S08E07 - The Checks

No: 141  |   Season: 8   Episode: 7  |   Air Date: 7-Nov-1996  |   Production #807

Elaine, could you just not talk for one minute?Elaine, could you just not talk for one minute?

Summary

Jerry receives countless 12-cent royalty checks for a clip of him used in a Japanese TV show. Kramer befriends a group of Japanese tourists, which leads George to try to revive the pilot of "Jerry" to air in Japan. Meanwhile, Elaine deals with a boyfriend who's obsessed with a furniture designer and the song "Desperado".

Director and Writers

Director: Andy Ackerman
Writers: Steve O'Donnell

Quotes

George: Who buys an umbrella anyway? You can get them for free in the coffee shop in the metal cans.
Jerry: Those belong to people.

Kramer: That's the funny face that greets you at the beginning of the Super Terrific Happy Hour.
Japanese tourist: Oh, Super Terrific!
Kramer: Yeah, that's him.
Japanese tourist: What is he doing?
Kramer: Well, I don't know, but something Super Terrific, I'm sure.

Elaine: What's with the claw?
Jerry: Super terrific carpal tunnel syndrome.

George: He's giving you furniture? Who is this guy?
Jerry: Who are any of her losers?
George: You're on that list.

Jerry: So you're angry that this bizarre carpet cabal made no attempt to abduct you?
George: They could've at least tried.
Jerry: You know, maybe they thought you look too smart to be brainwashed.
George: Please.
Jerry: Too dumb?

Jerry: You have them sleeping in drawers?
Kramer: Jerry, have you ever seen the business hotels in Tokyo? They sleep in tiny stacked cubicles all the time. They feel right at home.
Jerry: This has international incident written all over it.

Kramer: (talking to Jerry) Here you're just another apple. But in Japan, you're an erotic fruit. Like an orange, which is rare there.

(Jerry picks up the phone)
Jerry: Yeah?
George: (panicked and rushed) Jerry! The Japanese guys had sake in the hot-tub! You gotta get 'em outta the drawers and get 'em down here, or I don't have a focus group to sell the pilot to Japanese TV!
Jerry: (kidding) Uncle Leo?
George: JERRY!
(George begins hammering the phone against the kiosk and Jerry lifts the phone away from his ear at the noise)
Jerry: All right, all right. I'll wake 'em up.

Jerry: (to Kramer) That's a lovely little bureau and breakfast you're running.

Kramer: Everybody laughs at Jerry here in America.

Notes and Trivia

After their meeting with the Japanese TV execs, George talks about the female executive in the same way he talked about Susan after the NBC meeting. Also, notice how the female Japanese exececutive seems to be wearing an outfit similar identical to the one Susan wore .

The Urban Sombrero makes a cameo in this episode.

Carl Farbman is played by Seinfeld's Transportation Coordinator, Dave Pierce.

After being apparently brainwashed by Sunshine Cleaners, Mr. Wilhelm tells George that his name is Tania. Tania, is the name adopted by Patricia Hearst after she was allegedly brainwashed by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Goofs

When Jerry leaves to cash the checks he says "Konichiwa" to Kramer, which actually means "how are you" in Japanese.

Cast

Jerry SeinfeldJerry Seinfeld
Julia Louis-DreyfusElaine Benes
Michael RichardsCosmo Kramer
Jason AlexanderGeorge Costanza
James Patrick StuartBrett
Richard HerdWilhelm
Gedde WatanabeMr. Oh
Sab ShimonoExecutive #1
John BowmanTeddy
Jack PlotnickCrew Leader
George WallaceDoctor
Toshi TodaMr. Tanaka
Goh MisawaMr. Yamaguchi
Tony V.Clicky
Akane NelsonExecutive #2
Cherie HankalNurse
Ruth CohenRuthie Cohen
Tom GammillMan in Sombrero (uncredited)
Dave PierceKarl Farbman (uncredited)
Doug SeniorSunshine Carpet Cleaner (uncredited)