The Frogger
Encyclopedia
"The Frogger" is the 174th episode of the NBC
sitcom Seinfeld
. This was the 18th episode for the 9th and final season. It first aired on April 23, 1998.
is confronted with cake from two separate celebrations at her workplace. She is tired of the forced socializing, so she calls in sick the following day. Jerry
and George
go to their old high school hangout, Mario's Pizza Parlor, which will soon be closing down, for one last slice of pizza. Kramer
was at the police station where he obtained some caution tape used for crime scenes and also hears about a serial killer
, who is nicknamed "The Lopper", that is on the loose in the Riverside Park
area.
At the pizza parlor, George discovers he still has the high score on the old Frogger
video game, with a score of 860,630 points. Elaine's co-workers give her a cake to celebrate her return to work from being sick, and she refuses to take part in any future celebrations. Jerry goes out on a date with Elaine's friend Lisi, but he says she is a sentence finisher and, "it's like dating Mad Libs
". After lamenting that his shrine will be gone, George decides to buy the Frogger machine to preserve his fame, but Jerry asks him how he is going to move it and keep it plugged in to preserve the high score. Kramer discovers the last victim of the Lopper looked a lot like Jerry.
George works to find a solution to his Frogger problem, and Kramer volunteers the help of a man he knows named "Slippery Pete" (played by Peter Stormare
). Elaine misses the 4 o'clock sugar rush that she had gotten used to from all the celebrations, so she decides to raid her boss Peterman's refrigerator, where she finds a piece of cake. She finds out from Peterman that the piece of cake he has in his refrigerator is worth $29,000 because of its historical significance. The cake comes from the 1937 wedding of King Edward VIII.
Jerry is looking to breakup with Lisi (Julia Campbell
), but discovers that she lives in the Riverside Park area. To avoid the Lopper, he takes Lisi back to his place, where she finishes one of his thoughts that takes their relationship to the next level. Elaine tells Jerry and George about the cake and she also tells Jerry that Lisi is planning a weekend trip for them to Pennsylvania Dutch
country. Jerry fears that Lisi received the wrong message as that kind of a trip is for a serious relationship. Elaine tries to even out Peterman's slice of cake, but gets swept up in the moment and finishes it off. George tries to coordinate the movement of the Frogger machine. Elaine looks for a replacement for Peterman's cake, and Kramer suggests an Entenmann's
cake. Jerry goes to Lisi's apartment, where he tries to break up with her. It goes on for ten hours, when he is ready to leave he discovers it is dark.
After exiting her apartment, Jerry sees a man whom he fears is the Lopper and pleads to be let back in to Lisi's apartment (it's actually just "Slippery Pete"). Peterman has his piece of cake appraised at $2.19. George finds "Slippery Pete" playing his Frogger game on battery power, so there is only about three minutes of power remaining. The only available power source is across the busy street, and Kramer has run out of caution tape. George, convinced he does not need any help, begins moving the machine across the busy street, moving through traffic like the frog from the video game. However, as George reaches the opposite sidewalk he is unable to lift the game onto the curb; an oncoming Freightliner
smashes the game cabinet, causing Jerry to quip, "Game over
".
Later, Peterman shows Elaine surveillance videotape of her eating and "dancing" with the slice of cake; he is convinced that the age of the cake and its effect on her digestive system are all the punishment she needs. This episode was originally going to be titled "The Cake Parties."
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom Seinfeld
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...
. This was the 18th episode for the 9th and final season. It first aired on April 23, 1998.
Plot
ElaineElaine 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...
is confronted with cake from two separate celebrations at her workplace. She is tired of the forced socializing, so she calls in sick the following day. 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...
and George
George 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"...
go to their old high school hangout, Mario's Pizza Parlor, which will soon be closing down, for one last slice of pizza. 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...
was at the police station where he obtained some caution tape used for crime scenes and also hears about a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, who is nicknamed "The Lopper", that is on the loose in the Riverside Park
Riverside Park (Manhattan)
Riverside Park is a scenic waterfront public park on the Upper West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The park consists of a narrow four-mile strip of land between the Hudson River and the gently...
area.
At the pizza parlor, George discovers he still has the high score on the old Frogger
Frogger
Frogger is an arcade game introduced in 1981. It was developed by Konami, and licensed for worldwide distribution by Sega/Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct frogs to their homes one by one. To do this, each frog must avoid cars while crossing a busy road and navigate a river full of...
video game, with a score of 860,630 points. Elaine's co-workers give her a cake to celebrate her return to work from being sick, and she refuses to take part in any future celebrations. Jerry goes out on a date with Elaine's friend Lisi, but he says she is a sentence finisher and, "it's like dating Mad Libs
Mad Libs
Mad Libs is a phrasal template word game where one player prompts another for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story, usually with funny results...
". After lamenting that his shrine will be gone, George decides to buy the Frogger machine to preserve his fame, but Jerry asks him how he is going to move it and keep it plugged in to preserve the high score. Kramer discovers the last victim of the Lopper looked a lot like Jerry.
George works to find a solution to his Frogger problem, and Kramer volunteers the help of a man he knows named "Slippery Pete" (played by Peter Stormare
Peter Stormare
is a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
). Elaine misses the 4 o'clock sugar rush that she had gotten used to from all the celebrations, so she decides to raid her boss Peterman's refrigerator, where she finds a piece of cake. She finds out from Peterman that the piece of cake he has in his refrigerator is worth $29,000 because of its historical significance. The cake comes from the 1937 wedding of King Edward VIII.
Jerry is looking to breakup with Lisi (Julia Campbell
Julia Campbell
Julia Campbell , is an American actress, who is best known for her role as the "mean girl," Christie Masters-Christianson in the feature film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.-Career:...
