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The Checks
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| "The Checks" | |
|---|---|
| Seinfeld episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 7 |
| Directed by | Andy Ackerman |
| Written by | Steve O'Donnell and Tom Gammill & Max Pross |
| Production code | 807 |
| Original air date | November 7, 1996 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Checks" is the 141st episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the seventh episode for the eighth season, originally airing on NBC on November 7, 1996.[1] In this episode, the last to feature the writing team of Tom Gammill and Max Pross, Elaine's new boyfriend is enthralled by the song "Desperado" and mistakenly thinks Jerry is in dire financial straits, Kramer hosts a group of vacationing Japanese businessmen at his apartment, and Jerry and George try to sell their "Jerry" pilot to Japanese television.
Plot
[edit]Elaine's new boyfriend, Brett, is obsessed with furniture designed by Karl Farbman and the song "Desperado" by the Eagles. Jerry spots an umbrella salesman using a technique he invented, "The Twirl", but the salesman claims that it was invented by Teddy Padillac, an umbrella salesman Jerry once worked with.
Twelve-cent royalty checks keep arriving from Jerry's brief appearance on a Japanese television show, the Super Terrific Happy Hour. Kramer warns George that the carpet cleaners he hired are actually a front for a religious cult. Intrigued, George waits for them to give their pitch, but they are uninterested in him.
Kramer meets some Japanese businessmen on vacation and takes them on a tour of the city. Confused about the value of ¥50,000 (about $460 in 1996), Kramer spends all their money on expensive clothing and souvenirs. Brett delivers an oversized chest of drawers to Kramer and thinks Jerry might be jealous. Kramer thinks Jerry and George's TV pilot would be perfect for Japanese television. They pitch it to Japanese television executives, who are unimpressed.
Elaine suggests that she and Brett make "Witchy Woman" (also by the Eagles) their song, but he rejects it; Elaine then suggests they share "Desperado", but Brett says "it's mine". Having run them out of money, Kramer puts his Japanese friends up at his apartment. They sleep in the chest of drawers (much like a capsule hotel) and drink with him in his hot tub. Jerry, caught in the rain, runs into Teddy Padillac. Padillac, incensed that Jerry is trying to take credit for "The Twirl", demands $200 for an umbrella. Unable to come up with the money, Jerry is left standing in the rain. Brett is convinced that Jerry is poor since he has no Karl Farbman furniture in his apartment, carries around 12¢ checks, and is unable to afford an umbrella.
George hires the cleaners to do the offices at Yankee Stadium, where they recruit George's boss, Mr. Wilhelm. George is upset that the cult chose to recruit Wilhelm and not him. The humidity from the hot tub warps the wooden chest and Kramer's guests get stuck in the drawers. Suffering from writer's cramp after endorsing all the royalty checks, Jerry can't force the drawers open and instead uses a fire ax to smash open the chest. Brett is injured when he attempts to stop Jerry from destroying the Farbman chest. The scared Japanese tourists tell the television executives about the incident, ruining any chance of selling the "Jerry" pilot to Japanese television. While Brett is being operated on for his injury, the surgeon becomes distracted by "Witchy Woman" playing in much the same way Brett was distracted by "Desperado".
Production
[edit]The episode was written by the veteran Seinfeld writing partnership of Tom Gammill and Max Pross from a rough outline by Steve O'Donnell which included several key ideas used in the completed episode, such as Kramer having Japanese tourists sleep in drawers.[2] Gammill and Pross had left the Seinfeld writing staff after season 7, but their new contract allowed them to still "consult" on Seinfeld, which gave them the opportunity to script "The Checks". Their contract was subsequently revised to close this unintended loophole, preventing them from writing any further Seinfeld episodes.[2]
Jerry Seinfeld worked as an umbrella salesman during the 1980s, and has claimed to have invented the umbrella twirl just as his character does during the episode.[2] The Brett story was based on a man Gammill met on a ski trip who would similarly zone out whenever the song "Desperado" played.[2]
The opening scene was filmed on September 29, 1996. The scene was 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 1996 World Series and one for if they lost the World Series. Two of the episode's guest stars (Richard Herd and Sab Shimono) had previously appeared in the 1980 M*A*S*H episode "Back Pay".
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', featured in the season eight premiere episode "The Foundation".
