plan to shock his parents. Ultimately Frankie learns Jerry doesn’t like the van, so Jerry has to find him in the Central Park woods digging a hole. *Grade: Akiva – bill, Rob – past due bill
George’s Storyline – George notices his parents giving him the brush off, so when he confronts them on this, they tell him they are tired of him, and want some time to themselves. George wants to do something to forces them back into his life, so he convinces his cousin Rhisa to pretend they are dating to shock Frank and Estelle, however the cousin is actually into the idea. George persists with his plan, but when Frankie starts peering in the van windows while he and Rhisa are waiting Frank and Estelle, George freaks out, running into the woods. The episode ends with George accidentally opening the van door to see his parents having sex. Grade: Akiva – magazine+, Rob – paycheckElaine’s Storyline – Elaine becomes enamored with a man named Jack at the diner, so she sets up a date with him to see if he again gives her the butterflies. When he does, she proceeds to dump Puddy. Even Jerry gets an enamored feeling when he meets Jack, so he investigates to find out that Jack is actually from the old commercial for a famous electronic store “The Wiz”. He delights in showing Elaine this, causing her to crawl back to Puddy. She changes her mind again, only to have Jack share that he’s signed back on to be “The Wiz” again. Grade: Akiva – IRS bill, Rob – IRS bill
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer is fed up with Pottery Barn delivering so many catalogs, so he decides to take all back to one of the stores. When this doesn’t get them to stop, compounded with all the other catalogs being sent to him, he decides to take things further by cutting off the mail altogether. Newman tries to interfere when Kramer makes a stink down at the post office, but Kramer doesn’t let up. He starts picketing in an attempt to paint the post office as “big brother”. This leads to the Postmaster General to kidnap Kramer and threaten him to continue getting his mail normally. Grade: Akiva – bill, Rob – bill
Episode Ranking – 142
Emails – Johnny De Silveira asked what their “go-to” line is for getting off the phone. Vicky noted that Newman’s speech is from a classic Robert Redford movie. Mike C asked what businesses are the butt of the joke today like Pottery Barn was in the 90s. Lindsay asked them to share their least favorite abbreviated word. Jim the physics correspondent asked if they have any friends they have to baby like Fragile Frankie. Matt wondered what the “choke point” was to stop Pottery Barn before taking on the Post Office. Amir thought the most unbelievable storyline in the show was Kramer knowing who the Postmaster General was. Finally, Chester chimed in with an array of takes, with Akiva sharing the news that he prefers to be called Alex.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Merv Griffin Show”. Send in your questions by emailingseinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going topostshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
*Grading: Bill = F, Catalog = C/D, Magazine = B, Paycheck = A
Seinfeld: The Blood | Episode 160 Recap Podcast
May 20, 2017
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 9, Episode 4, “The Blood.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Blood
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur have lit their cream soda incense and are ready to bring you another Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time they discussed “The Blood”, which first aired October 16, 1997 as part of season nine. The episode was written by Dan O’Keefe.
Jerry’s Storyline– Jerry starts to turn healthy after everyone remarks that he is gaining some weight. When freaking out over Kramer keeping his blood at home, an exacto-knife accidentally cuts him, with Kramer’s blood going in him in the transfusion. His parents hire Izzy Mandelbaum to get him in better shape after hearing of this incident. When Izzy discovers all of Kramer and Newman’s sausage in his apartment, he ties Jerry to the back of his car and makes him run it off. Izzy Jr. accidentally hits the gas too hard when blood drips on his shoe and causes Jerry to get dragged. He goes to the hospital for another transfusion, this time though, from Newman. Grade: Akiva – 1.5 pints of blood, Rob – 2.5 pints of blood
George’s Storyline – George’s new girlfriend Tara lights incense before getting intimate, causing George to get so hungry he leaves abruptly for the diner. Transfixed by this now, George tries bringing in food to the bedroom, which works well at first. He tries to take one step too far though when he is caught trying to watch TV and eat during sex. The food and sex confusion starts getting more complicated for him when he gets flush just from eating. George learns that Elaine’s friend Vivian is actually his perfect match when she shares his erotic desires for pastrami too. Grade: Akiva – 3 pints of blood, Rob – 3 pints of bloodElaine’s Storyline – Elaine’s old friend Vivian asks Elaine if she knows anyone responsible enough to watch her son, completely disregarding Elaine. She’s further offended by this when Vivian asks Kramer instead, which leads to her attacking Kramer at Vivian’s doorstep so she can prove her worth. The kid ends up being a nightmare, and when Vivian has a health scare, she asks Elaine to be her son’s guardian if something happened. Elaine goes to great lengths, including smoking cigars and sleeping on the job to get her to change her mind, but to no avail. After George sleeps with Vivian though, Elaine gets out of the responsibility. Grade: Akiva – 2 pints of blood, Rob – 2 pints of blood
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer is upset with his blood bank over a price increase, so he decides to store his blood at home instead, much to Jerry’s dismay. So paranoid over the thought of the blood, Jerry has an accident that causes him to need Kramer’s blood in a transfusion. Meanwhile, Kramer and Newman use Jerry’s apartment to watch a video on how to make sausages, then stay there to actually make them. When they run out of freezer space from all the sausages, Kramer’s forced to bring the blood back to the bank. Jerry’s car overheats on the way there, so Kramer uses the blood to keep the car running. Grade: Akiva – 1.5 pints of blood, Rob – 2.5 pints of blood
Episode Ranking – 113
Emails – Johnny De Silveira noted that “The Blood” was Lloyd Bridges’ final TV appearance. Kaia wondered if her boyfriend is a loser for passing out when giving blood. Lindsay asked if they give blood, and also wondered if they have anyone in their life that owe them a favor. Craig wondered what things their kids have destroyed of theirs. Matt asked why Izzy Mandelbaum would even want to train Jerry after all he put him through. Caleb asked them to rank the core four in who they would let babysit their kids. Amir noted that Kramer backed down in a fight numerous times, disproving his theory for why he needs to keep the blood. Finally, Chester chimed in with an array of takes.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Junk Mail”. Send in your questions by emailingseinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going topostshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Serenity Now | Episode 159 Recap Podcast
May 16, 2017
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 9, Episode 3, “The Serenity Now.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Voice
Helloooooo! Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur gave up doing their favorite silly voices just to bring you another Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time they discussed “The Voice”, which first aired October 2, 1997 as part of season nine. The episode was once again written by the team of Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel.
Jerry’s Storyline– Jerry has a running gag with the gang about his new girlfriend Claire’s belly button talking to him at night in a silly voice. She gets upset with him when she learns what the voice is about, and only agrees to see him again if he stops using the voice altogether. He has to stoically contemplate his decision, then runs to her apartment to tell her he’s choosing the voice. When both George and Kramer confirm the voice is played out, he once again convinces her to come back to him. The episode ends with Claire getting hit with the giant ball of oil when she refuses to acknowledge Jerry because his shouting sounded like the voice. Grade: Akiva – turns chair around, Rob – turns chair around
George’s Storyline – George is facing the fallout from being caught faking his handicap. While they can’t fire him, they start doing everything they can to make him quit, including boarding up his office. Even when Play Now offers to buy him out for six month’s salary, George continues to show up to work. The stakes raise further when Mr. Thomassoulo opens George’s private bathroom to the rest of the staff. George decides to get back at him by allowing Kramer and Darin to test their oil bladder system with a playground ball from his work. Ultimately the plan causes Clair to sue, bankrupting Play Now and leaving George out of a job. Grade: Akiva – turns chair around, Rob – does not turn chair aroundElaine’s Storyline – Elaine runs into Puddy at the coffee shop, to which Jerry predicts she will get back together with him. They even bet on it, and Elaine is forced to pay up when Jerry catches her wearing the same clothes as the day before. She insists it’s just a backslide, even going double or nothing on her bet with Jerry. She loses that bet again though, several times over. During one of her trysts with Puddy, he talks a little to glowingly about their purely physical relationship, so she punishes him by getting back together and making him cuddle. In the end, Puddy breaks it off with her. Grade: Akiva – does not turn chair around, but gives her praise, Rob – turns chair around
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer discovers his ideas are being used all over town, so he decides he needs to get his business, Kramerica Industries, back up and running. He discovers he can’t do it alone, so he enlists a student intern from NYU to help him with various things, including his idea for a rubber bladder that can hold the oil inside tankers, preventing spills. NYU reads over Darin’s internship notes that include him mending chicken wire, and he’s forced to find another company to fulfill his school requirements. Despite this, he comes back to Kramer to see the bladder idea through. The idea is a failure though, and Darin somehow ends up going to jail for a long time. Grade: Akiva – turns chair around, Rob – turns chair around Episode Ranking – 69
Emails – Johnny De Silveira wondered what Darin was convicted for doing. Caleb wondered what impression Rob does that Nicole hates. Lindsay asked what they could put up with before quitting a job. Ariel noted how great it is that Scott St. Pierre is adding in music to the background now. Amir asked if this is the most damage the gang has done to others in one episode. He also wondered why George didn’t just tell Play Now the truth. Finally, Chester chimed in with an array of takes.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Serenity Now”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Butter Shave
Bania is waiting in the wings to host the Caroline in the City Post Show recap, but he will have to wait. The Summer of Rob and Keev officially kicks off as Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur basted in the hot tub and are ready for the final stretch of Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time they discussed “The Butter Shave”, which first aired September 25, 1997 as the premiere of the final season. The episode was written by Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel.
Jerry’s Storyline– Jerry has another opportunity with NBC at a showcase, but starts to become bothered by Bania following him and benefitting from all of Jerry’s work to get a laugh. He’s further annoyed when he sees that Bania’s now dating Jenna with the toilet bowl toothbrush. While trying to concoct a plan to deal with Bania, he discovers George is actually a Bania fan. Jerry goes so crazy over this, he decides the only way to get back at Bania is to bomb his own NBC showcase to keep him from getting leftover laughs. This plan works at first, but NBC associates Newman and Kramer onstage as part of Bania’s act, so they decide to work with him. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – A-
George’s Storyline – The cane George has to use for his injury lands him a job when a playground equipment company interviews him. While he tries to explain he’s not permanently handicapped, the treatment he gets is so great, including his own private, handicapped bathroom, he decides to just go with it. George injures his other leg, and his new boss sees him limping the wrong way, so they buy him a scooter to get around in. While on the scooter, he bumps into an old man, to which the man and his friends start scootering after him. The gig is up for George when his new boss sees him pick up and run with the scooter to avoid the elderly gang chasing him. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – BElaine’s Storyline – Elaine is on a long flight back from Norway with Puddy, who she’s back together with. The long and boring flight causes them to argue incessantly, with Elaine even bringing in the guy sitting next to them for backup. They decide to break up, though they still have over half the flight left. They both attempt to pretend the other isn’t there, but they eventually decide to get back together, only to minutes later break up all over again. During this argument, Elaine shouts that she wants the plane to hit a mountain so she doesn’t have to deal with him anymore, much to the fear of the passenger next to her that she has been calling vegetable lasagna. Grade: Akiva – B+, Rob – B+
Kramer’s storyline – After experiencing bad razor burn shaving off his mustache, Kramer decides to try butter next time, which sparks great results. It works so well for him, he decides to use it as suntan lotion, only he falls asleep, causing the butter to burn him to a near crisp. In an effort to keep from drying out, he bastes himself with butter in his hot tub, only the smell causes Newman to fantasize about eating him. When a waiter spills oregano and parmesan all over him, it’s too much for Newman, so he chases him onstage trying to eat him during Bania’s act. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – B Episode Ranking – 50
Emails – Rob and Keev wanted to urge listeners to email in ideas for how they can switch up the last season of the podcast. Dan the benefactor noted that $168 was donated to charity for season eight. Shawn Falconer contacted the real Kramer tour a few weeks ago, but hasn’t heard back. Craig said that Brandon Tartikoff was a former NBC executive who was friends with Jerry. Johnny De Silveira noted that George saying he felt like a gargoyle on the toilet was an homage to his role in Hunchback of Note Dame.
Lindsay asked if they have sat next to anyone bad on a plane. Pat wondered what flight would be 22 hours. Mike asked if Rob would use butter to shave his beard. Matt had a hot take about seeing an American railroad crossing sign in the background of a scene supposedly in Norway. Amir counted it as 16 seconds gone when Kramer went to shave his mustache, and noted that the plane phone call Elaine made would be terribly expensive. Finally, Chester chimed in with an array of takes.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Voice”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Summer of George | Episode 156 Recap Podcast
Apr 22, 2017
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 8, Episode 22, “The Summer of George.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Muffin Tops
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur have brought all their muffin stumps to the dump and are ready to bring you a new Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time they discussed “The Muffin Tops”, which first aired May 8, 1997 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Spike Feresten.
Jerry’s Storyline– Jerry accidentally shaves too much when evening his chest hair, leading him to shave it all off. Kramer warns him not to do it again, but his new girlfriend Alex seems to like the shaved look, so he keeps doing it. When on Kramer’s real Peterman tour, his hair starts to grow back in, causing him to itch incessantly. The episode ends in absurd fashion when the full moon, coupled with Jerry’s hair growth plays out like a werewolf movie. Grade: Akiva – D- , Rob – C-
George’s Storyline – George is left with a stranger’s suitcase, so he decides to keep it when the guy doesn’t come back for it. An attractive woman named mistakes him for a tourist, and he decides to go along with it. Though she doesn’t seem to think George is cut out for New York, he pretends his job and his apartment were just found that day. Mary Anne accidentally tells Steinbrenner George actually works for Tyler Chicken, which upsets him enough to “trade” George to them for a lucrative chicken hot dog deal. Later, George runs into the tourist, only to have the guy take the clothes off his back. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A-Elaine’s Storyline – While promoting Peterman’s book, Elaine sees her old boss Mr. Lippman. She mentions off-hand to him her idea for a store that only sold muffin tops. Later on in the episode, she sees he’s opened a store based on her idea, though he quickly agrees to share the profits. They end of having trouble getting rid of the muffin stumps, even having a homeless shelter turn them away when they donated. Eventually, Kramer agrees to take them off their hands. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer is upset about the release of Peterman’s book with all the stories he sold to Peterman. After getting kicked out of a book signing for claiming to be the real Peterman, he decides to start the “Real Peterman” tour for $37.50 a ticket. Kramer gets Jerry and his new girlfriend to go on the tour, which has really just turned into him running the leftover muffin stumps to the landfill for Elaine. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – B
Episode Ranking – 31
Emails – Johnny De Silveira noted the dog in the park was not the breed mentioned. Craig wondered what they thought of the abrupt ending of George with the Yankees. Lindsay asked what their favorite muffins are. Max the millennial wondered if the tag with Newman was a Pulp Fiction homage. Pat asked if Lippman and Elaine could have sold the stumps for a dollar. Caleb asked if they have ever pretended to do something just to get a girl’s attention. Dan the benefactor said he sees a lot of tourists in San Francisco still with paper maps and can’t understand it. Finally, Chester chimed in with an array of takes.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap the final episode of season eight with “The Summer of George”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Millennium
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur have their everyday balloons, and are ready to bring you a new Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time they discussed “The Millennium”, which first aired May 1, 1997 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Jennifer Crittenden.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry is dating a woman named Valerie who already has him on her speed dial. He is dropped to the bottom of her list after a lackluster date, so he wows her on the next date and moves to the top spot. The step mother is upset by this, in Mrs. Robinson fashion, seductively tries to influence Jerry to help. Valerie agrees to put her step mother back on speed dial if she takes Jerry off hers. Mrs. Hamilton instead hides Jerry in the poison number, which backfires when she is sick from the salsa with the silicon packet in it. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – B
George’s Storyline – George has been invited to lunch by some people at the Mets who want him to be their Director of Scouting. The only caveat is that George needs to get fired from the Yankees first before they can offer the job. He tries numerous ways to get fired, including spilling food all over a game worn Babe Ruth jersey. When he’s finally fired for dragging the World Series trophy behind his car, Wilhelm barges in and takes all the blame for it, since he was offered the same job by the Mets. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine wants to exact revenge on a woman from a clothing store who gave her bad customer service. Kramer recommends she just shop at the other Mayan clothing store. She learns that the rude woman owns both stores, so she resorts to sending Kramer in to price all the clothing so cheap it puts her out of business. Kramer bungles the job, and instead tries to remove all the silicon moisture packets from the clothing. Grade: Akiva – F+, Rob – C-
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer is hard at work preparing for his millennium party, storing chairs and balloons at Jerry’s, even though the party is two and a half years away. Things turn ugly when he learns Newman is throwing a competing party, and won’t join forces because he doesn’t want Jerry there. When Kramer convinces Elaine to turn down Newman’s invitation, it forces him to co-plan the party with Kramer and put up with Jerry. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – C-
Episode Ranking – 73
Emails – Johnny De Silveira asks what is the modern day equivalent of making someone’s speed dial. Max the millennial asks if speed dial is the most dated thing on the show. Dan the benefactor thinks every store should have chips and salsa to drum up business.
Caleb wondered why George didn’t just quit. Craig asked if they’ve ever seen anyone get fired in grand fashion. Kaia asked them to choose between Lauren Graham in Seinfeld or Gilmore Girls. Christine wondered how old Newman was. Finally, Chester chimed in with an array of takes.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Muffin Tops”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going topostshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur just got back from their swim in the East River to bring you a new Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time, they discussed “The Nap”, which first aired April 10, 1997 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry is having his kitchen cabinets redone, but Conrad the carpenter working on it is taking a long time. Frustrated by him asking too many questions, he lets George take Conrad to build a nap area underneath his desk at work. When Conrad gets back to Jerry’s, he still can’t get anything done without asking Jerry about every detail. Jerry yells at him, telling him to just figure it out on his own and be done by the end of the day. When Jerry gets back, Conrad completely redesigned everything, causing Jerry to ask him to change it back to normal. Grade: Akiva – C-, Rob – C
George’s Storyline – George is frustrated because he can’t take a good nap at work. He accidentally discovers that under his desk is a perfect spot, but he needs Jerry’s carpenter Conrad to make some space and add some shelves. While napping in his spot, Steinbrenner comes in with a question, and decides not to leave until George gets back. George has Jerry call in a bomb threat to get Steinbrenner out, but it backfires when Steinbrenner and his grandkids take cover under the desk. Later when Steinbrenner hears George’s alarm clock ticking under the desk, he calls in a bomb squad to destroy the desk. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine is dating a new guy named Hal, who is obsessed with taking care of his back. When he has a special mattress delivered to her apartment, she is turned off by his assumption he’ll be in her bed soon. She gives the mattress to Kramer, but soon discovers Hal had it specially contoured to her body type. She gets the mattress back, but it now smells like the East River after Kramer slept on it. Elaine hurts her back trying to move the smelly mattress out, and her doctor sends her out swimming in the East River for treatment. Grade: Akiva – C, Rob – C
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer has been swimming hundreds of laps at the local pool, but they don’t give him enough of a workout time. He discovers that if he swims the East River from one bridge to another, he gets his proper workout. After one of his swims, Jerry notices Kramer’s foul stench, but the benefits of his swim outweigh the smell for Kramer. After he shares his secret with Hal, Hal spreads the word, and Kramer’s swim lane in the river ends up too crowded for him to enjoy. Grade: Akiva – B-, Rob – B-
Episode Ranking – 76
Emails – Johnny De Silveira asked them about the last song to get stuck in their heads. Jim asked what was the best place they’ve ever napped. Caleb asked how Jerry got Steinbrenner’s office number. Lindsay wondered how they feel about swimming as an exercise. Coach Jason asked what they thought about Connie Sellecca’s attractiveness. Mike recommended getting the Casper mattress to Elaine in the future.
Matt noted that the Queensboro Bridge to the Brooklyn Bridge is over 11 miles round trip. Ariel found it strange that there was a plane hijacked and a bomb threat in back to back episodes. David thought it was more of a Kramer move to fall asleep in Jerry’s cupboards. Finally, Chester chimed in with an array of takes.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Yada Yada”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The English Patient | Episode 151 Recap Podcast
Mar 19, 2017
Listen to the Podcast:
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 8, Episode 17, “The English Patient.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur rented their jackhammers and are ready to bring you a new Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time, they discussed “The Pothole”, which first aired February 20, 1997 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Steve O’Donnell and Dan O’Keefe.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry is dating a new woman named Jenna, and accidentally knocks her toothbrush in the toilet bowl. He can’t stop her from using it before throwing it out, so he tries a number of techniques to fully clean her mouth so he can kiss her again. When none of them work, he finally admits what he did, so Jenna in turn puts “something” of his in his toilet. After Jerry throws nearly everything in his apartment out, Jenna reveals she put the toilet brush in the bowl. Just when Jerry starts to get over it all, Jenna’s toilet explodes all over her from George bursting the water main, causing Jerry to tell her to have a nice life. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – B+
George’s Storyline – George gets a new keychain with a talking Phil Rizzuto on it that says his catch phrase “Holy Cow”. He discovers soon after that he’s lost the keys jumping over a pothole out on the street. The pothole has been paved over though. Kramer ends up connecting George with some construction workers he met, but they won’t do the work for him, only lending him the jackhammer. The episode ends with George accidentally hitting a waterline, sending water shooting up into the sky. Grade: Akiva – B+, Rob – B+
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine is obsessed with this new flounder dish at a local Chinese Food place, but they don’t deliver to her area. She tries giving the address across the street that is in the delivery zone, but the delivery man refuses to give her the meal. Next, when trying to convince someone in that building to let her order from their apartment, she discovers a janitor’s closet she can use. The idea works, but a tenant in the building thinks Elaine is the janitor, and forces her to remove a bunch of debris from the building’s basement. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – B
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer accidentally runs over a sewing machine while driving down the highway, prompting him to adopt the stretch so he can personally tend to it. He takes the job seriously, even cleaning the traffic signs in Jerry’s apartment. While out sprucing up the area, Kramer gets the idea to remove two of the lanes for a wider more luxurious drive. When this fails miserably, Kramer must then use paint thinner to get it back to four lanes. The paint thinner ends up spilling all over the road, and Newman catches his truck on fire when the sparks from a sewing machine he’s dragging hits the puddle. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – B
Episode Ranking – 62
Emails – Johnny De Silveira noted that the director won the Emmy for this episode. Colin the pizza delivery guy shared a story about a student trying something similar to Elaine for a delivery, but he figured it out and stopped it. Craig wondered why Jerry would sleep in his car, noting it would be difficult to put bedding or pillows in the toilet. Lindsay asked how they would feel about someone using their toothbrush.
Evan asked what they would stick in a toilet if they were Jenna. Matt asked if they would go to Elaine’s lengths to get delivery. Travis thought Newman’s singing was an homage to the closed down Kenny Rogers Roasters. Amir wondered why the delivery guy would even care if Elaine lived in the building or not, and wondered how the sewing machine ended up back at the same spot on the highway. Lastly, Chester chimed in with an array of hot takes.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The English Patient”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Susie | Episode 149 Recap Podcast
Mar 05, 2017
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 8, Episode 15, “The Susie.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Van Buren Boys
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur won’t make you flash a special gang sign to listen to the new Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time, they discussed “The Van Buren Boys “, which first aired February 6, 1997 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Darin Henry.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry is dating a new woman named Ellen that is seemingly perfect, but strangely chose to have their first date on her birthday, rather than spend it with friends or family. Perplexed by people’s perception that she’s a loser, the gang doesn’t help when they are leery of him dating her. Still not convinced, he flies in his parents for the day, just to meet her and give him their opinion. When they love her, he realizes she’s too good of a person, and might prefer the woman from Vegas his parents said they hated. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – C
George’s Storyline – George has been tasked by the Ross Foundation to find a scholarship recipient. After countless interviews, he comes across a lying, shifty young man named Steven who would like to become an architect, much like George’s fake persona. George awards him the scholarship, and just when the board was going to object, Steven wows them with dreams of becoming a city planner. This bothers George enough to pull the scholarship, leading to Steven getting help from the Van Buren Boys to intimidate George. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – B+
Elaine’s Storyline – J Peterman has decided to write a memoir, and he chooses Elaine to ghost write it. When she shows up at his apartment, she realizes he doesn’t lead the exciting life he writes about in the catalog, leading to Peterman deciding he’d like to buy an interesting story she told about Kramer. Despite not thinking Kramer had anything good to share, Peterman ends up hating her embellished stories, preferring the mundane parts of how Kramer told it. Grade: Akiva – B-, Rob – B-
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer is accosted by a local gang called the Van Buren Boys. When Elaine retells the story to Peterman, he decides he wants to buy it from Kramer, along with any others that might help spice up his memoir. Kramer tries telling one of his stories with a group of friends, but Elaine stops him, since Peterman bought the rights. Desperate, Kramer buys some lousy bunion stories from Newman, then ultimately decides he needs his back from Peterman, who gives them back for free since he thinks he no longer needs them. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – B
Episode Ranking – 81
Emails – Jeff pointed out the presidential reference of the episode coincided with the episode airing around President’s Day. Greg, who has binged the podcast over the last few months shared some of his favorite highlights so far. Johnny De Silveira pointed out how the actress playing Ellen would go on to marry Jerry Stiller’s son Ben. Lindsay asked what animal they would pick if asked that scholarship question, and how much would they sell their life story for. Mike asked if Akiva would pay any money for Chester’s stories. Brett shared how he got his Blockbuster store to put employee picks on the wall based on this episode.
Craig pointed out how Kramer continues to botch people’s names, calling Peterman Mr. Peterson. Matt thought George should have followed the Seinfelds to avoid trouble with the Van Buren Boys. Jason offered his services as a sports correspondent for the upcoming Izzy Mandelbaum episode. Amir thought Peterman’s intentions with the book made no sense. He also thought it implausible that a street gang would roam around the Upper West Side. Finally, Chester shared some spreadsheet information on the facial hair of presidents. He also admonished the scholarship contestants for not dressing formally for their interviews. Lastly, he shared how Van Buren tops his list of ugliest presidents.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Susie”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary.
Seinfeld: The Comeback | Episode 147 Recap Podcast
Feb 19, 2017
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Comeback
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur will let you eat all the shrimp you want while you listen to the new Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time, they discussed “The Comeback”, which first aired January 30, 1997 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry is convinced to buy an expensive new tennis racquet at the club from the pro Milos. Soon after, Jerry notices Milos is a terrible tennis player, and goes to complain. Milos is so desperate for Jerry to keep this a secret, he offers him a free year membership. He can’t make that happen for Jerry though, so he sends his wife to Jerry, since she caught his eye earlier. After she can’t go through with it, Milos gets Jerry to agree to lose a tennis match to him so he could look manly. Milos takes the fake winning too far though, insulting Jerry to the point he starts beating Milos. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A-
George’s Storyline – George is insulted by a coworker when he indulges himself in the shrimp platter at a meeting. It wasn’t until his car ride home that he thought of a good comeback, to which the rest of the gang thought they had better suggestions. His plan to get Riley falls through when he learns Riley left the Yankees to move to Ohio. George still can’t let it go, so he plans a meeting at Riley’s new job in Ohio to discuss sponsorship with the Yankees. George finally gets his comeback moment at this meeting, but it goes horribly wrong when Riley has another comeback. George then tells him he slept with his wife, but they inform George that Riley’s wife is in a coma. Grade: Akiva – A+, Rob – A+
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine has been really enjoying a certain video store employee named Vincent’s rental suggestions. She gets a call from this Vincent, and they talk for hours about their shared tastes. When she is wanting to watch a lighter movie, she goes with a “Gene” pick, which prompts Vincent to feel betrayed. Elaine convinces Vincent it was nothing, and gets him to agree to meet. He asks her to bring him some cigarettes, liquor and fireworks, and when she does, Elaine discovers Vincent is just a 15 year old boy. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – A-
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer watches a movie where the main character goes into a coma, and decides he needs Jerry to be the executor of his will, and to be the one to ensure they pull the plug on him if a coma ever happens. When Jerry proves to be too sentimental with his old tennis racquet, Kramer decides to make the cold hearted Elaine the executor instead. After setting his will, Kramer decides to watch the rest of the movie, only to discover that the woman woke from the coma. On his way to get his will changed back to “do resuscitate”, he gets hit in the head with a tennis racquet and goes into a coma. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – A
Episode Ranking – Top 9 (only one spot left)
Emails – Shawn Falconer compiled a list of all the times “hot takes” was said on the show. Johnny De Silveira pointed out you could see puddles in the “indoor” tennis courts. Caleb asked if this episode could be a catalyst to cat fishing. Craig commented how he loves saying “another point for Milos!”. Dan the benefactor used to work at Blockbuster and would recommend movies to customers all the time. Lindsay asked if they’ve ever been convinced to buy something they didn’t need.
Mike wondered if the writers got the idea for the coma from Jack Klompus suffering one in real life just before. Pat in Ohio asked why Elaine would be okay with Vincent smoking when she wasn’t with Keith Hernandez. Amir pointed out that Kramer talked about comas in a previous episode. Finally Chester wondered why Milos was wearing a sweater during the tennis game. He also wondered where Elaine got fireworks in the city.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Van Buren Boys”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary.
Seinfeld: The Money | Episode 146 Recap Podcast
Feb 12, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnG8jrpLJDE
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 8, Episode 12, “The Money.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Money
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur cancelled the live podcast at Alligator Alley, but they still did get together to bring you a new Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time, they discussed “The Money”, which first aired January 16, 1997 as part of season eight. The episode was written by friend of the show Peter Mehlman.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry’s parents come to visit and are still concerned about his bounced check. They sold the Cadillac he bought them for far less than value to Jack Klompus just to give the money to him. Still worried that Jerry needs financial help, Morty talks Elaine into hiring him at J Peterman. Meanwhile, Jerry decides to buy the car back from Jack for way more than Morty sold it, but Jack ends up submerging the car in a lake before Jerry can pick it up. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – B
George’s Storyline – George is faced with a dilemma when his parents can’t decide to stay in New York or spend all their retirement money by moving to Florida. Conflicted himself, he has to rely on Elaine for advice while Jerry is in Florida. She wasn’t any help, and he ultimately decides he’d rather have a bigger inheritance and deal with his folks living close by. Frank and Estelle decide otherwise though, and move to Florida. They immediately decide to move back after Frank mistakes Jerry sleeping in the Cadillac for a vagrant. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – A-
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine continues to enjoy the fruits of being the boss, especially after learning of the great stock options she has at J Peterman. When Morty Seinfeld comes to her for a job, she signs him on, despite him really not having an idea of what he’s doing. Everything unravels quickly though when Peterman returns from his sabbatical and takes the magazine back over. When Elaine gets annoyed with Morty at work, George ends up giving her the best advice when he tells her to schedule pitch meetings late in the day when he’ll be too tired. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – C+
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer is dating a new woman named Emily. Though they have a great physical relationship, they can’t sleep when in the same bed for Emily’s “jimmy legs” and Kramer’s screaming. The plan to sleep separately backfires on Kramer when Morty’s exercise belt tugging on his doorknob wakes him up, but Emily is too content sleeping solo. Frank comes up with a solution for them by letting them sleep in his and Estelle’s room after they move to Florida, since they have separate beds. Grade: Akiva – B+, Rob – B+
Episode Ranking – 96
Emails – Johnny De Silveira said that Sarah Silverman shared a story about how Michael Richards yelled at her for messing up a line. Shawn Falconer wrote in about how he ran a test about Akiva’s saying “I mean” 49 times. He came up with a different verbal filler that tops the list in “you know”. Jeff noted how the actor playing Klompus was in a coma right before filming this episode. Craig questioned the timeline of Jerry getting the Cadillac cleaned up enough to be able to sleep in it. Matt wondered if Klompus would rank the highest on the worst character list.
Caleb asked how mad they would be if they bought their parents a car and they sold it. Lindsay is on board with the podcast visit to the farm, and clarified the “breaking the eggs” conversation. She also asked if they would rather have distance from the Costanzas or a larger inheritance. Dan the benefactor noted that there could be a lot of legal ramifications in regard to Elaine and Peterman’s transition as CEO. Amir asked how Kramer could wake up from Morty’s exercising. He also thought it was not like George to be happy about Elaine buying him something. Finally Chester has several timeline questions, and noted several of the inconsistencies in the story as well.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Comeback”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary.
Seinfeld: The Little Jerry | Episode 145 Recap Podcast
Feb 05, 2017
Listen to the Podcast:
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 8, Episode 11, “The Little Jerry.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Little Jerry
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur cancelled the cock fight to bring you a new Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time, they discussed “The Little Jerry”, which first aired January 9, 1997 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Jennifer Crittenden.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry keeps getting ridiculed for bouncing a check at the local bodega. When he goes to the store to convince the owner to take the check down, Marcelino agrees to it, as long as Kramer’s new rooster wins a cock fight he’s putting on. When Little Jerry wins the fight, Marcelino tries to make another deal before taking down the check, but Jerry won’t agree to Little Jerry taking a dive. He agrees to help Kramer train Little Jerry, but Marcelino brings in a ringer rooster to fight in the end. Grade: Akiva – B-, Rob – inc.
George’s Storyline – George is excited to visit a women’s prison that Susan’s foundation donated to. While there, he strikes up an interest in one the inmates named Celia, and soon realizes this type of relationship is perfect for him. Celia soon learns she is up for parole, which upsets George since he is loving the current arrangement. He decides to sully her name when he goes to the parole hearing, but Celia breaks out of prison after her parole is denied. She ends up getting caught after popping in to his apartment, but Elaine’s boyfriend Kurt ends up getting arrested in his place as the accomplice. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine is dating a new man named Kurt who shaves his head, which is upsetting to George, who earned his baldness. When she gets a look at his license picture where he has nice hair, she convinces him to grow it out. They discover after a few days, that he was actually starting to go bald naturally, which depresses Kurt. He visits George for advice on his situation, and George’s words lead Kurt to proposing to Elaine. While taking time to consider marrying him, Kurt gets arrested when the police are arresting Celia mistake him for George. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – B-
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer is disgusted with the egg quality at the diner, which prompts him to buy a chicken for cage free, fresh eggs. The next morning, they discover the chicken he’s named Little Jerry is actually a rooster. Marcelino the bodega owner encourages Kramer to enter Little Jerry in his cock fighting ring. Little Jerry wins big, so Kramer gets really into the training process, even getting Jerry to help. Little Jerry and Kramer’s cock fighting career comes to a sad end when Marcelino brings in a ringer rooster to peck at them both for Little Jerry’s last fight. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – B
Episode Ranking – 43
Emails – Johnny De Silveira asks why George got away with the aiding and abetting? Craig asked if they have a “pop-in” person. Caleb offered meetaninmate.com as a way to live like George. Lindsay talked about having a hen as a pet. Garrett has a soft spot for the episode because he was being delivered at the time the episode aired. Travis pointed out how bouncing a check is such a dated thing.
Matt wondered how the prison would let George be a character witness. Pat thought Elaine was a hypocrite for making George get rid of the toupee, but dumped Kurt for being bald. Amir wondered if this episode was the writers being meta about the show changing in season eight, and thought the gang acted the most despicable yet. Finally, Chester chimed in with his array of thoughts and questions.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Money”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary.
Seinfeld: The Andrea Doria | Episode 144 Recap Podcast
Jan 30, 2017
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 8, Episode 10, “The Andrea Doria”.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur would never sink your hopes, as they continue to churn out a new Seinfeld Post Show Recap each week. This time, they discussed “The Andrea Doria”, which first aired November 28, 1996 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Spike Feresten, who recently liked one of Chester’s tweets.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry learns that Newman has been hiding mail bags in the storage locker he was sharing with Kramer. When he goes to confront him, Newman tells him he’s given up on being a mailman after not getting a transfer to Hawaii. Inspired to get rid of Newman, Jerry decides to help him, even delivering the mail for him. But Jerry was too accurate when covering for Newman, so the transfer went to someone else. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – B
George’s Storyline – George lands a new two bedroom apartment in his building. Just as he starts moving things in, the lady from the tenant board informs him they are giving the apartment to an elderly man who survived the sinking Andrea Doria years ago. George finds ways to poke holes in the validity of the story, and gets an opportunity to appeal to the board with his side. He visits with Frank and Estelle for some inspiration, and they of course, deliver. His sad life blows Mr. Eldridge out of the water. When he finally gets to move in, Alan barges in instead, having won the tenant board over with all he has been through. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – B+
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine is set up on a date, but while waiting for him to arrive, the waiter tells her he can’t make it because he was stabbed. After learning that he was stabbed by an ex-girlfriend, Elaine found this a turn on rather than a warning sign. She goes on a date with Alan, where another ex-girlfriend throws hot coffee in his face. When she finally breaks it off with him, he calls her “big head”, which she ultimately starts obsessing over. She decides to see him again and he further insults her, so she ends up attacking him as well. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – C
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer starts developing a bad cough, but he’s skeptical of doctors and won’t get checked out. When he hears a dog with the same cough, he borrows the dog and gets some medicine from a vet. Taking the medicine starts making him act like a dog, and despite Jerry’s efforts, he still resists going to the doctor. Jerry has to trick him with a trip to the park to take him to the doctor, but Kramer figures it out and runs away and biting Newman in the process. Grade: Akiva – B+, Rob – B
Episode Ranking – 39
Emails – Greg pointed out that Akiva frequently starts sentences with “I mean”. J Webb emailed in with several observations. Dom thought the most unbelievable thing in last week’s episode was Jerry going to his hometown career day, because he never came back for one in his real hometown. Johnny De Silveira didn’t think the term blind date was ever considered offensive. Caleb asked if they had any crazy ex-girlfriend stories. Lindsay asked if they have been passed over for a job. Dan the benefactor wondered why Alan would make up mean things about Elaine.
Pat asked why George didn’t just move into Mr. Eldridge’s place and let him have the bigger one. Amir wondered why Elaine’s friend would set her up with this guy Alan when he’s a known jerk. He also pointed out that the shrinkage story wouldn’t have landed because women don’t understand shrinkage. Finally, in his long awaited return, Chester weighed in on a few things from the episode that he found implausible.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Little Jerry”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Abstinence | Episode 143 Recap Podcast
Jan 21, 2017
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 8, Episode 9, “The Abstinence”.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Abstinence
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur won’t turn into goblins as they bring you this week’s Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time, they discussed “The Abstinence”, which first aired November 21, 1996 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Steven Koren, marking his first episode writing for the show.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry has a career day gig at his old school, but someone from the Bronx Zoo has exotic animals, so they bumped Jerry. When his agent Katie hears of this, she concerned, and decides she’s going to fix it. She gets the school to agree to a two hour assembly, having them bump singer Rick James. He decides to let George spend some of his stage time with his newfound knowledge, but when George shows after having sex and all out of intelligence, Jerry is forced to go out and bomb in front of the kids. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – B+
George’s Storyline – George’s new girlfriend Louise has developed mono, so they can’t be intimate for a few weeks. At first he laments this, but soon notices that he’s thinking a lot clearer, even getting smarter since his brain realized sex was not an option. He uses this newfound brainpower to read, study, and even give tips to the Yankees on the physics of baseball. When his ability to speak Portuguese to a waitress at the diner in her language leads to him having a rendezvous with her, all the knowledge he gained in his abstinence went right out the window, leaving Jerry to fill the two hour time slot his agent booked for him at their old school. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine is dating a new man who’s studying to become a doctor, though struggling to pass the test. When she notices how smart George is getting from his abstinence, she decides to withhold sex from Ben, hoping it will help him finally become a doctor. The plan backfires though, as Elaine starts to become dumber from her abstinence. Her bad luck further compounds when Ben finally becomes a doctor, then immediately dumps her, knowing he can do better than her since passing the test. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A-
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer faces the problem of being kicked out of every place he goes because they ban smoking. When he is out shivering with the other outcasts smoking, he decides that he is going to turn his apartment into a smoking lounge. The lounge is a success, as the revolving crowd stays pretty steady, but soon Kramer starts showing the effects of the extreme exposure to smoke. Since the tobacco companies don’t have any warnings about the cosmetics of smoking, he enlists Jackie Child’s help. The lawsuit is on, but soon Kramer ruins it again for Jackie, as he agrees to settle with the tobacco company by them making him the Marlboro Man. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – B+
Episode Ranking – 23
Emails – Johnny De Silveira asked if either of them have remembered where they put something 25 years after losing it. Matt wondered why Jerry didn’t fire his agent after the events of “The Diplomat Club”. Caleb wondered if Rob had any cool Letterman stories. Lindsay asked if either of them had any great career day guests throughout school. Craig lauded the show for getting the newly minted world series champions in Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams.
April, a new emailer asked if either of them have been bumped in favor of someone else. Mike commented how he likes to listen to the podcast in half speed, rather than double speed. Dan the benefactor pointed out that George isn’t far off in his claim to be a part of the Yankees’ success. Amir wondered why baseball wasn’t full of geniuses, given George’s success from using physics. He also asked why Elaine wouldn’t take care of her situation by becoming master of her domain. Lastly, Keev wanted to remind Jen Chester about Ben’s line about the dream of becoming a doctor.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Andrea Doria”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Chicken Roaster | Episode 142 Recap Podcast
Jan 15, 2017
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 8, Episode 8, “The Chicken Roaster”.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Chicken Roaster
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur couldn’t get Mr. Marbles to guest on the recap, but they still bring you a new Seinfeld recap week after week, just not brought to you by Mennen. This time, they discussed “The Chicken Roaster”, which first aired November 14, 1996 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry bumps into an old college friend, Seth. He inadvertently gets Seth fired from his job at an investment firm when he encourages him to blow off his meeting and have lunch. Seth then gets a job at Kenny Rogers Roasters, which puts a wrinkle into Kramer boycotting them for their giant neon red sign. He ends up switching apartments with Kramer, suffering through the blaring red light just to keep Seth working. This leads him to start acting and talking just like Kramer. He ultimately loses Seth his job when he shakes out Bob Sacamano’s hat in the restaurant and rat hair goes everywhere. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A
George’s Storyline – George talks a free spending Elaine into buying him a sable hat on the corporate credit card. While at the store, he was taken with the saleswoman Heather, and sets up a date. After the date is over and she doesn’t seem interested in him any further, he leaves behind the hat as a way to prolong their interaction. This doesn’t work, and the $8000 hat that Elaine needs back is gone. He decides to steal Heather’s clock to set up an exchange, but when he meets up with her again, she really didn’t have the hat after all. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – A
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine goes on a spending spree with the corporate credit card and now has to answer to the accountant for everything she bought. She’s successfully able to get him to sign off on everything she bought, except they need to see the $8000 sable hat she bought for George. He left the hat behind at Heather’s house to weasel another date, but when she drags George there to get it back, it’s not there. She has to then fly to Myanmar (Burma) to get Peterman to sign off on it, but even he needs to see this hat when Bob Sacamano’s fake fur hat doesn’t pass. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – B-
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer is tortured by the bright red light from the sign of the new Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurant across the street, so much so, that he mistakes tomato juice for milk. He wants to protest, but Jerry’s friend Seth has a job there, so Jerry agrees to switch apartments until Seth finds a new job. When Newman comes over with some of the chicken from Kenny’s, Kramer falls in love with it, but must keep it a secret or Jerry will force him to switch back to his place. Newman ultimately blows Kramer’s cover when Jerry sees him ordering broccoli. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A
Episode Ranking – 19
Emails – Johnny De Silveira noted that the real Kenny Rogers Roasters first balked at being a part of the show because of the rat hat, but Kenny ultimately thought it would be great advertising, so he allowed it. Craig pointed out that Kenny Rogers Roasters went bankrupt a year and half after this episode. Emiline commented on their quest last week for info on cults, and she confirmed from her research that George is the perfect cult convert. Lindsay asked their thoughts on haggling. New emailer Gopell wondered how George had such bad luck for the clock to go off right when he meets her.
Pat thinks it’s off Jerry’s character to volunteer to stay in Kramer’s apartment. Matt asked why Jerry would backtrack from his friendship with Seth after he tells him he’s missing an important meeting for the lunch. Dan the benefactor gives his MVP to Jerry this week, albeit it’s not a strong performance. Amir thought that the fur hat was the only reasonable thing Elaine bought. He also thought George should have thought better to try and leave his keys behind. He who shall not be named according to Akiva is now boycotting the email bag, not willing to share his hot takes until Akiva negotiates peace.
After they rhapped the recap, OG email contributor Amir joined the guys to discuss all things Seinfeld, Akiva and Chester.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Abstinence”, where we get to see a smart George. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Fatigues
There is no risk to manage for Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur to bring you this week’s Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This time, they discussed “The Fatigues”, which first aired October 31, 1996 as part of season eight. The episode was written by Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin.
Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry is dating a woman named Abby who has a mentor. He learns that the mentor is dating Kenny Bania, and immediately loses all respect for her. When Abby dumps her mentor and is looking for a new one, Jerry is further turned off when she chooses George as her new mentor. Jerry in turn becomes a mentor himself, as he tries to get Bania to write some less hacky material. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – B+
George’s Storyline – George is tasked with giving a presentation on risk management because he lied on his resume, saying he was an expert. Unable to read the thick book on the subject, George decides to track down an audio copy made for the blind, but the voice reading it is whiny like his. He tasks Abby the job of preparing the presentation when she becomes his mentor, but the material accidentally gets switched with Bania’s jokes. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – B+
Elaine’s Storyline – Elaine goes to fire a mailroom employee, but when she sees he is creepy, she chickens out and promotes him to copy writer instead. When he’s terrible at that, she decides to promote him to a different position, one where she doesn’t have to deal with him freaking her out all the time. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – B+
Kramer’s storyline – Kramer decides to put on a Jewish singles mixer, but is having trouble cooking authentic Jewish cuisine. When he is unable to find catering help, he learns that Frank Costanza used to be a cook in the war, but had a terrible experience that made him never want to cook again. Luckily, a bad meal from Estelle jars Frank out of retirement, and he helps Kramer. When Eddie is at the mixer and starts coughing, Frank has flashbacks to his whole unit getting sick, so he dumps all the tables. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A
Episode Ranking – 44
Emails – Johnny De Silveira asks why it says Youngt on his shirt. Dan the benefactor thinks that Frank deserves the MVP for the episode. Craig noted that Elaine promoting Eddie for his incompetence is called the Dilbert Principle. Jeff watches the show on syndicated TV, so he misses the opening scene doing his rewatch. Caleb wondered why Elaine didn’t already know Eddie, since she’s the head of the company.
Pat thought it strange that Kramer couldn’t find Jewish cuisine caterers in New York City. Matt thought Frank should have noticed no one but Eddie was reacting to the food. Lindsay asked if Rob is ruined from real books since he loves the audiobook. Chester was banned from the podcast by Akiva, so his strain of nitpicking takes a week off.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Checks”. Send in your questions by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going by leaving a comment on the show pages, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Package | Episode 139 Recap Podcast
Dec 25, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 8, Episode 5, “The Package”.
Seinfeld: The Invitations | Episode 134 Recap Podcast
Nov 20, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 7, Episode 24, “The Invitations”.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Invitations
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur didn’t get cheap on this two hour action-packed recap of Seinfeld. This week they breakdown the epic season seven finale “The Invitations”, which was written by Larry David himself in his final episode with the show until the series finale. This also marked the end of Jerry’s standup to open or close the show.
George’s Storyline – George has the wedding coming up fast, and he couldn’t be more panicked. He’s been unenthusiastic, and skimps on the wedding preparations along the way, including picking low grade wedding invitations. After explaining to Jerry that he can’t psych himself up enough to just break it off with her, Jerry and Elaine give him some ideas that could lead to Susan calling it off, though he can’t pull any of them off. He arrives home feeling hopeless, but discovers Susan lying unconscious on the floor. At the hospital, he learns that Susan has died from toxic glue on the wedding invitation envelopes. The episode ends with George trying to set up a date with Marisa Tomei the day after the funeral, but is hung up on immediately. Grade: Akiva – A+, Rob – A+Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry is starting to worry about growing old with just Kramer now that George is getting married. So distressed over this idea, he nearly gets hit by a car walking down the street, when a woman named Jeannie pulls him out of the way just in time. After talking to Jeannie for a bit, he realizes she is exactly like him, and he’s in love. He’s so overcome by this, he decides to ask her to marry him, and she says yes. He, much like George after he got engaged, is instantaneously remorseful. This is further exasperated when Susan dies, and now Jerry is the only one getting married. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob AElaine’s Storyline– Elaine is offended that as such as close friend, she’s not part of the wedding party. George asks Susan if Elaine can be an usher, but she shoots the idea down quickly, not wanting a female usher. Throughout the episode she gives George some ideas on how to turn off Susan to the point she calls off the wedding, but George couldn’t pull off the smoking without getting ill. Grade: Akiva – inc, Rob – inc.Kramer’s Storyline – Kramer notices that the bank down the street is offering $100 if their staff doesn’t say hello. When he tries to collect the money on a technicality, he’s denied and decides to come back to talk to the manager. The manager meets with his staff to discuss the situation, and decide to give Kramer $20 since he got a greeting that begins with H. Kramer’s only tie in to the main plot line was when he accidentally called Susan Lilly, causing her to demote him from being an usher. Grade: Akiva – D, Rob – BEpisode Ranking – 46 (Rob was thinking top 9)Emails – Johnny De Silveira pointed out how they have podcasted about Seinfeld for 173 hours 31 minutes and 17 seconds up to now. Roger emailed in with a story about how he worked with a woman who was scared to lick envelopes after watching this episode. Dr. Thomas thought the doctor’s bedside manner was almost as bad as the gang’s response to Susan’s death. Jeff wondered if either of them dated a woman exactly like them. Lindsay wondered if either of them helped with their wedding planning.
Dan the benefactor thought Kramer was more accurate than the bank manager in the type of wood the desk was, and noted that they’ve raised $667 to the charity so far. Matt asked how many different boxes of cereal is acceptable to have in the cabinet. Courtney and Cendall asked what their biggest deal breaker would be in a relationship. Craig thought perhaps Susan only gets her parents’ wealth if she’s married. Finally, Chester asked why Susan’s parents aren’t paying for the wedding, and why didn’t George file a lawsuit against the invitation maker for the poisonous glue.
Rob and Akiva have a separate podcast over on Rob Has A Podcast where they discuss Big Brother: The All Seinfeld Edition.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap the first episode of season eight, “The Foundation”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Bottle Deposit | Episodes 131-132 Recap Podcast
Nov 05, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 7, Episodes 21 & 22, “The Bottle Deposit”.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Bottle Deposit (part one and two)
You don’t have to outbid Sue Ellen Mischke to get the latest Seinfeld Post Show Recap with Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur. This week, they discuss “The Bottle Deposit”, in which both parts aired May 2, 1996 as an hour long episode for season seven. The episode was written by Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin.
George’s Storyline – George is scolded by Wilhelm for not paying attention enough at work. When he is giving him an assignment, Wilhelm ducks into the bathroom, but George doesn’t follow right away. When he finally walks in, Wilhelm had kept talking, so George has no idea what the assignment was. Despite many attempts to learn what he was supposed to be doing, George never finds out. When going to confess, Wilhelm thanks him for doing a great job on the assignment, much to George’s confusion. When Steinbrenner reads the report Wilhelm turned in, he assumes George is crazy and has him committed. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – AJerry’s Storyline – Jerry has to take his car to the mechanic after loaning it to Kramer. Tony the mechanic gives Jerry a hard time about how he’s taking care of it. When he goes to the shop to get Peterman’s golf clubs out of the backseat, he gets in an argument with Tony, who decides to steal the car. While on the run, Tony calls Jerry to let him know he took the car because Jerry doesn’t deserve it. He and Elaine actually go to a crime scene to identify the car, but it was not his. Tony ends up getting away from Kramer’s chase by throwing the JFK golf clubs at the mail truck. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – C+Elaine’s Storyline– Elaine is tasked by Peterman to bid on a set of golf clubs once used by President Kennedy. When Sue Ellen Mischke is there, the two get in a bidding war, with Elaine spending twice the authorized amount to win them. Peterman wasn’t happy, and was less happy when the clubs were in the back of Jerry’s stolen car. After Tony tossed all the clubs at the tailing mail truck, they were mostly destroyed. Though when Elaine brought them to Peterman, he just believed that they were destroyed as the result of Kennedy’s temper. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – B-Kramer’s Storyline – Kramer gets roped into a bottle deposit scam with Newman when he tells Kramer they can use a mail truck for free. After collecting enough to make a good profit, they set off to Michigan to turn them in for double the deposit. On the way, they spot Jerry’s stolen car and decide to chase it, though they have to dump all the cans, and eventually Newman, to keep up speed. When the truck breaks down after Tony threw the clubs at it, Kramer gathers them and finds Newman running from a man with a shotgun. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – AEpisode Ranking – 67Emails – Johnny De Silveira shared how Wayne Knight experienced heart palpitations after filming the chase scene, which led him to start leading a healthier lifestyle over the next few years. Lindsay, who Rob got to meet at the live taping in New York, asked if either of them ever attended a live auction. Dan the benefactor asked if they thought Kramer should have stopped to pick up the JFK clubs, or continue chasing the mechanic. Courtney and Cendall asked if Kramer chasing after the mechanic was the nicest thing he does in the whole series. Pat from Ohio noted that Jerry’s car comes equipped with fuel injection, so the muffin wouldn’t get sucked up.
Matt found it lazy of the editors to have the shot of Kramer and Newman on the road be the same section of road each time. Shawn Falconer wrote in to share that he is engaged and both Rob and Akiva are invited to the wedding. Caleb thought that you can’t blame George for not following Wilhelm into the bathroom. Craig thought Kramer kicking Newman out the truck is the worst thing he’s ever done. Amir liked how we got to see one of Kramer’s schemed getting hatched. Chester thought it made no sense for either Elaine or Jerry to leave anything in the backseat of a car
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Wait Out”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Calzone | Episode 130 Recap Podcast
Oct 23, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 7, Episode 20, “The Calzone”.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Calzone
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur just got their clothes out of the oven and are ready to bring you another recap of the iconic 90s sitcom, Seinfeld. This week, they discuss “The Calzone”, which first aired April 25, 1996 as part of season seven. The episode was written by Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer.
George’s Storyline – When George brings in a calzone to a meeting, Steinbrenner loves it so much, he orders George to bring him one everyday and have lunch with him. Soon enough, George gets banned from the calzone place for a misunderstanding with the tip jar. He enlists Newman’s help to get the calzones to Steinbrenner, but it immediately fails when Newman doesn’t show because he doesn’t work in the rain. Desperate, he tries to get Kramer to go, but he’s kicked out for trying to pay for the calzone all in change. Grade: Akiva – A, Rob – A-Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry starts dating a woman name Nicki who is so attractive, she is able to get anything she wants, and get out of any trouble. Jerry uses this to his advantage for a while, but backfires when he sends her to get actual Cuban cigars from Todd Gack, but she ends up falling for his dating loophole and Jerry loses her. He gets a small amount of revenge for that though when he sends Kramer to pay for the cigars with a bag of change. Grade: Akiva – A- , Rob – C+Elaine’s Storyline– Elaine is going on a date with a guy Todd Gack, who lost a bet to her when he tried to say Dustin Hoffman was in StarWars. Despite doing everything from asking her out again, introducing her to his parents, and kissing her he insists that they are not dating. She fights this dating loophole every step of the way, until ultimately Todd uses the same trick on Jerry’s girlfriend Nicki. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – C+Kramer’s Storyline – Kramer is fixated with wearing clothes right out of the dryer, so much so that he’s gathered up all the change he can find to fulfill his habit. When the inconvenience of running down to the laundry room every time takes its toll, he discovers he can get the same results by putting the clothes in the oven. When George enlists him to get the calzones for Mr. Steinbrenner, he convinces the clerk at Paisanos to put his wet clothes in the oven, but they end up burning. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – AEpisode Ranking – 56 Emails – Johnny De Silveira thought George should have given his tip in change so it could have been heard. Craig asked if either of them have a specific meal they like to have at a specific time. Courtney and Cendall have a bet with each other for how many calzones he could eat. Hunter pointed out how terrific Wayne Knight was in this episode. Dan the benefactor had some interesting details about how much $300 in change would way. Lindsay wondered if walking one to the door is considered dating behavior.
Pat in Ohio thought George could just have the calzones delivered. Caleb asked what the most expensive thing either of them bought with all change. Matt wondered why Wilhelm wasn’t in the meeting. Colin the pizza delivery guy noted how usually people are showy about their tipping. Finally Chester. He first noted that Jerry’s theory about Todd Gack’s dating loophole is exactly a storyline used for George later in the series. He also pointed out how Newman has been seen doing his route in the city, so how is it now all the way out in the Bronx. Before signing off, they read some of their ITunes reviews.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap both parts of “The Bottle Deposit”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Wigmaster | Episode 129 Recap Podcast
Oct 16, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 7, Episode 19, “The Wigmaster”.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Wig Master
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur never bring us a podcast out of spite, particularly this week as they bring us “The Wig Master”, which first aired April 4, 1996 as part of season seven. The episode was written by Spike Feresten, of “The Soup Nazi” fame.
George’s Storyline – George spends the episode trying to figure out what strange things are going on at the long term parking lot where he’s been keeping his car. Between the car not being available to him, Kramer finding a condom on the passenger side floorboard, and of course the scantily clad ladies seemingly open for business hanging around. When he tries to pay one of the ladies for more information, Susan walks up and sees him giving her money. Grade: Akiva – C-, Rob – C-Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry is interested in buying a new blazer, but when he uses the excuse that he wants his friend’s opinion, the salesman thinks he’s lying. Jerry decides to bring Elaine along to prove he wasn’t lying, but she is enamored with the salesman, so she doesn’t let him off the hook, actually encouraging Jerry to buy it. Later on, he decides he’s going to return the jacket out of spite, but when he tells another sales clerk that, they don’t let him return it. Grade: Akiva – B , Rob – B-Elaine’s Storyline– Elaine ends up dating a salesman that was showing Jerry blazers at a fancy clothing store. He draws her interest further by promising her a discount on a dress, but she’ll have to wait for a new shipment to come in. When it takes longer than expected, she asks one of the other sales people about the shipment, only to be told they actually have that dress in her size in stock. Out of retaliation, she decides to cut off the salesman’s pony tail. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – CKramer’s Storyline – Kramer has a couple of storylines in this episode. First, he is unable to get his car out of the Jiffy Parking lot, leaving him without keys to his apartment. He ends up staying at Jerry’s, though the couch is too small, so they share Jerry’s bed. He also meets Susan’s friend, the wig master, and through one of his friends, he’s able to wear one of the “dream coats” from the play they are working on. The two stories collide when Kramer is falsely arrested as a pimp at the Jiffy Lot when he’s fighting with one of the prostitutes while wearing the dream coat. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – B-Episode Ranking – 118 Emails – Johnny De Silveira asked why George and Kramer are the only ones who care about the prostitution going on at the Jiffy Park. Courtney and Cendall asked if the guys have ever had cool hair styles. Dan the benefactor thought Kramer might have taken the spare keys from Jerry last week after getting tossed in the Hudson River. Evan noticed that Ian appeared as a chef that was preparing Russell’s pasta primavera. Mark remarked how the Jiffy Park attendant appears later on as an employee at Jiffy Dump.
Lindsay asked if they have any good annoying houseguest stories. Hunter wondered if they have gone “way out and wild” with anyone. Craig thought Seinfeld did his namesake a disservice in this episode. Amir wondered why the blazer storyline wasn’t written for George, and noted that George could have got out of the engagement easy with getting caught with the prostitute. Lastly, Chester noted that staying with someone in Manhattan for two weeks is insane. He also asked why Jerry would write a check to pay for the blazer. Finally Chester noted that this episode should be ranked much higher.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap both parts of “The Calzone”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Friars Club | Episode 128 Recap Podcast
Oct 09, 2016
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Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Doll
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur hope each week that their Seinfeld recap podcasts don’t fall on deaf ears. This time they break down “The Friars Club”, which first aired March 7, 1996 as part of season seven. The episode was written by David Mandel.
George’s Storyline – George had the smallest storyline he’s had in several seasons. He spends the episode trying to promote Susan’s friend Hallie as an ideal mate for Jerry, but really his efforts are to get Jerry locked into couples life with him. He tries his best to sway Jerry when he becomes sour about Hallie (referred to by Akiva throughout as Hannah), but it was to no avail. Grade: Akiva – inc., Rob – C Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry has several things happening in the episode. He’s excited to be set up with one of Susan’s friends. They go on a double date to a Friars Club dinner, where he has applied to become a member. He has to borrow one of their jackets to wear inside, but he forgets to return it. He wears it again when they all go on a double date to see The Flying Sandos Brothers, but the group takes his jacket as part of the show and ultimately loses it. Jerry quickly sours on Hallie when she doesn’t seem sad about the jacket. Grade: Akiva – B+ , Rob – CElaine’s Storyline– Elaine has a new coworker that she suspects is milking his hearing deficiency to get out of work. She makes several attempts to catch him hearing, even eliciting Jerry’s help, but can’t prove it, so she ends up stuck doing the work he was supposed to. In one of her attempts to catch Bob, she fakes making a pass at him, but Peterman hears her. She ends up going to The Flying Sandos Brothers show with Bob at Peterman’s request, and Bob makes a shameless pass at her. Grade: Akiva – B, Rob – CKramer’s Storyline – Kramer has decided to follow the pattern of De Vinci and only sleep 20 minutes every few hours for maximum efficiency. This puts a strain on his everyday life, as he randomly falls asleep at inopportune times. It culminates when he falls asleep while being romantic with his new girlfriend Connie, who has obvious mafia ties. She thinks he’s dead, so she calls “friends” to come dispose of the body. When Kramer wakes up in a bag floating down the river, he goes to the police to report her. Grade: Akiva – A-, Rob – BEpisode Ranking – 105Emails – Johnny De Silveira (an OG emailer) asked if they have had any crazy dreams. Courtney and Cendall (new regulars) wondered why Elaine didn’t persist with Bob. Evan (new emailer) asked if it was better to get out of work by pretending to be annoyed, or to not hear. Dan the benefactor (old regular) thought it was ridiculous that Kramer’s girlfriend wouldn’t check his breath or pulse. Lindsay (old regular) agreed with Jerry in not being enthusiastic about participating in the show.
Caleb and Craig (new and old regular respectively) both wanted to change the episode title. Matt (new regular) asked if the Joey that Connie refers to could be Crazy Joe Devola. Kenny from England (new emailer) had his own take on how Kramer gets his money. Chester (an OG emailer) as usual had several hot takes and discrepancies.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap both parts of “The Wig Master”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Doll | Episode 127 Recap Podcast
Oct 01, 2016
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Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Doll
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur prove once again that they are the Pavarotti and Domingo of podcasting, churning out a new Seinfeld recap week after week. This time, they bring us “The Doll”, which first aired February 22, 1996 as part of season seven. The episode was written by the dynamic duo of Gammill and Pross.
George’s Storyline – George spends the episode trying to avoid a creepy doll of Susan’s that looks just like his mother. When he brings the doll to show Jerry, Jerry acts like it’s not that creepy, though he shares with Elaine it is. George ends up yelling at the doll when he’s eating at the diner, then finally, Frank rips the doll’s head off when he thinks it’s Estelle yelling at him . Grade: Akiva – B-, Rob – AJerry’s Storyline – Jerry has an appearance on The Charles Grodin Show, and finds a BBQ sauce bottle that closely resembles him while in Memphis. Because Susan’s friend Sally makes him carry a large present back to New York with him, the bottle breaks in his carryon that he has to stow above the seats. He has a chance to exact revenge on Sally by making her carry a case of it up with her on her flight, but she had an empty seat next to her, and she doesn’t even get the right bottle. Things come to a crashing conclusion for him at the show when Sally brings the wrong doll to him, then the other tenor uses Jerry’s pants as a napkin. Grade: Akiva – C, Rob – C-Elaine’s Storyline– Elaine uses needing a picture to show Frank a potential relative of his she saw in Tuscany as an opportunity to reconnect with Bob the maestro. When she learns that his favorite singer, the “other” guy of the three tenors, will be at Charles Grodin, she gets his autograph on a poster to make up for the one she accidentally ruined. When she brings it to him, he’s excited, but then immediately ruins it by spilling a bottle of wine on it. Grade: Akiva – D-, Rob – C-Kramer’s Storyline – Kramer is excited to try out Frank Costanza’s new billiard room, but soon discovers the room is too small to fully use the cues. When they meet up with the maestro and he comes over, they discover that his conductor baton works perfectly to avoid hitting the walls. While it was great for the game of pool, it ended up bending the baton, ruining Bob’s performance. Grade: Akiva – B-, Rob – C+Episode Ranking – 131Emails – Johnny De Silveira wondered what the Tuscan Costanza imported/exported. Courtney and Cendall wanted to offer a few other ideas for the name of Frank’s billiard room. Dominic wondered if pool is at it’s least popular. Travis asked if Jerry Stiller actually forgets the line “the place to be” and they left it in. Jeff P. gives kudos to the production for finding a shirt that George has actually worn for doll Estelle to criticize. Craig thought it was strange that the symphony couldn’t follow the maestro merely because of a bent conductor baton. Paul wondered if they have learned any podcasting tips like not wearing the pants to keep the crease.
Dan the benefactor wondered why George would want to set up Jerry with Sally. Matt found it interesting that Frank has no interest in politics when he was so fond of Lloyd Braun. Evan noticed that Jerry’s appearance on Charles Grodin was not shown. Lindsay wondered if they have received terrible wedding gifts. Amir thought they should have a scene with Sally and Newman. Chester pointed out that Robert De Niro first did the pants off while sitting trick to preserve the crease. He also wondered why the maestro would be so interested in playing pool at Frank’s. Lastly he thought the roughness with the Estelle doll was a bit too much.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap both parts of “The Friars Club”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Cadillac Part 1 & 2
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur get together each week for their recap of the classic NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This time they discussed parts one and two of “The Cadillac”, which first aired February 8, 1996 as part of season seven. The episode was written by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, marking the last written episode for Jerry, and the 3rd to last for Larry.
George’s Storyline – George learns that one of Elaine’s friends knows Marisa Tomei, who happens to be attracted to funny bald men. He becomes obsessed with the idea, even watching her movies so much it makes Susan jealous. He decides having coffee with Marisa wouldn’t be considered cheating, but Elaine’s friend is in the hospital, so he has to go there in order to get the phone number. While out on his date with Marisa, it’s going great until he reveals he actually is engaged, leading to him getting slapped, ruining the whole thing. Grade: Akiva B, Rob B+Jerry’s Storyline – Jerry just got back from a gig that gave him one of his largest paydays, leading both Kramer and Elaine to think of him differently. He decides he is going to use the money to buy his dad a new Cadillac, but when he brings it to them, the flashy car creates doubt in the board of Del Boca Vista, with them thinking Morty is stealing funds to pay for the car. Despite their efforts to win over the board members, the deciding vote happens to be the elderly woman that Jerry stole the rye bread from a while back, so Helen and Morty get banished from the retirement community. Grade: B from bothElaine’s Storyline– Elaine suddenly becomes enamored with Jerry when she learns he is more well off than she imagined. She spends the whole episode trying to cozy up to Jerry, while simultaneously trying to deal with George asking her to get Marisa Tomei’s number from her friend who is sick in the hospital. Grade: Akiva B-, Rob CKramer’s Storyline – Kramer spends the whole episode in a cat and mouse game with the cable guy, who has made an appointment to come remove the free cable he’s been getting. He successfully gives the man the runaround, and at the end of the episode, the cable guy is so beat down, he agrees that cable companies need to rethink their scheduling process to better serve their customers. Grade: C from bothEpisode Ranking – 111Emails – Baby correspondent sisters Courtney and Cendall answered Rob and Akiva’s question from last week, while adding how they’ve found some celebrity pictures to represent what they think Rob and Akiva look like. Megan Z wrote in to share how she has thought that Akiva was actually Rob‘s former podcast cohost Roy Wood Jr. Johnny De Silveira asked how much Jerry made for his big gig. Dan the benefactor asked who would be today’s equivalent of Marisa Tomei. Matt emailed in to question the Del Boca Vista board for not looking for the bill of sale on the Cadillac. Lindsay thought Elaine’s obsession with Jerry’s money came out of nowhere.
Caleb thought Susan was out of line for questioning George re-watching a movie. Craig asked why George wouldn’t have just broken up with Susan. Amir thought it was out of character for Morty to just accept a car from Jerry when he wouldn’t even let him pay for dinner in The Wallet. For those listeners wanting to roast the iconic emailer Alexander Chester, send them to roastchester@postshowrecaps.com. Chester wondered why Jerry would sleep on his parents fold out when he just came into so much money. He thought Susan’s reaction to George watching Marisa Tomei movies was too on the nose. Lastly, he thought the cable guy was making promises he can’t keep.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap both parts of “The Shower Head”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Rye | Episode 121 Recap Podcast
Aug 28, 2016
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Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Rye
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur stocked up on Beef-a-Reeno so they could bring you another Seinfeld Post Show Recap. This week they break down “The Rye” which first aired January 4, 1996 as part of season seven. The episode was written by Carol Leifer, who would leave the show soon after.
News – Rob shared how they interviewed Jennifer Armstrong, writer of the book Seinfeldia, which you can find in Post Show Recaps much like any other Seinfeldrecap podcast. In lieu of news, Akiva decided to go on a rant instead. He was kicked out of Rob‘s 20 team Fantasy Football League for being one of the bottom teams. Rob offered to let Keev co-own his team.
Jerry’s Story – Jerry doesn’t have a main storyline this episode, but he does have a hand in George’s adventure with the rye. He comes up with a plan for George to get a marble rye to replace the one Frank stole. He suggested to have the Rosses go with Kramer on the handsome cab ride, and George can go up to the apartment and replace it. Jerry went to the bakery to get it, but they were sold out. He notices an elderly lady just purchased the last one, so he offers to buy it from her. When she refuses, he wrestles it away from her, calling her an old bag in the process.
Elaine’s Story – Elaine has started dating a jazz musician, but she is not fully impressed with his ambitions in the bedroom. She becomes worried about the relationship when Jerry tells her one of John’s backup performers called them “hot and heavy”. But when John writes a new song called “Hot and Heavy”, she thinks it a good thing. After sharing with John how she’d like him to try some more selfless things in the bedroom, he agrees. But after a long afternoon tryst, John can’t play the saxophone properly, effectively ruining his set, and the relationship.
George’s Story – George is getting ready with his parents to have dinner with the Rosses. Frank wants to stop at the bakery and get a nice marble rye to show the Rosses how classy they are. At the dinner, both sets of parents make things uncomfortable with their fighting, and strange conversation topics. On the way home, Estelle and Frank complained about the dinner, and Frank revealed he stole back the rye bread after the Rosses didn’t serve it. Jerry helps George concoct a plan to get the Rosses out of their apartment by having Kramer take them on the handsome cab ride so George could replace the rye. When the horse’s flatulence ends the ride early, George has to come up with another plan, so he gets a fishing rod and has Jerry attach it to the rye. After he hauls it up, he turns around to see Susan and the Rosses watching him the whole time.
