The Glasses
Encyclopedia
The Glasses is the sixty-seventh episode of the sitcom Seinfeld
. It is the third episode of the fifth season, and first aired on September 30, 1993.
This is the first episode of Seinfeld
written by Tom Gammill and Max Pross. This episode ends with the dedication "In memory of our friend, John Oteri," who worked as a camera operator on the show.
eyeglasses, he claims, were stolen at the Health Club
and he needs a new pair. He goes to see Kramer's
optometrist friend Dwayne (Timothy Stack
), whom Kramer promises will give George a thirty percent discount because Kramer had helped the optometrist break his addiction
to sugar
. Elaine
is bitten by a dog while with George at the optometrist's, and she becomes afraid of dogs as well as the possibility that she may have rabies
. While not wearing his glasses, George thinks he recognizes, from a distance, Jerry's
girlfriend Amy (Anna Gunn
) kissing Jerry's cousin Jeffrey, who apparently has a "horse face". Jerry goes to Amy and tries to get her to confess her infidelity
; she indignantly denies it. Jerry doesn't know what to think of George's uncanny ability to see fine details while "squinting"; however after George mistakes an onion for an apple, Jerry wonders whether George was also mistaken about having seen Amy with Jeffrey. After trying on many pairs of glasses, George finally decides upon a new style and buys them, but is distressed when Kramer later points out that they are women's-style glasses made by Gloria Vanderbilt
. The optometrist also refuses George a discounted price. George
then makes a deal with an unsuspecting blind man to trade the man's uncomfortable eyeglass frames with George's, and have the lenses switched. With his vision back, George finally realizes that it was not Amy kissing Jeffrey, but a rather homely mounted police
woman affectionately petting her horse
. Meanwhile Kramer, bursting into Jerry's apartment, accidentally jars Jerry's giant new air conditioner loose from the windowsill, and it falls to the sidewalk, serendipitously crushing the same dog which had earlier bitten Elaine at the optometrist's. The episode ends as we see George's "stolen" glasses right on top of the lockers in the Health Club.
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
. It is the third episode of the fifth season, and first aired on September 30, 1993.
This is the first episode of Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
written by Tom Gammill and Max Pross. This episode ends with the dedication "In memory of our friend, John Oteri," who worked as a camera operator on the show.
Plot
George'sGeorge Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
eyeglasses, he claims, were stolen at the Health Club
Health club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
and he needs a new pair. He goes to see Kramer's
Cosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards...
optometrist friend Dwayne (Timothy Stack
Timothy Stack
Timothy Stack is an American film and television actor and screenwriter.-Life and career:He was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the son of Joan and Tom Stack. He graduated from the esteemed Philadelphia-area prep school Germantown Academy in 1973 and graduated from Boston College in 1978...
), whom Kramer promises will give George a thirty percent discount because Kramer had helped the optometrist break his addiction
Behavioral addiction
Behavioral addiction is a form of addiction which does not rely on drugs or alcohol. Increasingly referred to as process addiction or non-substance-related addiction ) behavioral addiction includes a compulsion to repeatedly engage in an action until said action causes serious negative consequences...
to sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. Elaine
Elaine Benes
Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer...
is bitten by a dog while with George at the optometrist's, and she becomes afraid of dogs as well as the possibility that she may have rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
. While not wearing his glasses, George thinks he recognizes, from a distance, Jerry's
Jerry Seinfeld (character)
Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist of the American television sitcom Seinfeld . The straight man among his group of friends, this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself.The series revolves around...
girlfriend Amy (Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn is an American actress, best known for her roles as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on The Practice, Martha Bullock on Deadwood, and, currently, Skyler White on Breaking Bad. She appeared on Seinfeld in the episode "The Glasses" and on the first season of Murder One...
) kissing Jerry's cousin Jeffrey, who apparently has a "horse face". Jerry goes to Amy and tries to get her to confess her infidelity
Infidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
; she indignantly denies it. Jerry doesn't know what to think of George's uncanny ability to see fine details while "squinting"; however after George mistakes an onion for an apple, Jerry wonders whether George was also mistaken about having seen Amy with Jeffrey. After trying on many pairs of glasses, George finally decides upon a new style and buys them, but is distressed when Kramer later points out that they are women's-style glasses made by Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Laura Vanderbilt is an American artist, author, actress, heiress, and socialite most noted as an early developer of designer blue jeans...
. The optometrist also refuses George a discounted price. George
George Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
then makes a deal with an unsuspecting blind man to trade the man's uncomfortable eyeglass frames with George's, and have the lenses switched. With his vision back, George finally realizes that it was not Amy kissing Jeffrey, but a rather homely mounted police
Mounted police
Mounted police are police who patrol on horseback or camelback. They continue to serve in remote areas and in metropolitan areas where their day-to-day function may be picturesque or ceremonial, but they are also employed in crowd control because of their mobile mass and height advantage and...
woman affectionately petting her horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
. Meanwhile Kramer, bursting into Jerry's apartment, accidentally jars Jerry's giant new air conditioner loose from the windowsill, and it falls to the sidewalk, serendipitously crushing the same dog which had earlier bitten Elaine at the optometrist's. The episode ends as we see George's "stolen" glasses right on top of the lockers in the Health Club.
Series continuity
- In this episode, Elaine calls Kramer a "hipster doofus". Kramer was previously called this in the season 4 episodes "The Handicap SpotThe Handicap Spot"The Handicap Spot" is the 22nd episode of the fourth season and the 62nd overall episode of Seinfeld. It aired on May 13, 1993.-Plot:The group travels to a mall in Lynbrook to buy a big-screen television as an engagement gift for their friend, "The Drake"...
" and "The MovieThe Movie"The Movie" is the fifty-fourth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 14th episode of the fourth season, and first aired on January 6, 1993.-Plot:...
".
- In the scene where Jerry tries to find out if his girlfriend cheated on him, he devises a plan ending in "It's Howdy DoodyHowdy DoodyHowdy Doody is an American children's television program that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows...
time." Kramer then replies, "Right this way, Mr. Doody", a line which was made popular by Larry DavidLarry DavidLawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
on the short-lived TV show FridaysFridaysFridays is the name of ABC's weekly late-night live comedy show, which aired on Friday nights from April 11, 1980 to April 23, 1982 with repeats airing until October 22, 1982...
, on which Michael RichardsMichael RichardsMichael Anthony Richards is an American actor, comedian, writer and television producer, best known for his portrayal of the eccentric Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld....
starred.