References
[edit]- ^ "Seinfeld Season 8 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Gammill, Tom; Pross, Max (2007). Seinfeld Season 8: Audio Commentary - "The Checks" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
External links
[edit]- "The Checks" at IMDb
The Checks
View on GrokipediaEpisode background
Development and writing
"The Checks" was written by Steve O'Donnell alongside the longtime Seinfeld writing duo Tom Gammill and Max Pross. This episode, bearing production code 807, marked the final script contributed by Gammill and Pross to the series, following their departure from the writing staff after the eighth season.[4] The script's development centered on constructing a multi-threaded narrative typical of Seinfeld's ensemble format, where independent storylines—such as Jerry's dealings with royalty checks, George's interactions with Japanese visitors, Elaine's encounter with a "Desperado"-obsessed boyfriend, and Kramer's involvement with a cult of carpet cleaners—were carefully interwoven to build toward humorous intersections and resolutions.[5] This approach allowed the writers to layer escalating absurdities across the characters' arcs, enhancing the episode's comedic rhythm through parallel progression and eventual convergence. The finalization of the script occurred in the lead-up to production for season eight, aligning with the episode's broadcast on November 7, 1996.[6]Inspirations
Jerry Seinfeld's subplot involving the umbrella twirl stemmed from his own early career as an umbrella salesman in New York City during the 1980s, where he developed the technique to make the products more eye-catching to potential buyers on the street. This personal anecdote directly informed the scene where Jerry confronts former colleagues for appropriating his invention.[7] Kramer's scheme to house Japanese tourists in furniture drawers drew from pop culture depictions of Japan's capsule hotels, where businessmen use compact sleeping pods for efficiency during long work hours.Production and crew
Filming
Filming for "The Checks" took place on September 29, October 7, and October 8, 1996, under the direction of Andy Ackerman.[8] The production primarily utilized soundstages at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, California, for the interior scenes depicting Jerry's apartment, Elaine's office, and other key sets. Exterior shots, particularly those involving the carpet cleaning service interactions, were captured on location around Los Angeles to simulate New York City streets.[9] One notable production challenge was coordinating the chaotic Japanese business meeting sequence, where Jerry pitches his pilot to a Japanese television executive amid rapid-fire dialogue and cultural misunderstandings, necessitating multiple takes to synchronize the actors' timing and on-screen subtitles. Similarly, the axe scene—featuring Jerry freeing the Japanese visitors trapped in a warped chest of drawers, accidentally hitting Brett—required meticulous safety protocols and stunt coordination to balance physical comedy with set integrity.[10] The episode's table read occurred early in the schedule, followed by intensive rehearsals focused on the ensemble dynamics in scenes like the Japanese tourists' city tour and the group furniture destruction, allowing the cast to refine the escalating comedic chaos before the live audience taping.[10]Cast
The principal cast of "The Checks," the seventh episode of Seinfeld's eighth season, consists of the series' core ensemble: Jerry Seinfeld as the comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as his ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes, Michael Richards as the eccentric neighbor Cosmo Kramer, and Jason Alexander as the neurotic friend George Costanza.[11] These performers, central to the show's dynamic since its inception, reprise their roles to navigate the episode's intersecting storylines involving small annoyances and escalating absurdities.[12] Among the guest stars, James Patrick Stuart plays Brett, Elaine's short-lived boyfriend whose incessant humming and singing of the Eagles' "Desperado" becomes a source of irritation, marking a standout comedic turn in his early television career before his long-term role on General Hospital.[12] Richard Herd appears as Mr. Wilhelm, George's exasperated boss at the New York Yankees, a recurring character whose interactions with Costanza highlight the episode's workplace tension; Herd, a veteran of science fiction roles in series like V and Star Trek: The Next Generation, brings understated authority to the part.[12] Gedde Watanabe portrays Mr. Oh, a Japanese television executive who, along with colleagues, engages Kramer in business dealings that play into Seinfeld's frequent tropes of cross-cultural misunderstandings and futile negotiations.[11] Watanabe, recognized for his breakout role as the exchange student Long Duk Dong in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles, infuses the character with a mix of politeness and bemusement typical of the show's satirical take on international encounters.[13] Jack Plotnick is cast as the Crew Leader of the Sunshine Carpet Cleaners, a cult-like figure who hypnotizes clients during cleaning sessions, central to the episode's hypnosis-themed humor.[12] Plotnick, who began his on-screen career with guest appearances on sitcoms like Murphy Brown and Ellen in the mid-1990s, delivers the role's manipulative charm with precise timing.[14] George Wallace rounds out key supporting roles as the Doctor treating Jerry's minor ailment, a brief but pivotal appearance; the comedian and longtime friend of Seinfeld brings a deadpan delivery informed by his stand-up background.[12][15]Narrative
Plot summary