Kramer’s Story – Kramer starts off the episode with a gigantic haul of food from Price Club. He bumps into a friend who happens to play backup to Elaine’s new boyfriend John, and tells him that Elaine and John are really “hot and heavy”. Later on, he runs into a neighbor who asks Kramer to operate his handsome cab ride while he is on vacation. In an effort to get rid of some of the bulk food he bought, he feeds it to the horse. While taking the Rosses out on ride, Rusty the horse ends up with gas so bad that the ride has to be cut short.
Tangents – Both Rob and Akiva aren’t huge fans of buying in bulk, feeling that most of the purchases are of things they don’t need. Akiva thought that rye bread isn’t great, but it’s fine, while Rob solved the mystery of what makes a marble rye different than regular rye. Rob talked about how contestants on Survivor tend to give a lot of thought to the mating habits of fowl, much like Frank Costanza. Rob thought it strange that George would go home with his parents when he lives with Susan. Rob shared how he has never had Chef Boy-R-D, based on his Italian parents feeling it would be sacrilege.
Grades and Rankings – Elaine earned an A-, with the guys applauding the show for talking about a subject matter not discussed much back in 1996. Kramer earned an A, with it being considered a top five storyline. George and Jerry also earned As. While it didn’t make the top 9, Akiva thought it deserved a ranking of 37, while Rob thought it was definitely top 9.
Emails – Johnny De Silveira asked if they remember meeting their in-laws. Both remembered it well. Lindsay asked if they too overbuy at Costco. Akiva definitely does, while Rob‘s freezer has no room due to too much milk reserve for the baby. Jiff noted that Jerry should have been happy that Kramer bought all that food for himself. Craig emailed in to share how Mabel was the first witness against the gang in the finale. Brent wondered if stealing the rye bread was the most out of character act, but Rob thought it was right in line with Jerry’s true self, and not out of the question for any of the four to have done it.
Jeff asked why George didn’t use Susan to get the rye back in the Ross household. Caleb wondered if their last tie was thick or thin. Akiva doesn’t wear ties anymore, while Rob‘s ties tend to be down the middle, leaning toward thinner. Lindsay also wrote in to ask if they’ve seen Firestorm. Akiva noticed there were five of them, and they both believed the intention of the Seinfeld writers was for it to be a fake movie. Travis thought this could be one of the best Elaine episodes, but Robthought the take to be a bit hyperbolic. Max the millennial shared how Susan’s parents and Mabel the rye purchaser were all also on the TV show Twin Peaks.
Chester pointed out how Mrs. Ross criticized Mr. Ross for not reading any of the books, but it’s well known he read John Cheever. Next he pointed out how the club which Elaine’s boyfriend performed in actually closed down around this time in real life. He also noted that wine would be a better gift than bread, being that the bread isn’t something to serve plain, and comes off as cheap. He lastly thought George getting caught with the rye on the hook should have made him endearing to the Rosses.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Caddy”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s podcast summary.
Seinfeld: The Sponge | Episode 119 Recap Podcast
Aug 13, 2016
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Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Sponge
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue to bring you sponge-worthy Seinfeld recap episodes week after week. This time they breakdown “The Sponge”, which first aired December 7, 1995 as part of season seven. The episode was written by friend of the show Peter Mehlman.
News – Due to his annual vacation to Del Boca Vista, Akiva didn’t have any new Seinfeld news this week. He added that he’s been so busy, the show could be rebooted with all women and he wouldn’t have heard about it.
Jerry’s Story – Jerry is interested in a woman Lena who has an unlisted number. He is able to find it out by peeking at a sponsor sheet for Kramer’s AIDS Walk, and even comes up with a plan to avoid sharing the unscrupulous way he found the number by lying about buying a speed boat. As the episode goes along, Jerry becomes uncomfortable with how good of a person Lena is, thinking the relationship won’t work. When he sees a lifetime supply of sponges in her hall closet, he realizes she isn’t as innocent as he feared. He had already started the breakup conversation with her though, and his alternative story to share was how he changes the waist size on his jeans tag, which ultimately turns Lena off.
Elaine’s Story – Elaine has a new boyfriend, and after some uncomfortable discussion about birth control, she learns from Kramer that her method, the sponge, is being discontinued. This leads her to go on a search for all the remaining sponges in her neighborhood, ultimately purchasing a case of 60. Despite having 60, she really feels the need to hoard them, going as far as not sharing any with Susan, and ultimately deciding her new boyfriend is not “sponge-worthy”.
George’s Story – George doesn’t have a story of his own, but adds significantly to Elaine and Jerry’s story. Susan shares with him how great Jerry looks in his jeans, so George discloses to her how Jerry actually changes the waist size on the tag from 32 to 31. This ends up turning into an argument when he says he can’t share everything with her. Susan is further upset with him when she learns he doesn’t even know what kind of contraception she uses. He ends up smoothing things over by sharing with her how Jerry got Lena’s number from the AIDS walk donation list. Things go south again when George doesn’t want to use a condom when Elaine won’t share any of her sponges with Susan.
Kramer’s Story – Kramer has signed up for an AIDS walk and is getting sponsors. However, Jerry is concerned about how serious Kramer is taking it, since he is out of shape and decided to have an all-night poker game the night before. Despite this, Kramer does make it to the walk, however, he is jumped by a group of walkers, including Bob and Cedric of armoire stealing fame, for not wearing the ribbon during the walk.
Rob and Akiva’s Tangents– Right away, the guys veered off topic by debating whether they would eat a can of tuna from nearly ten years ago, then discussed how far the podcast has come since Akiva’s first vacation in Florida during the early days of the podcast. They talked about how changing the Facebook profile picture is today’s version of wearing a ribbon. Rob shared how he feels baggy jeans will ultimately make a comeback, as all fashion is cyclical. They discussed how beloved the sponge actually was in the 90s, with Rob adding the caveat that they know nothing about women, let alone female products such as the sponge.
Akiva said it’s more important to share everything with your fiancé as opposed to your wife. The guys debated how long 60 sponges would last for Elaine. Akiva admonished Jerry for referring to the homeless as “bums”, but Rob thought you could get away with it. Akiva talked about a homeless man who has a Netflix subscription. Rob shared how his hatred for the Kardashians does make him a Taylor Swift supporter. He also noted how 11 of the people he follows on Twitter also follow Tide detergent.
Grades and Rankings – Akiva and Rob were complimentary of the episode and the core four’s performances. They both agreed Elaine deserved an A, with Robcalling it the most iconic of all the Elaine storylines. George also got an A for his supporting story. They disagreed on Jerry, with Akiva giving him an A-, while Robthought it was more of a B. Kramer and the AIDS walk was not the funniest part, but Akiva thought he deserved a B. Rob was also critical of Kramer, thinking it was a C+ performance. Overall, the episode was one of the better ones, with Akiva slotting it at 32, noting it could have been ranked even higher.
Emails – Johnny De Silveira wondered what was the strangest way the guys were able to get a woman’s phone number. They laughed at how little Johnny knows them after so many episodes, since neither were big ladies men when they were younger. Ariel shared how mouth to mouth resuscitation needs to be started right away in order to save a life. Max the millennial commented how the failure of the Susan character really shows itself over the last few episodes she’s been in. Roband Akiva disagreed, thinking she actually was solid in this one. He also asked Rob if he would share one of Stephen Fishbach’s secrets with Nicole. He said he probably would share with her.
Caleb thought it was sloppy writing for Susan to be brought in to independent George’s world only one week after him admonishing the idea. He also added that a waiter today wouldn’t pack the doggie bag, but just bring the box for the diner to handle. Akiva thought this could be the worst take emailed in, since he has never had a waiter not pack the to go box, but later noted that Caleb may be from Australia where they do things differently. Lindsay noted how much she hates people wearing glasses for fashion, to which Akiva as a glasses wearer agrees.
Craig from Vancouver said he was delighted to see Scott Patterson in the episode, as he’s a big fan of Gilmore Girls. He also noted that a real life actress actually experienced bullying from not wearing an AIDS ribbon at an event herself. Chester weighs in asking why Susan isn’t more bothered by George not knowing what birth control she uses, but does know that the sponge is off the market. He also said that Susan is a pretty awful person, and he stands by his earlier point that her death was her own fault for being with such a bad person like George.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Gum”, with the return of Lloyd Bruan. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s podcast summary.
Seinfeld: The Pool Guy | Episode 118 Recap Podcast
Aug 06, 2016
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Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Pool Guy
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur never let their world’s collide, ensuring to bring you a Seinfeld podcast each and every week. This time they discuss “The Pool Guy”, which first aired November 16, 1995 as part of season seven, and was written by David Mandel.
News – There was a small bit of news in the Seinfeld universe this week. Akiva brought up how there are some Seinfeld “spec” scripts floating around out there, and one was sent to Akiva, where the plot was about 9-11. Akiva thought it was a bit racy, so he didn’t talk too much about it.
Jerry’s Story – Jerry reluctantly makes friends with the pool guy named Ramon at his new health club. When Ramon is fired from the job, he inserts himself into Jerry’s life, leading to Jerry having to tell Ramon he has enough friends. When Ramon is rehired by the club, he harasses Jerry at every opportunity, even poking Jerry with the pool skimmer. Jerry yanks on the skimmer, causing Ramon to fall into the pool and get knocked out when Newman cannon balls onto him. Neither Jerry nor Newman will give Ramon mouth to mouth resuscitation, so they both have their membership revoked.
Elaine’s Story – Elaine is looking for someone to go to an old clothes exhibit when Jerry suggests she ask Susan. When the two hit it off, Susan soon becomes part of the gang, even taking George’s spot at Monk’s, leading him to have to eat alone at Reggie’s. The friendship comes to an end when Susan gets annoyed by Elaine and Jerry talking throughout a movie, leading her to realize all these four do is sit around and talk.
George’s Story – George is incensed when Elaine starts to hang out with Susan, feeling like his “worlds are colliding”. When Susan starts using some of their phrases and eventually takes his seat at Monk’s, he gets Jerry to understand his plight. Fortunately for him, the gang’s antics turn Susan off, and balance restores to his worlds.
Kramer’s Story – Kramer gets a new phone number, which happens to be one number off the movie phone line. He spends much of the episode fielding calls, eventually starting to help the callers figure out where their movie is playing. The episode ends with the real voice of Movie Phone banging on Kramer’s door, wanting Kramer to stop stealing his business.
Grades and Rankings – Akiva was generally up on the performances this episode. He thought Kramer, Elaine and George all deserved an A. Jerry on the other hand received a D-, as both he and Rob felt the pool guy storyline was really weak. Because of the weak Jerry plot, this potential top ten episode falls way down the list to number 63. Rob thought it was a bit low.
Emails – Johnny De Silveira noted that this episode won a WGA award for writing. He also wondered why Jerry wouldn’t have given up his seat to George at the coffee shop when he noticed he was so upset over Susan being there. Lindsay asked where the lifeguard was at this health club of Jerry’s. Rob and Akiva agreed that this made for a bad club. Liz wondered why George was planning to never have his soon to be wife interact with his best friends, feeling that independence is for single people. Rob and Akiva disagreed, noting that it remains important well after being married. She also noted that mouth to mouth is no longer a method of resuscitation, and that it is solely done with chest compressions now.
Hunter asked if the moral of the episode is to not make new friends, to which Rob and Akiva noted that Jerry has been preaching this since the early episodes. Roger weighed in on his thoughts of who would win in a fight between all the core four. He thought Kramer would beat George and Jerry because he’s shadier and would lose to Elaine because he has a soft spot for her. He thought Elaine would lose to Jerry because of old feelings for her, but would defeat George. Rob and Akiva agreed for the most part. Caleb asked how much the guys would have to be paid to see an exhibit about old clothes. Akiva thought he could do it for a decent sum, as long as it didn’t interfere with something more important and he didn’t have to be there for too long.
Dan the benefactor wondered what kind of job specific sign offs they would use. After bandying about a few ideas, the guys decided it would be too ridiculous. Amir wrote in confirming that his blind date with Akiva wouldn’t have happened if the Mets game were just a regular game. He also thought Ramon would have made a good witness in the finale in the case against the core four. Chester closed things out by asking how Ramon could be fired for putting too much chlorine in the pool, but didn’t for harassing members. The guys thought with the lax lifeguard situation helps prove why this happened. He also noted that George was supposed to go to the Paragon Theater, but he was clearly at a different theater in Mid Town. Lastly, he added it was strange that Susan wasn’t mad about George trying to keep him from befriending the gang.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Sponge”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing up this week’s summary.
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Secret Code
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur didn’t get Leapin’ Larry as a sponsor this week, but they still brought a quality recap once again. This time, they break down “The Secret Code”, which first aired November 9, 1995 as part of season seven. The episode was written by Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer.
News – Akiva shared that the feedback on last week’s unique episode was more positive than they were anticipating. Akiva also had a story about a man who tried to pull a Kramer and bring thousands of cans to Michigan to capitalize on their 10 cent deposit return for all cans and bottles. He was arrested and is facing prison time, as doing this is considered illegal.
Jerry’s Story – Jerry’s asked to do an advertisement for the local electronics store called Leapin’ Larry’s. Jerry inadvertently offends Larry when an employee thinks Jerry is making fun of Larry’s prosthetic leg, when really his leg had just fallen asleep. After smoothing over things with Larry, Jerry’s leg falls asleep again, but this time he accidentally kicks over a can of paint thinner, which causes the store to catch fire when it poured into an electrical outlet.
Elaine’s Story – Elaine becomes rather obsessed with Fred, who said “nice to meet you”, when they already met before. Him not knowing her inadvertently caused her to want to go on a date with him, but when they go out, she realizes he is dreadful and can’t wait to escape.
George’s Story – George has the biggest storyline of the episode. Things start off in the wrong direction for him when he’s reluctant to share his ATM pin with Susan. In addition to this trouble, he also finds himself as Peterman’s right hand man when both Elaine and Jerry bail out of a dinner with all of them. He becomes further entrenched when Peterman makes George go with him to his ailing mother’s death bed. While there, he decides to share his ATM pin code with her, but she starts shouting it out right before passing away, leaving Peterman to be concerned about what Bosco means. Both stories collide together when the fire Jerry started at Larry’s causes a man to be trapped in an ATM, and George has to reveal his ATM code to Peterman to help get the man out.
Kramer’s Story – Kramer has ambitions of helping the local fire department by providing them with a map of his shortcuts to get to fires more quickly. While there pleading his case, he’s rebuffed by the captain, but on his way out, accidentally knocks out one of the fireman. Kramer gets to fulfill his dreams of drive the ladder on the truck from this, but his lack of training causes the truck to get out of control, and they don’t make it to the fire at Leapin’ Larry’s on time.
Grades and Rankings – Akiva thought this was a mediocre episode, ultimately slotting it at 127. Akiva gave Jerry a B, Kramer an A-, George an A-, and Elaine got a D-. Rob was in agreement with all, particularly Elaine’s grade, feeling her storyline had no traction at all.
Emails – Johnny De Silveira noted that the firehouse scene is the same exterior shot used in Ghostbusters. Max the millennial thought this was a subpar episode as well, thinking the Citizen Kane reference was particularly out of touch with the millennial crowd. Craig from Vancouver asked if either of them keep secrets from their wives. Rob said he shares more on the podcast than he does with Nicole. Craig also asked if Nicole would listen to the whole podcast if she could find out some kind of secret about him, but Rob thought she wouldn’t spend the time.
Lindsay wondered if their ATM pins were something they go to great lengths to keep secret, but neither of them felt it was that important. She also agreed with them both about how useless the Susan character is this season. Roger asked if Bosco is an actual thing? Rob thinks the powdered drinks are far inferior to the syrup, and Akiva confirmed that Bosco still exists. Caleb also asked if they felt the same way when their wives asked about the ATM pin, to which they confirmed they didn’t worry about keeping it secret. He also had a game for them, providing a list of less famous people that appeared on the Celebrity Apprentice. Rob was able to debunk everyone on Caleb’s list as more famous than Larry Thomas, The Soup Nazi.
Amir asked why Jerry and George needed a good excuse to get away from Peterman. The guys agreed, feeling there were a number of perfectly good excuses they could have used. He added that George should have changed his ATM code once Peterman’s mother shouted it out. Chester closed things out by pointing out how there have never been ATM codes longer than four digits. He also wondered why Leapin’ Larry’s employee would laugh, thinking Jerry was making fun of Larry. He also wondered why George would walk into Peterman’s mom’s place, barely knowing Peterman, but Rob felt Peterman probably strong armed George into it.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Pool Guy”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode summary.
Seinfeld: The Soup Nazi | Episode 116 Recap Podcast
Jul 24, 2016
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Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Soup Nazi
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur never shy away from their public displays of affection for Seinfeld, as they continue to bring you episode recaps week after week. This time, they break down an iconic one in “The Soup Nazi”, which first aired November 2, 1995 as part of season seven. The episode was written by Spike Feresten.
News – There was a bit of Seinfeld news this week. The guys briefly discussed if this episode is the most memorable. Akiva had a different spin on Melania Trump’s speech from the convention. He feels strongly that she plagiarized Jerry by wearing a puffy shirt. Rob brought up how the show Mr. Robot‘s new season is littered with references to Seinfeld. Lastly, Keev mentioned how Long Island City is holding a screening of “The Summer of George”, plus a couple other episodes.
Jerry’s Story – Jerry is dating a new woman named Sheila, who he shares a very public and cutesy affection for, calling each other by the nickname “Schmoopie”. While smitten with her, he’s even more smitten by the new soup restaurant where the owner is very strict about the ordering process. He also has to deal with George’s anger over Jerry’s newfound public displays of affection, to which he torments him over it by rubbing it in George’s face. While at the soup restaurant with Sheila, the owner, known as The Soup Nazi, catches them kissing and wants to ban them, but Jerry doesn’t defend Sheila, essentially picking the soup over her.
Elaine’s Story – When Elaine wants to get some food, Jerry suggests they go to the new soup place with the eccentric owner. On the way there, Elaine notices an armoire for sale on the street, so she stops to buy it. Her building super won’t allow her to move it in on a Sunday, so she elicits Kramer to stay outside and guard the armoire overnight. When Kramer asks her to get him some soup in return for watching it, she is too indecisive in line, causing The Soup Nazi to ban her for one year. Meanwhile, she commiserates with George about how nauseating Jerry and Sheila are with their baby talk, but bails on George when he confronts Jerry.
When Kramer tells her The Soup Nazi is going to give her his armoire for free, she goes down there to express her thanks, but The Soup Nazi tells her if he knew it was for her, he’d have smashed the armoire to pieces. She discovers all the famous recipes in the armoire and decides to ruin The Soup Nazi by making them public.
George’s Story – George starts off the episode on a bad note when he The Soup Nazi kicks him out for asking for free bread, getting told the classic line “no soup for you!”. After studying up on the procedures, he is able to successfully get the soup on his next visit, but not before The Soup Nazi tells him “you’re pushing your luck little man” when George comments on getting the free bread this time.
His focus for the second half of the episode is on how disgusted he and Elaine are on Jerry and Sheila’s public displays of affection, particularly calling each other Schmoopie. But when he calls Jerry out, Elaine bails, leaving him to disparage Jerry on his own. When he tries to show Jerry how ridiculous it is by acting the same way with Susan, Jerry remains unflappable, but Susan really enjoys it, causing more problems for George in the long run.
Kramer’s Story – Kramer’s main objective in the beginning of the episode is to watch Elaine’s armoire outside her building overnight until she can move it into her apartment the next day. While watching it, two “street toughs” notice it and steal it from him. While carrying on a conversation about the theft with The Soup Nazi, who he is inexplicably friends with, The Soup Nazi offers him his own armoire to give to his friend.
Rob and Akiva’s Tangents – There were many tangents in this two plus hour episode, but the guys started with discussing Rob’s process of getting verified on Twitter. Rob pointed out how it was quite out of character for Jerry to be on board with the “Schmoopie” and PDA. Akiva noted how former Sportscenter anchor Craig Kilborn was recently on the Bill Simmons podcast, and has lost his mind. Akiva shared how he and his wife used to intentionally harass his former college roommate with PDA. Akiva noted that they had a guest planned, but they had to cancel. Akiva thought that if he were to stop going kosher, he’d immediately fly to In-N-Out Burger.
Grades and Rankings – Jerry got a B from Akiva and Rob, Elaine was deserving of an A, Kramer got a B+ and George got a B. Akiva decidedly said while it’s not the number one episode, The Soup Nazi is definitely in the top nine.
Emails – Johnny De Silveira wondered why Elaine mentioned Lima Bean soup when it wasn’t listed on the menu. He also wondered why Elaine could be so brutal to The Soup Nazi, when she couldn’t bring up to Jerry how she doesn’t like the “Schmoopie” talk. Jim the physics correspondent said that Kramer would have woken up long before his core body temperature would have dropped so dramatically in “The Hot Tub”. Dan the benefactor wrote in upset that Vulture ranked this episode so low on their list. Akiva noted that Chester emails him once a week with how horrible their list is.
Craig from Vancouver wondered if anyone milked more from a brief TV experience than Larry Thomas, who played The Soup Nazi. Liz asked if the guy who taunted Kramer is the same guy who got in his face for not wearing the AIDS ribbon, to which Rob confirmed it was. Max the millennial correspondent polled his friends wondering if they new about The Soup Nazi, and most did. Lindsay asked if either of them had a fast food restaurant they can’t live without. Akiva had a place in college that did it for him, but Rob didn’t have any that stand out as so important. She also wondered what Akiva thought about sitting on the same side of the booth. He’d take either, but would prefer sitting across. Rob would prefer to stay on the same side, if Nicole lets him.
Jeff from Houston tried the real soup Nazi place and loved it, and he wondered if they ever have, but neither have been. Zack Brooks wondered how Jerry could choose soup over Sheila, and asked the guys what they would do. Both of them understood choosing the soup. Calib from Atlanta pointed out that the behavior of The Soup Nazi is illegal. Amir thought the depiction of the street toughs may not fly in 2016, but Rob didn’t think it would be offensive. He also noted that he couldn’t deal with an indecisive customer such as Elaine. Chester wondered why Jerry would go to a theatre further away from his apartment when he knows there to be one right around the corner. Akiva just made fun of him as opposed to answer. He also asked why there was a pay phone at The Soup Nazi’s, to which Akiva thought it was to keep customers from asking to use it.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Secret Code”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode summary.
Seinfeld: The Understudy | Episode 110 Recap Podcast
Jun 11, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eje2Eh37DxM
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss the Season 6 Finale, Episode 24, “The Understudy“.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 16, “The Beard“.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur are only looking to convert everyone to Seinfeld fanatics as they bring you a new recap each and every week. This time they break down “The Beard”, which first aired February 9, 1995 as part of season six. The episode was written by Carol Leifer.
News – There was a bit of Seinfeld news this week. But first, Akiva talked about how there has been great feedback on the 100th voicemail show, adding that his wife confirmed off air he is not a nerd. Akiva shared how the real J Peterman catalogue is trying to resurrect the urban sombrero, starting a Kickstarter to raise $500,000 for this and a few other items, though they have only raised a few thousand dollars to date.
Jerry’s Story – While at the police station waiting for Kramer’s friend to sketch a picture of the woman he wants to set up with George, Jerry meets an attractive police woman and gets her number. When they get together later, she shows him around the station, showing him the polygraph, sharing how one of the cast members ofMelrose Place was hooked up to that machine. Jerry lies about knowing anything about the show, but Kathy doesn’t believe him, so she makes him take the test himself to find out. Jerry goes to the best liar he knows for advice on how to cheat, and George explains that it’s not a lie if you believe it. Despite the advice, Jerry can’t pull it off, eventually admitting everything he knows about the show.
Elaine’s Story – Elaine is going to the ballet with a friend of a friend named Robert, posing as his girlfriend, since his conservative boss may not be accepting of him being gay. She has such a great time, she starts to become attracted to him, hoping to get him to “switch teams”. She’s successful at first, but ultimately Robert realizes he can’t change who he really is.
George’s Story – George is still wearing the toupee he was fitted for in “The Beard”. While Jerry and Elaine both think he looks ridiculous, Kramer loves it, and even wants to set George up with a friend of his. When George meets Kramer’s friend Denise, he notices she is bald. When he complains to Jerry and Elaine, Elaine is so incensed at his hypocrisy, since he is bald too, she rips off the hair piece after George tries to say he wasbald. George was happy to be back to his old self, but then Denise breaks it off with him for being bald himself.
Kramer’s Story – Kramer wants to set up George with an old friend of his, but he doesn’t have a picture. He has a friend who is a sketch artist at a police station, so they all head down so George can get an idea of what she looks like. On the way there, he gives a Tupperware dish of Chinese food to a homeless man, but the man doesn’t give the empty dish back afterward. While at the police station, he’s offered fifty dollars to pose in a police lineup. The next time he sees the homeless man, Kramer gives him some change, but accidentally throws it in his coffee. Later, when the homeless man is a witness of a crime and Kramer is one of the stand ins at the line up, he points out Kramer as the suspect.
Rob and Akiva’s Tangents – Rob shared that Nicole gets wound up at other people, especially the LA Mommy groups on Facebook, to which Akiva noted this is a good thing, keeping Rob from being the one to catch her ire. Rob asked Akiva if “Hammer Time” is over, but Akiva said it’s hard not to play the hits. Akiva noted that the actor who played Kathy the Sergeant is actually now married to one of the stars of Melrose Place. Akiva talked about how the kids show Peppa Pig is such a great You Tube video since it’s three straight hours. Rob’s son Dom was watching You Tube and Rob noticed one of the videos was a toilet bowl full of snakes. Lastly, Akiva shared how his appearance on the Survivor voicemail podcast last week boosted his Twitter followers from the 500s to well over 700.
What wouldn’t work in 2016 – While they didn’t break it down officially, Rob noted that in 2016, people wouldn’t consider it an option to have someone switch sexual orientations.
Grades and Rankings – Akiva really enjoyed Jerry’s story, giving him an A, while Rob didn’t buy that Jerry would be watching Melrose Place, giving him a B. For George, Akiva enjoyed it enough, but decided to go with an A-. Rob thought George was on top of his game, emphatically saying it was an A++. Both the guys agreed Elaine had one of her strongest episodes, so they both gave her an A. They thought Kramer had little to do, agreeing with a grade of a C or C+. Akiva liked the Melrose Place stuff, but thought it an average episode slotting it in at 85.
Emails – To start with, Rob shared an anonymous email confirming that Akiva was a “massive nerd”, to which Akiva wanted this person to reveal his or herself. For the regular emails, Liz wrote in to agree with Akiva about not watching The Big Bang Theory, while Rob defended the earlier seasons of the show. Andrew D. wanted to know which Melrose Place actor who guest starred on Seinfeld is their favorite. They both agreed that the actress who played Mulva would have to take the cake. Johnny De Silveira argued that George should not be ahead of Jerry as the guy Kramer would set up a lady with. Akiva agreed George, even with hair and working for the Yankees is still below Jerry.
Roger shared how he noticed that Elaine is obsessed with throwing things out the window. He wondered if it had to do with her pocket organizer getting thrown out the window, but Akiva confirmed that Elaine threw out the twenty dollar bill before the pocket organizer episode. James emailed in and said how his wife attended a “running of the brides” event, that is a one day sale of wedding dresses at the Filene’s Basement in Boston, causing a frenzy of brides to duke it out for the deals.
Lastly, Chester wondered why George would claim to have a great personality. Rob thought George does well at first with his schmoozing, so the statement works. He also was confused why Kramer would apologize to the homeless man, when he should be mad still about the Tupperware. Chester also noticed the inconsistency of George being considered a master liar, but last episode was accused of having no poker face. Akiva and Rob felt strongly there is a difference between keeping someone else’s secret and lying.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Kiss Hello”. Send in your questions by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Highlights of 100 | Episodes 100 & 101 Recap Podcast
Apr 10, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episodes 14 & 15, “The Highlights of 100” as well as their own 100 episode journey.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 13, “The Scofflaw.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Scofflaw
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur are no scofflaws, as they continue to bring a new Seinfeld recap each and every week. This week they break down “The Scofflaw”, which first aired January 26, 1995 as part of season six. The episode was written by friend of the podcast Peter Mehlman.
News – Rob wanted to remind the listeners not to dilly dally, and send in voicemails for next week’s podcast by visiting postshowrecaps.com/voicemail for their own 100th episode retrospective. Akiva had a bit of other news to share. Jon Lovitz, who played Gary in this episode, recently posted on social media how he was dating a much younger woman, but it turned out to be an April fools joke. Lastly, Rob shared how Garry Shandling, a good friend of Jerry’s, passed away last week.
Jerry’s story – Jerry has very little to do with this episode. George shares how their old friend Gary had cancer, but Jerry had already known, and didn’t share with George because he has no poker face. When George proves he has no poker face with the Gary not having cancer secret, Jerry agrees to not tell Gary he knows until George can get the parking space Gary promised him. When Gary rescinds the spot, George gives Jerry permission to let Gary have it about lying about the cancer.
George’s story – George bumps into an old college friend of his and Jerry named Gary. Gary lets George know he hasn’t been around because he’s been battling cancer, but offers George a great deal on a covered parking spot, so George forgives him. George immediately tells Jerry about Gary, but he’d already known. Later on, Gary shares to George that he actually did not have cancer, but he has to keep it a secret. The next time he sees Jerry, Jerry immediately notices George’s poker face, getting him to spill the secret.
George also is intrigued by the toupee that Jerry paid for Gary to get, thinking he might want to get fitted for one himself, since Gary was now showing so much confidence. While getting fitted, Jerry is there, mocking him mercilessly, thinking he looks ridiculous, but George decides to give it a try anyway. When an attractive woman at Monk’s sees him, she looks interested, adding to his confidence.
Elaine’s story – Elaine takes exception to Kramer telling old boyfriend Jake Jarmel that she said hi, not wanting to relinquish the upper hand in the post relationship. She goes down to the book signing just to explain she did not say hi, which Jake takes as a bigger sign that she hasn’t let go. Still angry about this, she notices a man wearing glasses like Jake’s, so she quickly asks to buy them, just so she can rub it in Jake’s face, since he didn’t want to share where he got them with Kramer. After rubbing it in to Jake, she bumps into Mr. Lippman, and decides to give him the glasses when admired them, in an effort to keep in Lippman’s mind for a possible job. Jake would later notice Lippman with the glasses, and starts a fight to wrestle the glasses away, ending any chance for Elaine to land a job from Lippman.
Kramer’s story – Kramer accidentally calls a police officer a pig when yelling it at a driver throwing garbage out their window. He is also in search of a new look, and when visiting Jake Jarmel at a book signing, takes a liking to his glasses, but Jake won’t share where he got them. Later on he explains to the cop why he yelled pig, noticing the cop’s eye patch, which works for Kramer’s search for a new look. The cop explains to Kramer that he caused him to miss out busting the “white whale” of parking tickets, who he has been chasing for over 15 years. Later on, Kramer discovers the white whale was Newman, who he forces to turn himself in, ultimately causing George to lose out on the parking space from Gary.
Rob and Akiva tangents – Akiva noted at the top of the podcast that there were some recurring characters to reappear, like Mr. Lippman and Jake Jarmel. Rob was thinking the podcast could use an NYPD correspondent to help with the legal questions that crop up from time to time. Akiva wondered as he closes in on 100 podcasts with Rob who else was in the 100 club. While Stephen and Tyson aren’t quite there yet, Josh Wiggler and Nicole would be the only two to welcome Akiva in. Rob mentioned in the emails how he was disappointed to not get an invite to Aras’ wedding, though with it being a destination wedding, he wouldn’t be able to go anyway.
What wouldn’t work in 2016 – Most of the episode would work just fine today, but Akiva did notice a few anomalies. Jake Jarmel’s glasses would be easy for Elaine to find on the internet, Gary wouldn’t really get away with lying about cancer unless he deleted all social media accounts, and parking tickets would be a lot more expensive.
Grades and Ranking – Akiva thought Jerry’s story was very thin, but instead of calling it an incomplete, he gave him a D-. Rob was a bit nicer, giving Jerry a C. Akiva enjoyed George’s story the most out of the four, giving him an A-. Rob went a little lower here, thinking a B, maybe a B+. Both agreed Elaine’s story was not great, with Akiva giving a C, and Rob thinking a C-. Lastly, Akiva thought Kramer was deserving of a C, but Rob was less impressed, especially not liking the episode name, giving Kramer a D. Akiva would be surprised if this was someone’s favorite episode, finding it more like a season 3 episode with it’s messiness, so he ranked it at 130.
Emails – Eric the mailman has answered the bell to be the new Postal Service correspondent. He answered Akiva’s question about whether a postal worker can hop a flight anywhere their planes go for free. He sadly informed him that this cannot happen, as much of the air mail is handed over to FedEx. Lindsay wrote in with a weird wedding party story about how she was invited to a bachelorette party, but not the wedding. Jessica emailed a wacky wedding story as well, sharing how she was invited to be in the wedding party, and she considered this person someone she probably wouldn’t invite to her own wedding.
Johnny De Silveira wondered why Officer Morgan didn’t look up the white whale’s license plate to track him down. He also pointed out how George talked sarcastically about pretending to need a wheel chair, when he will in fact do that later in the series. Craig noted that the man playing Officer Morgan was played by Ivory Ocean, ironic since he was chasing the white whale. Finally Chester wondered how Elaine could spot the glasses of a man walking down the street from her cab. He also wondered why Jerry would oppose George’s toupee when he was getting good looks from the lady at Monk’s. Rob agreed with Chester’s point that Jerry could just be an anti “Baldite”.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Highlights of a Hundred”. Send in your questions by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary.
Seinfeld: The Label Maker | Episode 98 Recap Podcast
Mar 26, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 12, “The Label Maker.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur labeled themselves excited to bring you another Post Show Recap of their run through the Seinfeld series. This time they break down “The Label Maker”, which first aired January 19, 1995 as part of season six. The episode was written by Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer.
News – Rob wanted to remind the listeners to call in to the voicemail line on postshowrecaps.com/voicemail for their own 100th episode retrospective, or the traditional way by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Akiva noted that Obama was in Cuba with Seinfeld guest star Derek Jeter for a goodwill baseball game this past week.
Jerry’s story – Jerry has to give away his Super Bowl tickets due to the Drake having his wedding the same day. He eventually gives them to Tim Whatley. He learns soon after that the Drake’s wedding is off, and is thinking of degifting the tickets, since Whatley was guilty of regifting the label baby. He later finds out that Tim has invited Newman, then eventually Elaine. After Tim learns Elaine doesn’t want to share a bed, he offers the ticket back to Jerry, who ends up seated next to Newman at the game.
George’s story – George is dating a new woman, Bonnie, and is finally getting to see her apartment. When he sees Bonnie’s apartment, he is in love with it, especially the velvet couch, except she has a male roommate that looks just like George. He can’t seem to get over it, eventually inadvertently convincing Bonnie to drop Scott as a roommate. This ruins everything, since all the great stuff, including the velvet couch in the apartment belonged to Scott.
Elaine’s story – Elaine discovers that Tim Whatley may have regifted the label maker to Jerry she gave him for Christmas. She decides to get to the bottom of it by going out with Tim, then asking to go up to his apartment after to look for it. This leads Tim to think he is getting to go “downtown” with her, so he invites her to the Super Bowl with him, though the hotel he reserves only has one bed. Elaine is offended by this, so she calls off the date, admonishing Tim for regifting the label baby.
Kramer’s story – Kramer and Newman are involved in a heated game of Risk, so heated that they needed to have Jerry keep an eye on the board while Newman was at work. Despite many attempts by Newman to disrupt the status of the game, they eventually reconvene. The game is interrupted again when Kramer’s car gets towed, but he grabs the board to take with him. While on the subway, a Ukrainian mistakes their game talk for trashing his country, so he promptly smashes the board, ruining their game.
Rob and Akiva tangents – Rob and Akiva went on several great tangents throughout the recap. Akiva shared how he threw a Super Bowl party for the very game in the episode, complete with the six foot party sub. The guys talked about how they both have experience with label makers, both agreeing the labels leave much to be desired. Rob shared how he had a college friend that went the female roommate route that didn’t go well, while Akiva confirmed he could never be the Scott in that situation. Akiva wondered why Newman doesn’t evoke the federal offense technique whenever anyone lays a hand on him. When discussing which character would make the worst world leader, Akiva thought it would be Uncle Leo, but Chester had a whole list, with Steinbrenner, Mr. Lippman, Mr. Peterman and Susan as the greatest potential world leaders.
What doesn’t work in 2016 – In 2016, Jerry could just sell his Super Bowl ticket online. Also, Kramer and Newman would probably have played a digital game, or just snap a photo of the Risk board with a phone. Lastly, George could find out a lot about Bonnie and Scott from their Facebook pages.
Grades and Ranking – Akiva and Rob thought Jerry had a descent storyline, earning a B. They thought George was great once again, earning an A. They disagreed on Elaine’s grade, with Akiva saying C, while Rob loved the “label baby” line, giving her a B. Both enjoyed the Kramer and Newman Risk game, deciding he deserved an A. Akiva thought it was a solid but not spectacular episode, ranking it at 92, while Rob thought it should be ranked better.
Emails – Dan the benefactor wondered who would be a better world leader, Kramer or Newman. He thought Kramer would be too erratic, but Newman is evil. Johnny De Silveira wondered why George couldn’t just break up with Bonnie. Akiva and Rob chalked it up to George being George. Craig emailed in to remark how happy he was to hear the CFL reference. He also asked how they thought George’s devils’ threesome ended up. Rob and Akiva thought George probably folded pretty quickly and got out of there.
Liz emailed in and expressed how she loves how they tie the stories together, but thought it was creepy of Tim Whatley to just assume one bed in the hotel would be fine without asking. Jess also had a point about this topic, finding it weird that Elaine would be prudish about the hotel when she’s been wanting to get together with Tim for some time. Lindsay asked if either has had any marathon board game competitions. Rob noted that he played a game for 38 straight days, while Akiva had a 5 hour session of Monopoly, but it promptly ended when Shabbat ended and they were allowed to use technology again.
Amir wondered why Newman would allow Jerry to be the neutral party when he’s so close to Kramer. Akiva thought Newman would think Jerry wouldn’t care enough to help Kramer cheat. He also thought that Bonnie and Scott may have had a preexisting relationship since they had discussed the threesome prior to George mentioning it. Lastly, Chester pointed out it was strange that Kramer, George and Elaine were not invited to the Drake’s wedding, but friends enough to have to buy an engagement gift earlier in the series.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Scofflaw”. Send in your questions by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary.
Seinfeld: The Switch | Episode 97 Recap Podcast
Mar 20, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 11, “The Switch.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Switch
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur have already revealed their names, aren’t wasting perfectly good meals, and have no need for a $300 tennis racket, but they do continue to bring you a new Seinfeld recap week after week. This time they break down “The Switch”, which first aired January 5, 1995 (the back nine of Hammer Time) as part of season six. The episode was written by Bruce Kirschbaum and Sam Henry Kass.
News – Rob talked about how Shawn Falconer worked his magic once again, answering Rob’s recent question about when Seinfeld peaked. He was able to determine that season five and season seven had similar peaks after running many different rankings through his algorithm. Akiva also saw a Seinfeld related tweet from Jay Mandium that joked how Gammill and Pross are now writers for Fuller House.
Jerry’s story – Jerry is dating a woman named Sandy who doesn’t laugh at Jerry’s jokes, which is a problem for a comedian. When he goes to her apartment, he meets her roommate Laura, who has a terrific laugh that she puts on display for Jerry. This leads him to think he got stuck with the wrong roommate, but George comes up with a plan to turn off Sandy The plan is to ask Sandy to have a ménage a trois and get her to dump him when offended, then ask out the roommate a week later. When he presents the idea to Sandy, she’s into it, and so is Laura. George is thrilled when Jerry tells him this, but Jerry just can’t be a threesome guy.
George’s story – George is dating a model who eats like a horse, but immediately goes to the restroom after eating, leading him to suspect she is purging the food. He is concerned about this, but only because he feels it’s wasting money to not digest the food. He devises a plan to try to catch her in the act of purging, but needs a woman to be in the bathroom to confirm it. Jerry shares how Kramer’s mother is a matron (bathroom attendant), and if they eat at her restaurant, she can make it happen. When George gets to the restaurant, he learns from a waitress that Babs had quit, so he bursts into the bathroom when he hears retching, only to discover it wasn’t Nina.
Elaine’s story – Elaine runs into the woman Mrs. Landis she interviewed with at the tennis club when she was picking up Mr. Pitt’s racquet. She is taken with the fancy racquet of Pitt, so Elaine lets her borrow it in hopes of earning goodwill getting a second shot at a job at Doubleday Publishing. When Elaine goes to pick up the racquet, she sees that Landis has badly hurt her arm, making Elaine feel bad and not ask for the racquet back. She later sneaks into the office to get it back, but is caught by one of Landis’ assistants, again ruining her chance at a job there.
Kramer’s story – Kramer has an iconic storyline this episode. Jerry reveals Kramer’s mother is a matron at a restaurant and can help George determine if his girlfriend is actually bulimic. When they go to see Babs, she calls Kramer by his first name, Cosmo, leading George to immediately tell Jerry and Elaine when he sees them next. When they tease Kramer about it, he tells them while he’s run from the name his whole life, he’s now ready to embrace it. He even reconciles with his mom, convincing her to quit her job as a matron and start enjoying life now that she’s clean and sober. This foils George’s plan to have Babs confirm if Nina is purging. The reunion with his mom takes a sour turn at the end of the episode when he walks in on Babs making out with Newman, who she was charmed by earlier in the day.
Rob and Akiva tangents – Rob and Akiva role played a way for Elaine to effectively ask Landis for the racquet back. They talked about how NBC really publicized the Kramer first name reveal. They also spent some time breaking down George and Jerry’s three way plan, but Rob concluded that their ideas were less funny, sexy and interesting than what the writers came up with. Akiva came up with another logical way for George to get out of bursting into the woman’s bathroom, but both realized it’s not funny. During the emails, Rob posed a question to fake Jerry asking if anything interesting ever happened to the characters outside of what happens on the show. Akiva also shared that Chester’s first name is Alexander, and Chester’s dad told Akiva he doesn’t like him.
What doesn’t work in 2016 – In 2016, bulimia would not be a subject to be taken so lightly. Also, Elaine could easily contact Landis and Jerry could private message Laura the roommate via Facebook.
Grades and Ranking – The guys started with Elaine, thinking it was the least interesting, so Akiva gave it a B- and Rob thought it was a C. Both gave Kramer an A+ for the reveal of the first name. For Jerry, they both thought it was a fantastic storyline, so they also gave it an A+. Lastly, they agreed that George was great too, earning an A+. Akiva loved the episode, slotting it at 25, the second straight episode in the top 25.
Emails – Johnny De Silveira noted that the name of the episode was supposed to be “The Bulimic”, but they changed it late in the game. He also asked them how Kramer and Newman are still friends after witnessing him with his mom, to which the guys thought Kramer might hold it against Babs more than Newman. Harry the fake movie correspondent noted that the Frankenstein movie Jerry and Sandy see is actually real, but Mr. Pitt’s racquet is fake. Jessica thought it was interesting that no one noticed that Elaine’s racquet was for a man not a woman. Lindsay emailed in noting Jerry’s opening standup about tennis would work better in “The Lip Reader” instead. Dr. Thomas wrote in to critique the area of the arm that Landis injured, noting what they said she hurt was a real body part, but not one that would cause that injury.
Amir found it odd that a wealthy woman like Landis wouldn’t have a fancy tennis racquet, but Rob thought she could have just had a different fancy racquet. He also wondered why George needed such an elaborate plan to catch Nina, when any woman would do. Chester wrote in to question the entire premise of “The Switch”, which caused the guys to call him out for bragging. He also added that Jerry turning down the threesome was Jerry’s biggest mistake. He lastly asked if Newman could be considered the worst person in the show for trying to sleep with his best friend’s mother.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Label Maker”. Send in your questions by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Race | Episode 96 Recap Podcast
Mar 12, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 10, “The Race.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur chose to podcast this week about Seinfeld, bringing you the recap of “The Race”, which first aired December 15, 1994 as part of season six. The episode was written by Gammill, Pross, LD and Sam Kass.
News – Though he didn’t have hard news to share, Akiva wanted to talk about a tweet of Jerry’s from this past week where he said if Jerry and George were cool, it would have ruined the show. Akiva argued he always thought Jerry was cool.
Jerry’s story – Jerry’s new girlfriend Lois’ boss is Jerry’s arch nemesis Duncan from high school, who is still sore about Jerry beating him in the 9th grade race. Jerry and George reveal to Elaine that Jerry actually jumped the gun, but he’ll never admit it to Duncan. He and George devise a plan to have George pretend to bump into Jerry and Duncan and confirm that Jerry did not cheat at the race, which ends up not quite working. When Duncan threatens to fire Lois if Jerry doesn’t redo the race, he finally agrees. At the race, Kramer’s car backfires right before the race starts, so Jerry jumps out ahead once again, winning the race.
George’s story – George notices some personal ads in the Communist newspaper Elaine’s boyfriend Ned is reading. When his secretary overhears him talking to one of the ladies, she tells on him to Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner is actually happy about this, as it gives the Yankees an opportunity to scout Cuban baseball players, sending George to go meet with Fidel Castro. Castro likes George as well, and gives him full access to any of their players.
Elaine’s story – Elaine starts off the episode getting banned from having delivery from Hop Sing Chinese Food for complaining about her order. She is dating a man named Ned who turns out to be a Communist, which intrigues Elaine. She does try to up Ned’s wardrobe from the drab attire a Communist wears. Things end up sour with Ned when Elaine gets him banned from Hop Sing, which was the restaurant his Communist father used to spend all day in after being black listed decades ago.
Kramer’s story – Mickey has landed Kramer a job as a mall Santa for the holidays. On his first day, Ned starts feeding Kramer Communist propaganda, which Kramer in turn stars preaching to the kids visiting. One of the kids shouts out that he’s a commie, leading to the mall manager firing him.
Rob and Akiva tangents – The guys started the show discussing how neither of them love running so much, though they both dabble. They talked about how Ned is fine to be a Communist for Elaine, just as long as he is pro choice. Akiva had a lot of questions about the mall Santa that Rob was able to fill him in on. Rob also explained what homeroom was in school, and how Rob didn’t attend much since he used to read the school’s morning announcements.
What doesn’t work in 2016 – In 2016, the relations with Cuba have thawed considerably. Also, someone would have videotaped the race on their phone, allowing Duncan to prove Jerry jumped early. Jerry, George and Duncan would probably be Facebook friends, so George couldn’t pretend to bump into them after 20 years.
Grades and Ranking – Both the guys agreed that Jerry’s story deserved an A, as well as George’s. Akiva got Rob to agree that Elaine’s story was deserving of a B+. They disagreed on Kramer’s grade, with Akiva giving him a B-, while Rob thought it was definitely the weakest story, earning a C. Akiva thought this was the best episode of season six so far, slotting it at 17, with Rob agreeing that it’s an underrated episode.
Emails – David emailed in to share that he’s listened to the all Seinfeld Post Show Recaps 11 times over. He shared how he loves that Akiva has a better microphone than in the beginning, and how the podcasts improve with each episode. Colin the delivery guy remarked about how all the business owners in Seinfeld are quick to ban customers. Colin added that the pizza place he works at has banned customers, but only in extreme circumstances.
Andrew, Akiva’s childhood friend wrote in to comment on how great the soup countdown was, adding how a young Akiva once told his mother she made a poor excuse for a matzo ball. Lindsay emailed in to ask what the 2016 equivalent would be to Elaine dating a communist. Akiva and Rob thought a conspiracy theorist or the Illuminati would correlate. Dan the benefactor noted how George could have bridged the gap with Cuba in order to bring in El Duke` a few years later.
Craig from Vancouver added that the phase “I choose not to run” was derived from Calvin Coolidge. Travis noted that Kramer’s ideas for deli meat classification poses a problem for Rob and Akiva’s drive to rename bologna to American salami. Amir wondered why Ada would tell Steinbrenner about George being a communist when she could be putting her job in danger after having slept with him. Harry saw that several of the names on the Hop Sing banned list are made up of random cast and crew from Seinfeld.
Lastly, Chester wanted to know how Jerry would pull off fooling Lois, pretending to not know George, when they have hung out every day for years. As an aside, Johnny De Silveira answered their question from last week when Rob asked him to ding, marry, kill his favorite three podcasts. He said he’d ding House of Cards, marrySeinfeld, and kill SNL.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Switch”. Send in your questions by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Secretary | Episode 95 Recap Podcast
Mar 07, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 9, “The Secretary.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Secretary
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur got out their skinny mirrors for this week’s recap of their run through theSeinfeld series. This time they discuss “The Secretary” which first aired December 8, 1994 as part of season six. The episode was written by Carol Leifer and Marjorie Gross.
News – Rob was interested in trying to determine when the peak of Seinfeld‘s greatness happened, to which Akiva noted it won’t come for some time. Akiva got an email celebrating their tangents and their disapproving wives, adding that he’s received many similar emails. Lastly, Topher Grace has put together a whole Seinfeldepisode from the Seinfeld related clips in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Jerry’s story – Jerry brings his clothes to another new dry cleaner. While at the movies a few days later, he thinks he sees the dry cleaner Willie wearing his jacket he dropped off. He confirms it later when there is a ticket stub in the jacket pocket. When he confronts Willie and asks for his mother’s fur coat back, Willie stalls him by making Jerry show him the ticket, but he gave it to Kramer so he could write down Uma Thurman’s number. While back at Barney’s getting the ticket, he sees Willie’s wife wearing his mom’s fur, so he follows her into the dressing room, taking it from her.
George’s story – George is looking to hire a secretary, but is emphatic that she must not be too attractive. As he interviews the candidates, he dismisses several beautiful women, plainly telling them they are too attractive to work for him. He ends up choosing Ada, a staunch and efficient looking woman. Despite not hiring for looks, he finds Ada’s efficiency so attractive, he sleeps with her in his office, shouting out that he is giving her a raise in the throws. Ada gets the raise from Steinbrenner that actually pays her more than George.
Elaine’s story – Elaine is unhappy with a dress she buys at Barney’s, thinking the store might be using skinny mirrors in their dressing room. She heads back to exchange the dress, but when there, she doesn’t trust the mirrors in the store, so she wears the new one outside for an unbiased look. Doing so left salt stains on the bottom of the dress, so she is stuck buying the new one that makes her look too “hippy”.
Kramer’s story – Kramer merely wants to buy some new moisturizer at Barney’s, but his story develops when he gets Uma Thurman’s number, and subsequently sells the suit he’s wearing to Bania when he runs into him at the store. His day goes awry when he realizes he needs clothes to wear home, plus he needs to get Uma’s number that’s on Jerry’s dry cleaning ticket in the suit jacket. Bania gives the suit back after Kramer’s “nancy-boy” moisturizer leaked all over the suit, in turn ruining the ticket with Uma’s number.
Rob and Akiva tangents – The guys found it interesting that Jerry has gone through so many dry cleaners in the six seasons. They discussed how George would immediately be fired for sexual misconduct by telling women they aren’t getting hired because of their looks. Akiva noted how Seinfeld paints a negative picture of the small business owner, since they are often depicted ripping Jerry off. They debated what Ada’s salary was when she started, considering she then made more than George after the raise. Also, they tried to determine why Kramer wouldn’t empty his pockets when he sold Bania the suit. Their last tangent was about Uma Thurman and her career during the emails.
What doesn’t work in 2016 – Akiva thought this episode might have the most things that wouldn’t work in 2016. Aside from the obvious lawsuit the Yankees and George would face from him commenting on the ladies’ looks in the interview, they thought that Elaine could post Instagram pictures of the dress for advice, and wouldn’t be allowed outside the store to look at the dress. Lastly, Kramer could just put Uma’s number in his phone.
Grades and Ranking – Akiva was more happy with this episode than Rob, so they disagreed on some of the letter grades and ranking. Akiva thought Jerry deserved a B+, while Rob gave him a C. They both agreed that George knocked it out of the park, giving him an A. For Elaine, Akiva thought she deserved a B-, while Rob thought it was C worthy. Akiva thought Kramer earned an A-, while Rob was feeling it deserved a B. Akiva ranked the episode at 38, while Rob said he’d place it between 80 and 100.
Emails – Dan, the benefactor emailed in to share how he went to visit “George’s Bar” in Melbourne, Australia. He thought it was in a trendy neighborhood and was too hipster for a Seinfeld themed place. Dr. Thomas also wrote in about visiting “George’s”, noting there were a few inside jokes via the menu and the atmosphere. Johnny De Silveira asked why Barney’s wouldn’t have a security system to keep Elaine from walking out of the store. Craig emailed in asking if anyone has fallen off as much as Uma Thurman. Akiva thought she could be victim of an ageist Hollywood.
Amir pointed out how Kramer is notably a think later type of person, so selling the suit with no regard for clothes to get home isn’t out of the question. Finally Chester wondered why George would sleep with his secretary in his office with glass walls. Rob argued that Ada would have a handle on potential people walking by, so they should be safe. He also asked why there isn’t anyone between George and Steinbrenner. The guys agreed, and noted how Morgan wants nothing to do with George.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Race”. Send in your questions by emailing
Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Mom & Pop Store | Episode 94 Recap Podcast
Feb 28, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 8, “The Mom & Pop Store.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Mom and Pop Store
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur have all their sneakers clean and ready for this week’s Seinfeld Post Show Recap episode. This week they breakdown “The Mom and Pop Store”, which first aired November 17, 1994 as part of season six. The episode was written by Tom Gammill and Max Pross.
Seinfeld related news – Akiva shared how Jerry is selling some of his Porsches, one of which is going for $7 million dollars. In other news, Jerry won a bet with actor Steve Martin that led to Martin doing the opening standup act for Jerry after a decades long absence.
Jerry’s story – Jerry spends much of the episode wondering if he is invited to Tim Whatley’s party, considering Tim called for George and Elaine’s addresses. Meanwhile, Kramer convinces him to let the Mom and Pop cobbler store clean and detail all his sneakers. After stepping in gum, George doesn’t allow Jerry in his new car, so he has to wear cowboy boots since all his other shoes are at the cobbler. After ridiculing George when they find out the John Voight who owned it spelled his name differently, George kicks him out the car near some street toughs. When they chase him, he slips because of the boots and chips a tooth.
Desperate for a dentist because of his tooth, he tries to tag along to the party with either George or Kramer, but neither want to be associated with party crashing. He decides to crash it on his own, and when he gets a dentist to look at the tooth, he accidentally knocks a statue of the Empire State Building out the window that falls on the Woody Woodpecker balloon being blown up below, popping it. Tim yells at Jerry and points out he wasn’t even invited to the party. The episode ends with Jerry and Kramer on a bus down to New Jersey in order to track down Mom and Pop, who stole Jerry’s shoes.
George’s story – George is shopping for a new car and has his sights set on the Volvo, but the salesman convinces him to buy the Chrysler LeBaron because the actor Jon Voight once owned it. When Jerry is skeptical about it all, George tries to find a way to prove it so. When Kramer gets bitten by Jon Voight, George also notices a pencil in the glove box from the prior owner, so he and Kramer decide to ask one of the dentists at Tim Whatley’s party to confirm if the bite marks are the same. But at the party, Tim remarks how George must have bought John Voight the dentist’s LeBaron, ruining the mystique of the car.
Elaine’s story – Elaine is excited to be invited to Tim Whatley’s party, since she’s always had a crush on him. In the meantime, she helps Mr. Pitt win a spot holding the rope on the Woody Woodpecker balloon in the Thanksgiving Day Parade by answering trivia about big band music. When she picks up the tickets, she has to sit through a live big band performance, with the noise causing temporary hearing loss. While at Tim’s party, she mistakenly turns down Tim when he asks her on a date, because she couldn’t hear him ask.
Kramer’s story – Kramer convinces Jerry to let the local Mom and Pop cobblers to clean all his sneakers to help keep them in business. When he brings the sneakers in to the cobblers, he gets a nose bleed. While lying back to stop the bleeding, he notices the wiring on the ceiling looks like it needs attention, which ends up costing Mom and Pop thousands of dollars. While battling another nose bleed later, Kramer sees Jon Voight getting in a cab, so he chases him down to ask about the LeBaron. Voight is startled by Kramer, so he bites his arm to get away from him.
Rob and Akiva tangents – Akiva opened the show by discussing his Twitter feud with his 14 year old sister. Rob and Akiva spend some time talking about Jon Voight’s show Ray Donovan. Rob brought up to Akiva that he didn’t share the not so fun fact of Boutros Boutros Golly recently passed away. In the emails, Rob shared how he has often suffered from sporadic nose bleeds throughout his life.
What wouldn’t work in 2016 – It would be easy to find out via Instagram whether Jon Voight did own this car. Also, Wal-Mart would have long since caused Mom and Pop to go out of business.
Letter grades and rankings – Akiva thought George deserved a B+, while Rob loved it, giving him an A. Both thought Jerry deserved a C, as it was pretty weak. Both also agreed that Kramer deserved an F. Lastly, they agreed that Elaine deserved a B. Akiva thought there were many holes in the plotline, so he ranked it at 144, while Rob thought it should be much higher.
Emails – Johnny De Silveira noted that writer Tom Gammill was the one who thought he was buying Jon Voight’s LeBaron, and it was in fact owned by Jon Voight’s mother. He also asked why Kramer was getting so many nose bleeds. Dr. Thomas the medical correspondent actually answered this question independently in an email, pointing out that normal healthy people do get nose bleeds, but perhaps the theory of Kramer being involved in the drug game could be the root of this.
Craig wrote in wondering if it was a coincidence that the recap of Tim Whatley’s first appearance on the show happened on the same weekend Bryan Cranston is up for the Oscar, though Rob and Akiva didn’t add credence to this. Amir emailed to point out how it’s hypocritical of Kramer to bad mouth CEOs when he later runs Kramerica Industries. He also asks why Tim had the Empire State Building statue, but Rob pointed out that it was Elaine who brought him this. Lastly, Chester wrote in to share how in 2016, no radio station would have a song trivia giveaway since there are so many apps like Soundhound that could help cheating. He also asked why Mr. Pitt wouldn’t just leverage his important status and buy his spot under the Woody Woodpecker float.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Secretary”. Send in your questions by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Soup | Episode 93 Recap Podcast
Feb 20, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 7, “The Soup.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Soup
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur aren’t serving any swordfish, but they are bringing you their next recap in the their run through Seinfeld series. This week, they talk about “The Soup”, which first aired November 10, 1994 as part of season six. The episode was written by Fred Stoller, who also appears as a character later in season seven. And as a special treat, Akiva brings his list of top 25 soups, which starts at 1 hour, 12 minutes and 15 seconds into the podcast.
Seinfeld related news – Akiva had an email asking him if Misha would really be distracted by Kramer screaming from the bathroom. Akiva indeed felt this wouldn’t happen, and researched that OJ Simpson himself could have been one to sabotage Misha, since he was at the ’84 Olympics, and in the U.S. in 1994, but Rob didn’t buy this far fetched theory. Rob shared a piece from Seinfeld2000 on Twitter that had Kanye West’s new rap playing over the Seinfeld theme song. Lastly, Akiva shared the tweet of the week from @katerade which said “The most unbelievable thing about Seinfeld is that a comedian has three non-comedian friends”.
Jerry’s Story – Jerry runs into a fellow comedian named Kenny Bania who has been working out so much that he offers Jerry a brand new suit that doesn’t fit him anymore. Since Jerry dislikes Bania so much, he doesn’t want to accept it, but everyone else talks him into it. After accepting the suit, Bania throws in how Jerry can take him out to dinner to pay him back for it. Jerry and Bania go to Mendy’s for the dinner, where Bania lauds the swordfish, uttering the famous line, “it’s the best Jerry, the best!”. But Bania only wants soup on this visit, thinking he’ll get his meal another time.
At Monk’s Bania joins Jerry and George despite them trying to keep him away. Jerry convinces Bania to order a sandwich, then immediately tells him that this is the meal, though Bania wants it to be from a restaurant like Mendy’s. Jerry is adamant that there’ll be no more dinners. So annoyed by it all, Jerry decides to give Elaine’s boyfriend the suit, right before Bania asks for the suit back. The episode ends with Elaine sending Bania after her boyfriend in the suit.
George’s Story – A new waitress at Monk’s named Kelly has been flirting with George, prompting him to ask her out. While out on a walk date, George points out how the word manure is actually a refreshing word, which causes Kelly to share that she has a boyfriend. While discussing the situation later with Jerry, Jerry concludes that Kelly “pulled an audible” after hearing the manure talk, infuriating George. In subsequent visits, Kelly gives George the cold shoulder, leading George to be so uncomfortable, he has to start going to Reggie’s to avoid her.
After hearing Kramer got Hildy fired from Reggie’s for calling there too much, he decides to sabotage Kelly the same way so he can start going back to Monk’s. The plan fails miserably when Kelly explains George is Jerry and Elaine’s friend and just trying to get her in trouble. The manager warns Jerry and Elaine that next time George shows up, he’s going to turn him into a hand puppet.
Elaine’s Story – Elaine met a man in England named Simon while on a trip there with Mr. Pitt, and she decided to fly him out to stay with her in New York. Shortly into his trip, Elaine realizes he’s rude and mooches off of her, leaving her regretting her decision. By the end of the episode, when Simon is hinting at staying in New York, Elaine effectively ends his stay by sending Bania after Simon to get back the suit.
Kramer’s Story – Kramer has decided to get rid of his refrigerator after going through his ordeal with the kidney stones. Added to that, he has started dating a waitress named Hildy, who works at the bizarro diner Reggie’s. Having no food at his house and entertaining an always hungry Hildy, Kramer has to keep raiding Jerry’s for food, since he no longer has a fridge. His relationship with Hildy ultimately ends when he gets her fired for calling into her work too often.
Rob and Akiva Tangents – Rob and Akiva discussed how Kelly was actually a character from “The Ex-Boyfriend”, leading them to agree that a Seinfeld trivia between the two could be entertaining. They talked about the merits of having a day date versus a nighttime date, concluding the nighttime date gives a person an easy out based on the time. Akiva tricked Rob into believing that there is a New York City diner employee connection, where they all know each other.
Akiva shared how the actual Mendy’s in NYC has ran with the Seinfeld theme by adding certain soups to their menu, but didn’t add swordfish since it’s a kosher restaurant, which infuriated Rob that they would pay fan service to the other menu items mentioned in the episode.
What wouldn’t work in 2016 – In 2016, Hildy and Kelly wouldn’t be getting fired for their boyfriend calling work too much, as everyone has their own cell phone. They determined Sanka isn’t that popular now, but does still exist. Also, using frequent flyer miles isn’t as valuable today as it was in 1994.
Letter grades and ranking – Akiva and Rob both thought Jerry deserved an A for this episode, feeling it was the strongest story. They gave George a B+, Kramer an incomplete, and disagreed on Elaine’s grade, Akiva giving her a B, while Rob thought it was a C- performance. Akiva thought this was an above average episode, ranking it at 64.
Akiva’s Top 25 Soups (at 1:12:15) – Akiva first clarified that no bisques, chowders or stews are counted in this list, and that numbers 25-20 aren’t soups he enjoys, but listed them for context. A few of the soups on the list were Chicken Soup, Matzo Ball, Tomato, Potato, as well as some other classics and a few unique choices.
Emails – Johnny De Silveira asked why Elaine was in England with Mr. Pitt. Akiva thought it was a throw away line. He also asked why Hilde is so dependent on Kramer for food, but Rob noted there was no answer to that. Brandon weighed in on George’s bathroom routine from last week. He thought it was worthwhile to take the shirt off to avoid the tail falling in the toilet, and emerging shirtless from the bathroom could tie into being homeless if he were using the sink to wash up.
Lindsay pointed out that Hildy isn’t full figured, just loud, to which Rob and Akiva agreed. Lastly, Chester wondered why Jerry gave the suit to Elaine’s boyfriend when he’s so despicable. He also noted that George is banished from Monk’s in this episode, but there was never an issue again in following episodes.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Mom and Pop Store” where George will buy a car because actor Jon Voight may have once owned it. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Gymnast | Episode 92 Recap Podcast
Feb 14, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 6, “The Gymnast.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Gymnast
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur are great with the mothers, but even better with podcasting, so they continue to bring a new Seinfeld Post Show Recap each and every week. This time, they discuss “The Gymnast”, which first aired November 3, 1994 as part of season six. The episode was written by Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer, who both would later go on to write on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Schaffer and his wife would also create the FX show The League.
Seinfeld related news – Akiva wanted to talk further about his favorite parts of Larry David on Saturday Night Live last week. Rob agreed it was the best SNL of the season so far. Akiva also had an email from a listener who pointed out that Akiva mentioned in a season four podcast from this summer, how it would be great if Larry David hosted SNL, but it would never happen.
Jerry’s Story – Jerry starts dating Katya, a former Romanian gymnast, who Kramer has encouraged him to sleep with for her flexibility. His problem is, they have nothing to talk about. Once he finally does sleep with Katya, it was underwhelming, and now he’s lamenting having to stay with her a few more weeks because of it. Jerry decides to take Kramer with him and Katya to the circus, where her friend Misha is performing the tight rope. At the end of the episode, Katya breaks up with him, explaining that in Romania, the comedian is supposed to be the most sensual lover imaginable and he was “no comedian” in that regard.
George’s Story – George is still dating Lindsay, despite the snafu with the book club. In the opening scene, we learn that George takes his shirt off when going to the bathroom, an important plot point for later on. He is going to a party at Lindsay’s mother’s apartment, which is great for George, since he’s always done well with mothers. He charms at the party until the end, when Lindsay’s mother catches him eating an éclair out of the garbage. After talking his way out of it, he is then caught by the mother cleaning a windshield like a “bum”, but only because he accidentally threw his coffee out on it. His last chance is quickly blown when at another party, he emerges from the mother’s bathroom without a shirt, having been mesmerized by the 3D art hanging in there.
Elaine’s Story – Elaine spends much of the episode trying to keep Mr. Pitt focused on the Molland Springs water merger, though Kramer’s 3D art has him distracted. When the merger meeting is about to happen and Mr. Pitt can’t tear himself away from the 3D art, he send Elaine, who inadvertently criticizes Mr. Pitt’s idea for the new water name. In the subsequent meeting to decide on the new name, Mr. Pitt rushes there in a beige horseback riding outfit, covered in ink from Elaine’s fountain pen he warned her not to use. The most unfortunate part is the ink smudged on the middle of his upper lip, making him look just like Hitler.
Kramer’s Story – Kramer battles a kidney stone through much of the story, but he starts out getting everyone hooked on staring for the image hidden in the 3D art. The kidney stone wreaks havoc throughout, causing Kramer hilarious spasms. After he effectively transfixes Mr. Pitt with the 3D art phenomenon, he goes to the circus with Jerry and Katya, where the kidney stone finally makes it way out. His howling from the pain causes Katya’s friend Misha to fall from the tight rope, though Kramer dances out of the bathroom, finally experiencing the relief.
Rob and Akiva Tangents – In the opening, Akiva shared his opinion on the Jeff Schaffer show The League, revealing it will not be covered in 2018 when they are done covering Seinfeld. They discussed why George would prefer to take his shirt off in the bathroom, thinking the back of the toilet would be cold on the back. Rob actually discovered a movie Akiva has seen when he talked about the movie Mallrats having a similar 3D art storyline. Akiva shared a story about his weird former principal who made him get help as he was suffering similarly as Kramer from a kidney stone at school one day. Lastly, they talked about how they consistently give their wives the answers they want to hear, whether it’s the truth or not.
What wouldn’t work in 2016 – 3D art is nonexistent today, and not too many homeless are washing car windows in 2016. Also, the Olympics are readily available on YouTube.
Letter grades and ranking – Akiva thought Jerry had a weak storyline, giving him a C+. He enjoyed George’s story, giving him an A, as eating out of the garbage is legendary. Kramer deserved an incomplete, since he had so little to do with the main plot. Lastly, they gave Elaine a B, since they enjoyed Mr. Pitt’s part. Akiva thought this was an average episode, ranking it at 82.
Special Guest Shawn Falconer – Shawn is a faithful listener to the podcast who developed a program that could pull out all the questions they have had over the 91 podcasts for the fake interview with Jerry. In addition, he was able to track other fun tidbits, like how many times they say the characters’ names and other words and phrases. Akiva asked some impossible to answer questions, and Shawn also shared he wanted to find out how many times they complained about their wives.
Emails – Johnny De Silveira noted how the actress who played Katya was also in Schindler’s List. Dr. Thomas the medical correspondent wrote in to share how Kramer was correct in talking about the kidney stone symptoms. Lindsay wanted to share how she has finally caught up on the podcasts, and wondered if Kramer’s fear of clowns really did start with “The Opera”. Michael Clark thought the guy who had coffee thrown on his windshield was overreacting, since he could just use the wipers to clean it off.
Amir wondered since when does Jerry care about a girlfriend’s feelings, since his method has always been to be shallow. Raul Castillo asked if podcasters have a lot of groupies. Rob wondered where he came up with the question, while Akiva thought perhaps Marc Maron might, though they certainly don’t have any. Finally Chester wanted to share how he believes this episode is one of the all time greats. He also pointed out how Elaine is as bad an employee as George ever is. Akiva agreed, noting how she does far worse things than she already has done to Mr. Pitt. He lastly asked if Seinfeld created a phenomenon of not wearing shirt in the bathroom, to which Akiva and Rob both agreed it’s not a thing to proudly carry on.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Soup” where the guys will try to determine if soup is a meal. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Couch | Episode 91 Recap Podcast
Feb 07, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 5, “The Couch.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Couch
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur aren’t opening a make-your-own-pizza place, but they did bring you the latest episode in their run through the entire Seinfeld series. This week, they recapped “The Couch” which first aired October 2, 1994 as part of season six. The episode was written by the Larry David.
There was some news in the Seinfeld universe this week. First, Larry David just had his appearance on Saturday Night Live. Akiva shared a story about a writer who wrote about how Jerry said his name wrong a few times in an interview, then called later to apologize. Also, there was a favorable ITunes review that Akiva had to translate because it was written in Hebrew.
The story for Jerry is he is excited for his new love seat he bought. When Kramer tells Jerry about going to business with Poppie, and how his restaurant has this fantastic duck dish, he decides to try it out, despite the hand washing issues he had the last time. While at the restaurant, he decides to cause some trouble by asking Poppie his opinion on abortion, enraging Elaine and other diners to the point of walking out when he says he’s against it. Later on, Kramer brings Poppie by Jerry’s so he can pay Poppie for the special order duck. While waiting for Jerry, Poppie pees on Jerry’s new couch, ruining it.
