The Burning (Seinfeld)

Last updated
"The Burning"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.Season 9
Episode 16
Directed by Andy Ackerman
Written by Jennifer Crittenden
Production code916
Original air dateMarch 19, 1998 (1998-03-19)
Running time23 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Wizard"		Next →
"The Bookstore"
Seinfeld season 9
List of episodes

"The Burning" is the sixteenth episode of the ninth and final season of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld , [1] and the 172nd episode overall. This episode first aired on March 19, 1998. [2] It was written by Jennifer Crittenden and directed by Andy Ackerman.

Contents

In this episode, Elaine learns that her boyfriend David Puddy is religious, Jerry does not recognize his girlfriend's voice on the phone when she greets him with "It's me", Kramer and Mickey act out sick conditions for medical students and George tries to garner respect by walking out on Kruger meetings at comedic high notes.

Plot

Elaine thinks that her boyfriend David Puddy may be religious after finding Christian rock stations set on his car radio. She tells George and Jerry about Puddy's car radio, and George suggests altering his radio presets as a test. Elaine later finds Puddy has switched the stations back to Christian rock. Puddy confirms that he is religious and does not care that Elaine is not, because he is "not the one going to Hell." Elaine is frustrated at his lack of concern. Elaine and Puddy seek the advice of a priest about their relationship, and the priest informs them that they are both going to Hell for premarital sex, much to Elaine's delight.

George laments to Jerry about losing respect at a work meeting with a poorly received joke. Jerry suggests that George use the Vegas showmanship trick of leaving the room after a comedic high note. At the next meeting, George takes Jerry's suggestion and leaves the room after a well-received joke, but his showmanship backfires when Mr. Kruger throws everyone else off a large project because they are boring in comparison. George has to do all the actual work on the project as Kruger constantly makes excuses and goofs off. When George tries to get Kruger to work, Kruger makes silly comments and walks off on a high note, leaving George with a mountain of paperwork.

Kramer and Mickey Abbott get an acting gig playing sick for medical students and are assigned gonorrhea and bacterial meningitis, respectively. Kramer gives an impressive theatrical performance surrounding the burning sensation during urination for the med students. Kramer is concerned about being typecast when the hospital wants him to perform gonorrhea again the next week, due to his stellar performance. Kramer is attacked by Mickey after trying to take over Mickey's assigned role of cirrhosis of the liver.

Jerry's girlfriend Sophie calls him with an "it's me" greeting, but he does not recognize her voice. When Sophie uses the unwelcome "it's me" greeting on Jerry's answering machine, George suggests he return the favor when he calls back. Sophie does not recognize Jerry's voice on the phone; thinking that Jerry is a different friend, she reveals that she has not told Jerry about an incident she calls "the tractor story", leaving George and Jerry to speculate on what the tractor story may be. Jerry sees a scar on Sophie's leg and assumes it was from a tractor accident; Sophie tries to tell Jerry the tractor story, but he tells her that he already knows about it. Kramer and Mickey enter, still arguing about being given (the role of) gonorrhea, and Sophie tells them her tractor story: that she got gonorrhea from riding a tractor in her bathing suit. Kramer tells her that her story is impossible, but she maintains this was what her boyfriend told her happened (with the implication that her boyfriend gave her gonorrhea). After hearing this, Jerry breaks up with her, leaving the relationship on a comedic high note.

Production

Jennifer Crittenden wrote the episode. [3] This episode is dedicated to the memory of Lloyd Bridges, who died on March 10, 1998. [4] Bridges played Izzy Mandelbaum in "The English Patient" and "The Blood".

Mickey actor Danny Woodburn did his performance of cirrhosis of the liver as a William Shatner impression because he knew that George actor Jason Alexander was a big fan of Star Trek and would get a laugh out of it. [5]

"The tractor story" is an homage to the Happy Days episode "Fonzie the Substitute", which similarly has its comedic climax when a troubled young woman reveals she thought she got pregnant by necking in a bathing suit.

Reception

"The Burning" first aired at 9:00 p.m. EST on March 19, 1998, and achieved a Nielsen rating of 20.8. [6] Vance Durgin wrote in the Orange County Register , "Solidly in the tradition of the show's fabled irreverence, a funny first half was followed by a more absurd second half marred by the jokey priest and the absurd tractor story angle. But you can't expect a masterpiece this late in the series run." [7] The A.V. Club's David Sims said: "Here we have (excluding the finale) the last appearance of Puddy, and one of the best! ... But even though Kruger is particularly funny in this episode (making his chair spin three times without using his feet), George's frustration feels a little lacking in context." [8]

