The Barber (Seinfeld episode)
Encyclopedia
"The Barber" is the seventy-second episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld
. It is the eighth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on November 11, 1993.
at a job interview. His future employer, Mr. Tuttle, is cut off mid-sentence by an important telephone call, and sends George away without knowing whether he has been hired or not. Mr. Tuttle told George that he can "understand everything immediately", so this leaves a puzzling situation. In Jerry's words: "If you call and ask if you have the job, you might lose the job." But if George doesn't call, he might have been hired and he will never know. George decides that the best course of action is to not call at all and to just "show up", pretending that he has been hired and start "work", all while Mr. Tuttle is out of town. The thought behind this was that if George has the job, then everything will be fine; and if George was not hired, then he will be "ensconced" in the company and hopefully not be fired.
Elaine
asks Jerry
to get a haircut in order to look nice for an upcoming bachelor auction. Kramer
says that Jerry's normal barber, Enzo (played by Antony Ponzini) is not working that day and recommends that Jerry see Enzo's nephew, Gino (David Ciminello). Kramer tells Jerry that he will get a better haircut from Gino. To Jerry's surprise, Enzo is willing to interrupt his day off to give his most loyal customer a haircut, which turns out to be terrible. Kramer arranges a clandestine haircut in Gino's apartment to fix the problem. Enzo again turns up unexpectedly, forcing Jerry to hide in the closet, but the damage is done: Enzo finds a familiar-looking hair on the floor. Incensed, he bribes Newman
to get a sample of Jerry's hair in order to compare the two. After finding out that they match, Enzo swears revenge on Jerry, which ultimately culminates in a fight with Gino in Jerry's apartment.
When Gino and Enzo are fighting in Jerry's apartment, they catch Edward Scissorhands
on the television and stop to watch it, though all that's seen is the back of the TV with the sound of scissors clipping fast and Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville
playing in the background.
Meanwhile, George, who has absolutely no idea of what his duties are at his new place of work, is handed the "Pensky file" and ordered to work on it. George manages to do nothing for a week. When Mr. Pensky comes to inquire about the progress of his file, he begins to make George an offer for a job at his company, but is again interrupted mid-sentence, leaving George to once again draw his own conclusions. When Mr. Tuttle arrives from a week's vacation, he reprimands but does not fire George. Instead, George quits, thinking Mr. Pensky has a space for him, much to the disbelief of Mr. Tuttle. When he visits Mr. Pensky, it turns out that the entire board of the company has been indicted and the company can't hire anyone.
In Jerry's apartment, Gino and Enzo sob as they continue to watch Edward Scissorhands, and Enzo forgets his revenge on Jerry. Because Gino never fixed Jerry's hair, Kramer is sent to the bachelor auction in his place. In the end, Jerry finds Newman in the barber shop and grabs an electric shaver. After the Castle Rock Entertainment
logo appears, there is a short scene in which Kramer asks Newman via telephone, "So when you gonna be able to go out?" The screen then shows a bald Newman replying, "Not for a while." This scene is not shown in syndication.
.
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
. It is the eighth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on November 11, 1993.
Plot
The episode begins with GeorgeGeorge Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
at a job interview. His future employer, Mr. Tuttle, is cut off mid-sentence by an important telephone call, and sends George away without knowing whether he has been hired or not. Mr. Tuttle told George that he can "understand everything immediately", so this leaves a puzzling situation. In Jerry's words: "If you call and ask if you have the job, you might lose the job." But if George doesn't call, he might have been hired and he will never know. George decides that the best course of action is to not call at all and to just "show up", pretending that he has been hired and start "work", all while Mr. Tuttle is out of town. The thought behind this was that if George has the job, then everything will be fine; and if George was not hired, then he will be "ensconced" in the company and hopefully not be fired.
Elaine
Elaine Benes
Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer...
asks Jerry
Jerry Seinfeld (character)
Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist of the American television sitcom Seinfeld . The straight man among his group of friends, this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself.The series revolves around...
to get a haircut in order to look nice for an upcoming bachelor auction. Kramer
Cosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards...
says that Jerry's normal barber, Enzo (played by Antony Ponzini) is not working that day and recommends that Jerry see Enzo's nephew, Gino (David Ciminello). Kramer tells Jerry that he will get a better haircut from Gino. To Jerry's surprise, Enzo is willing to interrupt his day off to give his most loyal customer a haircut, which turns out to be terrible. Kramer arranges a clandestine haircut in Gino's apartment to fix the problem. Enzo again turns up unexpectedly, forcing Jerry to hide in the closet, but the damage is done: Enzo finds a familiar-looking hair on the floor. Incensed, he bribes Newman
Newman (Seinfeld)
Newman is a recurring character on the television show Seinfeld, played by Wayne Knight from 1991 until the show's finale in 1998.-Background:...
to get a sample of Jerry's hair in order to compare the two. After finding out that they match, Enzo swears revenge on Jerry, which ultimately culminates in a fight with Gino in Jerry's apartment.
When Gino and Enzo are fighting in Jerry's apartment, they catch Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film shows the story of an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation, who has scissors for hands. Edward is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter...
on the television and stop to watch it, though all that's seen is the back of the TV with the sound of scissors clipping fast and Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
playing in the background.
Meanwhile, George, who has absolutely no idea of what his duties are at his new place of work, is handed the "Pensky file" and ordered to work on it. George manages to do nothing for a week. When Mr. Pensky comes to inquire about the progress of his file, he begins to make George an offer for a job at his company, but is again interrupted mid-sentence, leaving George to once again draw his own conclusions. When Mr. Tuttle arrives from a week's vacation, he reprimands but does not fire George. Instead, George quits, thinking Mr. Pensky has a space for him, much to the disbelief of Mr. Tuttle. When he visits Mr. Pensky, it turns out that the entire board of the company has been indicted and the company can't hire anyone.
In Jerry's apartment, Gino and Enzo sob as they continue to watch Edward Scissorhands, and Enzo forgets his revenge on Jerry. Because Gino never fixed Jerry's hair, Kramer is sent to the bachelor auction in his place. In the end, Jerry finds Newman in the barber shop and grabs an electric shaver. After the Castle Rock Entertainment
Castle Rock Entertainment
Castle Rock Entertainment is a film and television production company founded in 1987 by Martin Shafer, director Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, Glenn Padnick and Alan Horn. It is a subsidiary of Warner Bros...
logo appears, there is a short scene in which Kramer asks Newman via telephone, "So when you gonna be able to go out?" The screen then shows a bald Newman replying, "Not for a while." This scene is not shown in syndication.
Music
Throughout this episode, the familiar Seinfeld slap-bass incidental music is replaced with selections from Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of SevilleThe Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
.