SEINFELD "The Best Sitcom Ever" Series - "The Checks" SEINFACT

"The Checks" SEINFACT:

The Japanese comedy show in which Jerry's image appears is called The Super Terrific Happy Hour. The cleaning company which Kramer claims lures unsuspecting customers into their cult is called the Sunshine Carpet Cleaners.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Jerry receives countless 12-cent royalty checks for a clip of him used in a Japanese TV show. Kramer befriends a group of Japanese tourists, which leads George to try to revive the pilot of "Jerry" to air in Japan. Meanwhile, Elaine deals with a boyfriend who's obsessed with a furniture designer and the song "Desperado."

The Checks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Checks" is the 141st episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the seventh episode for the eighth season. It aired on NBC on November 7, 1996.

Plot

Elaine's new boyfriend, Brett (James Patrick Stuart), is obsessed with designer furniture and the song "Desperado" by The Eagles. 

Jerry spots an umbrella salesman using the sales technique he invented which was named 'The Twirl'. However, the salesman explains that it was someone else.

Hundreds of twelve-cent royalty checks keep arriving from Jerry's brief appearance on a Japanese television show. Kramer warns George that the carpet cleaners he hired are actually a front for a religious cult. Intrigued, George tries to be converted, but they're not interested in him.

Kramer meets some Japanese businessmen and he takes them on the town and to the cleaners. He is a little confused about the exchange rate and spends all their money. Brett delivers a large chest of drawers to Kramer and thinks that Jerry might be jealous. Kramer thinks the TV pilot that Jerry and George did would be perfect for Japanese television. They pitch it to a couple of Japanese TV executives.

Elaine tries to find a song that she and Brett can share, including "Witchy Woman", also by The Eagles, although this is rejected. Run out of money, Kramer puts his Japanese friends up at his place, sleeping in the chest of drawers (much like a capsule hotel). Jerry caught in the rain meets the man in the street that claims credit for the twirl. He also meets Brett who is convinced Jerry is down on his luck.

George gets the cleaners to do the offices at Yankee Stadium where they find a new recruit—George's boss, Mr. Wilhelm. He joins under the name of Tania, the name Patty Hearst took after she was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Because of the humidity from the hot tub, Kramer's guests get stuck in the chest. Jerry, with writer's cramp from check signing, uses a fire ax to open the chest, which scares the Japanese guests and injures Brett who is knocked unconscious when he attempts to stop Jerry from harming the chest. During the coda it is strongly implied that Brett dies from his injury when the surgeon becomes distracted by "Witchy Woman" in much the same way Brett would become distracted by "Desperado".

Production

The opening scene of the episode was filmed on September 29, 1996. The scene was also originally intended for the episode "The Fatigues". The second scene was filmed on October 7, 1996, while the third scene was filmed on October 8, 1996.

The last line before the credits had two versions made—one for if the New York Yankees won the World Series and one for if they lost the World Series. Two of the episode's guest stars (Richard Herd and Sab Shimono) had both previously appeared in the 1980M*A*S*H episode "Back Pay".

Brett drives around with furniture designer Karl Farbman. In the episode "The Hamptons," the doctor on whom Elaine has a crush notes that the homes in the area were designed by Mark Farbman. Perhaps there is a Farbman design dynasty. In the scene where Jerry is denied the purchase of an umbrella on the street by former colleagues a man walks by wearing an 'urban sombrero'. The 'urban sombrero' was featured in the season premiere episode 135 "the Foundation". It was an item placed on the cover of the Peterman Catalog by Elaine after she is left in charge following the disappearance of Peterman to Burma after an apparent nervous breakdown.

• Quotes

  
  
  • Jerry: (to Kramer) That's a lovely little bureau and breakfast you're running. 
  • Jerry: You have them sleeping in drawers? Kramer: Jerry, have you ever seen the business hotels in Tokyo? They sleep in tiny stacked cubicles all the time. They feel right at home. Jerry: This has international incident written all over it. 
  • Kramer: (talking to Jerry) Here you're just another apple. But in Japan, you're an erotic fruit. Like an orange, which is rare there. 
  • Jerry: So you're angry that this bizarre carpet cabal made no attempt to abduct you?George: They could've at least tried. Jerry: You know, maybe they thought you look too smart to be brainwashed. George: Please. Jerry: Too dumb? 
  • Kramer: That's the funny face that greets you at the beginning of the Super Terrific Happy Hour. Japanese tourist: Oh, Super Terrific! Kramer: Yeah, that's him.Japanese tourist: What is he doing? Kramer: Well, I don't know, but something Super Terrific, I'm sure. 
  • Kramer: Everybody laughs at Jerry here in America. 
  • (Jerry picks up the phone) Jerry: Yeah? George: (panicked and rushed) Jerry! The Japanese guys had sake in the hot-tub! You gotta get 'em outta the drawers and get 'em down here, or I don't have a focus group to sell the pilot to Japanese TV! Jerry:(kidding) Uncle Leo? George: JERRY! (George begins hammering the phone against the kiosk and Jerry lifts the phone away from his ear at the noise) Jerry: All right, all right. I'll wake 'em up. 
  •   
    
  • George: Who buys an umbrella anyway? You can get them for free in the coffee shop in the metal cans. Jerry: Those belong to people. 
  • Elaine: What's with the claw? Jerry: Super terrific carpal tunnel syndrome. 
  • George: He's giving you furniture? Who is this guy? Jerry: Who are any of her losers? George: You're on that list. 

• Allusions

  
  
  • After being apparently brainwashed by Sunshine Cleaners, Mr. Wilhelm tells George that his name is Tanya. This was the same name newspaper heiress Patty Hearst took after her 1975 kidnapping/brainwashing.