The Pilot (Seinfeld)
"The Pilot" | |
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Seinfeld episode | |
Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 23/24 |
Directed by | Tom Cherones |
Written by | Larry David |
Production code | 423/424 |
Original air date | May 20, 1993 |
Running time | 42 minutes |
Guest appearance(s) | |
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"The Pilot" is the two-part season finale episode of the fourth season of Seinfeld. It makes up the 63rd and 64th episodes and first aired on May 20, 1993.
This two-part episode aired at an earlier time, 8:00 PM, to make room for the two-hour finale of Cheers, whose timeslot would be claimed by Seinfeld at the start of the new fall season. Approximately 32 million people watched this episode (both parts) when it initially aired, and the show became a major ratings grab for its next five seasons.
Contents
1 Plot
1.1 Part 1
1.2 Part 2
2 External links
Plot
Part 1
Jerry and George get the green light to produce Jerry, the pilot for the series based on their "nothing" lives. Russell Dalrymple, the president at NBC behind the pilot, is obsessed with Elaine. George is obsessed with a potentially cancerous white spot on his lip and a box of raisins taken by an actor playing Kramer, played by Larry Hankin (who had actually auditioned for the role of Kramer when Seinfeld began production).
The real Kramer has intestinal problems and, on his way to find a bathroom, he gets delayed by being mugged and "misses his chance" to resolve the problem, resulting in constipation. Jerry has an audition with the new "Elaine" (played by Elena Wohl), a method actress interested in being Elaine in every way, including insisting being called Elaine and even going as far as dating Jerry (and breaking up with him in Part 2). Jerry points out to the real Elaine that Monk's coffee shop appears to be only hiring buxom waitresses, so she tries to get hired; when the owner turns her down, she files a report with the Equal Employment Opportunity office.
Part 2
Rehearsals for the pilot begin. NBC executive Russell Dalrymple's obsession with Elaine begins to affect his work; she tries to let him down easy by saying she can't be in a relationship with a high-powered man and would prefer to be with someone selfless, such as a member of Greenpeace. Kramer resolves his constipation by administering himself an enema.
George mistakenly thinks that his white spot has been diagnosed as cancer and goes on a tirade at NBC, only to discover that he misunderstood the diagnosis. At the taping of the pilot, "Crazy" Joe Davola leaps out of the audience and onto the set while yelling "Sic semper tyrannis!" He's removed and the taping goes poorly, with the director and actors getting increasingly annoyed by George's kibitzing, and Jerry coming to the discovery that he is not as good at acting as he is at standup. The pilot airs and numerous characters from past episodes (at that point in the run) comment on it.
In order to prove himself worthy of Elaine, Russell joins Greenpeace and is lost at sea during a botched assault on a whaling ship. The cover for the Jerry pilot script floats away at sea along with the former NBC president as one of Russell's shipmates vows to find Elaine and tell her about Russell's actions in fighting the whalers. His replacement at NBC, Rita Kearson, dislikes the show and cancels it immediately, without waiting for the ratings to come in. George and Jerry blame Elaine for driving Russell to leave.
Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine convalesce at Monk's, where Elaine spots the men from the Equal Employment Opportunity office eating. She scolds the owner of the cafe for only hiring large breasted women; the owner explains that they are all his daughters.
External links
"The Pilot" on IMDb
"The Pilot" Full Script - Part One
"The Pilot" Full Script - Part Two
"The Pilot" at TV.com- Part One
"The Pilot" at TV.com- Part Two