The Hot Tub

“The Hot Tub” is the fifth episode of the seventh season of Seinfeld. This episode first aired on October 19, 1995. It was written by Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin and was directed by Andy Ackerman.

Plot[]

Elaine has a Trinidad & Tobago or Trinbagonian runner named Jean-Paul as her house guest. He is in town for the New York City Marathon, but Elaine is more concerned by her case of writer's block while writing a story for the J. Peterman Catalog's new Himalayan walking shoes. Jean-Paul overslept and missed the big race at the last Olympic Games, and Jerry obsesses with ensuring that it doesn't happen again. Jerry loses faith in Elaine's ability to get Jean-Paul to the race in time after learning she is using a faulty alarm clock that caused Jerry to miss a flight and burns a muffin by setting the microwave to two minutes rather than twenty seconds. Elaine also confides in Jerry that her neighbor Judy, who has a new baby, was abandoned by the father.

With little to do at work, George pretends to be busy by looking frustrated, causing his supervisor Mr. Wilhelm to fear he is stressed out from his work. He sends George to meet with some visiting Houston Astros representatives, and George picks up their habit of amiable swearing, specifically "bastard" and "son of a bitch." Jean-Paul hears George swearing. Thinking that's how all Americans talk, he calls Judy's baby a "cute little bastard" and addresses the superintendent as a "son of a bitch". He is thrown out of the building, and stays with Jerry Seinfeld, who gets him a hotel room. Judy thinks Elaine must have told Jean-Paul about her baby's circumstances and breaks off their friendship. Elaine spends the night looking for Jean-Paul, unaware he was thrown out. Her search for him in a dark, desolate neighborhood inspires her story for the Himalayan walking shoes.

In the hotel, Jerry fears that he has offended the wake-up call guy, and brings Jean-Paul to his apartment. Kramer installs a hot tub in his apartment, but its heater breaks while Kramer is asleep in it, leaving him to spend the night in freezing cold water. As a result, his core temperature drops and he is constantly cold. To fix it, Kramer gets an industrial strength heater, which shorts out the electricity in the building, shutting off the alarm clocks and causing Jean-Paul and Jerry to oversleep. Jerry still gets Jean-Paul to the race in time. As he nears the finish line, Jean-Paul grabs a cup of hot tea from Kramer (who is still attempting to raise his core temperature), mistaking it for water, and scalds himself.

Mr. Wilhelm overhears George on the phone with his Texan buddies, calling them "sons of bitches" and "bastards", unaware they are being friendly. Afraid George has cracked under the pressure, Wilhelm sends George to Mr. Steinbrenner, who says to relax George must use a hot tub. George is forced to sit in a hot tub with Steinbrenner as he rambles on.

Notes about nothing[]

Jerry suggests that the coffee which burned Kramer in "The Postponement" was 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which Kramer disputes. Though the temperature of Kramer's coffee is never established, in the Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants case upon which the plot thread was based, the coffee was 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit.

Quotes[]

Elaine: "Ohhh, I'm exhausted. I've been on this street a thousand times. It's never looked so strange. The faces... so cold. In the distance, a child is crying. Fatherless... a bastard child, perhaps. My back aches... my heart aches... but my feet... my feet are resilient! Thank God I took off my heels, and put on my... Himalayan walking shoes!"

Season Seven Episodes