The Fusilli Jerry

"The Fusilli Jerry" is the 107th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. Featuring the introduction of David Puddy, the episode also features Kramer receiving vanity plates that say "ASSMAN" as well as marital problems between George's parents. This is the 21st episode of the sixth season. It aired on April 27, 1995.

Since its release, "The Fusilli Jerry" has seen positive critical reception and has appeared on rankings of the best Seinfeld episodes.

Elaine starts dating Jerry's mechanic, David Puddy. During their first night in bed, Puddy performs a sex move which she recognizes as Jerry's. Jerry is appalled when he hears about this. He goes to chew Puddy out, and finds someone else to look into repairing his car. Puddy maintains that he was doing the same move before Jerry told him about it, but is so psyched out by Jerry's accusation that he can't do the move, so he uses George's move. Jerry suspects that his new mechanic is over-pricing the repair bill on his car, so Elaine asks Puddy how much he charges, proving Jerry's theory. He gives Puddy permission to do the move so he can take his car back to him.

George is unable to excite his girlfriend Nancy during sex, and he asks Jerry to teach him the move. George can't remember the details correctly and eventually resorts to taking notes on his hand. His girlfriend is disgusted when she notices the notes.

Kramer goes to the Department of Motor Vehicles for his new license plate, but is instead given vanity plates which say "ASSMAN". He suspects that the plate was meant for a proctologist, and uses this theory to his advantage, by parking in a "Doctors Only" spot when he goes to pick up George's mother Estelle after her eye job. The plate also scores him cat calls from passing drivers, and a date with a big-bottomed woman named Sally.

Estelle cannot cry for ten days or risk ruining the eye job. When Kramer drives her home, he runs over a pothole and braces Estelle by placing his arm across her breast, which she interprets as her husband Frank's move ("stopping short"). Frank is upset at this and finds Kramer at Jerry's apartment. A fight ensues, causing Frank's rear end to land on a "Fusilli Jerry" — a pasta statue made by Kramer that resembles Jerry doing a stand-up routine.

Later, when the gang takes Frank to a proctologist, Kramer spots a picture of a boat called "ASSMAN". He approaches the doctor and confirms that their plates got mixed up. That night, Frank and George come home from the proctologist, and Estelle is so overwhelmed with relief that she starts to cry, ruining her eye job.

"The Fusilli Jerry" had a large number of writers. Marjorie Gross and her brother Jonathan came up with the Jerry, George, and Elaine stories; Ron Hauge and Charlie Rubin came up with the license plate story; and Marjorie Gross wrote the actual teleplay. The writers had not intended for David Puddy to be funny himself, only to serve as a foil to Elaine, and so were impressed with how funny Patrick Warburton made the character in his audition.