S02E03 - The Jacket

No: 8  |   Season: 2   Episode: 3  |   Air Date: 6-Feb-1991  |   Production #205

We had a funny guy with us in Korea: a tail gunner. They blew his brains out all over the Pacific.

Summary

Jerry splurges on an expensive new suede jacket, but the colorful inner lining leaves something to be desired. When Elaine does Kramer a favor, Jerry and George get stuck alone with Elaine's intimidating, curmudgeonly father.

Director and Writers

Director: Tom Cherones
Writers: Larry David & Jerry Seinfeld

Quotes

Mr. Benes: Are you working?
Elaine: Yeah, I'm reading manuscripts for Pendant Publishing. I told you ten times.
Mr. Benes: Pendant, those bastards!

George: And I'll tell you something else, I'm not even going to ask you. I want to know. But I'm not gonna ask. You'll tell me when you feel comfortable. So what was it? Four hundred? Five hundred? Did you pay five hundred for this? (Jerry coyly ignores George's questions, while George grows increasingly serious.) Over six? Can't be seven. Don't tell me you paid seven hundred dollars for this jacket! Did you pay seven hundred dollars for this jacket? Is that what you're saying to me? You are sick! Is that what you paid for this jacket? Over seven hundred? What did you pay for this jacket? I won't say anything. I wanna know what you paid for this jacket! Oh my God! A thousand dollars? You paid a thousand dollars for this jacket? All right, fine. (George heads for the door) I'm walking outta here right now thinking you paid a thousand dollars for this jacket, unless you tell me different. (Jerry remains silent) Oh, ho! All right! I'll tell you what, if you don't say anything in the next five seconds, I'll know it was over a thousand.

Mr. Benes: We had a funny guy with us in Korea. Tailgunner. They blew his brains out all over the Pacific... There's nothing funny about that.

George: I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed Fair Game. I thought it was just brilliant.
Mr. Benes: Drivel.
George: Maybe some parts.
Mr. Benes: What parts?
George: The drivel parts.

Elaine: My father thinks George is gay.
Jerry: Because of all the singing?
Elaine: No, he pretty much thinks everyone is gay.

Jerry: This jacket has completely changed my life.
George: Can I say one thing to you? And I say this with an unblemished record of staunched heterosexuality. It's fabulous.

Jerry: I had a leather jacket that got ruined. Now, why does moisture ruin leather? I don't get this. Aren't cows outside most of the time? I don't understand it. When it's raining do cows go up to the farmhouse, "Let us in, we're all wearing leather. Open the door! We're gonna ruin the whole outfit here!" "Is it suede?" "I am suede, the whole thing is suede, I can't have this cleaned. It's all I got!"

George: (mocking Alton Benes) He's in the bathroom.

Jerry: How are we going to get out of it?
George: We'll say we're frightened and we have to go home.

Mr. Benes: Pipe down, chorus boy.

George: (singing) Master of the house, doling out the charm...
(later)
Mr. Benes: (singing) Master of the house, keeper of the inn...

Notes and Trivia

In a deleted scene from the episode Jerry is trying to decide upon buying the jacket when he finally remarks to Elaine, "Well, in the immortal words of Gary Gilmore, 'Let's do it'". Gary Gilmore was a serial killer who apparently uttered these words just prior to being executed.

This episode has the only mention of Elaine's mother in the series.

This episode introduces the running gag of George trying to restrain Jerry by pulling on his sleeve which Jerry responds to by yanking his arm away.

On hearing George's obsessive singing of "Master of the House" from Les Miserables, Jerry tells him that composer Robert Schumann was driven mad by hearing a note, possibly A, over and over in his head. "Master of the House" is in the key of A (minor in the verses, major in the chorus).

Laurence Tierney, who played Elaine's father, was never brought back for another episode even though the writers had originally considered him as a recurring character. Apparently, he stole a knife from the set. Also the rest of the cast a crew were terrified of him.

The character of Alton Benes is based on novelist Richard Yates (author of 'Revolutionary Road (2008)'), whose daughter Monica once dated Larry David.

Goofs

As Jerry and George are walking out of the restaurant with Elaine and her father, George starts singing. Elaine's father tells George to quiet down. After this, George's glasses are gone that were present in the previous shot. Then, in the next shot, they reappear.

George pours himself a glass of water from a single serving bottle and he puts the empty bottle back in the fridge.

When Jerry and George are in the bathroom, George dries his hands with a paper towel, even though he never washed them. As they leave, George throws his paper towel into the trash can on the right. Jerry throws his paper towel into the trash can on the left, but misses. The paper towel lands on the floor.

In one shot when Jerry, George, Alton, and Elaine are leaving the lobby, George goes from wearing to not wearing his glasses.

Cast

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