The Hamptons (Seinfeld)

"**The Hamptons**"
"The Hamptons"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 5; Episode 21
Directed by	Tom Cherones
Written by	Peter Mehlman & Carol Leifer
Production code	521
Original air date	May 12, 1994
Guest appearances
	Melanie Smith as Rachel; Lisa Mende as Carol; Melora Walters as Jane; Richard Burgi as Ben; Mark L. Taylor as Michael; Jesse D. Goins as Cop;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Fire"	Next →; "The Opposite"
	Seinfeld (season 5)
	List of episodes

"The Hamptons" is the 85th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 21st episode for the fifth season. It aired on May 12, 1994. This was the final produced episode of the fifth season, although it aired as the penultimate episode of the season. 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 "shrinkage" when Jerry's girlfriend sees him changing after he came out of the pool.

Plot

The four principal characters travel to the Hamptons to see a baby; they are joined by George's girlfriend Jane and Rachel, whose father is allowing her to see Jerry again after Jerry gave him kishka to atone for his behavior in The Raincoats. George is excited about Jane coming along, thinking she intends to have sex with him for the first time. At the beach, Jane goes topless in front of Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine while George is out to get tomatoes. Elaine is thrilled to be described as "breathtaking" by the baby's handsome doctor, Ben, until he uses the same adjective to describe the baby, whom Elaine and Jerry think is ugly (Elaine compared the baby's appearance to a Pekingese).

Kramer returns from a beach expedition with enough lobster for everyone and blurts out to George they saw Jane topless. George is infuriated at Jerry about this, and demands to see Rachel naked in recompense. After being warned by Elaine that Rachel is changing, George barges into her room, but Rachel has only dropped her pants. After he excuses himself Rachel, following incorrect directions to the baby's room, accidentally barges in on him undressing and laughs at the size of his penis. George tries in vain to convince Jerry to explain to her that, having just gotten out of the pool, he is a victim of penile "shrinkage". At dinner Rachel declines to eat the lobster, since it is not kosher. Kramer reveals he got the lobster from a commercial lobster trap. This outrages their host Michael, whose father was a commercial fisherman.

Elaine asks Ben in private about his use of the word "breathtaking". He answers that "sometimes you say a thing like that just to be nice", leaving Elaine more confused about his intentions than ever. Rachel tells Jane about George's penis size, prompting Jane to drive back to New York in the middle of the night. At breakfast, George gets revenge on Rachel by serving scrambled eggs made with lobster (with the excuse that "they tend to shrink in the water"). He goes after her with the excuse that he intends to apologize, and this time successfully sees her naked. Police investigate the lobster poaching, and Michael points the finger at Kramer. Unable to pay the $1,000 fine, he must pick up garbage on the side of the road as a means of community service. On the way home, Jerry, George, and Elaine stop at a tomato stall, where Rachel throws a tomato at George.

Influence on popular culture

The episode has been credited with giving "new meaning to the word 'shrinkage'".^[1] Seinfeld writer Peter Mehlman took credit for introducing the word, with apparently enthusiastic approval from Larry David (conversely, Mehlman gave David credit for "sponge-worthy", the catchword from The Sponge).^[2] The word was later used in a Budweiser commercial and cited as a testament to the show's influence.^[3]

In other comedy, the Three Stooges used the word "shrinkage" in the 1947 episode "An Ache in Every Stake", specifically when Curley runs up a long flight of stairs carrying a large block of ice, only to have it turn to the size of an ice cube by the time he reaches the top. Moe then turns to Larry and states "How do you like that, we forgot to allow for shrinkage."

References

^ Garner, Joe (2004). Made You Laugh!: The Funniest Moments in Radio,Television, Stand-up,and Movie Comedy. Andrews McMeel. p. 57. ISBN 9780740746956. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
^ Neuwirth, Allan (2006). They'll Never Put That on the Air: An Oral History Of Taboo-Breaking TV Comedy. Skyhorse. p. 242. ISBN 9781581154177. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
^ Bjorklund, Dennis. Seinfeld Reference: The Complete Encyclopedia With Biographies, Character Profiles & Episode Summaries. Praetorian. p. 27. ISBN 9780967985244. Retrieved 18 May 2012.

