The Pilot (Seinfeld)

"The Pilot" is the two-part season finale episode of the fourth season of Seinfeld. It makes up the 63rd and 64th episodes and first aired on May 20, 1993.

This two-part episode aired at an earlier time, 8:00 PM, to make room for the two-hour finale of Cheers, whose timeslot would be claimed by Seinfeld at the start of the new fall season. Approximately 32 million people watched this episode (both parts) when it initially aired, and the show became a major ratings grab for its next five seasons.

Plot

Part 1

Jerry and George get the green light to produce Jerry, the pilot for the series based on their "nothing" lives. Russell Dalrymple, the president at NBC behind the pilot, is obsessed with Elaine. George is obsessed with a potentially cancerous white spot on his lip and a box of raisins taken by an actor playing Kramer, played by Larry Hankin (who had actually auditioned for the role of Kramer when Seinfeld began production).

The real Kramer has intestinal problems and, on his way to find a bathroom, he gets delayed by being mugged and "misses his chance" to resolve the problem, resulting in constipation. Jerry has an audition with the new "Elaine" (played by Elena Wohl), a method actress interested in being Elaine in every way, even going as far as dating Jerry (and breaking up with him in Part 2) and being called Elaine. The real Elaine has a problem with Monk's coffee shop, as they appear to be only hiring buxom waitresses, so she tries to get hired; when the owner turns her down, she files a report with the Equal Employment Opportunity office.

Part 2

Rehearsals for the pilot begin. NBC executive Russell Dalrymple's obsession with Elaine begins to affect his work; she tries to let him down easy by saying she can't be in a relationship with a high-powered man and would prefer to be with someone selfless, such as a member of Greenpeace. Kramer resolves his constipation by administering himself an enema.

George mistakenly thinks that his white spot has been diagnosed as cancer and goes on a tirade at NBC, only to discover that he misunderstood the diagnosis. At the taping of the pilot, "Crazy" Joe Davola leaps out of the audience and onto the set while yelling "Sic semper tyrannis!" He's removed and the taping goes well. The pilot airs and numerous characters from past episodes comment on its accuracy ranging from:

• Susan Ross and her girlfriend Mona from "The Smelly Car." Both of them were surprised that Michael had George's behavior.
• Sidney Fields and his housekeeper from "The Old Man." Sidney starts to talk bad about Jerry by quoting "What kind of stupid show is this? Hey! It's that idiot that took all my records!" His housekeeper starts laughing.
• Marla Penny from "The Virgin" who is still in a relationship with John F. Kennedy, Jr. since "The Contest." When John (who is sitting at the edge of their bed) asks Marla if it's the same Seinfeld that she went out with, Marla started that he was "horrible." John then starts to say "Nevertheless..." before their scene cuts to the next scene.
• The Drake and the Drakette from "The Handicap Spot." The Drake states that he loves Jerry while the Drakette states that she hates Jerry while she adjusts the antennae.
• Ping from "The Virgin" and his cousin Cheryl from "The Visa." Ping quoted to Cheryl "I can't believe you were attracted to him" (in a reference to Jerry). Cheryl quoted "He was dark and disturbed" and Ping quotes "Real perceptive."
• Donald Sanger and his parents from "The Bubble Boy." Mel Sanger and his wife work to keep their son from gaining the remote where Donald calls Jerry a sellout.
• Jerry's parents Morty and Helen Seinfeld are laughing to this. Morty considers the show terrific while Helen asks "How can anyone not like him?"
• Calvin Klein from "The Pick" watching with Tia Van Camp from "The Airport." Calvin quotes "I like his style. He has a sort of casual elegance." Tia quotes "But he picks his nose." Calvin starts to say "Nevertheless..." before their scene was cut to the next scene.
• Sal Bass and Sidra Holland from "The Implant." Sal asks Sidra if that's the same Jerry from their health club. Sidra quotes "Yeah." Sal then quotes "You know that Kim Novak has some big breasts?"

Also, Newman is shown to have falling asleep watching baseball.

In order to prove himself worthy of Elaine, Russell joins Greenpeace and is lost at sea during a botched assault on a whaling ship. His replacement at NBC named Rita Kearson, who disagreed with Russell on certain issues, dislikes the show and cancels it only two minutes after the episode finished and not knowing, let alone caring, about the ratings or reception. George and Jerry blame Elaine for driving Russell crazy in love and not returning his feelings; she tries to defend herself by saying it's not her fault, but George says it is because she's "very charming." Elaine then demands to know where Russell is, but according to Jerry, nobody knows.

