The Slicer
Encyclopedia
"The Slicer" is the 163rd episode of the NBC
sitcom Seinfeld
. This was the 7th episode of the 9th and final season. It first aired on November 13, 1997.
applies for an interview with Kruger Industrial Smoothing and gets the job, but notices in Kruger's office a picture of Kruger and his family at the beach with a not-so-bald George in the background.
Later George tells Kramer
and Jerry
at Monk's Cafe
about the "boombox incident" that occurred in the summer of 1989: George was at the beach and a family set down next to him. After returning from swimming in the surf, George found all his things gone. After screaming at the kids, he became so angry he threw their boombox into the ocean. Moments later, he found his things in the water and realized that the tide, not the kids, had taken them out. The father (Kruger) demanded George pay for the boombox, so George evaded it by giving him a fake address.
Now, George is worried that he may get fired once Kruger recognizes him from the picture. Kramer suggests sneaking the picture out and getting George's image airbrushed out. George takes to the idea and leaves. Meanwhile, Kramer is annoyed at the "misshaped, shoddy meats" in the sandwiches he eats, stating that he "hasn't had a decent sandwich in 13 years." He solves his problem by getting a meat slicer.
Elaine
can't sleep because her neighbor forgot to turn off the alarm clock before leaving for Paris
. Kramer tells her that the same thing happened to his friend Lomez, so he (Lomez) blew his neighbor's circuit. He and Elaine then set off to do just that. Meanwhile, Jerry begins dating a doctor, Sara Sidarides (Marcia Cross
).
The next day, George goes to pick up the picture, but finds out Kruger was airbrushed out instead of him (due to Kruger's baldness, the clerk mistook him for George, since George in the picture still had hair. He also points this out to George, annoying him further). Elaine realizes her neighbor's cat now can't eat because shutting off the power also shut off its automatic feeder. Jerry tells Elaine his date with Dr. Sidarides didn't go well because she kept making him feel like "if I don't save lives, I'm worthless." Elaine then reveals that Sidarides is a dermatologist and Jerry gets annoyed at this, not considering a dermatologist to be a "life-saver." George convinces him to go on a "revenge date" to tell her off.
Elaine and Kramer go back to Elaine's apartment with the meat slicer and feed the cat under the door. Elaine borrows Kramer's slicer, but uses it for slicing other things, including an uneven pair of heels. She eventually gets a piece of her heel stuck in it. Jerry's revenge date doesn't go well when a former patient of Sidarides' comes up and thanks her for saving his life. The reason: he had skin cancer. George goes back to the Foto Hut, and finds himself airbrushed out, and only a drawing of Kruger back in. He then realizes he has to get a photo of his boss without his shirt on (as he was in the picture) to put back in.
When Elaine drops by to pick up pliers to remove the heel from Kramer's slicer, she drops a helpful tip about how Sidarides goes by offices screening people for skin cancer (that's how they met). George then realizes all he has to do is set up a screening at Kruger's and he can get his picture (after Jerry apologizes to Sidarides). Kramer goes to Elaine's to pick up his slicer. She manages to get the heel out just in time, but dings up the blade in the process. When trying to get back into Elaine's apartment, he accidentally pulls off her doorknob, trapping her inside.
Jerry starts getting an allergic reaction. Kramer thinks Sidarides gave it to him when he went down to apologize to her. He decides to go down to Kruger's - where Sidarides is doing the cancer screening - and ask her. Kramer comes along to pick up his blade. Jerry insults Sidarides and causes her to leave. As Kruger comes in for his screening, Kruger mistakes Kramer for the doctor, due to the white butcher's coat he is wearing, making him look like a doctor. Kramer then checked Kruger for moles ("the freckle's ugly cousin," as Kramer puts it). He takes a picture of Kruger for George, but finds a mole on Kruger's right shoulder.
