The Stall
Encyclopedia
"The Stall" is the seventy-sixth episode of the NBC
sitcom Seinfeld
. It is the twelfth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on January 6, 1994.
, realizing she does not have any toilet paper left, asks the woman in the next stall (Jami Gertz
) if she has any toilet paper
to spare, but the woman refuses, claiming that she "can't spare a square." Elaine pleads with the woman, but she leaves, ignoring Elaine. The woman returns to her seat, and is revealed as Jerry's
girlfriend, Jane. Elaine is shown returning to her seat, with her new boyfriend Tony (Dan Cortese
). The two women tell their dates about what had just happened.
At Jerry's apartment, Kramer
walks in, asking to use Jerry's phone. Jerry accuses Kramer of using it to call a telephone sex
line. Elaine comes into the apartment, and describes to Jerry the incident that occurred at the movie theatre. Jerry realizes that the woman that Elaine was bickering for toilet paper was Jane. He tries to defend Jane, while not letting Elaine know that it was her. Meanwhile, George
becomes enamored of Elaine's boyfriend, claiming that "He's such a cool guy". Jerry suspects that Elaine dates Tony only because he is attractive, and that Tony is a "male bimbo
", or a "mimbo" for short.
At the coffee shop, Tony, and George plan on going rock climbing
together, which excites George, but Kramer is invited by Tony when he enters, and George starts fearing that Kramer will become better friends with Tony than him. Jerry and Kramer tease George about this later, claiming that George is in love with Tony, which George quickly denies. Jane calls Jerry's apartment, and Kramer answers the call without Jerry knowing. He talks to Jane, and after giving the phone to Jerry, he says that her voice sounded "flinty", and tries to remember where he has heard it before.
Later, Elaine calls Jerry on his buzzer to tell him that she's coming up, while Jane is still there. Still trying to keep the two from conflicting, Jerry panics to disguise Jane's voice by saying that it smelled from the lunch they just had, and gave her many pieces of gum, muffling her voice to an unrecognizable level.
On Tony, Kramer and George's rock climbing trip, Tony gives Kramer a rope to tie a knot to keep him from falling, but Kramer gives the rope to George, and then distracts him by asking him for food. Tony begins to climb again, but does not know that his harness is not tied onto the rock, and he falls down the mountain. A few days later, Kramer and George tell Elaine what had happened. Upon hearing the news, Elaine quickly asks the two if there was any damage to his face, and is told that he hit his face on a large rock. She rushes to Tony's house, to see that his face is completely bandaged. He tells her that he cannot remember if the doctors said if there was any long-term damage to his face. At that time, George walks in to apologize to Tony about the trip, but Tony says that he does not want to see him anymore.
While Jerry and Jane were at Jerry's apartment, Kramer walks in and is introduced to Jane for the first time. He starts to act strangely at the sound of her voice, and quickly refuses to split a taxi to go uptown. When she leaves, Kramer claims that her voice closely resembles that of "Erika", one of the girls on the phone sex line that he has been frequently calling, but Jerry doesn't believe him. In the beginning of this scene Jane is giving Jerry a massage to which he replies, "Boy, I've been waiting for this." It is a reference to an earlier episode of this season, The Masseuse
, where Jerry is dating a masseuse who will not give him a massage.
At the coffee shop, Kramer is sitting at a table by himself, saying to Jerry that he made a date with Erika, to prove that she is in fact Jane. When Jane arrives, Jerry is shocked. She moves to Jerry's table instead of Kramer's, but Kramer still persists on calling her "Erika", as he and Jerry confront her, claiming that she "sells sexual pleasure over the phone". She dispels the claims by saying that she sells paper goods. Elaine hears Jane's voice and realizes that she was the woman who refused to give her any spare toilet paper. Jane then says that she needs to use the washroom, and Elaine races her to the door. There is then a camera angle of the washroom stalls very similar to the one used at the beginning of the episode. Jane's voice is heard asking the woman in the stall next to hers, whom she doesn't know, if she has any toilet paper, but is revealed to be Elaine, who tells Jane that she "can't spare a square". Jane then realizes that this is the same woman from the movie theater, and Elaine runs out of her stall, carrying many rolls of toilet paper. After exiting the restroom, Jane tells Jerry to never call her again, and then she turns to Kramer and says for him not to call her either, in a sultry voice. Jerry and Kramer then look at each other, stunned.
comics after he gets home from the hospital.
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...
. It is the twelfth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on January 6, 1994.
Plot
At a movie theater's restroom, 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...
, realizing she does not have any toilet paper left, asks the woman in the next stall (Jami Gertz
Jami Gertz
Jami Beth Gertz is an American actress. Gertz is known for her early roles in the films Sixteen Candles, Crossroads, The Lost Boys, Less Than Zero, the 1980s TV series Square Pegs with Sarah Jessica Parker, and 1996's Twister, as well as for her role as Judy Miller in the CBS sitcom Still Standing...
