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Not to be confused with The Twilight Zone episode of the same name.

"The Pool Guy" is the 118th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode of the seventh season. It aired on November 16, 1995. The end credit states "In Memory of our Friend Rick Bolden". Rick Bolden was one of the musicians who worked on the show's theme song.

Plot

Elaine befriends Susan. Jerry meets his pool guy Ramon outside a movie, and then he can't get rid of him ever since he got fired from the health club Physique for putting too much chlorine in the pool. George is worried by Elaine wanting to get to know Susan ("The two worlds collide!").

Kramer's new phone number (555-FILK) is similar to a film information line (555-FILM). When Kramer keeps receiving wrong numbers, he begins giving out the information for movie show times posing as Mr. Moviefone, giving out information from the newspaper. He even attempts to emulate the Moviefone system by asking customers to dial the numbers corresponding to each movie, even though he is unable to decipher touch tones.

When Jerry turns down Ramon's offer of friendship, the latter gets upset thinking it is because he cleans pools. After Ramon gets his job back, he decides to get even with Jerry as Newman is also shown to be at Physique.

George then goes to meet Jerry at the coffeeshop but when Jerry arrives, he sits down with Susan, Kramer, & Elaine at a separate table. When George arrives, it proves the "worlds are colliding" phrase; he is then seen sitting alone at Reggie's.

During one instance when Jerry is in the pool while Ramon is cleaning the swimming pool, he keeps interrupting Jerry's swim exercise by using the squeegee pole; frustrated, Jerry grabs on to the pole and causes Ramon to fall in. Newman is then shown in an old-fashioned male swimsuit running to the swimming pool quoting "Olly Olly Oxen-Free!" as Jerry in slow motion tries to tell Newman to stop, but it's too late as Newman jumps into the pool. Minutes later, it is shown that Newman has knocked out Ramon who is now lying outside the swimming pool as both Jerry and Newman argue over who would resuscitate him.

Later that night, Susan, Elaine and Jerry go to a movie. Jerry mentioned to Elaine and Susan what happened at Physique where he states that some people came in and were able to resuscitate Ramon. When Elaine comments to Jerry that he wouldn't dare show his face at Physique, Jerry commented that his membership there was revoked, alongside Newman's membership as well. Later, George arrives to look for them, using Kramer's Moviefone information. However, he hung up the phone before Kramer tells him that the movie is playing at two theaters, so he shows up at the wrong theater and starts yelling for them. George is pulled out by security while shouting about "worlds are colliding" and is witnessed by Jerry, Elaine, and Susan; Susan breaks off her friendship with Elaine and Jerry since she can't understand why they talk so much.

During the credits, Kramer is confronted by the real Mr. Moviefone who stands outside his door. Mr. Moviefone gives Kramer the option to discuss this the easy way by opening the door or discuss this the hard way by giving the number of seconds before he breaks down the door.

Production

Playwright/performing artist Danny Hoch was originally cast as the Pool Guy in this episode. According to Hoch he objected to what he felt was ethnic stereotyping in the way his character was written: a stereotype of a "crazy Hispanic named Ramon." After Hoch unsuccessfully tried to have the character changed, he said that Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus were supportive of his feelings (while not voicing any similar issues with the episode), while Michael Richards told him he would be fired if he didn't play the role as written (Hoch responded angrily that he didn't care if he lost the part). Hoch then returned to his hotel room, and shortly afterwards received a phone call telling him he was being replaced and he should fly home at his convenience, with Hoch later noting he did not get paid for his work on the show. He told this story on a 2005 television documentary Race Is the Place and in his one-man show Jails, Hospitals & Hip Hop.

Reception

The episode won for Best Episodic Comedy at the Writers Guild of America Awards 1996.^[1]

References

External links

• 
  "The Pool Guy" Full Script


• 
  "The Pool Guy" on IMDb
  


• 
  "The Pool Guy" at TV.com