George gets the picture fixed and Kramer starts getting into dermatology. While flipping through one of Kramer's medical books, Jerry finds a section on his condition and figures out that his hives came from an allergic reaction to Benzene, commonly used as a metal cleaner. Kramer had been using Jerry's hand towel with metal cleaner to clean his slicer blade, and gave him hives. George returns to work and suggests Kruger go see another dermatologist about his mole, but finds Kruger isn't worried about it. Because the mole is visible in the picture (which he thinks was taken in 1989), he thinks it hasn't grown. Kruger then reveals to George about that day when he and his kids took this "pear-shaped loser[s]" clothes and threw it all in the ocean. George gets mad and informs him that the pear-shaped loser was him to which Kruger replies, "Well I'll be, you've lost a lot of hair."
At the end of the episode, Kramer, George and Jerry camp outside Elaine's apartment, feeding her under the door until the locksmith arrives to fix the doorknob Kramer had broken earlier. Jerry sees another dermatologist and George ends up not getting fired anyway because Kruger "didn't care."
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 7th episode of the 9th and final season. It first aired on November 13, 1997.
Plot
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"...
applies for an interview with Kruger Industrial Smoothing and gets the job, but notices in Kruger's office a picture of Kruger and his family at the beach with a not-so-bald George in the background.
Later George tells 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...
and 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...
at Monk's Cafe
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...
about the "boombox incident" that occurred in the summer of 1989: George was at the beach and a family set down next to him. After returning from swimming in the surf, George found all his things gone. After screaming at the kids, he became so angry he threw their boombox into the ocean. Moments later, he found his things in the water and realized that the tide, not the kids, had taken them out. The father (Kruger) demanded George pay for the boombox, so George evaded it by giving him a fake address.
Now, George is worried that he may get fired once Kruger recognizes him from the picture. Kramer suggests sneaking the picture out and getting George's image airbrushed out. George takes to the idea and leaves. Meanwhile, Kramer is annoyed at the "misshaped, shoddy meats" in the sandwiches he eats, stating that he "hasn't had a decent sandwich in 13 years." He solves his problem by getting a meat slicer.
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...
can't sleep because her neighbor forgot to turn off the alarm clock before leaving for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Kramer tells her that the same thing happened to his friend Lomez, so he (Lomez) blew his neighbor's circuit. He and Elaine then set off to do just that. Meanwhile, Jerry begins dating a doctor, Sara Sidarides (Marcia Cross
Marcia Cross
Marcia Anne Cross is an American actress. She is known for her television roles as Bree Van de Kamp on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and as Dr...
).
The next day, George goes to pick up the picture, but finds out Kruger was airbrushed out instead of him (due to Kruger's baldness, the clerk mistook him for George, since George in the picture still had hair. He also points this out to George, annoying him further). Elaine realizes her neighbor's cat now can't eat because shutting off the power also shut off its automatic feeder. Jerry tells Elaine his date with Dr. Sidarides didn't go well because she kept making him feel like "if I don't save lives, I'm worthless." Elaine then reveals that Sidarides is a dermatologist and Jerry gets annoyed at this, not considering a dermatologist to be a "life-saver." George convinces him to go on a "revenge date" to tell her off.
Elaine and Kramer go back to Elaine's apartment with the meat slicer and feed the cat under the door. Elaine borrows Kramer's slicer, but uses it for slicing other things, including an uneven pair of heels. She eventually gets a piece of her heel stuck in it. Jerry's revenge date doesn't go well when a former patient of Sidarides' comes up and thanks her for saving his life. The reason: he had skin cancer. George goes back to the Foto Hut, and finds himself airbrushed out, and only a drawing of Kruger back in. He then realizes he has to get a photo of his boss without his shirt on (as he was in the picture) to put back in.
When Elaine drops by to pick up pliers to remove the heel from Kramer's slicer, she drops a helpful tip about how Sidarides goes by offices screening people for skin cancer (that's how they met). George then realizes all he has to do is set up a screening at Kruger's and he can get his picture (after Jerry apologizes to Sidarides). Kramer goes to Elaine's to pick up his slicer. She manages to get the heel out just in time, but dings up the blade in the process. When trying to get back into Elaine's apartment, he accidentally pulls off her doorknob, trapping her inside.
