The Gymnast
Encyclopedia
"The Gymnast" is the 92nd episode of Seinfeld
. This was the 6th episode for the 6th season. It aired on November 3, 1994, during a special "Blackout Thursday" night on NBC, in which all shows in the Must See TV
line-up, except this one, featured a fictional New York City blackout (e.g., Friends
episode "The One with the Blackout").
dates Katya, a Romanian former gymnast that Jerry says won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics
, (although if this were confirmed, she would also have won a gold medal as Romanian women took the team title in Los Angeles). Kramer
encourages him to have sex with her, since she is probably very "flexible." Jerry can only think of a conversation involving deposed dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu
.
George
is given another shot with Lindsay, whom he met while trying to join a book club to read Breakfast at Tiffany's
("The Couch
").
Jerry and Kramer find out about one of George's odd bathroom habits: whenever he goes into the "office" he takes off his shirt so as to feel "no encumbrances."
Jerry talks about how George is better with the mothers of his girlfriends rather than with the girlfriends themselves.
Kramer goes to Mr. Pitt's office to retrieve a 3-D painting
that Elaine
took to frame. Kramer leaves early as he feels intense pain which turns out is a kidney stone
.
Mr. Pitt becomes obsessed with finding the "spaceship" image in the 3-D painting. In place of Mr. Pitt, Elaine goes to a merger meeting between Morgan Springs and Poland Creek, but starts a dispute because of the suggested name "Moland" Springs.
At Lindsay's mother's house George impresses Mrs. Enright with his gentlemanly demeanor, until he is caught by her eating a partially eaten chocolate éclair out of the trash can.
George assures Jerry that the cake was clean and "on top", but Jerry says George has crossed the border between man and bum.
George explains over the phone and gets another chance with Lindsay.
Kramer brings Jerry a videotape of the 1984 Olympics and Jerry decides to go for it with Katya.
Later, Jerry comments with Elaine of his disappointment with the sexual tryst (there was nothing gymnastic about it) and she tells him he is now committed to dating Katya for at least three more weeks.
At the street George buys a cup of coffee but he does not like it and throws it away, accidentally splashing a nearby automobile.
George is spotted washing the windshield by Lindsay's mother, who is now convinced that he is a bum.
George has to apologize once more and gets another opportunity with Lindsay.
Since it was Kramer's idea, Jerry wants him to come along with himself and Katya to the circus, to watch the performance of Katya's friend Misha. However, Kramer is afraid of clowns.
At the circus' restroom, Kramer finally passes the kidney stone, but he screams so loudly that he makes Misha fall from the high wire.
Katya tells Jerry about a Romanian legend of "the comedian" – a man with great libido – and breaks up with him because he was not the otherworldly "sensual experience" she expected.
At Lindsay's mother's place there is a small party, and they have placed a 3-D painting in the bathroom which is "mesmerizing." George goes into the bathroom but then forgets to put his shirt back on, and walks out of the bathroom topless, which shocks all the other party guests.
Mr. Pitt has lost three days trying to see the image in the 3-D painting. He now sees it right before going to an important meeting discussing the merger. Elaine, who has her hands covered in ink, breaks the picture and snaps her boss from the trance. However, she spills ink on him and he goes to the meeting with a painted mustache, making him look like Adolf Hitler
. Aside from the visual humor, the scene alludes to Hitler's invasion
of Poland
in 1939 through the juxtaposition of the imagery and the bottled water brand name.
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 6th episode for the 6th season. It aired on November 3, 1994, during a special "Blackout Thursday" night on NBC, in which all shows in the Must See TV
Must See TV
"Must See TV" is an advertising slogan used by the NBC television network to brand its prime time blocks of sitcoms during the 1990s, and most often applied to the network's Thursday night lineup, which featured such popular sitcoms as The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court, A Different...
line-up, except this one, featured a fictional New York City blackout (e.g., Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
episode "The One with the Blackout").
Plot
JerryJerry 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...
dates Katya, a Romanian former gymnast that Jerry says won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, (although if this were confirmed, she would also have won a gold medal as Romanian women took the team title in Los Angeles). 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...
encourages him to have sex with her, since she is probably very "flexible." Jerry can only think of a conversation involving deposed dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
.
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"...
is given another shot with Lindsay, whom he met while trying to join a book club to read Breakfast at Tiffany's
Breakfast at Tiffany's (novella)
Breakfast at Tiffany's is a novella by Truman Capote published in 1958. The main character, Holly Golightly, is one of Capote's best-known creations and an American cultural icon.-Plot:...
("The Couch
The Couch
"The Couch" is the 91st episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 5th episode for the 6th season. It aired on October 27, 1994.-Plot:Kramer plans to start a "pizza business where you make your own pie" with Poppie . Jerry and Elaine's discussion of the abortion issue causes trouble at Poppie's...
").