George’s girlfriend convinced him to join a book club, getting assigned to read Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. While he’s enthusiastic, he just can’t get into the book, watching TV and reading Cracked Magazine instead. When his time starts running out, Jerry recommends George just rent the movie. The video store doesn’t have a copy, so George gets the address of who rented it by sneaking a look at the computer at the front desk. He shows up at the people’s apartment, and they reluctantly let George watch along with them. Not long into the movie, George gets aggravated by the woman talking during the movie and the daughter taking his seat, which causes him to spill his grape juice all over the couch, getting thrown out before seeing the end.
Elaine is immediately smitten when she meets one of the movers bringing Jerry his new couch, and later on has a great date with him when he brings Jerry’s old couch over to her apartment. While at dinner with Jerry, she learns that Poppie is anti-abortion, so she walks out before eating, prompting Jerry to question what she would do if her new mover boyfriend felt the same. When she learns that he is anti-abortion as well, they inevitably break up.
Kramer is partnering up with Poppie on his idea for a make-your-own-pizza restaurant. Despite Elaine and Jerry ruining a night of Poppie’s business with the abortion talk, Kramer and Poppie are still partners for the new venture. The relationship does sour however when Kramer and Poppie argue over what a customer can put on their pizza.
There were some great tangents by Rob and Akiva this week. First, they found it unbelievable that the couch movers would just drive all over town to deliver other things not on their schedule. They also talked about how strange it was that Jerry didn’t remember Poppie at first, and how Poppie’s has become quite the fancy place. Next, they debated when the “hot take” era began, with Akiva thinking it was concurrent with the start of Twitter, while Rob thought it was when Tim Tebow was the quarterback of the Broncos. Rob also thought it possible that the writers might have had to change Poppie to peeing on the couch from going number two. He came up with his theory based on the chili gift Poppie was given by Elaine and Jerry.
In 2016, George would have zero difficulty getting to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but that was really all that would need to change from 1994. The guys thought that Jerry’s storyline was great and deserved an A. They also thought George had a strong showing, giving him an A as well. Akiva was not big on Kramer’s storyline, settling on a C after Rob questioned him giving a D. Lastly, he gave Elaine a B+, but Rob thought Elaine deserved lower. Akiva enjoyed this episode, but it wasn’t an all-timer, so he ranked it at 74.
The email bag was pretty full this week. First, Jim asked why the daughter would sit next to George, a complete stranger, when watching the movie. The guys agreed, noting that 1994 was before the “to catch a predator” world. Harry wrote in to share that there are now some make-your-own pizza places, but Akiva thought the business idea never really took off. Liz asked if Jerry would be upset if it was a baby who peed on the couch. Akiva thought with it being Jerry the neat freak, he’d have a problem with any urine.
Craig noted that cucumbers on pizza seems a bit too weird. Rob and Akiva talked about French fries and tuna fish being the weirdest they’ve heard of on pizza. Johnny De Silveira wondered why the mover didn’t have a proper car, but rather the moving truck on the date with Elaine. Rob asked if maybe he lived in the truck. Amir asked why Poppie wouldn’t be more cognizant of hygiene after hearing the story about his mother dying from bad fish. He also noted that Poppie is the most terrible person to appear on the show. Finally Chester pointed out that Elaine was excited for the duck, though she is a vegetarian. He also thought the episode could have been a great one, but the ending ruined it’s chances. Lastly, he shared how George’s girlfriend is also the actor who played Susan on Friends.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Gymnast” where the guys will get to talk about George eating out of the garbage. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Chinese Woman | Episode 90 Recap Podcast
Jan 31, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDbN9TZqFcg
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 4, “The Chinese Woman.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recaps: The Chinese Woman
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur are out there and loving every minute of their weekly Seinfeld Podcasts. This week they break down “The Chinese Woman” which first aired October 13, 1994, and was written by friend of the show Peter Mehlman. This episode also marks the halfway point in the series.
Before the weekly news, Akiva announced that he secured a special guest for the “halfway home” episode 90, with Donna Chang herself, Angela Dohrmann joining the guys to weigh in on the episode. In other news, Larry David will be hosting Saturday Night Live the night before the Super Bowl. Also, in a syndicated column, someone sent in a letter describing the exact story of Keith Hernandez and Jerry in “The Boyfriend”.
Jerry’s storyline is largely one that wouldn’t fly in politically correct 2016. In an attempt to call George, the line gets crossed and he chats with this woman Donna Chang, who he develops an immediate interest in because he’s always wanted to date a Chinese woman. When he meets Donna for dinner, he realizes she is Caucasian and not Chinese, and that her last name was originally Changstein. After a few more stereotypical comments and lifestyle choices by Donna, Jerry has had enough and decides to call her on it, telling her she’s not Chinese.
Elaine is once again getting her friend Noreen in relationship trouble when she constantly hangs up on her new boyfriend because he engages her in long conversations. She learns that Noreen’s relationship is on the rocks because he’s paranoid about all the calls to the house where someone hangs up. In a scene similar to last week, Elaine and Noreen are talking at Monk’s, and Noreen seems to want to take a cue from Elaine once again and dump her boyfriend for his idiosyncrasies. Her story finishes when Kramer starts to intercept all her calls to Noreen, effectively keeping her from further influencing Noreen.
George has a smaller story in this episode. When he learns that Jerry and Elaine saw Frank in the city with a man wearing a cape, he tries to figure out why. His story intersects with Jerry’s when Estelle ends up talking with Donna Chang when the lines get crossed. She shares with George that his parents are getting a divorce, sending him in a tailspin, since now he’ll have to spend twice as much time visiting them separately. When Estelle makes another call that rings to Donna, Donna effectively changes Estelle’s mind and the divorce gets called off. Donna and Jerry go to dinner at the Costanzas, and when Estelle sees Donna is not Chinese, she wants to go through with the divorce, since she won’t take advice from a woman from Long Island.
Kramer spends most of the episode trying to get used to not wearing jockey underwear, since Jerry has him worried that the jockeys can cause low sperm count and he wants to one day have kids. He later visits the clinic to confirm this is true. After struggling with boxer shorts, he decides to go all the way free, much to the chagrin of Jerry and Elaine. His story intersects with Elaine’s when he tries to keep her from further negatively influencing Noreen. At the end of the episode, he yells out the window to Jerry that Noreen is late, so the Kramer name might just live on.
Rob and Akiva had a couple of great tangents. First, they debated whether Donna Chang purposely tries to make people think she is Chinese. Akiva thought that was her goal, but Rob thought if she did, she wouldn’t meet the people in person, so she could keep them thinking that she is Chinese. They discussed at length how some of these jokes about race would absolutely not work in today’s television. Lastly, they try to figure out why Noreen would be trying to jump off a bridge at the end of the episode. Akiva thought the combination of possibly being pregnant and the string of boyfriends she’s dumped over the last few weeks led to her to this.
In 2016, besides the politically incorrect storyline, there were just a few things that wouldn’t work from this episode. Capes are still quite unfashionable. Akiva thought Clue is not a game being played anymore, and there has since been the invention of the boxer brief. You could also figure out what Donna Chang looks like on Facebook.
In grading the storylines, Akiva thought Jerry deserved a B+, while Rob agreed. Elaine got a C, George got an A-, and lastly, Kramer had some great lines, earning him an A. Akiva thought this was an underrated episode, so he ranked it at 65.
After the recap, Angela Dohrmann joined the guys for an interview. They asked her if she thought Donna Chang was intentionally trying to trick people into thinking she’s Chinese. She said she played the character oblivious to it. She talked about how she wasn’t too familiar with Seinfeld before she was on it, but enjoyed the strange storyline, so was excited to be a part of it. She also talked about how she wasn’t too nervous to be a part of the show, but delivering the “ridicurous” line was a little nerve-racking. One of her favorite parts of being on the show was getting to meet Jerry Stiller. Before signing off, she noted that she’s been teaching improv classes in New York.
There were some great emails in the bag this week. Dan the donator shared that season five earned $231 for Baby Buggy. Johnny De Silveira asked why the show didn’t tell the viewers if Noreen was pregnant. Akiva thought she wasn’t pregnant, and certainly didn’t kill herself. Craig noted that the low sperm count from wearing jockeys is a myth. Dr. Thomas the medical correspondent did some research and learned that jockeys do have a bit of a negative impact due to them keeping the area too warm. Harry emailed in to praise the episode for it’s great quotes.
Travis wondered if Seinfeld would be a network show, or if it would be better suited for a cable or streaming outfit. Rob thought this episode would be a good fit for a show like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Amir thought it could be deemed racist to assume a woman named Chang would be Chinese, and that not referring to her as Asian could be a bit racist. Finally, Chester wondered if the guys wear boxers or briefs. Akiva wears boxers, with a few boxer briefs, while Rob is in the same boat. Chester also noted that women don’t like revealing a pregnancy too soon, and wondered if Kramer would get in trouble for talking about it so early on.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Couch” with the return of Poppie. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowreca ps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Pledge Drive | Episode 89 Recap Podcast
Jan 24, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 3, “The Pledge Drive.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur are never mistaken for their wives with their rich, radio voices, which they used to bring you the latest Seinfeld episode recap. This week, they talked about “The Pledge Drive”, which first aired October 6, 1994 as part of season six. The episode was written by Tom Gammill and Max Pross.
There was only a bit of Seinfeld news this week. Akiva researched any connection to Seinfeld with the recent celebrities that have passed. He learned that David Bowie was the musical guest in 1999 when Jerry hosted Saturday Night Live.
Jerry has been asked to host a charity drive for PBS. He receives a thank you card from the woman Kristin who is running it, but throws it away after reading it. When Kristin sees the card in the trash, Jerry tries to prove he’s sentimental by showing her all his cards from his nana. When Kramer notices checks in all the cards from Jerry’s Nana, he convinces Jerry to cash them.
Nana gets a call from her bank since the cashed checks overdrew her account. Nana tries to go down to the bank after not leaving the house alone for 25 years, but the bank wasn’t at the same location as the last time she was there. Uncle Leo calls Jerry to tell him Nana was missing. Nana, who found the new location of the bank, calls Jerry from there, but Elaine answers and thinks it’s Dan, so she yells then hangs up.
George is tasked with finding a Yankee to appear on the pledge drive, trying to appeal to the Yankee brass by pushing the network’s high culture. He wins over his boss Morgan on the idea when Morgan sees him eloquently eating his candy bar with a knife and fork, after being impressed when hearing Elaine talk about Mr. Pitt doing the same thing.
George’s second plot line has him reeling from the waitress at Monk’s secretly giving him the middle finger at every opportunity. This comes to a head when George is driving Danny Tartabull to the pledge drive and sees another driver flip him off. He chases the driver for an hour only to learn the man had his hand in a cast projecting his middle finger up, leading to Danny Tartabull missing the pledge drive appearance.
Elaine’s story starts with her hearing from Jerry that her friend Noreen hit on him. When she calls to confront Noreen, she mistakes her boyfriend Dan for Noreen, since his voice sounds exactly like hers. She mentions how Jerry thought Noreen was hitting on him, causing Dan to get upset. She would later hear Jerry’s reason why he thought she was flirting, and her and George disproved it.
When Noreen learns this and asks Elaine about it, Elaine inadvertently turns Noreen off from Dan, pointing out his high talking, leading to her actually being attracted to Jerry now. Dan shows up at PBS to confront Jerry, but Jerry thinks it’s Noreen’s voice, so when he sends Kramer out to handle it, Kramer confuses Dan by assuming it’s him who’s attracted to Jerry.
Kramer had small parts that wove through Jerry’s storyline. First, he decides to work the phones at the pledge drive Jerry is hosting, though he wants a cut of the proceeds. He also notices Jerry’s cards from his nana’s and convinces him to cash them.
All the stories piece together in the ending segment. Uncle Leo comes by the pledge drive to assure Jerry that Nana’s okay, and tries to give him money. Nana calls in to the pledge drive, but Kramer answers and thinks it Dan at first, reassuring him that Jerry is not interested. Nana tells him she is Jerry’s grandmother, and she wants to give her money to Jerry, not PBS. The scene cuts to Monk’s, where Jerry shows a card from Kristin that has Bugs Bunny giving him the middle finger on it. Lastly, Jerry sees everyone in the surrounding tables at the diner eating candy bars and deserts with a knife and fork.
There were a few great tangents by Akiva and Rob this week. The guys discussed whether rich people worry about what is for dinner. Akiva tried to argue that him eating non chocolate candy is an extra bonus to avoid getting his hands dirty, though Rob took great exception, arguing that it’s fine if you just freeze the chocolate. They also discussed how hard it must be for athletes to deal with thousands of pleas to do charity events.
Next, they talked about a plan to get the modern day Danny Tartabull out of child support trouble by pooling all his money toward Powerball tickets. Rob told a story about how his son opened up a the wrapper of a candy bar at the check out counter when he took his eye off him, forcing him to have to buy it. Later on, Nicole was disappointed because the 100 grand bar wasn’t one she liked.
Rob and Akiva agreed that this episode doesn’t have anything that wouldn’t work in 2016. Akiva really enjoyed the episode, finding himself laughing out loud at several points, so he ranked the episode at 53, to which Rob thought it was a little low. They led off grading the core four with George, both agreeing that he deserved an A. They thought Jerry deserved an A, Kramer deserved an A-, and Elaine deserved an A-.
For emails this week, they led off with Colin, the delivery guy expert, who mentioned how common it is for those in customer service to use derision. He also wondered if either of them have sought revenge on customers in their time in customer service. Rob had an annoying customer or two during his time as a waiter, but Akiva had never worked in the field. Johnny De Silveira wondered where Danny Tartabull got a knife and fork in George’s car. Craig wondered why eating a candy bar with utensils hadn’t taken off like many things from Seinfeld.
Amir thought it was a great episode, noting he loved how Kramer subscribes to Fortune Magazine. He also asked how they would rank the high talker, the low talker and the close talker. Akiva ranked the high talker the most annoying, while Rob thought the close talker would be the worst. Lastly, Chester wondered why we haven’t heard of Jerry’s Nana before this. He also wondered why so many people would be eating candy bars at the diner. Akiva thought people just brought them in and did it to make a statement.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Chinese Woman”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowreca ps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Big Salad | Episode 88 Recap Podcast
Jan 17, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 2, “The Big Salad.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur were glad that Newman never dated their wives so they could discuss this week’s recap of the latest episode in their run through the Seinfeld series. This week, they took on “The Big Salad”, which first aired September 29, 1994 as part of season six. The episode was written by the Larry David.
First Akiva shared this week’s Seinfeld news. Julia Louis-Dreyfus turned 55 this week, and Jason Alexander appeared on The Nerdist Podcast, where he discussed the unique contract negotiations the cast had between season eight and nine. He also mentioned how he thought a spin off with Jackie Childs, or the Seinfeld and Costanza parents would have been great.
In this episode, Jerry dates a woman Margaret, but after seeing George and his new girlfriend trying so hard, he feels like dating is too embarrassing, so he wants to avoid go outside with her. Things turn further worse when he learns that Margaret once dated Newman, but he dumped her. He can’t let this go, learning from Newman that he just didn’t find her pretty enough, souring Jerry on Margaret altogether to the point he can’t even kiss her. Newman takes every opportunity to needle Jerry about this, which further turns off Jerry, leading him to break it off with Margaret.
George is dating a sophisticated woman named Julie, who’s interests are far different than his. In an effort to impress her, he buys Elaine a big salad at Monk’s, though he can’t let it go when Julie takes credit for the purchase when giving it to Elaine. In a later scene, George tells Elaine how he actually bought the salad, though Elaine is not impressed at all. Elaine complains to Julie about how George wanted credit for the salad purchase, causing Julie to break up with him.
Elaine is tasked by Mr. Pitt to find a specific mechanical pencil. When the creepy salesman at the stationary store tries to hit on her and get her number, she gives Jerry’s number to thwart him off. The salesman calls Jerry’s several times to give meaningless updates about his progress on the pen, but she ducks every call. Eventually, Elaine decides to buy the pencil somewhere else, really letting down the creepy salesman to the point he guilts her into going on a date with him.
Kramer’s story starts with him describing an argument he had with his golf partner, former baseball player Steve Gendason. Gendason violated a rule, so Kramer gave him a penalty stroke, which enraged Gendason, causing a huge argument. Later on in the episode, Jerry sees a news report about how Gendason murdered a dry cleaner after getting in an argument over a stained garment. Kramer feels guilty for putting Gendason in the mindset to commit this crime. He makes amends by driving the getaway car for Gendason, a scene exactly like the OJ Simpson car chase.
There were several great tangents by Akiva and Rob this week. First they discussed how the writers of the show must have had a hard time with the string of new girlfriends Jerry and George have each episode. Next they talked about the correlation between this episode and the OJ Simpson ordeal that happened the summer prior to this airing. Akiva wondered if Rob was a museum guy, but Rob has never been predisposed to them.
In 2016, there would be only be a couple things that would be different. They all could have followed the Gendason situation on the internet, and DNA evidence would have sunk Gendason.
Akiva gave the episode a ranking of 95, feeling it was more enjoyable the first watch. Both cast their letter grades on each of the core four. They thought Jerry deserved a B, and Elaine deserved a D, since it didn’t go anywhere. Akiva thought George deserved an A-, while Rob thought a B+. Lastly, they thought Kramer deserved a B+.
The email bag was pretty full this week. Johnny De Silveira offered some insight to the Miss America winners. He also asked what ever happened to Gendason, to which Akiva thought it probably mirrored the OJ thing. Amir thought Julie should have known handing the big salad to Elaine would mean she was taking credit. Amir also noted that Jerry does have a problem with dry cleaners.
Craig thought Newman had his most complete story in this episode. He wondered if either of them have dated and dumped a woman out of their league, to which Rob laughed. Craig also wondered if Newman is an enigma wrapped in a riddle or a Twinkie, and they both thought Twinkie. Liz wanted to thank them for discussing Making a Murder, and she wondered if either of them needed credit for something they’ve done. Both of them agreed that they do want to be recognized. Finally, Chester wondered why Jerry would pay for pens, since you can get a free one just about anywhere.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Pledge Drive”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowreca ps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Chaperone | Episode 87 Recap Podcast
Jan 10, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 6, Episode 1, “The Chaperone.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur have all the poise, grace and cotton shirts needed to bring you the latest recap in their run through the Seinfeld series. This week, they tackle “The Chaperone”, which first aired September 22, 1994 as the premiere of season six. The episode was written by Larry David, Bill Masters and Bob Shaw.
Before delving into the news, Akiva put a bow on season five by ranking it as the best season so far. For news this week, there was a bar themed after George Costanza opened in Melbourne, Australia.
Jerry’s storyline has him meeting Miss Rhode Island at the Yankee game and hitting it off. When he learns she can’t go out for dinner because her chaperone is not able, he enlists Kramer to fill in, which eventually leads to Kramer taking over as her pageant advisor. Jerry ultimately ruins Miss Rhode Island’s chances at Miss America when he accidentally kills her doves when he dumps water on them to quiet them on the balcony below.
George storyline has him eager to make a splash with the Yankees. He learns from Danny Tartabull that the uniforms are made of polyester, which is why they get so hot in the summer. He champions a plan to switch to cotton uniforms, which is at first met with great success. All the players are raving about the difference with the cotton uniforms, but after the first washing, the Yankees are stuck with uniforms that are too small, leading to Don Mattingly splitting his pants.
Elaine has a bigger storyline to open season six. She has a shot at taking over Jackie Onassis’ editor job after not working all summer, but the interview goes poorly. She meets Justin Pitt, a friend/colleague of Jackie O, who is mesmerized by Elaine since she is dressed like her. He hires her as his personal assistant but the job turns out not that great, as Elaine learns Mr. Pitt is eccentric and can’t even decide on a simple pair of socks to buy. It turns completely south when she is unable to go to Atlantic City with Jerry and George because she has to help Mr. Pitt find the right socks.
Kramer’s part of the episode revolves around Jerry asking him to chaperone Miss Rhode Island on their date. When he Inquires about her game plan for the pageant, he starts to advise her on anything and everything, since he’s watched every Miss America pageant since he was six years old. He has her shaping up every part of her performance, and when the doves from her magic act die from Jerry throwing water on them, he switches her talent to singing, which goes terribly, since she is tone deaf.
Rob and Akiva has several great tangents in this recap. First, they debated whether any other sport has been used in correlation to intimate activity before baseball. Next, they talked about how Major League Baseball was amidst a strike when this episode featuring the Yankees aired, and they also created a fake new podcast “Sports Serial”. Akiva shared how he had an interview where he knew wasn’t getting the job, much like with Elaine in this episode. Lastly, they talked a bit about Regis, and how it would have been great to get him on this episode as well.
There wasn’t much that would be different in 2016. Akiva jokingly said that no one was pulling a Steve Harvey and announcing the wrong winner in this pageant, and maybe the science of comfier uniforms could have improved since 1994.
While both Rob and Akiva liked the episode, it wasn’t the caliber of the last few episodes of season five. Akiva ranked it at 109, to which Rob agreed. They both agreed Jerry deserved a B, Kramer deserved a B, George earned himself an A-, and they both agreed Elaine deserved a C.
There were only a few emails to start off the new season. Johnny De Silveira pointed out that the baseball scenes were shot at Angels Stadium, and the original title was supposed to be called “The Birds”. He also asked why Jerry didn’t just close the window instead of pouring water on the birds. Lastly, Chester wondered if the chaperone was really necessary as part of the pageant rules. He also asked why Jerry didn’t just use George as the chaperone when Kramer starts to take it too seriously. They both thought it was a great point.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Big Salad”, another high powered classic. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Opposite| Episode 86 Recap Podcast
Jan 05, 2016
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss the finale of Season 5, Episode 22, “The Opposite.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur skipped out on the Jujyfruits (not kosher and also gross), but might just start their podcast about podcasts when they finish recapping the latest episode of Seinfeld. This week, they break down “The Opposite”, which first aired May 19, 1994 as the finale of season five, and was written by Jerry, Larry and Andy Cowen.
The news was slim this week. Akiva shared a top ten podcast list that ranked their Seinfeld podcast number one. It happened to be on his own podcast 32 Fans in 32 Days that he does with Chester.
George once again has the richest storyline in this episode. He starts off lamenting how his life turned out, only to decide at the diner to do everything the opposite of his instincts, since they are always wrong. Once he starts this, everything starts going his way. He catches the eye of an attractive woman, who not only wants to date despite him admitting he’s jobless and living with his parents, she lines him up with a job at the New York Yankees as the Assistant to the Traveling Secretary. This is the first appearance of Larry David’s voice as George Steinbrenner.
Jerry has very little to do in “The Opposite”, besides discovering that he always tends to break even in life. When Elaine throws a 20 dollar bill out the window, Jerry soon after discovers a 20 in his coat pocket. While at dinner with Rachael, she breaks up with him, and he’s so convinced things will even out, he isn’t even upset. The idea culminated when he realized how Elaine and George have swapped lots in life; one is up while the other is down.
Elaine starts the episode celebrating Pendant Publishing getting bought out in a big merger, and on the heels of deciding to move in with Jake Jarmel. Things starts to spiral downward when Mr. Lippman inadvertently kills the merger at Pendant by appearing rude by not shaking hands while he’s sick. She then learns that she’s being kicked out of her apartment for a variety of reasons, then hits bottom when Jake dumps her for getting Jujyfruits at the movies right after hearing that he was hit by a car and in the hospital.
Kramer’s coffee table book is finally a go, and he will get to go on Regis and Kathy Lee to promote it. When he goes “bonkos” on Regis and the interview goes sour, Lippman tells him to not do any more press. Kramer is crestfallen because he was dreaming to go on Sonja Live.
Rob and Akiva had several great tangents this week. First they talked about how the actress who plays Victoria is Dedee Pfeiffer, sister of the star Michelle. Akiva once again shunned Star Wars, preferring to watch the new Chipmunks movie. They discovered that 411 was actually in existence dating back to the 1930s in New York City, and that 311 the band was not named for the KKK as rumored. Akiva shared how his cousin works for Facebook, and his mother wanted to thank Mark Zuckerberg.
In discussing what would be different in 2016, Rob thought Jerry talking about the wardrobe benefits of being gay included a line about “recruiting” someone new wouldn’t be politically correct.
The guys continued to grade each of the gang’s storyline. George was an iconic part of the plot, so they gave him an A. Elaine’s fall from grace was well received by both, but Akiva gave her an A, while Rob gave her a B. Kramer got an A from both despite not having a big part of the plot. They both agreed that Jerry had little to do with the episode, but was enjoyable. Akiva gave him a B+ and Rob gave him a B-. Akiva ranked the episode in the top 9, adding that it is not number one.
There were a bunch of emails this week. Johnny De Silveira asked if either of the guys tried behaving the opposite to impress a girl. Akiva hadn’t, but Rob tries doing the opposite of his instincts with Nicole from time to time. He also asked if Kathy Lee had an issue in real life with being kissed by Kramer like that. The guys hadn’t heard there was a problem. Dan the donator wanted to know if Jason Alexander won the Emmy, but Rob confirmed that Michael Richards actually did that year. Dan also noted that by doing the extra long podcasts, the guys have raised $206 for Baby Buggy, a charity run by Jerry Seinfeld’s wife.
Eddie Mack wondered if the real Steinbrenner would have been a continuing character if he played himself. Craig asked why George didn’t stick with the opposite since things worked out so well. The guys didn’t have an answer, but Rob often wondered that himself. Harry noted that he loved following them go through season five. He asked why Kramer wore a puffy scarf but not a puffy shirt. Also, he questioned why Elaine would pay the outrageous price for Jujyfruits at the theater. Lastly he wanted to offer his services as their fake movie correspondent.
Liz wanted to thank Akiva for the Making a Murder recommendation, and comment how great this episode was. Amir said “The Opposite” is his favorite episode of all time. He questioned what kind of promotion was Elaine up for that she was so happy for the merger. He also noted that George wore a windbreaker to the Yankees job interview, and how the idea of even Steven is a great correlation to the philosophy of the show. Lastly, Chester wondered if anyone still uses a handkerchief, and if you could really leave a message with a movie theater employee. He was upset that the $20 in the pocket counts as evening up, since it was his 20 in his jacket. He also wondered why Lippman’s office is different every time they show it. Lastly, he thought the episode was ranked too high, disagreeing with Akiva and Rob.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Chaperone”, jumping right into season six with no delay. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for the weekly episode recap
Seinfeld: The Hamptons| Episode 85 Recap Podcast
Dec 27, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 21, “The Hamptons.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur gathered once again to bring you a breathtaking Seinfeld recap, and during Festivus week no less. This week they breakdown “The Hamptons”, which first aired May 12, 1994 as the penultimate episode of season five. It was written by Peter Mehlman and Carol Leifer, and was one of only a few episodes that did not take place in Manhattan at all.
After disusing how big Festivus still is, even with non Seinfeld watchers, Akiva shared a bit of news. Jerry will entertain President Barack Obama in an episode of his upcoming season of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Akiva also shared that he was blocked for the first time on Twitter, and by none other than his own 14 year old sister.
Jerry’s part of the episode is minor to the overall plot. His girlfriend Rachael’s father allows her to see Jerry again after the Schindler’s List make out session, so she comes along to The Hamptons as well. He spends much of the time playing damage control, since Rachael walks in on George, seeing him naked after experiencing “shrinkage”.
George has a huge role in the storyline this week. He is finally getting his chance to sleep with his new girlfriend Jane. When he learns that the rest of the gang saw Jane topless, he decides it’s only fair for him to see Jerry’s girlfriend naked to make up for it. When Rachael ends up walking in on George, he is incredibly embarrassed because he just got out of the pool and was suffering from “shrinkage”.
When Rachael shares the shrinkage news to Jane, Jane decides to head back to the city early, leading George to seek revenge against Rachael. He decides to sneak some of the leftover lobster into some scrambled eggs the next morning, not telling Rachael, who is kosher and can’t eat shellfish.
Elaine’s story is also a small one. The baby’s doctor describes her as breathtaking, though when he also calls Michael and Carol’s ugly baby breathtaking, she isn’t sure if he was being nice to her, or being nice about the baby.
Kramer has a small part to the plot this week. While rummaging around the beach, he discovers a lobster trap with a bunch of lobsters that he brings back to the beach house for everyone. When the host Michael hears he emptied a commercial trap, he gets upset, since that was how his father had made a living. When a local cop stops by to inquire about the empty trap, Michael rats out Kramer, leading to him having to join a highway clean up crew to pay off the fine.
Akiva and Rob had some great tangents this week. First they debated why the baby’s doctor would essentially be a live in physician on their weekend away. Next they talked about how Puff Daddy has changed his name yet again, going from Diddy back to P Diddy. Rob thought it would be a good idea to do a Serial-like podcast about the disgraced CEO Martin Shkreli. Rob felt that if he was hosting guests and one of them was inexplicably cooking, he’d ask where they got the food from. Rob also wondered how bad it would be to trick a kosher person into having shellfish, to which Akiva thought her level of commitment to the religion would determine it, suggesting he might be the wrong person to weigh in since he is kosher himself.
In 2015, there wouldn’t be much that was different. Rob thought George could Google “shrinkage”, and Akiva thought they’d have a chance to see the baby on Facebook, but ultimately both thought it was a timeless tale.
Akiva decided to rank this iconic episode in the top 9, joining “The Marine Biologist and “The Contest”. Akiva and Rob both thought George’s storyline was a big A+, adding that there aren’t many better from any character in any episode. Jerry had such a small storyline, really just serving as a buffer to the other characters, so they both gave him an incomplete. They gave Elaine an A, though it was a very small part of the plot. Kramer was deserving of A- from Akiva, while Rob was way down on Kramer in particular, giving him a C or C-.
There were several emails this week. Travis loved the episode, but didn’t like it ending with Rachael throwing the tomato, to which Rob and Akiva agreed. Dr. Tom the medical correspondent offered the answer for shrinkage. He said it shrinks to maintain the optimum body temperature. Raul Castillo wondered if Rob would be mad if Akiva saw his wife naked. Rob wouldn’t be if it was an accident. Raul also asked if Rob would eat the stolen lobsters, but Rob thought he wouldn’t ask too many questions about it. Liz wrote in to ask if either of them have met ugly babies. Rob thought most babies are standard looking, while Akiva agreed that most babies don’t get cute until they start to talk.
Johnny De Silveira shared that the working title to the episode was “The Ugly Baby”. Real BG Lowe noted that it was creepy for George to try and see Jerry’s girlfriend naked. He also thought Rachael had a great arm when throwing the tomato. Amir thought the episode should have been called “The Shrinkage”, but Rob and Akiva thought it gives away the joke. He also pointed out that having sex once with a woman wouldn’t automatically mean he could touch her breast whenever he wanted. Lastly, Chester pointed out that no one could get from the city to The Hamptons that fast. He also wondered what doctor would make a house call in The Hamptons, and also thought the final scene didn’t work.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Opposite” another iconic episode that closes out season five. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for the episode recap
Upcoming Schedule
#86 – “The Opposite” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 29th @ 3pm ET
Seinfeld: The Fire | Episode 84 Recap Podcast
Dec 20, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URvMd-pjSMc
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 20, “The Fire.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur couldn’t get Eric the Clown to guest on the Seinfeld podcast this week, but they trudged along anyway with their recap of “The Fire”, which first aired May 5, 1994. The episode was written by Larry Charles, who Akiva thought had his best episode to date.
There was no Seinfeld news this week, but Akiva offered the listeners a can’t miss recommendation in a new Netflix show, Making a Murder. He likened it to the podcast Serial, though he thinks it will be even better.
Jerry is having a writer from Entertainment Weekly review one of his sets, so he invites George and Kramer to bring along their new girlfriends for support. Kramer and his girlfriend Toby come to the show, and Toby inexplicably interrupts the show, going as far as heckling Jerry for telling a joke about women. The Entertainment Weekly article ends up highlighting this bombed set in the article, causing a gig in Miami to be cancelled due to the bad press.
When he tells George about this, George recommends Jerry go to her work and heckle her, for the ultimate comedian’s revenge. The plan goes awry when Toby gets upset and runs out of the office, only to have her pinky toe severed by a street sweeper.
Elaine had a small part to this episode. Her colleague Toby, who is dating Kramer, is interested in a senior editor position that Elaine is also interested in. She eventually loses the job to Toby, since their boss felt bad for Toby after having her foot run over.
George’s storyline is one of the greatest in the whole series. His new girlfriend Robin’s son is having a birthday party, and when the stove catches fire, he barrels over every woman, child and clown in an effort to save himself. When called out on this, he makes up several elaborate lies about how he was acting fast as the leader saving everyone, though no one buys it. After hearing Kramer’s heroic story, George feels compelled to make up for his cowardly ways, but it goes poorly at the end of the episode. Ronnie the prop comic is holding up a fake gun, and George clears out the club by yelling about the gun, ruining Jerry’s opportunity to show the Entertainment Weekly writer a good set.
Kramer is dating an obnoxious woman from Elaine’s office named Toby, who is helping him move forward with his coffee table book. After he brings her to Jerry’s show and she ruins it, he spends much of his time defending her. After Jerry causes Toby to have her toe run over from a street sweeper, Kramer finds the toe on the street and hops a bus to rush it to Toby at the hospital. While on the bus, he apprehends a hijacker, takes over driving the bus when the driver passes out, and successfully delivers the toe to Toby, where it’s successfully reattached.
Akiva and Rob had several great tangents, as usual. First they debated whether the birthday for a baby or an elderly person is easier to attend, ultimately deciding the baby’s birthday is better. Next they discussed how the prizes won on The Price is Right end up costing the winner a great deal in taxes.
The guys wondered whether a random comic today would get heckled for a bit about women being nesters.They also compared how Eric the Clown not knowing Bozo was like Rob not knowing Marc Maron or Richard Hatch. Lastly they debated how the pinky toe is the most useless appendage, but Akiva thought the appendix is more useless than that.
In 2015, Akiva thought nobody would take a bus, and couldn’t rob it since everyone has metro cards. Also, EW is not covering a comedy show. Lastly, he thought that you should never invite more than four little kids to a birthday party. In ranking the episode, Akiva was thrilled with it, so he put it at 20, though Rob felt quite differently, thinking it should be ranked in the 90s somewhere.
The guys were especially happy with each of the storylines this week. Both thought Kramer knocked it out of the park with his hijacker monologue, earning an A. Elaine, though not a big part of the episode, was feisty and funny, so Akiva gave her an A, but Rob knocked her down to a B- because her scenes with Toby weren’t too great. Jerry gets a B from Akiva and a C+ from Rob, since both were a little down on his involvement. George had an all time episode with the fire scene, so Akiva gave him an A, and Rob gave him an A+.
There were a few emails this week. First, Craig suggested Akiva go see the new Star Wars movie and write a review about it, but Akiva held strong in his quest to never see any of the franchise. He also asked why everyone didn’t get off the bus when Kramer would stop to get away from the gunman. Travis emailed to point out how this episode had great monologues, and thought Akiva would rank it in the upper echelon. Rob was impressed that he hit the nail on the head.
Amir said he was surprised that George would date a single mom when in the last episode he did all he could to avoid mentoring a boy for the big brother program. He also noted that the coffee table book could really be a good seller, though it probably didn’t and wouldn’t take off according to Rob and Akiva. Lastly he remarked how these monologues really show the talent of the core four actors.
Chester ended the email segment by asking if it was canon for George to not blow out the candles because he has asthma. Akiva confirmed that Jason Alexander actually does have asthma. He also wondered who was the random old lady at the birthday party, to which Akiva thought it was probably a great aunt, or the like. Lastly, Chester challenged how the piggy toe should not be important, based on the song that has it just going “wee wee wee all the way home”.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Hamptons” where the term “shrinkage” is first introduced in pop culture. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for the episode recap
Upcoming Schedule
#85 – “The Hamptons” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 22nd @ 3pm ET #86 – “The Opposite” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 29th @ 3pm ET
Seinfeld: The Raincoats | Episodes 82 & 83 Recap Podcast
Dec 13, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episodes 18 & 19, “The Raincoats.”
Upcoming Schedule (Subject To Change)
#84 – “The Fire” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 15th @ 3pm ET #85 – “The Hamptons” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 22nd @ 3pm ET #86 – “The Opposite” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 29th @ 3pm ET
Seinfeld: The Wife | Episode 81 Recap Podcast
Dec 06, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 17, “The Wife.”
Upcoming Schedule (Subject To Change)
#82–83 – “The Raincoats” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 8th @ 3pm ET #84 – “The Fire” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 15th @ 3pm ET #85 – “The Hamptons” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 22nd @ 3pm ET #86 – “The Opposite” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 29th @ 3pm ET
Seinfeld: The Stand-In | Episode 80 Recap Podcast
Nov 29, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 16, “The Stand-In.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur didn’t offer this podcast cigarettes to stunt it’s growth, as their recap grew to nearly two hours this week covering “The Stand-In”, which first aired February 24, 1994 as part of season five. The episode was written by the Larry David and introduced the great recurring character Mickey.
There was some Seinfeld news for Akiva to share this week. There was a Twitter poll done to determine the greatest Seinfeld character. Kramer won the poll with 34%, followed by Jerry at 29%, Elaine at 23% and George in last at 14%. Rob was shocked to see George in last, thinking he’d be first. Rob did his own Twitter poll asking which is the better Poppie moment, him peeing on Jerry’s couch, or not washing his hands. In the short time the poll was up, Poppie peeing on the couch was winning 59% to 41%.
This week, Jerry has perhaps the simplest storyline. His friend Fulton is in the hospital and looking for someone to cheer him up, though when he first goes by, he bombs. He even told him the Pachyderm story that all the gang found so funny, but it got no laughs. In his last trip to cheer up Fulton, he decides to do his act, which works with so much success, Fulton ends up dying in his bed.
The plot for Elaine this week revolves around Jerry setting her up with his friend Phil Totola. Jerry thinks they’re a great match, and their date went well until the end, when Phil decided to “take it out” in his car at the end of the date. Elaine admonishes Jerry later for setting them up. When George hears the story, he wonders why he hasn’t tried this yet. Phil talks to Jerry later, and he’s unsure of why it didn’t work out, but Jerry just lets it go.
George has perhaps the biggest story in the episode. He is dating a woman named Daphne who he finds boring, but since their mutual friend Al tries to warn Daphne that George isn’t good for her, he stays with her for spite. During one of their dates, he tries to get a conversation started about eggs, but she just responds that “eggs are eggs”. Despite this, George is ready to marry her just to prove Al wrong. In the end, she dumps George to get together with the Pachyderm.
Kramer’s story is about he and his little person friend Mickey, who have jobs as stand ins for the soap opera All My Children. Mickey is concerned that the kid he stands in for is growing too fast. Kramer recommends lifts, and Mickey finally agrees to it, though he’s worried other little people on the show would be offended by him “heightening”. When everyone wonders what is different about Mickey, another little person Johnny goes through his locker and finds the shoe lifts. He tells everyone else, and Mickey ends up ostracized, leading to him pouncing on Kramer for recommending such a bad idea.
Rob and Akiva had several great tangents this week. They had a discussion about what TV shows they are watching. With the new baby to look after, Rob had a chance to catch up on Man in the High Castle, Master of None and The Leftovers. Later, they wanted to do some research on prisons, and if the inmates could pick their best cellmate on an app and call it Prison-der, or Prinder. They briefly talked about Star Wars because the character Tammy played one of the Ewoks. Akiva still hasn’t seen any of them, and doesn’t plan on seeing the seventh, to which Rob wondered if Akiva was doing this as a badge of honor.
In discussing the Pachyderm story, Rob wondered how those hit by the pizza Pachyderm drops didn’t get third degree burns. They also discussed if it would be better to have a kid busy with sports, or one doing the acting thing. Their final tangent was about their many correspondents, and how listeners should prepare to throw their hat in the ring to be their expert on any number of subjects.
In 2015, there were a few things that would be different about this episode. “Taking it out” would be done via a picture text or Instagram, and nowadays little people on TV have garnered more respect. Akiva found it hard to rank this episode, as it had some messy plotlines, but some iconic moments, like the “took it out” conversation. He ultimately ranked it at 140, while Rob thought it could be just a bit better ranked.
There were several emails this week. Jackie mentioned in the comments how difficult it is to get an email in when they record the episode so far in advance from it dropping. Rob recommended getting the email in before Wednesdays, as they typically record that day. Johnny De Silveira wondered if either had dated someone in their past longer than they should have. Both agreed they haven’t but those they’ve dated might have something to say. He also pointed out that the kid Mickey stands in for later appears as the hospitalized kid in “The Wink”.
Dan the donator argued that eggs are not eggs, since bad eggs are gross. Akiva thought fish is harder to cook than eggs, while Rob tended to agree with Dan. Brian asked if they’ve seen the HBO show Life’s Too Short, though neither have. He also mentioned how Chester is great, but he didn’t have anything to add when he was on the podcast.
Amir wanted to know why Daphne started talking about moving in together when we’ve never seen her before. They both agreed this didn’t make sense. He also noted that Kramer’s friend Len Nicademo sounds too similar to Bob Sacamano. Finally Chester wondered if anyone they’ve dated had been warned not to go out with them. Neither knows of this happening, but Akiva doesn’t doubt that it could have with his wife. He also was curious why the Pachyderm story was so funny, but the guys didn’t have an answer for him. He lastly asked if they had a little person correspondent yet. They don’t, but they’re open to it.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Wife”, where Courtney Cox makes her way to NBC before starring in Friends a couple years later . Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITuneswhere you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap.
Upcoming Schedule (Subject To Change)
#81 – “The Wife” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 1st @ 3pm ET #82–83 – “The Raincoats” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 8th @ 3pm ET #84 – “The Fire” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 15th @ 3pm ET #85 – “The Hamptons” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 22nd @ 3pm ET #86 – “The Opposite” – Questions deadline: Tues, Dec 29th @ 3pm ET
Seinfeld: The Pie | Episode 79 Recap Podcast
Nov 22, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 15, “The Pie.”
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Rob Cesternino didn’t need his mannequin look-alike to fill in on the podcast this week despite baby number two’s arrival. Akiva Wienerkur would never shake off an opportunity for pie, let alone an opportunity to breakdown Seinfeld’s “The Pie” with Rob this week. “The Pie” first aired February 17, 1994 as part of season five. The episode was written by Tom Gammill and Max Pross.
Akiva had some Seinfeld related news this week. In honor of Rob’s new arrival Anthony Joseph, Akiva went through and listed all Seinfeld characters and actors with either of those names. Some of the highlights included Crazy Joe Davola and Tony the mimbo.
The main storyline is about Jerry and his new girlfriend Audrey. In the opening scene, she puzzles Jerry by refusing to try a piece of his pie, merely shaking him off rather than coming up with an excuse as to why she doesn’t want it. Elaine thought Jerry should just dump her when she hears what happened. Later on, when he sees a lady at the diner decline pie from her friend, he finds out how she turned it down for some perspective.
Jerry decides to confront Audrey about denying the pie, but she wouldn’t explain herself. Their relationship further deteriorates later on at Audrey’s father Poppie’s restaurant. Poppie will turn up in several more episodes throughout the series. Jerry notices Poppie come out of the stall in the bathroom and head back to the kitchen without washing his hands. When Audrey tries to get Jerry to try the dinner, he shakes her off in the same manner she did with the pie.
Later on, Kramer notices Audrey at Monk’s eating the apple pie by herself, further flummoxing Jerry, so he confronts her later. As he’s there, the Board of Health comes in and inexplicably makes Poppie come with them. Akiva noted that Jerry was not the one to call the Board of Health. Both Rob and Akiva are confused as to why the health inspector essentially arrested Poppie.
The “B” story revolves around George needing to buy a new suit for a job interview. The price is way out of his range, but the saleswoman tells him about an unadvertised sale next week. He spends the next several days staking out the suit, making sure no one buys it. When a man of similar size also draws an interest, George does all he can to throw the man off the scent, from telling him the wrong dates of the sale, to hiding it on another rack to ultimately snake the suit out from under him.
Once George buys the suit, he quickly learns the fabric causes an annoying swishing sound when he walks. At a lunch interview for this job, desert is served, and George notices that the chef is the man he snaked the suit from, and he’s looking out evilly as pie is delivered to the table. George shakes off trying the pie, leading to him not getting hired, but the others who did eat it ended up violently ill. Akiva thought George didn’t eat the pie merely so he wouldn’t be one-upped by the chef. The guys agreed that George should have used some sort of dietary excuse for denying the pie, since he’s such a master liar.
Elaine was the focus of the “C” plot this week. Kramer first noticed a mannequin at the suit store that looked exactly like her. She tried to get to the bottom of who made this, though no one from the store could give her an answer. She later goes back to steal it, since the mannequin is now wearing revealing lingerie. A scene toward the end of the episode shows that Ricky, the strange man who made the flower bouquet out of the TV Guide in “The Cigar Store Indian” is responsible. He is working at a mannequin factory and was the one who designed it.
Kramer had the shortest storyline, having developed an itchy back from the worn fabric on his couch, and nothing helps relieve the itch. None of the gang will scratch his back for him, but he meets a woman with long fingernails at the diner and starts dating her because of her expert back scratching. The relationship comes to an end shortly after the itch has been sufficiently scratched. Rob pointed out that this was only a part of the show to get Kramer some airtime.
Rob and Akiva went on several tangents throughout the podcast. Rob gave Akiva a recommendation to watch the 1980s romantic comedy Mannequin. They promised not to spend too much time discussing the reboot, but Rob did want to make the mannequin a man this time. Akiva remarked later on that he’d certainly prefer to try this movie before he’d try a chocolate covered doughnut.
They also spent some time discussing how Kramer’s new girlfriend with the long nails is only working at Monk’s this one episode, and how the normal cashier wasn’t. Also, Rob took exception with the final scene, and he and Akiva debated how to better finish the episode. Lastly, Akiva told a story about a pizza place he went to that had been given a “C” by the board of health, then noticed it was subsequently shut down by the board of health sometime later.
In 2015, of course Google would allow Elaine to look up the mannequin manufacturer. A Yelp review would be a way to tell the world about Poppie not washing his hands. Akiva thought this was an unusual episode, considering the ending was so badly done, yet their was great jokes and strong storylines. He decided to rank it at 97, while Rob thought he might have it a bit higher.
There were a ton of emails this week, so much so there was little chance for the guys to cover them all. Real BG Lowe emailed in and compared Audrey to Jane, the non-square sparer in her mannerisms. Rob agreed, and also pointed out how George’s suit was comparable to the cashmere sweater with the red dot. Kale wrote in to comment how bad the Kramer having an itchy back storyline was. He also thought it wrong that George would pass up a job to avoid getting sick.
Elaine, the attractive woman correspondent wants to have her shot on the podcast like Chester. She pointed out that she was at an episode taping where the audience was told to stop with the ovations for Kramer entering the room, since it threw off the actors’ timing. Johnny De Silveira noted that “The Pie” storyline was based on a real life situation of Jerry’s. He also shared how the scene with Poppie not washing his hands was shown in his high school health class.
James emailed in with a “hot take” on Elaine’s storylines. He thought she is a stronger character when she plays off more zany types like Mr. Pitt or Puddy, to which the guys agreed. Garrett shared that he thought this was an average episode and asked to be in consideration for the millennial correspondent.
Edward congratulated Rob on the new baby, and wondered if he named him Anthony just so he could pop his collar like Jerry did when talking about the mimbo Tony. He also thanked them for recommending Nathan For You. Amir wanted to credit the show for the call back, with Jerry wearing “Baby Blue” to start this episode. He also wondered how Poppie’s could serve both pizza and duck.
Finally, Chester asked if it’s safe to assume Audrey is another germaphobe, since she didn’t want to share the pie, but wondered why she would do this, yet would fool around with Jerry. Lastly, he thought it implausible that Jerry would have his car at the store when it’s assumed he lived down the street. Akiva remarked how they seem to do this frequently on the show to make certain storylines work logistically.
Before signing off, Rob shared the results of his poll asking what was the better fake job, marine biologist or architect. Marine biologist won 62-48%.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Stand-In” where they promise not to “heighten”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap
Seinfeld: The Marine Biologist | Episode 78 Recap Podcast
Nov 15, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 14, “The Marine Biologist.”
Seinfeld: The Dinner Party | Episode 77 Recap Podcast
Nov 08, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 13, “The Dinner Party.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur always look to the cookie, but never more so than in this week’s episode, as they recap “The Dinner Party”. The episode first aired February 3, 1994 as part of season five, and was written by Larry David.
There was no Seinfeld news this week, but Akiva did point out that the final ten episodes of season five might be his best stretch of episodes in the series run. He also recommended watching Nathan For You on Comedy Central, but will not pay the listeners as he did with Review.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about the moon landing, flimsily tying into the episode through a small part where George references it. The episode opens at Jerry’s apartment with Elaine complaining about someone saying “Happy New Year” in February, with Jerry concurring. Rob and Akiva agreed that Happy New Year should be out after January 10.
They continue to chit chat, talking about how cold it was. George walks in with a puffy Gore-Tex jacket that Elaine and Jerry make fun of, both slapping the puffy part back and forth. Elaine mentions they need to stop and pick up wine for the dinner party they’re all attending. George finds it foolish, adding most people would rather have Pepsi, causing Elaine to remind him they are grown ups.
The four are on their way to the dinner party, and Kramer’s heater isn’t working. George protests having to get a cake in addition to the wine, instead thinking they could just get some Ring Dings at the liquor store. After Kramer drops Elaine and Jerry at the bakery, he and George struggle to find a parking spot, so George suggests double parking. Kramer objects, not wanting to get anymore parking tickets.
At the bakery, Jerry notices a black and white cookie and goes on a diatribe about the racial equality the cookie brings. Jerry and Elaine forget to grab a number in line, and decide to ask the people who jumped ahead to switch numbers, but the couple is rude about it. Elaine realizes she knows them, and that they are going to the same party. Rob wondered why they didn’t just ask the couple to just also order their dessert for them, instead of switching tickets.
The couple’s number is called, and they order the very same chocolate babka Elaine wanted. When Elaine threatens to tell the party how rude they are, the woman points out they’ll be there first and tell everyone how rude Elaine is. Meanwhile, Kramer and George try to buy the wine, but the clerk won’t take George’s $100 bill. They go out to the newsstand to break the bill, but the newsstand guy makes George buy more than gum to do it, causing Kramer to pick out a newspaper, Clark bar and a Penthouse Forum Magazine.
Jerry and Elaine now have to pick a new dessert since the chocolate babka is now gone. They go with the lesser cinnamon babka, and it turns out it has a hair on it. They are forced to take a new number rather than swap it out. While they wait in line, Jerry eats his black and white cookie, going on about it’s symbolism. After paying for the wine, George and Kramer see that someone has double parked, blocking them in their spot. George can’t believe that they can put a man on the moon, but people are still stupid enough to double park and not leave a note.
Back at the bakery, Elaine is complaining that they are waiting for the new babka, but Jerry tells a traumatic story about freaking out and running for hours after finding a hair in his farina . As George and Kramer still wait for the double parker, George expresses how he’s scared to deal with Elaine, talking about how Elaine once pulled a hat down over his head when she was mad at him. Kramer can’t take the cold anymore, so they go back in the liquor store.
Elaine is continuing to complain about waiting, telling Jerry she’s going to wrap George’s hood of his big coat around his head and suffocate him. Jerry isn’t really listening, as the cookie has made him sick. He’s worried that his streak of not throwing up since 1980 will come to an end. He comments that there is civil unrest in his stomach. A guy with a cane presses it down on Elaine’s toe when he turned around, then gives a half hearted sorry. Jerry finally rushes to the bathroom to end his streak.
As George and Kramer wait in the liquor store, the clerk tells them they have to get out if they aren’t getting anything else. As they leave, George’s giant coat knocks over a bunch of bottles of wine, and he has to give up the coat to pay the clerk back. While outside, the double parker shows up, and it looks to George like Saddam Hussein, who tells them they should be wearing a coat. Rob remarked that it’s highly implausible that Saddam would be in America this shortly after the Gulf War.
Once George and Kramer get back to the bakery, Jerry wonders where George’s coat is, while George wonders why they didn’t get chocolate babka, causing a steely glare from Elaine. Finally, they all show up at the door of the dinner party, hand the wine and babka to them and turn around and leave. Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about how stupid looking the winter hats with flaps are.
In 2015, George could have used a debit card or Apple pay instead of having to break the $100, while Elaine could write a scathing Yelp review of the bakery and all their mishaps. Akiva enjoyed the deep narrative this episode, though the joke count might not have matched some of the greater ones, so he ranked it at 49. Rob thought it might be better suited in the 60-70 range.
There were several emails in Newman’s bag this week. First Dan the donator didn’t think having the charity lose money for shorter podcasts was necessary, but Rob wanted to commit to it. They are yet to decide exactly what charity to donate to. Elizabeth wrote in to comment about how much she liked Akiva’s story of taking his wife to the amusement park. She also noted her boss is a serial snacker who once pulled out a tuna sandwich from his briefcase to eat in a meeting. The food delivery correspondent wrote in to share that he frequently double parks when on delivery.
Johnny De Silveira wanted to know why Jerry and Elaine were so passive to not grab a number or get in line at the bakery. He also asked what Rob and Akiva’s favorite dessert is, adding his favorite is the scary Black Forrest cake. Akiva enjoys a strawberry shortcake. Mike emailed in mentioning he felt that Jane in “The Stall” wasn’t admitting to being the phone sex lady, but was just messing with Jerry and Kramer by telling Kramer not to call either, which blew Rob and Akiva’s minds.
Lastly, Chester wondered how all four got invites to a dinner party of Elaine’s friends. Akiva and Rob felt like anyone who knows them would assume they are a package deal, like in Entourage. He also asked why they drove, since it the dinner party appeared to be in Manhattan. Next, Chester tried to defend carrot cake, to which Rob and Akiva agreed, especially since you can fool yourself into thinking it’s healthy. Finally he pointed out the liquor store guy was a real jerk to kick out a paying customer, and how ridiculous it was to think Sadam Hussein would be living in New York City after the Gulf War.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Marine Biologist”, where they will go for the hole in one. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode summary
Seinfeld: The Stall | Episode 76 Recap Podcast
Nov 01, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 12, “The Stall.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur packed their tuna and salmon salad sandwiches as they attempt to reach the Seinfeld summit that is “The Finale”. This week, they breakdown “The Stall”, which first aired February 3, 1994 as part of season five, and was written by the great Larry Charles, who noted in an interview that he always seems to be involved with bathroom humor.
There was of course a bit of Seinfeld news for Akiva to share this week. Jamie Gertz, who plays Jane in this episode, just celebrated her 50th birthday. With Scene It and Tweet of the Week a thing of the past, the guys jump right into the recap.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about whales that Rob noted had nothing to do with this episode. The episode opens with Elaine in the bathroom stall at the movies, where there is no toilet paper. When she asks the woman next to her for some, the lady replies she can’t spare a square, leading to an argument between the two.
When Elaine gets back to her seat with her new boyfriend Tony, she explains what happened to her. He’s mostly interested in why she didn’t bring him his popcorn. Meanwhile the woman who refused the toilet paper gets to her seat, and she happens to be Jerry’s new girlfriend. Jerry mostly blows off her side of the story, since he’s more interested in the artificial flavor of the popcorn.
The next day, Jerry is on his computer when Kramer comes in to ask to use his phone in his bedroom. Jerry jokes to not call a 976 number, but Kramer actually is calling one of them. Elaine is there talking about her bathroom experience at the movie, and Jerry quickly tries to cover up for Jane. She notes that she’ll never forget her “flinty” voice, which troubles Jerry since they are all going on a double date that weekend. When Elaine picks up the phone, she hears Kramer talking dirty with the phone sex lady, claiming his name is Andre. Jerry thought the phone sex lady’s voice sounded familiar.
Jerry and Elaine are driving, and she reminds him to defrost his freezer. Rob wondered why she cared about this. While talking about her new boyfriend, Jerry refers to him as hunky Tony, accusing her of dating a “mimbo”. They then both joke about how George has a nonsexual crush on Tony.
At the diner, George is staring starry eyed at Tony while he tells a story about telling someone to “step off”. George comes up with their next extreme outing, and recommends bowling, while Tony counters with rock climbing, and they should go “manana”. George says he has to have a boil lanced manana, but when Kramer agrees to go, George also says he’s “down”, and he’ll even make sandwiches.
Back at Jerry’s, Elaine makes fun of George for thinking he can rock climb, while Jerry calls George Tony’s sidekick. George is fine being the sidekick because Tony is so cool. He admonishes Kramer for cutting in on his day with Tony, which causes Kramer to tell George he’s in love with Tony. When Kramer answers the phone, he thinks he recognizes Jane’s voice from somewhere.
In the next scene, Kramer and George are on the side of a cliff. Kramer is breezing around yodeling, while George is clutching the side for his life. Tony, who is below them climbing up, asks George to secure the rope then throw him a sandwich. George doesn’t get the first part done right, and Tony goes falling. Akiva thought you’d have to assume Tony was dead at this point.
While eating pizza with Jane at his apartment, she won’t share a napkin with him. When Elaine buzzes up he quickly decides to give her many pieces of gum to help disguise her voice. After she leaves, Elaine comments on the gum, to which Jerry says it’s embarrassing and might have to break up with her. When Kramer and George sheepishly show up, they divulge that Tony fell off the cliff. Elaine only wants to know if there was damage to his face, then runs out to see him in the hospital.
Later on at Tony’s, Elaine asks how his face will heal, but nothing else. Rob pointed out that Tony is a bit of a Puddy type. Akiva agreed they are similar, but Tony is a bit more “fratty”. When George stops by, Tony tells him to “step off”, with Elaine reiterating he step off, shoving him out the door.
Back at Jerry’s, Jerry tells Jane it’s too bad they can’t go out with Elaine and Tony after Tony’s accident. Kramer comes in and instantly recognizes Jane’s voice, as it’s “tattooed in his brain”. As he leaves, Jane asks to split a cab uptown, and Kramer says a line he used when talking on the 976 line, “what about the driver?”. When she leaves, Kramer tells Jerry that Jane is Erica the phone sex lady, but Jerry thinks it’s crazy.
At the diner, Elaine explains that Tony’s bandages will come off soon, and finally admits that she is only into him for his looks. They notice Kramer over at another table, waiting to finally meet up with Erica the phone sex lady. When Jane walks in, Jerry confronts her, calling her Erica. She says she sells paper goods, and calls him a jerk. Rob thought it was ironic that her cover story is selling paper products, when she is a toilet paper hoarder.
Elaine asks Jane for a tissue since she’s been crying, but Jane says she can’t spare it, so Elaine puts the pieces together that Jane is the toilet paper hoarder. When Jane excuses herself to the bathroom, Elaine runs up ahead to remove all the rolls from the bathroom, then hides in one of the stalls. Rob questioned how she could have accomplished this when Jane was literally a few seconds behind her. When Jane notices the toilet paper is out, Elaine gleefully says she can’t spare a square and runs out with all the rolls in her arms.
When Jane comes out, she stops at the table to tell Jerry not to call her again, then whispers to Kramer, “you either”, revealing that she is in fact Erica. The closing standup is a bit about how skydiving is not a sport, and what is the point of wearing a helmet.
In ranking the episode, Akiva thought it was the best of season five, so he ranked it at 18. Rob disagreed, even though he thought it was quite solid. In 2015, Elaine would get a text that could get her to the hospital for Tony. Also, there would be no 976 calls nowadays.
As always, they wrap the episode with a few emails. Dan last week proposed he would donate a dollar for every minute over an hour and ten minutes to charity, and after last week, they are up 13 dollars. He suggested they pick a Seinfeld related charity, and Rob and Akiva were thinking something like food and clothing for the homeless. He also asked which aspect of the episode was least plausible. From the list he suggested, Rob and Akiva thought the idea of Jane/Erica meeting Kramer anywhere is absurd.
After expressing his love for the Tony character, Craig asked if either had called a phone sex line, to which both gave an emphatic no. Amir wondered why Kramer would need to use Jerry’s phone for the 976 call. Akiva pointed out that Kramer is always a mooch off of Jerry, so why not make him pay for it. Amir also noted that Jane refusing to give the toilet paper is completely implausible. Lastly, he pointed out how the Tony character is the most “Hammer time” thing in the series, and wanted to nominate “step off” as the podcast catch phrase.
Finally, Johnny De Silveira said this is one of only two episodes where Jerry uses the computer. He also asked what is the most extreme sport either had done. Akiva answered doubles tennis as a joke, but actually went zip lining, while Rob has done some cliff diving.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Dinner Party”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going topostshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap
Seinfeld: The Conversion | Episode 75 Recap Podcast
Oct 24, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 11, “The Conversion.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur cancelled their podiatrist appointments so the could get together for another Seinfeld recap. This week, they discussed “The Conversion”, which first aired December 16, 1993 as part of season five. The episode was written by Bruce Kirschbaum, who claimed he made up the Latvian Orthodox religion, though it does actually exist.
There was some related news that Akiva shared this week. First, Larry David appeared on Saturday Night Live to impersonate presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Also, Jerry topped the Forbes Magazine list of highest paid comedians over the past year, topping such current acts as Kevin Hart and Louis C.K.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about how doctors put their diplomas on the wall, and how they always make you take off your pants, regardless of the appointment. The episode opens with George having dinner with his new girlfriend Sasha, so smitten with her he’s even agreed to spring for the lobster. When she tells him she has to break it off because he isn’t from the same religion, he balks at her still ordering the lobster, but lets her get it anyway.
In the next scene, Jerry and Elaine are in the hall outside Jerry’s talking about her new podiatrist boyfriend, with Jerry downplaying his importance versus MDs. Rob remarked how the show has frequently lowers the value of those in the medical profession who forewent med school. Before going inside, Jerry says hello to a woman Tawni he’s dating that is subletting the apartment down the hall.
In Jerry’s apartment, George is somehow in there laying on the couch, bemoaning his being dumped by yet another woman. When he explains that she can’t date him because he’s not Latvian Orthodox, Elaine recommends he just convert religions to keep dating her. George likes the idea, and when he leaves, Jerry tells Elaine this will all be her fault when it doesn’t work out.
Jerry and Tawni are kissing on the couch in her apartment when Jerry needs to go wash his hands. In the bathroom, he notices the medicine cabinet partially open, so he decides to snoop. He notices a tube of fungal cream, but Tawni soon knocks at the door, so he scampers out.
At the diner, Jerry, Kramer and Elaine are trying to figure out what the cream could be for. Elaine is sure to tell Jerry she thinks it was wrong to snoop, while Kramer says he always peeks in people’s medicine cabinets. The scene cuts to George with the Latvian priests discussing his intent to join the church. He fakes his way through the interview, but they send him on his way with a bunch of giant books to study for his conversion test. Kramer is there with him, and has an intriguing run in with a budding nun, Sister Roberta.
Later on at Jerry’s, George is excited about his plan, and confirms to Jerry that he will not tell his parents of his conversion. While talking, Jerry decides he needs to get another look at this fungal tube, hoping it could not be hers. The scene cuts to Elaine at her apartment with the podiatrist, where she asks him about fungi, before referring to him as just a podiatrist, which angers him. There is another cut to George in the bathroom, and Estelle and Frank are knocking and yelling for him to get out.
Sister Roberta randomly shows up at Kramer’s to give him another toy she found, obviously intrigued by him. Jerry has made his way back into Tawni’s bathroom to check on the fungal cream, but has to pocket it when she comes in with soap for him. Back at Jerry’s, he’s helping George study for his test when Elaine comes in to tell them she got in a fight with the podiatrist. George decides to write cheat notes on his hand for help. Jerry gives Elaine the tube to bring to the podiatrist, but with the fight they had, she’s not sure he’ll talk to her.
George is with the Latvian priests, having just passed the conversion test. Kramer comes along to share with the priest how Sister Roberta is so in to him, she may leave the church. The priest tells him he must have the kavorka, the lure of the animal. He gives Kramer a remedy for this, involving garlic and vinegar. Rob and Akiva wondered why Kramer would care if this woman would leave the church for him.
In the next scene, Jerry knocks at Kramer’s door after smelling something foul, letting Kramer know he’s smelling up the whole building. Meanwhile, some women who know Estelle notice George’s name on the sign out front for his conversion. The scene cuts to Frank and Estelle yelling at George because of this, even thinking they should get a lawyer to get George out of this.
Jerry is at Tawni’s, who shares that she was up all night because her cat’s fungal cream is missing. George is at his ceremony, where Sister Roberta had been tasked to give the reading, but tells the priest she can’t because of Kramer. When Kramer shows up smelling of the kavorka remedy, the spell over her does seem to be gone, so she stays with the church, not before telling Kramer he stinks.
Elaine is back with the podiatrist, having made up from their argument. He goes into the bathroom and decides to snoop in the medicine cabinet himself, where he notices the fungal cream. Rob and Akiva questioned why Elaine would leave the tube there to be seen. The final scene is George telling Sasha he’s converted, but she has to move away and break it off anyway.
Akiva and Rob discussed how there were several clunky storylines in this episode, which caused Akiva to rank it at 116. In 2015, George would be able to convert religions online and Elaine could just look up the fungus on WebMD.
There were several emails this week. First, Thomas, the medical correspondent noted that vitamins are in fact not very useful to the average person with a well balanced diet. He also added that while a podiatrist is officially a doctor, they are more like a health professional. Lastly, he shared how he did a report on the Latvian Orthodox religion in his school days, referencing the Seinfeld episode frequently.
Dan, who Rob met in San Francisco last week, proposed he would donate money to charity to make the podcast longer. Rob wanted to give the money to the Human Fund, while Akiva wanted to give the money to the Mets. The attractive woman correspondent Elaine, wrote in to confirm she’ll be available to help with questions, but has no worries about not being the sidekick.
Johnny De Silveira wanted to know if either had done anything out of the ordinary to impress a woman. Akiva said he does the dishes everyday, while Rob didn’t have any great examples. He also consulted with his mother and confirmed that a hot or cold beverage could leave a ring on a coffee table. He lastly shared how he takes a vitamin C everyday.
Lastly, Chester wondered why George wouldn’t just study in his bedroom instead of the bathroom. He also asked why Tawni wouldn’t be mad after Jerry mentioned he was coming down with the flu after just making out with her. He also asked why George would suggest the lobster when he’s so cheap. Akiva pointed out that he did to prove how much he liked her. Lastly, Patrick emailed in to confirm 14 seconds is how long the subway doors stay open in New York.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Stall”, where the guys will spare a square for us all. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going topostshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for tonight’s episode recap
Seinfeld: The Cigar Store Indian | Episode 74 Recap Podcast
Oct 18, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 10, “The Cigar Store Indian.”
After getting the stain out of their coffee table and organizing their TV Guide collection, Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur sat down to discuss another episode of Seinfeld. This week, they broke down “The Cigar Store Indian”, which first aired December 9, 1993 as part of season five. The episode was written by Tom Gammill and Max Pross.
After reading the Seinfeld tweet of the week about political candidate Bernie Sanders sounding like Larry David’s impression of George Steinbrenner, Rob played an audio clip confirming the similarity. No other news and no Scene It question this week.
Jerry’s standup bit is about how Dads’ style tend to stay stuck in whatever year was their best year when they were younger. The episode opens at George’s parents house. First Kramer uses the guest soap, then Jerry puts his cup directly on the coffee table without a coaster. George freaks out, since he’s not allowed to have “parties” while his parents are gone on vacation. He has to bring the table in to have it refinished, but Elaine needs to get home for her poker game. She needs something to read, so Jerry gives her Frank’s TV guide.
On the subway, Kramer is telling Elaine about his idea for a coffee table book about coffee tables. He also mentions how the next stop has a gyro stand that if timed right, he can run and get one then get back on the train. Akiva debunked this as a possibility, since the doors don’t stay open that long. Rob tasked the listeners to time the subway doors. Kramer runs out to get the gyro, but the doors close on his arm, and someone snags the gyro right from his hand. A nerdy man strikes up a conversation when he notices Elaine reading the TV Guide. When she gets off the train, she leaves the TV Guide, and the man grabs it and notices Frank’s address on it.
Jerry and George are at the furniture store, and Jerry wants to buy Elaine a gift as an excuse to go to the poker game and see her friend Winona, since he has a crush on her. He decides to get a wooden cigar store Indian. Rob and Akiva thought doing such an insensitive thing would be a better storyline for George instead of Jerry. While waiting, a saleswoman starts talking with George about how there are no cool guys in this neighborhood, so she’s surprised he’s there. Confident George comes out for this conversation.
At Elaine’s, she and her girlfriends are all playing poker when Jerry shows up with the Indian. The note attached is littered with inappropriate jokes about Native American heritage, causing Winona to leave. Back at George’s parents, he’s brought the saleswoman Sylvia back there for a rendezvous. Rob wondered why this woman would just come back and have sex with George just like that.
In the next scene, Jerry is at Winona’s trying to apologize. Meanwhile, Kramer came by Elaine’s to get his bowling ball and accepts taking the Indian when Elaine wants to get rid of it. Cut back to Jerry and Winona, he invites her out to eat in an effort to further make up for it. He asks a mailman where the nearest Chinese restaurant is, but the man was Asian and took offense to being asked, further upsetting Winona. When Kramer rides by in a taxi, he makes some insensitive Native American noises to bring attention to the wooden Indian.
Back at George’s parents, Jerry is complaining about being considered racist. Frank and Estelle come in, with Frank noticing his TV Guide is not there right away. Estelle yells from the bedroom, then comes out with an empty condom wrapper. George owns up to having sex in their bed, and Jerry immediately bails out on George. Akiva and Rob thought George could have come up with a good excuse to get out of this, and wished that the premise of Frank grounding George would have been expanded.
Jerry and Winona are at her place deciding to go out to dinner. Jerry overcorrects his lack of PC consciousness, and can’t say anything without thinking it’s offensive. He notices the TV Guide and she lets him take it to give to Frank. In the next scene, Kramer comes in asking if Elaine talked to her boss about the coffee table book idea, which she hadn’t. He heads out to try and sell the Cigar Store Indian.
Back at the Costanza’s, Frank is still upset about the TV Guide when the nerdy man from the subway shows up with the TV Guide cut up to look like a bouquet of flowers. He comes right in and starts talking TV with them. Meanwhile, Elaine is on the subway and notices she’s at the stop where the gyros are sold. She knocks an older lady out of the way on her quest to make it there and back in time.