In the episode, Jerry Seinfeld receives a flood of tiny royalty checks worth 12 cents each for a brief appearance he made years earlier on the Japanese television program Super Terrific Happy Hour.[16] The volume of checks causes severe cramps in his hand from constant endorsing.[17] Meanwhile, Elaine Benes begins dating a man named Brett, who becomes entranced and begins twirling an imaginary umbrella whenever the Eagles' song "Desperado" plays, much to her frustration during their outings.[16] Brett also fixates on high-end Karl Farbman furniture, gifting Elaine a chest of drawers from the line and insisting on discussing it obsessively.[17] Kramer befriends three Japanese tourists in New York, whom he entertains extravagantly but overspends on due to a misunderstanding of the yen-to-dollar exchange rate, leaving them penniless and unable to return home.[18] With nowhere else to go, Kramer invites them to stay at his apartment and later hides them inside the Farbman chest of drawers—borrowed from Elaine—to keep them out of sight during an important meeting.[19] George Costanza, seeking purpose, hires a carpet cleaning service for his apartment and discovers the workers belong to the Sanalite cult, a self-help group; eager to join, he attends their meeting but is rejected for being too pessimistic.[17] Undeterred, George arranges for the Sanalites to clean the carpets at Yankee Stadium, where his boss, Mr. Wilhelm, unexpectedly becomes enthralled and joins the cult, adopting the name "Tania."[18] Inspired by Jerry's residual fame in Japan, George convinces him to revive and pitch his old sitcom pilot Jerry to Japanese television executives.[7] During the chaotic pitch meeting at Monk's Café, Kramer interrupts to retrieve the hidden Japanese tourists, whose wooden hiding chest has swollen shut from exposure to steam in Kramer's hot tub.[19] Jerry, suffering from hand cramps, uses an axe to hack open the chest to free them, but accidentally injures Brett, who had arrived seeking Elaine.[18] The outburst alarms the executives, derailing the pilot deal entirely. Later, Elaine visits Brett in the hospital, where he mistakes a nurse for her and serenades her with "Desperado," prompting Elaine to break up with him on the spot.[17]Character developments
In "The Checks," Jerry's characteristic pettiness is prominently amplified through his escalating frustration with receiving minuscule royalty checks—often amounting to mere cents—from a long-forgotten appearance on a Japanese television program. This trivial annoyance consumes him, leading to absurd efforts like individually cashing each check and even destroying furniture in irritation, which reinforces his longstanding obsession with everyday inconveniences and his tendency to fixate on the mundane to the point of folly.[19] Elaine's impatience with eccentric romantic partners reaches a boiling point in her brief relationship with Brett, a furniture designer whose obsessive humming of the Eagles' "Desperado" drives her to exasperation. This storyline builds directly on her pattern of mishaps with quirky suitors seen in prior episodes, such as her dealings with overly sensitive or peculiar boyfriends, highlighting her quick-witted but short-fused approach to love and her desire for normalcy amid constant absurdity.[19] Kramer's entrepreneurial naivety and extremes of hospitality are on full display as he befriends a group of Japanese tourists, inviting them to crash at his apartment and impulsively purchasing them cowboy hats to "Americanize" their visit. These actions extend his recurring pattern of well-intentioned but culturally tone-deaf schemes, often rooted in a misguided sense of generosity that spirals into chaos without regard for practical boundaries.[19] George's compulsive scheming backfires spectacularly when his attempt to join a carpet-cleaning operation revealed as a religious cult not only fails but results in his boss, Mr. Wilhelm, being recruited instead, prompting Wilhelm's sudden retirement and leaving George to cover for him at work. This outcome ties into George's deep-seated workplace insecurities and his history of self-sabotaging plots, where his opportunistic maneuvers—motivated by a mix of envy and ambition—invariably lead to professional fallout and heightened anxiety.[19] The episode's subplots interconnect during a chaotic pitch meeting with a Japanese television executive, where Jerry's check-induced fame prompts George and Kramer to revive his old sitcom pilot, only for the group's collective dysfunction—Jerry's reluctance, Elaine's indirect involvement through Brett's interruptions, and the tourists' presence—to derail the opportunity and underscore their codependent, comedic ineptitude as friends.[19]Reception
Viewership
"The Checks" originally aired on NBC on November 7, 1996. The episode achieved a Nielsen household rating of 20.5 and ranked second for the week of November 4–10. It drew 32.01 million total U.S. viewers, helping propel Season 8 to an average of 32.3 million viewers per episode. This strong showing reflected Seinfeld's peak popularity during its eighth season, building on the robust audiences of preceding episodes like "The Fatigues." The season itself finished second in the overall Nielsen rankings, behind only ER.Critical reviews
"The Checks" received an IMDb user rating of 8.0 out of 10, based on 3,625 votes as of late 2025.[20] Users frequently praised the episode's humor in specific gags, such as Jerry's frustration with signing numerous small royalty checks from his Japanese TV appearance and the recurring "Desperado" scene where Elaine's boyfriend halts abruptly upon hearing the Eagles song.[21] However, some reviewers criticized it as "very messy" with uneven pacing and little resolution among its multiple subplots.[21] In a 2018 retrospective ranking of all Seinfeld episodes by ScreenCrush, "The Checks" placed low due to its perceived lack of cohesion, though the site acknowledged laughs in isolated moments like the axe-wielding Japanese tourist interaction with Kramer.[22] Similarly, Vanity Fair's 2015 episode ranking positioned it near the bottom (134th out of 180), noting the "Desperado" gag as a highlight amid otherwise scattered comedy.[23] Fan discussions, as reflected in aggregated user feedback on platforms like IMDb, often describe the episode as mid-tier within season 8, with divisive opinions: some label it a least favorite for "pushed comedy" that feels forced, while others appreciate the chaotic multi-plot structure as emblematic of the show's later absurdity.[21] Contemporary reviews from the mid-1990s were generally positive, highlighting Seinfeld's signature take on everyday absurdities, though the episode garnered no major awards or nominations.[24] Common praises centered on clever cultural clashes, such as the misunderstandings between Kramer's Japanese visitors and the New York setting, which underscored the series' observational wit.[25]References
- https://en.wikipedia-on-ipfs.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Seinfeld