The Bubble Boy (Seinfeld episode)
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| Seinfeld episode | |
| "The Bubble Boy" | |
| Episode no. | 47 |
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| Airdate | October 7, 1992 |
| Writer(s) | Larry David Larry Charles |
| Director | Tom Cherones |
| Guest star(s) | Jessica Lundy & Brian Doyle-Murray |
| IMDb profile | |
| Seinfeld - Season 4 August 1992 - May 1993 |
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| List of all Seinfeld episodes | |
"The Bubble Boy" is the 47th episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld, as well as the nickname of Donald Sanger, one of the characters in the episode. It was the 7th episode of the 4th season. The episode was written by Larry David and Larry Charles, and it was directed by Tom Cherones. It aired on October 7, 1992. Donald the Bubble Boy is played by Jon Hayman.
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[edit] Plot
Jerry, George, George's girlfriend Susan, and Elaine plan to travel to Susan's family's lakeside cabin. After meeting the father of a "boy", Donald, who lives in a plastic "bubble" (a germ-free quarantine) and is a fan of Jerry's, Jerry is forced by Elaine to visit Donald on the way to the cabin to cheer him up. However, Jerry gets lost and George and Susan arrive before him. While waiting for Jerry to arrive, they play Trivial Pursuit with the bubble boy, who is in fact older than a mere boy.
The episode relies heavily on dark comedy in the portrayal of the bubble boy. American journalists had in the past covered "bubble boys" who lived in quarantine due to an immune deficiency. The coverage often played for sympathy, ignoring anything about the subject other than his medical condition. The bubble boy in this episode, however, is rude, selfish, and impossible to sympathize with.
The Trivial Pursuit game ends prematurely when George disputes the answer to the question "Who invaded Spain in the 8th century?" The boy answers with "the Moors", but the question card says "the Moops" due to a misprint, and George refuses to give Donald credit. Donald attacks George and the "bubble" is punctured and depressurized in the struggle. Although everyone blames George for popping the bubble, technically, Susan causes it as she tries to defend George from Donald's attack.
Donald does not fully appear on-screen, except for a pair of gloves that he uses to reach through the barrier. Later, when he is exiting the house on a stretcher, he is partially covered by paramedics.
Meanwhile, Kramer and Jerry's girlfriend Naomi (played by Jessica Lundy) attempt to rendezvous with Jerry, Elaine, George, and Susan at Susan's family's country home. Kramer carelessly leaves his lit cigar near some newspapers, which causes a fire that destroys Susan's family's cabin. The other four travelers arrive as the firefighters arrive.
[edit] Trivia
- The misprinted card joke is based on an actual error spotted by one of the writers in (according to different sources) either a 1970s home edition of Jeopardy! or in Trivial Pursuit.
- The characters go to the cabin via the Taconic State Parkway, as indicated by a green sign on the road. When George mentions tolls, he refers to the tollbooths at the north end of the highway.
[edit] Quotes
- George: Alright, she's got that laugh. What did you say it was like? Elmer Fudd sitting on a juicer?
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- George: Oh, no! I'm so sorry, the card says "Moops."
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- George (to Susan, while the cabin is burning down): You know, I just remembered...you never gave me the change from the tolls.
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- Jerry: I can't date that girl. It's like Coco Chanel going out with a fishmonger.
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- Jerry: Nothing's finer than being in your diner.
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- Waitress: Don't you play on TV?
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- Waitress: Gary Seinfield!
[edit] Goofs
- In Trivial Pursuit your token must be in the center to get the game winning question. When the Bubble Boy asks George for the game winning question his token is clearly on the outside ring.