Later on, Jerry and Winona are at Jerry’s, and Winona asks for the TV Guide back. Jerry argues with her about it, nearly calling her an “Indian giver”. Back at the Costanza’s, Ricky the nerdy guy is still talking about TV Guide with Frank when Elaine shows up with Winona’s copy. She accidentally spilled gyro sauce on it, so Frank yells at her, and Ricky defends her. Meanwhile, Kramer is at the cigar store trying to sell the Indian statue where he runs into Mr. Lippman, who is interested in buying it for $500.
Kramer helps Lippman bring the Indian back to his office, and starts telling him about his coffee table book idea. Lippman thinks it a great idea, even admonishing Elaine for not bringing him ideas like this. The scene cuts to Estelle at the furniture store, where Sylvia the saleswoman remarks that she has George’s table. Estelle quickly corrects her, then points out that George lives with them and is a bum.
Elaine is back on the subway with Jerry, who tries to get the gyro himself this time, but also gets his hand caught coming back in. Al Roker, who is on the cover of the very TV Guide that caused them so much grief, snatches the gyro out of Jerry’s hand and sits down next to Elaine, who stares at him mouth agape. Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about TV Guide.
In 2015, the political correctness would be much more prevalent, Elaine could just play on her phone on the subway, Kramer could self publish his coffee table book, and of course TV Guide is completely unnecessary. Akiva didn’t think this was a bad episode, but there were a lot of storylines that didn’t pay off, so he ranked it at 122.
There were a few emails this week. First, Elaine emailed with her top ten reasons she should be the attractive woman correspondent. The guys accepted her bid. Their medical correspondent Thomas noted that it isn’t unusual for a doctor to treat a friend if in an emergency. Paul emailed in to confirm that the Pope has indeed been brought up before on the show. Johnny De Silveira emailed in wondering if they collect anything unique or different. Rob doesn’t collect things and Akiva mentioned collecting pogs. Amir noted a disappointing fact that the “6” train does not go through Queens, and wondered if this episode were made today, if Jerry would have been a Redskins fan. Lastly, Chester pointed out that the Costanza’s address shown on the TV Guide has an incorrect zip code.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Conversion”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for the episode recap!
Seinfeld: The Masseuse | Episode 73 Recap Podcast
Oct 10, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 9, “The Masseuse.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur were looser than cream corn, ready to recap the next episode in their run through the entire Seinfeld series. This week, they cover “The Masseuse” which first aired November 18, 1993 as part of season five, and was written by friend of the podcast Peter Mehlman.
It was a slow news week, but Akiva still delivered a few Seinfeld related tweets to make due. Amir Bloominfeld from College Humor wondered how Seinfeld got such good ratings if Jerry wasn’t tweeting about it. Chris Regan asked if the Pope has taken the real Kramer Seinfeld tour yet. Rob noted that Jerry Seinfeld was a guest on the Mets broadcast last week talking about the upcoming playoff excitement. No Scene It question this week, so Akiva remains at 8-6.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about serial killers always being known as quiet. The episode opens with Jerry on the phone with Elaine talking about Jerry’s impressive throw up streak, and how her current boyfriend has not thrown up for years himself. He also happens to share the same name as a famous serial killer, Joel Rifkin. Elaine faces some ribbing from her coworkers about this after hanging up with Jerry.
In the next scene, Elaine and Jerry are taking about how she wishes Joel would change his name. Kramer comes in and answers how many people the serial killer Joel Rifkin killed, then pops back in when Elaine offers an extra ticket to the Giants game. Jerry mentions how George is back together with Karen, who he is going on a double date with, since George thinks he shines in this setting. He mentions his girlfriend Jodi (Jennifer Coolidge, Stiffler’s mom) is a masseuse, but hasn’t given him a massage yet.
On the double date, George is telling a funny story, but Jodi is not into it, looking annoyed by George. Meanwhile, Jerry keeps dropping hints about how badly he needs a massage. After dinner, Jodi remarks how much she doesn’t like George while Jerry still keeps trying to get a massage. Back at the restaurant, George is obsessed about whether Jodi liked him or not. Karen gets frustrated by this, as he’s giving her no attention.
Elaine and Joel are at Elaine’s, and she is startled when he puts her hands on her neck for a massage. She starts talking about different names from this football program she’s reading, trying to get Joel interested in changing his name, even suggesting OJ. Rob and Akiva talked about how ironic it was to suggest OJ to not have the name of a killer.
At the diner, George and Jerry are talking about their double date from last night. Jerry is still complaining about not getting a massage, while George is prying to find out if Jodi liked him or not. Jerry confirms she did not like him, to which George can’t believe it. Jerry comes back home and runs into Jodi in the hallway, having just given Kramer a massage. Rob and Akiva felt this is another Kramer violation of the “bro code”. George comes up and continues to try to get back in Jodi’s good graces by carrying her massage table down to the cab, even helping her hail one. Back up in Jerry’s apartment, Kramer keeps going on about the massage, and Jerry bans him from it, since he hasn’t had one himself.
At Giants stadium, Joel shows Elaine a picture of his mom, and mentions he’s adopted. Elaine is spooked by this, since Kramer had pointed out that a lot of serial killers are adopted. Kramer is at the will call window but doesn’t have an ID, so they call for Joel Rifkin over the loudspeaker, causing everyone in the stadium to look alarmed.
Kramer comes in to Jerry’s, complaining about his back from the seats at the Giants game. He tries to convince Jerry to let him have a massage to no avail. Meanwhile George and Karen are at the diner, where George is going on about Jodi not liking him, with Karen wanting him to just drop it. Elaine and Joel are discussing the name change, even reading off a list of choices. Neither like the other’s choices, leading to them fiercely arguing with each other.
Back at Jerry’s, he breaks out her massage table to try and force a massage, but she’s not liking it. Rob and Akiva thought this scene was a bit too aggressive. George and Karen are in the middle of kissing when George stops to talk about Jodi not liking him. Karen has had enough, but George can’t let it go. When Karen says she now hates him, George was okay with it, that he’s used to it.
Jodi is frantically packing up her table while Jerry criticizes her for being a massage tease. George bursts in, wanting to talk to Jodi because her hating him so much has made her irresistible to him, and he runs after her when she leaves. The episode ends with another standup bit about massages.
In 2015, Kramer wouldn’t have such a hard time getting by will call, and Jodi would have an app for her massage business. Akiva said while he laughed a lot in this episode, there were too many confusing scenes, so he ranked it at 123, to which Rob was on board with.
Craig emailed in to say how he didn’t recognize Jennifer Coolidge as Stiffler’s mom, and also congratulated them on the Mets making the playoffs. Garrett wanted to note that this episode was the most dated because of the lack of cell phones, and Elaine’s comment about OJ being a good name. He also wanted to know what other celebrity name mention would be as creepy. Rob recommends Osama as an option, or maybe Bill Cosby Rifkin.
Johnny De Silveira wanted to know what name they’d choose if they were in the witness protection. Akiva chose LaDamlian, while Rob wanted something easy to spell, like Todd Jones. Amir emailed in asking why Kramer was so worked up about Jodi’s massages when there should be so many options in the city. He also thought George was ahead of the game about good looking women not getting tickets. Finally Adrian from Ireland presumed Jerry took several swipes on Newman’s head with the clippers, forcing Newman to clean it up. He also said he enjoyed Kramer’s falling off the stage in the episode.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Cigar Store Indian”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for the episode recap
Seinfeld: The Barber | Episode 72 Recap Podcast
Oct 04, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 8, “The Barber.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur cancelled their haircut appointments with Enzo so they could bring you the latest Seinfeld recap. This week, they breakdown “The Barber”, which first aired November 11, 1993 as part of season five. The episode was written by Andy Robin.
In Seinfeld news, Akiva shared an article from 538 that detailed how there is an increasing number of babies being born with the name Seven. Unlike what most would think, most of them are boys. This week brought an end to Akiva’s winning streak in Scene It, as he couldn’t come up with the answer from “The Finale” episode, sliding in the standings to 8-6. Before delving into the episode, Rob shared how he’s had barbers as well as dental hygienists that he’s tried to avoid over the years.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about the chair at the barber shop being too fancy. The episode opens with George interviewing for a job at a rest stop supply company. The interview is going well, with Mr. Tuttle the interviewer even praising George for his ability to understand everything so well. When Tuttle explains George is perfect for the job, he adds “of course…”, but gets a phone call and never finishes the thought.
At the diner, George is describing the interview to Jerry and Elaine, and they offer their sarcastic interpretation of what might have followed the “of course”. Kramer comes in with a new haircut, praising Gino who cut it, while teasing Jerry for sticking with Gino’s elderly Uncle Enzo for his cuts. Akiva noted that the actor playing Enzo has gone on to the alternate side.
Elaine is in charge of a bachelor auction and has signed Jerry up for it, so she suggested he have Gino cut his hair, since she’s never liked his haircuts he usually gets. Kramer points out Enzo has the day off, making it the perfect time. He also wonders why Elaine didn’t ask him to be in the auction, since he could raise enough money to cure polio.
Jerry heads down to the barber shop to get a cut from Gino, but Enzo happens to be there, insisting Jerry sit in his chair. After the cut, we see Jerry with a ridiculous cut, that George likened to a five year olds. When Kramer sees the haircut, he knows right away it wasn’t a Gino, promising to get him to fix it. George meanwhile has decided he will just show up for work and see how it goes, having no problem with the chance it could lead to embarrassment.
George shows up at the job and accepts a small office to avoid having them check with human resources about where to put him. Rob pointed out how it was a good move for George to take the smaller office anyway, if only to avoid office politics. They give George the Pensky file, but he has no idea what to do with it, so he spends his first day doing nothing. Akiva assumed with the internet, most office workers do the same amount of work as George did.
At the diner with Jerry, George recalls all he did this week at his new job, which really only entailed giving a toast at a coworker’s birthday party. Elaine comes in, and when she sees Jerry’s haircut, she burst into laughter, then quickly panics because he will look so bad for the auction. The scene cuts to Kramer getting a shave from Gino, telling him how Jerry needs him to help. When Enzo walks in, Gino quickly changes the subject to Edward Scissorhands. Rob and Akiva discuss the movie, and how it could do well in theaters today, but decided against recasting the movie.
In the next scene, Jerry goes to Gino’s apartment for a secret cut. As Gino is cutting his hair, complementing him, Enzo knocks at the door, causing Jerry to hide in Gino’s bedroom. Enzo just came over to tell him how much he loved Edward Scissorhands, and notices some hair on the floor, looking very suspiciously at Gino. Akiva and Rob wondered why Gino would cut hair over a carpet and not the kitchen, and why they didn’t finish the haircut after Enzo leaves.
At Jerry’s, he and Kramer are discussing how Enzo almost caught them. Elaine comes in and decides she has to take Kramer for the auction since Jerry’s hair wasn’t fixed. The scene cuts to Newman at Enzo’s getting a cut, with Enzo passively insulting Jerry and applauding Newman’s loyalty. Gino hurries out to warn Jerry, and Enzo offers Newman free haircuts to bring him a sample of Jerry’s hair.
Back at George’s new office, Mr. Pensky comes in to check on George, and is remarkably impressed with George’s “work” on the file. He offers George a job, but he too leaves George on a cliffhanger with a “however”. Gino meanwhile is at Jerry’s ready to tell him about Newman when Newman comes in asking to use his bathroom. When he can’t get any hair from his comb or drain, he grabs some scissors and feigns interest in watching the movie so he can secretly cut some of Jerry’s hair. When he gets it, he scrambles out of the apartment.
Newman brings the hair back to Enzo, who vows revenge on Jerry. At the charity auction, Elaine introduces Kramer, who has very little stats to impress the crowd. As he’s sashaying around the runway, he slides off and falls onto a table. Rob wondered why Kramer wouldn’t go for any money when he so easily picks up women in every other episode.
Back at Jerry’s, he’s watching Edward Scissorhands with Gino, but doesn’t get as moved as Gino does. Enzo comes pounding at the door to confront them, but he and Gino are united again from a seeing a scene from the movie. George is sleeping at his desk when Mr. Tuttle comes in, purposely waking him. When he notices George has done nothing and points it out, George arrogantly says he’s Pensky material, and will go work for him. Akiva and Rob thought George could have pleaded his case much better in this situation.
In the final scene, we see Enzo and Gino crying over the movie. Then Jerry sees Newman in the barber shop, and chases him around with the clippers. Instead of closing standup, the episode ends with Pensky finishing his “however” with George, using the same line Elaine joked about, with the board of directors being in trouble. Lastly we see Newman with a bald head, refusing to leave the apartment.
Akiva liked this episode, but didn’t enjoy the Elaine storyline so much, so he ranked it at 148. In 2015, Rob and Akiva agreed that there would probably be no bachelor auction, Jerry might only get in trouble with Enzo for writing a bad Yelp review, and they might be watching Barbershop or perhaps the Edward Scissorhands blue ray.
Johnny De Silveira emailed in to point out the music wasn’t the typical theme, but music from The Barber of Seville. He also noted the final scene with a bald Newman is usually cut out of syndication. He asked if they heard an audience member yell out “oh no” when Pensky shows up, which they did. Rob noted there was very little turn around from the last episode, so they’ll get to more emails next week.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Masseuse”. Send in your questions by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 6, “The Lip Reader.”
Seinfeld Post Show Recap: The Lip Reader
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur lost out on their opportunities to be the next great ball men at the US Open, but that didn’t stop them from bringing you the latest Seinfeld episode recap. This week they break down “The Lip Reader”, which first aired October 28, 1993 as part of season five. The episode was written by Carol Leifer, who would be a part of the writing team for the next few seasons.
Akiva had a few bits of Seinfeld news to share this week. First, the New York Post ran an article about how more people think that a cure for cancer would come sooner than reruns of Seinfeld stop airing on TV. Also, Jason Alexander will be joining the cast of the new Fox sitcom The Grinder, starring Fred Savage and Rob Lowe.
Rob presented Akiva with this week’s Seinfeld Scene It question, to which Akiva had no trouble extending his win streak, bringing his record to 7-5.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about tennis, and how strange the shushing and scoring are. The episode opens with Jerry and George at the US Open, with Jerry transfixed on an attractive woman line judge. George referred to her as a BL (beautiful lineswoman). Jerry thought he might just go up and talk to her, but George advised against such a bold move, not wanting Jerry to leave him and the others who wouldn’t approach a woman cold.
George asks if Jerry is going to Todd’s party, as he is bringing a date. Jerry advised against bringing a date, saying he’s better off to mingle. Rob and Akiva debated the best way to attend a party, though both agreed they’re not big party goers. Meanwhile, Elaine is at work discussing how she doesn’t want to take a care service, since they talk her ear off the whole trip.
After the match ends, George heads for the snack bar while Jerry walks up to Laura the lineswoman. Kramer is watching the tennis match at Jerry’s, and sees the camera pan in on George eating a banana split, with the ice cream smeared all over his face. Elaine took the car service, and the driver will not stop talking, so much so that Elaine feigns losing her hearing. She blows her cover when she overhears that Tom Hanks will be the driver’s next pick up.
Back to Jerry, he tries talking to the lineswoman, though she doesn’t acknowledge him at first. When he gets mad and sarcastically asks if she’s deaf, she responds with “bingo”. Later he’s back at his apartment telling Kramer about meeting the deaf woman, learning that Kramer knows sign language. Elaine starts talking about what she can do to make it up to the car service driver, and Kramer recommends she get him concert tickets from his friend Pete who can get a deal. Akiva noted that nowadays people are spoiled, so giving something like tickets doesn’t go over well.
Kramer asks Jerry to talk to Laura to see if she can line him up with a chance to be one of the ball boys. Akiva asked Rob if he’d be a ball boy, and he would not. Akiva also shared that he turned down a chance to be a ball boy for the Miami Heat because of his dislike for Pat Riley teams. Elaine mentions how a friend saw George on TV, to which Kramer confirms that they showed him with ice cream all over his face.
In the next scene, George is at the diner with his girlfriend, who is breaking up with him. She gives him the “it’s not you, it’s me” line, and George admonishes her for using his line to break up, berating her to admit that it was in fact him at fault. Back at Jerry’s, George explains what happened with Gwen the ex girlfriend, and realizes that the ice cream incident may have caused it, since he would break up with someone for that. Akiva thought that this would have to be the reason she broke it off, though the episode didn’t indicate. Elaine asks George if he’s still going to Todd’s party, since Gwen will be there, thinking that since she broke it off, he should stay home. Jerry disagrees, thinking that George needs to go since he was dumped.
George tags along with Jerry and Laura to dinner, where Laura shows that she can read lips of people across the room. George gets the great idea to bring her to the party to spy on Gwen and see if she says anything about him. He and Jerry find various ways to cover their mouth to make this plan, but she notices, and agrees to do it.
After dinner in the car, Jerry asks if six o’clock is a good time to pick her up, but she mistakes him for asking for sex. The scene cuts to Kramer trying out with the ball boys, and he is crushing it. Later on, Jerry is explaining this to George, who is worried she will make the same mistake when reading Gwen’s lips. Akiva asked Rob if he’d have a good reason to use a lip reader, but Rob didn’t, and neither did Akiva. Newman comes in begging to use Laura to find out what his boss is saying about him, though Jerry shoots him down vehemently.
On their way to Todd’s party, the driver is hard of hearing from going to the concert Elaine got him tickets for. When they stop to pick up Elaine, he recognizes her and immediately kicks them all out. At the party, Kramer and Laura are signing back and forth, clearing showing that Kramer doesn’t know what he’s doing, though he blames Laura. Todd comes over to chat with George, warning him that he can’t betray Gwen’s confidence about the breakup.
When Gwen comes over to Todd, the spy operation starts. Laura is watching them talk, while Kramer is interpreting her signing to George. When Todd asks Gwen to stick around after the party to sweep with him, Laura sees it as “sleep”. George barges over to confront them, but leaves embarrassed when he learns they were saying sweep. Rob believed that Todd was trying to make something happen by asking her to stick around.
In the next scene, Kramer is the ball boy at tennis great Monica Seles’ match. In his first opportunity to get a ball, he runs right into her as she was approaching the net. Akiva noted that Monica Seles had famously been stabbed on court by a crazed fan not long before this. Jerry, who was watching this, says the great ball man experiment is over. The episode ends with Laura getting into the guy from the car service’s car and telling him she’s deaf.
Akiva definitely felt it was much better than “The Bris”, and ranked it at 60. The only thing from the episode that wouldn’t work in 2015 is that they could just take an Uber. Akiva did have tweets of the week from @jewerstein who said “Jealous of deaf people, because they never get asked to listen to their friend’s podcast. Also, @ClevelandIndians replied when asked Friends or Seinfeld, “you obviously don’t follow us closely, it’s Seinfeld by five miles”.
There were a couple emails this week. Johnny De Silveira asked what’s the best way to get around New York. Akiva doesn’t remember how to ride a bike, so his preferred method is cabs. Tom the medical correspondent, noted he love to talk about the Pigman, but is sworn to secrecy. Amir asks why George would consider Jerry a normal guy instead of a woman approacher, when clearly Jerry has had no trouble talking to women throughout the series. He also asks how on earth the same driver would be in every car service they order. Rob and Akiva agreed with the plot hole.
Chester closes it out with a comment about how Larry David bought a freak book on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and comparing George’s claim to have invented “it’s not you it’s me” with Richard Lewis’ claim to have invented “the blank from hell”. He also notes that he has a friend who is a US Open ballman who has been doing it since college.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Non-Fat Yogurt”, where their hope is for it to be so #$%^ing good. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 4, “The Sniffing Accountant.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur put down their dental tape and brassiere research books for their weekly recap of Seinfeld. This week, they talk about “The Sniffing Accountant”, which first aired October 7, 1993 as part of the fifth season.
Akiva of course had some Seinfeld news this week. Someone dubbed a Kanye West clip from the MTV Video Awards with the Seinfeld theme music and laugh track. He also continued with his Seinfeld tweet of the week. @cbgrande said “How much power could we generate if we burned all our old and unused Seinfeld clips”. @jamiegriffith80 says “The Contest, Opposite and Marine Biologist are all classics, but for me, there’s no greater episode than The Sniffing Accountant”. Rob had his Seinfeld Scene It trivia question of the week for Akiva, who had no trouble bettering his record to 5-5.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about when you are a grownup, the government closely mirrors your parents, and references Leave It To Beaver’s Eddie Haskell as the accountant when you are audited. The episode opens at Monks, with them sitting at the side table. Rob and Akiva questioned if they use that shot when they don’t have access to extras. Jerry is wearing a strange sweater and Elaine is talking about her new relationship with writer Jake Jarmel. They met because Jake came up to feel the fabric of her shirt, a move she found impressive.
As they continue talking, they bring up how Elaine’s accountant is handling a CD investment for Jerry, Kramer and Newman. Rob and Akiva debated the liquidity of the money they invested, considering a CD is a low risk investment where the money is locked up. Rob also pointed out how Jerry’s real life accountant had bilked him out of $50,000 from getting involved with drugs. Barry the accountant stops by Monks to say hello, and while talking with them, he sniffles quite a bit, then rushes off to the bathroom. This behavior set Jerry off to think he could possibly have a cocaine problem.
George is at his parents house listening to his dad tell him of a job opportunity he lined up for George as a bra salesman. Frank has Estelle bring out one of her bras for George to study as he explains the difference in cup sizes. When George accidentally gets catsup on Estelle’s bra, she yells at him. Rob found this scene had little substance, but both he and Akiva found it very funny.
Back at Jerry’s, Jerry tells Kramer of the potential drug issue with Barry the accountant. During this conversation, Jerry decides he has to get rid of the itchy sweater, so he gives it to Kramer. In the next scene, Elaine is praising Jake for cooking and cleaning in her apartment. Things turn when she notices he didn’t use any exclamation points in the message telling her a friend had her baby. The argument turns so sour that Jake leaves.
Back at Jerry’s, Elaine is wolfing down ice cream right out of the container as she tells the exclamation point story. Kramer comes in checking about the sniffing accountant, and calls his office to learn he is currently in South America, a hotbed for the cocaine trade. Newman comes in, and we he learns Barry is in South America, they all agree to stakeout Barry.
While on the stakeout, Newman and Jerry are waiting for Kramer to conduct some reconnaissance, discussing how certain days have a feel, and the difference between dental floss and dental tape. Rob and Akiva took a moment to discuss what days have the most feel. Meanwhile, Kramer sits down next to Barry at the bar wearing the strange sweater, smoking a cigarette while pounding his beer. A waitress slams him in the head with the bar shelf as she opens it. As he tries to goat Barry into a discussion about drugs, Barry doesn’t bite. When Barry starts sniffling and heads to the bathroom, Kramer tries to tell him he’s “hip to it”, but Barry doesn’t understand. While Barry’s in the bathroom, Kramer kicks the door down and takes a polaroid.
In the next scene, George is at his interview to be a bra salesman. He tells Farkus the interviewer a great story about his lifelong love for bras, impressing him so much he’s hired on the spot. As he leaves, he notices an attractive woman, so he tries to move of feeling the fabric of her jacket, though the results are far worse. The lady calls for Farkus, and informs him that if he wants to hire George, he’s out of a job himself. Akiva felt this scene would have taken place in a bad episode of Caroline in the City.
Elaine is in her office talking with Mr. Lippman. He informs her that she’s edited Jake’s story with too many exclamation points. Akiva and Rob debated whether Elaine added these in the story to get back at Jake Jarmel.
Back at Jerry’s, he, Newman and Kramer construct a letter to Barry dissolving the financial relationship, adding in many exclamation points and ultimately the polaroid of Barry on the toilet. Newman leaves to mail the letter when the pizza guy comes in sniffling. He points out that the strange sweater must be made of mohair, which he’s allergic to. While Newman is going to drop the letter in the mailbox, he attempts to feel the fabric of a woman’s jacket, and she yells out for help. He runs for it, dropping the letter on the ground.
Back at George’s parents, George is getting yelled at by both parents for blowing the job interview. In the final scene, Jerry shares that Barry has filed for bankruptcy for blowing all the money of his clients on drugs. Had that termination letter been delivered, the money could have been saved. Lastly, a woman feels the fabric of Jerry’s shirt, and he flirts with her about it. Jerry’s closing standup is him telling the story of his accountant losing all of his money, but understands why he would do drugs from having such a boring job.
In 2015, there would be only a few things different in the episode. George wouldn’t be a bra salesman and nobody handwrites a phone message for anyone. In the rankings, Akiva and Rob both felt that at first glance, this would be a low ranked episode, but both found themselves laughing out loud quite often on the rewatch. Akiva decided that 98 was the right spot.
As always, they end the podcast with listener emails. Craig from Vancouver noted that Kramer’s work in this episode definitely helped toward him earning the Emmy. He also shared that Larry David, who wrote the episode, actually was a former bra salesman. Regis emailed to share his knowledge that rabies can definitely be fatal without the vaccine.
Johnny De Silveira shared that his father went to school with the brother of the actor who plays Barry. He also said that Larry David really tested how feeling various peoples fabric would work in real life. He finally shared that the mohair sweater was the sweater that the unemployment lady’s daughter wore in “The Boyfriend” on her date with George. Colin the delivery guy expert pointed out that it’s strange for the pizza guy to know Jerry and Kramer by name, and doesn’t ask Jerry if he wants change for his twenty. Amir emailed to show that while he originally thought Bob Sacamano was fake, he learned that Jerry actually attended a party Bob threw in a later episode. He also wanted to point out that George was reading a Glamour magazine in the episode.
Finally Chester wanted to know why Jake would take a message for Elaine when she has an answering machine. Akiva said that back in the 90s, it was common to answer people’s phones for them. He also questions if Elaine breaking up with Jake for not using an exclamation point is the dumbest breakup reason yet, to which Rob and Akiva agreed. He wondered their thoughts about calling it an exclamation mark or exclamation point. While there is no regional reason for saying one or the other, Akiva and Rob thought they’d ask some Canadian listeners to weigh in. Lastly, he wondered what the tally of Jerry’s lost money is so far after this episode. Akiva noted that he was down $7000 prior to this, so with the $40,000 loss here, he’s down $47,000.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Bris”, where Akiva hopes to get some insight from a Mohel friend of his. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this episode recap.
Seinfeld: The Glasses | Episode 67 Recap Podcast
Aug 30, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 3, “The Glasses.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur have perfect vision as they recap a Seinfeld episode each week. This week, they recap “The Glasses”, which first aired October 7, 1993 as part of season five. The episode was written by Tom Gammill and Max Pross. Rob mentioned how this season saw a big increase on the show’s writing staff.
In Seinfeld news, Jerry Seinfeld’s son had his lemonade stand for charity shut down on Long Island. Also, Akiva pointed out that a U2 podcast recently had all four members of the band on it, reminding Rob that their quest to have Jerry and Larry on shouldn’t end.
Akiva also wanted to introduce a new segment where he reads a Seinfeld related tweet. This week, noted comedian Kumail Nanjiani tweeted how he is going to start a new podcast called Fear the Seinfeld. Rob brought back the Scene it trivia question after skipping last week. Akiva was correct this week, closing back in on .500 at 4-5.
Jerry’s opening stand-up is a bit about how the nighttime persona often makes decisions that adversely effect the daytime persona. The episode opens with Jerry and Elaine staring out Jerry’s window, commenting how they could spit on people from there. Kramer comes in to tell Jerry he’s found the air conditioner her wanted. George comes in wearing goggles because he thinks someone stole his glasses at the gym. Kramer tells George he knows a guy who can get him a discount, just like he did for Jerry with the a/c.
At the glasses store with Jerry and Elaine, George is asking them for advice on frames. As Elaine is trying to hurry George along in the process, a man with a dog comes in, but the dog bites her leg when she goes to pet it. George wants to go out and confront the guy, but gets distracted as he thinks he sees Jerry’s new girlfriend kissing his cousin Jeffrey. When he comes back in, Jerry gets the information out of George while Elaine writhes in pain on the floor.
After Jerry and Elaine leave to have her leg treated at the hospital, George tries to get his discount, but the guy doesn’t give it to George, but does encourage him to pick a woman’s frame. At the hospital, Elaine is getting bandaged up, while also telling Jerry there is no way George saw Amy kissing Jeffrey. Jerry defends George, saying that he is a great squinter. Elaine is alarmed that the doctor sends her off without getting a rabies shot.
At Jerry’s apartment, he is sitting on the couch with Amy, questioning her about her whereabouts yesterday. Akiva thought Jerry didn’t need to be so direct about it. Amy isn’t happy about this jealous side of Jerry, but agrees to go out again, as long as he finally gets an a/c for his apartment.
Later on, Jerry is telling George how Amy denied it, questioning George’s credibility. George swears by it, citing his great squinting ability. Jerry is reluctant about this, but George suddenly spots a dime on the floor across the apartment, further confusing Jerry. Elaine comes in, and explains that she took so long to come up because there was a dog in the way. Both Jerry and George warn her that she really should get a rabies shot. Kramer comes in to another big applause. Rob and Akiva both think that the extra long audience ovations will have to come to an end soon.
George immediately gets on Kramer’s case for Dwayne not giving him the discount, and Kramer assures him he’ll take care of it. George goes to get an apple out of the refrigerator, but accidentally bites into an onion. He continues to eat it to keep up the rouse that he has no trouble seeing. Kramer tells Jerry he could find out if Amy really was with Jeffrey by taking her to Jeffrey’s apartment when he goes to get the tickets.
Back at the eye glass store, Kramer lays into Dwayne about not giving the discount, even taunting him with a candy bar. Dwayne agrees to give the discount to shut Kramer up. When George gets the glasses, he realizes they are lady’s frames, to which Jerry mercilessly makes fun of him.
Kramer comes in to Jerry’s with the air conditioner and plops it in the window, though it doesn’t fit. Elaine is sitting at the table, getting increasingly agitated reading about the symptoms of rabies. Kramer tells her how you can die from rabies and she should really get a shot. Rob and Akiva pointed out that this sequence was a bit choppy, especially when Elaine drinks the water and starts foaming.
Elaine goes back to the hospital finally to get the shot. She’s back at the apartment cooling off in front of the a/c, telling Jerry she really doesn’t think Amy was canoodling with Jeffrey. She spots the dog who bit her and shouts at the owner, saying she is coming down to talk. Kramer comes in, and when he shuts the door, the a/c unit slips out the window, crashing down on the dog.
At the health club, George is helping a blind guy to the locker room, but thinks he sees the guy who stole his glasses. He runs out with the blind guy on his arm, but the guy got on a bus. George notices the blind guy’s glasses, and decides to work a trade so he can get rid of the lady frames. They go back to the optometrist to switch the frames, and while there, the dog and owner come in to find out how to find Elaine and Jerry since the a/c fell on his dog, and George stupidly tells him how to find them.
Jerry and Amy go up to Jeffrey’s apartment, but Uncle Leo opens the door. Leo gets the tickets for him, and when he comes back, tells Jerry Jeffrey wanted to say sorry. Jerry assumes it’s because he kissed his girlfriend, but Leo informs him Jeffrey’s sorry that the tickets aren’t that great. He tries to smooth it over, but Amy has had enough.
Meanwhile, George is trying to trade back frames with the blind guy because they pinch his nose, but he won’t switch back. George again thinks he sees Amy kissing Jeffrey, but when he puts the glasses on, realizes it’s a lady cop kissing a horse. In the final scene at the health club, George complains about the glasses pinching, and the camera pans up to show his original glasses sitting on top of the lockers. Jerry’s closing stand-up is a bit about glasses becoming more fashionable.
In 2015, there wasn’t much that would change about the episode, other than looking to see if Amy and Jeffrey were friends on Facebook. Both Akiva and Rob felt this wasn’t a bad episode, but far below some they’ve covered recently. Akiva ranked it at 132.
There were a few emails this week. First Liz emails to ask why George trusts Kramer to get him a discount. Akiva thought it might be a bit different than Kramer’s idea to get a discount on a flight since he could just ask for the discount. Hunter wondered if Amy and Tim Whatley should be shown together in a potential reunion, tying in the Breaking Bad connection. Johnny De Silveira shared that provisions refer to the condiments accompanying the meats. He also asks if either of them have ever lost something, but it was actually in plain sight. Both have had those moments.
Amir shared how Elaine has come full circle about dogs, going from wanting to pet one, to plotting a dog-napping scheme with Newman. Finally, Chester thought this episode should have been named differently. He also asks why George would still be wearing the goggles days later. Lastly, he wondered why the a/c didn’t come in a box. Rob and Akiva concluded it must have been stolen.
Tune in next week as the guys will breakdown “The Sniffing Accountant”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Puffy Shirt| Episode 66 Recap Podcast
Aug 22, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 5, Episode 2, “The Puffy Shirt.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur want to be pirates, but also want to bring you the most extensive recap of each Seinfeld episode each week. This week they breakdown “The Puffy Shirt”, the second episode of season five, which first aired September 23, 1993 and was written by the Larry David.
Forgoing Seinfeld news, Akiva and Rob jump right into the recap. Jerry’s opening stand-up is a bit about moving back in with your parents. The episode opens with George talking to Jerry about having to move back in with his folks. Rob and Akiva pointed out how they really develop the Frank and Estelle Costanza characters this season. Kramer comes in talking about how George should just borrow money or move in with Jerry or him instead.
In the next scene, George is moving his stuff into his parents’ house. After commenting on how much stuff George has, Estelle tries to get them all to eat bologna sandwiches, but is rebuffed strongly. Rob and Akiva talked at length about the decline in bologna’s popularity, wondering why so, when it is essentially the same thing as hot dogs. When Jerry and Kramer go to leave, George realizes the ramifications of having moved back in with his folks.
Jerry and Elaine are out at dinner with Kramer and his new girlfriend Leslie, who is an extremely low talker. Throughout the dinner, Jerry and Elaine have to just nod along to what she says, ultimately leading to Jerry agreeing to wearing this ridiculous pirate like shirt she has designed on his upcoming appearance on The Today Show for a charity appearance that Elaine is heading up.
While out to dinner with his parents, George is thwarting off suggestions from Estelle to take a civil service test while Frank simultaneously talks about his silver dollar collection. Fed up by all this, George decides to get away for a few minutes. As he’s walking away, he bumps into a woman who immediately notices he has great hands, telling him she is an agent for hand models and should call her.
At Jerry’s apartment, George is showing Jerry his hands, but Jerry doesn’t see anything special. Kramer comes and pranks George with a joy buzzer, which causes George to panic so much that he puts on some oven mitts and walks out . After George leaves, Kramer tells Jerry how excited Leslie is that he will wear the puffy shirt on his Today appearance. Jerry realizes he inadvertently agreed to wear it when Leslie was low talking at the restaurant. He then utters the famous line, “I don’t want to be a pirate!”.
The next day, George is manicuring his hands in his parents’ living room. Estelle is over the moon about it all, while Frank is cutting the idea down. She offers George some Jello, but Frank yells about there being fruit in it, while Estelle yells that George likes the bananas. George scolds them, saying the stress is bad for the epidermis, and decides to take the Jello to his room.
In the green room at The Today Show, Kramer is there smoking a cigar while Jerry laments wearing the puffy shirt. When Elaine comes in, she laughs at the shirt, then panics when she realizes Jerry agreed to wear it on the show. Meanwhile, George is on set for his first hand model shoot, where they are all telling him his hands are some of the best they’ve ever seen.
When Jerry sits down with Bryant Gumbel, Bryant can’t get to the interview about the charity as he is in hysterics over the puffy shirt. Jerry gets quite defensive, revealing that he had no idea he agreed to wear this ridiculous shirt. As he says it, we hear Leslie offstage scream about him slamming the shirt. Back with George at the photo shoot, a woman on set is really taken with him because of his hands, and wants to date him.
Back in the green room, Leslie the low talker is now screaming at Jerry for ruining her career. George comes in excited about the modeling, and when he notices the shirt, he starts laughing at Jerry. Leslie hears this and shoves George, who careens hands first into a hot iron, burning his hands, putting an end to his hand model career. Rob and Akiva debated why you would even need to iron a puffy shirt.
At the diner, George has bandages on both hands, needing Elaine to feed him. Jerry is troubled because he is now hearing pirate themed heckles at all of his shows now. Elaine was subsequently fired from the charity due to Jerry’s appearance. Kramer shares that he broke it off with Leslie because he can’t be with someone who’s life in shambles. Lastly, we learn that the puffy shirts have all been donated to the homeless.
Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about how to properly get someone to speak up. Rob shared his solution to the bologna conundrum. He thought that changing the name to American salami might help boost it’s popularity, to which Akiva was on board.
Rob and Akiva both agreed this should be a high ranked episode, but not quite as good as “The Contest”. Akiva wasn’t as high on it as Rob, but he did rank it 27. In 2015, not much would be different about this episode, but Akiva did think clothing nowadays are more unique, allowing for someone to wear a puffy shirt with less commotion.
There were a few emails this week. First, Travis had a comment about Jerry’s hair being more puffy than the shirt, and that Kramer moved the fad of the 90s from Hammer time to pirate time. Next, Craig wanted to know if either of them have body parts worthy of modeling. Though Akiva’s been told he has great elbows, neither felt they could be any type of model. Craig also pointed out that the puffy shirt used to be on display at the Smithsonian.
Johnny De Silveira emailed in wondering why Jerry felt so obligated to go through with wearing the puffy shirt. Amir points out that Estelle is seen several times laughing or giggling throughout the series. He also thinks the puffy shirt would be crazy enough to become fashionable today. Lastly, Chester points out how Jerry falsely claims his dad doesn’t throw anything out, but he threw out the Velcro wallet last season. He also noted how George says Jerry doesn’t let anyone even use the bathroom, yet everyone seems to use his bathroom frequently. Lastly, he wondered why they convened at a different coffee shop at the end of the episode. Rob and Akiva thought perhaps they were working on the Monk’s set.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Glasses”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Pilot | Episodes 63-64 Recap Podcast
Aug 08, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4qiPSJo3pQ
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss the Season 4 Finale, Episode 23, “The Pilot.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur are ready for a wet and wild end to Seinfeld’s forth season, as they bring you the recap of “The Pilot”, which first aired on May 20, 1993.
Rob shared how this episode aired on the same night as the Cheers series finale, causing an even bigger ratings spike than usual. Akiva had a short snippet of news about Jeff Garlin indicating there’s a 51% chance that there will be another season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Jerry’s opening standup is a familiar bit about how people are more afraid of public speaking than death. The episode opens with Kramer arguing with Jerry about why he can’t play himself in the pilot. Rob and Akiva both agreed that the real Kenny Kramer must have done the same thing in real life. Jerry points out that he can’t act either, so they don’t need two main characters played by people who can’t act. They each try to give their best fake laughs to no avail.
They are waiting to hear from Russell, who is out with Elaine. She is trying to let him down easy, though he is obsessed with her. She points out that he is a powerful executive that can get any woman he wants, and she just doesn’t like TV. If he worked for something like Greenpeace, it would be different.
Back at Jerry’s, he is admonishing George for wearing sweatpants out in public. Rob and Akiva both agreed that nowadays it’s much more acceptable to wear workout gear. NBC calls to let them know they will be casting the show, much to the chagrin of George.
We learn why George is upset about things getting started in the next scene with his therapist. He tells her it’s because he is scared of success, and he feels God doesn’t want him to be happy. Before he leaves, she points out a discoloration on George’s lip, causing him to yell at her for furthering his anxiety. Jerry doesn’t see anything when George asks him about his lip, but the cab driver does. At the end of the scene, the camera pans in on the man washing the car window, and it’s Crazy Joe Devola.
At NBC, George is showing all the executives the discoloration on his lip, soliciting advice from any avenue he can. They start the auditions, and George is excited about this actor auditioning for the George role, though he is nothing like him. Rob described the actor as “the most 90s MFer we’ve seen on the show”. The next guy auditioning for George, played by Jeremy Piven, fits the George character perfectly, since he’s bald, neurotic and schlubby.
When an attractive woman comes in to audition for the Elaine part, Jerry jumps right in to flirt/read lines with her, but George doesn’t like her, so she’s sent out. There is a montage of actors auditioning for Kramer, and one in particular seems to hit all the beats. When he leaves, George notices that he took the box of raisins from the table on his way out. Next, Kramer comes in pretending to be Martin Von Nostran, there for the audition. The executives recognize him from the Calvin Klein add. As the audition goes along pretty poorly, Kramer is struck with the sudden urge to go to the bathroom, so he runs right out of the room.
Back at the diner, Elaine and Jerry are discussing how obsessed Russell is with Elaine. Elaine notices that all the waitresses at Monks happen to be top heavy, which has her question their hiring practices. Meanwhile, George is at the doctor having his lip looked at. The doctor is noncommittal about whether its cancer, but George is wanting some reassurance.
After his doctor visit, George is talking about it with Jerry, he blows George off, telling him to just die with dignity. Kramer comes in to tell them what happened after he ran out of the audition. He had to run all the way back to the apartment, and on the way, he was mugged. By the time he got home, his urge to go went away, and now he’s backed up. Elaine then comes in as George is talking about the busty waitresses at the diner. Elaine decides that she is going to perform a sting operation by applying for a job while wearing a baggy shirt to see what they do.
The phone rings and it’s the actress playing the Elaine part wanting to meet up with Jerry to discuss the show. At dinner, Jerry learns that she wants to take the method approach, and asks to be called Elaine from now on. Later on, Kramer is sitting with the actor hired to play the Kramer role, telling him all about himself, including what type of love making positions he prefers. Elaine walks into the diner to apply, but is told right away that they aren’t hiring, setting Elaine off to the Equal Employment offices.
In the next scene, they are filming the pilot, and George decides to give the actor Kramer notes on a particular line, to which George is rebuffed with much vitriol. Jerry has to remind George that actors aren’t receptive to feedback like that. The executive Rita, isn’t happy with Jerry’s acting, and even less happy that Russell seems to have gone missing.
As Jerry is sitting in the make up chair, the actor Elaine, still going method, inexplicably tells Jerry they are breaking up, but she still wants to be friends. George decides he can’t let the raisin thing go and asks actor Kramer about them. Actor Kramer threatens George if he brings it up again. Meanwhile, Russell calls Elaine to see if she’ll go out with him again, and when he’s turned down, he goes on a huge rant at a crew member who bumps into him.
Back at Jerry’s, Jerry is upset about the acting in the show and how the other actors are crazy. Kramer comes in, still unable to go to the bathroom, when they suggest he do an enema to take care of it. Elaine comes in telling them that Monk’s is under investigation. She tells Jerry she isn’t going to the pilot taping so she can avoid Russell, while Kramer can’t go too far from home in case there is any movement on the bathroom front.
At the taping of the show, Elaine decides to go in disguise, however some random person recognizes her instantly. Jerry is waiting to go on when actor George comes up freaking out because he forgot his lines, with Jerry pointing out he is just like real George. The real George is on the phone with the doctor, and when they tell him the results were negative, he mistakes that for bad news at first, then when he realizes it means he doesn’t have cancer, he’s elated. As Jerry is warming up the crowd as the show begins, Crazy Joe Devola pops up from the audience and jumps out at Jerry.
In the next scene, it’s a week later and they are discussing Crazy Joe Devola and how he yelled out the Latin phrase that John Wilks Booth said when assassinating Lincoln. Kramer comes in dancing because he has finally gone to the bathroom. Everyone is now there to watch the pilot. Elaine reaches into the couch cushions and finds Morty’s wallet he lost earlier in the season.
As they watch the pilot, we see clips of many of the guest actors from the season watching and criticizing, including Susan with George’s other ex-girlfriend Allison, the old man whose records they stole, the virgin with John F Kennedy Jr., the Drake and Drakette, Ping and Cheryl and the Bubble Boy. After seeing more of the pilot, there is another montage of people watching, including Jerry’s parents, Calvin Klein with Tia the model, Sidra with Sal Bass and finally Newman, but he’s asleep watching the Yankee game. Jerry’s closing standup on the pilot is a bit about how if a baby is named Jeeves, there is little else he could grow up to be besides a butler.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, Jerry gets a call from Rita at NBC, who has taken over for Russell since he quit. She informs him that they will be cancelling the show, as it wasn’t one she was ever on board with. Everyone heads to the diner, which is overly crowded, including the two men from the Equal Employment office. Elaine is upset by this and confronts the owner, but learns he hired all the waitresses because they’re his daughters.
George is back to trying to figure out what to do for a living now that the show is cancelled, and Kramer suggests he work for Greenpeace. The scene cuts to Russell on a boat going through with a Greenpeace mission. Rob and Akiva noted that Larry David and Larry Charles were the two other men on the boat. The scene ends with Russell dying, and a shot of the Jerry script floating in the water.
Rob was not impressed with the ending, so he came up with an alternate ending. He felt that Russell could get together with the actress playing Elaine. Russell could then fire Jerry and George to build a show around the Elaine character. Akiva thought it was a great idea. Rob asked Akiva who he thought was left out of this episode, to which Akiva responded with Delores, plus anyone from “The Junior Mint” amongst others.
Akiva thought the episode was funny, but it was quite a messy plot. He ranked it at 80, which Rob agreed, thinking it was much more enjoyable the first time he watched it.
There were a few emails this week for the big episode. Craig emailed in to question what became of Joe Devola after his assassination attempt. He also commented how he liked this season so much more from listening to the podcast, but voted no for the one off podcast between seasons. Colin wrote in to ask if he could be a “delivery guy” expert.
Amir emailed in to tell them he was the brother who got engaged outside of City Field. He also asked how the actors on Jerry would cover all the storylines in one episode. Rob and Akiva thought that the actors sides would include a wide variety, and not just the pilot script. He also wondered why Elaine wouldn’t date Russell because he was in TV, when she tried to submit a script to Murphy Brown. Akiva thought she might have felt burned by that, turning her off from television.
Johnny De Silveira pointed out that Jerry’s refrigerator in his apartment is actually jutting out into the hallway, since the wall ends flush with the front. Finally, Chester wonders why George would go back to the same therapist who criticized the pilot, to which Akiva said because he’s a glutton for punishment. He also asked if the raisin stealing was in reference to the actor playing Alton Benes allegedly stealing a knife on set. Akiva did think the same thing. Lastly, he wondered why there was only one bathroom at NBC when Kramer needed to go. Akiva used to work there, so he could have helped Kramer.
Tune in next week as the guys will jump right into season five premiere with “The Mango”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get a discussion going about the podcast by leaving a comment on the show page, and as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for the episode recap.
Seinfeld: The Handicap Spot | Episode 62 Recap Podcast
Aug 05, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 22, “The Handicap Spot.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur don’t actually love the Drake, but they do love bringing you their expert insight on all the Seinfeld episodes each week. This time they discuss “The Handicap Spot”, which first aired May 13, 1993 as part of season four.
Before the news, Rob mentioned how this episode had the first appearance of Frank Costanza, though on some outlets, it has the first actor hired for the part rather than Jerry Stiller. Akiva’s news centered around the closing of Larry David’s hit Broadway play A Fish in the Dark. Larry mentioned in an article how there is no chance he will go back on stage to reprise the role. Rob’s Seinfeld Scene It trivia question was one from an episode not yet covered, and Akiva missed another one, dropping his record to 3-3.
Jerry’s opening standup was a bit about how being single makes you like a dictator of your life. The episode opens at Jerry’s apartment with George asking Elaine why attractive women walk so fast. She responds that “we” don’t always walk fast. When Jerry comes in, Elaine asks to go along to The Drake’s engagement party, while Jerry is trying to impress her with his perfectly drawn triangle. George takes the opportunity to complain about having to buy a present for every little event. When Kramer comes in, he gives Jerry his due on the triangle, even saying he would name his child Isosceles.
They all end up agreeing to chip in for The Drake’s gift. In order to all get out to the engagement party in one car, they need to borrow George’s dad’s car, but have to come up with a complicated plan to still secure Frank’s premium parking spot he currently has. When they get to the mall with Frank’s car, there are no spots, so Kramer suggests they just park it in the handicapped spot. Jerry and Elaine protest, but George gets talked into it. Rob suggested that such a move would be even more frowned upon today than in 1993.
After buying a big screen TV for The Drake, they head back to the car only to discover that a handicapped person got hurt trying to get their wheelchair up a steep incline, having to park way out in regular parking. A mob has formed around Frank’s car, waiting to get the people who illegally parked. The gang decides to go to a random coffee shop until it all blows over. When they head back to the car, the mob is gone, but Frank’s car has been battered to bits.
In the next scene, George goes to his parents to tell his dad about the car, making up an elaborate story to which Frank is so mad, he doesn’t seem to care, slapping George in the head for the mistake. Back at Jerry’s, Kramer shares how he went to meet the woman in the wheelchair, and has fallen in love. He tells them they need to all chip in to buy her a new wheelchair, since it was totaled. Elaine and Jerry agreed they won’t since they objected to parking in the spot, leaving George the only one on the hook with Kramer for this.
Kramer and George go to a wheelchair store to buy a new one for the woman, and learn that the top model runs $6200. George inquires about one less expensive, so they end up with a used model for much cheaper. Meanwhile, Jerry and Elaine head out to The Drake’s to visit, but when they get there, they learn The Drake and Drakette have broken up, leaving them wondering if they can get the big screen back.
After getting back from The Drake’s, Elaine is upset because The Drake let his ex keep the gifts, so they don’t get it back. Jerry joins in on the vitriol, claiming he now hates The Drake. When Elaine calls The ex-Drakette, she tells her Elaine that she gave the gifts to charity. Kramer comes in and tells them he gave Lola the new/used wheelchair and she was delighted.
Later on, Frank Costanza is receiving an award for raising money for a charity, but the police barge in to arrest him for his car being parked in a handicapped spot. Back at Jerry’s, George explains what happened, and shares how he will repay his dad by becoming his butler, a suggestion that Estelle Costanza’s friend recommended. Kramer comes in and informs them that Lola dumped him, calling him a hipster doofus and telling him to drop dead. This upsets George since he spent $240 for this wheelchair. The scene cuts to Lola flying backward down a hill as the used wheelchair ended up being faulty.
Next, George is at his parents performing his butler duties. When Frank hears that this woman was given a faulty wheelchair, he orders George to pick up a big screen TV and deliver it to the woman. George and Kramer go in to the ex-Drakette’s place to pick it up, with Jerry and Elaine waiting in the van so they can all bring it back to return to the store instead. The final shot is them debating whether or not to park in front of a fire hydrant. Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about handicapped spots being a mirage in the parking lot.
Akiva and Rob both agreed this episode is a bottom half episode, but Rob did think that “The Smelly Car” was better. Going off on a tangent when emailer Amir is brought up, the guys discuss how Amir’s brother started a “fund me” campaign to help raise awareness of the New York Mets’ need for quality hitting, also noting how emailer Chester donated $10,000 for this. Getting back to the ranking, Akiva decided that “The Handicapped Spot” deserved to slot in at 133.
There were plenty of emails to go through this week. First, Travis noted that while this was a subpar episode, it was loaded with subtle callbacks throughout it. Ariel shared a video from Brazil sabotaging a car parking in a handicapped spot by putting post it notes all over it. Johnny De Silveira emailed in to share that the cars in the parking lot in the final scene all had California license plates. Also he shared that the $6200 wheelchair would be $10,200, while the used one would be $395 today according to the inflation calculator.
Amir emailed in to say that you cannot be arrested for parking in a handicapped spot. Also, he learned that proper etiquette would require returning the gifts to the purchasers. Lastly, he wonders how Frank could have an insurance policy that wouldn’t cover vandalism. Chester wants to know why Jerry and Elaine would brag about how great a gift they got in front of The Drake, but Akiva and Rob felt that’s not a big deal. He also asked how Frank would be arrested when their was a cop there when the gang came back to the car, and he didn’t even leave a ticket. Akiva thought there was probably more investigating needed. Lastly, Chester wondered why so many people tell Kramer to drop dead.
There weas also an email about a previous episode. Adrienne from Ireland pointed out that in “The Outing” podcast, Akiva and Rob couldn’t understand why the scene with the owner of Monk’s telling them to calm down was relevant. She solved it by pointing out the camera zooms in on him wearing an earring, as a way to indicate he was also gay. Lastly, Dominic recommended they talk about the Korean show The Genius for their season break “one off”.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Pilot”, which is one of Rob’s favorites. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where Rob and Akiva greatly encourage you to rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Smelly Car | Episode 61 Recap Podcast
Jul 25, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 21, “The Smelly Car.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur had their tomato sauce baths ready as they hopped right into “The Smelly Car” on this week’s Seinfeld Post Show Recap. “The Smelly Car” first aired April 15, 1993 as part of season four.
Akiva had a unique Seinfeld news story to share this week about the statistical data of the show. Some of the data broken down in the Slate Magazine article was percentage of lines per character and how many scenes per episode do certain seasons average. Akiva had Rob guess the top eleven side characters in terms of how many lines they have on the show. Rob was able to name everyone on the list with no trouble. Akiva did not have luck on the Seinfeld Scene It trivia question, even though it was from a covered episode. With the end of his win streak, his record drops to 3-2.
Jerry’s opening standup was a bit about doggy bags at restaurants. The episode opens with Jerry and Elaine outside a restaurant waiting for the valet to bring the car around. When they get into the car, they both notice a strong and fowl odor, deciding that it’s B.O. from the valet driver, with the “O” detaching from the “B”. Akiva and Rob pondered a few other scenarios that could have brought about this smell.
After dinner, Elaine is at her boyfriend Carl’s apartment kissing on the couch, when he smells the awful smell in her hair, prompting him to end the night early. In the next scene, George and Kramer are at the video store, George returning a copy of Rochelle, Rochelle. George notices lesbians holding hands, and when they turn around, it’s his old girlfriend Susan. After the awkward conversation with Susan, George learns he would have to pay an extra two dollars for not rewinding the video, so Kramer recommends keeping it an extra day, since it would cost him less.
At Jerry’s apartment, he and Elaine are discussing how the odor in the car seems to have gotten stronger overnight. Elaine mentions how Carl said he had to get up early, to which Jerry confirmed he must have been lying, since men would always trade sleep for sex. Kramer comes in complaining about the Yankees, and soon notices that Jerry smells bad. Jerry and Elaine realize that the smell in the car has transferred to their hair and clothes.
Later on, Jerry and George are in the car on their way to complain to the restaurant about the smell. George is debating whether he actually drove Susan away from men, noting that he now finds her more attractive because of all of this. At the restaurant, Jerry forces the maître de to get in the car and smell it, which causes him to agree for the restaurant to pay for half of the cleaning bill. George realized that his video tape on the dashboard has been stolen, since they had to leave the windows open.
Elaine is back at Carl’s explaining the stench. She assures him that she’s washed several times over, but he still notices the smell in her hair. Back at the video store, George asked Susan to meet him there so he can find out if he drove her away from men. She finds the question and his follow up questions ridiculous, then she tells him he smells as she leaves. When he tells the clerk he lost the video, he’s saddled with a $98 bill. Akiva and Rob discussed how they experienced no hassle when they’ve lost Netflix DVDs.
In the next scene, Susan’s girlfriend Mona rendezvous’ with Kramer, who has won her over. Jerry is at the car dealership hearing the extensive cleaning they are about to do. At the same time, Elaine is at a hair salon hearing the long list of treatment they intend to do to rid her hair of the odor. After both Elaine’s hair and Jerry’s car are cleaned, the “beast” odor still remains. Jerry is so fed up with this, he decides he is going to sell his car for whatever he can get. They hear banging on Kramer’s door and realize that it’s Susan, there because he has stolen Mona away from her.
Kramer explains to George and Jerry how he and Mona hit it off because she is a golf instructor and helped him with his swing at the video store. Later at the diner, George is having lunch with Susan, giving her a pep talk about how great a catch she is. The woman George dated after Susan walks by, and she and Susan exchange a glance.
At the car dealership, Kramer is explaining how things were going great with Mona until she suddenly had to leave. Jerry realizes it was because Kramer was wearing Jerry’s jacket that was carrying the stench. The car salesman immediately tells Jerry he can’t sell the car after getting in and smelling it.
The last scene has Jerry abandoning the car in a seedy neighborhood, and when a vagrant gets in to steal it, he’s overwhelmed by the smell. Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about how body odor is so bad as a result of doing something good like exercising or working hard.
In 2015, a few things would be different in this episode. First, there would be no video store. Also, you could Google a solution to the smell problem, and George could have found out about Susan’s new relationship through Facebook. Akiva ranked this episode rather low in comparison to the last few episodes. He ultimately put it at 150, mainly because the ending of the episode was incomplete. He did feel he would rank it higher were he to redo the list.
There were a few emails this week. Johnny De Silveira kicked it off with a comment about how writer Peter Mehlman got the idea from the episode from a friend who went through this. He also pointed out that Jason Alexander hosted Saturday Night Live the same week this episode aired. Craig noted that the rewinding of the tape might be the most outdated thing of the episode.
Amir felt that this episode was a better rewatch than he expected, though he did feel there was some clumsiness in the writing. He also noted that George continues to prove his point that he only likes women when they don’t like him. Chester disagreed with Amir, feeling that this episode is the thing that stinks the most. He asked how a restaurant in Manhattan would have valet service, feeling that is more in line with LA, not New York City. He also asked why there weren’t more “victims” of smelly cars from all the patrons that had this valet park their car.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Handicap Spot”, where we get the first appearance of Frank Costanza. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this episode recap.
Seinfeld: The Junior Mint | Episode 60 Recap Podcast
Jul 18, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 20, “The Junior Mint.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur couldn’t get Mulva or Bipple to make a guest appearance, but they had plenty to say about “The Junior Mint”, which was this week’s episode covered on Seinfeld Post Show Recaps. “The Junior Mint” first aired March 17, 1993 as part of the iconic season four.
In Akiva’s weekly Seinfeld news breakdown, he brought up how he could use a news jingle to bring in the segment. He first talked about an article he read about the show’s popularity, and how an attempt to bring Seinfeld to Germany didn’t work out well in translation. He speculated this could be why the rights were bought by Hulu rather than Netflix, since Netflix has a wider reach internationally. In the Seinfeld Scene It trivia segment, Rob pulled a question about this week’s episode, so Akiva extended his win streak to three.
Jerry’s opening standup is about committing adultery, which Rob and Akiva agreed had nothing to do with this episode. The episode starts with Jerry telling George how he met this woman in the produce aisle, which Jerry contends is the most sensual part of the grocery store. The only problem is he can’t remember her name. George mentions how he’s come into $1900 from a childhood savings account he had long forgot about. Instead of saving it, he wants to make a big score since it’s found money.
Kramer swoops in to pick up some gloves Jerry got him for staining his floors, but it turns out they are too thick. George meanwhile asks Jerry if he can watch Home Alone at his apartment, since it makes him feel like he’s out and about if he watches it there. Akiva and Rob enjoyed the bit, but both agreed it didn’t tie into other storylines of the episode. Elaine comes in to the apartment to a huge standing ovation from the audience. She asks Jerry to come to the hospital and pretend to be her boyfriend, so she can visit an old boyfriend who is having surgery. She had broken it off with this artist because he was overweight. Kramer decides to come with, so he can pick up a bunch of latex gloves for the staining.
At the hospital, Elaine and Jerry go to see Roy, Elaine’s former boyfriend. She immediately notices he has lost a bunch of weight, causing her to abandon the plan of Jerry acting as her current boyfriend. Meanwhile, Kramer routes around the hospital, finally finding a large stash of rubber gloves. When the doctor comes in to go over the surgery details, Kramer questions him about retractors, since he saw a news segment about them the night prior. The doctor invites him to observe the surgery, to which Kramer eagerly accepts and tries to get Jerry to come along, since it’s so exciting to see inside bones and guts spilling out. Rob mentioned an email from Thomas, a listener in medical school who has offered to be the SPSR medical correspondent.
Jerry makes his way back to his apartment, where he sees George is crying while watching Home Alone. Jerry tells him to pull it together, or they’ll have to stop being friends. He tells George how Elaine wants Jerry to buy some of Roy’s art to cheer him up, then suggests George use his $1900 to purchase some.
In the next scene, Jerry is sitting on his couch with the woman from the grocery store, and he’s trying to figure out her name by talking about how kids used to make fun of his name in school. She mentions that her name rhymes with a female body part, but doesn’t reveal what the name is.
George and Jerry are at the diner going over any words that rhyme with female body parts, with “Mulva” the closest thing to a real name they come up with. They decide Jerry can just search through her purse for a license or credit card. Kramer comes in and asks Jerry to come with him to the surgery, since his date for it fell through. Jerry agrees to go, saying, “let’s go watch them cut this fat bastard up”. Rob mentioned how Jerry was delighted to have this mean spirited line stay in the episode to highlight how despicable they all really are.
Jerry and Kramer are at the surgery, and Kramer has brought a box of Junior Mints like he’s at the movie theater. Akiva and Rob both agree that they are too squeamish to actually watch a live surgery. Kramer insists that Jerry share in the candy, since they are so refreshing. While forcing some Jerry’s way, Jerry pushes Kramer’s hand back at him, causing the candy to fly up in the air and right into the open incision of Roy.
Afterward, Jerry is telling George about the Junior Mint during the surgery, and Kramer comes in to further discuss. Elaine walks in and tells them that surgery went well, but something is wrong with Roy that the doctors can’t figure out. Kramer and Jerry argue whether to tell Elaine, but Kramer says they can’t squeal. Hearing of Roy’s troubles, George realizes his artwork could become valuable if he dies, so he decides he wants to buy some after all.
Back at Jerry’s, his nameless girlfriend is giving him a massage, and he tries out the name Mulva, but it didn’t work. He tries to look through her purse when she’s in the bathroom, but can’t find out in time. When Kramer comes in, Jerry tries to get him to find out the name, but she doesn’t give it up. When George comes in, they try the same thing, which also fails. When Jerry decides he has to tell the surgeon about the Junior Mint, George tries to dissuade him so Roy can die and he can get rich off the artwork. When Jerry calls the hospital and learns that Roy has made a full recovery, he’s relieved, but George is disappointed.
Back at the hospital, Roy is praising George, telling him he recovered due to George buying his paintings. The doctor comes in and tells them that something miraculous “from above” happened during the surgery to help stave off the infection. Roy asks Elaine if they are still going out for dinner, all while wolfing down a plate of spaghetti. This turns Elaine off, so she tries to use Jerry as the boyfriend again to get out of it.
Jerry and Mulva are at his apartment, and she is telling him about getting Olympia Dukakis’s autograph at a play. Jerry thinks he can find her name out from this autograph, but it’s made out to her uncle. She finally realizes Jerry doesn’t know her name, and storms out. Jerry finally realizes what it is, and shouts “Dolores” out the window. Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about how candy is everything to a kid, to which Akiva confirmed that remains a constant with kids today.
In 2015, Dolores’s name could easily be found out through Facebook, a text, or other types of online programs. Akiva felt that this episode was another strong one, so he slotted it at 35, to which Rob agreed.
There were several emails for the guys to go through this week. First, Travis asked if crying at Home Alone or shrinkage from the pool is worse. Both Rob and Akiva strongly believed shrinkage is worse. Travis also pointed out several examples from the episode proving Akiva’s sitcom theory where things are said but not acknowledged. Craig emailed in stating that the Junior Mints product placement might be the biggest of all time, since he thinks of this episode and not the candy when he hears about it. He also pointed out someone in Milwaukee was fired for talking about this episode at work with a female coworker.
Amir brought up that Larry David had a similar storyline about watching a sequel before the original in Curb Your Enthusiasm. He also thought that the episode name was no good, but Rob and Akiva thought it was just fine in comparison to other titles. Johnny De Silveira emailed in to add that this episode was almost called “The Artist”. He also asked if either of them have seen a sequel before an original. Akiva saw the X Files movie without having ever seen the show, and Rob saw The Dark Knight before Batman Begins.
Finally, Chester emailed in with some comments. He mentioned how his wife who’s in medical school hasn’t watched the episodes with him in a while, but she had some notes on this one pertaining to the surgery scenes. She thought the attending surgeon would never retract the patient, there would not be an observation gallery for the surgery, the hospital operator wouldn’t disclose information about a patient just like that, and that surgeons would never wear stethoscopes. Lastly Chester points out that this is the same doctor who deals with Susan with the poisoned envelopes.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Smelly Car”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this episode recap.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 19, “The Implant.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur always make sure to talk into your good ear when they bring you a new Seinfeld recap each week. This week they break down “The Implant”, which first aired February 25, 1993 as part of season four.
In the current Seinfeld news, the show celebrated it’s 26th anniversary this past week. Also the Brooklyn Cyclones had their second annual Seinfeld Night, where they renamed the stadium Kramerica Industries Park for the night. Kenny Kramer and Bania showed up for the festivities, where there were puffy shirts, a Constanza trash eating contest, and soup from the Soup Nazi, among other things. Rob had a question from the Seinfeld Scene box for Akiva that somewhat tied into the current episode, and Akiva answered without a problem upping his record to 2-1.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about the health club that sort of contradicts what he does in the episode. The episode starts with Jerry and Sidra at the gym having a flirty conversation. Rob and Akiva pointed out the outfits at this gym clearly wouldn’t hold up in 2015. Elaine wanders up shortly after Sidra walks off, quick to point out to Jerry that she thinks Sidra’s breasts are fake, and wonders why Jerry’s interested in her since she thought he was a “leg man”.
Jerry is concerned by this revelation, asking Elaine to confirm this for him in the locker room, because he wouldn’t want to date her if they are fake. Rob and Akiva couldn’t believe that any man would be so strongly against this. Elaine tells Jerry to just find out for himself after a few more dates, but Jerry describes how George is how he’s had nine dates with Betsy (played by Megan Mullally) but can’t really get things going, partly because he can never seem to sit on her right side when getting intimate, since he needs to go to his left.
In the next scene, George is at Betsy’s apartment, trying to position himself on the couch so he can be on her right, but she also needs to be on the right because of her poor hearing in her right ear. George goes as far as shoving her to the left in order to get his spot, but is a problem since she now can’t hear what he’s saying. When the phone rings, George tries to convince her not to answer it, saying it’s can’t be an emergency, however it ends up being one, as Betsy learns that her aunt died.
While in the sauna, Elaine notices Sidra take off her towel, convincing Elaine that they are fake. Back at Jerry’s, she confirms her findings, which causes Jerry to want to be out on the relationship. Kramer comes in, sharing how he thinks he saw Salman Rushdie at the gym. The scene cuts to Jerry, Kramer and George in the sauna. They are convincing George to go to the funeral with Betsy, since he could be the consolation guy, which is worth like 10 dates in one. George is lamenting the cost of traveling, but they figure out he can get a death in the family discount, so he’s going to do it.
In the next scene, Elaine is back in the sauna, where Sidra is talking with someone else about how Jerry broke it off with her to get back together with his mentally ill ex-girlfriend. Elaine can’t help but chime in, asking further questions. When Sidra asks to shake Elaine’s hand, Elaine trips as she is walking over, her hands falling straight into Sidra’s breasts.
Back at Jerry’s, Elaine now shares that she thinks the breast are real, after accidentally touching them. Akiva wondered if Elaine planned this, but Rob felt that this was merely an accident, and Elaine had concluded the operation prior. Jerry is not so sure he can trust Elaine’s opinion on this, despite the fact that Elaine is a woman and has her own to compare real or fake, and is adamant that they’re real and spectacular.
Kramer and George are at the airport trying to get the death in the family fare, but the airline requires a death certificate in order to process the discount. Rob felt this episode probably upped the number of people trying to get a discount like this. In the next scene at the gym, Kramer and Jerry notice Sidra and the man Kramer thinks is Salman Rushdie talking. Next, in the sauna, Kramer notices the man and strikes up conversation trying to determine if it’s Rushdie, uttering his corny joke about it being like a sauna in there.
Meanwhile, George is at the funeral reception with Betsy, where he is indulging in the food spread available, but also trying to determine how to get the death certificate for his discount. As he is eating chips, Betsy’s brother Timmy notices George double dip the chip and jumps all over him for it. George is defiant about it, deliberately double dipping, causing Timmy to start a fight.
Sidra is at Jerry’s apartment, having given him another chance after dumping her. He is trying to ensure he sits to her left, even asking her to switch. He awkwardly mentions big breasts, to which Sidra plays along, even mentioning that people question whether hers are real or fake. She alludes that he will find out himself soon enough, when Kramer pounds on the door for an emergency, but it turns out Kramer just needed to borrow a swimsuit. Jerry doesn’t want to lend him his, since he doesn’t want Kramer’s “boys” in his swimsuit, but finally relents just to get him out.
Elaine pops in, and when Sidra sees her, she puts the pieces together and realizes Jerry put Elaine up to finding out about her breasts. She gets up to walk out, telling Jerry she thinks he is mentally ill, revealing to him on the way out that they’re real and they’re spectacular. In the last scene, George is at the airport trying to get the discount, and in lieu of the death certificate, he shows them a photo of him standing by the coffin, which doesn’t work. Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about liposuction.
Akiva agreed that this was a pantheon episode, slotting it in at number 40, since there were just a few things that didn’t work. Rob thought it should be ranked in the top 20. In 2015, one could go to Sidra’s Facebook page and look at old photos to determine if her breasts were real.
The guys started off the emails with Johnny De Silveira. Johnny wanted to point out that two other cast members of Desperate Housewives would appear on Seinfeld. He also wondered why it was called The Implant and not The Implants. Travis wrote in to ask about righties moving in on their right, when he thought it would be opposite.
Amir wondered how Sidra could go from being dumped by Jerry, to wanting him to find out about her breasts. Akiva chalked it up to Jerry being charming. Amir also pointed out that in the recent run of episodes, Jerry gets close to sealing the deal with a variety of women, only to have something spoil it. Finally Chester wondered why Sidra wouldn’t be freaked out by Jerry if after a few dates, people are asking him about her breasts. Akiva assumed that as a beautiful woman, Sidra would probably be used to it.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap another classic episode in “The Junior Mint”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this episode recap.
Seinfeld: The Old Man | Episode 58 Recap Podcast
Jul 06, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 18, “The Old Man.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur aren’t going to be dipping their heads in oil, but the did get together once again to recap the latest episode for Seinfeld: A Post Show Recap. This week, they break down “The Old Man”, which first aired February 18, 1993 as part of season four.
As always, there was a bit of current Seinfeld news this week. Rob took Hulu for a spin to watch this week’s episode, and enjoyed having the option, and even thought that the commercial interruptions weren’t terribly frequent. His one complaint was about the less than great video quality. Akiva shared that it was Larry David’s 68th birthday the day they taped the podcast. Also, he went further in depth about some of the media rankings of Seinfeld shows. The list done for New York Magazine that Akiva had noticed was missing an episode turned out to be completely different than Akiva’s, ranking many of Akiva’s least favorites fairly high. He did point out that Vanity Fair’s list was much more in tune with his opinions.
Before answering the Seinfeld Scene It trivia question, Akiva thought to point out that the questions should really be about episodes they already watched, but Rob vetoed that quickly. Akiva was correct in guessing this week despite it being from a later season, bringing his record to 1-1.
