The Serenity Now
Encyclopedia
"The Serenity Now" is the 159th episode of the NBC
sitcom Seinfeld
. This was the 3rd episode of the 9th and final season. It aired in the U.S. on October 9, 1997.
's girlfriend gives his Knicks
tickets away. She comments that she has never seen him get "real mad." George
gets Kramer
to help him fix his parents' screen door. They remove the old door and Kramer takes it with him. Frank is selling personal computers in his garage, he wants to bring George into his business. Mr. Lippman's son takes advantage of "becoming a man" at his bar mitzvah to tongue-kiss
Elaine
.
Kramer installs the screen door outside his apartment to give his apartment "the cool evening breezes of Anytown, USA
," and turns his hallway into a small town front porch, complete with barbecue grill, lawn chairs, potted plants, and American flag. Kramer sits on his porch with the "fireworks" (a sparkler
). George's first impulse is to quit but he decides it is finally time to take on his arch-rival, Lloyd Braun, whom Frank has also hired to sell computers. When Jerry learns how to get mad, it releases all his other feelings, including caring and another that results in his proposing to Elaine.
Kramer fights with the neighborhood kids of "Anytown, USA." George tells Elaine she is attractive to the Lippman men because of her "shiks
-appeal." The result gets the two Lippman men to want to renounce Judaism
in order to be with her. George hatches a scheme to sell more computers: to buy them himself and return them later for a refund; however, continual use of the phrase "serenity now" has an adverse effect on his sales. The release of emotions from George has an impact on emotional Jerry. Jerry asks Elaine to marry him. George stores computers in Kramer's apartment. Kramer has a nervous breakdown and destroys the computers. Elaine seeks help from the rabbi to see if she can reduce her "shiks-appeal"; instead of giving her advice, the rabbi comes on to her. George's father blames him for nearly bankrupting
his company, and it is then revealed that Lloyd Braun was insane the entire time; his phone was never plugged in, and hence he never made any sales. He blames his psychiatric problems on Frank's mantra ("Serenity now, insanity later"). George then tells his father to say "hoochie mama" instead of "serenity now", which his father follows when Estelle is about to park her car in the garage.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom 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...
. This was the 3rd episode of the 9th and final season. It aired in the U.S. on October 9, 1997.
Plot
Frank Costanza is advised to say "serenity now" aloud every time his blood pressure is in danger of going up, but he yells it instead. JerryJerry 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...
's girlfriend gives his Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
tickets away. She comments that she has never seen him get "real mad." 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"...
gets Kramer
Cosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards...
to help him fix his parents' screen door. They remove the old door and Kramer takes it with him. Frank is selling personal computers in his garage, he wants to bring George into his business. Mr. Lippman's son takes advantage of "becoming a man" at his bar mitzvah to tongue-kiss
French kiss
A French kiss is a kiss in which one participant's tongue touches the partner's lips or tongue and usually enters his or her mouth. A French kiss is a slow passionate kiss which is usually considered intimate, romantic, erotic or sexual...
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...
.
Kramer installs the screen door outside his apartment to give his apartment "the cool evening breezes of Anytown, USA
Placeholder name
Placeholder names are words that can refer to objects or people whose names are either temporarily forgotten, irrelevant, or unknown in the context in which they are being discussed...
," and turns his hallway into a small town front porch, complete with barbecue grill, lawn chairs, potted plants, and American flag. Kramer sits on his porch with the "fireworks" (a sparkler
Sparkler
A sparkler is a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting colored flames, sparks, and other effects.In the United Kingdom, a sparkler is often used by children at bonfire and fireworks displays on Guy Fawkes Night, the fifth of November, and in the United States on Independence...
). George's first impulse is to quit but he decides it is finally time to take on his arch-rival, Lloyd Braun, whom Frank has also hired to sell computers. When Jerry learns how to get mad, it releases all his other feelings, including caring and another that results in his proposing to Elaine.
Kramer fights with the neighborhood kids of "Anytown, USA." George tells Elaine she is attractive to the Lippman men because of her "shiks
Shiksa
Shiksa or shikse, is a Yiddish and Polish word that has moved into English usage, mostly in North American Jewish culture, as a term for a non-Jewish woman, initially and sometimes still pejorative but now often used satirically...
-appeal." The result gets the two Lippman men to want to renounce Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in order to be with her. George hatches a scheme to sell more computers: to buy them himself and return them later for a refund; however, continual use of the phrase "serenity now" has an adverse effect on his sales. The release of emotions from George has an impact on emotional Jerry. Jerry asks Elaine to marry him. George stores computers in Kramer's apartment. Kramer has a nervous breakdown and destroys the computers. Elaine seeks help from the rabbi to see if she can reduce her "shiks-appeal"; instead of giving her advice, the rabbi comes on to her. George's father blames him for nearly bankrupting
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
his company, and it is then revealed that Lloyd Braun was insane the entire time; his phone was never plugged in, and hence he never made any sales. He blames his psychiatric problems on Frank's mantra ("Serenity now, insanity later"). George then tells his father to say "hoochie mama" instead of "serenity now", which his father follows when Estelle is about to park her car in the garage.
Episode notes
- This episode's plot was inspired by real-life events in the life of writer Steve KorenSteve KorenSteven Wayne Koren is an American screenwriter. He was one of the writers for the movies Bruce Almighty, Click, Superstar, and A Night at the Roxbury, and wrote for Saturday Night Live and Seinfeld....
. While driving with his arguing parents, Koren was bewildered to hear his father shout "Serenity now!" at the top of his lungs as part of a rage controlling exercise and questioned whether or not the phrase was meant to be screamed. - The inspiration for Frank's computer business was the 1995 film The Net (to which Frank Costanza refers to "starring that girlSandra BullockSandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
from 'The Bus'). - The sales contest Frank Costanza institutes (where the highest seller is rewarded and the lowest is fired) is a parody of the 1992 film Glengarry Glen RossGlengarry Glen Ross (film)Glengarry Glen Ross is a 1992 American drama film, adapted by David Mamet from his acclaimed 1984 Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning play of the same name...
. - Kramer mentions to Jerry that he was ambushed by the "neighborhood kids", including Joey Zambino, who Kramer previously babysat in "The Wait OutThe Wait Out"The Wait Out" is the 133rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 23rd episode for the seventh season. It aired in the U.S. on May 9, 1996.-Plot:...
".