The Letter (Seinfeld)

"**The Letter**"
"The Letter"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 3; Episode 20
Directed by	Tom Cherones
Written by	Larry David
Production code	320
Original air date	March 25, 1992
Guest appearance
	Catherine Keener as Nina;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Good Samaritan"	Next →; "The Parking Space"
	Seinfeld (season 3)
	List of episodes

"The Letter" is the 38th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the 20th of the third season. It aired on March 25, 1992.

Plot

Kramer poses for a portrait to be painted by Jerry's new girlfriend, Nina (Catherine Keener), which an elderly, art-loving couple (Elliott Reid and Justine Johnston) admire. George feels obligated to buy something when he accompanies Jerry to Nina's art studio, especially when she offers George her father's tickets to the owner's box at Yankee Stadium. George then reluctantly purchases a $500 painting, which he tries to sell to Jerry for $10 at the end of the episode.

With Nina's tickets, George brings both Elaine and Kramer to the owner's box at Yankee Stadium. In order to get out of a prior engagement (her boss's son's bris), Elaine lies to her boss, Mr. Lippman, saying she must tend to her ill father. However, once the three are seated in the box, Elaine refuses to remove her Baltimore Orioles baseball cap and they are consequently ejected. Kramer, while attempting to climb over the dugout to retrieve George’s Yankee cap after Elaine threw it, is struck in the head by a baseball. At the same time, Nina and Jerry have an argument and break up.

Upon returning to Jerry's apartment, Elaine discovers her confrontation in the Yankees' owners box was published with a picture in the sports section of the paper. After an unsuccessful attempt at stealing the sports section of the paper from her boss' office desk, Elaine fears her boss will recognize her picture and her lie about her father. Meanwhile, a poetic and emotional letter is delivered to Jerry's from Nina. Although he is initially moved and humbled, Jerry soon finds out that the letter was plagiarized from the Neil Simon film Chapter Two. While Jerry reinstates his breakup with Nina, the elderly couple who admired Kramer's portrait walk in to confirm their purchase.

Elaine is summoned to her boss's office, whose accountant is revealed to be Nina's father. As he recites the baseball cap story over the phone, Lippman is amused and apparently does not realize that the offender was Elaine. He informs her that Nina's father has given him tickets to Yankee Stadium and invites her to wear a Baltimore cap (which she coincidentally has in her office) as a joke.

In the closing scene, Jerry and George watch the televised Yankees game, only to find Elaine in yet another cap altercation as described by Phil Rizzuto and Kramer dines with the elderly couple who purchased his portrait.

Popularity

Both the oil painting of Kramer and the words the elderly couple use to describe it became popular among Seinfeld fans. Rob Thomas of the Wisconsin State Journal included the line "he is a loathsome, offensive brute, yet I can't look away" in his top 20 of Seinfeld lines.^[1]

References

^ Thomas, Rob (June 7, 2001). "Top 20 Seinfeld Lines". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 3.

External links

[1] Thomas, Rob (June 7, 2001). "Top 20 Seinfeld Lines". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 3.

[1]

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