In the end, Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine convalesce at Monk's, where it turns out many people have arrived due to the waitresses. Elaine spots the men from the Equal Employment Opportunity office eating there and scolds the owner of the cafe for only hiring large breasted women; the owner explains that they are all his daughters, and everything goes back to normal, with George muttering about getting a job the next day; Kramer recommends he join Greenpeace, to which George declines due to the risks.

The last scene is Russell still lost at sea in a Greenpeace boat with his shipmates (played by Larry Charles and Larry David). The cover for the Jerry Pilot script floats away at sea along with the former NBC president as one of Russell's shipmates vows to one day meet Elaine and tell her about Russell's actions in fighting the whalers.

References

1. "The Pilot". Internet Movie Database. 

Seinfeld episodes
Season 1	"The Seinfeld Chronicles" "The Stake Out" "The Robbery" "Male Unbonding" "The Stock Tip"
Season 2	"The Ex-Girlfriend" "The Pony Remark" "The Jacket" "The Phone Message" "The Apartment" "The Statue" "The Revenge" "The Heart Attack" "The Deal" "The Baby Shower" "The Chinese Restaurant" "The Busboy"
Season 3	"The Note" "The Truth" "The Pen" "The Dog" "The Library" "The Parking Garage" "The Cafe" "The Tape" "The Nose Job" "The Stranded" "The Alternate Side" "The Red Dot" "The Subway" "The Pez Dispenser" "The Suicide" "The Fix-Up" "The Boyfriend" "The Limo" "The Good Samaritan" "The Letter" "The Parking Space" "The Keys"
Season 4	"The Trip" "The Pitch" "The Ticket" "The Wallet" "The Watch" "The Bubble Boy" "The Cheever Letters" "The Opera" "The Virgin" "The Contest" "The Airport" "The Pick" "The Movie" "The Visa" "The Shoes" "The Outing" "The Old Man" "The Implant" "The Junior Mint" "The Smelly Car" "The Handicap Spot" "The Pilot"
Season 5	"The Mango" "The Puffy Shirt" "The Glasses" "The Sniffing Accountant" "The Bris" "The Lip Reader" "The Non-Fat Yogurt" "The Barber" "The Masseuse" "The Cigar Store Indian" "The Conversion" "The Stall" "The Dinner Party" "The Marine Biologist" "The Pie" "The Stand In" "The Wife" "The Raincoats" "The Fire" "The Hamptons" "The Opposite"
Season 6	"The Chaperone" "The Big Salad" "The Pledge Drive" "The Chinese Woman" "The Couch" "The Gymnast" "The Soup" "The Mom & Pop Store" "The Secretary" "The Race" "The Switch" "The Label Maker" "The Scofflaw" "The Highlights of 100" "The Beard" "The Kiss Hello" "The Doorman" "The Jimmy" "The Doodle" "The Fusilli Jerry" "The Diplomat's Club" "The Face Painter" "The Understudy"
Season 7	"The Engagement" "The Postponement" "The Maestro" "The Wink" "The Hot Tub" "The Soup Nazi" "The Secret Code" "The Pool Guy" "The Sponge" "The Gum" "The Rye" "The Caddy" "The Seven" "The Cadillac" "The Shower Head" "The Doll" "The Friar's Club" "The Wig Master" "The Calzone" "The Bottle Deposit" "The Wait Out" "The Invitations"
Season 8	"The Foundation" "The Soul Mate" "The Bizarro Jerry" "The Little Kicks" "The Package" "The Fatigues" "The Checks" "The Chicken Roaster" "The Abstinence" "The Andrea Doria" "The Little Jerry" "The Money" "The Comeback" "The Van Buren Boys" "The Susie" "The Pothole" "The English Patient" "The Nap" "The Yada Yada" "The Millennium" "The Muffin Tops" "The Summer of George"
Season 9	"The Butter Shave" "The Voice" "The Serenity Now" "The Blood" "The Junk Mail" "The Merv Griffin Show" "The Slicer" "The Betrayal" "The Apology" "The Strike" "The Dealership" "The Reverse Peephole" "The Cartoon" "The Strongbox" "The Wizard" "The Burning" "The Bookstore" "The Frogger" "The Maid" "The Puerto Rican Day" "The Chronicle" "The Finale"
Indicates two-part episode