The Hamptons (Seinfeld)

"The Hamptons" is the 85th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the 21st episode for the fifth season.[1] It aired on May 12, 1994.[1] This was the final produced episode of the fifth season, although it aired as the penultimate episode of the season. The episode follows the main characters' misadventures during a weekend visiting friends in the Hamptons: everyone but George sees George's girlfriend topless on the beach, Elaine is puzzled by a man's use of the word "breathtaking", Kramer steals lobsters from a commercial fishing trap, and George is a victim of penile "shrinkage" when Jerry's girlfriend sees him changing after he came out of the pool.

"The Hamptons"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 21
Directed byTom Cherones
Written byPeter Mehlman & Carol Leifer
Production code521
Original air dateMay 12, 1994 (1994-05-12)
Guest appearances

Plot

Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer travel to East Hampton for the weekend to see Elaine's friend's new baby; they are joined by George's girlfriend, Jane, and Rachel, whose father is allowing her to see Jerry again after Jerry gave him kishka to atone for his behavior in "The Raincoats". George is excited about Jane coming along, thinking she intends to have sex with him for the first time. At the beach, Jane goes topless in front of Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine while George is out to get tomatoes. Elaine is thrilled to be described as "breathtaking" by the baby's pediatrician, Ben, until he uses the same adjective to describe the baby, whom the other houseguests consider to be extremely ugly.

Kramer returns from a beach expedition with enough lobster for everyone and tells George they saw Jane topless. George is infuriated at Jerry about this, and demands to see Rachel naked as recompense. After being warned by Elaine that Rachel is changing, George barges into her room, but Rachel has only dropped her pants. After George excuses himself, Rachel, following incorrect directions to the baby's room, accidentally barges in on him undressing and laughs at the size of his penis. George tries in vain to convince Jerry to explain to her that, having just gotten out of the pool, he was a victim of "shrinkage", a concept which baffles Elaine. At dinner Rachel declines to eat the lobster, since it is not kosher. Kramer reveals he got the lobster from a commercial lobster trap. This outrages their host Michael, whose father was a commercial fisherman. Rachel jokes to Jane privately, presumably about George's penis. Rachel then attempts to sneak to the kitchen late at night to try the lobster in secret, but finds Kramer waiting for her and is convinced not to break kashrut.

Elaine asks Ben in private about his use of the word "breathtaking"; he answers that "sometimes you say a thing like that just to be nice", leaving her even more confused about his intentions. Jane leaves in the middle of the night, seemingly distraught by Rachel's revelation to her; at breakfast, George gets revenge on Rachel by serving her scrambled eggs made with lobster. When she storms out of the kitchen, he goes after her ostensibly to apologize, and this time successfully sees her naked. Police investigate the lobster poaching, and Michael directs them to Kramer. Unable to pay the $1,000 fine, he must pick up garbage on the side of the road as a means of community service. On the way home, Jerry, George, and Elaine stop at a tomato stall, and Rachel throws a tomato at George.

The episode has been credited with giving "new meaning to the word 'shrinkage'".[2] Seinfeld writer Peter Mehlman took credit for introducing the word, with apparently enthusiastic approval from Larry David; inversely, Mehlman gave David credit for "sponge-worthy", the catchword from "The Sponge" in the seventh season.[3] The word was later used in a Budweiser commercial, cited as a testament to the show's influence.[4]

References

  1. "Seinfeld Season 5 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  2. Garner, Joe (2004). Made You Laugh!: The Funniest Moments in Radio, Television, Stand-up, and Movie Comedy. Andrews McMeel. p. 57. ISBN 9780740746956. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  3. Neuwirth, Allan (2006). They'll Never Put That on the Air: An Oral History Of Taboo-Breaking TV Comedy. Skyhorse. p. 242. ISBN 9781581154177. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  4. Bjorklund, Dennis (September 2017). Seinfeld Reference: The Complete Encyclopedia With Biographies, Character Profiles & Episode Summaries. Praetorian. p. 27. ISBN 9780967985244. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
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