The Marine Biologist

Last updated
"The Marine Biologist"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 14
Directed by Tom Cherones
Written by Ron Hauge & Charlie Rubin
Production code513
Original air dateFebruary 10, 1994 (1994-02-10)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Dinner Party"		Next →
"The Pie"
Seinfeld season 5
List of episodes

"The Marine Biologist" is the 78th episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld . It is the 14th episode of the fifth season. [1] It was originally broadcast on NBC on February 10, 1994. [1] In the episode, George pretends to be a marine biologist in order to impress an old crush, which puts him on the spot when they encounter a beached whale. Meanwhile, Elaine attempts to recover her electronic organizer after a renowned Russian author throws it out the window of a moving limousine. Jerry Seinfeld considers the episode one of his favorites. [2]

Contents

Plot

While having a conversation with Elaine about his favorite T-shirt, "Golden Boy" (which, due to its age, is "dying"), Jerry tells her the novel War and Peace was originally called War, What Is it Good For? (a reference to Edwin Starr's hit song "War"). Kramer gives Elaine an electronic organizer. He has acquired a stash of 600 Titleist golf balls from a driving range and decides to hit them into the ocean.

Jerry runs into George's college crush Diane and tells her George is now a marine biologist. Intrigued, she asks Jerry for his number. George is upset because he thinks he can't convincingly pretend to be a marine biologist.

Elaine shares what Jerry told her with renowned Russian author Yuri Testikov, who is being courted by Pendant Publishing, her company. This causes an argument between Elaine, Mr. Lippman, and Testikov. When Elaine can't shut off her electronic organizer's beeping, Testikov angrily grabs it from her and tosses it out of the window of the limousine they are sharing. It hits a woman named Corinne in the head. She finds Jerry's phone number in the organizer and calls him. Corinne says she won't return Elaine's organizer until she is compensated for her hospital bill. Since Elaine destroyed her contacts book upon getting the organizer, she needs it back, but feels Testikov should pay Corinne's bill. She and Jerry meet him in his hotel room with a tape recorder hidden in her bag. They record a confession, but Testikov is irritated by the noise of the tape recorder and digs it out of Elaine's bag. He throws it out the window, hitting Corinne in the head while she waits outside the hotel.

Kramer returns home in humiliation, having missed every ball except one, and gotten sand in his clothing. While trying to get sand out of his shoe, he accidentally drops it out of his apartment window, hitting Newman. At the beach, George is called upon to use his non-existent marine biology skills to save a beached whale. Motivated by love for Diane, George approaches the whale, realizes its blowhole is obstructed, and reaches in to pull out Kramer's golf ball. [3] George is hailed as a hero and confesses to Diane that he is not really a marine biologist. She dumps him in response. Jerry tells Elaine that in its latest run through the washing machine, Golden Boy "didn't make it", but has been replaced by its son, "Baby Blue".

Production

George's climactic whale monologue was not in Ron Hauge and Charlie Rubin's original script; it was a rewrite that show creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld came up with in a burst of late night inspiration. [4] Because the monologue was written at the last minute, there was no time to rehearse it. Despite this, actor Jason Alexander's delivery on the first take was so satisfying to the show's producers that no further takes were shot. [4] Seinfeld stated that his shocked expression in the scene was not an in-character reaction to the story, but rather him marveling at Alexander's ability to have the speech memorized so quickly. [5]

The production crew wanted to use the animatronic whale from the then-recent film Free Willy for the scene at the beach. Due to miscommunication, the owners of the animatronic whale thought the Seinfeld crew wanted the real whale, and declined the request. [4] The crew resorted to crafting a CGI whale. Larry David was pleased with how real the CGI whale looked, but decided that the scene would be more effective if the whale were kept off-camera. [4]

Sequences which were filmed but deleted prior to broadcast include George giving an in-depth account of his made-up visit to the Galapagos Islands and Newman finding a mentally unhinged Kramer vacuuming non-existent sand.

Critical reception

Rick Kushman of The Sacramento Bee listed this as one of the Top Ten Seinfeld Episodes: a "brilliantly plotted story that weaves together all kinds of silliness". [6]

In 2009, a New Hampshire Union Leader columnist speculated that one could ask "people to name their favorite living marine biologist... and the most likely answer is George Costanza." [7]

Related Research Articles

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

George Louis Costanza is a fictional character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), played by Jason Alexander. He is a short, stocky, balding man who struggles with numerous insecurities, often dooming his romantic relationships through his own fear of being dumped. He is also remarkably lazy; during periods of unemployment he actively avoids getting a job, and while employed he often finds ingenious ways to conceal idleness from his bosses. He is friends with Jerry Seinfeld, Cosmo Kramer, and Elaine Benes. George and Jerry were junior high school friends and remained friends afterward. George appears in every episode except "The Pen".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Seinfeld (character)</span> Main character on the TV show Seinfeld

Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the title character and the main protagonist of the American television sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998). The straight man among his group of friends, this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, and played by Seinfeld himself. The series revolves around Jerry's misadventures with his best friend George Costanza, neighbor Cosmo Kramer, and ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes. He is usually the voice of reason amid his friends' antics and the focal point of the relationship.

"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 Limo" is the 19th episode of the third season of the American sitcom Seinfeld. It aired on February 26, 1992.

"The Keys" is the 40th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 23rd, and final, episode of the third season and the first of a three-episode story arc. It first aired on May 6, 1992. In this episode, Jerry takes back his spare keys from Kramer, straining their friendship. Candice Bergen guest stars as herself, playing the title character from Murphy Brown in a TV episode within a TV episode.

