The Pez Dispenser

George is dating a concert pianist who he thinks might be too good for him. He is bothered by his lack of "hand" in the relationship. He's really worried after hysterical laughter occurs at one of her recitals and the woman takes it out on George, although she doesn't yet know that the laughing woman was Elaine.

Separately, somebody Jerry used to know has returned from LA a drug addict, and Jerry is being pulled into a planned intervention on the old acquaintance's behalf because he supposedly really respects Jerry's opinion.

What joins these two threads? Mainly, it's a pez dispenser that Kramer picked up at a flea market that has a Tweety Bird head and that he gave to Jerry. But also joining these threads is Kramer's Polar Bear Club - people who swim outside in the winter. Seinfeld even having more than one plot line is something that started during this season - season three - and something the show excelled at as the years went by.

As for George's girlfriend - She's much too serious and unforgiving to be with deeply insecure George. George needs the forgiving type.

Fun factoid - This episode of Seinfeld saved the pez dispenser company as, at the time, they were near bankruptcy and the buzz caused by this episode resulted in a huge surge in pez dispenser sales. In gratitude the company sent the main players pez dispensers with their own likenesses on them.

I like the bit where he puts the Pez dispenser on her knee

Pez dispensers are small, cute and fun to toy with... for about five minutes, at most. It is to Seinfeld's writing staff's eternal credit, then, that the object in question managed to be a perfect comedy vehicle for 22 minutes (or most of them, anyway).

What happens is Jerry gets his hand on one of those dispensers and starts obsessing over it. Meanwhile, George tries to get "hand" in his doomed relationship with a piano player and succeeds to a degree thanks to a preemptive break-up, only for everything to fall apart when Elaine is tactless enough to laugh during a recital (no need to say what made her giggle, right?). And what about Kramer? Well, he joins the Polar bears and comes up with an absurd idea for a beach cologne.

Like many Season Three classics, this is a George & Elaine episode. The former's hand gags are a blast (especially when the joke backfires in the show's climax), and the latter's laugh is an abomination of nature and, as such, tremendously amusing (plus, it's an appetizer for the infamous dance which popped up much later in the series). And although he doesn't do much this time around, a note of merit is deserved for Kramer's creative marketing plans, plenty of which kept showing up during the program's run. As usual, a feast for eyes and ears alike.

She was miserable. George doesn't want her.

August 27 2023

What was this episode of Seinfeld about?: Jerry plans an intervention for a Random guy but is afraid Kramer will be intervening

Elaine laughs because Jerry put a Pez on her Lap

Kramer has a cologne idea.

George breaks ups with a miserable lady in order to get hand

The story and the production overview: A fine, simple chuckle show. It flowed very well. Really felt a community with even the extras.

Highlight: "and you're going to need it"

laugh meter: 8

Villain: Georges girl. She was miserable.

Girlfriend attractiveness level: 4. A good for in my taste.

What can be learned?: Don't date miserable people

Verdict: Pez.

Liked George obsession with having the hand, and the preemptive break up idea.

Liked Jerry's silliness when he places the Pez dispenser on Elaine's leg during the piano recital.

Liked Elaine's childishness when she start laughing in the recital.

Liked Kramer's story about getting Richie depressed and how Kramer is indifferent to what he caused. Also him joining the Polar Bears club. And his Beach cologne idea which came back in a later episode (I think the Pick)

The best feature of this episode is how everything comes together at the end. Also Kramer's crazy Beach cologne idea is awesome!

Just Love It