Episode no. Season 4Episode 23/24 Original air date May 20, 1993 | Production code 423/424 Running time 42 minutes | |
"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.
Contents
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.
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, even going as far as dating Jerry (and breaking up with him in Part 2) and being called Elaine. The real Elaine has a problem with Monk's coffee shop, as they appear 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 well. The pilot airs and numerous characters from past episodes comment on its accuracy ranging from:
Also, Newman is shown to have fallen asleep watching baseball.
In order to prove himself worthy of Elaine, Russell joins Greenpeace and is lost at sea during a botched assault on a whaling ship. His replacement at NBC named Rita Kearson, who disagreed with Russell on certain issues, dislikes the show and cancels it only two minutes after the episode finished and not knowing, let alone caring, about the ratings or reception. George and Jerry blame Elaine for driving Russell crazy in love and not returning his feelings; she tries to defend herself by saying it's not her fault, but George says it is because she's "very charming." Elaine then demands to know where Russell is, but according to Jerry, nobody knows.
In the end, Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine convalesce at Monk's, where it turns out many people have arrived due to the waitresses. Elaine spots the men from the Equal Employment Opportunity office eating there and scolds the owner of the cafe for only hiring large breasted women; the owner explains that they are all his daughters, and everything goes back to normal, with George muttering about getting a job the next day; Kramer recommends he join Greenpeace, to which George declines due to the risks.
The last scene is Russell still lost at sea in a Greenpeace boat with his shipmates (played by Larry Charles and Larry David). 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 one day meet Elaine and tell her about Russell's actions in fighting the whalers.