"The Pick" is the 53rd episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 13th episode of the fourth season, and first aired on December 16, 1992. In this episode, Elaine mistakenly mails out a Christmas card in which her nipple is exposed to all her friends and relatives, Jerry's girlfriend breaks up with him after she sees him seemingly pick his nose, and Kramer is angered when he learns Calvin Klein has put out a new perfume based on his idea for a perfume that smells like the beach.

"The Smelly Car" is the 61st episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode is the 20th episode of the fourth season. It aired on April 15, 1993 on NBC. In this episode, the body odor left by a restaurant valet in Jerry's car further transfers itself to Jerry and Elaine, and seems to be irremovable. Meanwhile, George learns that his ex-girlfriend Susan has converted to lesbianism, and Kramer successfully seduces Susan's girlfriend.

"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 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 Merv Griffin Show" is the 162nd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the sixth episode of the ninth and final season. It aired on November 6, 1997, and appeared on DVD ten years later. In this episode, Kramer finds the original set for The Merv Griffin Show and uses it to revive the show in his apartment, Elaine contends with a new co-worker who stealthily sidles behind her, and Jerry drugs his girlfriend so that he can play with her collection of toys.

"The Betrayal" is the 164th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on November 20, 1997. In this episode, Jerry betrays George by having sex with his girlfriend Nina, right before Elaine invites all three of them to come with her to India for the wedding of Sue Ellen Mischke, Elaine's longtime rival. The episode is colloquially referred to as the "backwards episode" due to its reverse chronology, starting with the final scene and playing in reverse order. Written collaboratively by Peter Mehlman and David Mandel, the episode bridges Seinfeld's final season to its past with scenes from George's engagement to Susan Ross and Jerry's moving in to his apartment, and with a gimmick-based format which evoked the series' early gimmick-based episodes like "The Chinese Restaurant" and "The Limo".

"The Wizard" is the 171st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 15th episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on February 26, 1998. In this episode, Kramer retires and moves into the same condo as Morty and Helen Seinfeld, Elaine tries to find out if her pale-skinned boyfriend is actually black, and George gets upset that the Rosses will not call him a liar after they catch him lying about buying a house in the Hamptons.

"The Masseuse" is the 73rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the ninth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on November 18, 1993. In this episode, Jerry struggles to get his masseuse girlfriend to give him a massage, while George is drawn to how much she dislikes him, and Elaine struggles with the embarrassment of dating a man with the same name as Joel Rifkin.

"The Hamptons" is the 85th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, the 21st episode of the fifth season. It aired on May 12, 1994. The episode follows the main characters' misadventures during a weekend visiting friends in the Hamptons: everyone but George sees George's girlfriend topless on the beach, Elaine is puzzled by a man's use of the word "breathtaking", Kramer steals lobsters from a commercial fishing trap, and George is a victim of penile shrinkage when Jerry's girlfriend sees him changing after he had been in the pool.

"The Scofflaw" is the 99th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 13th episode for the sixth season. It aired on January 26, 1995. In this episode, George and Jerry both pretend to not know their friend Gary Fogel never had cancer, Elaine takes revenge on her ex-boyfriend by acquiring a pair of glasses identical to his, and Kramer teams up with a police officer to catch a repeat parking violator.

"The Highlights of 100" is the 14th and 15th episode of the sixth season of the American sitcom Seinfeld, and the 100th and 101st episode overall. Written by Peter Mehlman and directed by Andy Ackerman, the episode originally aired on NBC on February 2, 1995. The episode 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 Diplomat's Club" is the 108th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the 22nd episode for the sixth season. It aired on May 4, 1995. The episode was the final appearance of Mr. Pitt as a recurring character, as he comes to suspect Elaine of plotting to kill him in order to receive the benefits from his will. In the episode's other plotlines, Jerry takes an ill-fated trip to Ithaca with an overly pampering assistant, Kramer returns to his gambling habit by betting on flight arrivals, and George tries to prove he is not racist by getting a black friend.

"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 Wink" is the 114th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the fourth episode in the seventh season. It first aired on October 12, 1995. In this episode, George's compulsive winking after grapefruit is squirted into his eye is subject to a variety of misinterpretations, Elaine dates her wake-up service caller and feuds with her cousin Holly over their grandmother's old possessions, and Jerry tries to conceal his healthy eating habits from Holly while dating her.

"The Cartoon" is the 169th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 13th episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on January 29, 1998. In this episode, aspiring actress Sally Weaver becomes a success with a show where she vilifies Jerry, Elaine struggles to see the humor in a cartoon that appears in The New Yorker, and George is disconcerted when Elaine and Kramer point out that the woman he is dating looks a lot like Jerry.

References

  1. 1 2 "Seinfeld Season 5 Episodes". TV Guide . Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  2. ↑ Season 5 extras. inside looks # 7
  3. ↑ Hauge, Ron and Charlie Rubin (February 10, 1994). "Script: Episode 78 – The Marine Biologist". Seinology.com. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Seinfeld Season 5: Inside Look - "The Marine Biologist" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2005.
  5. ↑ Jerry Seinfeld’s INCREDIBLE Reveal about the ‘Beached Whale/Golf Ball’ Episode | The Rich Eisen Show . Retrieved 2024-05-03– via www.youtube.com.
  6. ↑ Kushman, Rick (May 10, 1998). "Nothing But the Best – BEE TV Columnist Rick Kushman Chooses The TOP 10 Seinfeld Episodes". The Sacramento Bee . p. EN16. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  7. ↑ Clayton, John (October 26, 2009). "NH woman pulls plastic from the Pacific". New Hampshire Union Leader . p. 1. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
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.