The Lip Reader

"The Lip Reader" is the 70th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the sixth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on October 28, 1993. The episode brought in a 20.4 rating and 31 share.

Plot

Jerry and George are at the U.S. Open where George mentions that he had invited his girlfriend Gwen to a party. Jerry says this is a bad idea, as he cannot socialize with others when he is with his girlfriend. George buys an ice cream sundae at the match and eats it, getting the chocolate all over his face, which is caught by the cameras and broadcast on television. Jerry becomes smitten with the lineswoman, and when he tries to get her attention it appears as if she is ignoring him. Only after she turns around, Jerry finds out that she is actually deaf.

Elaine, who is using the company car service to travel, is tired of all the chatty drivers – so to avoid talking to one she pretends to be deaf. However, her plan fails when she "hears" the radio message to the driver to pick up Tom Hanks. To make it up to the driver, who was disgusted with her feigned deafness, she gets him tickets to a rock concert.

Jerry tells Kramer about the deaf lineswoman, Laura (Marlee Matlin). Kramer claims to know sign language because a deaf cousin lived with him for a year. He then gets an idea to become a "ball man" at the tennis center and asks Jerry to find out from Laura how to get the job.

Gwen breaks up with George, saying "it's not you; it's me"; George is offended, as he considers this to be his signature break-up line. Kramer tells George about seeing him on TV with the ice cream on his face, which George believes to be the reason for Gwen breaking up with him. Jerry takes George as the third wheel on a date with Laura, and they find out that Laura can eavesdrop on people by lip reading. George then gets the idea to take Laura to a party to read his girlfriend's lips to see what she is saying about him. After the date Jerry asks if he can pick up Laura at six for the party ("How about six?"), which she misinterprets as 'sex' ("How about sex?") and leaves him in a huff.

Kramer goes for the ball boy tryouts and aces it, getting the job. Jerry tells George about the 'six/sex' misunderstanding and that he straightened it out with Laura. Newman enters and asks to 'borrow' Laura to spy on his supervisor, and, not surprisingly, Jerry refuses. Later, in the limo, they find out that the driver has gone slightly deaf from sitting near the speakers at a Metallica concert: the same concert for which Elaine had given him tickets. When he recognizes Elaine, the driver throws everyone out of his cab.

They arrive late to the party and meet Laura who has a brief and nonsensical sign language conversation with Kramer. When Gwen arrives, Laura watches her conversation with Todd and signs to Kramer who voices it out loud. The conversation is surprisingly mundane—about peas, pea soup, carrots and carrot soup (a subtle joke; "silent" extras often mouth the phrase "peas and carrots" to give the illusion of conversation). Todd then asks Gwen to assist him in the post-party cleanup, asking if she wants to "sweep" with him. Laura signs the exchange correctly; however, Kramer mistakenly voices it as Todd asking Gwen to 'sleep' with him. George becomes hysterical. He runs up to them and rants about the disloyalty. When Gwen corrects him, he starts shouting at Laura and Kramer. When Laura and Kramer start arguing and signing furiously, she accidentally hits George in the eye. He topples over a table and ruins the party.

Later, the group are seen at a tennis match where Kramer is the "ball man". Kramer rushes at the ball and accidentally knocks out Monica Seles, thus ending the great ball man experiment. After the match, Laura gets into the limo with the same chatty driver. When he starts talking to her, she explains to him, "I'm deaf." He turns back with a slightly agitated and dubious expression before the credits roll.

Guest cast

Wayne Knight – Newman
Marlee Matlin – Laura (Matlin was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for this role)
Christopher Darga – Limousine Driver
Veralyn Jones – Renee
Linda Kash – Gwen
Jerry Sroka – Todd
Dylan Haggerty – Young Man
Bret Anthony – Teen

Critical reception

David Sims of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A- / B+, calling it "perfectly good but just a little more forgettable than the stone cold classics season five opened with," including "some very memorable moments." Sims notes that much of the episode "makes George look like a fool."^[1]

Nick DeNitto remarked that "Laura's lip-reading isn't perfect, which leads to some funny moments of miscommunication."^[2]

Commentator Paul Arras praises the episode for its "jokes that take on stereotypes, political correctness, and other assumptions about etiquette." While Elaine becomes the foil, Matlin

plays the character with such self-confidence and empowerment, it's easy to forget that social etiquette implies her deafness should be cause for pity. In a hilarious scene, Jerry and George out to dinner with Laura, go to great lengths to guard their mouths in natural ways, raising a glass to their face or rubbing their eyes so Laura doesn't know they are talking about her. George, of course, lacks the shame he should be expected to feel about using Laura's skill for his own selfish interests. Jerry is more hesitant, saying, 'She's not a novelty act, George, where you hire her out for weddings and bar mitzvahs.' Eventually Jerry relents to ask, but before he can, Laura blurts out, 'Sure. I'll do it.' She's turned the tables and demonstrated her own empowerment. Their attempts to disguise their conversation from her failed. She is too good a lip reader to be outwitted.^[3]

Marlee Matlin told interviewer Heather Hogan about her experiences working on Seinfeld:

Q: I think Seinfeld's "Lip Reader" episode is iconic. Did you catch any flak for taking on that role?

A: The only thing I got for taking on that role was an Emmy nomination and a lot of approving looks, from people in airports, on the freeway, in public restrooms while I was freshening up! People across the board loved the episode and why wouldn't they? It was SEINFELD for God's sake, probably one of the top one or two funniest sitcoms in history. I am so honored to have been a small part of its legacy. And I am so jazzed to be working and developing a half-hour comedy with the creator of "Lip Reader," Carol Leifer. Funny lady!^[4]

References

^ Sims, David (Feb 24, 2011). "Seinfeld: The Bris / The Lip Reader". The AV Club. Retrieved February 24, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
^ DeNitto, Nick (August 26, 2013). "10 Famous People You Didn't Know Played Bit Parts On Seinfeld". WhatCulture!. Retrieved February 24, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
^ Arras, Paul. "SEINFELD - Season 5, Episode 6 – The Lip Reader". Watching the 90s: Television and Film Notes and Musings. Retrieved February 24, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
^ Hogan, Heather (June 15, 2009). "Interview with Marlee Matlin". www.AfterEllen.com. Retrieved February 24, 2014.

[1] Sims, David (Feb 24, 2011). "Seinfeld: The Bris / The Lip Reader". The AV Club. Retrieved February 24, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

[2] DeNitto, Nick (August 26, 2013). "10 Famous People You Didn't Know Played Bit Parts On Seinfeld". WhatCulture!. Retrieved February 24, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

[3] Arras, Paul. "SEINFELD - Season 5, Episode 6 – The Lip Reader". Watching the 90s: Television and Film Notes and Musings. Retrieved February 24, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

[4] Hogan, Heather (June 15, 2009). "Interview with Marlee Matlin". www.AfterEllen.com. Retrieved February 24, 2014.

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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