"The Note" is the 18th episode of ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...

''. It is the first episode of the show's third season. It aired on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

on September 18, 1991.

Plot

During a

physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...

massage Massage is the rubbing or kneading of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet, or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pa ...

, Jerry frightens his therapist by talking about a small boy who was kidnapped in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, suggesting that he could also be a deranged kidnapper, and then asking questions about the therapist's own son. George later becomes very uncomfortable when he is assigned a man as his masseur, fearing the massage might turn into a homosexual experience. He tells Jerry that he felt the beginnings of an

erection An erection (clinically: penile erection or penile tumescence) is a Physiology, physiological phenomenon in which the penis becomes firm, engorged, and enlarged. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, ...

during the massage. The two of them discuss whether or not this means George is homosexual, with Jerry arguing the con position. Kramer claims he saw

Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (; born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, ; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career ...

in Dinky Donuts but the others do not believe him. According to Kramer, DiMaggio was a very focused eaterthe same way he used to play; to prove his point, he made noises (such as banging the table and yelping), which DiMaggio ignored. George convinces Jerry to ask his dentist Roy for a note, allowing the group to secure free massages. In Roy's office, George's insecurity over his sexuality resurfaces when Roy asks for his opinion of

Evander Holyfield Evander Holyfield (born October 19, 1962) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed championship (boxing), undisputed champion in the cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight division ...

. Roy later comes under investigation for passing around fraudulent notes. Jerry tries to see the physical therapist once more, but she refuses because she's afraid he will kidnap her son. While eating in Monk's, Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer all see Joe DiMaggio dunking his donuts. Kramer once again bangs the table and yelps to demonstrate DiMaggio's unbreakable concentration.

Theme song

This is the only episodeother than the original pilotwith a different version of the theme song. Female singers harmonize over the iconic slap-bass tune, an addition made by composer Jonathan Wolff at the request of Jerry Seinfeld, who wanted to add "a little sparkle" to the music, suggesting the addition of some scat lyrics. Seinfeld and executive producer Larry David both liked Wolff's additions, and three episodes were produced with the new style music. However, they had neglected to inform

and Castle Rock of the change, and when the season premiere aired, the latter were surprised and unimpressed, and requested that they return to the original style. The subsequent two episodes were redone, leaving this episode as the only one with the additional music elements."Seinfeld - Season 3" DVD bonus material, "Inside Look". Since this episode's end credits play "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" in place of the theme tune, the full version of the revised theme was never used.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Note, The Seinfeld season 3 episodes 1991 American television episodes Television episodes written by Larry David