In his ranking of the 169 Seinfeld episodes, Vulture 's Larry Fitzmaurice rated "The Burning" 28th, writing: "This was a great example of Seinfeld's writers skirting the boundaries of '90s network TV to break taboos — specifically talk of sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhea from a tractor?). But "The Burning" isn't just successful because of its provocative nature. Any episode with Puddy is a relative gem, and his and Elaine's ongoing argument over whether she is going to Hell ends in a revelation that fits Seinfeld to a T: They both are — and so are the rest of the cast, too." [9]

Analysis

"The Burning" is one of the few Seinfeld episodes in which religion plays a prominent role, [10] with Puddy's Christianity contrast against Elaine's lack of religious belief. [10] [11] Whitley Kaufman, in his book Seinfeld and the Comic Vision, interpreted this subplot as highlighting the "emptiness and hypocrisy" of religious convictions, consistent with the series' treatment of religion in other episodes. [10] Philosopher Justin D. Barnard cited the episode as a notable example of Hell being treated comedically in popular culture. [12] The episode's use of a Jesus fish represents the symbol's most prominent use in popular culture, signalling its newfound status as a "cultural icon." [13] Barry Brummett criticized the episode's portrayal of Mickey as someone "easily offended, quick to anger, and prone to aggressive behaviour", which he perceived as stereotypical of people with dwarfism. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine Benes</span> Major character on the TV show Seinfeld

Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend in the sitcom is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld, and she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer. Louis-Dreyfus received critical acclaim for her performance as Elaine, winning an Emmy, a Golden Globe and five SAG Awards. She reprised the role during season 41 of Saturday Night Live in 2016.

"The Slicer" is the 163rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the seventh episode of the ninth and final season. It first aired on November 13, 1997. In this episode, George gets a job with an incompetent industrial firm, but an old photo of his boss with him in the background and Jerry's feuding with his dermatologist girlfriend put George at risk of getting fired, while Kramer's fondness for having his own meat slicer proves to be a source of help.

"The Sniffing Accountant" is the 68th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld, being the fourth episode of the series' fifth season. It aired on NBC on October 7, 1993.

"The Race" is the 96th episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld, the tenth episode of the sixth season. The episode first aired on December 15, 1994. The story follows Jerry as he meets an old rival, who suspects that he cheated in a high school race and wishes to re-run it. Elaine is put on a "blacklist" and finds out her boyfriend is a communist. George responds to a personal ad in the Daily Worker and Kramer, who is working as a department store Santa Claus, is convinced to become a communist by Elaine's boyfriend.

"The Fusilli Jerry" is the 107th episode of the 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.

"The English Patient" is the 151st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 17th episode for the eighth season and aired on March 13, 1997. The English Patient, central to Elaine's storyline in this episode, won Best Picture at the 69th Academy Awards, eleven days after this episode aired.

"The Yada Yada" is the 153rd episode of the American NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The 19th episode of the eighth season, it aired on April 24, 1997. Peter Mehlman and Jill Franklyn were nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series in 1997.

"The Voice" is the 158th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the second episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on October 2, 1997. The episode's title refers to a joke Jerry and his friends share about his girlfriend's stomach having a voice, which ends up coming between Jerry and his girlfriend. Meanwhile, a chance encounter with David Puddy leads to Elaine renewing their relationship, George sticks with a job where his co-workers all hate him because he has a one-year contract with the company, and Kramer hires an intern and works with him on creating an oil bladder system.

"The Junk Mail" is the 161st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It was the fifth episode of the ninth and final season. The episode aired on October 30, 1997. In this episode, Jerry is gifted a van by a childhood friend and cannot turn it down for fear of hurting his feelings, Elaine mistakenly thinks she has fallen in love when the sight of a man triggers memories of an old commercial he appeared in, and Kramer, tired of getting swamped with junk mail, tries to stop all delivery of his mail, only to uncover a conspiracy by the United States Postal Service to keep the public from realizing that mail is pointless. Produced when e-mail was becoming a mainstream form of communication, the episode reflected the popular prediction of the time that postal service would soon become obsolete.

"The Strike" is the 166th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the tenth episode of the ninth and final season. It aired on December 18, 1997. This episode features and popularized the holiday of Festivus.

"The Dealership" is the 167th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 11th episode of the ninth and final season. It aired on January 8, 1998. This episode follows the characters' escapades at a car dealership, which Jerry is visiting in hopes of getting an insider deal on a new car through his friendship with David Puddy.

"The Stall" is the 76th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 12th episode of the fifth season, and first aired on January 6, 1994. In this episode, Jerry tries to keep Elaine from finding out that his girlfriend Jane is the same woman she had a bathroom altercation with over a lack of toilet paper, while Kramer suspects Jane is a worker on a phone sex line.

"The Highlights of 100" is an hour-long, two-part episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the 14th and 15th episodes for the sixth season, and the 100th and 101st overall episode. It aired on February 2, 1995. It is a clip show to celebrate the series' 100th episode with no new content apart from a 50 second long intro by Jerry Seinfeld. In syndication, it airs as two separate episodes of 30 minutes each, with a second intro at the beginning of the second episode. This is the first episode in the series not to open with a stand-up routine.

