Episode no. Season 5
Episode 15 Production code 515 | Directed by Tom Cherones Original air date February 17, 1994 | |
Written by Tom Gammill & Max Pross | ||
"The Pie" is the 79th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 15th episode for the fifth season. It aired on February 17, 1994.
Contents
Plot
Jerry is miffed after his girlfriend Audrey (Suzanne Snyder) refuses to take a bite of his pie (by shaking her head and not giving Jerry a reason why; even though she had already told him she had eaten "just enough"). Kramer has seen in an upmarket clothing store a mannequin that looks just like Elaine. He has also developed a terrible itch in his back and uses Jerry's spatula to scratch. Elaine and George visit the store; Elaine wants to find out who made the mannequin, but George is more interested in an expensive suit that will soon be on sale at half price.
Jerry is still obsessed with the pie incident. Kramer finds relief at the hands of Olive (Sunday Theodore), his new girlfriend from Monk's with long fingernails. George, who is "guarding" the suit, soon becomes embroiled in a battle of wits with another customer who is also interested in the garment. George attempts to hide the suit so the other customer will not find it on the sale day. He is also distracted by the sight of the "Elaine" mannequin naked.
Jerry and Audrey go to eat at Poppie's, her father's restaurant. Jerry excuses himself to the restroom where he is shocked that Poppie doesn't wash his hands after coming out of the stall. This causes Jerry to reject a slice of pizza in the same way that Audrey rejected the pie.
Elaine and Jerry visit the clothing store and find the "Elaine" mannequin posed in a spanking tableau with another mannequin. Elaine is so furious that she steals the mannequin.
Jerry goes to Poppie's restaurant to talk to Audrey. A health inspector comes and shuts down Poppie's restaurant. On the day of the sale George outwits his rival and buys the suit, but his rival swears revenge.
Before going to the job interview, George becomes concerned that he might be rejected because the suit makes a "swooshing" noise when he moves. ("Let's say it comes down to me and one other guy. He's got a nice quiet suit, and I'm whooshing all over the place! Who do you think he's gonna hire?")
George's prospective employer takes him to dinner. He does not reject George because the suit is noisy, but insists that George eats dessert with him. However, George sees that the chef is his rival for the suit. Fearing that the chef will have tampered with the food, George rejects it in the same way that Audrey rejected the pie, and Jerry the pizza. George does not get the job, but he avoids becoming violently ill like the others.
Kramer's itch has healed and he plans to break up with Olive. He tells her that the mannequin (now in Jerry's car) is his new girlfriend. Kramer goes out to the car and pretends to make out with the mannequin, which falls apart in his hands.
Apparently, the "Elaine" mannequin is a big success and has appeared in other stores in New York. It turns out that it is made by the geek she met on the subway in "The Cigar Store Indian." Jerry never realizes why Audrey refused to eat the apple pie.
Production
Though the cast reading took place on January 13, 1994, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' birthday, the filming of this episode did not take place until February due to the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Though the show's production staff considered moving from CBS Studio Center to Paramount Studios, CBS's stage crew spent three weeks renovating the stage before it was put back into use as CBS considered Seinfeld one of its best tenants. As an additional incentive to come back, CBS planned on renovating its New York Street backlot, which did not see its appearance until season six.
The incident with the pie was based on a real-life incident as told to the writers by Seinfeld himself.