The Smelly Car
Encyclopedia
"The Smelly Car" is the sixty-first episode of the sitcom Seinfeld
. The episode was the 21st episode for the 4th season. It aired on April 16, 1993.
, assumed to have been left by a valet
who was tasked with parking Jerry's BMW
5 Series
. After a relentless drive home, Elaine's boyfriend Carl (Nick Bakay) is troubled by the odor coming from Elaine, who then assumes trouble for their relationship. George
cannot believe it when he spots his ex-girlfriend, Susan, as a lesbian
, and he is turned on by her new outlook on life. Elaine loses her current boyfriend because the odor from the car got stuck in her hair, and he could not stand to be near her. Jerry immediately blames the restaurant he went to the other night, and although the maître d' (Michael Des Barres
) initially refuses to pay for car cleaning, he eventually agrees after Jerry locks him inside the car, refusing to let him out unless he pays for half of the price ($250).
Susan's girlfriend Mona is swayed to heterosexuality
by Kramer
, which Jerry, Elaine and George cannot understand why, being that Susan's girlfriend has never been with a man. This angers Susan, due to her dislike of Kramer, and George who is still convinced that he drove Susan to lesbian
ism. Feeling even more attracted to her after finding this out, George attempts to woo Susan, and appears to be making progress. However, despite his best efforts, the two are seen in the diner by George's ex Allison - and after introducing them to one another, he can only sigh as the two women exchange amorous glances.
After a complete "de-ionizing" of the car, Jerry, anticipating that the smell is gone, smells it again, and he discovers it is not. Meanwhile, Elaine decides to go to a hair salon to "wash" the smell out of her hair, despite having already taken a thorough shower, and (believing that the smell has gone away) tries to start her relationship with Carl again. He, however, smells the car stench again and tells her that she still smells. Elaine, as well as Jerry, does not know what to do. Jerry then tries to sell the car because the odor has taken on a life of its own and permeated everything, but the dealer claims he cannot sell such a car. Kramer's relationship with Mona ends when she smells the odor on him, even though he was never in the car. This is because he had borrowed Jerry's jacket, which was the same one he was wearing in the car. When it cannot be sold, Jerry ends up abandoning the car and its keys out on the street just to get rid of it, even going so far as to offer ownership of the car to a vagrant. However, the vagrant ends up disgusted by the smell and even he rejects Jerry's offer.
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...
. The episode was the 21st episode for the 4th season. It aired on April 16, 1993.
Plot
After dinner, Jerry and Elaine discover a strong smell of body odorBody odor
Body odor or body odour, sometimes colloquially abbreviated as B.O., is the smell of bacteria growing on the body. The bacteria multiply rapidly in the presence of sweat, but sweat itself is almost completely odorless to humans....
, assumed to have been left by a valet
Valet
Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
who was tasked with parking Jerry's BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
5 Series
BMW E34
The BMW E34 is the version of the BMW 5 Series automobile built from February 1988 to 1995 with the Touring model ending June 1996. It replaced the BMW E28 in 1988 and was replaced by the E39 in 1996....
. After a relentless drive home, Elaine's boyfriend Carl (Nick Bakay) is troubled by the odor coming from Elaine, who then assumes trouble for their relationship. 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"...
cannot believe it when he spots his ex-girlfriend, Susan, as a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, and he is turned on by her new outlook on life. Elaine loses her current boyfriend because the odor from the car got stuck in her hair, and he could not stand to be near her. Jerry immediately blames the restaurant he went to the other night, and although the maître d' (Michael Des Barres
Michael Des Barres
Lord Michael Philip Des Barres is a British actor and rock singer. He is known for playing the recurring role of Murdoc on the television show MacGyver and for replacing the late Robert Palmer in the band Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert...
) initially refuses to pay for car cleaning, he eventually agrees after Jerry locks him inside the car, refusing to let him out unless he pays for half of the price ($250).
Susan's girlfriend Mona is swayed to heterosexuality
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
by 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...
, which Jerry, Elaine and George cannot understand why, being that Susan's girlfriend has never been with a man. This angers Susan, due to her dislike of Kramer, and George who is still convinced that he drove Susan to lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
ism. Feeling even more attracted to her after finding this out, George attempts to woo Susan, and appears to be making progress. However, despite his best efforts, the two are seen in the diner by George's ex Allison - and after introducing them to one another, he can only sigh as the two women exchange amorous glances.
After a complete "de-ionizing" of the car, Jerry, anticipating that the smell is gone, smells it again, and he discovers it is not. Meanwhile, Elaine decides to go to a hair salon to "wash" the smell out of her hair, despite having already taken a thorough shower, and (believing that the smell has gone away) tries to start her relationship with Carl again. He, however, smells the car stench again and tells her that she still smells. Elaine, as well as Jerry, does not know what to do. Jerry then tries to sell the car because the odor has taken on a life of its own and permeated everything, but the dealer claims he cannot sell such a car. Kramer's relationship with Mona ends when she smells the odor on him, even though he was never in the car. This is because he had borrowed Jerry's jacket, which was the same one he was wearing in the car. When it cannot be sold, Jerry ends up abandoning the car and its keys out on the street just to get rid of it, even going so far as to offer ownership of the car to a vagrant. However, the vagrant ends up disgusted by the smell and even he rejects Jerry's offer.
Episode Notes
- The movie that George is renting when he spots Susan is the fictional film, Rochelle, Rochelle ("a young girl's strange, erotic journey from MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
to MinskMinsk- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
"). The film makes its first appearance in the episode 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:...
. - Co-writer Peter Mehlman got the idea for the episode from the real-life experiences of a friend of his - according to Mehlman, the friend would frequently pitch him ideas for episodes, none of which were even close to being good enough to use, but was simply complaining about the ordeal, at which point Mehlman immediately decided that it would be perfect for the show.