Jerry’s opening stand-up is a bit about life expectancies being so much higher than a thousand years ago. The episode opens with George lamenting his lot in life to Jerry at the diner, deciding that he wants to date a woman who doesn’t speak English, while Jerry suggests dating a mute. Elaine comes in, suggesting George could find some fulfillment from helping the elderly like she’s doing. He seems keen on the idea, while Jerry scoffs at it. Rob pointed out that this episode had a lot of great lines in it despite lacking a great plot. Elaine ends up convincing both Jerry and George to volunteer for the organization she’s joined.
At Jerry’s apartment, Kramer comes in and quickly admonishes Jerry and George for volunteering, calling it all a scam. Rob thought this line didn’t end up paying off, with Akiva thinking it’d been funnier to have Kramer afraid of old people. Newman then comes in, and he and Kramer share their plan to sell used records, asking Jerry for his old records to help the cause. George is prompted to ask Newman what he does for a living, and Newman goes on a rant about how postal workers go crazy because the mail never stops. Rob explained to Akiva that this theory is where the saying “going postal” comes from.
In the next scene at the record store, Kramer and Newman are floored when they are only offered $5 for all of Jerry’s records. Rob shared that he’s sold some DVDs and video games during some tighter times in his youth, while Akiva had never, since he hates money. Meanwhile, Jerry shows up at old man Sid’s apartment that the agency assigned him, but the old man doesn’t want him there, yelling at him throughout the whole visit. Before leaving, Jerry learns that Sid is getting rid of all his records, prompting him to offer Kramer and Newman to come take them off his hands.
George is at the diner with the old man he was assigned, peppering him with questions about how he deals with oncoming death. The old man explains that he just doesn’t care about that, and when George keeps with the questions, he finally walks out on George, leaving him with the bill. As Elaine walks in to visit with her old lady, she immediately gasps, since the lady has a giant goiter on her neck. Elaine does her best to not look horrified, but not very well.
Jerry, George and Elaine all recap how their visits went, and all three want out of their situations. Kramer and Newman come in, with Kramer telling Jerry he embarrassed him with having such cheap records. Jerry shares that his old man Sid has a ton of great records that they can just have, so they all head over there.
At Sid’s apartment, George is immediately entranced by Sid’s helper from Senegal, finding his woman who doesn’t speak English, and tells her that he wants to dip his head in oil and rub it all over her. As Newman and Kramer start to gather up the records, Sid starts yelling at them, ultimately kicking Kramer in the rear end. During the tussle, he also bites Kramer’s arm. When Kramer flings his arm free, Sid’s false teeth fly through the kitchen, ultimately getting crunched in the garbage disposal when George turns it on thinking it was a light. Jerry gathers them all up so they can take Sid to a dentist to fix the teeth.
Outside, they all pile into the taxi, but realize that Sid is not with them. Meanwhile, Elaine is with her old lady Mrs. Oliver, where she is telling Elaine how she had an affair with Gandhi, and he used to dip his bald head in oil and rub it all over her. There is another quick scene cut to Kramer and Newman at the record store, and this time they are only offered $20 for all of Sid’s records. Kramer stands behind Newman whispering insults for Newman to call the shop owner, causing him to hop over the counter and attack them.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, Jerry is getting yelled at by the agency lady for losing Sid. Sid’s son then comes up to figure out how Jerry lost his father, then learned that they took his father’s valuable records. They decide to call Sid’s house to see if he went back, and the phone is busy, so they all head over. When they show up, Sid is not there, but George is, and Sid’s aid is wearing a robe and rubbing his head in oil.
The final scene is George and Jerry’s old guys having a “nothing” type conversation at the diner, much like an older version of Jerry and George. Jerry’s final stand-up is a bit about how old people get smaller, but their cars tend to get bigger.
Both Rob and Akiva agreed that this episode was a bit weak in comparison to those surrounding it, with Akiva ultimately ranking it at 139, though he’d give it a better spot if he were to rank them again. If the episode were to have aired in 2015, Rob and Akiva felt that the internet would be an easier way for Newman and Kramer to sell used records.
There were just a couple emails this week. Amir wrote in to share that he too felt this was a bit of a broad episode, though it was enjoyable. He also wondered why George would touch the dentures in the sink, but Akiva pointed out that it’s Jerry who’s the germaphobe, while George eats éclairs out of the trash. Chester also felt this was a mediocre episode, but wanted to write in to share his list of ugliest presidents (a link to this list was provided by Akiva in the comments of this page).
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Implant”, where Rob and Akiva hope to have a podcast that’s real, and spectacular. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this episode recap.
Seinfeld: The Outing | Episode 57 Recap Podcast
Jun 28, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 17, “The Outing.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur have spent the last year, and plan to spend the next two and a half more recapping each and every Seinfeld episode, not that there is anything wrong with that. This week, they’ll discuss “The Outing” which first aired February 11, 1993 as part of season four. This was one of the more famous episodes because the subject matter at the time was not talked about.
Akiva starts off the show by sharing a bit of current news in the Seinfeld universe. In addition to the show being released on Hulu, the one and only Soup Nazi showed up at the replica apartment that was on display in New York City this week. He also is currently appearing in a Pepsi Max commercial in Israel as his character. Lastly, a reporter who ranked all the episodes this week accidentally left out one, convincing Akiva that his rankings list will remain the “go-to”.
Rob wanted to introduce a new segment to the show this week, asking a Seinfeld Scene It question to Akiva each week. Akiva got this week’s question incorrect, affirming his claim that this isn’t the Seinfeld Know-It-Alls.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about birthdays being a celebration of not dying. The episode opens with George on a date with a woman Allison who can’t go on living without George. In the next scene, George is telling this story to Elaine, then they discuss how Elaine is getting Jerry a two line phone and George is getting him tickets to Guys and Dolls for his birthday. Jerry comes back from the payphone where he was setting up an interview with a college reporter. They have some random conversation about ugly people. While talking, Elaine figures out that the woman at the table next to them is eavesdropping, so she spices up the conversation by fake outing Jerry and George as being gay. George plays along, but Jerry is reluctant.
Back at the apartment, George is excited to share that if he were a porn star, his name would be Buck Naked. He asks Jerry what he thinks about his sweater, and Jerry hates it. When the reporter Sharon comes up for the interview, Jerry recognizes her, but not as the woman eavesdropping at the diner. As they are talking, she asks to talk to George too, which doesn’t seem out of the ordinary because they are co-writing a script for NBC. After a few petty arguments between Jerry and George, Sharon remarks that she and her boyfriend are the same way. When she asks them if their parents “know”, Jerry finally puts it together that she was the one they were feeding the fake story about being gay. Sharon scrambles out of there, with Jerry and George trying anything to refute this.
In the next scene, Elaine offers to talk to Sharon to set the story straight. Kramer comes in with a two line phone for Jerry’s birthday, ruining Elaine’s present idea. When Sharon calls, she tells him that she won’t report that they are gay, but when he puts her on hold to take George’s call, she overhears him sarcastically say that they “fooled” her into thinking they are straight. Jerry learns that she heard him on the other line when George confirms he heard him when he switched over to talk to Sharon.
Elaine goes to fix things with Sharon, but it goes terribly when Elaine refuses to take her coat off. Next, Jerry is opening his birthday gifts, and balks at George’s since it tickets to a Broadway show. George points out that the show is called Guys and Dolls, not Guys and Guys. Elaine, having to find a new gift since Kramer gave him the two line phone, gets him the collective works of Bette Midler.
Jerry notices a couple guys pointing at him, and they learn that Sharon did report they were gay, then the Associated Press ran the story as well. Jerry is upset, adding “not that there’s anything wrong with that”. Kramer comes in, upset that they didn’t share their secret with him. George picks up the phone and it’s Jerry’s mom, who thinks this confirms the story she read, adding “not that there’s anything wrong with that”. His dad comments that Jerry’s gay because Helen made him wear culottes.
After George hangs up, he runs out of the apartment yelling about his mom finding out this information. There is a shot for shot remake of his mom in a hospital bed, there from hearing the news about George being gay. Rob thought this was the best scene of the episode.
At the diner, Jerry decides he is going to skip out on Guys and Dolls. A military man walks up to Jerry and tells him that in light of his story, he is going to come out of the closet himself. After, Jerry and George are loudly arguing, causing the manager to tell them to quiet down. Rob found this scene to be a head scratcher, feeling it didn’t fit in with the rest of the episode.
Later on, George decides to have Allison read the article, but she doesn’t seem to get that it says they are gay, so he has to point it out to her. Meanwhile, Jerry is on his couch kissing Sharon, only to have George burst in with Allison to further the idea they are gay so he can get out of dating Allison. When Sharon storms out and Allison isn’t buying the story, George tells her that he’s actually a porn actor named Buck Naked. The episode ends with Kramer walking in to his apartment with a good looking guy there to fix the phone. The final standup is a bit about gay guys being thin, single and neat.
In 2015, a few things would be different about this episode. Sharon would have been able to look up Jerry on the internet, and if there was a rumor about Jerry being gay, it wouldn’t be a big deal. Also, it might not be considered politically correct to say “not that there’s anything wrong with that” nowadays. Rob and Akiva were both convinced that this is a pivotal episode in the series. Rob thought this was the second best episode of those covered so far in his loose rankings, but Akiva slotted it as his fifth best at number 15 overall.
As always, there were some emails this week. Stephanie B emailed to talk about George’s poor social skills being based on his need to be involved in all conversations, like adding his father is gay in this episode, or the bouillabaisse comment from last episode. Frequent emailer Johnny De Silveira answered the question they wondered about airports. He said that many fast food restaurants will buy space at a terminal, but he wasn’t sure if restaurants have deals with specific airlines. He also asked what the proper way for George and Jerry to discuss the reporter that wouldn’t have been misconstrued. Rob and Akiva thought it was a bit of micromanaging to deconstruct that scene differently.
Amir emailed in to comment on how many ideas from this episode would pop up later in the series, like George not liking his voice and Bette Midler. Finally Chester emailed in to wonder why Sharon would be kissing Jerry if she just mentioned having a boyfriend a few days earlier. He also wondered why an NYU student would do an interview with a comedian she knew nothing about. Akiva thought that it wasn’t out of the ordinary for the pre internet times. Lastly, he wondered why a guy would be coming by so late to fix the phone.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Old Man”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Outing”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this episode recap.
Seinfeld: The Shoes | Episode 56 Recap Podcast
Jun 21, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5F8g1SgpuU
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 16, “The Shoes.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur would never snub the podcast listeners, as they continue into year two of churning out the Seinfeld recap podcast week after week. This time, they tackle “The Shoes” (another episode title Rob would change), which first aired February 4, 1993 as part of season four. Akiva mentioned how this episode was the first Seinfeld to air on NBC’s highly touted “Must See TV” Thursday, following Cheers. The move immediately vaulted the show into the upper echelon of the ratings.
As always, Akiva had some news. Hulu will have a replica of Jerry’s apartment set up in New York City in honor of the show’s release on the site. Other than that, there has been more chatter about Jerry’s comments pertaining to comedy in this politically correct world. Rob read a story about how Keith Hernandez still receives about $3000 a year in residuals for his appearances on the show.
Jerry’s opening standup was about the timetable for when sex should happen when dating. The episode opens with Jerry and George making great headway on their pilot script, cracking each other up. They realize that they haven’t introduced the Elaine character into the script, and when they try to write some lines, they come up empty. Kramer then comes in to tell Jerry how he saw an old girlfriend of his, and decided to snub her because she wouldn’t even hug Jerry after three dates. Neither Rob nor Akiva had ever snubbed anyone, but both had purposely pretended not to see a person they know. Jerry was quite honored by Kramer’s gesture.
At the diner, Elaine is reading the script, then throws it back at Jerry since there was no mention of her character. Jerry explains that he and George just couldn’t write from a woman’s perspective. Gail, Jerry’s former romance walks in to ask Jerry about Kramer snubbing her. Before leaving, she asks Elaine about her shoes. When she hears they’re from a fancy store Botticellis, she makes an exaggerated comment about that, upsetting Elaine. When Jerry doesn’t understand why she’s upset, he explains to her that is why she wasn’t in the script.
Meanwhile, George is at his therapy appointment where he is excited about everything, until he asks her if she read his script. When she tells him she thought it wasn’t funny, George loses it, telling her the diploma on her wall was a joke, and it must be funny if NBC thinks it is. When George meets up with Elaine and Jerry, he scolds Elaine for ever setting him up with the therapist. Kramer comes in and tells them that he saw Gail again, but this time, he gave her a big kiss, winning her over from the snub. He mentions to Elaine about her shoes, further aggravating her that Gail would be talking about them.
In the next scene, Elaine storms down to the restaurant Gail works at to yell at her for talking about her shoes. During the busy lunch hour, Gail has no time for the conversation, and while leaving, Elaine accidentally sneezes on a plate of past primavera, which ends up being Russell from NBC’s order. Soon after, Jerry and George go up to see Russell at his apartment because he was feeling sick after his pasta primavera. George mentions how his cousin works in a restaurant where they do unspeakable things to the bouillabaisse. Rob wondered why George would choose to mention this.
As Russell is telling them his thoughts on the script, he excuses himself repeatedly to throw up. While waiting for Russell to get out of the bathroom, Jerry and George chit chat about random things when Russell’s 15 year old daughter comes in, played by Denise Richards. As she is kneeling over the couch, Jerry notices her cleavage and nudges George to see. George lingers far too long looking and gets caught by Russell. Akiva and Rob both agreed that leering at a 15 year old, no matter how old the actress actually is, would not fly in 2015, and wondered how it could fly in 1993.
Kramer comes in with Gail, and she asks Jerry what’s up with Elaine bombarding her at the restaurant. When she heads into Kramer’s apartment, Kramer shares that she is so wild that it’s really wearing him out. When he leaves, Jerry gets a call from his agent letting him know NBC cancelled the pilot. They immediately plot an idea to catch Russell leering in the same situation, wondering if Gail would go along with this plan, but Elaine wants to be the one to be leered at. Gail agreed to let them know when Russell shows up, as long as Elaine gives her the shoes.
At the restaurant, Gail calls Jerry when she notices Russell, and they come right down and start talking to him, George explaining that he wasn’t leering, that it was just in his field of vision. Elaine walks up a minute later wearing a low cut dress, but he doesn’t notice her at first. When Russell finally notices, he is entranced by her cleavage, and acknowledges that George may not have been so egregious.
The episode ends with Elaine pitching an idea to them about the very story they just experienced, and while they think it’s a bit broad, they agree that funny is funny. Elaine says she will tell Russell about it on their date. Jerry’s closing standup is a joke about how men are obsessed with cleavage and women are obsessed with shoes.
Akiva felt that more than most episodes, this one holds up if it were to air in 2015. Rob did mention that Gail could have texted them when Russell showed at the restaurant, and she could have bought the fancy shoes online. Akiva had a hard time ranking this episode, since he really enjoyed it back when it aired, but now thinks it a bit broad. He decided to rank it one above “The Visa”, at 89. rob thought he’d rank it outside the top 100.
There were a few emails this week. Craig said he agreed with Rob and Akiva from the podcast on “The Keys” when they said Jerry and George should have used Elaine to help them write the pilot script. He also wanted to know if either had experience with food poisoning and cleavage snooping. Rob did not stare at Heidi and Jenna on Survivor because he was afraid he’d fall off the stoop. Akiva mentioned how he had food poisoning just last week. In his email, Amir noted the theory of a woman being obligated to be intimate in some way after a few dates is a bit outdated. He also said he didn’t agree with the saying that you don’t consider age when it comes to cleavage. Rob and Akiva both agreed that you have to consider age.
Travis emailed in to ask if either have any catsup secrets. Rob thought using a knife to get the flow started is usually a good plan. Lastly, Chester added that he thought it was a terrible episode title. He also had several random gripes. He wondered why George would offer an old Pepto-Bismol to Russell, why anyone would discuss Elaine’s shoes when her clothes are so terrible, why Gail was wearing a hat, since she has to wear a chef hat all day, and how did Gail find Jerry at Monks randomly. He admonished Jerry and George for throwing away the notebook paper when they only wrote one line on it, then questioned why Russell would be eating lunch alone when he is a powerful TV executive. Chester wraps it up wondering why George and Jerry would tell Elaine to get the bouillabaisse when they know it’s being used as a toilet.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Outing”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this episode recap.
Seinfeld: The Visa | Episode 55 Recap Podcast
Jun 14, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 15, “The Visa.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur avoided being very bad men this week by continuing their quest to recap every Seinfeld episode. This week they covered “The Visa”, which first aired January 27th, 1993 as part of season four.
Akiva as always had some Seinfeld news. He and Rob discussed how it’s remarkable that every week there is plenty of relevant Seinfeld news. A YouTube clip of Jason Alexander was getting a lot buzz this week, and it was a topic that Akiva had an early scoop on the podcast weeks ago. Jason talked about Heidi Swedberg, who played Susan, being a bad fit for the show. In other news, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry.
Akiva noted that the Entourage movie did quite poorly in the box office, lining up with what they both expected. Lastly, Rob mentioned how Jerry was on Colin Cowherd’s sports talk radio sharing his view on political correctness getting out of hand and could lead to the death of comedy.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about lawyers, tying into the storyline of Cheryl Fong, the lawyer helping Ping the delivery biker. The episode opens with George talking with an attractive woman named Cheryl at Monks while waiting for Jerry and Elaine to show up. He is hitting it off well, making her laugh the whole time. She asks George if his friends are as funny as he is, to which he blanches and says no.
Elaine and Jerry come in, talking about how she still needs to bring Jerry his mail she picked up while he was away for a few weeks. George ends up with Cheryl’s number, but scoffs at the win since he was so funny, he can only lose ground going forward. Jerry notices Babu busing tables, and we learn that Jerry got him the job, plus a place to live in his building.
Jerry and Elaine invite George and Cheryl to double with he and Elaine, but George declines, not wanting Cheryl to see how funny Jerry is. Jerry shares that Kramer didn’t pick up his mail because he has been at a baseball fantasy camp. George thinks this is ridiculous, since Kramer’s life is a fantasy that people would want to live like him for a week. Rob asked Akiva if he’s ever thought of going to a baseball fantasy camp. Akiva hasn’t had interest, while Rob has, but questioned if he would be good enough at baseball to partake, thinking he’d be perfect for a Mets announcer fantasy camp.
In the next scene, George and Cheryl are eating at Isabella’s, the restaurant Jerry had said he didn’t want to go to. As they are toasting each other, Jerry and Elaine walk in, much to George’s chagrin. At dinner, each time Jerry cracks a joke, George gets more defensive. When Elaine learns Cheryl’s a lawyer, she asks about the lawsuit from Ping she’s facing. Cheryl shares that she is Ping’s cousin, and is the lawyer on his behalf. When Cheryl leaves the table, George demands Jerry stop being funny, but Elaine thinks Jerry can’t not be funny.
When Cheryl comes back, Jerry is acting very serious, which only intrigues Cheryl more. Next, at Jerry’s apartment, Elaine is telling Jerry how Cheryl decided she was so nice that she dropped the lawsuit. Kramer ends up back from fantasy camp early, since he started a bench clearing brawl where he accidentally punched out Mickey Mantle, causing them to cancel the camp. There is a ruckus in the hallway, and we hear Babu being taken away by immigration because he didn’t renew his visa in time. Rob and Akiva thought Jerry should have fudged the story to lessen the blame on him.
When Jerry starts going through his mail, he notices the letter from immigration was accidentally delivered to him. George comes up, and Jerry asks him to have Cheryl help clear Babu. George agrees, as long as Jerry continues to not be funny until George consummates the relationship. When Jerry does meet with Cheryl, he keeps up the dower act, and Cheryl agrees to help Babu.
Jerry and Elaine go down to the detention cell to visit Babu. He tells Babu the whole story, angering Babu when he learns Jerry had the letter. Meanwhile, George is in the car with Cheryl, who is telling him she’s developed feelings for Jerry. George loses it, telling Cheryl his whole setup to keep Jerry from being funny, which turns her off from them both.
Back at Jerry’s, he and Elaine are talking when they overhear noise coming from Babu’s apartment. It turns out to be his brother, who shares that Babu has been deported back to Pakistan. Before leaving, the brother turns down the Snapple Elaine offers because it’s too fruity. Ping shows up with some delivery, and they learn that Cheryl has reopened the case and is doubling the damages. Kramer had gone to Mickey Mantle’s restaurant in the city to apologize, but security threw him out.
The episode ends with Babu in Pakistan telling his friend that he plans on saving his money so he can go back to America and plot revenge on Jerry, a very, very bad man. Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about the slogan for Ellis Island.
In 2015, a few things would be different about this episode. Stricter immigration laws would pose a problem for Babu, Cheryl doesn’t need to use a payphone to call her aunt, and there would be better security at the fantasy baseball camp. In ranking the episode, Akiva felt this was a solid, but not spectacular episode. He ultimately ranks it right in the middle at 90, to which Rob agrees.
There were a few emails this week. Johnny De Silveira commented about how Brian George (Babu) spans the emotions in his arc on the show. He also asks the guys who they think is at fault for not getting Babu the immigration letter. Akiva and Rob definitely thought it’s not Jerry’s fault. Amir emailed to ask why George wasn’t upset about Elaine getting the mail and not him. Akiva thought George would have been terrible at the job. He also wanted them to ask fake Jerry the beginning of the corduroy joke.
Chester, who was very down on “The Visa”, had three questions for thex`m. First, he wondered why they wouldn’t call the episode something other than “The Visa” since Jerry was a spokesman for Amex. Next, he wondered if the final scene with Babu was a precursor to “The Finale”. Both agreed that they would not have planned the ending that far ahead. Third, Chester asked if Cheryl’s appearance on the show was to counter the theory that Seinfeld’s casting wasn’t diverse. Akiva felt that it wouldn’t have played a factor in 1993.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Shoes”, where Seinfeld makes a huge jump in the ratings, as it’s scheduled to follow Cheers on Thursday nights. . Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this episode recap.
Seinfeld: The Movie | Episode 54 Recap Podcast
Jun 06, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAvq35PgFT4
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 14, “The Movie.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur skipped out on Rochelle, Rochelle so they could bring you their latest recap in their quest to cover every Seinfeld episode. This week, they’ll break down “The Movie”, which first aired January 6, 1993 as part of season four. Rob felt that a better title would have been “The Movie Theatre”.
In the news, Jerry was giving an interview where he talked about how they were going to do an episode of the show in Claymation, but backed out because it was already done prior on the show Home Improvement.
Jerry’s opening standup was a classic bit about how the employees in a movie theater are only under the age of 18, or over 80. The episode opens with Jerry at the Improv, where he learns his set is being pushed back, deterring his plans to go see the movie Checkmate, and to bounce from club to club to work on his set for his upcoming Letterman appearance. On his way out, Jerry ducks an obnoxious comedian named Buckles, who will play a factor throughout the episode. Rob and Akiva take some time to give a synopsis of the fake movie Checkmate (which they completely make up).
Meanwhile, George is standing in line outside the theater waiting to buy everyone’s tickets. When the guy in front of him says he doesn’t have tickets, George assumes he’s in the right line, though it would turn out he wasn’t. Rob and Akiva both agreed that George isn’t to blame for this because of checking with the guy in front of him. Jerry learns at the next club that his set was not 9:50, but 9:15, and Buckles had taken his spot when he wasn’t there.
Elaine meets George at the theater, excited for Checkmate. Kramer shows up soon after, itching to get a hot dog over at Papaya King, but time is short, and Elaine does not want to save seats. They realize that they are in the wrong line, and George learns the show is sold out, upsetting Elaine because she doesn’t want to see it in the twin theater down the street.
Jerry is in the taxi with Buckles, on his way to tell the gang that he is going to skip the movie. Buckles continues to annoy him, and asks to keep a trench coat in his closet for him. Rob pointed out that Buckles is the kind of character the show would have had in the first couple seasons.
George and Elaine are waiting in the next line, debating on whether she should give George $20, or wait to pay him when she gets change, putting George’s cheapness to the test. Elaine ends up having to save seats, really getting into the process. Meanwhile, George goes back to the other theater to let Kramer know the scoop. Akiva and Rob pointed out that the fast scene cutting made for difficult note taking on the episode.
George describes Jerry to the ticket taker lady, but she hasn’t seen him. Just after George checks on him, Jerry gets out of the cab and is let right in to the theater to meet up with the gang. Another quick cut shows Elaine losing the battle of saving the seats. Kramer comes back and describes Jerry, but she only describes George as a Humpty Dumpty with a melon head. Back to Elaine, a woman behind her is talking loudly, but the lady doesn’t find it rude since its just the previews. Akiva thought it was not polite for the lady to have done that, since their was no other way to see a preview in 1993.
When George tries to get back in to the theater they have tickets at, the ticket taker won’t let him through without a stub, so he reluctantly uses Jerry’s ticket. When he gets in, he starts whisper shouting for Elaine, getting shushed profusely, prompting him run out the back exit. Akiva shared how he once was shushed during Titanic when he tripped over some feet coming back from the bathroom. This prompted Rob to find an app that tells you when the best time to use the bathroom during particular movies, which of course there was one.
Jerry just misses Kramer as he gets back in a cab. George tries to get back in the theater and has to give the ticket taker Kramer’s ticket since he can’t find that stub either. Elaine continues to struggle watching Checkmate, so she leaves to ask the counter person if they’ve seen any of the others, getting popcorn while she’s there. George scraps all his plans and sits in on Rochelle, Rochelle, only to have a very tall person sit directly in front of him. Jerry ends up back at the comedy club, but Buckles just got off stage and Jerry doesn’t want to hollow such a hack, so he goes with Buckles to see Rochelle, Rochelle.
As Jerry settles in at the theater, he hears Elaine scoff at the movie, then George hears Jerry call out for Elaine. They all agree the movie stinks and they head outside to meet up. The episode ends with George continuing to get told no one has change to pay him for the tickets. Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about how he never understands the plot of the movie, making him an annoying person to see one with.
Both Rob and Akiva thought this episode wasn’t awful, but not great. Akiva decided to rank it at 103.
There were several emails this week. First Travis wondered if there is any comedian in the series that Jerry likes, since he hates Buckles, and later hates Bania. Rob thought that while Jerry respects comedians, he may take issue with how they do their act. Craig wondered which fictional movie from Seinfeld would they enjoy seeing the most. Akiva chose Prognosis Negative, while Rob chose Rochelle, Rochelle.
Johnny De Silveira did the inflation calculator on the movie ticket cost, and it would be $12.28 in 2015. He also calculated the distance between Milan to Minsk, and it is 1000 miles. He also added that Rochelle, Rochelle came back full circle by making it the musical that Kramer accepted a Tony for later in the series. Amir gave a few casting ideas for the Back to the Future remake, with Emma Stone as Marty and Melissa McCarthy as Doc. Akiva thought it would be too much like the Ghostbusters remake to cast it all female. Chester wondered why the woman would still be in the booth if the sole movie is playing sold out? Akiva thought maybe she was counting the money or something. Lastly Chester wondered if anyone could recognize what movie Jerry was talking about in the closing credits. Neither Akiva nor Rob had any idea.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Visa”, where Babu and Ping make return appearances. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this episode recap.
Seinfeld: The Pick | Episode 53 Recap Podcast
May 31, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 13, “The Pick.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur made sure not to miss any buttons as they convened to recap the next episode in the Seinfeld series. This time, they talked about “The Pick”, which first aired December 16, 1992 as part of season four.
The guys spent a lengthy amount of time discussing an idea for a Back to the Future reboot before getting into the Seinfeld news, and went on several tangents throughout the podcast as well. They have cast Anna Kendrick in the Marty McFly role and bandied about several names to fill the Doc Brown role, including Chris Tucker, Peter Dinklage and Zach Galifianakis.
There was a little bit of news this week. Wednesday, June 24th will be the day Seinfeld comes to Hulu. Also, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jerry Seinfeld participated in David Letterman’s final Top 10 list on The Late Show. Rob noted that next week’s episode will drop right around the one year anniversary of the podcast.
Jerry does a standup bit about modeling and how they tend to overshadow the product being sold. The episode opens with George at Jerry’s apartment lamenting his breakup with Susan. Jerry and Elaine remind him that he didn’t even like her when they were together. While George talks about how he’ll spend the rest of his life in his disgusting apartment with no underwear, Elaine suggests seeing a psychiatrist to help.
Elaine notices Jerry got a Christmas card from the model Tia with her photo on it, which prompts her to want to do the same thing when Kramer offers to take the picture for her. Elaine talks about her religious boyfriend, which Rob and Akiva believed was only added to the script as a precursor to him admonishing her for the nipple picture. Rob also noted another useless storyline where Kramer is obsessed about Jerry’s cereal selection. The scene wraps with George singing a sad song, to which Jerry tells him it’s time to go.
In the next scene, Jerry is at his apartment with Tia talking about getting a tropical fish tank when he notices her perfume smells a lot like Kramer’s idea of The Beach. When Kramer comes in for a dust buster, Jerry does his best to keep them separated, but can’t keep Kramer from recognizing the smell. It takes him a few beats to notice, but when he does he is incensed, thinking he missed out on being a fragrance mogul.
George decides to meet with Elaine’s psychiatrist friend, however he can’t get through the session because he’s obsessed with getting his jacket zipper unstuck. Meanwhile, Elaine is showing Jerry her Christmas card she had Kramer do when he notices that her nipple is showing, leaving her mortified. They show it to Kramer, who does a double take, and Jerry ultimately decides that they need Newman to determine if the nipple is that easy to see. Newman pops in, points out the nipple and leaves.
The psychiatrist is now trying to help George with the zipper, and she gets so aggravated by it, she abruptly ends the session. In the next scene, Jerry is in his car scratching the side of his nose. Tia is in a cab next to him, and from her angle it looks as though he’s picking deep in his nose. Her cab drives off with Tia looking disgusted, with Jerry screaming “it was not a pick!”.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, he is telling George about Tia thinking he picked his nose. George tells him it’s not a big deal, but says he’d never date a woman if he caught her doing that. He added that Moses probably picked, since he wandered the desert with that dry air. Elaine comes in complaining about her coworkers calling her “Nip” now that they’ve seen the Christmas card. George tries to complain to Elaine about not being on her Christmas card list, and she shoves his face into her chest, saying “here’s your Christmas card”. Rob called it the joke of the episode.
Kramer comes back in for more cereal and notices that Elaine is wearing his scent. When Jerry calls Tia’s agency to track her down, they learn she’s at the Calvin Klein offices. They all decide to head down there, Jerry to shame Tia for bailing on him and Kramer to argue with Calvin Klein about stealing his fragrance.
In the next scene, George is meeting with Susan at the diner, trying to convince her to take him back. He goes on about how he’s a rock, he can change. He talks about how Louis Pasteur and his wife supported each other without having anything in common, and they could be like them. Susan ultimately agrees to take him back.
Out in the lobby at Calvin Klein, Jerry confronts Tia about ducking his phone calls, causing quite the scene. Next we see Elaine, where she is defending herself to her religious boyfriend over the nipple picture, telling him he’s the one who’s exposed his true self. Another cut to George and Susan walking up to her apartment, where George is immediately dreading his choice to get back with Susan. Back at Calvin Klein, Kramer is modeling for Calvin and some other employees in his underwear, intriguing them with his look. Out in the lobby, Jerry continues with his rant defending himself and all other pickers out there.
The episode closes at the diner, where George tells them he really made a mistake getting back with Susan, but got out of it all by letting her catch him picking his nose. Kramer comes in with a magazine to show his photo that Calvin Klein took. Elaine points out that she thinks she can see his nether regions.
In 2015, the episode would mostly hold up. The turnaround time on the Christmas card would be much shorter in the digital world, but other than that, Akiva couldn’t think of anything. In ranking the episode, he felt it was quite a good one, putting it at 33. Rob agreed, adding that there were a good amount of laughs even in the side stories.
Newman dropped off a bit of mail for them to go through this week. Amir chimed in to point out that it was implausible that Elaine wouldn’t send George a Christmas card. He also wondered why Kramer wouldn’t call Jackie Childs right when he first smelled The Ocean. Johnny De Silveira emailed in with some notes. First, George’s psychiatrist will appear again two more times throughout the series. He also said that the episode was indeed supposed to be called “The Nipple”. Ryan McCleod wanted to point out that Newman will later be in love with Elaine, but he seemed unfazed by looking at Elaine’s nipple.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Movie”, where they’ll decide whether they’d rather see Rochelle, Rochelle or Checkmate. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur may be riding coach, but they are taking you on a first class trip back to recap “The Airport”, which first aired November 25, 1992 as part of Seinfeld’s season four. The episode was directed by Larry Charles, which Rob thought was easy to tell since his style is so much different than the other writers. Also, this may or may not be their 50th Seinfeld podcast so far.
There was a bit of news in the Seinfeld world this week. The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York did an improv Seinfeld episode they titled “The Leaning Susan”, where “Kramer” comes up with a way to lean comfortably when waiting around in the department store. Akiva felt it was worth the watch.
Jerry starts things off with some standup about how small everything at the airport is. The episode opens with Jerry and Elaine in a rental car going to the St Louis airport, where Jerry had a show and Elaine was visiting her sister. We learn that George will be picking them up since he lost a bet to Jerry about his jumping ability. This reminded Rob of a letter he got from Uber letting him know he’d make a great driver for them.
At the rental car place, Jerry and Elaine debate how much to tip the baggage handler. Because Elaine thinks it’s all a scam when the handler suggests $5 a bag, he sends her bag to Hawaii, while Jerry’s went to the right destination. As they are running through the airport to get to their gate, Jerry tells Elaine to stop running like a girl. They learn their flight is cancelled, but there are two spots on another flight, one in first class, one in coach. Jerry decides he’ll get the first class seat, since she’s never flown first class, thus wouldn’t know what she’s missing.
Once seated, Elaine tries to come up into first class to check it out, but she is brushed back to coach quickly. Akiva pointed out that typically the star of a sitcom has a series of follies befall them, but they decided that Jerry should ultimately start having things go his way, as a way to be in contrast to George. Elaine is stuck next to a man who is carrying all his bags with him, taking up much of her space. Meanwhile, Jerry is sitting next to a beautiful model.
Kramer and George are driving to that airport, George hell bent on making it a perfect pickup. Kramer picks the wrong route, leaving them stuck in traffic. Kramer is also upset by this since he wanted a chance to check out the duty free shop at the airport. Rob pointed out that duty free shops are reserved only for those on international flights.
Back on the plane, Jerry learns that this model Tia was recently in an add in Esquire, where she is scantily clad. Elaine needs to use the bathroom, but the gentleman with all the bags is asleep, and she struggles getting around him. Back to George and Kramer, they are at the airport where George is trying to get a copy of Time Magazine, since Jerry may have mentioned him in an article. As he grabs the last copy, there is a criminal who also wants a copy, and he happens to be on the cover for being captured. Rob wondered why they would have this lunatic both be obsessed with Time, while also being on the cover.
In their argument about who should get the magazine, the criminal calls George a blurb when George tries to claim he deserves it since there is a blurb about him in it. Akiva questioned why this criminal would be on a regular flight and not banished to a private plane since he would be considered dangerous.
When Elaine finally gets to the bathroom, a man (played by Larry Charles himself) is getting out after stinking it up. Akiva enjoyed how they contrasted all the good things happening to Jerry in first class with all the bad things happening to Elaine in coach. Meanwhile, Kramer notices a man he recognizes, realizing that it’s his old roommate that still owes Kramer money.
Back in coach, Elaine can’t get back to her seat because the meal cart is blocking the isle. George and Kramer have a plan for Kramer to get his money back from his old roommate. They are going to buy plane tickets on George’s credit card so he can get the miles and Kramer can find Grossbard to get his money back from him. Rob and Akiva debated whether one could still get the miles after getting a refund.
Once Elaine gets back to her seat, she learns that she can’t have a meal since she wasn’t in her seat when they came around. Back to Kramer and George, Kramer confronts Grossbard, but he doesn’t seem to recognize Kramer. Rob felt he was trying to pretend he didn’t remember Kramer. Security comes and throws out Kramer, ultimately getting chased by a security guard down the tarmac.
George is still on the plane, and he needs to use the bathroom. When he goes in, the serial killer was in the bathroom he was waiting for. Back to Elaine, she snuck into first class, but she is found out and sent back to her coach seat. When she gets back to her seat, she screams at the guy with all the bags to get out of her way.
The episode wraps up with a few quick scenes. First we see Kramer running away down the tarmac, with Jerry looking along from the plane not believing it, ultimately leading to Kramer popping out of the baggage claim turnstile. Jerry picks up his bag, but we see a shot of Elaine’s bag in Hawaii. Lastly, George is on the plane with his hair tussled from his encounter with the serial killer. Jerry closes the show with some standup pieces about flying.
In 2015, much would be different about this episode. Airports are perhaps the thing most changed post 9/11. Rob thought that saying Elaine runs like a girl is not something you’d hear today. Akiva thought that the biggest difference today would be cell phones, since Jerry could just text George that their flight changed, or George could just look that up online.
While both Rob and Akiva that this was a good episode, they ultimately thought there wasn’t enough laugh out loud moments for this to be considered one of the top. Akiva decided to rank it at 61.
The usual suspects emailed in this week. Amir said he agreed that the duty free shop is only for international flights. He also thought it was gross that the flight attendant would collect the ear plugs. Lastly he confirmed that you would not get the miles if you returned the tickets. Johnny De Silveira noted that the episode was filmed with no audience. Also, he pointed out that George’s interaction with the prisoner is a scene from the movie Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. He asked how long in advance Akiva has to order a kosher meal on a plane. Akiva said that it’s not a problem nowadays on domestic flights, but on international flights, it is usually a week’s notice. Lastly Chester found it strange that the model would eat so much ice cream. He wondered why George wouldn’t have already bought the Time Magazine if he was in it, and finally wondered why Elaine wouldn’t just demand that Jerry switch seats midflight.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Pick”, where they’ll debate whether it was a pick or a scratch. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for the episode recap!
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Seinfeld: The Contest | Episode 51 Recap Podcast
May 17, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 11, “The Contest.”
Nobody put the kibosh on Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur this week as they recapped the next episode in the Seinfeld series. This week, they discussed “The Opera”, which first aired November 4th, 1992 as part of season four.
There was big news in the Seinfeld world this week. Hulu bought the digital rights to the series for an astounding $180 million. Akiva thought that this could really bring the show to a wider international audience. Rob mentioned this will help listeners to watch the episode they’re covering each week with ease. In more news, Jerry made his final appearance on his good buddy David Letterman’s Late Show. Jason Alexander was on The Late Late Show, where he recorded a version of his famous outgoing message of “Believe it or Not” for Kat Dennings from Two Broke Girls.
Jerry’s opening stand-up is a bit about how men are interchangeable since tuxedos all look the same. The episode begins with Joe Devola leaving Jerry a message threatening to put the kibosh on him for ruining the NBC deal of Joe’s. Rob and Akiva took some time to discuss a few plot holes surrounding the Joe Devola storyline, ultimately deciding it’s all one big “shut up Akiva” situation (” shut up Akiva” is in reference to when either of them get a little too nitpicky on the storyline).
Jerry and Kramer come into Jerry’s apartment talking about the opera they are all going to, but Jerry is trying to get out of it. Elaine shows up to get the tickets, explaining she is going to surprise Joey with them. She refers to Joey as quite cultured, and the scene cut to Crazy Joe lifting waits while sobbing and blasting opera music. Rob shared that he agrees that the “pop in” is a terrible thing, but maybe not for Joe since he encourages intruders.
Jerry finally listens to the threatening answering machine message and frantically asks Kramer what he should do, who says not to bother calling the cops. Akiva and Rob pointed out another example of the show disparaging law enforcement. Jerry calls Joe Devola back, leaving a message trying to explain that it is all one big misunderstanding.
There was an interlude where Rob and Akiva planned and acted out fictitious interviews with Jerry and Larry. In actuality, Rob does believe that getting a guest like Susan, Crazy Joe Devola, or the like could be a possibility. Years ago, he had met the actor who plays The Soup Nazi at a Seinfeld related event, and he seemed to be accessible.
The next scene cuts to Joe Devola’s apartment as Elaine is coming for her surprise pop in. His door was wide open, so she walks in and discovers dozens of photos of her hanging on the wall. Devola surprises her as he ducks out of his dark room, explaining that he took the photos himself with a telephoto lens. When she explains that the opera tickets fell through, he slams the front door shut with his head. Elaine worms her way out of the situation by spraying him in the face with cherry binaca from her purse. Rob thought it would have been funnier if the viewers knew it was binaca when she did it, because it seemed dark for her to mace him.
In the next scene, Jerry is in his tuxedo talking on the phone with the police about Joe Devola’s threatening message, learning that they can’t do anything for him. George shows up, and his tux is way too small, having dusted it off from a wedding he wore it to six years ago where he was thrown out for cursing during his toast. Kramer hits his head again attempting to come into the apartment, since Jerry had the door locked to keep out Crazy Joe Devola. He is not dressed in black tie, instead going with a 1950s Ozzie Nelson look. He explained to Jerry and George that people dress up for the opera, just not him. Kramer mentions to George that they can scalp the extra tickets since Susan isn’t going with, much to the delight of George’s cheap ears.
Later, Jerry and Elaine are waiting in the line to get into Pagliacci, and Jerry gets in an argument with a man who takes his quarter that he dropped. Rob once again mentioned that he prefers scenes like this, that are actually about nothing, opposed to the life and death storyline of Devola trying to kill them. The scene cuts to Crazy Joe Devola in full clown gear, taking down three thugs in the park for teasing him. Back to the opera line, George and Kramer are taking a $500 offer for the two tickets, but Kramer wants $1000. George decides to sell his extra ticket on his own after Kramer refused to take the $500.
Back with Jerry and Elaine, Jerry mentions Crazy Joe Devola, to which Elaine wonders how Jerry knew her new boyfriend’s name. They both discover that Elaine had been dating the psychopath after Jerry all along and didn’t know it. A clown walks up to them, scaring them, but it wasn’t Devola. Meanwhile George and Kramer are separately trying to scalp their tickets. George is negotiating with a man he’ll call Harry Fong, when Mr. Reichman, the same man who wrestled him out of the wedding for the curse toast, accosts him for scalping. The clown who approached Jerry and Elaine was asking for a donation, and lectures him after Jerry says he has no money.
Kramer is on his own trying to unload the ticket when Crazy Joe Devola walks up in his clown outfit. He and Kramer have an awkward exchange, ending with Devola buying the extra ticket from him. Jerry and Elaine are impatiently wondering where George and Kramer are, worried that they’ll miss the overture. Jerry starts singing the overture routine from Bugs Bunny, while Elaine scoffs at him. Right after, Crazy Joe Devola walks up, looking just like the clown from before, but Elaine smells cherry binaca, and they run off.
As George is closing his deal with Harry Fong, Susan shows up, since her friend didn’t need to be picked up after all. George still hands off the ticket to Harry Fong and takes the money. The scene cuts back to Jerry and Elaine, who are trying to get let into the lobby without the tickets. Kramer finally shows up and they all head in. When the settle into the seats, Susan sits down, sharing that George was too uncomfortable, and not coming. Harry Fong then sits down, shifting the whole row of seats as he does. Rob and Akiva mention that the closing standup was not worth discussing.
Both Rob and Akiva agreed that this should be the lowest ranked episode of season four. Akiva thought it was funny, but because of all the plot holes, he put it at 143. If not for the inaccuracies and the dark tone, it could be ranked far better. In 2015, Kramer and George could just scalp the tickets online, and Jerry and Elaine would have learned ahead of time that they are dealing with the same Joe.
They delved into the emails next. Johnny De Silveira put the opera tickets at $168.30 in 2015 after running it through the inflation calculator. He also noted that tickets to the Met (Metropolitan Opera House) run from $105-$360. He also wanted to know if they’d like to podcast from Crazy Joe Devola’s darkroom, to which Rob sarcastically said yes. Amir emailed in to share that he felt the CDJ storyline would have had more depth to it were it in one of the later episodes in the series. Both Rob and Akiva agreed.
Lastly, Chester wondered how Elaine didn’t need to be buzzed up to Devola’s apartment, and further wondered how she even had his address. Akiva pointed out that there are plenty of apartments in Manhattan that don’t have front entrance locks, but had no idea how she came up with his address. He also wondered how CDJ could put on the act on three dates with Elaine without cracking. Rob and Akiva thought because he’s a sociopath, he was able to put on a front. Finally, he wanted to know how George grew three inches in his thirties, and would wear white socks with the tux. Neither of the guys had a good answer for that one.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Virgin”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for the episode recap!
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur didn’t use a short week as an excuse to procrastinate as they knocked out another recap in their quest to cover the entire run of the Seinfeld series for Post Show Recaps. This week, they covered “The Cheever Letters”, which first aired October 28, 1992 as part of the forth season. Akiva felt the episode title was one of the worst. He and Rob discussed better alternatives, ultimately coming up with “The Dirty Talk” as a replacement.
There was a bit of current Seinfeld news this week. Jerry did an interview where he talked about YouTube being a content garbage can, and how show business should be reserved for talent, and not just anyone with an internet connection. Rob felt that Jerry’s age may have him a bit out of touch with today’s way of doing things.
Jerry’s standup is a bit about how offices are like a stationary store with all the supplies that get stolen. The episode opens with Jerry and George talking over the events of the cabin burning down. Rob and Akiva noted this was in leiu of a “previously on” to bring the audience up to speed.
The episode opens with Jerry and George finally working on writing the pilot, and its going quite poorly, with them using every excuse to procrastinate. When Jerry calls Elaine, her assistant talks on and on, prompting him to complain to Elaine about it. Elaine brings it up to the assistant right after, so she knows it was Jerry who complained. She exclaims that she can’t work like this, and quits.
In the next scene, Kramer comes in clamoring to George for more cigars from Susan’s dad. George explains how that’s not going to happen since Kramer burned down the cabin with the original cigars. Kramer says that he needs something to trade the golf pros because he can’t go back to playing public courses.
George and Susan are at dinner with her parents, who are making their first appearance on the show. Mr. Ross starts asking about the cigars, then the cabin. George does his best to suck up to Mr. Ross, though can’t hide his discomfort. Rob and Akiva enjoyed how Mr. and Mrs. Ross cut each other down throughout, adding to the awkwardness.
Jerry and Elaine are at Jerry’s trying to fix Sandra quitting because of Jerry’s complaint. He calls Sandra to explain that he’s a comedian and Elaine thought he was being sarcastic when he said it was a real treat talking to her. Sandra understands, and asks Jerry out for drinks, to which he reluctantly agrees. The scene cuts back to the Ross house, where Mr Ross is talking about how important the cabin is. George finally blurts out the cabin burned down after beating around the bush enough. Mr. Ross is distraught by this, and solemnly walks out of the room while Mrs. Ross cackles in delight, since she hated the cabin.
After their date, Jerry and Sandra are back at Jerry’s fooling around. We see her storm out of his bedroom, upset about something Jerry says while talking dirty. He begs her not to tell Elaine about this, but she indicates that wont be the case. Later on, Jerry is at the diner explaining what happened on the date with Sandra to George. She started making advances while out, so they went back to his place. While fooling around, she started the dirty talk, which he had a difficult time keeping up with. When she started talking about her panties, Jerry responded with “you mean the panties your mother laid out for you”. George can’t believe he said something so abnormal.
Jerry and George finally get back to working on the pilot, but Kramer comes in, which they welcome with open arms for a change. When George confirms that he won’t ask Mr. Ross for more cigars, Kramer decides to take matters into his own hands. Rob pointed out how difficult it is to write as a team, and these two lazy guys have it even worse. Still blocked, Jerry and George decide to go to the movies for inspiration. Elaine calls to talk about how Sandra is coming back to work, though now Jerry is trying to convince Elaine to not take her back, so she won’t tell Elaine about the embarrassing encounter.
Kramer is now at the Cuban embassy trying to convince them to give him some cigars. One of the diplomats there likes Kramer’s jacket, calling back a season three bit, and offers to trade cigars for it. In the next scene, Jerry and George go to the Ross apt to bring back some sunglasses. An insurance person shows up with a box recovered from the fire. In it is a bunch of letters that John cheever wrote to Mr. Ross, indicating they had an affair. While Susan is reading the letters in front of everyone, Mr. Ross comes in and hears, causing him to scramble to take them away from being further read aloud. Rob mentioned how George has single handedly destroyed Susan and her family’s life in such a short period of time.
Back at Jerry’s, Jerry and George are again trying to work on the pilot script. They’ve added in “hows it going”, giving them three total lines so far.. Elaine comes in complaining about how she had Sandra transferred per Jerry’s request to get rid of her, but she blabbed to Mr. Lippman about Elaine making long distance phone calls, which she now has to pay for. Jerry offers to pay the bill, thinking he is out of the woods now from the panties talk.
Kramer is out in the hallway on his way to the country club with the Cuban diplomats and the cigars. Rob liked the idea of becoming a diplomat, if only for the immunity. Back inside the apartment, George is reading a John cheever book, The Falconer. As Elaine goes to leave, she says she had to go to her mothers since she bought her panties and they are all laid out for her, with Jerry frozen in embarrassment. The episode ends with Jerry’s last standup bit about talking dirty.
In 2015, there weren’t really any things that wouldn’t work, making it one of the few episodes without any dated content. Akiva thought this was one of the weakest episodes of season four, and ranked it at 102. Rob agreed, thinking this was the one episode from season four that didn’t immediately stand out. Akiva mentioned his twitter research showing that all 180 episodes have someone calling it their favorite or one of their favorites.
There were a few emails to go through this week. Travis wrote in and mentioned the dinner party with Mr. and Mrs. Ross was an iconic moment. He wondered if Rob and Akiva had similar uncomfortable dinners with their respective in-laws, which they hadn’t. Ryan emailed to point out how George gave Jerry the middle finger when Jerry’s on the phone with Elaine toward the beginning of the episode. Rob and Akiva hadn’t noticed it. He also commented how Mr. Ross saying “wear more lipstick” as a response to Mrs. Ross complaining about the cigars was a great line.
Amir emailed in to mention how fire has such a crucial role in so many episodes. Lastly, Johnny De Silveira pointed out that the writer John Cheever had a child named Susan. He also noted that Cuban cigars are no longer illegal with the embargo between the U.S. and Cuba now lifted.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Opera”, which marks the return of Crazy Joe Devola. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. And as always, you can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for the episode recap.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 6, “The Watch.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur both had Jimmy Sherman fix their watches down on Columbus and 85th so they’d be on time to recap the latest episode in their run through the entire Seinfeld series. This week, they tackled “The Watch”, which is the conclusion episode to the storyline from last week’s “The Wallet”. “The Watch” first aired on September 30, 1992 as part of season four.
Akiva had a bit of Seinfeld news to share this week. The rapper Wale, who’s album reached number one on the charts, had Jerry Seinfeld as a guest on it, since the album is titled “The Album About Nothing”. Jerry speaks the intro before each track, and there are clips of the show throughout the songs.
After an extensive “previously on”, which Rob thought was way too long, Jerry had a standup bit about terrible gifts people give. The episode picks up right where “The Wallet” left off, with Jerry out to dinner with his parents and Uncle Leo. Helen keeps trying to get Jerry to pick up their waitress, arguing that she’s beautiful, while Jerry argues that she’s just pretty.
Meanwhile, George, on a date with Susan, learns that Russell Dalrymple said the hell with them for passing on the first offer. George wonders what kind of maniac would just say no, and throws Jerry under the bus, citing it was his idea to pass. Rob felt, just like in Survivor, you always say yes at first, even if the answer changes. Rob and Akiva also concluded that passing on NBC’s offer could not have been part of Larry and Jerry’s real pilot story.
In the next scene, we see Kramer’s apartment for the first time. He and Elaine are prepping to meet with Dr. Reston, since he is pretending to be her boyfriend to get her out of dating the doctor. He calls Dr. Reston to confirm their dating, but he is quickly manipulated into going to see Reston at his office. Jerry is still at the restaurant, prompting Rob to wonder how all the side stories develop over time, while time stands still at the restaurant. Morty is trying to pay for the dinner, despite not having his wallet. Jerry calls him on it, very curious how Morty will pull this off.
When Jerry heads to the bathroom, he tries to make a deal with Uncle Leo for the watch. Akiva and Rob commented on how terribly every negotiation in this episode went. George meanwhile is outside Russell’s building, desperate to talk to him before Monday. Back at the restaurant, Jerry ultimately pays for the dinner, even though Morty tries to say he’ll pay the restaurant later.
Back at Russell’s, he is having dinner with his wife Cynthia, and neither is pleased that George is there. George explains that Jerry gave him Russell’s address when asked. When Cynthia is looking for the TV Guide, George mentions he could tell her what’s on any station at any time. Rob and Akiva questioned when the fall of the TV Guide magazine was, deciding that the internet and the cable/satellite menus all played a part in phasing that out.
George desperately pleads to get the original pilot offer back on the table, but learns that another writing team has accepted an offer from NBC instead. He ends up talking the price down to $8,000, which Russell reluctantly accepts. Rob felt that Russell probably thought $8000 was so cheap, there’s no risk in giving them the opportunity.
Kramer is at Dr. Reston’s office to discuss his relationship with Elaine. Elaine is down on the street waiting for Kramer, when Joe Devola walks up singing a show tune, and she starts to sing along with him. They flirt a bit, with her having no idea that he is actually the crazy person who kicked Kramer in the head. Akiva and Rob both thought there was no way that Elaine wouldn’t know who Crazy Joe Devola is.
Back at the restaurant bathroom, Uncle Leo is driving up the price on the watch, ultimately taking $350 for it. Rob and Akiva quibble over how there are many cheaper options for Jerry to replace this watch, but decided that it doesn’t work for them to be too nitpicky.
After a thorough shrinking, Kramer walks away from Dr. Reston having agreed to let the doctor have Elaine back, admitting that he isn’t with Elaine anyway. He goes as far as lighting some cigars for them to share. Back at the restaurant, Jerry finally decides to give his number to the waitress, and learns that she has a terrible laugh when he makes a corny joke about fish.
As Kramer leaves the office, he narrowly misses running into Crazy Joe Devola, who is on his way up to meet with Dr. Reston, where he tells him all about the woman he just met (Elaine). There is a Jerry standup bit about how psychiatrist visits are only 50 minutes and not an hour. Akiva always thought that the time was for the doctor to use the bathroom or write up notes.
Jerry now has to come clean to his parents about throwing the watch out after getting caught handing the money to Leo. George comes in and shares that the deal is back on, but has to admit that it’s for $5000 less than the original amount. When Akiva tried to argue that it would be easier to just tell Jerry the details later to save embarrassment, Rob came up with an idea for a term to use when easy logic would solve the episode dilemma, but it was left in as is because it’s funnier. He invited the listeners to post ideas in the comments.
Jerry wastes no time admonishing George for his miscalculation of this whole process, causing George to admit that he’s wrong. Jerry gives his dad a new wallet, which he’s loaded with cash. When they walk away, Morty realizes that it’s Velcro, so he throws it in the same garbage can that Jerry threw the watch. Leo walks by after and snatches it up. The closing standup is a bit about the difference between men and women’s wallet. Rob referred to it as a classic bit.
A few things would be different if this episode were to air in 2015, and all because of the internet. Akiva thought that Elaine could just check out Joe Devola on Facebook, and Jerry would be able to go online and search for the same watch his parents bought him. Rob felt Dr. Reston would be able to see Kramer and Elaine tagged in pictures on Facebook as well.
Akiva had a hard time coming up with the ranking of this episode, since it was squarely tied to last week’s “The Wallet”, which ended up fairing better than this one. While Akiva put “The Wallet” at 93 last week, he settled in on 138 for “The Watch”. Rob agreed, since there was nothing too interesting from the second half of the two-part arch.
There were several emails to go through this week. Amir commented about their list of hero characters, and how he would add Lena from “The Sponge” to the list. Akiva quibbled with it since she dumped Jerry for lying about his jeans size. Amir also added that he enjoyed the idea of how bad Jerry is about appreciating gifts he receives.
Johnny De Silveira checked in with some work from the inflation calculator. Jerry would have paid Uncle Leo $585.58 for the watch, and the wallet he bought for his dad would have $669.20 in 2015. Akiva thought that they should update Jerry’s “even” ledger, since he’s down over $10,000 from the calculations so far. Johnny also thought that Uncle Leo must be the luckiest person in the world, finding all this free merchandise in the trash. Akiva and Rob felt there were plenty of examples of Leo finding hard luck, particularly when he had his eyebrows singed off.
Lastly, Chester had some “musings” about this episode. He wondered where he could find the lamp in Kramer’s apartment. He also was curious why Jerry’s mom wouldn’t just pay for the dinner, but Akiva felt Morty is so old fashioned, he would rather have Jerry pay than his wife. He thought that Dalrymple doorman was dressed fancier than the Queen of England’s doorman, and also noticed how angry Dalrymple got when his wife didn’t use a coaster. Chester also wondered why Jerry would go from $200 to $350 when negotiating for the watch with Leo. It reminded Rob of the strategy of the Survivor auction, which he and Josh Wiggler recently discussed on the Evolution of Strategy audiobook. Chester also argued that George should forfeit the whole $5000 from his cut from NBC. Lastly, he remarked on how Morty feels like every present Jerry ever gives him is the greatest of all time. Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Watch”. Send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. Follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 5, “The Wallet.”
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Watch”. Send in your questions by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. Follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Pitch & The Ticket | Episodes 43 & 44 Recap Podcast
Mar 29, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episodes 3 & 4, “The Pitch” and “The Ticket.”
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur aren’t getting Ted Danson money, but they are ready for a second double recap in as many weeks as they continue on covering the Seinfeld series. This time, they’ll break down “The Pitch” and “The Ticket”, which both first aired September 16, 1992 as part of season four.
Akiva shared some Seinfeld news before delving into the episode. There was an article in the New York Post about another lost episode that was pulled by NBC for some jokes about race that were deemed controversial.
Jerry’s opening standup was a bit about Colonial Williamsburg that Rob noted had nothing to do with the episode premise. The episode opens at a comedy club with Jerry and George talking about toilet paper in historical times. As they are talking, two executives from NBC approach Jerry about their interest in having him develop a sitcom.
The next day, George is suggesting several ideas to Jerry for what the show could be, like Jerry as a gymnastics coach or an antique store owner. Kramer suggests he do a show about circus freaks. Newman comes in to trade his helmet for Kramer’s radar detector. When Jerry points out that Kramer is getting the short end of the deal, Kramer tells Jerry the detector didn’t work anyway.
Jerry and George go to Monks, still discussing ideas for the show. During a random conversation about salsa, it occurs to George that this type of mundane talking should be the premise of his show, a show about nothing. George thinks there could be characters based on them, Kramer and Elaine. At first Jerry’s not buying it, but starts to warm to the idea as the discussion unfolds. When Jerry talks with Kramer about the idea, Kramer balks, saying he’d only approve a Kramer character if he can play himself. Rob and Akiva mentioned how the real life Kramer must have felt apprehensive about a character based on him since they referred to Kramer as Kessler in the pilot episode.
While talking about the show idea, Newman comes in and tells Kramer the radar detector didn’t work and he got a ticket, and now he’ll have bad karma for trading a worthless item. Jerry and George are waiting In the lobby at NBC, and George starts to get very nervous for the impending meeting. While they are waiting, Jerry notices “Crazy” Joe Devola in the hallway. During an awkward conversation, Jerry accidentally mentions Kramer’s party, learning that Devola wasn’t actually invited.
At the pitch meeting, things are going well. George makes up that he wrote La Cosina as a way to prove that he belongs there. Jerry doesn’t miss the opportunity to further inquire about this, throwing him under the bus. As Jerry describes their idea to the executives, George takes over the conversation, turning belligerent about the “nothing” idea when they question it. Back at Monks, Jerry lays into George about how it would take a team of psychiatrists to fix whatever is wrong with him. As an aside, George mentions how he found the woman executive Susan attractive, further incensing Jerry.
The next scene is Elaine in Europe with her psychiatrist/boyfriend, who is thinking about a patient (Joe Devola) who might be without his medication. Akiva mentioned how these scenes with Elaine were thrown in since Julia Louis-Dreyfus was on hiatus for maternity leave. Back at Jerry’s apartment, Jerry tells Kramer about his slip to Devola, instantly alarming Kramer. George comes in with Susan, who is almost immediately thrown up on by Kramer after he drank expired milk.
At Monks, Jerry and George are discussing how the show must be dead now that Kramer has thrown up on Susan. Kramer comes in wearing the helmet, which has a dent in it. He shares how Crazy Joe Devola ran up and kicked him in the head saying “that’s what I think of your party”. Kramer tells Jerry that Devola said Jerry’s next. The end of “The Pitch” is a standup bit from Jerry about how there is no greeting card to apologize for throwing up on someone. Rob and Akiva debated the etiquette in how long to keep a greeting card after getting one.
“The Ticket” begins with Jerry in his apartment, and Kramer walks in with one pant leg off. George comes in and hands Kramer a dry cleaning bill for throwing up on Susan. Kramer yells out “Yo Yo Ma”, then answers the phone in Italian, prompting Jerry to make him go to the doctor for the kick to the head. The phone call was from NBC, who wants a follow up meeting.
As Jerry and George are on their way to NBC, Jerry notices his watch isn’t working, so he throws it in the garbage. As he does this, Uncle Leo walks up to them with a long story that Jerry has to cut off to make the meeting. As Leo walks away, he notices the watch in the garbage and puts it on. Meanwhile, Newman is going over the cover story with Kramer for fighting the ticket he received, since Newman told the cop that he was racing home to save his friend that was going to commit suicide.
At the NBC offices, George is panicking because he didn’t shave that day, while Jerry is worried about Uncle Leo telling his parents how he blew him off. Newman and Kramer are coming up with ideas as to why Kramer was going to kill himself, deciding that he was distraught because he couldn’t become a banker. The scene cuts to Jerry and George in the meeting, where George tells the executives that without a good story, the show would amount to the equivalent of masturbation.
In the next scene, Newman and Kramer are in court fighting the ticket. Rob shared that he feels Newman is the one character on the show that embraces that he’s a bad person, where the main four characters at least try to pretend that they have good intentions. Back at the meeting, Russell, the main executive, is asking to see a copy of La Cosina, but George makes up a story about how it was lost in a move. Russell tells them that they want to go ahead with the show, all thanks to Susan’s encouragement.
As they leave the meeting, Jerry is told that he has a phone call, which turns out to be his mother calling to yell at him for being rude to Uncle Leo. Susan comes out of the room to congratulate them, and George offers her the money for the dry cleaning. When she takes the money, George can’t believe it, thinking she should have declined. In the next scene at Monks, they learn that NBC’s offer is $13,000, well below the $50,000 that George was thinking they’d be offered, insulted further since it isn’t close to Ted Danson money. Rob and Akiva thought that $13,000 might be a bit low nowadays, but even an offer of zero up front would be acceptable at the thought of getting a show on the air.
Still at the coffee shop, Jerry thinks he sees Joe Devola outside waiting for them. He notices a police officer at the counter, and asks him to escort him out to a cab. The cop wanted to grab a muffin first, but Jerry notices him ordering a sandwich off the menu instead. Both Jerry and George point out separately that a muffin could be very filling.
Back in court with Newman and Kramer, Kramer is on the witness stand recounting his story. When he starts to butcher the story, Newman goes far out of his way to lead Kramer through the lie, though it fails miserably, and the judge orders Newman to pay the $75. Still waiting for the cop at Monks, Jerry is getting more agitated, and calls him out when the cop orders coffee after the sandwich. Newman and Kramer come in after court, and the cop who Jerry was waiting for goes right out and writes Newman a parking ticket. The episode wraps up with a standup bit about going to traffic school.
In 2015, a few things would be different in this episode. Akiva felt that the psychiatrist would be able to call in Joe Devola’s prescription from Europe with no problem, and Kramer’s concussion would have been treated more seriously. He also noted earlier in the episode that the term “gypped” wouldn’t be used today.
Akiva ranked each of these episodes separately. They both felt “The Pitch” was a better episode than “The Ticket”. He gave “The Pitch” a ranking of 51, and “The Ticket” a ranking of 78.
There were a few emails for this week’s podcast. David Allen wrote in to share that state troopers where he is from bring their squad cars home with them. Johnny De Silveira wanted to explain the carts at the airport. They are mostly used for the elderly or handicapped, where true VIPs have other advantages for getting to the gate quickly. He asked why they didn’t give Crazy Joe Devola a middle name like most serial killers, but Akiva pointed out that Joe can be his middle name and Crazy his first. Johnny also pointed out that the inflation calculator would have Newman’s $75 ticket at $124.93, and Susan’s dry cleaning bill would be $30.93. Chester emailed to point out how Kramer and John McEnroe are both interested in freaks, and how ironic it is for George to talk about the characters in the show reading when he famously only reads Mike Lupica columns.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Wallet”. Though this episode and the following “The Watch” are also a two-part arch, they decided to do them separately since there is a lot to cover in each. Send in your questions by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. Follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Seinfeld: The Trip | Episode 41 Recap Podcast
Mar 22, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 4, Episode 1, “The Trip”.
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Rob Cesternino’s trip to New York is over, but he and Akiva Wienerkur are buckled in and ready for their trip through Seinfeld’s season four. This week, they’ll talk about the two part season premiere, “The Trip”, which first aired August 12 and 19, 1992, and was written by Larry Charles. Akiva shared that the early start to the seasonwas due to NBC running the summer Olympics in Barcelona, and needed to have some big premieres directly after it to capitalize on advertising.
There were two bits of current news in the Seinfeld universe. First, Roger McDowell, the alleged second spitter in “The Boyfriend”, recently told a reporter he still gets a check for $13.52 every time the episode airs. Also, the rights to Seinfeld are being shopped to Yahoo, Amazon and Hulu, and the bidding is rumored to be north of 90 million dollars.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about people moving across the country. The episode opens with Jerry and George at the coffee shop where George reveals that he knew Kramer was going to Los Angeles, but actually kept it a secret. Jerry invites George to LA with him when he goes for his The Tonight Show appearance, thinking they can track down Kramer while there. Rob noted that George’s complicated preparation process for the trip was a bit broad and unlike George.
Kramer is in LA, and we see him mentoring a group of young actors when a security guard promptly throws him off the set for loitering. He heads back to his rundown apartment and has a conversation with his washed up actress neighbor, who wants to go have frozen yogurt with him sometime. In the next scene, some LA police officers are investigating a murder scene. Akiva pointed out that one of the cops would later go on to play Jake Jarmel in “The Opposite”. At the airport, Jerry and George have trouble getting through the security line, with Jerry repeatedly setting off the metal detectors and George carrying a big bottle of moisturizer.
There is another Jerry standup, this time a bit about how the people riding in the carts at the airport are the closest thing this country has to royalty. In the next scene, Kramer is at an audition, where they are casting for four different jobs, a horror movie, an infomercial, a rock video and an exercise tape. Kramer meets a woman named Chelsea at this audition and they go out to coffee, where he shows her the treatment he wrote called “The Keys”, hoping she can pass it along to her manager. While at the coffee shop he notices Fred Savage, and has an awkward interaction that prompts Fred to run out of the place to avoid further conversation. Akiva shared a fun fact that the woman playing Chelsea now runs a celebrity Pilates class.
Jerry and George are in their hotel room in LA, with Jerry on the phone trying to track down Kramer. Rob wondered who Jerry was talking to, whether it was the Murphy Brown production staff or the police. Meanwhile, George is having a long conversation with Lupe the chambermaid about making sure the bed sheets are not tucked. Jerry asks her if she noticed a crumpled piece of paper on the night stand, since he crafted one of his jokes for The Tonight Show on it, but she had thrown it away. After she leaves, George defends Lupe when Jerry gets upset about her throwing the paper away. Akiva felt Lupe couldn’t possibly know to keep a crumpled up piece of paper when her job is to clean the room.
In the next scene, the cops are investigating another murder, and we see that it’s Kramer’s new friend Chelsea. While searching the scene, one of the officers finds Kramer’s “The Keys” treatment “on her person”. At The Tonight Show, George has conversations with Corbin Bernsen and George Wendt about some ideas he has for their respective shows. When they have their interviews, they both comment how there are always “whack jobs” coming to them with dumb ideas for the show. The scene cuts back and forth from the TV interviews to the police interviewing Kramer’s neighbor and the burnout who he hitched a ride from in the last episode. Rob and Akiva both enjoyed the callback of this character from last season’s finale.
Jerry performs his act on the show, and struggles mightily with the wording of his bit because Lupe threw out his paper he used to craft it. As they are leaving the set, they see a news report citing Kramer as the prime suspect for the recent murder spree.
There is a Jerry standup bit where he talks about the chalk outline drawer on the police force. Back to the episode, Jerry and George decide to call the police to profess his innocence. Rob noted that the mundane conversation they have about bad breath and spare change are always his favorite parts of the show. The detectives send a car to pick them up, and on their way back to the precinct, the cops arrest a man, played by Clint Howard, and throw him in the back with Jerry and George. The arrested man carries on some conversation with them, offering them insight on what to tip a chambermaid.
They talk to Kramer when they get to the station, and he’s not aware of the seriousness of the situation. After a short time, the police let Kramer go since someone else was murdered while he was in custody. The three are all talking outside after being released, trying to convince Kramer to come back to New York, though he still has “the bug” and wants to stay. Back at the hotel, we see George struggling to get the sheets free as Lupe had forgotten to leave them untucked.
The final scene is George and Jerry back in New York, and Kramer inexplicably walks in like nothing has changed. Jerry and Kramer toss each other their spare keys, with everything essentially back to normal. The episode ends with a news clip showing that the serial killer turned out to be the man that George and Jerry rode in the cop car with.
Akiva ranked this two part episode as one, and though he did like it, he thought it lacked a ton of laughs, so he ultimately put it at 110. When discussing what about this episode would be different in 2015, they concurred that a cell phone would make this whole premise unnecessary, and the TSA would have never allowed Jerry and George on the plane.
There were a few emails for this episode. Amir commented how excited he was for the great season four to start. He also pointed out how glib they all were about such dark things like murder. Next, Johnny De Silveira wondered if Akiva has ever lived outside of New York, but Akiva wasn’t giving up that info. Chester asked what they prefer in a hotel bed, tucked or untucked. He also wondered why the LAPD would bring the aging actress and burnout in for questioning and not just apprehend Kramer first. Rob and Akiva furthered that thought by adding why they wouldn’t just ask his neighbor where Kramer lives. Lastly Chester questioned the timeline of all the events that happened in the episode, and how it was to all happen in just one day.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Pitch”. Since “The Pitch” is a two part episode along with “The Ticket” that follows, Rob asked the listeners if they’d prefer to cover both in one podcast, or split them up. Email your suggestions on this and of course send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. Follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap!