External links

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[1] Garner, Joe (2004). Made You Laugh!: The Funniest Moments in Radio,Television, Stand-up,and Movie Comedy. Andrews McMeel. p. 57. ISBN 9780740746956. Retrieved 18 May 2012.

[2] Neuwirth, Allan (2006). They'll Never Put That on the Air: An Oral History Of Taboo-Breaking TV Comedy. Skyhorse. p. 242. ISBN 9781581154177. Retrieved 18 May 2012.

[3] Bjorklund, Dennis. Seinfeld Reference: The Complete Encyclopedia With Biographies, Character Profiles & Episode Summaries. Praetorian. p. 27. ISBN 9780967985244. Retrieved 18 May 2012.

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v t e Seinfeld episodes
Season 1	"The Seinfeld Chronicles" "The Stake Out" "The Robbery" "Male Unbonding" "The Stock Tip"
Season 2	"The Ex-Girlfriend" "The Pony Remark" "The Jacket" "The Phone Message" "The Apartment" "The Statue" "The Revenge" "The Heart Attack" "The Deal" "The Baby Shower" "The Chinese Restaurant" "The Busboy"
Season 3	"The Note" "The Truth" "The Pen" "The Dog" "The Library" "The Parking Garage" "The Cafe" "The Tape" "The Nose Job" "The Stranded" "The Alternate Side" "The Red Dot" "The Subway" "The Pez Dispenser" "The Suicide" "The Fix-Up" "The Boyfriend"† "The Limo" "The Good Samaritan" "The Letter" "The Parking Space" "The Keys"
Season 4	"The Trip"† "The Pitch" "The Ticket" "The Wallet" "The Watch" "The Bubble Boy" "The Cheever Letters" "The Opera" "The Virgin" "The Contest" "The Airport" "The Pick" "The Movie" "The Visa" "The Shoes" "The Outing" "The Old Man" "The Implant" "The Junior Mint" "The Smelly Car" "The Handicap Spot" "The Pilot"†
Season 5	"The Mango" "The Puffy Shirt" "The Glasses" "The Sniffing Accountant" "The Bris" "The Lip Reader" "The Non-Fat Yogurt" "The Barber" "The Masseuse" "The Cigar Store Indian" "The Conversion" "The Stall" "The Dinner Party" "The Marine Biologist" "The Pie" "The Stand In" "The Wife" "The Raincoats"† "The Fire" "The Hamptons" "The Opposite"
Season 6	"The Chaperone" "The Big Salad" "The Pledge Drive" "The Chinese Woman" "The Couch" "The Gymnast" "The Soup" "The Mom & Pop Store" "The Secretary" "The Race" "The Switch" "The Label Maker" "The Scofflaw" "The Highlights of 100"† "The Beard" "The Kiss Hello" "The Doorman" "The Jimmy" "The Doodle" "The Fusilli Jerry" "The Diplomat's Club" "The Face Painter" "The Understudy"
Season 7	"The Engagement" "The Postponement" "The Maestro" "The Wink" "The Hot Tub" "The Soup Nazi" "The Secret Code" "The Pool Guy" "The Sponge" "The Gum" "The Rye" "The Caddy" "The Seven" "The Cadillac"† "The Shower Head" "The Doll" "The Friar's Club" "The Wig Master" "The Calzone" "The Bottle Deposit"† "The Wait Out" "The Invitations"
Season 8	"The Foundation" "The Soul Mate" "The Bizarro Jerry" "The Little Kicks" "The Package" "The Fatigues" "The Checks" "The Chicken Roaster" "The Abstinence" "The Andrea Doria" "The Little Jerry" "The Money" "The Comeback" "The Van Buren Boys" "The Susie" "The Pothole" "The English Patient" "The Nap" "The Yada Yada" "The Millennium" "The Muffin Tops" "The Summer of George"
Season 9	"The Butter Shave" "The Voice" "The Serenity Now" "The Blood" "The Junk Mail" "The Merv Griffin Show" "The Slicer" "The Betrayal" "The Apology" "The Strike" "The Dealership" "The Reverse Peephole" "The Cartoon" "The Strongbox" "The Wizard" "The Burning" "The Bookstore" "The Frogger" "The Maid" "The Puerto Rican Day" "The Chronicle"† "The Finale"†
† Indicates two-part episode