"The Yada Yada" is the 147th episode of Seinfeld and originally aired April 24, 1997. It is directed by Andy Ackerman and written by Peter Mehlman & Jill Franklyn.
Plot
Jerry's dentist, Dr. Tim Whatley, has just finished the process of converting to Judaism, but is already making Jewish-themed jokes that make Jerry uncomfortable. Jerry goes so far as to say that he believes that Whatley only became Jewish "for the jokes".
Kramer and Mickey Abbott double date, but cannot decide which woman is right for which one of them.
Elaine is a character reference for Beth (Debra Messing) and Arnie, a couple who are trying to adopt, but the story she tells during an interview destroys all hope of adoption: she mentions a time when she and the couple went to a movie, and the husband lost his temper because Elaine was talking during the movie. George drops by Jerry's dental appointment; Mickey and Kramer continue to fight over who gets Karen or Julie.
George and Marcy (Suzanne Cryer) are at Monk's. George tells Marcy about having been engaged to Susan Ross, but says "yada yada yada" to avoid having to mention her death. Immediately after he tells her this, she tells him that her ex-boyfriend had visited her the night before and "yada yada yada, I'm really tired today." George later consults Jerry and Elaine, suspecting that Marcy used "yada yada" to cover up sex with her ex-boyfriend, and Elaine believes that this is possible. Later, George asks Marcy to tell him some of the things she was covering up with "yada yada," and discovers that she is a habitual shoplifter. She then asks him about how his engagement ended.
Jerry confesses to a priest about what he thinks of Tim's conversion, saying that he is offended (not as a Jew, but as a comedian), only to get sidetracked when the priest laughs at a Catholic joke of Tim's that he repeats. However, the priest is less amused by a dentist joke that Jerry makes at the end of their conversation. George drops by Jerry's confession and tells him that they need to talk. Kramer decides on the right woman, and Mickey also decides to make his commitment. Tim hears about the dentist joke that Jerry told the priest. He takes extreme exception to it and, as a result, deliberately prolongs an uncomfortable procedure. After hearing Jerry's complaints about Tim, Kramer calls Jerry an "anti-dentite."
Elaine lobbies on behalf of Beth and Arnie, and propositions the adoption official as an inducement. Beth's marriage nonetheless fails and she accompanies Jerry to Mickey's wedding to Karen. Elaine, now dating the adoption agent, is dismayed. George shows up without Marcy, who was just arrested and imprisoned for shoplifting: when Jerry asks George where she is, he replies, "She was getting shoes for the wedding. Yada yada yada, I'll see her in six to eight months." Julie runs out before the wedding begins, apparently in love with Mickey and unable to bear seeing him marry Karen. Mickey's father (Robert Wagner), a dentist, stands up for Tim Whatley and chastises Jerry for antagonizing him: "Tim Whatley was one of my students, and if this wasn't my son's wedding day, I'd knock your teeth out, you anti-dentite bastard." Jerry is initially comforted by Beth who is at first shown to harbor the same feelings towards dentists as Jerry, until she also reveals herself to be both racist and anti-Semitic, at which point Jerry dumps her and tells Elaine that she left "to get her head shaved." As Karen and Mickey walk out at the end of the ceremony, Karen says to Kramer, much to his surprise, "I really wanted you."
Critical Analysis
A blog dedicated to the legality of the issues that arise in Seinfeld episodes, Seinfeld Law, analyzed whether Jerry's anti-dentite jokes could be classified as hate speech.
Quotes
Elaine: I met this lawyer. We went out to dinner. I had the lobster bisque. We went back to my place. Yada, yada, yada, I never heard from him again.
Jerry: But you yada yada-ed over the best part.
Elaine: No, I mentioned the bisque.
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Jerry: Kramer, he's just a dentist.
Kramer: Yeah, and you're an anti-dentite.
Jerry: I am not an anti-dentite.
Kramer: You're a rabid anti-dentite. Oh, it starts with a few jokes and some slurs, "Hey, denty." Next thing you know, you're saying they should have their own schools.
Jerry: They do have their own schools.