Seinfeld: Hiatus | Thursday Night Must See TV Recap Podcast
Mar 19, 2015
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Before heading into the 4th season of Seinfeld, Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur rank the 11 shows that aired on Thursday nights on NBC with Seinfeld and Friends, as well as Akiva’s 31 favorite cereals.
Before delving into Seinfeld‘s season four, Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur devoted this episode to some of Akiva’s rankings. First, the guys go through and rank 11 of the short lived sitcoms that called theThursday time slots surrounding Friends and Seinfeld home. And because of overwhelming requests on Twitter, Akiva will give a quick ranking of his 31 favorite cereals.
There were many sitcoms that NBC trotted out for their Must See TVThursday juggernaut. Though many of these shows brought in over 20 million viewers, most of them saw ratings drop drastically after they were given the opportunity to carry a different night on the schedule.
The shows discussed were:
Madman of the People, airing 16 episodes from 1994-1995.
The Single Guy, airing 43 episodes from 1995-1997.
Caroline in the City, airing 97 episodes from 1995-2000.
Hope and Gloria, airing 35 episodes from 1995-1996
Boston Common, airing 32 episodes from 1996-1997
Suddenly Susan, airing 93 episodes from 1996-2000
The Naked Truth, airing 51 episodes from 1995-1998
Just Shoot Me, airing 149 episodes from 1997-2003
Fired Up, airing 28 episodes from 1997-1998
Union Square, airing 14 episodes from 1997-1998
Veronica’s Closet, airing 65 episodes from 1997-2000
Akiva spent the last ten minutes of the podcast giving a rapid fire order of his favorite cereals. Because he doesn’t eat chocolate, some classics like Coco Puffs and Coco Pebbles didn’t crack the list. Lucky Charms isn’t kosher, so it won’t make the list, though Rob felt that it should make no one’s list. A few notables were Life, Berry Berry Kix, Rice Crispies, Wheaties, Apple Jacks, and Raisin Bran.
There was a fast turnaround to the recap of season four’s first episode “The Trip”, as it’s available now at postshowrecaps.com. Email your suggestions on this and of course send in your questions by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. Follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
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Seinfeld: The Keys | Episode 40 Recap Podcast
Mar 08, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 3, Episode 23, “The Keys”.
Seinfeld: The Parking Space | Episode 39 Recap Podcast
Mar 01, 2015
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 3, Episode 22, “The Parking Space”.
A pack of wild teenagers chasing them down didn’t stop Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur from getting together to recap the next episode in the Seinfeld series. This week, they break down “The Parking Space”, which first aired April 22, 1992 as the penultimate episode of season three. It was written by Larry David and Greg Daniels. Daniels is a legendary comedy writer, most famous for The Office, Parks and Recreation, The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live.
Akiva had a bit of news, some Seinfeld related and some not. First, he shared his disappointment in the passing of Harris Wittels, a podcaster, writer and comedian who was a part of some groundbreaking shows. Next he had a story about the defendant in the murder trial of the American Sniper who claimed an insanity defense that the prosecutor tried to prove was crafted from watching his favorite television shows, one being Seinfeld. Lastly, a viewer discovered that reruns of Seinfeld on TBS move 2.5% faster to add in more commercial time.
The show opens with a classic Jerry bit comparing compact parking spaces to jeans that are too tight. The episode starts with Jerry and Kramer talking about where Jerry’s car is. Kramer can’t let it go when Jerry teases him about not telling him, actually begging Jerry to tell him. When he learns that George and Elaine took it to a flea market, Kramer is offended that he wasn’t invited.
George and Elaine are driving Jerry’s car, with George wearing a new fedora hat he bought at the flea market. He and Elaine discuss how great it was in the 1920s when men wore hats all the time. Akiva felt that women today would probably prefer just to see a bald head, versus wondering if a hat is covering baldness. When Elaine moves the rearview mirror to look at her sunglasses, it distracts George, and he runs over a pothole, causing the car to now make a strange noise.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, Kramer is still upset about being left out, and explains to Jerry that once someone crosses him, he’s like ice. We learn that Mike (Moffit according to Wikipedia) was coming over to watch a boxing match. Kramer shares that Mike thinks Jerry is a phony, which really bothers Jerry. Rob thought that Kramer shared this merely because he’s a big gossip, and that George should be considered more of a phony than Jerry.
Elaine and George pull up to a great spot in front of Jerry’s building. He spends way too much time pontificating the art of parallel parking that someone noses into the parking spot at the same time as he starts to back in. When he gets out to argue, we see that the driver who went in head first is Mike Moffit.
When Elaine goes up to tell Jerry what is going on, she acts flustered, asking for some Hennigans to calm her nerves. She makes up this elaborate story about being chased by teenagers all the way into the city, then at the end, tells him they hit a pothole and now there is a funny sound. So blown away from the story, Jerry pays no mind to the car hitting the pothole.
Jerry, Elaine and Kramer join George and Mike down on the street, where neither is backing down from claiming the spot. When Mike sees Jerry, his greeting is way over the top. Rob pointed out that Mike was the real phony here. Elaine tells George that the plan worked, and Jerry isn’t worried about the car. Kramer confronts them about not inviting him to the flea market, to which George asks if he’s supposed to invite everyone he knows every time him goes somewhere. Mike interjects with a rude comment about George’s hat. Akiva said that Mike should definitely be in the top five “jerks” of Seinfeld sub characters.
Jerry starts talking to Elaine and George about the wild teenagers, uncovering the holes in the story, to which George caves and tells the truth. As the debate about the parking spot continues unresolved, a big truck full of ice cream is trying to get through, causing neutral parties to have to move each car out, then back to their original spots after the truck gets through. Many onlookers, including Newman and Sid the parker weigh in with their opinions on who deserves the spot. Newman favors George’s approach, and in their discussion, notices George’s hat and wants to try it on. Because George is talking to a beautiful woman and doesn’t want her to see his bald head, he refuses. This turns the woman off, and she walks away.
Not able to help himself, Jerry confronts Mike about calling him a phony. Mike tries to play it off by saying he meant phony as a positive, like how people say something good is “bad”. Realizing that the boxing match has started, Jerry runs up to the apartment, only to see that the fight has ended. Rob and Akiva assumed because the fight ended, Mike just went home, so George got the parking space. The episode ends with some Jerry standup about parking spaces.
There wasn’t much that would change about the episode if it took place in 2015. Akiva felt this episode was harmless, yet it didn’t have any impact lines. He ranked it at 146 on his list, based on how much better other episodes in this stretch have been.
There were a few listener emails this week. Gopal emailed for the first time, wanting to express how great the podcast is. Amir shared a story about being heckled at a Phillies game, embarrassing a homophobe who called them gay for wearing Mets gear. Amir also pointed out that the mother and son in the crowd this episode will be in “The Non-Fat Yogurt”. Johnny De Silveira wrote in to say that he would pull in head first. He also wondered if there is really free parking available in New York City, since there is none in the city of Vancouver. Akiva confirmed that there aren’t too many metered spots in the city. Lastly, Chester wanted to know why George would let Elaine come up with the lie, when she is admittedly bad at it, and his life is a lie. Akiva felt that because all of these people are such big liars, their lie detectors aren’t up to par. Rob felt that Elaine had little to do with the storyline, so it was written for her to concoct it.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap the season three finale, “The Keys”, where Kramer will head to Los Angeles after Jerry takes his spare keys away due to abuse. Rob wanted the listeners to decide if they should do a “one-off” episode in between season three and four, or go right from one to the next. Email your suggestions on this and of course send in your questions by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes where you can rate and review the podcast. Follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for writing this week’s episode recap
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur got together for another Seinfeld recap, this time, covering “The Limo”, which first aired on February 26, 1992. There was little news to cover, but Akiva did share that Montreal Expos fans were not happy with how he thought of the team when he and Rob discussed Gary Carter last week.
Jerry’s opening standup was about how the airport is a reason for a restaurant to charge exuberant amounts. Rob and Akiva both are leery of buying any food at the airport, and not just because of the price. The episode begins with Jerry at the airport waiting for George to pick him up, though his car broke down and now they both need a ride. They notice a limo driver holding a sign for “O’Brien”, who Jerry learned is stuck in Chicago. George talks Jerry into pretending to be O’Brien so they can take the cab home. Akiva liked this plan, assuming the person isn’t as controversial as O’Brien.
When in the limo, George says something inappropriate to test if the driver can hear them. Rob wondered why George didn’t just ask the driver to stop at McDonalds or something, rather than risk getting punched for his rude comment. After George calls his mother on the phone there, Jerry calls Elaine to invite her and Kramer with them, since they think they are going to the Knicks game.
When the driver pulls off an unexpected exit, they learn that they are picking up the “other members of their party”, Eva and Tim. Jerry and George panic, and decide that George will hide his face until they figure out if the other two know what he looks like. When they learn that they don’t, George pretends to wake up from a nap. Rob pointed out that the actor playing Tim is Peter Krause, from Parenthood and Six Feet Under fame. While talking, all they learn that O’Brien is the writer of a book called The Big Game.
Kramer and Elaine are waiting to be picked up by the limo, talking about how strange it is that they want to be called O’Brien and Murphy. Rob felt that these scenes with Kramer and Elaine outside were a bit clunky. The episode is broken up by some standup from Jerry about riding in limos. Akiva had a story about riding in a limo when he got engaged to his wife. Back to the episode , Eva is talking about how she memorized O’Brien’s whole book, and how it had such an impact on her life. Jerry and George learn that O’Brien is supposed to be giving a speech tonight. When Eva shows him the transcript, they learn that O’Brien is a leader in the world of white supremacy.
When a tire blows in the limo, Tim and Eva pull out guns, thinking that someone is trying to infiltrate. Rob was not on board with this scene, being that Seinfeld is supposed to be a show about nothing, and this was too heavy. The scene cuts to a news reporter with protestors waiting outside Madison Square Garden for O’Brien. Akiva shared that he’s been to many protests while in high school.
Back in the limo, George is getting into the idea that Eva worships him, and Jerry has to remind him that she’s a Nazi. They want to make a run for it, but George has a bad hamstring and can’t. He decides he’ll call the police, but Tim comes back in, foiling that plan. When George asks Tim for privacy, Tim says they have to get to the speech. George arrogantly reminds Tim that he is a leader of hate mongering, and deserves respect. Rob thought this was the funniest moment of the episode. Jerry and George decide that once they get into the city, they’ll make a run for it when there’s people around.
Kramer comes to the conclusion that Jerry is actually this Nazi O’Brien, and Elaine comes to Jerry’s defense. Rob felt Elaine standing up for Jerry so vehemently meant that she must still be in love with him. When the limo picks them up, Kramer accidentally calls them by the opposite name. Kramer picks up the ringing phone, which turns out to be O’Brien himself, which unravels the whole story. When Tim and Eva point guns at them, they all try to blame each other. When forced out of the limo, the protestors rush them. The episode ends with a news clip of George exclaiming he is not O’Brien. Jerry’s last standup is about how there must have been an official and a casual heil.
Before getting to the emails, Rob shared that they had a special guest, Marc Jaffe, the writer who came up with the original idea and outline of the episode. Marc shared that he used to be a standup comedian, and reached out to Jerry after watching the first few episodes of the show, knowing it was a perfect fit. Akiva had learned that Marc’s wife was a Moyle, and wondered if the Seinfeld episode was based on that. She had become one after that though.
Rob next asked about his book Sleeping With Your Gynecologist, which was about his wife and other Ob-Gyns’ interesting stories. Before signing off, Marc shared a story about how Larry David was visiting his hometown Cleveland to take part in the John Kerry campaign, that Marc was also a part of. When it came time to pick up Larry from the airport, everyone thought Marc could do it since they knew each other. When Marc waited for him at the airport, he held a sign saying O’Brien, getting a big laugh from Larry.
In analyzing if this episode could take place in 2015, Akiva felt this one more than any other could not. O’Brien would have been seen by a simple Google search, and he would have had a cell phone to get in touch with the limo driver, Eva or Tim after he missed the flight. Akiva thought this was a tough one to rank, since it was memorable, but not quite the caliber of “The Boyfriend”. He ranked it at 48. Rob thought it was worse than that, but knew that his opinion is in the minority.
There were a few emails to go through for this episode. Chelsea had a question about last week’s episode, asking if they would ever tell off an athlete for poor performance. Akiva said he wouldn’t heckle a player, while Rob agreed. Both thought they might boo, but only if for a poor effort. Darren wanted to share his thoughts about handshakes, ending his comment with kudos to them both for putting out a great show.
Johnny De Silveira clarified his sports rooting that the guys commented on last week, adamantly claiming he is not a bandwagon jumper, just adopted some teams later in life. He asked if O’Brien was based on the white supremacist David Duke. Akiva thought since Duke was mentioned in the show, that he assumes yes. Susie wrote in to share how much she enjoyed seeing Larry David on Comedians With Cars Getting Coffee.
Travis wanted the guys to rank the Kramer physical comedy thus far. Akiva thought that Kramer’s imitation of Michael Jordan’s dunk was third best, pouring the cement in the washing machine was second, and riding the horse at the OTB was the best. Chester suggested a derogatory hash tag that the guys turned down, and he had a few comments about some inconsistencies from the episode.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Good Samaritan”, which was the one episode directed by Jason Alexander. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes, where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get your questions to the guys by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com , and follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur sat down to recap the next episode as they go through the entire Seinfeld series. “The Fix Up” first aired during the third season on February 5, 1992. Rob and Akiva disagreed with how good the episode was, with Akiva feeling it wasn’t that good, while Rob has always really liked it. The only bit of current news in the Seinfeld universe was an all time sitcom episode ranking, with “The Chinese Restaurant” topping the list. Akiva was blown away by this, considering he had it at 79. Akiva did share how he recently attended a Shiva, which reminded him of something out of Seinfeld.
The opening standup from Jerry is a piece about a conductor at a symphony, which had nothing to do with the episode itself. Rob noted that Jerry was dressed in vest and collared shirt, but not a suit jacket. The episode opens with Jerry and George eating at a restaurant, with George sharing how he thinks he’ll never meet a woman. Also, Elaine is having dinner with her friend Cynthia at a different restaurant, and Cynthia is bemoaning never meeting a good man, and she’s looking for one who has nothing. Cynthia is the actress better known for her role as Janice on Friends. Back to George, he shares that he wants to be hopeless, so he won’t care anymore. Rob likened this philosophy to that Jets fans should have, leading to a number one draft pick.
In the next scene, Jerry and Elaine talk about their respective dinners, both realizing that they could fix up their sad sack friends with each other. Rob and Akiva discussed how they both have set people up, with Rob having success, and Akiva having an 0 for 4 record. The one hiccup that Jerry and Elaine have is that Elaine thinks Cynthia is too good for George, which causes Jerry to uncharacteristically defend him. He tells her how George is fast, strong, and he can bait a hook to help sell him. They agree to set them up, both fully knowing that it will probably end in disaster.
When Jerry talks with George about this fix up, George is not on board at first, thinking it’s one step above a prostitute. George hears him out though, but not without asking an array of questions about her physical appearance first. When Elaine tries to sell Cynthia on George, she first asks what he does for a living, learning that George is currently unemployed. After hearing that George is short, stalky and bald(ing), she still agrees to go out with him.
Later, George shows up at Jerry’s apartment, excited about his phone conversation with Cynthia, adding that he didn’t even need his notes halfway through. Elaine comes in, and George wonders if Cynthia talked told her about their conversation. When he learns Cynthia didn’t say anything, he is disappointed, ready to scrap the whole thing. Kramer comes in with a paper bag full of condoms from Bob Sacamano. Rob enjoyed Kramer’s devilish smile when Jerry asked what he plans to do with all of them. He tries to push the condoms on them, but Jerry and Elaine decline. George decides to take one, just in case.
There is a mid episode standup bit about how difficult it is to buy condoms at the pharmacy. According to Rob, this was a very outdated reference. Back to the episode, Jerry and Elaine are talking, wondering how George and Cynthia’s date went. They both receive calls at the same time, so they switch over to hear the details of the date. They both share that they ended up having sex, with George quite happy about it all, and Cynthia not so much. The next scene is with Jerry and Elaine on the phone, but they can’t share their details, as they both promised they wouldn’t.
A few days later, George is upset because Cynthia won’t return his calls, feeling like she was just using him. Akiva and Rob wondered why, concluding that she was probably embarrassed from sleeping with him on the first date. Jerry is upset with this snubbing, and is going to call her up. George tries to wrestle the phone away, and while tussling, Kramer comes in and breaks it up, making them shake hands. Rob particularly enjoyed this scene for it’s inane fun. Before he leaves, Kramer warns them not to use the condoms he gave them because they were defective.
In the next scene, Cynthia is on the phone with Elaine, explaining that she missed her period. When Elaine shows up at Jerry’s, he immediate gets on her case about Cynthia blowing off George, which causes a slap fight between the two that Kramer comes in and breaks up. He tells them that they shouldn’t be doing this, and it’s obvious that they still love each other. Elaine blurts out that Cynthia didn’t call because she’s panicking for missing her period. She doesn’t realize that George walked in at that moment, but his reaction is not fear, but jubilation, exclaiming that his “boys can swim”.
Out at dinner, Cynthia is telling Elaine how great George was about it all, much to Elaine’s surprise. When Jerry and George meet them, all is very fun and flirty with Cynthia and George, but it all changed when she saw him eating like a slob. The final standup is a bit about setting people up, which Rob and Akiva felt was pretty weak.
When talking about where the episode ranks, Rob points out that this episode won the show it’s first Emmy for best writing, with Jerry actually presenting the award. Akiva still wasn’t high on it, and ultimately ranked it at 136. He originally had it at 144, but after the recap decided to move it up.
There were only a couple of emails. Chester emailed how he felt it was a terrible episode. He wondered why it was such a big deal to set people up on a date. Akiva thought that it’s not that out of bounds to get fixed up, even nowadays, though with social media, there are much easier ways. Johnny De Silveira wondered if Rob and Akiva have been fixed up. Akiva had never been on a date with anyone but his wife, while Rob was once fixed up, but didn’t enjoy it. Johnny also wondered why balding men get such a bad rap. Akiva is not sure why, but as a balding man himself, he’d like to put a stop to it.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Boyfriend”, a two-part episode that they’ll recap in one podcast. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes, where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get your questions to the guys by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com , and follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur didn’t need to fast for three days, so they got some Drake’s coffee cake and sat down to discuss the latest episode in their run through the entire Seinfeld series. This week’s episode was “The Suicide”, which first aired January 29, 1992.
There was only some sad news in the Seinfeld universe this week, as Taylor Negron, a recognizable character actor and a guest star in “The Smelly Car”, died from cancer. Rob and Akiva both felt it was time to come up with a nicer phrase than “fun fact” for actors who have passed away, and will now go with “visiting the alternate side” or “eating at Reggie’s Diner”.
They wasted no time jumping right into the episode. Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about having a physical that loosely tied into the Elaine storyline of the episode. The episode opens with Jerry walking his garbage down the hallway, where he sees George, and promptly asks him to take the garbage down for him. George quickly says he’ll do it, but for two bucks. When George won’t take 50 cents for the job, Jerry leaves the garbage bag at Kramer’s door. Before going back in Jerry’s apartment, the girlfriend of Jerry’s other neighbor comes out, leading to a flirting exchange about Drake’s coffee cake. When her boyfriend comes out, he seems very annoyed that Jerry is talking to his girlfriend Gina.
George shares that he’s going on vacation to the Cayman Islands, even though he has no job. He also tells Jerry about a dream he had where he was doing standup. After describing the dream in great detail, Elaine suggests that George go to a psychic she knows to help interpret it. Elaine meanwhile, is having to fast for the next three days for a test to determine if she has ulcers. There is a knock at Jerry’s door, and it’s Gina, who tells them that her boyfriend Martin has tried to kill himself and is in the hospital.
The next scene is Jerry with Gina at the hospital visiting Martin, who’s in a coma. Gina shares with Jerry that Martin was jealous of Jerry, and for good reason because she thinks about Jerry a lot. Throughout the visit, she tries to hook up with him right in front of Martin in the coma. Rob felt that Gina is a drama seeker, trying to get caught for the excitement of it. When Jerry resists her passes, she questions his manhood, but he “respects the coma”, and won’t do it.
When Kramer learns Martin is in a coma, he is worried because Martin has his vacuum. He goes as far to suggest that it should be Dr. Kevorkian time for Martin. Rob and Akiva discussed how the loose talk about suicide throughout the episode might not be so politically correct in 2015.
In the next scene, George and Elaine are at the psychic’s house. She is nine month’s pregnant and smoking cigarettes, which Elaine takes issue with. The psychic intrigues George by knowing about George’s ex girlfriend Audrey and her nose. Because of this, George is worried when she shares a vision of trouble for him on his upcoming vacation. Elaine can’t let go the fact this pregnant psychic is smoking, which causes them to be kicked out before George can find out what will go wrong on his trip.
There is another Jerry standup bit mid episode about psychics. Akiva and Rob take some time to talk about psychics getting official licenses, and how that might help their validity. Back to the episode, Gina is in Jerry’s apartment, where she has used his toothbrush. Akiva was certain that the germ freak Jerry would be throwing that toothbrush out right away.
As Jerry and Gina go to leave, he is worried to walk together, since Newman, who is friend’s with Martin, might spot them and spill the story. She again questions his manhood, so they walk out together, only to bump into Newman coming out of Kramer’s apartment. The first interaction with Jerry and Newman has the classic, “hello Jerry, hello Newman”. Akiva remarked that the Newman character burst on the Seinfeld scene fully formed.
Jerry, George and Elaine are all at the hospital again. George is still fretting about the Cayman Islands trip, and Elaine is increasingly going crazy from fasting for three days. Kramer and Newman are in Martin’s room, and Kramer gets in Martin’s face, yelling at him for his vacuum back, even though Martin is still in a coma. When Jerry comes in, he tries to convince Newman to not say anything about he and Gina. He had even brought an extra coffee cake to bribe Newman with. When the starved Elaine steals the coffee cake from Newman, the ruckus wakes up Martin, and Newman gives up Jerry.
Still at the hospital, George notices the psychic in the delivery room when walking down the hall, so he follows her to try and find out about the trouble on his trip, but he doesn’t get an answer. In the next scene back at Jerry’s apartment, George shares how he had to help deliver the psychic’s baby. Kramer comes in, fresh from his trip to the Cayman Islands, where he shares that Sports Illustrated was shooting the swimsuit issue at his hotel. He did step on a jellyfish, which George assumes was the bad thing that could have happened to him while there.
Jerry’s final standup is a bit about how people who try suicide and fail should keep trying, so they’ll be successful at something. Rob felt that Jerry wouldn’t do this joke nowadays, considering it very flip and dark.
If this episode took place in 2015, there would only be a few differences. Rob felt that the pregnant smoking psychic would generate a lot more ire, while Akiva felt that George would ask for more than two dollars to take out the trash.
Akiva didn’t hold this episode in high regard, as he placed it at 151 on his list, between “The Tape” and “The Jacket”. Both Rob and Akiva agreed it was a weak episode, but the introduction of Newman was a bit of a saving grace.
There were a few emails this week. Johnny De Silveira was back and asked Rob and Akiva if they ever dreamt anything that later came true. Akiva had a class where he was supposed to document his dreams, but he’s fairly certain he blew off the assignment, so he can’t be sure.
Mark emailed wondering why Martin and Gina would invite Jerry to their housewarming party at the end of the episode, since Jerry made out with Gina while Martin was in a coma. Akiva and Rob both agreed this was a bad idea.
Chester wants to know why Jerry didn’t make a Yom Kippur joke when Elaine asked him about fasting. Akiva assumed that it was probably due to NBC always trying to make the show “less Jewish”. He also wanted to know why Elaine the vegetarian would be dreaming about eating duck. Akiva felt that while fasting, anyone would bend any boundary just to eat.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Fix Up”, which they are both excited for. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes, where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get your questions to the guys by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com , and follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26
Thanks again to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap
Despite their addiction to recapping the whole Seinfeld series, Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur trudge on and will not need an intervention before recapping “The Pez Dispenser”. This was the 14th episode of the third season, first airing on January 15, 1992. Rob was particularly happy with this one, while Akiva referred to it, as well as the next several upcoming episodes as interchangeable with ones from any future season.
There was a bit of current news in the Seinfeld universe, with Howard Stern interviewing Larry David about his upcoming Broadway play, as well as all things Seinfeld. Akiva reported that there was no new information divulged, actually covering much of the topics in the Bill Simmons interview.
Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about how women apply perfume. Rob found it different that Jerry was not wearing a suit jacket, but a sweater vest on stage. The first scene at Jerry’s apartment, has George going on about how great his new girlfriend Noel is. He does have issues with having no “hand” in the relationship. Rob and Akiva both shared that they don’t have “hand” in their marriages. George asks Jerry to go to her next piano recital in order to show Noel how he is around his friends, in hopes of taking back the hand in the relationship.
Kramer comes in asking everyone to smell his arm, which smells like the beach after his polar bear plunge. He is infatuated with the smell, thinking it would make an excellent perfume. Rob and Akiva both agreed that taking the polar bear plunge is an exercise for crazy people. Kramer then gives Jerry a Pez dispenser, which he picked up at a flea market. They tease George because he thinks a flea market actually has fleas there.
At the recital, George warns Elaine and Jerry about behaving themselves and what the right etiquette is for things like applauding. Akiva shared a story about an excruciating time at a piano recital when he was younger that was in his bottom ten life experiences. When the recital starts, Jerry puts the Pez dispenser on Elaine’s leg, which causes her to laugh uncontrollably, much to George’s chagrin. Rob likened the scenario to being at a somber place like church, where laughing is discouraged.
Having to step outside to regroup, Elaine bumps into John, a bartender from one of Jerry’s comedy clubs. They talk about a mutual comedian friend Richie, who is hooked on drugs and in need of an intervention. John says that it would only work if Jerry were there, because Richie really respects him.
When the concert ends, all three are outside of Noel’s dressing room, where George is upset at Elaine’s disruption. Elaine shares her encounter with John to Jerry, but George wants them to “cut to the chase”, since he has this Noel situation to deal with. Jerry agrees to host the intervention after hearing the story.
When they go into Noel’s dressing room, she is distraught about the laughing during the recital, feeling it ruined the whole show. Jerry jokingly adds how rude it was for someone to do that. Elaine counters that a mentally unstable person must have done something to cause this woman to laugh, and that she’d apologize if she could, which causes George to start a slap fight with Elaine as Noel walks to the other room. George invites Noel out to dinner, but she is too upset to go, and grouchily sends George on his way.
Back at Monks, Jerry shares a story about how Kramer indirectly turned Richie to drugs when they were all on a softball team together, by convincing Richie to dump Gatorade on the coach, who later died from pneumonia. Rob added that this story was based on a real life occurrence of Jerry and Larry.
They go back to Jerry’s house, where he tells Kramer about the intervention, who wants in. Jerry gives him a name of someone in the cologne business to pitch his idea about the beach. George comes up quite upset over the impending breakup coming after a rough phone conversation with Noel, despite him having made notes for talking points. Kramer gives him the idea of a preemptive breakup, since George has nothing to lose anyway.
George follows through with this idea, breaking it off. He makes a point to ensure she knows he is the one breaking it off, which seems to turn her on, changing their whole dynamic. Rob thought this was an excellent scene.
In the next scene, Kramer is at Steve D’Giff’s office, pitching his beach cologne idea, and is not impressed with making something that smells like dead fish and seaweed. The scene cuts to Jerry’s apartment, where the intervention is about to happen. John is there hitting on Elaine with his nose plugged with tissue for his chronic nose bleeds, Kramer brings his polar bear crew, and George shows up unannounced with Noel, who he decided to stay with since he now has hand.
While waiting for Richie to show up, there is some random conversation, where Steve D’Giff continues to call Kramer’s beach cologne terrible, despite George claiming he is a genius for his idea to gain the upper hand in a relationship. Rob and Akiva debated whether Steve was bluffing, and ran this idea to Calvin Klein as his own, or if George’s proclamation swayed him, since we learn in later seasons that the cologne is made without Kramer’s involvement.
While the conversations continue, Noel overhears Elaine laughing, matching it to the laugh that ruined her recital. Elaine tries to deflect blame to Jerry, but Noel sees that George has been keeping this from her, and breaks up with him. Rob found it funny that these four characters will continually throw the others under the bus to save their own skin at any occasion.
Richie shows up, but we learn in the next scene from Jerry what happened. He was standoffish at first, but seeing Jerry’s Pez dispenser triggered a story from his childhood that brought his life into perspective, resulting in him checking into a rehab clinic the next day, where he is doing great.
Jerry finishes recounting the story, and George, doing the crossword, asks Jerry what a three letter word for candy is, which ends the episode. Rob though that this was a bit cheesy of an ending. Jerry’s closing standup was a bit about jawbreakers, that didn’t tie into the episode.
Akiva and Rob both agreed that there wasn’t much to change in this episode if it aired in 2015, other than maybe they’d be able to play on their phone during the recital. Akiva and Rob starkly disagreed on the ranking of this episode. Rob called it his current favorite, while Akiva was not equally impressed, ranking it at 134. He thought while it was better than most season one or two, it just wasn’t terrific.
There were a ton of emails and comments from last week’s episode, much to Rob’s delight. Johnny De Silveira wanted to know if they think there is a way to tell if a laugh is from a male or female. Both felt you can usually tell.
Next there was an email from Katherine Smith, who wondered if they were keeping a running tally of how many times Jerry calls George Biff. They mentioned how that line was thrown in during this episode as a subtle callback to “The Subway”.
Travis was not as high on the episode as Rob. He wonders why Jerry would have a Tweety Bird dispenser and not Superman, though he did feel we got the best of classic George. Rob pointed out that Kramer gave him the Pez dispenser, so he didn’t have a choice.
Chelsea emailed asking if George should have asked for something better than just thinking about him all the time. Akiva said yes, that he should ask for all his meals to be delivered in bed. Ian Rice wanted to know how many times Jerry agrees to something even though he doesn’t want to. Rob and Akiva agreed that Jerry seems to do this all the time.
Chester checked in with a few points. He wanted to know why Kramer was on the comedy club softball team. Akiva thought that he was brought in as a ringer. He also wondered why the guy who hated warm Pepsi was even on the episode, since he also asked to not say anything at the intervention. They agreed that his involvement in the episode was not necessary. Lastly, he asked if any of the polar bears were old time comedians. Akiva did some research, and learned that they were not.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Suicide”, where we will first meet Newman. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes, where you can rate and review the podcast. You can get your questions to the guys by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com, and follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur didn’t need to be handcuffed to a bed to cover the next Seinfeld episode in Post Show Recap’s coverage of the entire series. This week they talked about “The Subway” which first aired January 8, 1992.
Akiva thought this was a classic episode, and really enjoyed that each of the four characters got a substantial storyline. Rob agreed that it was an interesting episode, but he didn’t find it as hilarious as some others they’ve covered so far.
Before delving into the episode, Rob checked in with Akiva about his offer to pay $1.29 to anyone who watched all nine episodes and hated his favorite show of 2014, Review. With the quick turnaround between last week’s episode dropping and the taping of “The Subway”, no one had a chance to email him, so they decided to revisit the topic next week. Rob had a chance to watch it, and agreed with Akiva that it was great.
Jerry’s opening standup ties into the episode well, with a bit about the bumper cars at the amusement park. the episode starts off in the coffee shop, with Kramer giving Jerry extensive directions on how to get to Coney Island so he can retrieve his stolen car that was found, though it was for not because he can just take one train right there.
George was heading off to a job interview, which Jerry took as an opportunity to rib George, comparing him to the hard on his luck character Biff Loman from Death of a Salesman. George learns that Elaine is going to be the “best man” at a lesbian wedding, wondering which one will be the groom, and if that is politically incorrect to ask. Rob confirmed that it was a politically incorrect thing to ask, adding that in 1992, attending a lesbian wedding would be an unheard of concept.
When they all get on the train together, Kramer shares that he is headed to city hall so he can pay his many parking tickets, including one for having no doors on his car. Jerry is concerned that when they split off separately, he’ll fall asleep on the long train ride out to get his car. Before they separate, a blind man playing a violin comes by, and George explains to him that he doesn’t carry change in the pants he’s wearing, remarking to the gang that he thinks the man isn’t blind. Akiva pointed out it’s another jab at George for being cheap. Jerry meanwhile is trying to convince George to skip the job interview and accompany him to Coney Island.
When everyone goes their separate ways, we see Jerry sitting alone, across from a large man reading the newspaper. Rob shared that he was the great Mr. Carosi, the manager of the Malibu Sands Beach Club from Saved By the Bell. Akiva pointed out that he is also the voice of Pumbaa from The Lion King.
George, on his train, is sitting across from a well dressed, attractive woman who catches his eye. Kramer has an epic physical scene where he attempts to find a seat on his train to no avail. The scene cuts back to Jerry, who falls asleep in his seat, just as he feared. Back to George, the attractive lady starts talking to him what he does for a living as he’s reading the paper. He of course feeds her a bunch of lies about working in the stock market.
Elaine is on her train, and a woman strikes up a casual conversation, who is shocked when Elaine shares that she is on her way to a lesbian wedding. Kramer meanwhile, overhears some guys talking about a sure bet on a horserace. The guys tell the memorable story about this horse loving “the slop”, and how his mother was a mudder and his father was a mudder.
Jerry wakes up to see the large man across from him is now naked, with all other passengers huddled far away from them. Jerry is very open about how unpleasant the man’s body is for him to be riding naked. Elaine’s train has stopped, and she has an intense inner monologue to keep from freaking out. Back at George’s train, he is invited to the hotel room of the attractive woman, so he skips out on the job interview, taking the bait. On his way off the train, he gets stuck in the doors, needing the woman to pull him out.
At the hotel room with the attractive lady, she tells George to get comfortable while she changes. George settles on taking his shoes off and sitting on the bed. Rob and Akiva both felt that they would at least take off their blazer and loosen the tie if they were asked to get comfortable. When the lady comes out, she’s in a negligee.
In the next scene, Kramer is at the Off Track Betting Parlor, retelling the story of this long shot horse to one of the gamblers. The scene cuts back to Jerry and the naked man, who are discussing the upcoming season for the Mets, talking casually, despite the man being naked. Rob shared that the Mets of 1992 were dubbed the worst team money could buy, despite having baseball’s largest payroll at the time.
Back to George in the hotel room, the woman handcuffs him to the bed, but all George can talk about in this situation is how his mother would walk around in her bra and panties at home. She then walks over to his clothes and fishes through his wallet, only to discover that George had eight dollars in his wallet, effectively ruining her con game. To make up for it, she takes his suit, which George exclaims cost him $350.
The scene cuts to Kramer at the OTB, where he battles several emotions, first terrified when the horse is losing, then ecstatic as he comes down the stretch to win. Rob and Akiva figured out that Kramer turned his 600 dollars into 18,000 with the 30-1 long shot. Akiva wondered why Kramer wouldn’t have been given an escort since he was walking out with all that money. As Kramer leaves, he notices a thuggish man eyeballing him, and follows him to the subway. As he runs through people on the subway, the thug grabs him for the money, but the blind violinist comes to his rescue, since he’s an undercover cop.
Both Rob and Akiva thought this was way over the top, not fitting to the typical Seinfeld theme. Rob came up with an alternative ending to fit better with the show. He thought that the thug could be cut out all together, but Kramer could sit down with all his money next to George’s con woman, with the implication that she would then bilk him out of the money.
The final scene is back at the coffee shop where we see that Elaine has missed the wedding, Jerry didn’t get to pick up his car, but did make a friend in the naked man. Rob and Akiva wondered where the naked man was headed on the train. George shows up wearing just a bed sheet, and as they leave, Kramer drops a large wad of bills on the table to pay the tab. Rob deemed Kramer and Jerry winners this episode, while George and Elaine end up losers.
They discussed what would be different in 2014 in “The Subway”. Rob felt that a smartphone would have solved Jerry’s problem of falling asleep. He and Akiva talked about different ways to entertain themselves on a long train ride, including eating, which caused both to pine for some Chinese food.
There were very few emails with the quick turnaround between episodes. Chester of course had an email where he asked how Elaine was the best man at a lesbian wedding, considering she never mentioned these people before or after this. The guys agreed, adding that it was strange that she didn’t even go by after with the present, instead just retreating to the coffee shop. Chester also asked who counts seconds by bananas like Elaine did in the episode. At first neither remembered this happening, but then confirmed the scene, and agreed that it was unusual. Chester also wondered if George is perhaps the worst dirty talker of all time, bringing up his mother wearing bra and panties around the house when things heat up.
Akiva felt this was a great episode, in fact it’s the third highest ranking of the episodes covered so far at 42. Rob would have it in his top 100, but didn’t feel it cracked his top 50.
Tune in next week as the guys will recap “The Pez Dispenser”, a classic episode where Kramer comes up with his iconic idea of a cologne that smells like the beach. Subscribe to the podcast at postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes, where you can rate and review it. Don’t forget to send your emails to have read on the air by sending them toSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Follow Akiva and Rob on twitter @keev26 and @robcesternino. View our archive of Seinfeld Episode Recaps to This Point
Seinfeld: The Subway | Episode 30 Recap Podcast
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Seinfeld: The Red Dot | Episode 29 Recap Podcast
Dec 31, 2014
In true Festivus fashion, Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur demonstrated their feats of strength by getting together to recap the next episode in the Seinfeld run, despite being smack dab in the middle of a busy Hanukkah and Christmas season. This time, they tackled “The Red Dot”, which was the 12th episode in season three, first airing December 11, 1991. Akiva pointed out that this episode was one of only a few with a holiday theme.
There was some Seinfeld in the news this week, as Jerry did some standup on Jimmy Fallon where he talked about consolidating the excess junk in his house. Akiva is a big fan of this philosophy, while Rob would like to be able to do this, but just can’t bear throwing something out he might need later. Another bit of news this week was Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee posting another episode with Kramer playing the president of Crackle, which did not keep Akiva’s interest. Also, Rob went to a local Long Island bagel shop this week while visiting family that had a real soup Nazi vibe.
Jerry’s opening standup was about the knife store in the mall, which fell a bit flat and didn’t really tie into the episode. The episode opens at a Pendant Publishing holiday party, where the real Mr. Lippman finally makes an appearance. Akiva noted that he was actually credited in the episode as Mr. Breckman. George and Jerry are there and debating how the Statue of Liberty was hauled to America. Jerry tells George not to say anything about Elaine’s new office fling, who also happens to be “off the wagon” as a recovering alcoholic. They then debate whether being sober is “on” or “off” the wagon, as George thinks it’s being “on the wagon” to be sober.
When Elaine comes up to them, she tells George that there is a job opening as a reader that she has set him up with. Soon after, Dick, Elaine’s new fling comes up and has a cantankerous conversation with Jerry. Elaine has Jerry look after her vodka cranberry drink while she takes George to Mr. Lippman, but when Jerry sets it down, Dick walks off with that instead of his nonalcoholic version. He’ll later be seen pounding more drinks, falling completely off the wagon.
Cutting to George and Elaine with Lippman, Lippman asks George who he reads, but George can only come up with a sports writer named Mike Lupica. Lippman wants to know more, so George makes up Art Vandelay, a beatnik writer from The Village. Akiva thought that George’s lies like this are some of the best running jokes throughout the series.
In the next scene, George and Jerry are browsing a department store so George can get Elaine a thank you present for getting him the job. He notices a cashmere sweater marked down to $85 from $650, and only because there is a small red dot blemishing it. He tries to convince Jerry that the dot is not noticeable, but Jerry tells him he sees a cheap man holding a sweater trying to get away with something. Rob thought this sequence didn’t hold up with the rest of the plot. Akiva agreed, adding that George is too cheap to spend $85 on a present for anyone.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, Elaine tells Jerry she thinks Dick is back off the wagon, and Jerry tells her she can be sure by seeing if she can smell it on him. Rob and Akiva debated whether you can smell alcohol on someone, determining that alcoholics go to great measures to mask the smell. When Kramer comes in, they ask him to take a drink of “Hennigans” Jerry has in his cabinet so they can see if he smells of it, which they determine they cannot. Kramer enjoys himself with the scotch, making up fake commercials about being a “no smell, no tell” drink. Rob and Akiva really enjoyed this scene, noting that it was the only part of the episode Kramer was in.
George comes in with the sweater for Elaine, which she loves. As she is putting it on, Kramer notices the red dot while lounging on the couch and immediately points it out. George plays it off like he didn’t know.
Next, George is at Pendant Publishing, working late when the cleaning lady comes by. Later in the coffee shop, George shares with Jerry that he and the cleaning lady strike up a conversation, with George breaking out the bottle of Hennigans that he took from Jerry’s, which led to them sleeping together in the office. Rob wonders if it’s a fantasy of people to sleep with a cleaning lady, and Akiva points out that George seems to have a thing for women in those job types, since he sleeps with his secretary and a housekeeper later in the series.
In the next scene back at Jerry’s apartment, Elaine is trying to blame Jerry for turning Dick into an alcoholic, which he did not do. She also tries to find out if George got a discount on the sweater, but he doesn’t spill it. George comes running in, yelling about how the cleaning lady is going to tell Mr. Lippman they had sex and get him fired. Jerry warns him that Elaine is in the bathroom and might hear, but she fortunately didn’t. When she does come out, she accuses George of purposely buying the damaged sweater. She tricks him by saying Jerry already gave him up, and when he yells at Jerry, Jerry calls him an idiot for falling for the trick.
The scene cuts to George giving the cleaning lady the red dot sweater as a way to keep her quiet. He tries to equate their situation to Clarence Thomas, a supreme court judge who was in trouble in the early 90s for inappropriate office behavior. When she sees the sweater is cashmere, she launches into a story of how she met a man wearing cashmere and dreamed of one day having one of her own. It didn’t take her long to find the red dot to ruin it all.
There is a mid episode standup from Jerry that had Dick in the audience drunk and heckling Jerry. Akiva and Rob found it an interesting take to bring the episode into the standup, but Akiva did find it a bit uneven.
Back to the episode, George is in Mr. Lippman’s office, where he is having to explain why he had sex with the cleaning lady. George asks “was that wrong”, acting as if it were normal to have done it. Lippman abruptly fires him, telling him to be out by the end of the day and throwing the cashmere sweater in his face. While packing up his desk, Elaine stops by to check in on him. George asks her if she had ever had sex in the office, but she had only kissed someone, which George says counts as sex. Jerry then shows up to take them out to dinner, and Elaine asks Jerry what his definition of sex. Jerry says he thinks it counts as sex when the nipple makes an appearance.
When they are ready to leave the office, they hear a drunk Dick stumbling through, then hide under George’s desk, but Dick sees them. They throw the cashmere sweater at him, but Dick notices the red dot right away, bringing an end to the episode. Rob and Akiva thought this was a pretty weak ending, with Akiva adding that the best Seinfeld episodes tend to have a more subtle ending. They further discussed how it’s odd that anyone can just walk into Pendant Publishing with little to no security to check in with.
In the final piece of Jerry’s standup, he is doing a bit about alcoholics, and once again Dick is in the audience interjecting that you say “on the wagon” not “off the wagon”. Jerry says “don’t get smart with me” to Dick, and the episode ends. Akiva shared that a Seinfeld executive pushed to have the episode end with Dick getting sober again. Rob is convinced that an executive probably did the same thing with last episode, having Owen recovered from the stroke.
In the “what would be different in 2014” segment, they concluded that Pendant Publishing’s building would have much better security, the markdown on the cashmere sweater would be far less, and that no one would consider kissing as sex.
Akiva thought less of the episode than Rob did as far as his rankings list went. Akiva ranked it at 120, just behind “The Phone Message”, which Rob felt was too low. He thought the only clunky part of the episode was the storyline with Dick.
There were a couple emails to go through this week. Johnny De Silveira wondered why the red dot was not shown to the audience. Akiva thought it was funnier to leave it to the viewer’s imagination. Johnny also noted that this is the second episode in a row where the subject matter of alcohol was more serious than usual. Rob and Akiva both felt they were flippant about alcoholism merely because it wasn’t as serious a topic culturally as it is today.
Chester emailed to ask why the conversation between Dick and Jerry escalated negative so quickly, wondering if Dick is an a-hole even when not drinking. The guys both agreed he was just a bad guy either way. He also wondered if there was any background to the episode being integrated into Jerry’s standup. Akiva felt it wasn’t, considering it didn’t go over very well. Lastly, Chester wondered why the cleaning lady was so ungrateful for the cashmere sweater if she’d been dreaming about one her whole life. He added that perhaps she was actually disappointed in George’s performance romantically. They felt Chester might be on to something about the sexual performance, since neither of them would turn down a cashmere sweater with a small red dot on it.
Akiva decided to share his top ten TV shows for 2014 for the last Seinfeld podcast of the year, while also vowing to catch up on some movies as he’d been promising to do. His list from ten to one was Parks and Recreation, Veep, Broad City, True Detective, Nathan For You, Fargo, Louie, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and number one was Review. Akiva was so bent on keeping Review from being cancelled, he offered the listeners of the podcast $1.29 if they gave all eight episodes a try and didn’t like it.
Before calling it a day, Rob challenged the listeners to point out where in the recording of this episode did they have to stop recording so Akiva could help his family capture a snake that was loose in his house. If you figure it out, post it on the episode page in the comment section on postshowrecaps.com.
Next week, the guys will recap a real classic in “The Subway”. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes, where you can rate and review the podcast, or you can check out the new home of rhap and post show recaps at podcastone.com Get your questions to the guys by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com , and you can also follow Rob and Akiva on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap!
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur didn’t have pretzels, but they were thirsty to start recapping the next episode in the Seinfeld series, despite the holiday season being in full swing. This week, they discussed “The Alternate Side”, which first aired on December 4, 1991, and was written by Larry David and Bill Masters. Akiva shared what shows Seinfeld was going up against on Wednesday nights at 9, the timeslot for season 3. It had to face Doogie Howser MD, Anything But Love, starring Richard Lewis of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame, and a rerun of Jake and the Fat Man.
There was some Seinfeld in the news this past week, as Larry David was a guest on Bill Simmons’ BS Report podcast. He discussed the Seinfeld finale, amongst other topics. He shared that he is reluctant to do another season of Curb Your Enthusiasm because he doesn’t want to face doing another finale. Rob and Akiva hoped that isn’t the case, as they both would love another season of Curb.
In Jerry’s opening standup, he does a bit about car alarms, and how annoying they are. The episode opens with Jerry in his apartment, realizing that his car has been stolen. George is there, wearing a Mets hat, which prompted Rob and Akiva to discuss how maybe they bounce back and forth between Yankee and Mets hats because Larry is a fan of both teams. Jerry and George are trying to figure out how a thief crosses the wires to get the car started.
Jerry decides instead of calling the police, he’ll call his car phone. When the thief picks up the phone (and it’s the voice of Larry David of course), Jerry asks him if he stole the car, which he admits. Kramer gets on the phone and asks the thief to mail him his gloves that are in the glove box. Jerry takes the phone back and asks him how he crossed the wires. The thief tells him that the keys were left in it.
Sid, the guy who moves Jerry and the rest of the apartment tenants cars, was the one who left the keys in the car. He is going on vacation, which gives George the idea to take over the car moving business while Sid’s gone. Sid seemed fine with George taking over for him, even though Rob and Akiva thought he agreed to it awfully quickly. Meanwhile, Kramer shares that he was asked to take part in the Woody Allen movie that is filming just downstairs.
In the next scene, Jerry and Elaine are waiting in line for Jerry to rent a car. Elaine is telling Jerry all about her new boyfriend Owen, who is a famous writer, but is 66 years old. Jerry finds it preposterous when she says Jerry would really like him, since he hates everyone. When they get to the counter, the lady informs him that they don’t have any midsize cars left, even though he had a reservation. Jerry chastises her for having taken the reservation, but not holding it. Rob felt that this is one of his favorite scenes.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, Elaine is second guessing dating this older guy, concluding that she needs to break up with him. George bursts in harried, looking for a bucket of water because a car was overheating. Kramer comes in as well, and he informs them all that he will now have a line in the Woody Allen movie, the iconic, “these pretzels are making me thirsty”. Each of the characters have fun with how they would say the line. Rob and Akiva shared how they would say the line as well. When George says his version of the line, everyone agrees that it was terrible.
The next scene has Elaine, who met up with Owen to break it off, bursts into Jerry’s apartment carrying Owen, who had a stroke. As Owen is laying on the couch unconscious, they try to feed him a cookie in case he’s in diabetic shock. Rob felt that this sequence was a particularly dark area to go. Akiva thought that if the particular storyline had been funnier, it might not have seemed so dark. They decided to track some of the darker storylines as they go through the series, plugging the Owen stroke at number one, and “The Pony Remark” at number two. Waiting for the ambulance, they learn that George got in an accident and caused a traffic jam, which delayed the EMTs from arriving quickly.
The paramedics finally get to the apartment to take care of Owen, wondering why there are cookie crumbs in his mouth. George comes up to share that it was Jerry’s rental car that he crashed and caused the traffic jam. Kramer tells him that he held up the Woody Allen movie, which caused Woody to refer to George as the “idiot in the blue jacket”.
When Sid comes back from vacation, he is not thrilled to learn that George caused such a fiasco with such an easy job. Kramer comes in to read a newspaper article about how Owen had the stroke, and he would have faired much better if a traffic jam hadn’t delayed the arrival of the ambulance. The article also talks about how the traffic jam shut down the Woody Allen film, making Woody second guess filming in New York ever again.
Back at the rental car place, Jerry is explaining that the car was in an accident, but he had the insurance. The lady at the counter says that the insurance doesn’t cover it because someone else was driving, so the damage will be north of two thousand dollars. Jerry responds with an emphatic, “these pretzels are making me thirsty”. Rob and Akiva estimated that between this, the stock tip and the suede jacket, Jerry is probably down around ten thousand dollars.
The next scene is at Elaine’s apartment, where she is feeding Owen Yankee Bean soup, struggling with his motor function and unable to talk. Both Rob and Akiva thought it was in poor taste to show Owen struggling from his stroke. Elaine picks this uncomfortable time to break it off with him, ending it with “these pretzels are making me thirsty”. The next scene is at the coffee shop, where Elaine is talking about how bad the subway smelled, wondering if you can die from long exposure to a stench. She also mentions that she bumped into Owen, who is doing well. He explained to her that he was only together with her for the sex. Kramer comes in, upset because he was fired from the Woody Allen movie. Kramer nailed the line, but when he set his glass down, it shattered, with a piece of glass cutting Woody.
The episode ends with him taking the brown gloves out of his pocket, the same gloves that he asked the car thief to mail back to him. Rob and Akiva enjoyed this callback. Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about how the best part of a relationship is being sick, since you have someone to take care of you.
“The Alternate Side” fell toward the middle of Akiva’s rankings, clocking in at number 99 (perhaps primetime Alex Stein’s favorite?). Rob felt that “The Alternate Side” had a lot of great jokes, but it’s hard to rank it high since he really didn’t enjoy the Owen storyline.
Next, they tackled a few emails. They start with an email from Chester, who wondered why Elaine mentioned having to transfer to a subway line that had been shut down in the 1980s, calling it more outdated than Elaine’s dresses. While Chester is in fact right, Rob felt that it was such a minor detail in the episode that it shouldn’t top the list of outdated references.
Johnny De Silveira emailed a question about whether Rob or Akiva ever had a reservation cancelled on them. Neither of them had anything cancelled on them, but they’ve had to wait a little longer with restaurant reservations from time to time. Johnny also asked if either of them have run into Woody Allen, since he heard you are not a true New Yorker until you run into him on the street. Neither have run into Woody on the streets of New York.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for the latest episode recap!
Podcast recap of Seinfeld Season 3 Episode 10 “The Stranded” first aired on NBC November 27, 1991
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur didn’t have to wait until two in the morning for Kramer to get together and recap “The Stranded”, the latest episode in their journey through the Seinfeld series. “The Stranded” was the 10th episode of the third season, first airing November 27, 1991. This episode was originally shot in season two, but Larry David wasn’t happy with it and decided to shelve it until the next season. Rob and Akiva agreed with Larry’s take, assuring right off the bat that it will be ranked in the bottom ten of Akiva’s list.
Akiva had a bit of news to share before they started in on the recap. Jerry is in the new Chris Rock movie Top Five. Rob heard Jerry on Alec Baldwin’s podcast this week, where Jerry shared a story about how comedian Jackie Mason told Jerry he was going to be a huge star very early on in his career.
The opening standup had Jerry doing a bit about the pharmacy. Rob and Akiva enjoyed the joke about the cold medicine options and how the human body picture on the wall uses lightening bolts and red squiggly lines to describe pain.
As the episode opens, Jerry and George are at the pharmacy, where George is picking up something to help him get rid of fleas. Rob found it strange that they don’t bring this up in the episode again after the opening scene. While there, George invites Jerry to come with him to a work party out in Long Island. Jerry doesn’t want to go, but George talks him into it by telling him they’ll be women at the party.
When George goes to pay for the flea medicine, the clerk gives him back change for a ten dollar bill, but George is sure that he paid with a twenty. He first politely points it out, but when the clerk rebuffs him, he gets aggravated enough that the security guard has to escort him out. He assures the clerk as he’s drug out that he will be back for his money.
The next scene has Jerry, George and Elaine out at the party on Long Island. Rob and Akiva wondered how they talked Elaine into going. Jerry and Elaine recognize this party will be boring, so they come up with a signal that will alert the other to get them out of an excruciating conversation, which is patting themselves on the head. Jerry quickly gets into a conversation he wants out of, and immediately goes to the signal. Elaine is simultaneously having a terrible conversation, patting her head as well. Jerry notices and comes over to save her.
Still at the party, George and Jerry are talking, George mentioning that he’s hitting it off with Ava, a woman from his office. The scene cuts to Elaine sitting next to a pretentious woman going on and on about her fiancé, wondering where her baby is. Elaine says the famous line, “maybe the dingo ate your baby”. George meanwhile asks Jerry if he can take Ava home in his car, since she told him she wants him to make love to her. Jerry agrees, based on a 90s version of bro code. When Jerry asks George what his response was to “I want you to make love to me” was, George responds, “I long for you”, which he was embarrassed about.
As George and Ava are ready to leave, Jerry informs Elaine that they’ll have to find another ride, citing the code. As George is walking Ava out, Elaine notices she has on a real fur coat, which spurs an argument between the two ladies. Akiva and Rob discuss their opinions on wearing fur and being vegetarian. Both agreed that they aren’t overly sensitive to the topic, but would rather not face the wrath of those who are. Jerry calls Kramer to come pick them up, but hours later, Jerry and Elaine are the only ones left at this house waiting for Kramer, while the party hosts uncomfortably wait along with them. Steve, the man throwing the party, is the now famous actor Michael Chiklis. Rob and Akiva mentioned how much of a scumbag the character he plays is.
Kramer finally finds the house, but informs Jerry and Elaine that the top on his convertible is broken, so they’ll have to drive down the expressway with the top down in 40 degree weather. Back at Jerry’s apartment, he’s on the phone with George, planning to go to the pharmacy, since he caught a cold from riding in Kramer’s car. As he goes to leave, Steve from the party shows up, since Jerry had insincerely offered him a place to stay in the city to make up for getting stranded at his house until all hours. When Jerry tells him he is about to leave, Steve thinks Jerry is just trying to blow him off. Jerry welcomes him to stay while Jerry’s out.
Back at the pharmacy, George is complaining about how uncomfortable he is now at work since he’s dating Ava. He feels like his only option at this point is to quit. Back at Jerry’s apartment, Kramer comes in while Steve is hanging out watching television. Steve asks Kramer if there is any booze in the place, to which Kramer says he’ll bring some over from his apartment. Back in the pharmacy, George figures out how to make up for being short changed their last visit by stealing Jerry’s cold medicine. He immediately gets caught by the security guard though. Back at Jerry’s apartment, Kramer and Steve are drinking. Steve mentions that they should call up an escort service, and Kramer recites a number to call, though he’s not interested.
When Jerry gets back to his apartment, Steve is with his escort Patti. His ride back to Long Island has shown up, and he quickly leaves, not paying off his escort. Jerry is left to pay Patti, and as he does, the police come in and arrest him for soliciting prostitution. Elaine walks in on all this as it’s happening, and asks Patti if her fur coat is real. The cops and Jerry all turn away, not wanting a part of that argument.
In the next scene, Jerry and George are talking about their police visits, comparing their thoughts on the nice and rude officers there. The final standup from Jerry is a funny bit about the difference between a big favor and a small favor based on the length of the pause after “I need a favor”.
Both agreed that “The Stranded” could not work in 2014. They could have easily taken an Uber, or Kramer could have used MapQuest for the directions. Akiva slotted “The Stranded” at 163 on his rankings list. Akiva wouldn’t argue if someone wanted to call it the worst, while Rob thought that any of the episodes in the bottom ten could qualify. Both agreed that any of the worst Seinfeld episodes still have some redeeming qualities, considering it’s one of the greatest sitcoms of all time.
The guys had a few emails sent their way this past week that they go over. The first is from Hunter, who asks if George is Jewish. He had read several things that claim George may be half Jewish, considering Frank Costanza is clearly Catholic. Akiva remembers that Estelle Costanza refuses to ride in a German car in one episode. He also felt, based on Larry David and Jason Alexander both being Jewish, it stands to reason. Rob noted that in the early days of Seinfeld, critics thought that the show was too Jewish, and not having George be a full fledged Jewish person was possibly an early note that the show writers got stuck with.
Johnny De Silveira wondered how far a drive it is from Long Island to Manhattan. Depending on the time of day, and what part of each area you are going, it could take about 40 to 50 minutes. They both warned not to fall asleep on the Long Island Railroad, as you could end up at the last stop in Long Island.
Lastly, Chester wondered why Jerry would let some random guy sit in his apartment while he wasn’t there, and also, why wouldn’t the guy want to go out and about with Jerry if he was there to hang out with this famous comedian. Rob and Akiva both felt that Steve’s goal was to get drunk and get prostitutes, but when Jerry wasn’t living that life, he decided to just do that himself. Chester also points out a few of the inaccuracies from this season two episode being aired out of sequence, and wondered how Ava got to the party if George takes her home. Rob thinks that maybe Ava lived nearby in Long Island, and took a cab ride to Steve and Jenny’s.
Next week, the guys will recap “The Alternate Side”, where Kramer will say the iconic line, “these pretzels are making me thirsty”. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes, where you can rate and review the podcast, or you can check out the new home of rhap and post show recaps at podcastone.com Get your questions to the guys by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com, and you can also follow Rob and Akiva on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this podcast recap!
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 3, Episode 9 “The Nose Job” with episode writer, Peter Mehlman.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur were sure not to butcher this week’s podcast as they welcomed a big guest from the world of Seinfeld. In addition to breaking down “The Nose Job”, which first aired November 20, 1991, Peter Mehlman, the writer of the episode called in to share some stories from his days writing for the iconic show.
With no time for current Seinfeld news in this action packed recap, they delve right into the episode. Jerry’s opening standup is a bit about how the pharmacist window is on a platform above everything else. Rob thought it was only loosely related to the plot, and seemed a little “hacky”.
The episode starts at the newsstand, which Rob thought was the first time we see a more expansive set. George and Jerry are talking about how Jerry was able to get a woman’s phone number in 60 seconds during an elevator ride. George asks him how he does it, and the scene cuts to Jerry telling the woman he is responsible for the crop circles in England, though she has no idea what he’s talking about. Jerry points out to George some spinach in his teeth, and George realizes that he had it stuck in there during his job interview earlier. The scene flashes back to the interview, where the interviewer is cringing at the spinach in his teeth.
George then starts to tell Jerry about his girlfriend Audrey’s nose. Jerry agrees that it’s a “schnoz”, but thinks George should try not to worry about it. Rob pointed out that the premise of this episode is all about the obsessing over a small imperfection. Akiva mentioned how the show The League had a similar storyline just recently.
Next, at Jerry’s apartment, they are all eating pizza with Audrey. Kramer brings up how the guy who took back the jacket is now in jail, and he needs Elaine to come along on this caper to get it back. Akiva pointed out how Elaine is always plugged in to the caper story in these first few seasons. Rob noted that this is the first time we hear Kramer refer to his alias Peter Van Nostrand. When Audrey starts talking about all the beautiful women in New York City, Kramer tells her that she’s as pretty as them, she just needs a nose job. Rob really appreciated how great everyone’s reaction was to this.
After some standup from Jerry, the next scene is George at Elaine’s apartment, where Audrey is staying. They start talking about the idea of her getting a nose job. George does a not so subtle job of convincing her it’s a good idea. Elaine comes in admonishing him for it, but George still tries to sell it.
In the next scene, Jerry and George are at the coffee shop celebrating that he’s convinced Audrey to get the nose job, while simultaneously feeling like he will be going to hell for it. They also talk about Jerry’s situation with Isabel, the woman from the elevator, and how he hates her as a person, but is so attracted to her physically. He describes it as a chess match between his penis and his brain. They cut to a scene with Jerry giving Kramer Isabel’s number because he doesn’t trust himself not to call her anymore.
They are back at Elaine’s apartment as Audrey is going to take the bandages off her nose. As she reveals to them her new nose, they all quickly discover that her nose is dented, with Kramer telling her she got butchered. George is so taken aback that he faints. After they revive George, Audrey runs out of the apartment to go back to the doctor and Elaine lays into George for talking Audrey into this.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, Jerry is begging Kramer to give him the number back, but Kramer rips it to shreds and shames him for his behavior. Akiva noted that the big standing ovation Kramer got in this scene took away from it a bit. Next, George and Audrey are at the coffee shop, and Audrey is planning romantic vacations while George looks disinterested. Rob and Akiva debate why George would be “selling low” on Audrey, since she is going back to have the dent fixed soon anyway. One of George’s excuses for not going to Hawaii was that you couldn’t get him on a plane because he sees the FAA reports.
All of his excuses were not working with Audrey, so she breaks up with him, and he’s relieved. Back at Jerry’s apartment, he is working on lines with Isabel, and not helping with his sarcastic remarks. Akiva took a moment to read a few tweets from Tawny Kitaen, the actress playing Isabel. Rob thought it would be funny for Akiva to send Tawny a nice message on twitter, sure that she’ll retweet it. With a bit of hesitation, Akiva does, though he hoped it wouldn’t come up on Google if someone searched his name. While helping Isabel with her lines, Jerry starts imagining an actual chess match between his brain and his penis.
Meanwhile, Elaine and Kramer head over to the guy’s apartment to try and get the jacket back. Akiva shared his not so fun fact that the longtime character actor playing the landlord has since passed away. While the landlord shows them around the guy’s apartment, he talks about how he read Kramer, or Dr. Van Nostrand’s book. He starts to tell a story about a drunk crazy lady who used to hang out with the guy, and Kramer recognizes it’s his mother. Kramer starts to choke the landlord, which foils the whole plan.
In the next scene, we see the Jerry brain and penis chess match decided, as the brain finally wins over. Jerry then breaks up with Isabel. In the final scene at the coffee shop, Audrey comes in to say hello to Elaine, George and Jerry, and we see that her nose is completely fixed. Kramer walks up and puts his arm around Audrey, as they are off on a date to the Reggae club. The episode ends with Elaine commenting on how beautiful Audrey looks now, and George calmly telling her to shut up.
After breaking down the episode, they only had a few plot points that would not work in 2014. First, Jerry’s access to Isabel’s phone number would be harder to keep from him with modern technology. Also, a plastic surgeon wouldn’t botch a nose job so terribly, and access to FAA reports would be a whole lot easier nowadays.
As a special treat to the listeners, Akiva was able to reach out to the writer of “The Nose Job” Peter Mehlman for an interview. Rob first wanted to know how Peter got involved with Seinfeld. Peter met Larry David a few times in New York in the 80s, but ran into him in Los Angeles in 1990 and asked him to give a writing sample for this show he and Jerry were working on. Jerry loved his sample, and the rest was history.
Akiva wanted to know how the writers intermingled their ideas even though there wasn’t a traditional “writers room” for the Seinfeld production. Peter confirmed that while he wrote scripts completely on his own, Larry and Jerry had ultimate authority over it. He added that his idea for this storyline won Larry over with the Kramer line “your as pretty as those girls, you just need a nose job”.
Next Rob asked about how they came up with the style from this episode with a lot of cut away moments, similar to modern day shows like Family Guy or 30 Rock. Peter said that Larry was constantly evolving his creativity, allowing for these offbeat scenes to flourish. Akiva asked if Audrey’s nose was a prosthetic, or if they specifically put out a casting call for an actress with a large nose. Peter confirmed that it was a fake nose, and they also used fish eye camera shots to accentuate it.
Rob asked if they had an issue getting the “brain vs. penis” scene on the air, since it was quite racy for 1991. Peter felt that it was easier to get away with something sexual in nature since sex always sells. Akiva wondered what the writers would do when they weren’t handling a specific episode. Peter said that if they weren’t working on their own script for another episode, then they would wonder down to the set and just watch the process, since it was such a loose setting.
Akiva also asked where Peter came up with the line George had about going to the bathroom in front of a bunch of people and not caring. Peter remembered that Larry had told that story about his days from when he was in the Army. Peter was always keeping his eyes and ears open for little stories like that, which could turn into comedy gold. Rob went on to ask Peter which episode of Seinfeld he wrote was his favorite. Peter’s favorite was “The Implant”, feeling that it was the best job he did of the bunch, though “The Yada Yada” was right up there.
Akiva wondered how it felt to come from the world of journalism to work as a writer on a show that was one of the all time greats. Peter shared he was constantly learning new things about writing, finding he had strengths in the area of diaglogue, but was constantly growing throughout the process. He didn’t find Larry and Jerry too intimidating to pitch ideas to since he worked in his early days with Howard Cosell. He added how he still likes to write about sports even today.
Akiva asked him about a book he wrote called It Won’t Always Be This Great, which Akiva has just started to read. The book is about a Jewish podiatrist in a neighborhood full of the Orthodox, who dictate the economic success of businesses based on their religious beliefs. He had based it off of a neighborhood in Long Island he heard about this happening in. Akiva shared that he grew up in that neighborhood.
Next they asked him about his time on Joe Buck Live. Peter had helped on the show a bit, but ultimately didn’t mesh well with the safe humor they were trying to go with. He said he found their direction to be not funny, and a little insulting that Joe Buck thought he could do comedy because he would have a funny quip every so often calling a game, so he parted ways. Akiva wondered if Peter ever felt the urge to call someone out who thinks they’re funny. He doesn’t specifically point out he wrote some of the funniest Seinfeld episodes ever, but he does find it irritating that most everyone in the world tend to think they are funny.
There were a few emails sent in this week. Emailer Matt wanted to share a point about last week’s “The Tape”. He thought it wasn’t supposed to be made, but rather was going to be about Elaine purchasing a gun for self defense. Akiva confirmed that Matt had “The Tape” mixed up with “The Phone Message”, but that it was a true story.
Johnny De Silveira checked in, and wanted to know if the storyline about the jacket is in fact the longest up until this point, which Akiva confirmed yes. He also pointed out that Tawny Kitaen had been in trouble for assaulting her then beau, MLB pitcher Chuck Finley. Akiva also noted that Tawny has appeared on The Surreal Life and Celebrity Rehab. Then, Johnny asked if Rob and Akiva ever had reconstructive surgery, which they haven’t.
The last email comes from Chester, who said he was concerned that there were magazines pinned to the wall with safety pins. Rob and Akiva had no idea what he was talking about, but admired him for his attention to detail. Chester then asked if Audrey had stolen one of Elaine’s dresses, which neither were sure. Finally he pointed out that the Isabel story was quite similar to the Marlene story in season two. Both agreed it’s a little similar, but they had a different spin with the brain/penis chess match.
Next week, they will recap “The Stranded”, an unaired episode from season two plugged into season three’s lineup . Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes, where you can’t rate and review the podcast. Let them know what you thought of the episode by leaving your comments on the page, and get your questions to the guys by emailingSeinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. You can also follow Rob and Akiva on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26, and special guest Peter Mehlman can be found @petermehlman.
Podcast Recap of Seinfeld Season 3, Episode 7 “The Tape” first broadcast November 13, 1991 on NBC
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur worked on their throatiest, sultry voices for this week’s podcast as they breakdown “The Tape”, which first aired November 13, 1991 as part of the third season of Seinfeld. Rob thought this episode really lived up to the moniker of being a show about nothing. Akiva agreed, thinking it was run of the mill, but still funny.
Before discussing the plot, Akiva had some current Seinfeld news to share. On Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, Michael Richards was mentioned as being forgiven during a story about Bill Cosby’s controversy. Also, he had a not so fun fact, Carol Ann Susi, the voice of Howard’s mother on The Big Bang Theory, passed away. She also played the lady in the unemployment office in “The Boyfriend”, where she convinces George to date her daughter in exchange for him to continue receiving benefits.
Jerry’s opening standup is a dated joke about hair transplants. Rob felt that you wouldn’t hear this bit in 2014. The first scene is in Jerry’s apartment where he is listening to his standup performance on a tape recorder. George comes into the apartment and asks Jerry if he used the bit he gave him about the big toe being the Captain, but Jerry says he tried it and it didn’t work.
Akiva wondered if comedians often record their performances, which Rob confirmed is a common practice. Rob also shared a story from his year or two stint into the world of standup comedy where an audience member with turrets syndrome shouted throughout his se derailing the whole thing.
George is very excited to talk to Jerry about how he saw on CNN that the Chinese have come up with a cure for baldness, so he wants to call and order this cream. Meanwhile, Jerry gets to a part in his recorded set where a woman starts saying dirty things into the microphone in a breathy voice. George and Kramer take turns listening to the tape, both blown away at how hot and heavy it is.
In the next scene at Monks, George is still talking about the cure for baldness. Jerry gets up from the table, and George tells Elaine about the racy message left on Jerry’s tape recorder. She then does the voice, shocking George that she came up with all this dirty stuff. From learning this, George is now visibly attracted to Elaine now. When Jerry comes back, Elaine asks Jerry about the tape. He is quite arrogant about it, saying how this happens to famous people all the time, and it’s not a big deal.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, George is on the phone trying to order this cure for baldness. Kramer comes in with his camcorder, pretending to be filming a documentary where Elaine is an adult film star. Jerry plays along, pretending to be the director who discovered Elaine through some friends at the Coast Guard. Elaine continues to play along, making George blush in the process by referring to him as her costar. Rob felt this was a racy premise for 1991.
Kramer’s Chinese food delivery shows up, and we get to meet Ping, the delivery boy for the first time. George asks him if he can get on the phone and translate with the balding cream company. Ping does this, assuring George that if he sends the money, he’ll get the cream. Rob enjoyed how Ping took a jab at George by jokingly telling him one of the side effects of the cream was impotence.