) if she has any toilet paper
Toilet paper
Toilet paper is a soft paper product used to maintain personal hygiene after human defecation or urination. However, it can also be used for other purposes such as blowing one's nose when one has a cold or absorbing common spills around the house, although paper towels are more used for the latter...
to spare, but the woman refuses, claiming that she "can't spare a square." Elaine pleads with the woman, but she leaves, ignoring Elaine. The woman returns to her seat, and is revealed as Jerry's
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...
girlfriend, Jane. Elaine is shown returning to her seat, with her new boyfriend Tony (Dan Cortese
Dan Cortese
Daniel James "Dan" Cortese ; born September 14, 1967) is an American actor, director and spokesperson. He is known for his roles as Perry Rollins on Veronica's Closet and as Vic Meladeo on What I Like About You.-Early life:...
). The two women tell their dates about what had just happened.
At Jerry's apartment, 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...
walks in, asking to use Jerry's phone. Jerry accuses Kramer of using it to call a telephone sex
Phone sex
Phone sex is a type of virtual sex that refers to sexually explicit conversation between or other persons via telephone, especially when at least one of the participants masturbates or engages in sexual fantasy...
line. Elaine comes into the apartment, and describes to Jerry the incident that occurred at the movie theatre. Jerry realizes that the woman that Elaine was bickering for toilet paper was Jane. He tries to defend Jane, while not letting Elaine know that it was her. Meanwhile, 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"...
becomes enamored of Elaine's boyfriend, claiming that "He's such a cool guy". Jerry suspects that Elaine dates Tony only because he is attractive, and that Tony is a "male bimbo
Bimbo
Bimbo, in its popular English language usage, describes a woman who is physically attractive but is perceived to have a low intelligence or poor education. The term can also be used to describe a woman who acts in a sexually promiscuous manner...
", or a "mimbo" for short.
At the coffee shop, Tony, and George plan on going rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
together, which excites George, but Kramer is invited by Tony when he enters, and George starts fearing that Kramer will become better friends with Tony than him. Jerry and Kramer tease George about this later, claiming that George is in love with Tony, which George quickly denies. Jane calls Jerry's apartment, and Kramer answers the call without Jerry knowing. He talks to Jane, and after giving the phone to Jerry, he says that her voice sounded "flinty", and tries to remember where he has heard it before.
Later, Elaine calls Jerry on his buzzer to tell him that she's coming up, while Jane is still there. Still trying to keep the two from conflicting, Jerry panics to disguise Jane's voice by saying that it smelled from the lunch they just had, and gave her many pieces of gum, muffling her voice to an unrecognizable level.
On Tony, Kramer and George's rock climbing trip, Tony gives Kramer a rope to tie a knot to keep him from falling, but Kramer gives the rope to George, and then distracts him by asking him for food. Tony begins to climb again, but does not know that his harness is not tied onto the rock, and he falls down the mountain. A few days later, Kramer and George tell Elaine what had happened. Upon hearing the news, Elaine quickly asks the two if there was any damage to his face, and is told that he hit his face on a large rock. She rushes to Tony's house, to see that his face is completely bandaged. He tells her that he cannot remember if the doctors said if there was any long-term damage to his face. At that time, George walks in to apologize to Tony about the trip, but Tony says that he does not want to see him anymore.
While Jerry and Jane were at Jerry's apartment, Kramer walks in and is introduced to Jane for the first time. He starts to act strangely at the sound of her voice, and quickly refuses to split a taxi to go uptown. When she leaves, Kramer claims that her voice closely resembles that of "Erika", one of the girls on the phone sex line that he has been frequently calling, but Jerry doesn't believe him. In the beginning of this scene Jane is giving Jerry a massage to which he replies, "Boy, I've been waiting for this." It is a reference to an earlier episode of this season, The Masseuse
The Masseuse
The Masseuse is a pornographic film, made in 1990 and starring Randy Spears and Hyapatia Lee.A sequel, The Masseuse 2, was released in 1994 and also won awards. The movie was remade with the same plot in 2004 with Jenna Jameson and Justin Sterling in the starring roles...
, where Jerry is dating a masseuse who will not give him a massage.
At the coffee shop, Kramer is sitting at a table by himself, saying to Jerry that he made a date with Erika, to prove that she is in fact Jane. When Jane arrives, Jerry is shocked. She moves to Jerry's table instead of Kramer's, but Kramer still persists on calling her "Erika", as he and Jerry confront her, claiming that she "sells sexual pleasure over the phone". She dispels the claims by saying that she sells paper goods. Elaine hears Jane's voice and realizes that she was the woman who refused to give her any spare toilet paper. Jane then says that she needs to use the washroom, and Elaine races her to the door. There is then a camera angle of the washroom stalls very similar to the one used at the beginning of the episode. Jane's voice is heard asking the woman in the stall next to hers, whom she doesn't know, if she has any toilet paper, but is revealed to be Elaine, who tells Jane that she "can't spare a square". Jane then realizes that this is the same woman from the movie theater, and Elaine runs out of her stall, carrying many rolls of toilet paper. After exiting the restroom, Jane tells Jerry to never call her again, and then she turns to Kramer and says for him not to call her either, in a sultry voice. Jerry and Kramer then look at each other, stunned.
Superman Reference
George brings Tony some SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
comics after he gets home from the hospital.