Episode 22: The Opposite

Episode #86; 5:22


Our Summary

George and Elaine switch places in life, with George getting a job with the NY Yankees, a new apartment, and a gal, all by doing the opposite of what he would normally do, and Elaine losing her job b/c of a failed merger to save Pendant Publishing, which was caused by Mr. Lippman not having his hanky on him. This was Elaine's fault, as she was eating the jujyfruit, so she couldn't tell him that he left the hanky there. Jujyfruit also caused Elaine to lose Jake Jarmel for the second time and she is kicked out of her apartment because the board has a list of demands. Jerry is Even Steven when it comes to everything and Kramer visits Regis and Kathy Lee, which was a disaster, to promote his coffee table book on coffee tables.



Our Commentary

Nice OCB and nice CCB enclose this beauty of an ep. Perhaps one of the most important episodes of all time, this beauty of a beaut has some hilarious premises held within its doors. Beautiful stuff with George in the beginning, with his downtroddenness, the opposite, good for the tuna, and my name is George, I'm unemployed and I live with my parents, I'm Victoria, hiiiiii. Great stuff with Georgey boy later on in the movie theater screaming at the two hooligans, and later during the date, and especially at his interview in his own future office. Then we get hilarious with LD's first Steinbrenner and George's whiplash at him. Great stuff with Even Steven, and hilarious stuff with Kramer at Regis and Kathy Lee with his bonkos. Beautiful Jake Jarmel and Elaine's jujyfruit. Beautiful Tina with her Boozer. Beautiful Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle ... Costanza! Basically, just a beautiful ep. Adam - What an episode. What an episode. Enough said.

Overall, this season was nice, can I buy you? We had some great and memorable eps in this beauty of a beat of a season. We had some memorable characters in their first ever eps, such as Poppie, as well as some great and classic scenes such as those found within 5:14 The Marine Biologist, 5:20 The Fire with Tobey Maguire, hey that rhymes, 5:12 The Stall, 5:8 The Barber, and 5:5 The Bris. Just hilarious stuff, that's all. Anyway, we had some laughs. We had some tears. OK, maybe not tears, but we had some laughs. Overall, the season was definitely hilarious. What more can I say?

This season was one of the greats, better than the last 4. 13 episodes made the Top 50 during the 2nd Siyum, then in the 3rd Siyum, one episode was erased, but one was added, thereby making the number static at 14 out of 22 episodes, compared to 0 out of 5 episodes in Season 1, 1 out of 12 in Season 2, 8 out of 23 episodes in Season 3, and 8 out of 24 episodes in Season 4, made the Top 50. This is a testament to its greatness. LD, LC, JS, JA, JLD, MR, WK, PB, KP, SM, BB, PC, and HS all did excellent jobs writing and acting in these hilarious episodes of Seinfeld. Also, we say farewell to TC for his directing skills. He got so much better over the years, but when you have AA waiting in the wings, you've got to say farewell. Props all around to all who injected a bit of joy and comedy into the bloodstream of Season 5. That said, let us enter Season 6 together in joy and harmony, b/c although Season 5 did have 13 out of 22 episodes making the Top 50, Season 6 has 9 out of 21, that's less than half the season for those who can't count. Oh, whoops. Well I guess it's not as good as Season 5, but who knows, maybe we'll see some 3rd Siyum Additions. In any event, see you there friend of friends.

Adam - This season was one of the greats. Fourth to only the 7th, 8th and 9th season, not in order. Yeh had George moving in with his parents, and in the end moving out. A double Jake Jarmel, which in my book, means great season. So many things happened in this season, for it not to be a good season, you had pretty boy Tony, umm, the tryouts are four hours, pops, sea was angry that day my friends, and of course my name is George, I'm unemployed and I live with my parents. Need I say more? Need I say more? 12 out of 22, compared to 0 out of 5 episodes in Season 1, 0 out of 12 in Season 2, 6 out of 23 in Season3, and 5 out of 24 episodes in Season 4 made the Top 50.


EPISODE GUIDE from Jerry Seinfeld: The Entire Domain by Kathleen Tracy

86."The Opposite" (May 19, 1994)

SUMMARY George tries to do the opposite of his natural inclinations, and suddenly his luck turns around: he gets a girlfriend and a job with the Yankees and moves out of his parents' house. Elaine's luck turns bad after she buys a box of Jujyfruits. Kramer appears on Live With Regis & Kathie Lee to promote his coffee-table book. Jerry's luck has been even-Steven.

OF SPECIAL NOTE Larry David supplies the voice of George Steinbrenner. This was also director Tom Cherone's last episode.

TRIVIA When Larry David is not sitting in the chair posing as Steinbrenner, the part is played by Lee Bear.

DIRECTOR Tom Cherones

TELEPLAY Andy Cowan, Larry David, and Jerry Seinfeld

GUEST CAST Jeff Barton (Poker Player #3); Marvin Braverman (Poker Player #1); Siobhan Fallon (Tina); Michael Friedman (Punk #2); Kathie Lee Gifford (Herself); Paul Gleason (Cushman); Oscar Jordan (Counterper-son); Hiram Kasten (Michael); Fritz Mashimo (Interpreter); Rolando Molina (Punk #1); Dedee Pfeiffer (Victoria); Regis Philbin (Himself); Marty Rackham (Jake Jarmel); Susan Segal (Waitress); Melanie Smith (Rachel); French Stewart (Manager); Ken Takemoto (Chairman); Wesley Thompson (Poker Player #2); Jeffrey Von Meyer (Poker Player #4)

RECURRING CAST Larry David (Voice of George Steinbrenner); Richard Fancy (Lippman); Estelle Harris (Estelle Costanza); Jerry Stiller (Frank Costanza)


Stats


2nd Siyum

Dates/Boyfriends/Girlfriends
JERRY
Rachel Goldstein - 5:18 The Raincoats Part 1, 5:19 The Raincoats Part 2, 5:21 The Hamptons, & 5:22 The Opposite
Girls Who Broke Up With Jerry
Rachel Goldstein - Doesn’t think it’s working

GEORGE
Victoria

ELAINE
Jake Jarmel (2nd Time)

SNL Cast Members
Siobhan Fallon - 2:9 The Deal, 3:2 The Truth, and 5:22 The Opposite

Celebrities (*Real)
*Regis Philbin
*Kathy Lee Gifford
Don Mattingly

Curb Your Enthusiasm Actors
Melanie Smith as Rachel Goldstein in 5:18 The Raincoats Part 1, 5:19 The Raincoats Part 2, 5:21 The Hamptons, & 5:22 The Opposite is the incest survivor in CYE

Errors
George says he travels with the team on all the road trips yet we never see him leave NYC

First Times
Pondering on the boardwalk
Yankee Stadium
Steinbrenner


3rd Siyum

Things We Have No Clue About
Helen “Girlie” Brown


Tours

86th Street

Full Script