The Pie
Encyclopedia
"The Pie" is the seventy-ninth episode of the NBC
sitcom Seinfeld
. This was the 15th episode for the 5th season. It aired on February 17, 1994.
is miffed after his girlfriend Audrey (Suzanne Snyder) refuses to take a bite of his pie.
Kramer
has seen in an upmarket clothing store a mannequin
that looks just like Elaine
. Also he has developed a terrible itch in his back, and uses Jerry's spatula to scratch.
Elaine and George
visit the store; Elaine wants to find out who made the mannequin but George is more interested in an expensive suit that will shortly be on sale at half price.
Jerry is still obsessed with the pie incident. Kramer finds relief at the hands of Olive (Sunday Theodore), his new girlfriend from Monk's
with long fingernails.
George, who is "guarding" the suit, soon becomes embroiled in a battle of wits with another customer who is also interested in the garment. George attempts to hide the suit so the other customer will not find it on the sale day. He is also distracted by the sight of the "Elaine" mannequin naked.
Jerry and Audrey go to eat at Poppie's, her father's restaurant. Jerry excuses himself to the restroom where he is shocked that Poppie doesn't wash his hands after coming out of the stall. This causes Jerry to reject a slice of pizza in the same way that Audrey rejected the pie.
Elaine and Jerry visit the clothing store and find the "Elaine" mannequin posed in a spanking tableau with another mannequin. Elaine is so furious that she steals the mannequin.
Jerry goes to Poppie's restaurant to talk to Audrey. A hygiene standards officer comes and arrests Poppie. On the day of the sale George outwits his rival and buys the suit, but his rival swears revenge.
Before going to the job interview, George becomes concerned that he might be rejected because the suit makes a "swoosh" when he moves. ("Let's say it comes down to me and one other guy. He's got a nice quiet suit, and I'm whooshing all over the place! Who do you think he's gonna hire?")
George's prospective employer takes him to dinner. He does not reject George because the suit is noisy, but insists that George eats dessert with him. However, George sees that the chef is his rival for the suit. Fearing that the chef will have tampered with the food, George rejects it in the same way that Audrey rejected the pie, and Jerry the pizza. George does not get the job, but he avoids becoming violently ill like the others.
Kramer's itch has healed and he plans to break up with Olive. He tells her that the mannequin (now in Jerry's car) is his new girlfriend. Kramer goes out to the car and pretends to make out with the mannequin, which falls apart in his hands.
Apparently, the "Elaine" mannequin is a big success and has appeared in other stores in New York. It turns out that it is made by the geek she met on the subway in "The Cigar Store Indian
." Jerry never finds out why Audrey refused to eat the apple pie
.
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 15th episode for the 5th season. It aired on February 17, 1994.
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...
is miffed after his girlfriend Audrey (Suzanne Snyder) refuses to take a bite of his pie.
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...
has seen in an upmarket clothing store a mannequin
Mannequin
A mannequin is an often articulated doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, and others especially to display or fit clothing...
that looks just like 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...
. Also he has developed a terrible itch in his back, and uses Jerry's spatula to scratch.
Elaine 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"...
visit the store; Elaine wants to find out who made the mannequin but George is more interested in an expensive suit that will shortly be on sale at half price.
Jerry is still obsessed with the pie incident. Kramer finds relief at the hands of Olive (Sunday Theodore), his new girlfriend from Monk's
Monk's Cafe
Monk's Café is a fictional coffee shop from the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The exterior of Tom's Restaurant on the corner of West 112th Street and Broadway, near Columbia University, is often shown on the show as the exterior of Monk's, though the interiors were shot on a sound stage. The coffee shop is...
with long fingernails.
George, who is "guarding" the suit, soon becomes embroiled in a battle of wits with another customer who is also interested in the garment. George attempts to hide the suit so the other customer will not find it on the sale day. He is also distracted by the sight of the "Elaine" mannequin naked.
Jerry and Audrey go to eat at Poppie's, her father's restaurant. Jerry excuses himself to the restroom where he is shocked that Poppie doesn't wash his hands after coming out of the stall. This causes Jerry to reject a slice of pizza in the same way that Audrey rejected the pie.
Elaine and Jerry visit the clothing store and find the "Elaine" mannequin posed in a spanking tableau with another mannequin. Elaine is so furious that she steals the mannequin.
Jerry goes to Poppie's restaurant to talk to Audrey. A hygiene standards officer comes and arrests Poppie. On the day of the sale George outwits his rival and buys the suit, but his rival swears revenge.
Before going to the job interview, George becomes concerned that he might be rejected because the suit makes a "swoosh" when he moves. ("Let's say it comes down to me and one other guy. He's got a nice quiet suit, and I'm whooshing all over the place! Who do you think he's gonna hire?")
George's prospective employer takes him to dinner. He does not reject George because the suit is noisy, but insists that George eats dessert with him. However, George sees that the chef is his rival for the suit. Fearing that the chef will have tampered with the food, George rejects it in the same way that Audrey rejected the pie, and Jerry the pizza. George does not get the job, but he avoids becoming violently ill like the others.
Kramer's itch has healed and he plans to break up with Olive. He tells her that the mannequin (now in Jerry's car) is his new girlfriend. Kramer goes out to the car and pretends to make out with the mannequin, which falls apart in his hands.
Apparently, the "Elaine" mannequin is a big success and has appeared in other stores in New York. It turns out that it is made by the geek she met on the subway in "The Cigar Store Indian
The Cigar Store Indian
"The Cigar Store Indian" is the seventy-fourth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the tenth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on December 9, 1993.-Plot:...
." Jerry never finds out why Audrey refused to eat the apple pie
Apple pie
An apple pie is a fruit pie in which the principal filling ingredient is apples. It is sometimes served with whipped cream or ice cream on top...
.
Trivia
- Though the cast reading took place on January 13, 1994, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' birthday, the filming of this episode did not take place until February due to the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Though the show's production staff considered moving from CBS Studio Center to Paramount Studios, CBS's stage crew spent three weeks renovating the stage before it was put back into use as CBS considered Seinfeld one of its best tenants. As an additional incentive to come back, CBS planned on renovating its New York Street backlot, which did not see its appearance until season six.
- In syndication, this episode doesn't feature Jerry's stand-up comedy routine.
- The incident with the pie was based on a real-life incident as told to the writers by Seinfeld himself.
- Two actors who appeared in this episode, already appeared on the show in a different role. Suzanne Snyder, who played Audrey, played Eva in season 3's "The LimoThe Limo (Seinfeld episode)"The Limo" was the 19th episode of the third season of the American sitcom Seinfeld . It aired on February 26, 1992.-Plot:...
." Christine Dunford, who played "Saleswoman", played Leslie ("George's worst date of his life") in season 2's "The Baby Shower." - This episode contains a number of subtle allusions to the classic film Invasion of the Body Snatchers: not only is there an incident involving a food safety inspector, but, more explicitly, George at one point jokingly refers to the mannequin as Elaine's "pod."
- In an episode of Larry DavidLarry DavidLawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
's HBO sitcom Curb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
, The 'N' Word, Larry is urged to re-tell an anecdote involving the use of the word "niggerNiggerNigger is a noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people , and also as an informal slang term, among other contexts. It is a common ethnic slur...
", but refuses to do so in the same manner Audrey refuses the pie in this episode. - The suit Jason Alexander wears in this episode actually makes no noise. The 'whooshing' sounds were added later in post-production.