In the next scene, George and Elaine are talking, and George is still hot under the collar about Elaine on the tape. Jerry meanwhile is back at his apartment, and thinks he has tracked down who left the dirty message, still not aware that it was Elaine. George comes in with balding cream, and Kramer goes to get the camcorder so they can track the hair growth. As he applies the cream to his head, they all notice that it smells terrible. Rob questioned why George wouldn’t rub the cream into his head rather than having it sit on top. When George thinks that Elaine is coming upstairs, he rushes in to wipe off the stinky cream.
Kramer randomly asks Jerry how often he cuts his toenails, to which Jerry replies roughly every two to eight weeks. Kramer tells him he had cut his girlfriend with his big toe, and Jerry brings out George’s joke about the big toe as the captain. Meanwhile, Jerry has a date with the woman he thinks left the message, though she didn’t respond like someone who would say the filthy things on the tape.
George comes up wearing a giant cowboy hat to hide the cream on his head. Kramer wants to get his camcorder to check the progress. While he’s at his apartment, George finally discloses that he is attracted to Elaine. Floored by this new information, Jerry tells Kramer to leave again once he gets back with the camera. Kramer asks if they are going to talk about the big toe captain, which makes George mad that Jerry is using his bit. Akiva shared a story he heard about frequent writer Larry Charles, and how he used to stand outside comedy clubs and sell jokes for five dollars.
Jerry wonders why George all of a sudden has developed feelings for Elaine, and George tells him it was when he learned that Elaine was the one who left the message on the tape. Elaine comes up, notices the horrible smell from the balding cream. George very slyly motions toward Jerry, as if the smell was coming from him. Elaine finally reveals to Jerry that she left the message on the tape, and Jerry tells her he knows, that George told him. Rob wondered why Elaine decided to tell Jerry now. Akiva thought perhaps she felt bad since he was on a witch hunt to find who had done it.
Much to Jerry’s chagrin, George decides that he has to tell Elaine he’s attracted to her. Kramer disrupts this awkward moment, bursting in with proof that George’s hair is growing, though it was not that much. After Elaine leaves, they all fight over who gets to listen to the tape. Rob felt this was a weak ending to the episode. Akiva agreed, adding that the entire storyline was pretty basic throughout.
There were a few things that would be different about this episode if it aired in 2014. First, George wouldn’t need to call China for a cure for baldness, he could just go on the internet. Also, Jerry could just record his set with a cell phone in his pocket. Lastly, Rob felt strongly that nobody would be going crazy about some dirty talk on a tape in a time where such racy material is easily accessed through the internet.
“The Tape” did not fair as well in the rankings as some other season three episodes, falling way down the list to 149. Rob pointed out that if this episode has 148 better than it, then Seinfeld really is one of the greatest shows.
There were only a couple of emails in the mail bag this week. Emailer Travis asked Rob and Akiva how they would rank George’s cowboy hat, versus the toupee and the rat hat. Both agreed that the rat hat and toupee are more iconic, though the cowboy hat is pretty funny also. Johnny De Silveira asked if either of them are balding or expecting to go bald. Akiva pointed out that the way to tell is if one’s maternal grandfather was bald. Akiva unfortunately is on his way there, while Rob said he is holding strong, but to check back with him in ten years.
Join Akiva and Rob next week as they recap “The Nose Job”, which they are both looking forward to. Rob made a point to really encourage the listeners to leave comments on the page at postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to get your emails to the guys at Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this podcast recap!
Podcast Recap of Seinfeld Season 3 Episode 7, “The Cafe” first aired on NBC November 6, 1991
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur were not very, very bad men this week in their recapping of “The Café”, which first aired on November 6, 1991 during the third season of Seinfeld’s original run. Both agreed that they are fully in the mix of greater episodes after the rough start of seasons one and two.
Since there was no current news in the Seinfeld universe, they got right to it. Jerry’s opening standup was a bit about the certain store in a neighborhood that could not have success, referring to it as the Bermuda Triangle of retail. Akiva had a restaurant near him in college that would open and close every few weeks, that just didn’t find success. He also shared that the writer of this episode had based the Dream Café on a real life restaurant.
The episode opens with Jerry and George standing on the sidewalk talking. Jerry is distracted, looking at and commenting about a new restaurant in his neighborhood, while George is fretting about his new girlfriend thinking he’s both nice and smart, to which he knows he’s neither. George gets frustrated with Jerry for not listening to his plight, especially since he doesn’t know what to do about having to take an IQ test where Monica will learn the truth that he’s not smart.
When Jerry asks George what he got on the SATs, George says he tells people 1409, but will go to the grave with his real score. Rob noticed that the score itself is proof that it’s a lie, since it’s not a multiple of ten. Akiva shared that Zack Morris from Saved By The Bell also had an SAT score that ended in an odd number. Then, they speculated what score George could have actually earned, and they settled on around 820.
In the next scene at Jerry’s apartment, he is looking out the window with binoculars at the Dream Café, worrying that it compares to a spider clinging for life to the side of the toilet bowl. Rob and Akiva noticed that the hat on the Nerf hoof is once again the Yankees, having switched from Mets to Yankees several times over. They wondered if there was a battle between Larry David and Jerry over this.
Elaine meanwhile, is reading at the table, randomly saying the Latin phrase casus belli. When George comes in talking about having to take the IQ test, Elaine mentions she got a 145, which prompts George to think she should take the test for him. Since Monica lives on the first floor, he can just hand the test out the window to Elaine, a legendary feat that he once pulled off in college. Jerry adds that she could go down the road to the Dream Café, since it’s so slow enough to hear a pin drop. They all agree to do this, since they love a caper.
We are introduced to Babu Bhatt for the first time in the next scene. Rob and Akiva pointed out that Babu is the first real recurring character to be in a scene besides Jerry’s parents. When Jerry enters the restaurant, Babu is very happy to serve him, telling him about the eclectic menu items, from moussaka to franks and beans. While at the restaurant, Jerry has several inner monologues about how good a person he is for supporting this neighborhood restaurant.
Cutting quickly to the next scene, George is at Monica’s preparing to take the test, feigning arrogance about how well he is going to do. Rob and Akiva enjoyed the pace of the editing, how they would cut from the restaurant and back to Monica’s apartment. Elaine shows up outside the window and takes the test down to the Dream Café. Once there, Babu convinces Elaine to order the rigatoni, even though she wanted something simple while she takes the test. When Kramer comes in, he constantly disrupts and annoys Elaine. He is talking about the jacket, aforementioned in “The Parking Garage”, and how he doesn’t want this friend of his mother’s to take it back. He argues with Jerry about whether the term is statue, or statute of limitations, further aggravating Elaine.
After Elaine moves tables to get away from Kramer, he continues to cause a disruption, nearly knocking the whole table over when Babu hands him a hot towel. As Babu is enthusiastically catering to Elaine, he knocks over Elaine’s coffee and rigatoni all over the IQ test. After Elaine leaves, Jerry decides to give Babu advice on the restaurant. He tells him he should scrap the idea of a wide range menu, and focus on the cuisine of his native Pakistan. Akiva and Rob debated whether Jerry’s advice was good, both concluding that Babu shouldn’t have been mad at Jerry for it failing, since no one was in there before the change anyway.
When Elaine brings back the test to George, she explains that Babu spilled food all over it. When George has to explain this to Monica, he tells her that he had a sandwich in his pocket, and hopped out the window to get some coffee. In the next scene, Jerry is back at his window, watching the reopened Dream Café. Elaine and Kramer are also there, as Kramer is asking them to tell the angry man looking for his jacket that they haven’t seen Kramer. Jerry notices George walking up to the building, so he yells down, asking how he did on the test. George shouts up, “85”. This upsets Elaine, who can’t believe it was that bad. When George comes in, he greets Elaine with “Hello Professor”, a line that Rob really enjoyed. Akiva noted that this was a breakout episode for the quintessential, rapid fire good lines.
Elaine wants a chance to retake the test, but George worries she could do even worse than an 85. Jerry offers his apartment as a quiet place for her to take it, so George agrees. In the next scene, Jerry walks into the revamped Dream Café, feeling quite regal about giving Babu such great advice. Babu however has completely changed his tune, and is no longer welcoming and nice. There is a brief standup bit where Jerry talks about standardized tests, and how the way someone fills in the bubbles should factor into their scores.
Back to the episode, Elaine is at Jerry’s apartment taking the test, when Kramer bursts in, with the man after his jacket right behind, banging on the door. She has to get the test back to George, but with the man outside the door, she won’t make it back in time. At Monica’s apartment, George is pacing, and Monica informs him time is up, so he has to make up some new lie. Akiva noted that even though George is a master liar, there was no getting out of this one.
At the Dream Café, Jerry calls Babu over to comment on the shrimp, which causes Babu to lose it, blaming Jerry for ruining his restaurant, calling him a very bad man, one of the classic lines from the series. When Elaine finally gets back to Monica’s apartment with the test, Monica opens the window and sarcastically tells Elaine she hopes she does better this time.
In the next scene, they are all outside, Kramer without his jacket, arguing over where to eat. The episode closes with Jerry saying that it would be great if there was a restaurant where you could get all types of food, much like the original Dream Café. In the closing standup, Jerry has a bit about how superheroes wear masks so no one can come back to them later for the damage they cause when the come to save the day. Rob and Akiva discussed how in real life, the damage the superheroes cause would be billions of dollars.
In 2014, there would be a few things different about “The Café”. George could have Elaine on Skype, with her feeding him the answers, or he could have merely Googled the answers on his phone. In addition, Jerry could have posted a bunch of positive Yelp reviews for the Dream Café. Akiva pointed out that Jerry would probably have quite a few followers on Twitter that he could recommend Babu’s restaurant to.
Next the guys tackle the mail bag. Emailer Hunter asks if they had their own Dream Café, where they are essentially the only customers any time they are there. Rob had a sushi restaurant near him where that was the case, but it didn’t stay open very long. He also asked how they felt about the storylines tying together, if it was implausible. Both Akiva and Rob felt it worked just fine.
Johnny De Silveira wondered what kind of ethnic food they like the most, his being Mexican and Portuguese. Akiva agreed with Mexican. Rob though he might not like Pakistani food, since it’s spicy, but had never had it before. Johnny also wondered what they got on their SATs. Akiva got a 1280, while Rob got a 1420, but only because he crammed, and not because he was a dedicated student. Akiva wanted Johnny to disclose his scores, but realized he’s from Canada, so the testing could be different. Rob said for Johnny to share that in his next email.
Emailer Chester asked what they thought George’s actual score was. Both agreed that it was probably under 1000. He also pointed out that none of the four characters ever seem to have anything to do during the week. Next, he asked why they keep referring to Monks as a coffee shop, when it’s more of a diner. Rob agreed that it’s a diner, not a coffee shop.
One last email came in from Matt, who wondered about Jerry’s inner monologue, and how he actually felt guilt, when the series really defines all the characters as reprehensible. Akiva pointed out a few instances he can remember where Jerry has a moral inner monologue, and Rob agreed that this would be something to track as they get further along in the series.
Rob tried to guess where Akiva ranked “The Café”. He correctly narrowed down that it was better than “The Chinese Restaurant” at 79, but not better than “The Pony Remark” at 47, falling in at 75. Rob felt that it was better than “The Pony Remark”.
Next week, they will recap “The Tape”, where someone leaves a seductive message on Jerry’s tape recorder. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes, where you can’t rate and review the podcast. Let them know what you thought of the episode by leaving your comments on the page, and get your questions to the guys by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. You can also follow Rob and Akiva on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Join us next week when Rob and Akiva discuss Seinfeld season 3 episode 8 of the show, “The Tape”.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this podcast recap!
Podcast Recap of Seinfeld Season 3, Episode 6 “The Parking Garage,” First aired on NBC on October 30, 1991
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur wandered in circles, but they eventually found their way to their microphones to discuss the next episode from the third season in the Seinfeld series. “The Parking Garage” first aired on October 30, 1991, and was another “bottle” episode, where all it’s scenes are shot entirely in one place. The guys felt that this is the type of episode they’ve been waiting for, having waded through enough muck from the first two seasons to make it all worth it.
There was a bit of news from the Seinfeld universe this week. Jerry had an interview with Brian Williams where he discussed how he believes he is on the autistic spectrum. This piece didn’t necessarily cause a media controversy or backlash, but both Akiva and Rob felt it was an odd thing for Jerry to proclaim.
The opening standup has Jerry talking about the mall, and how the maps are so difficult to follow. Rob thought that it was another bit that had very little to do with the episode plot, while Akiva thought that it was one of those bits that takes away from such a good story.
Rob was quite intrigued with the production of this episode. He read that Larry David wrote the episode, and let the production team figure out how to make this expansive idea work. Akiva shared that it was production’s goal to rent out a parking garage, but ultimately they built a set to look like one. Since the set couldn’t be put in front of a live studio audience, the episode was shown after being edited to a live audience that came to see “The Voice”, an episode shot a few weeks later so there could be a laugh track.
The episode opens with all four of them walking into the parking garage to find their car. As they enter the garage, we see Kramer is carrying a giant box with an air conditioner in it. Michael Richards famously insisted on carrying an actual air conditioner to make the physical comedy look more authentic. Elaine is carrying a goldfish, George is worried that he will be late for dinner with his parents and Jerry is concerned about finding a bathroom.
With the weight of the box getting too much, Kramer decides to leave the air conditioner by a parking spot to pick up after they find the car. Jerry is needing to go to the bathroom so badly that Kramer urges him to just go in the garage. Meanwhile, George explains that the ramifications of not making it to dinner on time will be something his parents hold over his head the rest of his life. He jokes that he can just call them on their car phone and let them know he’s running late, which was an unheard of thing in 1991. Rob and Akiva discussed how the car phone was such a short lived gimmick, with the advancements in cell phones literally making the car phone obsolete.
Still not finding the car, Jerry makes the assumption that the car must be on a different level. While continuing to wander for the car, a mother is dragging her son roughly to their car, and George decides to comment to the mother about being so rough. His good Samaritan nature that compelled him to speak up would be short lived as the son calls George ugly . Elaine is so desperate to get to the car to get her fish home that she decides she is going to ask other people to drive them around to look, but everyone she asks rebuffs her.
As they keep looking, Jerry’s need to go to the bathroom continues, as does Kramer’s urging for him to relieve himself in the garage. He finally gives in, but when he turns around after finishing, there is a mall security guard waiting for him, and brings to custody. Jerry tries to say that he has a condition, and could die from uromysitisis poisoning if he holds it in. The scene cuts back to George, Elaine and Kramer, who now need to find Jerry. Elaine wants to go to another level to look for him, though George feels once they find Jerry, then never find her.
George, getting fed up that everything keeps going wrong, says, what does it matter, we’ll all be dead one day anyway. Kramer finds peace in that thought, to which George scoffs that people like Kramer live to be 120 since they don’t care about anything. Akiva and Rob debated whether that statement could bring them peace of mind, or worry them further. Rob said he likes to think of it as positive, helping him to not worry so much about the little things like traffic. Kramer adds to his Zen-like thought by mentioning how the elderly often stave off death by living each moment to the fullest. While continuing to look for Jerry, George comments to Kramer how he likes his jacket. Rob really liked how Kramer explained that the jacket was left at his house by a friend of his mother, which would become a running story in future episodes.
Back to Jerry at the security office, he is trying to tell the guard that he could have just been pouring something out, and not peeing. He finally admits he’s guilty, but uses George’s excuse that he has to hurry back to the city for an anniversary party. George and Kramer continue looking, and now George has to go to the bathroom. Kramer convinces him to just go, and George ends up getting caught by the same mall cop, who brings him back to the office as well. Rob and Akiva wondered how come George got to leave the mall cop office so quickly, while Jerry was detained for much longer.
Jerry’s standup bit is about following someone and how it makes him nervous when they turn around and look at him. Rob felt this was a pretty weak bit. When it cuts back to the scene, Jerry and George are talking about General Chang from the Red Chinese prison. They finally run into Elaine, and explain how they were both arrested for urinating. As they are walking, they notice a Mercedes taking up two spots, which prompts George to want to spit on the car for the owner being so rude. As he goes to spit, the owner comes up, so George has to back off.
As they continue walking, they encounter some tough Jersey Shore types. Elaine spouts off to them, but George and Jerry want no trouble. Next, they notice a red haired woman who agrees to help them find the car. As they are driving around, the woman inexplicably kicks them out, for apparently making a joke about L Ron Hubbard. It just so happened that the were kicked out right at the car, but there is no Kramer.
Eventually, Kramer finds them again, as he had been wandering around looking for the air conditioner. Elaine has lost the fish, and they all are eager to get out of there, but when they go to leave, the car won’t start. Akiva learned that they originally planned the ending to be them driving around not be able to find an exit, but the car not starting was an unplanned success, so they went with that. Jerry’s final standup is about how the mall parking garage is such a hard place to navigate, and they should give the areas names you wouldn’t forget.
“The Parking Garage” falls in at number 28 on Akiva’s list, which is the second best they’ve recapped so far. Rob disagreed, putting it atop the list of the episodes they’ve covered, feeling there is no clunky or boring parts. The guys had some things from the plot that would be negated in 2014. Rob said he often takes a picture with his phone of the sign near his car, while Akiva will type in the location on his notepad on his phone.
Newman brought by a piece of mail for the guys to go over. Johnny De Silveira wondered why malls don’t put the map on the floor so people can navigate better. Akiva agreed, thinking there has to be a better way than currently constructed. He also wondered what was the longest time Rob or Akiva had to search for their cars in a parking garage. Rob usually thinks that the car has been stolen in this situation, adding that finding the car at a stadium can be equally as difficult. Listener Chester emailed Akiva directly to share how much he loved the episode, agreeing with Rob that it’s the best so far.
Next week, Akiva and Rob will recap “The Café”, where we will first meet Babu Bhatt. Akiva pointed out that Babu is the first iconic recurring character. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/seinfeldITunes, where you can’t rate and review the podcast. Let them know what you thought of the episode by leaving your comments on the page, and get your questions to the guys by emailing Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. You can also follow Rob and Akiva on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Podcast Recap of Seinfeld, Season 3, Episode 5 “The Library” first aired on NBC October 16, 1991
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur were excited to sit down and discuss a classic episode from Season Three in “The Library”, which first aired on October 16, 1991. Akiva shared that this was the real first episode that tied all the storylines together, even though the same claim was made in four or five different episodes. Akiva felt that the powers that be at Seinfeld probably wanted a good episode to be remembered for that feat.
With no current news about Seinfeld, the guys jumped right into the recap. Jerry’s standup was about ventriloquist dummies. Rob thought that it was a bit meta to critique another type of comedy, and that it didn’t tie into anything from the plot of the show.
The episode opens with Jerry on the phone disputing that he still has a library book checked out from 1971. Both Akiva and Rob have had to shell out late fees for books, videos and DVDs in their past, but never faced the scrutiny of anyone like Lt. Bookman. Jerry explains that he distinctly remembers returning the book because he was with Sherry Becker, who wore an orange dress that showed “what she was working with” for the first time, which was burned into his memory.
Jerry brings Kramer along to the library to discuss this missing book, and he explains to Kramer that he was tracked down because of computers. Kramer shares his dislike for the whole library system, from the freeloaders reading newspapers on wooden posts, to the Dewey Decimal System being a sham. Rob and Akiva thought Kramer would be right at home with freeloaders given how he treats Jerry’s apartment like a library.
At the library, Kramer shows off his prowess as a ladies man when analyzing the librarian as a lonely spinster in need of “a little Kramer”. Jerry makes a low blow comment about how she’d need penicillin after a meeting with him. Akiva and Rob noted that Kramer’s ignoring the comment is a typical sitcom move that would never happen in real life. When they finally get to talk to the librarian, she informs them that the case has been turned over to the library detective named Lt. Bookman. Rob and Akiva quibble a bit over whether it’s a good joke to have him named Bookman, and decided that they were being too nitpicky.
George meets up with them, and he’s frantic about seeing a homeless man who he thinks is their 9th grade Gym teacher, Mr. Heyman. They tell the story to Kramer about how George got him fired for giving him a wedgie, to which Kramer remarks how he didn’t take George for a squealer. As they go to leave, Kramer stays around to flirt with the librarian, asking her what’s a guy to do to get a library card around there.
Before recapping the Elaine story, Rob shared how disappointed he was in this storyline. Akiva felt it could be given a pass because it developed Lippman as a recurring character, even though they would switch the actor out after this episode. Elaine is at her office, where she is worried that she is in trouble since no one got her order for lunch. Mr. Lippman then gives her a lukewarm response to her question about a story she edited.
At Monk’s, she is worrying about the happenings at her office, and tries to get George to commiserate, since he’s worked in an office. George is transfixed with the Heyman siting, so he completely blows her off by saying “I don’t know about lunch, I don’t know about anything”. George shares with Elaine about how their Gym teacher used to torment him, making him smell his own socks and wear a jock strap on his head the whole class. George then describes the story of the wedgie, and we see a flashback of the event. Mr. Heyman walks up to George and calls him “Cantstandya”. He remarks that George’s underwear is showing, and has a group of students then give him the wedgie. Rob referred to these students as Heyman’s henchmen.
Jerry has a mid episode standup about how libraries are like a pathetic friend. The next scene has Lt. Bookman waiting to talk to Jerry at his apartment. Both Rob and Akiva felt that this character was wonderful. They debated the value of this small library having a detective on salary to solely track down overdue books. Rob shared that writer Larry Charles wanted to have the character be like a tough talking cop similar to shows like Dragnet. Bookman lays into Jerry about his abuse of the library rules, and how “party time is over”. After Bookman storms out of the apartment, the librarian, who has met up with Kramer, scurries into Kramer’s apartment to not be seen.
Jerry decides to meet up with Sherry Becker to get her take on the lost book. Akiva and Rob pointed out that the actor who played Sherry was far older than Jerry. Akiva learned from some Facebook stalking that the actress playing Sherry Becker, Cynthia Szigeti, much like many of the bit characters on Seinfeld, is currently an acting coach. Sherry shares with Jerry her memory of that day. She remembers that she was wearing a purple dress, was chewing Dentyne, not the Black Jack licorice gum, and that they were reading Tropic of Capricorn, not Tropic of Cancer. Jerry then realizes that he gave Tropic of Cancer to George to read.
Meanwhile, Kramer and Marion the librarian are reading her poetry in the library after closing, and they are busted by Lt. Bookman. He tells Marion that he remembers when the librarian was an older woman who you knew nothing about, and he liked it that way. He tells her that this is her last warning about violating the library rules.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, Elaine is describing how Mr. Lippman wants to see her in his office, and she’s worried that he doesn’t like the book about Columbus. Rob enjoyed how Jerry referred to Columbus as Euro-trash, but wondered why there was not a scene that tied in how Elaine brought Marion’s book of poetry in to Lippman. George then walks in, sharing that the homeless man was definitely Mr. Heyman. He had approached Heyman, asking if he remembered him. As he turned away, Heyman gave George a wedgie. Elaine remarks that at least it wasn’t an atomic wedgie, to which George reveals the shredded, tighty-whitey band, proving it was. Jerry informs George that he was the one with the lost book.
Jerry goes down to the library to write a check to Bookman for the lost book. Elaine, who is with him, shares that Mr. Lippman did not like Marion’s book of poems. Rob particularly liked how she delivered the line “no, he did not”. The final scene cuts to Mr. Heyman in his cardboard box repeatedly saying “Cantstandya”. The camera pans out on the lost copy of Tropic of Cancer. Jerry’s closing standup is a bit about how strange gym class is in context to the rest of the school day.
When they discussed what from the episode would be different in 2014, they decided that a teacher would certainly be arrested for allowing a student to get a wedgie, and that the overdue book investigation would have taken a lot less than 20 years to track down Jerry.
Newman delivered a fresh mailbag for them to go through. Hunter, along with many other listeners, pointed out that Prancer was an actual movie released in 1989. An email from Johnny De Silveira shared how he feels for George about having his name mispronounced and misspelled. He asked Bob Sesterino and Ikea Weinerker if they have experienced the same. Both shared the many ways their names have been butchered over the years.
Emailer Chester had issues with the Elaine “B story” and the imposter Lippman. Rob agreed, feeling it takes the episode from a 9 rating to an 8. Akiva took the opportunity to unveil his rankings of the episodes so far. There are 169 episodes to rank when combining two part episodes and removing the highlights. The bottom 16 episodes are completely made up of shows from seasons one, two and three.
Season One The Pilot-155 The Stakeout-160 The Robbery-166 Male Unbonding-168 The Stock Tip-167
Season Two The Ex-Girlfriend-165 The Pony Remark-47 (top 50) The Jacket-154 (Rob felt is low) The Phone Message-119 The Apartment-162 The Statue-164 The Revenge-126 The Heart Attack-161 The Deal-101 (Akiva wants to rank lower because of the end “this, that and the other”) The Baby Shower-157 The Chinese Restaurant-79 The Busboy-156 (Rob would have it 169 on his list)
Season Three The Note-159 The Truth-158 The Pen-86 The Dog-169 (Farfel doomed to Akiva’s pound) The Library-14 (top 25 baby, but Rob thought it was a little high)
Tune in next week as Rob and Akiva breakdown “The Parking Garage”. You can subscribe to the podcast on ITunes by going to postshowrecaps.com/SeinfeldITunes, where you can also rate and review the podcast. Apple users can now download the RHAP app, which includes all Post Show Recap and Reality TV RHAP-ups too. Send your emails to Seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com, and follow them both on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this podcast recap!
A barking Farfel didn’t disrupt Rob and Akiva from discussing the fourth episode of season three titled “The Dog”. This episode first aired October 9th, 1991, and was widely panned as a subpar episode. Akiva pointed out that other than “The Stranded”, which will come up a few episodes down the road, it’s all quality shows from here forward.
One of the few bright spots in this episode for Rob was the first mention of fake movie titles in Prognosis Negative and Ponce De Leon. It’s one of the running gags in the show that Rob really enjoys. Rob mentioned that he can’t put “The Dog” at the bottom of the worst episode list because he enjoys saying Farfel so much. A Seinfeld-y thing in the news now that Akiva found was a clip from Jerry’s web show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, where Michael Richards is impersonating the president of Crackle (the website that sponsors the show).
In Jerry’s opening standup, he talks about how airplanes are able to make up time in the air after a delay, leading him to wonder why the plane doesn’t just go that fast all the time if it can. Rob and Akiva discussed if planes don’t always do this because of safety, ultimately concluding that it probably comes down to saving money by going at a more moderate speed. Akiva also added that Jerry deserves a pass for the hacky premise, noting that Jerry created many of these types of bits.
The episode begins with Jerry sitting in first class next to an obviously intoxicated Gavin Polone, who is telling Jerry about the virtues of owning a dog. Rob and Akiva agree that Gavin is one of the worst guest characters, perhaps a contender to take the crown from the woman in “The Baby Shower”. Gavin starts to feel queasy, causing an emergency landing in Chicago, but Gavin tells the flight attendants that someone needs to take care of Farfel, his dog, who is crated in the baggage storage. Jerry tries to avoid being the guy to take the dog, but Gavin doesn’t let him off the hook.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, Farfel is in Jerry’s bedroom, barking incessantly. Akiva had put in his notes how fake Farfel’s bark was. He also pointed out that Tom Williams was the voice actor credited with Farfel’s bark, and he has credits as a voice actor in over 75 shows and movies. Jerry is at his wit’s end with Farfel, who is messing all over his house, tearing up his furniture. Rob thought that never seeing both Farfel and Kramer’s girlfriend in this episode was too much, and that it could have been better to show one of them. Jerry tells Elaine that it’s been three days since Gavin went to the hospital, and if he doesn’t hear from him soon, then he’ll take Farfel to the pound.
Kramer comes in to share that he can’t watch Farfel for him that night since he has to break up with his girlfriend Ellen. Elaine and Jerry tell him they never liked her. Elaine refers to her personality as unpleasant as the Elephant Man is to see, while Jerry wonders why someone hasn’t killed her yet. Kramer is looking forward to hurt her feelings when breaking up with her. Rob and Akiva discussed the etiquette when a friend announces they are breaking up with someone they didn’t like. Rob said he’s always abided by the “first breakup doesn’t take” philosophy, and always offers a politically correct response.
George shows up, excited for the three of them to see Prognosis Negative, only to be told Jerry can’t go. George and Elaine are both feeling awkward about going to the movie without Jerry, citing that they are “friends-in-law”, only tied together through Jerry. Akiva and Rob did note that George and Elaine were together alone when slipping George’s boss the mickey, but don’t really interact on their own. There is a mid episode standup bit where Jerry talks about how aliens would assume that dogs were the rulers, since humans follow them around cleaning up their mess, carrying it in little bags.
The next scene is George and Elaine at the coffee shop after the movie, but Rob and Akiva wondered what movie the saw, or if they even went to see a movie. While drinking tea at the diner, it’s obvious how difficult a time they are having striking up conversation. They find a common ground making fun of Jerry about how he drinks Morning Thunder tea, not knowing that it has caffeine in it. Rob and Akiva found a series hole in George and Elaine’s talk about Jerry throwing up. In the black and white cookie episode, Jerry mentioned he hadn’t thrown up since 1980, and Elaine has only been in New York for six years.
In between the scene at Monks, there is a scene with Kramer breaking up with Ellen in a mean way, shot as a point of Ellen’s view. There is another scene soon after with Kramer taking it all back, telling her he loves her. In the next scene, Jerry learns that Gavin had been checked out of the hospital in Chicago a few days ago, so he has no way of contacting him to pick up Farfel. He tells Elaine that he is just going to take Farfel to the pound so they can go and enjoy the movie. Elaine tells him he can’t do that, since the pound will kill Farfel, and offers to watch the dog while George and Jerry go to the movies. Kramer comes in upset because now that he is back together with Ellen, he can’t believe the mean things Jerry and Elaine said about her.
George shows up and learns that Elaine is now not going to go, and he and Jerry can’t decide whether to see Prognosis Negative without her. Before they leave, Jerry wants to use the bathroom, which George and Elaine try to prevent so they don’t have to keep up an awkward conversation, even for a “normal human” amount of time. In line at the movies, Jerry and George continue to debate whether to just see the movie or wait for Elaine. Ultimately, they decide to see it, since Ponce De Leon is sold out anyway. The scene cuts back to Elaine, who is fighting with Farfel over a jacket. Gavin finally calls for the dog, which Elaine tells him he better come pick him up right now.
In the next scene, Jerry and Gavin are talking in the doorway to Jerry’s apartment. He tells Jerry that he has Bell’s Palsy, and went directly to a clinic nearby after being released from the hospital. Rob argued that Gavin having Bell’s Palsy was an unfunny take on the situation. He found it hard to figure out if Gavin didn’t pick up Farfel right away because he was sick, or just on a bender. Before leaving, Gavin predicts that Jerry will be calling him to visit Farfel within the month, to which Jerry predicts that he’ll never see Farfel or Gavin again, then slams the door in Gavin’s face.
Jerry and Elaine are talking about going to see Prognosis Negative, but Jerry, having already seen it and hated it, tries to convince her to see something else without admitting to having seen it. Rob and Akiva agreed that sitting through a bad movie twice is a hard thing to do. Kramer comes in and shares that he broke up with Ellen again, but this time, Jerry and Elaine give the politically correct answer. The episode ends with a classic bit of Jerry’s standup about a pet parakeet of his that used to fly into a mirror.
In pondering whether this episode would hold up in 2014, they both agree that the whole episode wouldn’t be feasible, since Jerry could have just texted Gavin to pick up the dog. There were a few emails in the bag for the guys to answer. Johnny asked how Rob and Akiva would break up with someone, and if it would be as harsh as Kramer in the first breakup. Both agreed they would handle it much better. Johnny also shared that there are many shelters that would not kill the dog if brought to them.
Emailer Chester wonders why Jerry would tell Elaine to put the syrup in the glass first, since it would get stuck to the side of the glass and be harder to stir. He also pointed out that the outfits worn are ridiculous. Chester wondered why George and Elaine would sit through an awkward conversation after a movie when they could have just went home instead. Rob and Akiva agreed on all three points Chester made. He asked a question directly for Akiva, wondering if George and Elaine had any other times together alone, which Akiva had shared earlier in the episode that they had conspired to slip the mickey. Rob added that this was a real plot hole. Lastly Chester wonders why Ponce De Leon would be sold out over Prognosis Negative. He pointed out that Prognosis Negative had tickets for all six shows, but Jerry and George were there at night, and when ordering the tickets, Jerry never paid for them.
Gerinho pointed out that on the second watch of this episode, there was more to like about it, particularly Kramer’s breakup, then asked the guys if they ever had to tell a friend they hated their significant other. Akiva mentioned that usually the significant other of a friend usually hates him. Rob found that the significant other usually likes him, since he isn’t bringing out their mate to get crazy. Lastly, emailer Travis shares how he detests dogs, and also wonders if maybe Elaine saw Jerry throw up on video, since he hadn’t since 1980, which Rob and Akiva thought was a good point.
Next week’s episode to recap could possibly crack some top 25 lists, when the guys will break down “The Library”. Akiva shared that he is working on his rankings of all episodes, that he hopes to complete by next week. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/SeinfeldITunes. Rob wanted to thank the listeners for their recent ratings and reviews on ITunes. It helped remove the lone poor review from the top of the page. You can also email questions to seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com by Wednesday mornings. And you can follow them both on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Rob and Akiva took the astronaut pen from Jack Klompus to jot down their notes for recapping “The Pen”, which is the 3rd episode of Seinfeld’s season three. The episode first aired October 2, 1991, and is remembered as one of the greats. Rob felt partial to “The Pony Remark” as his favorite so far, but Akiva puts it atop the list of episodes covered on the recap.
A few unusual notes about the episode that Rob shared were that it was filmed entirely at the Seinfeld’s retirement community (which was not referred to as Del Boca Vista yet), and that George and Kramer did not appear in it at all. Also, Jason Alexander was none too happy about not appearing in it, having a confrontation with Larry David about it where he said if he was left out of another episode, then he’d want to be out of the show completely.
Jerry’s opening standup was a bit about how parents always refer to swimsuits as “trunks”. The episode opens with Jerry’s parents waiting for Jerry and Elaine to arrive, wondering if they should call the airline to check on them. Morty is upset about the missing scotch tape, and threatens to hide it so it won’t get taken again. Rob shared a story about how he used to hide his wallet when he’d come home from the bars, then wouldn’t be able to find it the next day. When Jerry and Elaine finally show up at the Seinfeld’s, they explain that they rented a car, which Jerry’s parents think was a waste. Jerry and Elaine immediately notice that it is extremely hot in their condo.
The purpose of Jerry and Elaine’s visit is to commemorate Morty’s end as the condo president, which Rob felt was a strange thing to celebrate, noting that even Uncle Leo came down to take part. Akiva said that it’s possible that they wrote it as Uncle Leo lived down there. Jerry and Elaine have only two options for sleeping arrangements, either a small love seat in the living room, or a pull out couch in the spare bedroom. When Elaine is in the other room, Jerry’s mom asks about his relationship with Elaine, which Jerry shares that they are now just friends. Akiva said this scene might have been a way to show that their arrangement from “The Deal” is officially done.
Jack Klompus and his wife come in and immediately started in with Morty about splitting the cost of their dinner the night before. Rob and Akiva noted that Jack Klompus is one of the great sub characters, unlike many of the others that have appeared so far. When Jack is writing out the check, Jerry comments on the pen Jack has, and how he really wants one like it for when he’s writing jokes in bed. Jack tells him to take the pen. Even though Jerry says no thank you at first, Jack talks him into taking it, much to Helen’s chagrin. She tells Jerry when Jack leaves that it was a bad idea to take the pen, since he loves and talks about it so much. Akiva and Rob play a guessing game on how much an astronaut pen must cost. Akiva guessed $50, while Rob guessed $12.99. The cost on Amazon ended up being between $15 and $35.
Elaine, who came on the trip to go scuba diving, ends up sleeping on the pull out couch, while Jerry is out on the small love seat in the living room. When Jerry checks on her, she is tossing and turning because of the heat and a giant bar that runs across the middle of the bed. The next day, Elaine wakes up and can barely walk, keeping her from going scuba diving. Rob talked about how he went scuba diving with Rudy, Tina and Richard Hatch, and doesn’t see the big deal in it. Elaine is lying on the floor begging for Morty to turn on the air conditioner, which he has no idea how to work.
One of the Seinfeld’s neighbors, Evelyn, comes in and right away brings up to Jerry about the pen, proving Helen right that word would spread about Jerry taking Jack’s pen. Someone else calls Helen to ask about the pen, while Elaine keeps yelling for Morty to get the air conditioning going. The scene cuts to Jerry coming back from scuba diving with black eyes, caused by the pressure from the scuba mask. Jack Klompus comes back over, and Jerry gives him the pen back, saying he doesn’t need it. Morty gets mad at this, yelling at Jack that he should let Jerry keep the pen. Jack points out that you don’t take everything you are offered, just like he didn’t take the sponge cake even though he loves it.
In the next scene, Morty, Helen, Elaine and Jerry are having their pictures taken at the ceremony, but Elaine is completely loopy from the muscle relaxers Morty gave her. Uncle Leo walks in with his wife (that will never appear or be spoken of again), and comments to Jerry how his material he saw on The Tonight Show is stale. He offers to have cousin Jeffrey help him write jokes. Elaine, laughing hysterically at how Leo’s wife is named Stella, starts yelling her name ala A Streetcar Named Desire, leaving no doubt to the other party goers that she is hopped up. Helen remarks after they walk off that she hates Stella like poison.
The ceremony begins with Jack Klompus emceeing, and he uses the opportunity to roast Morty, rather than honor him the way it was intended. With each barb that Jack throws, Morty responds with some poor retorts, until he yells out how Jack took back the astronaut pen, which causes a scuffle. While the old men are fighting, Helen tells Jerry to start telling jokes, or everyone will leave. Rob and Akiva pointed out that amongst the ruckus, Larry David’s voice is heard yelling things a few times.
Back at the Seinfeld’s condo, there is a chiropractor checking out Elaine’s back, and he tells them that she will have to stay right there for five more days. Jerry sheepishly tries to see if he can leave her there, but Elaine squashes it right away. Jerry tries to make the five days sound like a lot less by describing how it will feel like a day, tying back to the beginning of the episode when he tries to convince her their initial stay will only feel like 20 minutes. The episode ends with a Jerry standup that Akiva found pretty weak.
After recapping, the guys read some listener emails. Johnny asked if the guys have had to sleep on a sofa bed where the bar was right in their back. Both agree they have, and Rob commented how he has even slept on an inflatable mattress for a week. Chester asked why didn’t Jerry and Elaine stay in a hotel, since they rented a car anyway. He also asked why doesn’t anyone recognize Jerry on the street when he’s been on the Tonight Show. Akiva agreed that they should have stayed in the hotel, and that it’s odd that Jerry isn’t recognized more. Chester also points out that an old man fist fight would be a must watch, so why would Helen feel like Jerry should do something to keep the guests there. Both Rob and Akiva felt that was a fair point. Lastly, Chester wants to know what doctor would make a house call in 1991. The guys didn’t think it was hugely out of the ordinary as a chiropractor to do that.
Join the guys next week as they recap “The Dog”, which Akiva feels will be the worst episode covered up to date. You can send your emails to Rob and Akiva at seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to Post Show Recaps on iTunes by going topostshowrecaps.com/SeinfeldITunes.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss Season 3, Episode 2 “The Truth”.
It was all honesty in tonight’s recap, the 19th installment of the Seinfeld: Post Show Recap for Rob and Akiva. “The Truth” was the second episode of the third season, and first aired on September 25, 1991. Rob started right off by describing “The Truth” as an underrated, journeyman episode. Akiva agreed, calling it not great, but not bad.
Rob did think that the name of the episode was a bit odd, offering that perhaps they could have named it “The Audit” instead, since “The Truth” doesn’t help to remember what it was about. Akiva noted that this episode was a bit mysterious, in that there was no DVD commentary, production notes or behind the scenes footage.
They jump right into recapping with Jerry’s stand up, which he talks about the extra buttons that are provided when you buy a jacket. Rob found it strange that Jerry actually had the pouch with the buttons in it, when Jerry is anything but a prop comic. The opening scene of the show has George sitting at Monk’s Diner with a woman he’s dating. She had chop sticks in her hair, and spoke in a very pretentious manner, which George clearly wasn’t a fan of.
The scene cuts to Jerry and Kramer at the apartment, who are going through Jerry’s receipts. He is being audited because Kramer convinced him to donate to a cause to help the Krakatoa’s with a pending volcano eruption, a charity that ended up being fraudulent. Jerry only gave him the donation because he was on a date with Elaine and was trying to be a big shot. When Elaine comes in, she’s not happy because Kramer is dating her roommate, and has been wreaking havoc on her apartment, particularly her pasta strainer. Rob, as the resident Italian, agreed with Elaine that there is no reason that the sauce would go on the pasta before it goes through the strainer. Akiva had never cooked pasta, so he didn’t know.
Elaine starts making fun of Jerry when she finds out about the fraudulent charity causing him to be audited. Jerry explains that everything will be fine because George is dating an accountant, and she’s going to help him out.
The scene cuts back to George now breaking up with Patrice the accountant. He delivers the famous line “it’s not you, it’s me”, amongst other excuses for why he wants out of the relationship. She pressures him that there must be some other reason, which causes George to spout off how he thinks she’s pretentious, and can’t stand how she says everyone’s full name. Rob wondered if they were playing off the famous scene, “you can’t handle the truth” from A Few Good Men, but Akiva pointed out that it came out after this episode premiered. As Patrice get’s up to leave after being broken up with, she asks George how much she owes for the lunch, and he tells her four dollars. Akiva noted that this is at least the third reference so far to George’s cheapness.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, he is talking about how lucky he is to have this accountant take care of his audit. He describes how violently he’d kill Kramer if this wasn’t so. When George comes in, he’s so happy that he is free from Patrice. He forgets that he had her take Jerry’s receipts. When Kramer hears this, he sneaks out of the apartment without a word. Rob said it reminded him of how a dog will silently slip out of a room when they are caught doing something wrong.
George is thinking that he can fix things with Patrice, but when he tells them all how he broke up with her, Elaine explains how bad it was to tell the truth. He thinks that telling the truth was no big deal, but when Elaine reveals the truth that he is cheap, he takes it terribly, proving her point. When George tries to call Patrice to make amends, she hangs up on him.
In the next scene at Jerry’s apartment, Kramer comes in with a windshield he found on the street. He’s going to make it into a coffee table for Elaine and her roommate’s apartment. Elaine comes in acting very awkward, and it turns out that Kramer accidentally walked in on her naked. Rob and Akiva discussed who they would rather have date their female roommate, and both decided George rather than Kramer, since you could make fun of George all the time. Kramer tries to make it right with Elaine by offering to get naked for her, which Jerry shuts down right away by saying he’s always welcome, but not “Mr. Johnson”. Rob thought this might have been a bit of a risqué statement for television in 1991.
Next, George walks in saying he couldn’t get the papers back, since Patrice had checked herself into a mental institution. There is a mid episode standup piece with Jerry talking about how he would like to wear a belt when he’s naked so he’d have something he could adjust. Akiva shared that he doesn’t like the mid episode standup break, thinking that there is so little time for the actual show, why would they cut more time out. He adds that this is their favorite show of all time, and the extra critiques he has are merely just observations. Kramer tells a story about his friend Bob Sacamano was in a mental institution.
Jerry and George decide to go out to the mental institution so they can get Jerry’s receipts back. Rob mentioned how he always enjoyed when the two go somewhere together, and how they play off each other in those scenes. Akiva likened it’s style to Curb Your Enthusiasm. When at the institution, George talks about how he would love it there, since everyone would pity him, and he could wear slippers all day.
Elaine walks into her apartment to a big mess in the sink, crazy music playing, and Kramer and Tina dancing in towels. Tina asks Elaine what is wrong, but she ultimately doesn’t share the truth with her. Back at the mental institution, Jerry and George sit down with Patrice, and she asks them why they are there. Jerry said he heard she is a nice person and wanted to meet her, while George denies that he’s there because he feels guilty. George tells her he made a mistake, and she is too good of a person for him.
Jerry tries to steer the conversation toward where his receipts are. Akiva thought this was a great example of the writers reminding us that Jerry and the gang are horrible, selfish people. Patrice tells Jerry she threw out the receipts since she was so upset, but could help him if he gives her the copies. They cut back to Elaine’s apartment, where Kramer and Tina start dancing around after Elaine leaves, only to crash into the windshield coffee table after turning out the lights. Akiva said that this “B” plot was a dud, and didn’t really tie into the episode. Rob thought they could have shot this scene better, but Akiva stayed true to his thought that it didn’t belong at all.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, he is on the phone trying to track down receipts for the audit. As he gets ready to leave to get a receipt, Kramer comes in covered in bandages from crashing into the invisible coffee table. He asks to go with Elaine to visit Tina in the hospital, and the three all decide to split a cab. George, who is on his way to a poetry reading with Patrice, says he’ll jump in as well, but Elaine tells him he has to chip in, giving one more reference to his frugalness. Rob and Akiva discussed the etiquette for splitting cab fare, and decided it’s not worth the argument, so splitting it evenly is the best option. Jerry’s final standup is about how the IRS should be fun, since it sounds like Toys R Us.
Rob and Akiva go over a few emails. Emailer Mike asked if they were offended as Mets fans that the hat on Jerry’s Nerf hoop in his apartment now is a Yankees hat as opposed to the Mets hat. Akiva wondered when it is they switch back, and will be keeping an eye out for it. Emailer Johnny asks if either had been audited, which they had not. Matthew pointed out that cilantro is the new pesto, but Akiva does not agree. He thinks that sriracha and kale are more suitable.
Ian asks if Rob and Akiva have seen Mulaney yet, referring to it as a not very good Seinfeld rip off. Akiva has seen it, but found it bad so far. He really enjoyed John Mulaney’s standup, so he’ll give it more chances, since the first Seinfeld episodes weren’t very good either. Ian also shared a story how he and his wife went to a massage establishment (not a parlor), and he ended up with a male masseuse.
Join the guys next week when they head down to Del Boca Vista and recap “The Pen”. Don’t forget to send your emails in toseinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. You can subscribe to the Seinfeldpodcast by going to postshowrecaps.com/ITunes, and while there rate the show and leave comments on the page. You can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey to watch every Seinfeld episode as they discuss the start of Season 3 with “The Note”.
After an up and down season two, Rob and Akiva got some massages (with notes for their insurance to cover of course), a new microphone for Akiva, so they’re primed to dive into Seinfeld’s third season. They start off with the first episode of season three, the 18th they have covered so far, called “The Note”, which first aired September 18, 1991.
Rob felt that this episode was the first to really have the Seinfeld feel. Akiva agreed it did, even though it wasn’t a great episode. He added that he really felt the Kramer we’ve come to know and love officially took form here. Rob called it a racy episode for 1991. Akiva felt it was more controversial now, since the premise deals with homophobia, and can be viewed as politically incorrect. Rob thought Jerry did a good job in his stand up during the closing credits quelling the notion of having a negative view on homosexuality.
They had a few notes pertaining to Seinfeld in the news in 2014. Akiva read something about Jason Alexander sharing how his son is dating an architect, referring to it as a brutal irony in his life. Also, Jerry recently won a Clio award for advertising. In his speech, he tore into the whole premise of advertising and it’s materialism.
Jerry’s opening standup was a bit about people referring doctors, and how they always feel they are the best. Akiva thought this was the best standup shown so far. Rob and Akiva said that the enhanced “scat music” version of the theme song was weird and obnoxious. This change would only last for this episode, as NBC pulled the plug on it right away. The episode begins with Jerry getting a massage, saying creepy things about kidnapped kids to the lady Juliana giving the massage, who is obviously put off and alarmed by this. Akiva and Rob thought this was weird and not fitting to Jerry’s character.
In the next scene at Jerry’s apartment, he is explaining how he offended the masseuse to George and Elaine, but they don’t seem interested in the story. George just complains about Jerry’s empty fridge, while Elaine keeps trying to change the subject. What does end up peaking their interest is when Jerry explains that he is getting this massage covered by his insurance by getting a note from his friend who is a dentist (not Tim Whatley).
George and Elaine decide to utilize this loophole and get themselves free massages as well. When they get there, George learns that he will be getting his massage from a man, which makes him immediately uncomfortable. He asks Elaine to switch, but she doesn’t want a man massaging her either. Rob shared a story about getting a massage from a man when he was in Argentina after Survivor: All Stars. The experience made him think about this very episode, but due to the language barrier, he had no option to ask for a lady instead.
George has no choice but to get the massage from Raymond, the tall, attractive, male masseuse. Akiva wondered why George wouldn’t just leave, but Rob noted that he wasn’t going to give up a free massage. As George is getting the massage, Raymond comments how he seems so tense, which George explains was from too much coffee. He’s visibly nervous, giving muttered, nonsensical answers to Raymond’s questions. When he walks out after the massage, George just slinks out past Elaine without a word.
Rob and Akiva were delighted with the next scene, calling it a classic. Back at Jerry’s apartment, George starts to explain what happened. George gets to the part about having to take his pants off, and how Raymond got two inches from “there”, which made “it move”. He and Jerry debate whether that means he has a sexual attraction to a man because of this. Akiva and Rob extended the debate themselves, and they concluded that it would take much more than that situation to determine.
Kramer walks in and blurts out that he just saw Joe DiMaggio at Dinky Doughnuts. They also wondered why they wouldn’t just call it Dunkin’ Donuts, since they refer to real products like Snapple and Junior Mints throughout the series. During Kramer’s story, George keeps talking to himself about how situations where he’s close to other men, like in a public bathroom, make him uncomfortable. Rob and Akiva discussed how it’s a common thing on Seinfeld for one character to completely ignore a side conversation and just focus on their issue. Jerry assures Kramer that it wasn’t Joe DiMaggio at Dinky Doughnuts, and George finally takes part, adding, why would Joe DiMaggio be eating at a crummy Dinky Doughnuts when he’s a guy who’s slept with Marilyn Monroe. George ends the conversation by asking Jerry to take him to Roy the dentist for the insurance note.
While at the dentist getting the note, Roy the dentist comments on a poster of Evander Holyfield, and how he has a great body. George immediately takes offense, wondering why Roy would think George would be looking at his body. While Roy is writing up the notes, Jerry has him write another one for Elaine.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, he is on the phone trying to schedule another appointment, but Juliana isn’t taking an appointment with him. Kramer comes back in saying that he saw Joe DiMaggio again at Dinky Doughnuts. Rob mentioned how this is the first celebrity that is referenced on the show that never actually appears on screen. Kramer observes him, noting that Joe likes to dunk his doughnut. Akiva had never heard of dunking a doughnut in coffee, but Rob explained that is why it’s named Dunkin’ Donuts. Kramer continues his story about Joe D, and how he was trying to get his attention by slapping the table and making strange whooping sounds.
George comes in and starts explaining why he has ripped pants. While jumping over a puddle, he made an effeminate motion, which caused some kids to call him a “Mary”. He fell and ripped his pants falling while chasing after the kids. Jerry meanwhile gets a telephone call from Roy, who explained that he is being investigated for insurance fraud from writing all the notes for the massages. They go to Roy’s office, and the receptionist, who’s Roy’s wife, berates them for putting Roy’s practice in trouble with these notes. Roy assures them that as long as the physical therapist who gave the massage “play’s ball”, nothing bad will happen.
When Jerry and George go back to the massage office to make sure all will be okay, the front desk tells them that Juliana is not there, though she walks out of an office with her son. When Jerry tries to talk to her, she yells for her son Billy to run into the back room and call the police. Akiva noted that the boy playing Billy is Jerry’s real life nephew.
The next scene cuts to the coffee shop, where Jerry shares that Roy will only end up getting six month’s probation for the infraction. George tells them that he has been having men show up in his sexual fantasies. He has to yell at them and tell them to get out of there. Rob said that this is definitely a dated problem, since technology in 2014 would allow for someone to utilize the internet for such things versus having to use one’s imagination to fantasize. While talking, they look over at another table and notice Joe DiMaggio. Kramer starts slapping the table and yelping again to try and get his attention. The closing credits standup is Jerry talking about how male homophobia could be due to how easily men are persuaded to buy things.
The guys discussed what would be different in 2014, but concluded that most of the storyline would still be the same today.
There were a few emails to go over with the start of season three. Chester pointed out that the massages seemed more like haircuts, and not what typically happens in a massage. He also wondered why George wouldn’t be asked if he preferred a man or a woman. Johnny asked if Akiva and Rob have seen any retired Mets players out and about. Akiva has a friend who knows David Wright, and Rob rode a plane with Todd Zeile, but didn’t talk to him. Rob would love to run into Keith Hernandez though.
Next week, the guys will recap “The Truth”, and will do so on a bit of a different schedule, so get your emails in before Wednesdays at seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. You can subscribe to the podcast by going to the website atpostshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes. And as always, you can follow them both on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this episode’s recap
Seinfeld: The Note | Episode 18 Recap
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Seinfeld: The Busboy | Episode 17 Recap
Oct 06, 2014
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Rob and Akiva took time away from putting out dinner table fires to gather for the recap of “The Busboy”, the final episode of Seinfeld’s season two. The episode first aired on June 26th, 1991. Rob thought this was a “sweep under the rug” episode, and Akiva agreed, thinking they shelved it until after sweeps week since it wasn’t a great one. In fact, it was the lowest rated episode of the entire series.
Before discussing the plot points, Akiva and Rob went over a few overall thoughts. Rob noticed that the entire episode revolved around everyone else but Jerry, who really just added funny jabs and quips as commentary to the ongoing plot. He also pointed out it was odd that George was determined to help out this busboy without any ulterior motive. Akiva thought that being scared of the busboy might have been that motive, and that George can often be interested in the appearance of being a nice person. He agreed with Rob though that it was a bit off from how George typically is.
Akiva shared that there was no current stories pertaining to Seinfeld in the news, but he did a little digging into Jason Alexander and Michael Richards’ IMDB pages to see what they’ve been up to lately. Both have made appearances on a TV Land show Kirstie, a network that Rob likened to an “Old Timers Baseball Game”, where the once greats gather. Other than a few smaller market movies and animated spots for Jason Alexander, the list was short.
In the episode, Jerry’s opening credits standup has a few jokes about food, which only loosely ties into the episode. Rob and Akiva thought that his joke about stealing a roll off of the room service cart goes against Jerry’s penchant for being cleanly and germ free, while Akiva wondered if Jerry stole his story from last week’s podcast about the empanadas. Rob pointed out that the bit about “the story of the bill” was either used before, or one we’ve heard many times before. Akiva said that half of Jerry’s standup is about restaurants and planes.
The episode starts with Jerry, George and Elaine in a restaurant discussing how pesto is the new trendy thing. George wants to like it, but just can’t get on board. Rob and Akiva asked for listeners to post in the comments what might be the 2014 version of pesto when they couldn’t come up with it on their own. He also felt that Jerry’s comment about the older guy wearing a baseball cap makes it obvious that he’s hiding hair plugs would not relate to 2014, since many older people wear caps regularly nowadays.
Elaine starts talking about a guy from Seattle who is coming to stay with her for a week. George calls Seattle the “pesto” of cities. Rob and Akiva felt that today, Seattle is fully established, and is “crushing” pesto. The gang notices a menu on fire at a table next to them, and George quickly goes over and puts it out. Elaine makes a sarcastic comment to the manager that they’ll never eat there again, which prompts him to go over and fire the busboy. Rob shared a story about a similar experience his family had at a restaurant where the waiter was fired in the middle of their dinner for drinking on the job, leaving his dad to give a tip to him, plus another the waiter who finished the service. George becomes worried that he’s at fault for getting the busboy fired, and Jerry furthers this fear by talking about how this could lead him to doing a bunch of horrible things.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, George is trying to figure out if he can get this busboy a new job. He’s worried that a new restaurant might check his references, and Jerry has a strange line about how the busboy could be one of those guys wondering the city pricking people with pins. Elaine comes in and tells them that with a bit of charm, she was able to get the busboy’s address. George needs to go to the busboy’s apartment, and since Elaine has to use Jerry’s car to pick up her guy at the airport, Jerry tells him to take Kramer. Akiva pointed out that since this episode was filmed early in the season, the Kramer character is still weird and underdeveloped. Rob thought Kramer’s Harley Davidson shirt was out of place.
Kramer and George go to the busboy’s apartment. Rob felt that George was particularly out of character in how he talked with the busboy, sounding meek. While there, Antonio the busboy notices they left the door open, and his cat is missing, which he blames on Kramer and George. Akiva and Rob discussed how there was nothing humorous about the busboy character. Akiva mentioned how many of the early episodes went to a dark place like this. Still at the busboy’s apartment a few hours later, George and Kramer are trying to reassure Antonio that the cat will come back. Kramer accidentally breaks a lamp while there, further agitating the busboy.
The next scene has Jerry and Kramer at the apartment with Jerry talking to George on the phone. He is instigating an argument between the two. Rob and Akiva enjoyed how Jerry fueled each of their fires by exaggerating what each of them are saying to each other. Elaine comes in frazzled about how the guy staying with her is driving her crazy. She is trying to avoid dealing with him, deciding how to get him to the airport in the quickest way possible the next morning, even paying a cab driver $5 for advice on the quickest route. She bought a new alarm clock that will “slap you in the face” if you oversleep by ten minutes. Rob and Akiva noted that much of the plotline in the episode is rushed and unexplained. Akiva thought that they were trying to jam too much in, and it seemed like they wrote it in a day.
There is a clip of Jerry’s standup mid episode wear he talks about missing a plane, that Rob felt was a bit abstract, but pretty funny. The next scene is at Elaine’s apartment, where she and her guest have overslept. She starts rushing to get them both ready, so she can get him out of her life, even going as far as putting his pants on for him. Rob watched a behind the scenes clip of Julia Louis-Dreyfus talking about how she wasn’t happy about this scene, and how she wished they could have reshot it. Rob and Akiva thought this scene was out of place for Seinfeld.
Next, George and Jerry are having a conversation about the best public restrooms in New York. George claims to know where the best restrooms are anywhere in the city. Elaine comes in during this conversation and describes to them how she nearly concurred the New York City traffic to get the guy to the airport, but a pileup on the highway ruined her chance. When the busboy shows up at Jerry’s apartment, they all start to panic, wondering what he’s doing there. When Antonio comes in, he tells George that the restaurant he was fired from had an explosion, killing five people, including the busboy that replaced him. He’s grateful for George saving his life, and to top it all off, his cat returned home too.
As the busboy leaves, he bumps into Elaine’s guest in the hallway, and the two get into an altercation, ending with Antonio somehow hurting Elaine’s friend, who ends up in the hospital. Akiva and Rob said that while this sequence did tie the different storylines together, they felt it was a weird and dark way to end it. Jerry’s final standup talks about how boxing matches don’t have a lot of build up. Rob said maybe Jerry is more of a wrestling fan than boxing.
The guys discussed what would be different in 2014 vs. 1991. Rob thought maybe the cat would have a GPS chip, and that Elaine could have realized through texting that she wasn’t compatible with her guest. Also, there would be many electronic methods to rerouting Elaine’s trip to drop the guy at the airport.
Their lone email was from Johnny. He wanted to know if they have seen someone get fired in a restaurant in person. Rob previously shared his story, but Akiva had never witnessed anyone fired in person. He also wondered how far Akiva and Rob live from an airport. Both live relatively close to airports, and have their own tricks to getting through traffic and through security (especially with kids) in time to make a flight.
With the end of season two, they discuss their favorite and least favorite episodes. Akiva thought “The Chinese Restaurant” was best, with “The Pony Remark” second. His worst was “The Apartment”. Rob agreed with the top two, but thought that “The Busboy” was the worst. They are both quite excited to start into season three. Akiva said that while it’s not the best of the seasons, it’s leaps and bounds better than season one or two. Join Akiva and Rob next time as they will recap “The Note”, which was the season three premiere.
Rob encouraged the listeners to share any thoughts and theories they might have by emailing seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com , or by posting in the comments section. The best way to get the word out about the podcast is leaving ratings and feedback on ITunes at postshowrecaps.com/seinfelditunes. You can follow them both on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for tonight’s episode recap
Seinfeld: The Bus Boy | Post Show Recap of Episode 17 of Seinfeld
Seinfeld: The Chinese Restaurant | Episode 16 Recap
Sep 28, 2014
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Akiva Wienerkur and Rob Cesternino couldn’t wait five, ten minutes to sit down and delve into the feast that was “The Chinese Restaurant”, which first aired in 1991 as part of Seinfeld’s second season. Rob started right off calling it a classic, while Akiva said he was excited to get to a great one after such clunkers. Both agreed that while classic, it was more fun and interesting than funny of an episode. Akiva equated it to some episodes of Louie.
Before rehashing the episode, they discussed how having it shot in just one background, while also having it take place in real time were innovative moves for the time. Other notes that Akiva shared were that Kramer was absent from the whole episode because it was one of the first filmed in the season, and Kramer’s storyline was still that he was a hermit. Akiva saw a clip of Michael Richards talking about how disappointed he was to have not been in the episode, since it was so revered and groundbreaking.
The standup portion to begin the episode had Jerry doing a bit about payphones, and how the operator sometimes calls back to request more money for the call. Neither Rob nor Akiva, who have both actually used a payphone in their lives, have ever heard of this happening. In the first scene, Jerry, George and Elaine walk into the Chinese restaurant talking about what the city needs. Jerry suggests that waste management and the police force should combine jobs so cops can be doing something when they aren’t fighting crime.
They have trouble deciding how many they need to reserve for, since George’s date Tatiana may or may not meet them there. Rob wondered why George would pick this night to introduce her to his crazy friends. Meanwhile, Jerry is nervous about being out on the town since he cancelled plans with his uncle, but had to do it since Plan 9 From Outer Space is playing for one night only and can’t miss making sarcastic comments about the worst movie ever made (though IMDB would rate this movie a 3.9, while Rob Cesternino’s The Scorned earned a 3.0).
Knowing they have a small window of time to eat before the show, Elaine wants to look at the menu while waiting, so they can order right away when they get a table. But Jerry says he can’t look at the menu until at the table. In debating this, Akiva said he’s one who will Google the menu of the place hours before to decide, while Rob felt there’s something to waiting until seated that makes sense.
George starts to get agitated waiting for the payphone to call Tatiana, due to the man on the phone ignoring him. Akiva pointed out that this is really a 1991 problem. Akiva noticed how unusually large this waiting area is for a Manhattan restaurant, and wondered why they wouldn’t move along to another place, since there are 20 restaurants a block in NYC. Rob said that Larry David and Jerry came up with this episode from them waiting forever at a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles, where they’d have to drive somewhere else instead of waiting. While George waits for the phone, Jerry notices a woman eating that he recognizes, but can’t tell from where.
Elaine remarks how everyone always looks so happy when they are called to their table, like they’ve won something. George meanwhile, gets more and more angry about the guy on the phone. He asks Jerry if something happens, would he have George’s back. Rob felt that George was out of line here, and Akiva agreed that there really isn’t some kind of phone etiquette that was breached here. After scoffing at George about “rumbling” over the payphone, he asks him if he knows this woman he recognizes, since it’s driving him crazy. The guys started another debate about Elaine’s idea that the waiting area in a restaurant should be based on how hungry you are, and not who got there first. Both felt it would be quite difficult to quantify hunger, and bribery really would be the only way to expedite the process.
After hearing Elaine complain about her hunger enough, Jerry offers her 50 dollars ($87.32 in 2014 according to the inflation calculator) to go up to a table and just eat an eggroll off of a plate without saying a word. Akiva and his wife had a similar circumstance where he could have asked for some untouched food from a neighboring table, and was close to asking for it before the waiter bussed it away. Rob felt that it would be too weird to ask for leftovers from other tables, and Akiva asked for the listeners to come up with some tips for how to handle this in the future. Elaine asks George what he thinks, and he replies that for 50 bucks, he’s stick his face in the soup and blow. She walks up to the table and tries to get the people to let her eat an egg roll, and she’ll give them half the money. The older patrons can’t hear her though, since she is talking through clenched teeth, and the plan fails. Akiva and Rob thought this was a poorly done scene, and that you couldn’t really tell if it was Elaine talking, or if her thoughts were dubbed into the scene.
Back in the waiting area, George sees the payphone finally available but has it snatched away by another lady, who doesn’t care that he was waiting. He walks away yelling about how this is supposed to be a civilized society, which Rob really enjoyed. When the man who George was initially waiting for comes up and apologizes for taking so long, George politely accepts. Rob loved how just like last week, George backed down from the confrontation he had thought he wanted.
George finally decides to share with Jerry why things with Tatiana are in flux right now. While fooling around after their date, George had “intestinal requirements” that couldn’t be taken care of in her apartment because the bathroom did not have a good enough “buffer zone” from the rest of the place. It becomes so strong that he has to get up and leave right in the middle of it all. Rob wondered why he would even start to fool around if this could have been a possibility. Akiva thought George should have just gone to the bathroom there, but Rob astutely pointed out that there’d be no denying the sound and the smell if things were really that dire for George. As they debated why George couldn’t have come up with a better excuse or lie to smooth things over instead of “I think it would be better if I left”, Rob and Akiva concluded that there was no happy truth, and no good excuse for George to leave in this situation.
While still waiting for a table, the gang watches a boisterous, sleazy fellow walk in, make some sarcastic comments, then immediately sit down at a table. When Jerry asks why he gets a seat first, the host tells him that “Mr. Cohen is always here, and he’s from Park Avenue”. George finally gets to leave a message for Tatiana, then Jerry finally gets to figure out who the woman is that he recognizes. While talking with her, Elaine gets her name, which Jerry finally realizes that she’s a coworker of his uncle. Jerry frets about her telling him she saw him, blowing the excuse that he gave to his uncle to get out of going to dinner.
Not anywhere close to being seated, they all decide that bribing the host would get the ball rolling. In dividing the money up, we get a classic cheap George moment when he chooses himself to put in $6, Jerry and Elaine $7. Jerry uses feminism to con Elaine into being the one to slip the host the money, but she does a terrible job getting him to notice the money at first, so she just yells at him, throws the money, and begs to be seated. Jerry then walks back over to get the money back, but that also fails miserably.
This whole sequence further aggravates everyone, and they conclude that there is no way they can make the movie and eat there too. No suggestion Jerry comes up with works for anyone, and Elaine went so far as to say she’d rather lick the floor of the movie theatre than eat one of their hot dogs. Rob felt Elaine might have been a little to “precious” about it all, but he and Akiva both agreed that they’d have a hard time eating that hot dog too. While debating on what to do, the host starts yelling for “Cartwright”, which prompts George to double check if Tatiana called. The host tells him she just did, and that he yelled for Cartwright, which dumbfounds George.
So they decide bail out on the restaurant and the movie after all the events. George is not in the mood and wants to go smooth things over with Tatiana, while Elaine is going to Sky Burger. As they walk out and shut the door, the host finally yells, “Seinfeld four!” The show ends with Jerry doing standup about how hunger might even bring someone to cannibalism.
Rob put “The Chinese Restaurant” at the top of the episodes seen so far, and while Akiva agreed to that, he said it just didn’t crack his top twenty five list. They also both concluded that very little from this episode could work in 2014, since smart phones, texting, and Google would all take care of each of their issues. Since there was a quick turnaround between podcasts, there was no listener emails, comments or feedback to go over.
Join the guys next week as they will discuss the last episode of season two called “The Busboy”. You can subscribe to the Seinfeld only podcasts or the main feed for Post Show Recaps by going to postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to leave questions and comments while there. You can also send emails to the guys at seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. And if you haven’t already, do follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap!
Seinfeld: The Chinese Restaurant | Episode 16 Recap
After escaping the Russian gulag, Rob and Akiva’s cable guy hooked up their TV’s with illegal cable so they could re-watch the next episode in the Seinfeld series for their weekly post show recap. This week, they discussed season two’s “The Baby Shower”, which aired May 16th, 1991. Rob referred to this episode as one in the “awkward teenage years” of the Seinfeld series, with some of the more legendary episodes just right around the corner.
In his notes about the episode, Akiva shared how writer Larry Charles, along with co-creator Larry David discussed how this was the first episode that they intended to intertwine the storylines all together. He also read an article recently in the New York Post about how Friends was a more influential show to today’s TV than Seinfeld, though the writer of the article proclaims Seinfeld as the better show. No need to add Friends to the list of shows for Rob and Akiva to recap after Seinfeld, since Akiva hated Friends. Rob enjoyed it during its run, but wouldn’t re-watch it now.
In the opening credits standup, Jerry does a routine that loosely ties into the episode about how the remote control offers us a good glimpse at the difference between men and women by how they browse through the channels. Men being the hunters, flip through rapidly, while women as the gatherers, stop on each show to see what it’s about. Akiva had an interesting note about how typically the writer of the episode will write Jerry’s standup that appears in the show, but Larry Charles didn’t consider it his strong suit, so he had Jerry write it.
The first scene of the episode has Jerry, Elaine and George chatting at Monk’s Diner. Elaine is talking about having to throw a baby shower for an old college friend named Leslie, who has married a Kennedy. Rob pointed out how the Seinfeld writers have had an infatuation with making Kennedy jokes and references throughout the series. George shares how he once went on a terrible date with Leslie, where she invited him to her one-woman show she was performing about cooking dinner for God. She subsequently dumped a can of chocolate Bosco sauce on his brand new shirt as part of the show. George wanted to confront her about this after the show, but was a “groveling little worm” due to her being so intimidating.
Elaine can’t throw the shower at her apartment because her roommate has Lyme disease. Jerry thought she had the Epstein-Barr virus, and Elaine confirms that she does, but with a “twist” of Lyme disease, a joke Akiva quite enjoyed. She gets Jerry to agree to have the baby shower at his apartment while he’s gone to a show during the weekend. Meanwhile, George is getter madder and madder rehashing how Leslie spurned him so many years ago. He wants to one day confront her about it. Akiva shared a story about a distant relative he wanted to tell off one day himself. He was recently given the opportunity to do so, but, like George, pulled the groveling worm routine. The scene ends with George storming out, but not before removing one of the dollars from the tip he leaves. Akiva and Rob remark that they always enjoy the quick jokes about George’s cheapness.
The next scene is back at Jerry’s apartment, where he is trying to get TV reception with some rudimentary rabbit ears. Kramer comes in badgering Jerry to let his shady Russian friend hook up illegal cable for only $150. After much protest from Jerry about it being against the law, Jerry gives in when Kramer informs him that the Mets will have 75 games on cable this year. Rob and Akiva loved the dated reference of Kramer when he tells Jerry “Come on, it’s the 90s, it’s Hammer Time!”.
