"The Suicide" is the 32nd episode of the sitcom ''
Seinfeld
''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...
'', of which it was the fifteenth episode of the third season.
It first aired on January 29, 1992.
The episode features the first on-screen appearance of
Newman, portrayed by
Wayne Knight
Wayne Elliot Knight (born August 7, 1955) is an American actor. In television, he played Newman on '' Seinfeld'' (1992–1998) and Officer Don Orville on '' 3rd Rock from the Sun'' (1996–2001). He also voiced Igor on ''Toonsylvania'' (199 ...
. He had previously been portrayed, in voice only, by Larry David in the seventh episode of the second season, "
The Revenge", where ironically enough Newman attempts suicide himself by threatening to jump off the roof of the building.
"The Suicide" features the first of two references George makes to his brother. Like Jerry's sister, mentioned for the first and only time in "
The Chinese Restaurant", his sibling is never seen on-screen.
Plot
Elaine needs to fast before an ulcer test, so she tries starving herself three days before the test. After his neighbor Martin (C.E. Grimes) tries to commit
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
and ends up in a
coma
A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...
,
Jerry
Jerry may refer to:
Animals
* Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National
* Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...
is hit on by his girlfriend, Gina (
Gina Gallego
Georgina Maria Gallego (born October 30, 1955) is an American actress, known for her work in television. Her credits include: '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', '' Flamingo Road'' (as Alicia Sanchez), ''Remington Steele'', ''Airwolf'', ''Ritua ...
), while at the hospital. Elaine and
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
visit a
psychic
A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws, ...
, who warns George to cancel his vacation to the
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...
. When Elaine rebukes her for smoking while pregnant, the psychic kicks them out before telling George why he should cancel.
Jerry becomes worried when
Newman (a fellow resident and friend of Martin's) sees Jerry with Gina. Later, in the comatose Martin's hospital room, Newman hints to Jerry that he will tell Martin what's been going on with Jerry and Gina, while Kramer is in there to tell Martin to give him back his
vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum or a hoover, is a device that causes suction in order to remove dirt from floors, upholstery, draperies, and other surfaces. It is generally electrically driven.
The dirt is collected by either a ...
. Jerry attempts to buy Newman off with the extra
Drake's coffee cake
Coffee cake may refer to a sponge cake flavored with coffee or, in the United States, a sweet cake intended to be eaten with coffee or tea (similar to tea cake). A coffee-flavored cake is typically baked in a circular shape with two layers separ ...
that he has; however, Elaine burst in, now ravenous from her fast, takes it and devours it. Martin awakens from his coma and Newman promptly tells him everything while he chokes Jerry. Meanwhile, George finds Rula the psychic in another hospital room as she is going into labor. He tries to discover from her the reason why he shouldn't go to the Caymans; however, she is taken away to give birth before she can divulge it. Terrified, George sells his ticket to
Kramer.
While in the Caymans, Kramer plays nude
backgammon
Backgammon is a two-player board game played with counters and dice on tables boards. It is the most widespread Western member of the large family of tables games, whose ancestors date back nearly 5,000 years to the regions of Mesopotamia and Pe ...
with
Elle Macpherson
Eleanor Nancy Macpherson (; née Gow; born ) is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host, and actress.
She is known for her record five cover appearances for the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' beginning in the 1980s, leading ...
, who was there for a shooting of ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
''s
swimsuit issue
The ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue is published annually by American magazine ''Sports Illustrated'' and features female fashion models, celebrities and athletes wearing swimwear in various locales around the world. The highly coveted cov ...
. Upon his return he explains to George that he was mildly stung on the foot by a
jellyfish
Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella- ...
, and theorizes that this is why the psychic didn't want George to go on the trip. George and Jerry leave to have dinner with Elaine (who had to reschedule her appointment) while Kramer rushes back to call Elle.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suicide (Seinfeld), The
Seinfeld (season 3) episodes
1992 American television episodes
Television episodes about suicide