"The Face Painter" is the 109th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 23rd episode of the series's sixth season. It aired on May 11, 1995. The table reading for "The Face Painter" was held on March 26, 1995. In this episode, Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and David Puddy go to two Stanley Cup playoff games, where Puddy dismays Elaine and an El Salvadoran priest with his rowdy displays of New Jersey Devils fandom. Meanwhile, Kramer holds a grudge against a chimpanzee who hit him with a banana peel, and George resolves to take the dramatic step of telling his girlfriend he loves her.

"The Caddy" is the 122nd episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 12th episode for the seventh season, originally airing on January 25, 1996. In this episode, George takes an unapproved vacation, leading to him being presumed dead, while Kramer, Jerry, and Jackie Chiles launch a lawsuit against Elaine's archenemy Sue Ellen Mischke because she was wearing a bra without a top in public.

"The Wait Out" is the 133rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the 23rd episode for the seventh season, originally airing on May 9, 1996. In this episode, Jerry and Elaine attempt to start dating a recently separated husband and wife on the rebound, while George, feeling guilty over his role in inciting the breakup, tries to get the couple back together. Julia Louis-Dreyfus won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for this episode at the 48th Primetime Emmy Awards.

"The Wig Master" is the 129th episode of the NBC situation comedy Seinfeld. This is the 19th episode for the seventh season, originally airing on April 4, 1996. The episode follows the mishaps which befall George and Kramer as a result of their parking at a discount parking lot, while Jerry feels emasculated by Elaine's new boyfriend, who holds out the promise of a discount on a designer dress in order to keep her going out with him.

"The Maid" is the 175th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 19th episode of the ninth and final season. It aired on April 30, 1998. In this episode, Jerry hires a maid and ends up having a sexual relationship with her, George tries to get people to give him a good nickname, and Elaine falls into a chain of phone problems after Kramer subscribes her phone number to an incessant fax service.

"The Reverse Peephole" is the 12th episode of the ninth season(the 168th overall) of the television comedy series Seinfeld. It was written by Spike Feresten and directed by Andy Ackerman. In this episode, Jerry gets rid of his wallet and ultimately replaces it with a European carry-all, Kramer and Newman face possible eviction after they reverse the peepholes on their doors and Newman begins an affair with the super's wife, and Elaine has to recover a friend's fur coat which she mistakenly threw out a window.

References

  1. ↑ "Seinfeld Season 9 Episodes". TV Guide . Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  2. ↑ "The Burning" Rotten Tomatoes
  3. ↑ Nigro, Nicholas (2015). Seinfeld FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Show About Nothing. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Applause Books. ISBN   978-1-55783-857-5 . Retrieved 2021-12-31– via Google Books.
  4. ↑ Tracy, Kathleen (1998). Jerry Seinfeld: The Entire Domain. Secaucus, New Jersey: Carol Publishing Group. pp.  308–309. ISBN   1-55972-474-9 . Retrieved 2021-12-31– via Internet Archive.
  5. ↑ VanHooker, Brian (April 5, 2023). "'It's Little People, You Got That?': Danny Woodburn on Playing Mickey Abbott, the Most Explosive Character on 'Seinfeld'". Cracked. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ "TV listings: March 19, 1998". TV Tango. Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
  7. ↑ Durgin, Vance (1998-03-22). "Second-half absurdity mars 'The Burning' episode". Orange County Register . Archived from the original on 2022-01-01. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  8. ↑ Sims, David (2012-03-29). "Seinfeld: "The Wizard"/"The Burning"". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on 2022-01-01. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  9. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry (2021-09-01). "All 169 Seinfeld Episodes, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture . Archived from the original on 2022-01-01. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  10. 1 2 3 Kaufman, Whitley R.P. (2020). Seinfeld and the Comic Vision. London, UK: Lexington Books. pp. 60–61. ISBN   978-1-4985-9474-5.
  11. ↑ Arras, Paul (2020). Seinfeld: A Cultural History. London, UK: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 106. ISBN   9781538126875.
  12. ↑ Barnard, Justin D. (2010). "Compatibilism, "Wantons," and the Natural Consequence Model of Hell". In Buenting, Joel (ed.). The Problem of Hell: A Philosophical Anthology. Routledge. pp. 65–76. ISBN   9780754667636.
  13. ↑ Edmondson, Todd (2010). "The Jesus Fish: Evolution of a Cultural Icon". Studies in Popular Culture. 32 (2): 57–66. JSTOR   23416155.
  14. ↑ Brummett, Barry (2008). Uncovering Hidden Rhetorics: Social Issues in Disguise. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. p. 39. ISBN   978-1-4129-5691-8.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.