Episode Diary 2: Male Unbonding

Storylines: Jerry gets stuck dealing with a friend he’s never liked. Jerry, with the help of Elaine, comes up with excuses not to see him after attempting to break up with the guy. Kramer first talks about his pizza place where people make their own pie.

Personal take: This is my least favorite episode. It’s not because it’s a bad episode, though it certainly isn’t great. It’s because people like Jerry’s friend are the worst people I can think of. It’s painful to watch. It’s so annoying to try and be friends with people who never listen to what you have to say. They’re so self-involved and they abuse your willingness to listen to them by blabbering about things that only pertain to them. Why call it a friendship, then? Honestly, there really is nothing interesting in the episode.

This is the first episode that begins to delve into the psyche of George Costanza. After a woman breaks up with him, he decides to eat a meal with her before leaving. He then complains that he had to pay. “The least she could do is send me off with a sandwich,” George says. That, coupled with how George has a huge jar of pennies that he takes to the bank, kind of give hints into how cheap George really is.

Gaps in Society: This is a major gap in society. There are just some people that are oblivious to the fact that their so-called friends don’t like hanging around them. How is it that people can care so little about their friends? “He’s so self-involved,” Jerry says. That’s how. In no way does the episode exaggerate how frequently these occurrences happen. I’ve been in conversations with people where they simply aren’t listening to what I’m saying, even if I make up some pretty crazy stuff, like what Jerry does in the episode. It’s just pathetic.

Jerry’s bits:

His first one is about how men are magnetically drawn to any activity using tools.

He later talks about how it’s not possible for guy friends to break up with each other.

He has a small bit about having to go through bank lines even when there’s no one in line.

His final bit is about pretending you’re hosting your own little talk show when talking to people with whom you have nothing in common.

Best lines:

Elaine: I never made a man cry. I even kicked a guy in the groin once, and he didn’t cry. I got the cab.

Jerry: Couple of tough monkeys.

Tidbits:

“Male Unbonding” is the only episode that doesn’t start with the word ‘the.’... Seinfeld’s arpartment was numbered 411 at first before its permanent change to 5A.

Kevin Dunn, who plays Jerry’s friend Joel, was considered for the role of George before (thankfully) Jason Alexander was cast. Other actresses who auditioned for the role of Elaine include Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond), Rosie O’Donnell and Helen Hunt, who turned down the role (thankfully).

References/running jokes/connections:

Kramer answers his phone by saying “Kramerica Industries,” and makes the first reference to his pizza place where people make their own pies.