Jerry and Kramer find out about one of George's odd bathroom habits: whenever he goes into the "office" he takes off his shirt so as to feel "no encumbrances."
Jerry talks about how George is better with the mothers of his girlfriends rather than with the girlfriends themselves.
Kramer goes to Mr. Pitt's office to retrieve a 3-D painting
Autostereogram
An autostereogram is a single-image stereogram , designed to create the visual illusion of a three-dimensional scene from a two-dimensional image in the human brain...
that 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...
took to frame. Kramer leaves early as he feels intense pain which turns out is a kidney stone
Kidney stone
A kidney stone, also known as a renal calculus is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation formed in the kidneys from dietary minerals in the urine...
.
Mr. Pitt becomes obsessed with finding the "spaceship" image in the 3-D painting. In place of Mr. Pitt, Elaine goes to a merger meeting between Morgan Springs and Poland Creek, but starts a dispute because of the suggested name "Moland" Springs.
At Lindsay's mother's house George impresses Mrs. Enright with his gentlemanly demeanor, until he is caught by her eating a partially eaten chocolate éclair out of the trash can.
George assures Jerry that the cake was clean and "on top", but Jerry says George has crossed the border between man and bum.
George explains over the phone and gets another chance with Lindsay.
Kramer brings Jerry a videotape of the 1984 Olympics and Jerry decides to go for it with Katya.
Later, Jerry comments with Elaine of his disappointment with the sexual tryst (there was nothing gymnastic about it) and she tells him he is now committed to dating Katya for at least three more weeks.
At the street George buys a cup of coffee but he does not like it and throws it away, accidentally splashing a nearby automobile.
George is spotted washing the windshield by Lindsay's mother, who is now convinced that he is a bum.
George has to apologize once more and gets another opportunity with Lindsay.
Since it was Kramer's idea, Jerry wants him to come along with himself and Katya to the circus, to watch the performance of Katya's friend Misha. However, Kramer is afraid of clowns.
At the circus' restroom, Kramer finally passes the kidney stone, but he screams so loudly that he makes Misha fall from the high wire.
Katya tells Jerry about a Romanian legend of "the comedian" – a man with great libido – and breaks up with him because he was not the otherworldly "sensual experience" she expected.
At Lindsay's mother's place there is a small party, and they have placed a 3-D painting in the bathroom which is "mesmerizing." George goes into the bathroom but then forgets to put his shirt back on, and walks out of the bathroom topless, which shocks all the other party guests.
Mr. Pitt has lost three days trying to see the image in the 3-D painting. He now sees it right before going to an important meeting discussing the merger. Elaine, who has her hands covered in ink, breaks the picture and snaps her boss from the trance. However, she spills ink on him and he goes to the meeting with a painted mustache, making him look like Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. Aside from the visual humor, the scene alludes to Hitler's invasion
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in 1939 through the juxtaposition of the imagery and the bottled water brand name.
Guest stars
- Ian AbercrombieIan AbercrombieIan Abercrombie is an English actor, best known for playing Alfred Pennyworth in Birds of Prey. He appeared as Elaine Benes' boss Justin Pitt during the sixth season of Seinfeld, and as a fastidious butler on Desperate Housewives.-Biography:He is the cousin of John Abercrombie, a jazz guitarist of...
- Mr. Justin Pitt - David Blackwood - Beck
- Maurice GodinMaurice Godin (actor)Maurice Godin is an Canadian actor, who has appeared in several films and television shows.-Career:Born in Toronto, Canada, Godin has been acting in theatre, television and film for the past thirty years...
- Misha - Jessica HechtJessica HechtJessica Hecht is an American actress, known for numerous Broadway appearances and TV roles.-Background:Hecht was born in Princeton, New Jersey, the daughter of Lenore, a psychotherapist, and Richard Hecht, a physicist. Jessica moved with her parents and her sister to Bloomfield, CT, at the age of...
- Lindsay Enright - Damian LondonDamian LondonDamian London is an American stage and television actor. He is most famous for his role as Virini on the science-fiction show Babylon 5....
- Party Guest - Elina LöwensohnElina LöwensohnElina Löwensohn is a Romanian-born American actress.-Biography:Löwensohn was born in Bucharest, Romania. After the death of her father, a survivor of Nazi concentration camps, her mother emigrated to the United States with her, where her mother went on a hunger strike in order to get a visa for...
- Katya - Lois NettletonLois NettletonLois June Nettleton was an American actress of film, stage, and television. She was Miss Chicago of 1948 as well as a semifinalist at that year's Miss America Pageant.-Early years:...
- Mrs. Enright - James SweeneyJames SweeneyJames Sweeney may refer to:* James Johnson Sweeney, , museum curator* James Joseph Sweeney, , American, Roman Catholic Bishop* James Sweeney , American film editor-See also:*Jim Sweeney...
- Aronson