Referred to by Rob and Akiva as the craziest thing to ever happen on Seinfeld, the next scene is a dream sequence of Jerry’s. He returns home from his trip to see a group of FBI agents in his apartment, waiting to bust him for the illegal cable. Kramer is there, and has sold Jerry out. When Jerry tries to tell them they’re just patsies, the Russian cable guy appears, but is actually an undercover FBI agent, leading the sting. When Jerry tries to make a run for it, the FBI guys gun him down in horrific fashion. Akiva mentioned that in the notes of the show, writer Larry Charles said he wanted this scene to be Tarantino-esque.
Jerry wakes up from the dream and is on his flight to Buffalo for a gig. As he does, the plane is preparing for an emergency landing because of a blizzard. When he arrives back at the airport, George picks him up, and Jerry goes on about how appreciative he is for this. When George keeps making excuses of why they should go back to Jerry’s place instead of out to eat or George’s, Jerry notices that George has the Bosco stained shirt on under a sweater, and is planning on confronting Leslie, who is at Jerry’s apartment for the baby shower. Rob pointed out that George would later use the word Bosco for his ATM pin. He wonders why, since George had such a negative experience being doused by Bosco by Leslie.
Back in Jerry’s apartment at the baby shower, Leslie is being rude to Elaine about the quality of the food, while Elaine tries to no end to impress Leslie with talk of the Kennedys. Kramer bursts in with the Russian cable guy, as they have to install the illegal cable right now during the party. Jerry and George are meanwhile downstairs arguing over going up and disrupting the party. When Jerry asks George what he’ll even say to Leslie, George dives into a heated diatribe of how rude and insulting she was to ruin his shirt, and to not even have the decency to call him again. Jerry scoffs, telling him he’ll never say that to her.
Upstairs, Kramer is chatting with some of the lady guests about how he eats the whole apple, including stems and seeds. Elaine complains to him about how the cable guy is eating all the food. Kramer makes up a story about how in Russia, the cable guy is treated as king of the house, and it’s customary to let him do whatever he wants.
Jerry and George make their way into the party, and Elaine immediately spots George wearing the stained shirt, so she warns him against making a scene. But George takes off the sweater and marches up to Leslie to confront her. Leslie dismisses him, not recognizing who he is. This intimidates George into reverting right back to the groveling worm.
Just as George is wilting under the intimidation, a woman from the party confronts Jerry about how they went out long ago, and he blew her off. She lashes out at him in the manner George had wished to lash out at Leslie. Rob shared a story about a person who got quite nasty with him once because he said “nice to meet you”, when they had apparently already met, and the person threatened to spit in his face.
As the lady who confronted Jerry storms away, she bumps Leslie, whose cake plops right onto George’s already stained shirt. Despite all this, she has George schlep her gifts down to the street for her. As she leaves, she gives Elaine a backhanded compliment about how she hasn’t changed since college, giving her an insincere thank you. Akiva thought that the Leslie character wins the award for the most despicable character so far in the episodes they’ve reviewed, even more so than Rava.
After everyone leaves, Jerry tells the cable guy to forget the illegal cable, and tries to settle up the bill. He tells Jerry it will be $400 ($700 in 2014 per the inflation calculator), which Jerry says he won’t pay, since Kramer told him it would be $150. In the epilogue scene, Jerry, George and Elaine are sitting on the couch trying to get reception on the TV that now also has a huge crack in the middle of it from the Russian cable guy.
The standup in the closing credits is a bit longer than usual, with Jerry talking about trying to get out of seeing someone again that you’re not interested in, which Rob and Akiva agreed it is much easier to do nowadays by saying you’ll Facebook or text them.
The guys felt like “The Baby Shower” would hold up pretty well for the most part in 2014. Only the television with rabbit-ears and the whole idea of stealing illegal cable seemed dated. Nowadays, so much content is available in a “semi-legal” way via the internet, so the need to descramble channels is not there.
There were only a few pieces in the mailbag this week. Eddie Mac offered the correct pronunciation of the actress playing Elaine’s roommate. Phonetically, it’s SHE-VON, an Irish name. Johnny emailed them wondering when it is that George ends up living back with his parents. Rob and Akiva both confirm that it’s the plot of an upcoming episode. Both felt that “The Baby Shower” would rank toward the bottom of the episodes covered so far, though they agreed that there was a lot of classic George moments that highlight how he is always ruining things or blowing it for himself.
Tune in next week as Akiva and Rob will breakdown “The Chinese Restaurant”, which they both agree is top 25-worthy. Rob encouraged the listeners to respond to his question of the week. This week’s question is, “Does George pick Bosco as his ATM pin later in the series because of Leslie dumping the can of Bosco on him, or in spite of it”? You can give your answer to the question of the week in the comment section atpostshowrecaps.com/Seinfeld. While there, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. You can also send your questions or comments toseinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap!
Seinfeld: The Baby Shower | A Post Show Recap Podcast
Seinfeld: The Deal | Episode 14 Recap
Sep 14, 2014
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey back to recap every Seinfeld episode. This week Rob and Akiva discuss “The Deal”
A broken refrigerator and a holiday weekend delayed, but couldn’t stop Rob and Akiva from discussing the next episode in the Seinfeld series titled “The Deal”, which aired as the season two finale in 1991. As Akiva pointed out, this episode is seminal for the series due to Jerry and Elaine deciding that they could be friends with benefits. Though in today’s time the idea of having a physical relationship with someone who’s just a friend isn’t a complicated process, it was a big deal in 1991. Even though Seinfeld decided to put Jerry and Elaine together, it would only last for the one episode, then all would reset back to normal for the start of season three.
The guys were ready to jump right into the episode plot after their two weeks off. In the opening standup, Jerry is doing a bit about the differences between men and women trying on clothes. Once again, the joke does not tie into the episode plot. Both found this routine to be classic Jerry standup, though they believed it to be quite dated material.
The opening scene has Jerry and Elaine sitting on the couch in Jerry’s apartment watching TV. Rob felt like this was a particularly long scene of just them talking, which Akiva confirmed that it was over six minutes. While they are flipping through the channels, Elaine comes across “the naked channel”, which peeks both their interest. The guys wondered if Jerry just happened to have the money to get the Playboy Channel, or if the typically scrambled channel all of a sudden came in clear. Elaine and Jerry both start talking about how it’s been a while for both of them since they’ve had any sex, and Elaine notices Jerry giving her a “look”. Jerry thinks since they’ve done “that” a bunch of times in the past, why not do “that”, but just as friends. Their only concern is whether or not doing “that” would ruin their friendship. Rob thought that the only thing about this sequence that was off was that a conversation like they had would usually only come up when alcohol is involved. Akiva pointed out that Larry David, who wrote the episode, based this story off of a real life occurrence of his.
Jerry and Elaine decide to set some ground rules for venturing into their friends with benefits situation. First, they cannot call each other the day after “that”. Rob thought they could have set stricter guidelines to this, to avoid complication. Rule number two is that sleeping over is optional. The guys mentioned how this rule gets Jerry into trouble later in the episode, and noted how George told Jerry that he got “greedy” with this rule. The third rule is that there is no kissing goodnight. Akiva had a problem with this one. He thought it made it all seem more like a transaction. Rob wondered how it would work with dating someone else, but Akiva countered that dating others was not part of their deal. Rob questioned how this is any different than normal dating.
Jerry and Elaine finalize the rules and adjourn to the bedroom. The scene cuts to the next morning when Kramer comes into the apartment to find Elaine wearing Jerry’s shirt and sneakers, which Rob found quite weird for her to be wearing his sneakers. In the next scene, George and Jerry are at Monk’s, chit chatting about Aquaman when Jerry casually mentions that he had sex with Elaine last night. This floors George, saying he needs oxygen, then clamors for details. Jerry’s not in the mood to share the details, but George insists, telling Jerry he better get in the mood. Jerry recounts the situation, and George scoffs about the rules they set up, telling Jerry this has never been successfully done. He compares Jerry to a degenerate gambler thinking he can beat the casino at blackjack. He takes particular umbrage with the second rule, telling Jerry that no woman is ever going to want a man to leave after sex.
The next scene is Jerry and Elaine at Elaine’s apartment, where Jerry is eating Elaine’s roommate’s cake. Elaine is angry at Jerry for wanting to leave, since he has a root canal scheduled in the morning. Jerry mentions how he thought staying the night was optional, but Elaine tells him it’s her place, so it’s her option. After all is said and done, Elaine said she is “fine”, which Rob said is usually not the case when a woman says that. Elaine’s roommate, played by Siobhan Fallon, comes in talking about her improve class, which annoys Jerry. When Jerry is ready to leave, he leans in for a kiss goodnight, but Elaine, annoyed with Jerry tells him that it’s against their rules.
With Elaine’s birthday coming up, Jerry has a tricky time trying to figure out what to get her, considering their new situation. Akiva recommended that it’s always a good idea to start dating someone a while after their birthday, so that event doesn’t come up so new into a relationship. While at the store trying to figure out the present with George, Jerry is at a loss for what to get. Jerry mentions that he vaguely remembers Elaine talking about wanting a bench, but decides against it. George has a few ideas of what he will get Elaine, but Jerry strongly feels that George’s gift needs to be half of what Jerry gets. After rejecting several poor ideas they come up with, they decide to just worry about getting a card.
The next scene is back at Jerry’s apartment, and Elaine is opening Jerry’s gift. Rob pointed out how they actually wrapped the whole package, where many times in TV shows, only a part of it is wrapped, which bothers him. When Elaine opens the box, she sees that Jerry got her $182 ($318 in 2014 according to the inflation calculator) in cash. Bothered by this, she says “what are you my uncle?”. Akiva said he would be thrilled to get cash for his birthday. Next she reads the card, which Jerry writes, “to a wonderful girl, a great pal…and more”. Rob thought this was bad, that the more you say, the worse. He added that perhaps an inside joke, or something informal would be better.
Next, Kramer comes in with a poorly wrapped present, telling Elaine that he made a mental note of her mentioning this bench a while back. The card Kramer got her also had a nice poem he quoted. Jerry asks Kramer to give he and Elaine some time to talk. They both find it strange that as friends, they never fight, but here they are in their current situation, upset with each other. Elaine expresses that what she really wants is “this, that, and the other”. Back at Monk’s, Jerry and George ponder what it is about sex that ruins everything. George wonders if this all means that he won’t be friends with Elaine anymore. The scene ends with George saying he got Elaine $91, exactly half of what Jerry got her.
They start wondering how everything will play out with Elaine now. George thinks she will meet someone else, who they will ultimately have to murder, leading to them ending up in jail, which George can’t do, since he’d have to go to the bathroom in front of hundreds of people. Akiva and Rob discussed how neither of them enjoy a bathroom that is not securely private. Rob felt that it is worse to have the lack of bathroom privacy in front of a spouse versus some random person.
The last scene of the episode is back in Jerry’s apartment, and Kramer walks in to see Elaine there again. Rob was confused as to how they got back to this point, since Elaine said she was done with it all. When Kramer asks them what they will do today, they respond, “this, that and the other”. Both Akiva and Rob found this to be a cheesy, old-fashioned line. The episode ends with Kramer uttering the line “I liked you better when you weren’t a couple”. Akiva thought this tied into how NBC and Jerry felt about making Elaine and Jerry a couple, since that was a direction they did not want to take the show.
Newman special delivered the weekly Seinfeld mailbag for the guys to go through. An emailer Patrick mentioned that the cast all seem to really love plain garden salads. He wonders if New Yorkers have a tendency to eat salads more than the rest of America. Rob said he tends to eat a lot of salads, but just to avoid becoming a heavy person. Both Rob and Akiva agreed that eating a salad sans meat would be a no go.
Akiva’s buddy Chester chimed in with a few thoughts. He thinks that while the idea of friends with benefits is rather dated, the scene where Elaine’s roommate goes on and on about her improv class is actually more in tune with today than back then. He also mentions how Elaine’s roommate is a classic “that girl”, who is seen in several TV shows and movies, but not well known by name. Akiva pointed out how she was in Saturday Night Live for a season, and Rob remembered her as the bus driver in Forrest Gump. Next, Chester found it interesting how Elaine’s accusatory “you” about wanting this, that and the other is much like Manya’s accusatory “you” when Jerry asks who wouldn’t want a pony. Akiva enjoyed that callback. Lastly, Chester pointed out that George wanting to break up with Elaine by association conflicts with how they felt in the episode “The Ex-Girlfriend”.
Next week, Rob and Akiva are excited to breakdown “The Baby Shower”. You can email questions and comments toseinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on ITunes by going to postshowrecaps.com/Seinfeld. You can follow them on Twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for tonight’s episode recap!
Rob and Akiva didn’t let the Labor Day Weekend stop them from recapping the eighth episode of season two titled “The Heart Attack”, which aired April 25, 1991. It was not a favorite of Rob, who felt that the “real” material they were dealing with in the episode was a bit too dark. He felt their niche is when they base the storyline around the mundane. He also mentioned that Larry David and Jerry usually have their finger on the pulse of these episodes they’ve loved so far, whereas the other writers early on tended to be in charge of the misses. Akiva added that later on in the series, Larry Charles and other writers really started to get it, penning some of the greatest stories of the series.
There were only a few research notes to be found on this episode by Akiva, who shared that Larry Charles got the idea for the episode from his own fear of aging. They took a moment to mention how Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tim Whatley himself, Bryan Cranston brought some Seinfeld to the 2014 Emmys last week. Both Akiva and Rob found it too bad that Jason Alexander never won an Emmy for his portrayal of George Costanza, though he was nominated seven times.
The episode opens with Jerry performing a bit about how great it is to be a grown up, since he can have cookies anytime he wants. Akiva said he will regularly spoil his dinner if it’s not ready in time, but Rob keeps a regulated eating schedule. The first scene has Jerry awakened from a nap on his couch to a strange movie, which compels him to jot down a funny note from it. Rob mentioned how great it was to see another cameo from Larry David, who plays the character in the strange movie.
Next, at Monk’s Diner, George is slicing up a cucumber he brought with him. Akiva didn’t find it strange that he did this, pointing out that George is stubborn enough to do just that. Jerry and Elaine are trying to figure out what Jerry had written on the note he took while watching the movie. While they are talking, George starts to panic, thinking he’s having a heart attack. Jerry says to calm down, that he’s thinking about it because he watched a show called “Cardiac Country”.
At the hospital, which Rob noted was quite a long sequence, George is talking with another patient in his room, who tells him to shut up. Meanwhile, Jerry is trying to see if the nurse can figure out what his note says. Akiva and Rob found it funny that everyone who looks at the note thinks it says something, rather than just saying “I have no idea”. Next, the doctor comes in and tells Jerry that George didn’t have a heart attack, so Jerry decides to have some fun with it. He asks George if he can have his Blackhawks jacket and if he can date a woman George used to date. George asks Jerry to just put an end to it all, so Jerry puts a pillow over his face as a joke. When he lets George up, George calls him a jerk off. Both Akiva and Rob thought George saying that was a little racy for 1991, and were surprised it wasn’t edited.
When Elaine hears from Jerry that George is fine, she jokingly asks George for his apartment when he dies. The doctor comes in to talk with George, but Elaine is so taken with him, she flirts with him the whole time. The doctor tells George while his heart is fine, his tonsils grew back and needed to come out. Kramer comes in with a big plate of food, talking about how great the food is, like Sizzler opened a hospital. Rob shared Kramer’s love for hospital food when he was there with Nicole when she had the baby. Kramer then starts to alarm George about getting surgery. He mentions Bob Sacamano for the first time, describing how he had a botched surgery. He recommends George go holistic, and visit his friend Tor Eckman, played by perennial “that guy” Stephen Tobolowsky. Akiva felt that George’s decision to skip the western medicine was purely financial based.
The next scene is Tor Eckman’s apartment, where Jerry goes along with George for good joke material. Rob said that it really showed how little Jerry had to do with the episode plot, since he is just making snide remarks as Tor goes over his spiel. The scene cuts to Elaine and the doctor on a date, where he is holding Elaine’s tongue, telling her how it works medically. Rob and Akiva found this scene awkward and pointless. Back to Tor’s apartment, Jerry continues his wisecracks, though Tor is so crazy, he doesn’t respond to the sarcasm. Jerry tries to get Tor to read his note, but he reads it as a basketball score. Tor gets George to drink this concoction, which caused George to turn purple and need an ambulance back to the hospital.
While in the ambulance, the driver and the EMT in back are arguing over a box of Chuckles. The feud gets so bad that they pull the ambulance over to fight. The other EMT gets in to drive and promptly crashes it because he is arguing with Kramer and Jerry over leaving the other EMT in the street. Back at the hospital, George and Jerry are in neck braces from the crash. George had his tonsils removed, and Elaine brings the ice cream that George had been hoping for. When the patient next to him yells again for them to quiet down, George tosses the ice cream over the curtain at the guy. Jerry notices the strange movie that he got the joke idea from on the television, and finally solves his dilemma of what the note says (Flaming Globes of Sigmond). Akiva and Rob agreed with Jerry that it wasn’t funny, and noted that it would have made for a better story if Jerry never found out what the note said.
The closing standup has Jerry talking about how people who are hypochondriacs are always fine, but people who are really sick usually say they are great. Rob and Akiva said this joke had no basis, as we live in a society, especially now where most people are complainers, and never the opposite.
Both Rob and Akiva agree that while it’s not the worst, it’s nowhere near the best. Akiva’s buddy Chester provided some notes on the episode. He said that “The Heart Attack” was the first “prime” episode, thinking it the best of the thirteen so far. He also noted that Jerry must have been doing well with his stand up since he talked about Johnny Carson with such familiarity. Lastly, he pointed out that in later episodes, Estelle Costanza would have rushed to George’s side if he had a heart attack.
Join Rob and Akiva next week as they talk about a very important episode, “The Deal”. Subscribe to Post Show Recaps on iTunes, and send your questions to seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. You can leave a comment on thepostshowrecaps.com. Let Akiva and Rob know if you found the episode “sponge-worthy”. You can follow Akiva on twitter @keev26, and Rob @robcesternino.
Special thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap!
Seinfeld: The Revenge | Episode 12 Recap
Aug 25, 2014
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Akiva Wienerkur joined Rob once again, this time from his vacation spot nearby Del Boca Vista in Florida to discuss the next episode in the Seinfeld series titled “The Revenge”. Both were quite excited to cover a far more entertaining episode this time around after last week’s subpar “The Statue”. Akiva was delighted that they didn’t spend so much time and effort on the guest characters like they did with Rava and Ray last episode.
They opened the show discussing how this episode reminded them how they are headed into a stretch of what greatness is to come. The show is starting to focus on the “core four”, with the storylines getting more complex and intertwined. Rob felt this episode, even more so than “The Statue” was where Michael Richards honed the Kramer character. He also pointed out that this is the first time we see the characters split off into two groups, two plots. In addition, there was a “B” plot with Newman telling Kramer he is going to jump off the building. Newman did not appear on the episode, and his voice was that of co-creator Larry David. Rob noted that the syndicated version actually dubbed in Wayne Knight’s voice in place of Larry’s.
The episode plot is based off the real life story of Larry David having famously quit in front of many of the Saturday Night Live staff members, only to show back up the next Monday like nothing happened. The only difference from the episode being that Larry was actually allowed to stay with the job.
The standup in the opening credits has Jerry talking about how criminals being arrested are always shown on TV covering their faces. It ties into the episode plot when Jerry talks about how the criminal must be trying to hide so his boss doesn’t find out it’s him. The opening scene begins with George bursting in to his boss’s office to tell him off and quit because he was no longer allowed to use his private bathroom. Akiva highly recommended anyone in a high rise office building to use the bathroom on the floor below if it’s going to take some time.
The next scene is in Jerry’s apartment, and Kramer is telling Jerry about how Newman is depressed. Jerry is bagging up his laundry to bring to the “fluff and fold” Laundromat. Kramer asks him if he can throw in some of his clothes, though Jerry doesn’t want Kramer’s “boys” mixing with his. Neither Rob nor Akiva find this to be a huge deal, though Rob wouldn’t necessarily want to mingle his laundry with others. Jerry asks the guy at the Laundromat to wash Kramer’s clothes separately, and will pay whatever it costs.
In the aftermath of quitting, George is at Jerry’s apartment discussing the jobs he’d potentially be good at. Both Akiva and Rob found this scene very well done. George is going over what he enjoys, and Akiva likened it to a list a 12 year old would come up with. Jerry suggests George try going back in like nothing ever happened. In the real story, Larry was told to do this by his neighbor, Kenny Kramer. George is back at the meeting Monday morning, and is immediately called out by a loud woman in his office. When the boss comes in and notices George, he asks him why he’s there since he quit. George tries to pawn it off as a joke, but the boss doesn’t buy it. He tells George to get out, calling him a loser in the process.
Jerry is picking up his clothing at the Laundromat when George randomly walks in. He recaps the story for Jerry, and tells him that it’s not over yet. He plans on slipping the boss “a mickey” at a company party in order to get revenge. Jerry thinks he has lost his mind, but George is excited, saying that it’s like something out of a movie. George is going to enlist Elaine’s help in getting this done, getting her to agree to do this by telling her that this guy doesn’t recycle.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, Kramer informs Jerry that Newman went through with jumping out the window, but it was from the second story, and was done just to get Kramer’s attention. Rob said that this was another real life story from Larry David’s life, since he had a neighbor who did the same thing. Akiva and Rob mentioned that they can really tell this episode was written solely by Larry. Out of left field, Jerry realizes that he left $1500 in the laundry bag and forgot it before bringing it to the laundry mat. Rob found this to be one area in the episode that was underdeveloped.
When Jerry asks the Laundromat owner about the money, the guy acts shady about it. Akiva said he knew the guy was innocent because he was wearing a Mets hat, and that he’d be wearing a Yankees hat if guilty. The next scene has Elaine and George preparing to slip his boss the mickey, both excited for their movie-like caper. The scene switches over to Jerry and Kramer at the Laundromat, where Kramer has brought a bag of cement to dump in a washing machine to exact revenge. Back to Elaine, she starts to get the boss’s attention, failing at first. Once she mentions that she is going to a nudist colony and enjoys being naked in the office, his attention is peaked.
Back to Kramer, we get the first of many iconic physical comedy moments as he attempts to pour the heavy bag of cement. Rob pointed out that Michael Richards requested an actual 60 pound bag to make the scene more authentic. The scene cuts back to George, where he gets the loud woman from his office to move from the seat next to his boss so he can pull off dosing his drink by threatening to pull off her wig. Elaine keep’s the boss from looking George’s way and he is able to spike the drink. When the boss sees George sitting next to him, he offers him his job back. George then tries to keep him from drinking the spiked drink at first, but after many jabs from the boss in his speech, he has him drink up.
Without explanation as to what happened to the boss, George is back at Jerry’s apartment going over more job options with Jerry and Elaine. Rob and Akiva pondered several options of what may have happened, finding it strange that there was no explanation of why George didn’t ultimately keep the job. Kramer then walks in with the envelope of Jerry’s money, which was in the bag of Kramer’s clothes. Since they did $1200 damage to the washing machine, Jerry has to take the money down to pay the Laundromat off. Rob and Akiva estimated that the tally of Jerry’s lost money has now gone up to around $5000. The episode ends with Newman yelling from the roof of the building that he’s going to jump, though since he tells Kramer he’s seeing a movie later that night, he’s obviously not.
They both rank this episode pretty highly. Rob ranks it number three, behind “The Pony Remark” and “The Jacket”. Akiva has it number two, with “The Jacket” third out of the episodes discussed so far.
Next they answer some emails. Emailer Hunter pointed out that the laundry shop owner looks like a character from the cartoon Futurama, but the guys thought it to be too obscure a correlation. Hunter also noticed how the characters on the show are often committing crimes. Rob and Akiva both agreed that it seems to happen quite frequently, with this episode having Kramer committing vandalism and George attempted murder.
Emailer Ariel thought it too bad that George wasn’t around in 2014, since his job interests would lead him perfectly into podcasting. She also mentioned how Elaine saying she doesn’t even have a phone would not be the case on 2014. This prompted Akiva and Rob to talk about the other things that wouldn’t relate today. They thought Jerry could write a scathing Yelp review of the laundry mat for stealing his money to exact revenge, and George would have a keycard for his building that would have been deactivated when he quit.
Please let us know what you thought about the episode in the comments and what Seinfeld related podcast ideas you’d like to hear about before we attempt our top 25 episode countdown.
Next episode to recap for the guys will be “The Heart Attack”. Send your emails to seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com, and leave your comments on the website at postshowrecaps.com/seinfeld. You can follow them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for the recap of this episode
Seinfeld: The Revenge – The Post Show Recap of Season 2, Episode 7
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Seinfeld: The Statue | Episode 11 Recap
Aug 18, 2014
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur gathered once again to discuss “The Statue”, the next episode in season two of the Seinfeld series. The episode, which aired on April 11, 1991 was not a favorite for either, where there were many things out of character from a typical episode. Their off-the-cuff analysis was that too much time was spent on the unlikeable characters of Rava and Ray, neither of whom Akiva and Rob found to be funny.
Other points they noted throughout the podcast were the many plot holes, and questions left unanswered, most importantly, whether or not Ray stole the statue. Rob found some of the Kramer scenes funny, and enjoyed the playing of inka-dink, but other than that, deemed this episode 11th out of the 11 so far. Akiva found it better than a few episodes from season one, but mentioned several times that many of the jokes were far too “sitcomy”.
Akiva also shared some of his research on the episode before the plot breakdown. The episode was written by Larry Charles, who would be a major writer on Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, and also was a writer for Sasha Baron Cohen’s movies, Borat and The Dictator. He also learned that Nurit Koppel, the actress who played Rava was a girlfriend of comedian Richard Lewis, a longtime friend to Jerry and Larry David. She had apparently broken up with Richard shortly before the guest-starring role.
In additional research, he learned that the actor playing Ray, Michael D. Conway had done nothing for 15 years after this episode, but nowadays is a regular working actor. Rob had read some production notes that talked about how this episode was really where the writers started to develop the Kramer character.
Their summary of the show was more a factual recount for them, with less debating of their opinions than previous recaps, since most of their insight was about the clunky storyline.
Jerry’s standup in the opening credits once again did not tie into the episode plot. The bit was about mail in sweepstakes, which both Rob and Akiva found very dated. The episode begins with Jerry dragging a filthy box from his storage unit that Kramer saw earlier and wanted to dig through. Kramer finds a statue in the mix, which George is dying to have, since it’s exactly the same as one his mother had that he had broken when he was a kid. He refers to the statue breaking as one of the worst experiences of his childhood.
Kramer doesn’t want to give the statue up, and after some wrestling for it between him and George, Jerry tells the “numskulls” to break it up, and they’ll decide it with a round of “inka-dink”. George is picked as “it”, which they argue over if it means he wins or loses. Jerry confirms George gets to keep it, though he tells George after the fact that it meant he lost, so George owes him one.
In the next scene, Elaine and her new friend Rava are in Jerry’s apartment, and Elaine is hoping to edit the book of Rava, who is a Finnish bookwriter she’s been working with. She’s a strange character, smoking in Jerry’s apartment, acting very depressed. Her boyfriend Ray shows up, who is a pretentious grad student that Jerry describes as verbose. He moonlights as housekeeper, and is there to clean Jerry’s apartment. Jerry marvels at how well Ray does with the cleaning when he returns.
In the second stand up spot, Jerry’s bit is about the guilt he feels when a housekeeper cleans his house. Rob and Akiva both related to how Jerry feels, as they feel guilty when their wives are cleaning around them. Rob suggested to the listeners that a good plan is to save money and just do the housework while listening to podcasts.
Jerry and Elaine both head over to Rava’s place soon after. They are all talking, and we get the first mention of Elaine’s boss Mr. Lippman. Rob and Akiva found the premise of Jerry even being there with Elaine strange. While there, Jerry spots the statue, and is 99 percent sure that its from his apartment, stolen by Ray when he cleaned. Elaine doesn’t want him to push it by accusing, thinking it could ruin her chance to edit the book. Akiva and Rob wondered why Ray would have this statue out if he just stole it from Jerry’s. Rob agreed that there are many plot holes in this sequence. They both felt if this were a later episode in the series, the story would have concluded with the notion that Ray didn’t actually take it .
After they leave Rava’s apartment, we have the first scene where all four of the main characters are in it together. Jerry had called the police, who told him they can’t do anything for him. Kramer wants to “go get him”, Elaine wants him to forget it, but George says he can’t because his mother is expecting this great surprise, and she’s making her famous potatoes. Jerry decides to call Ray and confront him, and they meet at Monk’s to discuss, where George sits inconspicuously in the next booth. During the conversation, Ray plays dumb when asked if he took the statue. He claims he got it at a pawn shop. After enough denying from Ray, George finally snaps, calling him a liar and a thief. Ray doesn’t back down, and even redirects the accusations by accusing them of wanting to move in on Rava.
We then have a scene with Rava and Elaine riding in the elevator up to Pendant Publishing. Rava is smoking, which Rob and Akiva thought might have not been as taboo in ’91 as it would be now. The scene has the elevator popping open at each floor, with a bit of Elaine and Rava’s discussion about whether Ray’s having the statue was a coincidence or not. Rob found this a strange sequence. The ladies’ discussion turns into an argument with Rava accusing Elaine and Jerry of being jealous of her and Ray’s love. The scene ends with Elaine tossing Rava’s manuscript in the garbage on her way out.
George opens the next scene on the phone with his mother, telling her there will be no statue. He doesn’t understand how this outcome could affect his having the potatoes, and is so distraught, he tells Jerry that the whole experience has made him even more bitter, more jaded. Elaine laments that instead of editing a book for a promising young writer, she is now proofreading a food allergy cookbook.
The next scene has Kramer, who is out of their building for the first time in the series, pounding on Ray’s door, impersonating a police officer. Once inside, he grabs Ray and tells him to “make love to that wall, pervert”. He accuses him of burglary, grand larceny, and murder. When Ray isn’t looking, Kramer stuffs the statue in a bag and hightails it out of there to go show Jerry and George. George is ecstatic, so much so that when Kramer slaps him on the back, he promptly drops the statue, which shatters. The stand up in the closing credits is a bit Jerry does where he’s cynical about how people steal.
After recapping, Akiva and Rob discussed whether the episode would hold up in 2014. They thought it mostly would, though Rob felt that Jerry could have discreetly texted Kramer to have him double check his apartment for the statue before making the accusation, as opposed to calling him.
They also read a few listener emails. Hunter asked them to explain the rules of potato man, which they gave the simple explanation of. Next, listener Alexander made a few points about the episode. He thought the set used for Rava’s apartment was one used in other episodes throughout the series. He also found it strange that Jerry pretends to be talking to his mom, though he revealed that she lives in Florida, which would make that a long distance call in 1991. Both Rob and Akiva didn’t notice these points at first, but agreed with Alexander.
Listener Chester emailed them a few of his own points. He found it hard to believe that Ray would know that the pawn shop owner had moved to Singapore. He also added that Jerry listing his tape recorder as one of the items Ray could have stolen made the episode seem quite dated.
Next week, the guys will recap the episode titled “The Revenge”. Akiva thought that it will be a much more positive recap than this one. Rob couldn’t quite remember the plot, which should make it a fun re-watch.
Keep the comments coming on Twitter, @robcesternino and @keev26. You can also post comments on the website page atpostshowrecaps.com, and email questions to seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap.
Seinfeld: The Apartment| Episode #10 Recap
Aug 11, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PosBEPAVH_M
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After a few days delay, Rob and Akiva reconvened to discuss the season two episode of Seinfeld called “The Apartment”. It aired on April 4, 1991, after the show was on a six-week hiatus. NBC decided to switch Seinfeld’s time slot to after Cheers, which Akiva pointed out was the best thing that could have happened to the show. Before getting started on the plot, the guys talked about a few shows they could cover after the run of Seinfeld episodes, and Akiva said he’d like to do a podcast about all the shows NBC has had in the spot after the big hit 9 o’clock shows, like Boston Common, Veronica’s Closet or The Single Guy.
Akiva did some extra research about the episode. It was not written by Larry David and Jerry, but a magazine writer named Peter Mehlman, who would go on to write 18 episodes in the show’s run. Akiva felt the episode was a bit off kilter from the usual style of the show. Rob watched some DVD extras about how Mehlman formed the idea for the plot. The original idea was to have Elaine move out of the city, but Jerry didn’t want her to. Larry and Jerry thought it better to have the premise of Elaine moving into Jerry’s building instead.
The opening credits standup has Jerry talking about painting his apartment, and how he thinks it gets smaller each time he paints. Rob and Akiva both thought that this bit didn’t correlate to the episode and was some of Jerry’s weaker material.
The first scene opens with Kramer showing off a different look, having moussed his wild hair down. Elaine invites Jerry to a “Marathon brunch”. Outside in the hallway, Harold and Manny, who Akiva and Rob believe to be the co-supers, are talking about how Jerry’s upstairs neighbor, Mrs. Hudwalker had died. They were looking for someone to rent the place, and it’s only $400 a month, an insanely low amount for an apartment in Manhattan. Jerry mentions how Elaine is looking for a place. Rob wondered if Harold and Manny had a romantic relationship, but Akiva felt that in 1991, TV wasn’t going there yet. Rob also pointed out that the actor who played Harold played the great role of Otho in the movie Beetlejuice.
Jerry comes back in to his place and teases Elaine with the big news he has. When he tells her the lady upstairs died and her apartment is for rent at a cheap price, they celebrate. Akiva said it was classic Seinfeld, celebrating death. This scene was the first ever time Elaine does her iconic “get out!” push of Jerry. Immediately after telling Elaine about the apartment, Jerry starts regretting it, lamenting about Elaine potentially popping in unexpectedly all the time.
In the next scene, George is walking out of Monk’s alone and bumps into Jerry. Rob noticed that it was one of the only times he remembered seeing a scene of the exterior of the coffee shop. Jerry explains to George how he screwed up telling Elaine to move in upstairs. George tells him he’s doomed. He’ll have to sneak into his apartment like a cat burglar and have to go back to his date’s place instead of taking them to his, referring to it as a permanent road trip where he’ll lose his “home field advantage”. Rob agreed with George’s take, finding it important to be at home where you know where everything is in that type of situation.
George then argues with Jerry that since he just left, he can’t go back into Monk’s. Rob and Akiva debate what’s worse, going to a diner or going to the movies alone. Rob said he had no social hang-ups, and wouldn’t mind either. While in the coffee shop, Jerry tries to come up with ways of talking Elaine out of moving in to his building. All he can come up with is that the water flow is too weak, which George counters that for rent that cheap she’d bathe in the toilet. Rob thought this could be a precursor to the episode “The Showerhead” with all the talk of weak water flow.
After a clunky segue where Jerry comments on a woman feeding a baby greasy corn beef hash, George starts telling Jerry about his friend Adam with the flat head who just got married. He told George that wearing the wedding ring has caused woman to hit on him more. Akiva and Rob debated this idea, and felt that it’s more of an old wives tale. Jerry then mentions to George that this could be an interesting sociological experiment, noting that Kramer has his father’s old ring that George could put on.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, George is trying on the ring, and Kramer tells him not to mess with that, but to get a rug or hair plugs. Rob said that George’s baldness seems to be a regular topic in the early seasons. Akiva and he debated the ages of the cast at the time and agreed that they seem to be in their mid to late 30s. Harold and Manny come back in fighting about who they are going to give the apartment to. Manny was offered $5000 from someone else, but is willing to give it to Elaine if she gives him the money instead. Rob and Akiva thought that the show was hoping for Harold and Manny to become recurring characters, like a Newman.
Jerry goes back into his apartment to tell George how lucky he is. Elaine walks in soon after happy as can be until Jerry gives her the news about the $5000 price tag. Kramer comes in and hears about it, but immediately tells Elaine to just borrow the money from Jerry, since he’s good for it. Akiva and Rob felt this scene was a little too “sitcom-y”, but did find it enjoyable. They also agreed that $5000 was way too much money to ever lend to a friend. Nearly convinced by Kramer, Elaine decides to take one last look at the apartment. When she leaves, Jerry yells at Kramer for ruining it, but Kramer doesn’t understand why. Jerry tells him he is a pod, whereas Jerry’s a human, who notices the uncomfortable situations in life. Rob and Akiva thought this was too harsh of Jerry, that no one would talk to Kramer like that.
The following scene is at the marathon day brunch.. Rob found it confusing to follow all the characters playing Elaine’s friends who didn’t seem to have a real purpose to the scene. George is with them, wearing the wedding ring to test the theory. Talking to several different women, they all seem to be impressed with him. However, they seem to want the single version of him. The scene cuts back to Elaine and Jerry talking about how the host Roxanne seems to like Jerry. This segues into Elaine asking him if he thinks it will be weird to bring a woman home with her living just upstairs. He brushes it off, but then instantly realizes he just missed his chance to get out of the situation.
Jerry and George then meet back up to discuss who is the bigger idiot; Jerry blowing his chance to keep his ex-girlfriend from moving in to his building, or George, who passed up a lifetime of guilt free sex and great seats to all the Madison Square Garden events. Then he utters an iconic line “Please, a little respect. For I am Costanza, Lord of the Idiots.” Rob pointed out that this was not one of the greatest episodes, but that was one really great line. The scene ends with a lady at the party telling the runners that they are all winners, which has George say that a new contender for Lord of the Idiots has emerged.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, Kramer tells Jerry that he found someone who will pay $10,000 for the place. He sarcastically tells Jerry that as a pod person, he likes to help the humans. The scene fast forwards to a few weeks later with Jerry, Elaine, Harold and Manny standing in Jerry’s apartment with music blasting from upstairs. Akiva and Rob thought that the music was pretty poorly dubbed in during editing. Harold and Manny won’t go tell them to turn down the noise because, according to Manny, they smell. Elaine tells Jerry it’s too bad she didn’t move in because he’d never hear a peep out of her. The show ends with Kramer coming in rocking out to the music, telling Jerry it’s his favorite song they’re playing.
Rob and Akiva believed this to be a pretty soft ending. They noted that this is the last we ever hear of the loud neighbors, and the last we see of Harold and Manny. During the closing credits, Jerry’s standup is about being shushed. Rob found it entertaining, but Akiva didn’t like how Jerry referenced Fred Mertz, Ethel’s husband on I Love Lucy, when just a couple episodes before, Jerry said he’d never seen the show.
In comparison to the other episodes of season two, Akiva thought it was not up to par with most. Rob thought it was a step backwards after the last few being so strong. Both put the episode on the level of “The Ex-Girlfriend”, but well below “The Pony Remark”, “The Jacket” and “The Phone Message”.
They next read some emails. One from Ariel, that included clips of the original cotton Dockers commercials that Akiva found “unfathomably bad”, asked what their most dated piece of technology is, and it’s that both still have VCRs in their homes. Hunter S. emailed that he found it unrealistic that Elaine would borrow that much money from Jerry, and thought this was the worst episode of season two. He wondered what their thoughts were. Both agreed that they couldn’t lend that much money to a friend.
An email from Eric B included a point about how in “The Stock Tip”, Jerry didn’t actually lose all $2500 he invested, in case they wanted to update their tally of Jerry’s lost money. John Davis emailed how he and his ex-wife had the same exact argument over the cotton Dockers commercial. He also recommended that they watch some clips of the actual Algonquin Roundtables. Lastly, Akiva got a tweet from Ariel that noted how Larry David will be starting a Broadway show in 2015, which means there will be no new episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm until after, if ever again. You can send your email questions to seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com or leave a voicemail by going to postshowrecaps.com/voicemail.
Tune in later this week when Akiva and Rob will recap the next episode called “The Statue”. Akiva is excited for the big breakout moment for the Kramer character that happens. You can follow Akiva and Rob on Twitter @keev26 and @robcesternino
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap
Seinfeld: “The Apartment” – The Post Show Recap of Season 2, Episode 5
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Seinfeld: The Phone Message | Episode #9 Recap
Aug 03, 2014
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Seinfeld Recap of “The Phone Message” Season 2 Episode 4
Akiva and Rob got together once again to discuss the next episode of Seinfeld called “The Phone Message”. Akiva pointed out that this episode is quite ubiquitous, in that through reruns, he’s seen it roughly 70 times. Rob opined that it probably does not hold up well for those watching that are under 30, since they may not even know what an answering machine is. Both agreed that this was a great episode, and Rob slated it number three so far, just behind “The Pony Remark” and “The Jacket”. Akiva agreed that “The Pony Remark” still holds the proverbial belt.
They gave a brief synopsis before dissecting the episode in detail. Rob said that the episode involves the perils of the love lives for Jerry and George. Both have dates on the same night, and both go wrong in their own ways. Jerry gets into an argument about a television commercial, where George mistakenly assumes an invite up to her apartment for coffee was just for coffee and not anything more. He tries to get a hold of her to rectify the mistake, but gets her answering machine each time.
The episode opens with Jerry doing a bit about the ridiculous enthusiasm people show in commercials. Even if a person is drinking the same soda from the commercial, there is never the excitement happening in real life. Rob and Akiva debated if it is the same in 2014, but Akiva said with DVRs and smartphones, he doesn’t ever see a commercial anymore. The beginning scene has Jerry and George walking into Monk’s Diner discussing how they both have dates on Saturday. George talks about how his self esteem with women is so low, he can never tell if when the smile at him, it’s because they like him or some other reason. He goes on to tell Jerry how when he makes the phone call to ask her out, he likes to eat something like an apple so he can seem casual. Akiva noticed how they chose to sit at the counter and not the booth that would become their main spot over the course of the series.
We see the dates. George is talking to Carol about how he hates doing laundry so much, his goal is to get 365 pairs of underwear so he only has to do it once a year. His date seems to think this funny rather than gross. Meanwhile, on Jerry’s date, he jokes with Donna about trying out a funny accent. Rob wondered about this, since Jerry is not known for impressions. The scene cuts back to George, who is doing really well. Carol invites him up for coffee, which George declines since coffee keeps him up if he has it this late. After the awkward pause, George realizes that she didn’t want coffee, that the invite was for something more. Akiva and Rob discussed if Carol really meant coffee, sex, or something in between. They both agreed that it was not for coffee, but sex was probably not happening since George would have said something to ruin it anyway.
Jerry’s date would invite him up to her apartment, but it’s being painted, so she suggests they go back to his place. Jerry jokes with her that there is no cake there or anything. Rob and Akiva wondered why it was okay for her to be in her painted apartment, but he couldn’t come up. Rob thought perhaps the show just didn’t want to build a set for Donna’s apartment, and this was a way to keep Jerry from asking her to come up. Back at his apartment, Jerry and Donna are watching TV and chit chatting. Jerry laments wearing tan pants, which makes them both think of the cotton Dockers commercial. Jerry hates it and Donna really likes it, which turns Jerry off. Akiva was surprised that anyone would take such a strong stance like Donna did about a commercial. Rob read an excerpt from Wikipedia that explains how this storyline was based off of Jerry’s real life dislike of the cotton Dockers commercial.
Between scenes, there is another Jerry standup routine. In this one, he talks about the scrutiny and magnification of all things when on a date. Rob and Akiva felt that scrutiny on a date is important, in that it helps weed out the ones that have deal breakers. Next, back at Jerry’s apartment, Elaine and Jerry are discussing Donna. Jerry laments how could he date someone who likes this commercial. Elaine mentions how she once broke up with a guy because he had a messy bathroom.
George then walks in with some Pepto-Bismol, and is still rambling about his stupidity in turning down the “coffee”. Replaying the conversation over and over, he shares that people as stupid as him shouldn’t be allowed to live. They continue to debate whether coffee meant coffee or not. Elaine tries to convince George that it could have meant coffee. Rob noticed how Elaine, in later seasons, would have had a more definitive voice on this issue as the female of the group. Akiva referenced the Yada Yada episode where she gave a definitive answer on what yada yada meant. Then they discussed how in the early episodes, George is generally triumphant and Elaine is a bit of a loser, but then it flip flops right around when George gets fired. They both did feel that George is as close to who the character eventually turns into more so than any of the others.
Elaine tries to convince George to call Carol right away, but George wants to wait until Wednesday to not appear desperate. Elaine says she likes when a guy calls the next day, but George points out that she probably likes this guy, and that he’s not a guy who would turn down an invite for coffee. Kramer comes in with a joke about ambulances in New York City, and how no one gets out of the way for them anymore. He offers it to Jerry to use in his act, but Jerry says he writes his own jokes. Kramer argues that it’s as good as any joke Jerry does. Akiva mentioned that this is the only scene that had Kramer and Elaine in it. He thought that they are still trying to figure out how to make Kramer a part of story lines at this point in the series.
George seems to take Elaine’s advice, as he kicks everyone, including Jerry out of the apartment so he can call Carol. He asks Jerry for an apple, but Jerry tells him to skip the eating. Rob decided that it would be best to read word for word the gold that is George’s message to Carol. “Hi, it’s George, George Costanza. Remember me? The guy who didn’t want to come up for coffee? You see, I didn’t realize that coffee didn’t really mean, well, whatever. Anyway, it was fun, it was, um, it was fun. So, oh boy, so, um, call me back. If you want. It’s up to you. You know, whatever you want to do. Either way, the ball’s in your court, so, take it easy!” Rob called it a rough message, and Akiva said while it’s a minute to watch it, it felt like an hour of painfulness. He added that this is Jason Alexander at his very best.
When everyone comes back in, George says he’s a “dead man” for the message he left. Elaine gives him the idea to go to her apartment and switch out the tape. She talks about how her brother in law saved himself a ton of money by pulling this off, since the message had some private business information. Akiva pointed out that this is the third time that a character has mentioned a nonexistent sibling in the early episodes. Meanwhile, George is getting more and more upset, but hasn’t decided if he should go through with the switching of the tapes.
The next day, back at Jerry’s apartment, Donna is there. George comes in, and when he meets Donna, he mentions that she must be the lady who likes the cotton Dockers commercial. She is mad about this, and George tries to backtrack by telling her he really likes the commercial too. She calls Jerry out for sharing this with his friends, and continues to defend her stance on it, while Jerry continues to tease her about it. Kramer then walks in, and immediately says “cotton Dockers!” to Donna, who has had enough and storms out. Akiva and Rob did not care for the Donna character. Akiva said it’s a goodbye to Jerry girlfriend number two out of the 67 total in the series. This scene was also the first mention of someone being a “vault” when it comes to keeping secrets.
In Monk’s Diner, Jerry and George talk about how George continued to call back Carol over the last few days, with each message getting more and more desperate. He proclaimed that in the last message, he sounded like Mussolini shouting from the balcony. Among his other rants, one of the things he says in the messages is how he doesn’t like coffee, and that he would hope for her to offer him it again, so he could spit it in her face. It turned out that she wasn’t ignoring him, but she was in the Hamptons, and hasn’t checked her messages, but wanted to meet up again with him when she’s back in town. George officially decides that he needs to get into her apartment so he can switch the tapes. He convinces Jerry to help with the plan, stating that he thinks he might be in love with her, so it’s very important.
While George and Jerry are sitting on the front stoop waiting for Carol to return to her apartment, they discuss a code word for if she tries to walk back into the room and spoil the plan. George suggests “tippy toe”, but Jerry wasn’t having it. Next George suggests he could sing “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria” from The Sound of Music. This was the second reference to a Broadway musical in as many weeks, fitting since Jason Alexander’s roots are in the theater. Jerry then suggests “Lemon Tree”, but before they could decide, Carol walks up. After several attempts to try and get into her apartment, George takes Carol aside to reveal that Jerry has a phobia of public bathrooms, so could they please use hers. Rob and Akiva both shared that they aren’t crazy about public bathrooms. Akiva would trade six months of laundry doing in exchange for not having to take his kids into a public toilet. Carol agrees to go up, since she can check her phone messages anyway.
When up in the apartment, Jerry says it’s the darndest thing, but he doesn’t have to go anymore. When Carol makes a move for her answering machine, George quickly deflects, telling her he has to share something very important in the other room. Jerry makes a quick move to the machine, but Carol comes back out quickly to tell him she recognizes him as a comedian, with George running behind her yelling “tippy toe, tippy toe, lemon tree”. George tells her that it was very rude to barge out when he has something so important to share, and escorts her back to the other room. Jerry gets the tapes switched, and when Carol and George come out, Carol wonders why it was so important to tell her that his dad wears sneakers in the pool. Akiva and Rob felt that this was the perfect thing for George to say. Akiva added that you could totally see Frank Costanza wearing sneakers in a pool.
Carol checks her messages, which there are none, and shares with them that her neighbor played her previous messages, and the ones George left were so funny, she likes jokes like that, making all their work, all their scheming for not, which is a common type of ending to many Seinfeld episodes. In the end credits, Jerry’s standup is about how he wishes he could be a phone machine, that way, if someone came up to him on the street, he could just say how he can’t talk right now. Akiva felt that it was a weak joke, but did find his second joke about not being able to slam down a cordless phone funny.
The guys take a voicemail question from Travis who asks them what they think is weirder, buying 365 pairs of underwear, or wearing sneakers in the pool. Akiva thought that sneakers in the pool is weirder, since having that many pairs of underwear is not a glaring thing for others to see. Next they read an email from Doug Reiser who asked them who they thought left better phone messages, George Costanza, or Mikey from the movie Swingers. Rob answered George, since Mikey left the messages all in a row, and his lady told him to get lost, whereas George’s lady found his messages funny.
A few production notes Akiva researched about the episode were discussed. This episode was written in two days by Larry and Jerry after an episode they intended to go with was deemed too inappropriate at the table read. Another tidbit was that the actress who played Carol never appeared in anything else after this role.
Next week, Akiva and Rob will talk about “The Apartment”. Send in your questions and feedback by voicemail at postshowrecaps.com/voicemail, or by emailing them at seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. You can follow each of them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Next week, Akiva and Rob will talk about “The Apartment”. Send in your questions and feedback by voicemail atpostshowrecaps.com/voicemail, or by emailing them at seinfeld@postshowrecaps.com. You can follow each of them on twitter @robcesternino and @keev26.
Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap!
Seinfeld: Recap of “The Jacket” | Seinfeld Episode #8
Jul 27, 2014
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Rob and Akiva were back at it again this week to discuss the season two episode titled “The Jacket”. Akiva felt, while better than the season one episodes, it didn’t rank up there with “The Pony Remark”. Rob disagreed, pointing out how it was one of the first few examples of an episode that tied together the “A” and “B” story lines, which became a staple of future Seinfeld episodes.
The opening credits with Jerry’s stand up was a bit about how Jerry dislikes clothes. He notes how in the future, everyone is always dressed in silver jump suits, and he’s on board with that. Rob noted how silver seemed to be the go to color for futuristic outfits, but in 2014, it seems to have gone to white. Akiva pointed out how Jerry seems to talk a lot about clothes for a guy who hates them. Akiva then proved that he actually is a person who hates clothes, since either his mother or wife have bought his clothes his whole life.
The episode opens with Jerry and Elaine in a clothing store. They go on a riff about how there are no good clothes in the back, even though a salesperson will always say they’ll check in the back. Elaine says if the stuff in the back were good, it would be in the front already. Jerry concludes the riff with an idea of a store called “Just Back”. Rob brought up how he is always being mistaken for a store employee, having people coming up to him asking if there is anything more in the back. Akiva thought it has to do with Rob’s “All-American” look.
Elaine, who is carrying a book with her in the store, has another shopper comment on how good of a book it is that she’s holding. Jerry brings up that Elaine’s father, Alton Benes wrote it. Rob wondered if Jerry was blowing up Elaine’s spot by bringing this up, but Akiva felt like he was bragging her up. The other shopper mentions how she thinks he deserves a wider audience, but Elaine says she doesn’t think he wants one. Rob thought this was a cryptic comment, which happens from time to time throughout the series. After the other customer leaves, Elaine reminds Jerry that he is supposed to come to dinner with her and her father so he can act as a buffer. Jerry isn’t thrilled, mentioning to Elaine that he prefers the company of nitwits.
While browsing, Jerry notices a great looking jacket that fits him perfectly. When he asks Elaine about the price, she tells him there is no ballpark for his idea of how much it costs. Jerry looks at the price, then has dueling thoughts about whether to buy it, ultimately deciding “What’s money?” and makes the purchase. Rob read an email question asking them how much they think the jacket costs, and what is the most they’ve spent on a jacket. Akiva felt the jacket was around $1500, while Rob had figured it to be around $1100. Rob went as far as inputting what an $1100 jacket in 1991 would cost today, which turned out to be $1924.94. The most Rob ever spent on a jacket was $250 while in Argentina in 2003.
The next scene is back in Jerry’s apartment, where he is wearing his new jacket while sitting in his pajamas. Kramer comes in, notices how great the jacket looks, and starts badgering him about what it costs. Jerry tells him “I paid what it costs”. Kramer notices Jerry’s old jacket hanging on the hook, and goads him into giving it to him. Akiva and Rob discussed how they both feel tentative when discussing what things cost, and how society seems to generally feel the same way. Akiva noted that Jerry seems to see a lot of his money go down the drain, from losing all his $2500 in “The Stock Tip” then this ruined suede jacket here. They agreed they should keep a running tally throughout the recaps.
George comes into the apartment after Kramer leaves, singing “Master of the House”, a number from the play Les Misérables. He tells Jerry how it is stuck in his head, and has been taking over his life. Jerry mentions that Schumann went insane from a single note being stuck in his head. George doesn’t know who this is, and tries to play it off by saying “Oh, you mean Schu-Mon”. Rob asked Akiva the last song that got stuck in his head, which Akiva, much like every other parent of young girls, answered the soundtrack from the movie Frozen.
Rob pointed out this scene as an example of the great interactions between Jerry and George, one of the cornerstones of the Seinfeld series. Akiva felt that their relationship is on point.
Back on the episode, George notices Jerry’s jacket, and says with a staunch record of heterosexuality, “It’s fabulous”. He tells Jerry he won’t ask how much it costs, then proceeds to hound him with speculation of how much he spent. Kramer comes in and asks Jerry to do him “a solid”. He has to pick up some birds that he is looking after for a friend, but it would be just two minutes. Since he and George are headed to dinner with Elaine and her father, they can’t; plus, Jerry knows that “two minutes” to Kramer is more like an hour.
They get to Alton Benes’ hotel, where they are to meet him and Elaine. George, still singing “Master of the House” is reminded by Jerry about Schumann’s insanity. Neither are enthusiastic to meet the intimidating Alton Benes, and it’s immediately clear why when they sit down with Elaine’s gruff father. Akiva shared something he read about how the character of Elaine’s dad was based on the father of a woman Larry David dated named Richard Yates, who wrote the book Revolutionary Road. The awkwardness begins when Jerry and George order nonalcoholic drinks, much to the chagrin of Alton, who orders a scotch. Rob pointed out that we rarely if ever see Jerry drink alcohol.
George and Jerry continue to have a difficult time striking up any conversation with Alton, getting nowhere with any of their small talk. Alton makes mention to Jerry that he had a funny friend in Korea, who ended up getting his brains blown out all over the Pacific, and there’s nothing funny about that. Akiva then shared another story he read about Lawrence Tierney, the actor playing Alton Benes. The show regulars all talked about how insane the guy was, so much so that they had to scrap their plan of having Alton Benes as a recurring character, a la George’s and Jerry’s parents. Rob and Akiva both agreed that Alton Benes is not a character that the show missed out on having as recurring.
Finally having both escaped to the bathroom, Jerry and George try to figure a way out of this. George suggests leaving, or just telling him they are frightened of him and have to go home. Jerry says that he’d clunk their heads together like Moe from The Three Stooges. George’s other idea is for Jerry to start itching, and to tell him he has crabs. Since Alton was in the military, he’d understand according to George.
When Elaine finally shows up to the hotel, she shares with them how Kramer roped her into helping him with the birds he needs to pick up, promising her a ride to the hotel after. The two minutes Kramer promised turned into twenty minutes, then the police tow Kramer’s car because of thousands of dollars in back tickets. Jerry tells Elaine that she should have known better than to trust Kramer, but she was sucked in by the promise of a ride. Her dad comes back from the bathroom, and gives Elaine a greeting about as warm as he did for Jerry and George. He briskly asks about her mother, calls her employers at Pendant Publishing bastards, and comments on her wearing lipstick. Rob and Akiva point out that this is the first mention of Pendant Publishing, and pondered whether Elaine wearing lipstick was a subtle way of showing that Elaine still has a thing for Jerry.
They all get up to walk down to the Pakistani restaurant. Rob wondered if it was Babu Bhatt’s restaurant, since it was mentioned in that episode as being the only Pakistani restaurant in New York. The storyline all comes to a head as they make their way out the door. George starts singing “Master of the House” again, but is quickly told to “Pipe down, chorus boy” by Alton. With the snow starting to fall outside, Jerry worries about his new suede coat, and turns it inside out. The lining of the coat has pink stripes, which causes Alton to tell him there is no way that he’ll allow him to walk down the street with his daughter dressed like that.
Back at Jerry’s apartment, he’s wearing some kind of high school letterman’s jacket. Kramer comes in to take some mini Ritzes for the birds he’s watching, and asks him about the suede jacket. Elaine pops in, and tells Jerry that her dad had a great time at dinner, which is surprising, since he usually hates everybody. Kramer takes the ruined jacket off his hands, and points out that it’s too bad that Jerry gave him the old one too. Akiva noted the hilarity of Kramer not having the awareness to give the old coat back.
In the last scene, Alton Benes is driving home when he starts singing “Master of the House” himself. Akiva said that this was the first scene in the series without Jerry in it. The closing credits’ stand up has Jerry telling a joke about leather getting ruined when it gets wet. He wonders how come cows don’t have to get under cover when it rains.
Akiva and Rob discussed how this episode would be different in 2014, both deciding that it would be less fun now. Jerry would certainly be able to find a better deal for the jacket online. Plus, George and Jerry could have texted Elaine like crazy when she didn’t show up on time.
Rob read one last email from a listener who answered a question Rob and Akiva had from a previous podcast about whether George is an only child. George mentioned having a brother in an episode in season three.
Tune into Seinfeld: A Podcast About Nothing next week as Akiva and Rob will dissect “The Phone Message”. You can find all the recaps of Seinfeld and other shows at postshowrecaps.com. Follow Akiva on twitter @Keev26 and Rob @robcesternino.
Special Thanks to Mike Moore for this week’s episode recap.
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur discuss what Rob calls the first great Seinfeld episode of all time, “The Pony Remark”.
The plot of the episode involves Jerry and Elaine attending the 50th anniversary party of one of Jerry’s relatives, Manya. Since the party is so boring Elaine makes a comment about how she doesn’t like ponies and Jerry chimes in that he hates anybody who ever had a pony – not knowing that Manya was very attached to a pony from her childhood in Poland.
The comment upsets Manya so much that she ends the party prematurely. Days later, Jerry learns that Manya has died and her funeral is in conflict with the championship game for his softball team. Jerry weighs whether or not he should attend the funeral of his relative whom he did not know but may have inadvertently killed.
Not surprisingly, the episode is taken from events that occurred in the real life of Larry David.
Among the topics discussed in the episode are how the Kramer character is finally starting to take shape with his discussion of levels in his apartment, the cheapness of the real Morty Seinfeld and how great George is in his limited role in this episode. Plus, we take a closer look at some of the unique rules in Jerry’s softball league.
Join us next week when Rob and Akiva discuss the final Seinfeld episode from the first season of the show “The Jacket”.
Seinfeld: The Ex-Girlfriend | A Post Show Recap
Jul 12, 2014
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur are back and are pumped up to talk Seinfeld. Rob points out that Seinfeld has been in the pop culture zeitgeist this week because of the 25th anniversary of the pilot. By an unofficial count of 95% to 5% on listener feedback, Rob ensures that they will be “Masters of their Domain”, and go the distance by covering all 180 episodes (minus the montage episodes). They plan on still conducting the poll for the 25 best, and will note it in a recap if that episode makes the list.
Season 2 of Seinfeld started in January of 1991, which was a year and a half since the premiere of the pilot. It took NBC that long to air just the five episodes of season 1. Akiva mentioned how crazy it was for a show to get the second season pickup despite not being a standout.
In their overall thoughts of the episode, both Akiva and Rob felt that “The Ex-Girlfriend” was not one that either would be putting in their top 25 episodes. Akiva even felt this was bottom ten worthy. Rob enjoyed the main four characters, but felt the plot was lacking. Both thought that the storyline of this episode would have been tied back together in a creative way if it came later on in the series. Akiva points out that this was the first writing job for both Larry David and Jerry, so they may have been learning on the fly.
Plot Discussion
The episode starts off with Jerry and George in the car discussing how George wants to break up with his girlfriend, Marlene. As a side note, Akiva points out that the actress playing Marlene also plays a romantic interest of George later in the series in “The Soup”. George explains to Jerry how he was trapped into saying “I love you”, so breaking up will be that much harder. He would rather fake his kidnapping than face her. How George credits himself for being so nice to say I love you back to her is something Rob notices that each of the main characters does throughout the series. They all try to justify being a good person on the rare occasion they do nice things.
Elaine’s storyline has her talking about an acquaintance in her building that has gone from saying hello to her, to nodding, to no recognition at all. She wants to get to the bottom of it, and George encourages her to confront him. Akiva points out how ironic it is that George would never confront someone himself, but he champions the cause for Elaine to do so.
Kramer’s contribution to the episode is a flimsy storyline about fruit according to Rob and Akiva. Kramer tries to convince Jerry to return his bad cantaloupe, but Jerry feels that buying fruit is a gamble, and if it’s bad, then throw it out. Rob adds how the version of Kramer is roughly 90% of the polished version we see in later seasons. They haven’t given him any storylines yet of substance to highlight him.
Next, George comes in to tell the details of his breakup, which he compares to a prison break. He has a problem in that he left some books at her apartment that he wants back. He asks Jerry to arrange to pick them up for him. Rob feels like this is too tall a request to ask a friend. He doesn’t feel like there’s anyone he will go through that awkward a situation for. Akiva agrees with Jerry’s point from the episode that once you read the book, it’s worthless, going as far as telling the Recap listeners to throw out their old books.
When Jerry picks up the books, Marlene says that they should remain friends even though she’s broken up with George. Jerry awkwardly agrees, and then proceeds to get inundated with calls over the next several days. Though annoyed by her, Jerry tells Kramer he can’t resist her, eventually succumbing to her “sexiness”, and kissing her a little. Kramer assures Jerry that George won’t be mad at him, because it’s better that it’s a nice guy like Jerry going out with her as opposed to some other jerk, and George would want Jerry to be happy.
Another side plot that Akiva and Rob felt wasn’t tied together well was George’s visit to the chiropractor. It seemed to them as an opportunity for some standup material of Jerry’s about waiting rooms to be put on TV, though it did give us an enjoyable cheap George moment. The guys point out a couple more jokes on the show that had no real connection to the plot. Jerry and Elaine’s conversation about slow moving and fast moving elevators seemed like a weak segue into how Jerry will tell George about Marlene according to Rob.
The episode ends with Jerry telling George about Marlene at Monks. Rob and Akiva felt this scene to be a little clunky, with George granting Jerry permission to pursue her, but the ending of the scene with George swallowing a fly was a strange way to go out. Lastly, when Jerry tells Marlene they are free to date, she tells him no, because she saw his standup and wasn’t a fan. Akiva and Rob Both enjoyed Jerry’s standup at the end credits about what women want in men.
Rob and Akiva agreed that there wasn’t too much that would be different if the episode took place in 2014. Marlene would have YouTubed Jerry’s act, and learned about it being fluff before any dates. Jerry wouldn’t need to return the cantaloupe, he could just write a Yelp review. Instead of leaving Jerry bizarre messages, Marlene could have been texting and Facebooking Jerry all of her random thoughts.
Next week, the guys will recap “The Pony Remark”, that both agree is a legitimately funny episode, the first really memorable one for Rob, who watched the episodes as they aired back in 1991. Akiva felt that while it’s not quite top 25, it ranks up there with the better ones.
Subscribe to the Seinfeld Recap podcast on iTunes, and don’t forget to give your comments and feedback to help spread the word.
You can find both Akiva and Rob on twitter @Keev26 and @robcesternino
Seinfeld: The Stock Tip | The Post Show Recap
Jul 06, 2014
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur recap the final episode of Season 1 of Seinfeld: “The Stock Tip”.
In this episode Jerry and George both put $2,500 into the same stock based on the recommendation that George has gotten from a friend of his who knows the exact time to sell. As the stock plummets once Jerry and George are shareholders, George is unable to get a hold of his contact. Meanwhile, Jerry tries to take his relationship with Vanessa (from The Stakeout) to “Phase 2”. Against George’s recommendation, Jerry takes Vanessa away and has a terrible weekend in Vermont. Jerry finally decides to sell the stock before it goes up 6 points earning George a lot of money.
Among the plot points discussed in the episode, Rob and Akiva talk about the following:
Does Superman actually have a sense of humor? Is George or Jerry right about this debate?
Why does Elaine have such an issue with cruelty to animals in these early episodes considering some of the stances she takes against animals in future seasons?
How did a Seinfeld episode end with George being the big winner?
Why was Kramer filled with glee as Jerry’s stock continued to go down?
What are some of the reasons that Vanessa would not disclose what perfume she was wearing?
Join us next week when Rob and Akiva discuss the final Seinfeld episode from the first episode of the second season of Seinfeld: “The Ex-Girlfriend”.
Please let us know what you thought about the episode in the comments and whether you’d like to see the Seinfeld podcast cover the top 25 episodes or the entire Seinfeld catalog.
Seinfeld, The Post Show Recap: Review of Season 1’s “The Stock Tip”
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Seinfeld: Male Unbonding | The Post Show Recap
Jun 28, 2014
http://youtu.be/XkZVKHoxCYA
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur continue their journey back to recap all of Season one of Seinfeld as they discuss the fourth episode to ever air, “Male Unbonding”.
The plot of the episode involves Jerry trying to break things off with an old childhood friend, Joel Horneck. As the episode goes on, Jerry realizes that there’s no easy to break up with a male friend the way you break off a romantic relationship with a woman.
Among the plot points discussed in the episode, Rob and Akiva talk about the following:
What are the different ways this episode is shot that set it apart from other Seinfeld episodes?
Why were the best parts of the episode talking about Joel Horneck rather than seeing him?
Why are things not working in George’s latest romantic relationship?
How did George get floss on his hand during his date?
Is there still anybody out there that is a “screener”?
Are there actually places where you can now make your own pizza pie?
What are the real reasons Jerry doesn’t like hanging out with Horneck?
Would anybody actually ever give away Knicks tickets in 2014?
Would Joel Horneck actually know the difference between real turkey and turkey roll?
Which is worse to hear in a relationship “We need to talk” or “Whose bra is this?”
Should the person who breaks off the relationship have to pay the check?
What would George do with all his pennies in 2014?
What should people do instead of making an “excuse rolodex” in 2014?
How often did people have to check their machine (as Elaine does) in 1990?
Join us next week when Rob and Akiva discuss the final Seinfeld episode from the first season of the show “The Stock Tip”.
Please let us know what you thought about the episode in the comments and what Seinfeld related podcast ideas you’d like to hear about before we attempt our top 25 episode countdown.
Seinfeld, The Post Show Recap: Review of Season 1’s “Male Unbonding”
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Seinfeld, The Post Show Recap: “The Robbery”
Jun 20, 2014
Listen to the Podcast:
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Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur recap the third episode of Seinfeld to ever air, “The Robbery” which originally aired on June 7, 1990. Rob and Akiva recap many of the interesting developments from the episode including:
How come all the problems with Jerry’s apartment went away after this episode of Seinfeld?
Were viewers in Iceland offended by this episode?
Is it worse to get a toe or a finger?
How bad is Elaine’s living situation at this point?
Is Jerry acting odd when they go to view the apartment?
Was Jerry trying to rip off Elaine for the couch in his apartment?
Should interference have been called on the coin flip?
How much was the rent at the apartment Jerry goes to see?
How could a waitress at Monk’s afford the great apartment?
Be sure to join Rob and Akiva next week when we recap Seinfeld season 1, episode 4: “Male Un-Bonding.”
Seinfeld, The Post Show Recap: “The Stakeout”
Jun 13, 2014
Listen to the Podcast:
Subscribe to the Seinfeld ONLY Podcast on iTunes
Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur recap the second episode of Seinfeld to ever air, “The Stakeout” which originally aired on May 31, 1990. Rob and Akiva recap many of the interesting developments from the episode including:
How does the debut of the Elaine character affect the dynamics of the show?
What are the key differences between Elaine’s character and the version of Elaine that Julia Louis-Dreyfus would play in the future seasons of the show?
What has changed between the pilot episode and the first episode to air in 1990?
How does Jerry’s inner-monologue work in this episode?
How does the first mention of George’s wanting to be an architect and Art Vandelay play out in this episode?
What do Rob and Akiva make of the impostor who is playing Morty Seinfeld in this episode?
How has the pornography video business changed since 1990?
Should Jerry have had to apologize for not bringing a gift to Pamela’s birthday party?
Who is hotter, Elaine or Loni Anderson?
Is it better to be in a platonic or riconic relationship?
Why did Jerry’s family all need to meet up at his house before the wedding?
Are words from the urban dictionary fair play in a game of Scrabble?
Should anybody want to read the biography being authored by Jerry’s uncle, Mack?
What happened to these family members of Jerry over the rest of the series?
Be sure to join Rob and Akiva next week when we recap Seinfeld season 1, episode 3: “The Robbery.”
Seinfeld: The Post Show Recap Podcast | Series Premiere Review
Jun 08, 2014
Listen to the Podcast:
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25 Years after the original premiere of Seinfeld in the summer of 1989, Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur have decided that it’s time to go back to podcast about nothing.
In this episode, Rob and Akiva discuss a number of topics from the original Seinfeld premiere including:
What are the key differences between this original pilot and the future episodes of Seinfeld to come?
What do Rob and Akiva think of the female waitress that is in the Elaine role in the pilot played by Lee Garlington?
Why is George so concerned with drinking decaf?
What are some of the major differences in George and Kramer Kessler’s character?
Why is the woman that Jerry is trying to date potentially the worst person in the entire world?
How is the stand-up comedy integrated in to the episode differently than the ways it was used in the future episodes?
What are the things that are different about Jerry’s apartment?
What piece of advice does George give that he will be able to use several seasons down the line in the series?
How does Rob utilize Jerry’s laundry advice about “once you’re wet, you’re wet” in his real life?
Let us know if you’re excited for a Seinfeld podcast here on Post Show Recaps. This is the first recap podcast we’ve done for a non-current show and we want to make sure this is something you want on this site and on the Post Show Recaps podcast. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Be sure to check out our next Seinfeld Post Show Recap discussing episode #2, The Stakeout
Look for the Seinfeld Recap ONLY podcast feed to make it’s debut on iTunes sometime later this week.
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