“The Good Samaritan” is the 19th episode of Season Three, and the 37th overall. It first aired on March 4, 1992.
It was written by Peter Mehlman and was directed by Jason Alexander.
Plot
While driving and talking on his car phone to Elaine, Jerry sees another driver hitting a parked car and driving off. At Elaine's insistence, he follows the car to confront the driver, only to realize that she is an attractive woman, whom he ends up asking out. He debates whether or not to keep seeing her, but he eventually dates the victim of the hit-and-run. Kramer begins having seizures whenever he hears Mary Hart's voice.
Meanwhile, Elaine Benes and George Costanza go on a "double date" with a couple who Elaine is envious of. She pretends to have dated a matador in the past in order to look impressive. In addition, George says "God bless you" when someone sneezes, which greatly irritates the male of the couple, who believes that George did so in a smug way to prove that he was "special".
Critical Analysis
A blog dedicated to the legality of the issues that arise in Seinfeld episodes, Seinfeld Law, analyzed whether Kramer could sue Entertainment Tonight for causing him to have a seizure.
The blog also analyzed whether George was guilty of the crime of adultery for having an affair with Robin.
Notes About Nothing
- This is the first and only Seinfeld episode directed by Jason Alexander, or any Seinfeld cast member for that matter.
- Kramer having a seizure when he hears Entertainment Tonight co-host Mary Hart's voice is based on reality. In 1991 an American woman named Dianne Neale suffered from the condition. Her doctors said that the voice triggered abnormal electrical charges in her brain, which caused epileptic attacks.
- In “The Finale”, the four break the Good Samaritan Law, but this episode is completely unrelated.
Quotes
- "I am speechless. Speechless! I have no speech!"—George
- "I am speechless! I am without speech!"—Elaine
- "You'll pay? I'm there."—George
- "God Bless you ... I wasn't gonna say anything but then I could see that he wasn't gonna open his mouth."—George
- "Oh, my God, an affair. It's so adult. It's like with stockings and martinis and William Holden."—George
- "[Robin] said she was going to be with you. Is she with your bald friend from the other night? He's finished! I'm going to sew his ass to his face! I'm going to twist his neck so hard his lips will be his eyebrows! I'm going to break his joints and reattach them!"—Michael
- "Now you listen to me, suck face. You tell anybody anything and I will carve my initials in your brain tissue! ... I'll bash your skull into a vegematic like a bad cabbage, and I'll have a party on your head! ... I'll pluck all your body hairs out with my teeth!"—Angela
- (Jerry sneezes) "Ah, shut up."—George