The Letter (Seinfeld episode)
Encyclopedia
"The Letter" is the thirty-ninth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld
. The episode was the 20th of the third season. It aired on March 25, 1992.
poses for a portrait to be painted by Jerry
's new girlfriend, Nina (Catherine Keener
), which an elderly, art-loving couple admire. George
feels obligated to buy something when he accompanies Jerry to Nina's art studio, especially when she offers George her father's tickets to the Owners Box at Yankee Stadium
. George then reluctantly purchases a $500 painting, which he tries to sell to Jerry for $10 at the end of the episode.
With Nina's tickets, George brings both Elaine
and Kramer to the Yankee Stadium's Owners Box. In order to get out of a prior engagement, her boss's son's bris, Elaine lies to her boss, Mr. Lippman, saying she must tend to her ill father. However, once the three are seated in the box, Elaine refuses to remove her Baltimore Orioles
baseball cap
and they are consequently evicted. Kramer, while attempting to climb over the dugout, is struck in the head by a baseball. At the same time, Nina and Jerry have an argument and break up.
Upon returning to Jerry's apartment, Elaine discovers her confrontation in the Yankees
' owners box was published with a picture in the sports section of the paper. After an unsuccessful attempt at stealing the sports section of the paper from his office, Elaine fears her boss will realize and fire her. Meanwhile, a poetic and emotional letter is delivered to Jerry's from Nina. Although he is initially moved and humbled, Jerry soon finds out that the letter was plagiarized
from the Neil Simon
play Chapter Two. Upon confronting Nina, the elderly couple who admired Kramer's portrait walk in to confirm their purchase.
Elaine is summoned to her boss's office, whose accountant is revealed to be Nina's father. As he recites the baseball cap story over the phone, Lippman is amused and apparently does not realize that the offender was Elaine. He informs her that Nina's father has given him tickets to Yankee Stadium and invites her to wear a Baltimore cap (which she coincidentally has in her office) as a joke.
In the closing scene, Kramer dines with the elderly couple who purchased his portrait, and Jerry and George watch the televised Yankee game only to find Elaine in yet another cap altercation as described by Phil Rizzuto
.
included the line "He is a loathsome, offensive brute, and yet I can't look away" in his top 20 of Seinfeld lines.
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...
. The episode was the 20th of the third season. It aired on March 25, 1992.
Plot
KramerCosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards...
poses for a portrait to be painted by 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...
's new girlfriend, Nina (Catherine Keener
Catherine Keener
Catherine Ann Keener is an American actress. She has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Being John Malkovich and Capote...
), which an elderly, art-loving couple admire. 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"...
feels obligated to buy something when he accompanies Jerry to Nina's art studio, especially when she offers George her father's tickets to the Owners Box at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. George then reluctantly purchases a $500 painting, which he tries to sell to Jerry for $10 at the end of the episode.
With Nina's tickets, George brings both 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...
and Kramer to the Yankee Stadium's Owners Box. In order to get out of a prior engagement, her boss's son's bris, Elaine lies to her boss, Mr. Lippman, saying she must tend to her ill father. However, once the three are seated in the box, Elaine refuses to remove her Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
baseball cap
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
and they are consequently evicted. Kramer, while attempting to climb over the dugout, is struck in the head by a baseball. At the same time, Nina and Jerry have an argument and break up.
Upon returning to Jerry's apartment, Elaine discovers her confrontation in the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
' owners box was published with a picture in the sports section of the paper. After an unsuccessful attempt at stealing the sports section of the paper from his office, Elaine fears her boss will realize and fire her. Meanwhile, a poetic and emotional letter is delivered to Jerry's from Nina. Although he is initially moved and humbled, Jerry soon finds out that the letter was plagiarized
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
from the Neil Simon
Neil Simon
Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
play Chapter Two. Upon confronting Nina, the elderly couple who admired Kramer's portrait walk in to confirm their purchase.
Elaine is summoned to her boss's office, whose accountant is revealed to be Nina's father. As he recites the baseball cap story over the phone, Lippman is amused and apparently does not realize that the offender was Elaine. He informs her that Nina's father has given him tickets to Yankee Stadium and invites her to wear a Baltimore cap (which she coincidentally has in her office) as a joke.
In the closing scene, Kramer dines with the elderly couple who purchased his portrait, and Jerry and George watch the televised Yankee game only to find Elaine in yet another cap altercation as described by Phil Rizzuto
Phil Rizzuto
Philip Francis Rizzuto , nicknamed "The Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
.
Popularity
Both the oil painting of Kramer and the words the elderly couple use to describe it became popular among Seinfeld fans. Rob Thomas of the Wisconsin State JournalWisconsin State Journal
The Wisconsin State Journal is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin...
included the line "He is a loathsome, offensive brute, and yet I can't look away" in his top 20 of Seinfeld lines.