Jerry starts getting an allergic reaction. Kramer thinks Sidarides gave it to him when he went down to apologize to her. He decides to go down to Kruger's - where Sidarides is doing the cancer screening - and ask her. Kramer comes along to pick up his blade. Jerry insults Sidarides and causes her to leave. As Kruger comes in for his screening, Kruger mistakes Kramer for the doctor, due to the white butcher's coat he is wearing, making him look like a doctor. Kramer then checked Kruger for moles ("the freckle's ugly cousin," as Kramer puts it). He takes a picture of Kruger for George, but finds a mole on Kruger's right shoulder.
George gets the picture fixed and Kramer starts getting into dermatology. While flipping through one of Kramer's medical books, Jerry finds a section on his condition and figures out that his hives came from an allergic reaction to Benzene, commonly used as a metal cleaner. Kramer had been using Jerry's hand towel with metal cleaner to clean his slicer blade, and gave him hives. George returns to work and suggests Kruger go see another dermatologist about his mole, but finds Kruger isn't worried about it. Because the mole is visible in the picture (which he thinks was taken in 1989), he thinks it hasn't grown. Kruger then reveals to George about that day when he and his kids took this "pear-shaped loser[s]" clothes and threw it all in the ocean. George gets mad and informs him that the pear-shaped loser was him to which Kruger replies, "Well I'll be, you've lost a lot of hair."
At the end of the episode, Kramer, George and Jerry camp outside Elaine's apartment, feeding her under the door until the locksmith arrives to fix the doorknob Kramer had broken earlier. Jerry sees another dermatologist and George ends up not getting fired anyway because Kruger "didn't care."
Episode Notes
- Despite George having hair in the flashback to 1989, George is bald in the first season of the show which is also set in 1989.
- This episode's opening scene, featuring a memorable dream sequence where Elaine is in bed with Jerry, George, and Kramer, does not appear in syndication.
- Kramer's fear of clownsFear of Clowns__FORCETOC__Fear of Clowns is a 2004 horror film about an artist who is seemingly stalked by a killer clown named Shivers the Clown. A 2007 sequel called Fear of Clowns 2 was made.-Plot:...
is mentioned again in this episode. It was introduced in Season 4's "The OperaThe Opera (Seinfeld episode)"The Opera" is the 49th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the ninth episode of the fourth season. It aired on November 4, 1992.-Plot:...
" and mentioned in Season 6's "The GymnastThe Gymnast"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 .- Plot :Jerry...
". - This episode marks the second appearance of Elaine's dance from "The Little KicksThe Little Kicks"The Little Kicks" is the 138th episode of the American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 4th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on October 10, 1996.-Plot:...
". This time, she dances to Foghat'sFoghatFoghat are a British rock band that had their peak success in the mid- to late-1970s. Their style can be described as "blues-rock," or boogie-rock dominated by electric and electric slide guitar. The band has achieved five gold records...
"Slow RideSlow Ride"Slow Ride" is the title of a song composed by "Lonesome" Dave Peverett and recorded by the British rock band Foghat, appearing on their fifth album Fool for the City . This was Foghat's top single, peaking at number 20. It also appears on Foghat Live , which was their best selling album at over...
". Iron Butterfly'sIron ButterflyIron Butterfly is a US psychedelic rock band best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".Their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been reincarnated with various members. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the 31st best-selling album in the world, selling more than 25 million copies.-History:The...
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is also heard in this episode. - This episode began the storyline involving George working at Kruger Industrial Smoothing, his fourth long-term job over the course of the series. George remains at Kruger for the rest of the series.
- Kramer identifies the slicer as the SP 2000, the same name that the bomb-finding robot had in Season 8's "The NapThe Nap"The Nap" is the 152nd episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 18th episode for the 8th season. It aired on April 10, 1997. Larry David returned as recurring character George Steinbrenner, whom he would play in two other episodes near the end of this season and in the show's final...
". - Later in the season in "The StrikeThe Strike (Seinfeld episode)"The Strike" is the 166th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the tenth episode of the 9th and final season. It aired on December 18, 1997. This episode featured and popularized the holiday of Festivus...
", Kruger recognizes Kramer at the FestivusFestivusFestivus is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as a way to celebrate the holiday season without participating in its pressures and commercialism. It was created by writer Dan O'Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a screenwriter for the TV show Seinfeld, as part of...
dinner and calls him "Dr. Van Nostrand", Kramer's fake dermatologist name.