The Letter

"The Letter" is the thirty-ninth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the 21st 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 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 Owners Box at Yankee Stadium. George then reluctantly purchases a five hundred dollar painting, which he tries to sell to Jerry for ten dollars at the end of the episode.

With Nina's tickets, George brings both Elaine and Kramer to the Yankee Stadium's Owners Box. In order to leave work, 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 evicted. Kramer, while attempting to climb over the dugout is struck in the head by a baseball. At the same time, Nina and Jerry have an argument and decide to break up.

Upon returning to Jerry's apartment, Elaine discovers her confrontation in the Yankee's 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 his office, Elaine fears her boss will realise and fire her. 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. Upon confronting 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 coincidently has in her office) as a joke.

In the closing scene, Kramer is seen to be dining with the elderly couple who purchased his portrait.

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (January 2009)

• The famous portrait of Kramer in this episode, entitled "The Kramer," was later used as a prop in the TV show Even Stevens. It was also widely available as a poster.

• After being hit in the head by a baseball, Kramer refers to Elaine as Carol (which is a reference to Carol Leifer, who Elaine's character is partly based on) and to George as Mike (referring to Michael Costanza, a friend of Jerry Seinfeld whose surname was borrowed for George).

External links

"The Letter" at the Internet Movie Database

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