), but discovers that she lives in the Riverside Park area. To avoid the Lopper, he takes Lisi back to his place, where she finishes one of his thoughts that takes their relationship to the next level. Elaine tells Jerry and George about the cake and she also tells Jerry that Lisi is planning a weekend trip for them to Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
country. Jerry fears that Lisi received the wrong message as that kind of a trip is for a serious relationship. Elaine tries to even out Peterman's slice of cake, but gets swept up in the moment and finishes it off. George tries to coordinate the movement of the Frogger machine. Elaine looks for a replacement for Peterman's cake, and Kramer suggests an Entenmann's
Entenmann's
Entenmann's is a company that manufactures and delivers sweet baked goods. The company offers dessert cakes, donuts, ultimates, cookies, loaf breads, pies, club packs, singles, cereal bars, little bites, Enten-mini’s products, as well as Danish, crumb cakes, and buns...
cake. Jerry goes to Lisi's apartment, where he tries to break up with her. It goes on for ten hours, when he is ready to leave he discovers it is dark.
After exiting her apartment, Jerry sees a man whom he fears is the Lopper and pleads to be let back in to Lisi's apartment (it's actually just "Slippery Pete"). Peterman has his piece of cake appraised at $2.19. George finds "Slippery Pete" playing his Frogger game on battery power, so there is only about three minutes of power remaining. The only available power source is across the busy street, and Kramer has run out of caution tape. George, convinced he does not need any help, begins moving the machine across the busy street, moving through traffic like the frog from the video game. However, as George reaches the opposite sidewalk he is unable to lift the game onto the curb; an oncoming Freightliner
Freightliner
Freightliner can refer to* Freightliner Trucks, a heavy vehicle manufacturer in the United States* Freightliner Group Limited, a European rail-freight operator* Freight liner , describing a cargo ship operating to a repeating schedule...
smashes the game cabinet, causing Jerry to quip, "Game over
Game over
Game Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits after successful completion of a game...
".
Later, Peterman shows Elaine surveillance videotape of her eating and "dancing" with the slice of cake; he is convinced that the age of the cake and its effect on her digestive system are all the punishment she needs. This episode was originally going to be titled "The Cake Parties."
Continuity
- There are several continuity goofs regarding FroggerFroggerFrogger is an arcade game introduced in 1981. It was developed by Konami, and licensed for worldwide distribution by Sega/Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct frogs to their homes one by one. To do this, each frog must avoid cars while crossing a busy road and navigate a river full of...
: George's high score is not present when the Frogger game's screen is first shown. At that time, the high score is 7,200, merely the score of the boy who just finished playing it. Also, Frogger arcade games only record high scores and not initials. - Although George and Jerry need to go to Mario's Pizza for one last slice, and Mario has an apron with Mario's Pizza scrawled across it, the store front is Five Roses Pizza. Additionally, the store front has two large plate glass windows in front, but when George walks through the door they are in a fully enclosed set.
- While the crew was filming the famous overhead shot of George moving the Frogger game across the street, Jerry Seinfeld noticed that the street was painted with white lines, which was supposedly inconsistent with the yellow lines in the Frogger layout. The crew quickly fixed this inaccuracy by covering the white lines with yellow tape.
The Frogger arcade game
- On September 24, 2005, The Twin GalaxiesTwin GalaxiesTwin Galaxies is an American organization that tracks video game world records and conducts a program of electronic-gaming promotions. It operates the Twin Galaxies website and publishes the Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records, with the Arcade Volume released on June...
Intergalactic Scoreboard issued a colorful poster that offered a $1,000 cash prize to the first video game player who could break George Costanza's fictional Frogger high score of 860,630 points as portrayed in "The Frogger". No player was able to break this mark before the December 31, 2005 deadline. On December 22, 2009, Pat Laffaye of ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, USA, scored a Frogger world recordWorld recordA world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
high score of 896,980 points. No other Frogger game has been verified as having beaten the fictional George Costanza Seinfeld score. - The sound effects during George's moving of the machine are actual sounds from Frogger, played in time with his movements. The sound that plays shortly after the machine is smashed by a truck is the "squash" sound when the frog is hit by a vehicle during the game.
Episode Notes
- Jason AlexanderJason AlexanderJay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
performed his own stunt in this episode, actually diving out of the path of an oncoming truck and being showered with the shrapnel of the crushed Frogger machine as the truck ran it over. He later recounted that two large and heavy pieces of paneling from the side of the game landed uncomfortably close to his head during the shooting of this scene. - The greatest amount of deleted scenes involving Kramer attracting a new "long distance" girlfriend which leads to the next episode "The Maid".
- The "get well, get well soon" song has the same tune as Corkey Buchek's "Bing-Bang Song," interpreted by BoratBoratBorat Sagdiyev is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen...
in his film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of KazakhstanBorat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of KazakhstanBorat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, often referred to simply as Borat, is a 2006 mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and distributed by 20th Century Fox...
, directed by Larry CharlesLarry CharlesLarry Charles is an American writer, director, and producer. He is best known as a staff writer for the American sitcom Seinfeld for its first 5 seasons, contributing some of the show's darkest and most absurd storylines...
. - Drake BellDrake BellJared Drake Bell , better known as Drake Bell, is an American actor, comedian, guitarist, singer/songwriter, producer, and occasional television director. After beginning his career as a child star in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared on The Amanda Show and became well-known among young...
and Jason Alexander reunite in A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner! is a live action television film based on the animated series The Fairly OddParents. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 9, 2011 to celebrate the series's tenth anniversary. Unlike the previous animated films of the series, this film...
. However, they did not film any scenes together since Alexander's scenes are superimposed. - On December 27, 2010, a man in Clemson, SC, was hospitalized after being hit by an SUV trying to play "real life" Frogger.