The Summer of George
Encyclopedia
"The Summer of George" is the 156th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld
. It was also the 22nd and final episode of the 8th season. It originally aired on May 15, 1997.
discovers he has a severance package
from the New York Yankees
that should last him about 3 months, so he decides that he is going to take full advantage of three months off and become very active. Jerry
and Kramer
are going to the Tony Awards, Jerry as an invited guest, Kramer as a seat filler
. Elaine
mocks Sam (Molly Shannon
), a co-worker who walks without moving her arms (as if "she's carrying invisible suitcases", as Elaine puts it).
Jerry picks up his date to the Tonys, a waitress named Linette (Amanda Peet
), only to find out that she lives with a man (a "dude") with whom her relationship is unclear, much to Jerry's dismay. While filling a seat for a nominee who has stepped away, Kramer is accidentally whisked to the stage by excited Tony winners moving through his row. As a result, he receives a Tony Award for the musical Scarsdale Surprise in which Raquel Welch
is the star.
Meanwhile, instead of living a very active lifestyle as he had hoped, George becomes incredibly lazy. He never changes out of his pajamas, and feels too weak to even come to Jerry's apartment, asking Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer to instead visit him.
Elaine's co-worker Sam catches Elaine mocking her and in a rage proceeds to trash Elaine's office and leave her threatening phone messages, leading the men in Elaine's life to excitedly say that she is now involved in a "catfight
".
Kramer uses his Tony as a ticket into Sardi's
, where the producers of Scarsdale Surprise have a proposition for him - he can only keep his Tony award if he fires Raquel Welch
, who like Sam, also doesn't swing her arms when she moves. Kramer does fire her and she responds by attacking him. While walking down the street afterwards, Raquel sees Elaine describing Sam's walk to the police. Thinking that Elaine is mocking her, Raquel attacks her, too.
Meanwhile, Linette begins to wear Jerry out with her busy lifestyle, and George suggests that perhaps they team up, with George acting as Jerry's dating assistant. When Linette needs invitations to a party, George picks them up, but he slips on the stairs (due to his muscles atrophying from his self-imposed laziness) and is sent to the hospital.
The final scene pays homage to the ending of Season 7's "The Invitations". In the wake of George's accident, the gang meet up at the hospital where the same doctor who informed them of Susan's death informs them that George may never walk again. The others respond with the same callous reaction as they did the year before. The end credits show George learning to walk again through physiotherapy, along with Sam, who is being taught how to swing her arms.
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 was also the 22nd and final episode of the 8th season. It originally aired on May 15, 1997.
Plot
GeorgeGeorge 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"...
discovers he has a severance package
Severance package
A severance package is pay and benefits an employee receives when they leave employment at a company. In addition to the employee's remaining regular pay, it may include some of the following:* An additional payment based on months of service...
from the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
that should last him about 3 months, so he decides that he is going to take full advantage of three months off and become very active. Jerry
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...
and 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...
are going to the Tony Awards, Jerry as an invited guest, Kramer as a seat filler
Seat filler
A seat filler is a person who fills in an empty seat during an event. There are two types of Seat Fillers:1) a person who subscribes to a seat-filling theatre club. Members of these clubs help fill in unsold seats for theatre, music, film, sporting events, dance performances and other live events...
. 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...
mocks Sam (Molly Shannon
Molly Shannon
Molly Helen Shannon is an American comic actress best known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995–2001 and for starring in the films Superstar and Year of the Dog. More recently, she starred in NBC's Kath & Kim from 2008–2009 and on the TBS animated series Neighbors from...
), a co-worker who walks without moving her arms (as if "she's carrying invisible suitcases", as Elaine puts it).
Jerry picks up his date to the Tonys, a waitress named Linette (Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
), only to find out that she lives with a man (a "dude") with whom her relationship is unclear, much to Jerry's dismay. While filling a seat for a nominee who has stepped away, Kramer is accidentally whisked to the stage by excited Tony winners moving through his row. As a result, he receives a Tony Award for the musical Scarsdale Surprise in which Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Tejada , better known as Raquel Welch, is an American actress, author and sex symbol. Welch came to attention as a "new-star" on the 20th Century-Fox lot in the mid-1960s. She posed iconically in a animal skin bikini for the British-release One Million Years B.C. , for which she may be...
is the star.
Meanwhile, instead of living a very active lifestyle as he had hoped, George becomes incredibly lazy. He never changes out of his pajamas, and feels too weak to even come to Jerry's apartment, asking Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer to instead visit him.
Elaine's co-worker Sam catches Elaine mocking her and in a rage proceeds to trash Elaine's office and leave her threatening phone messages, leading the men in Elaine's life to excitedly say that she is now involved in a "catfight
Catfight
Catfight is a term for an altercation between two women, typically involving scratching, slapping, hair-pulling, and shirt-shredding as opposed to punching or wrestling . However, the term is not exclusively used to indicate a fight between women, and many formal definitions do not invoke gender...
".
Kramer uses his Tony as a ticket into Sardi's
Sardi's
Sardi's is a restaurant in New York City's theater district at 234 West 44th Street in Manhattan. Known for the hundreds of caricatures of show-business celebrities that adorn its walls, Sardi's opened at its current location on March 5, 1927....
, where the producers of Scarsdale Surprise have a proposition for him - he can only keep his Tony award if he fires Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Tejada , better known as Raquel Welch, is an American actress, author and sex symbol. Welch came to attention as a "new-star" on the 20th Century-Fox lot in the mid-1960s. She posed iconically in a animal skin bikini for the British-release One Million Years B.C. , for which she may be...
, who like Sam, also doesn't swing her arms when she moves. Kramer does fire her and she responds by attacking him. While walking down the street afterwards, Raquel sees Elaine describing Sam's walk to the police. Thinking that Elaine is mocking her, Raquel attacks her, too.
Meanwhile, Linette begins to wear Jerry out with her busy lifestyle, and George suggests that perhaps they team up, with George acting as Jerry's dating assistant. When Linette needs invitations to a party, George picks them up, but he slips on the stairs (due to his muscles atrophying from his self-imposed laziness) and is sent to the hospital.
The final scene pays homage to the ending of Season 7's "The Invitations". In the wake of George's accident, the gang meet up at the hospital where the same doctor who informed them of Susan's death informs them that George may never walk again. The others respond with the same callous reaction as they did the year before. The end credits show George learning to walk again through physiotherapy, along with Sam, who is being taught how to swing her arms.