The Pool Guy

Not to be confused with The Twilight Zone episode of the same name.

"The Pool Guy" is the 118th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode of the seventh season. It aired on November 16, 1995. The end credit states "In Memory of our Friend Rick Bolden". Rick Bolden was one of the musicians who worked on the show's theme song.

Plot

Elaine befriends Susan. Jerry meets his pool guy Ramon outside a movie, and then he can't get rid of him ever since he got fired from the health club Physique for putting too much chlorine in the pool. George is worried by Elaine wanting to get to know Susan ("The two worlds collide!").

Kramer's new phone number (555-FILK) is similar to a film information line (555-FILM). When Kramer keeps receiving wrong numbers, he begins giving out the information for movie show times posing as Mr. Moviefone, although he doesn't do a good job.

When Jerry turns down Ramon's offer of friendship, the latter gets upset thinking it is because he cleans pools. After Ramon gets his job back, he decides to get even with Jerry as Newman is also shown to be at Physique.

George then goes to meet Jerry at the coffeeshop but when Jerry arrives, he sits down with Susan, Kramer, & Elaine at a separate table. When George arrives, it proves the "worlds are colliding" phrase; he is then seen sitting alone at Reggie's.

During one instance when Jerry is in the pool while Ramon is cleaning the swimming pool, he keeps interrupting Jerry's swim exercise by using the squeegee pole; frustrated, Jerry grabs on to the pole and causes Ramon to fall in. Newman is then shown in an old-fashioned male swimsuit running to the swimming pool quoting "Olly Olly Oxen-Free!" as Jerry in slow motion tries to tell Newman to stop, but it's too late as Newman jumps into the pool. Minutes later, it is shown that Newman has knocked out Ramon who is now lying outside the swimming pool as both Jerry and Newman argue over who would resuscitate him.

Later that night, Susan, Elaine and Jerry go to a movie. Jerry mentioned to Elaine and Susan what happened at Physique where he states that some people came in and were able to resuscitate Ramon. When Elaine comments to Jerry that he wouldn't dare show his face at Physique, Jerry commented that his membership there was revoked, alongside Newman's membership as well. Later, George arrives to look for them, using Kramer's Moviefone information. However, he hung up the phone before Kramer tells him that the movie is playing at two theaters, so he shows up at the wrong theater and starts yelling for them. George is pulled out by security while shouting about "worlds are colliding" and is witnessed by Jerry, Elaine, and Susan; Susan breaks off her friendship with Elaine and Jerry since she can't understand why they talk so much.

During the credits, Kramer is confronted by the real Mr. Moviefone who stands outside his door. Mr. Moviefone gives Kramer the option to discuss this the easy way by opening the door or discuss this the hard way by giving the number of seconds before he breaks down the door.

Production

Playwright/performing artist Danny Hoch was originally cast as the Pool Guy in this episode. According to Hoch he objected to what he felt was ethnic stereotyping in the way his character was written: a stereotype of a "crazy Hispanic named Ramon." After Hoch unsuccessfully tried to have the character changed, he said that Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus were supportive of him, while Michael Richards told him he would be fired if he didn't play the role as written. Hoch then returned to his hotel room, and shortly afterwards received a phone call telling him he was being replaced and he should fly home as soon as possible. He told this story on a 2005 television documentary Race Is the Place and in his one-man show Jails, Hospitals & Hip Hop.

Reception

The episode won for Best Episodic Comedy at Writers Guild of America Awards 1996.^[1]

References

^ "wga awards". Archive.is. Retrieved 2016-11-05.

External links

The Pool Guy at IMDb

[1] "wga awards". Archive.is. Retrieved 2016-11-05.

[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