The Bubble Boy (Seinfeld)

"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 is the seventh episode of the fourth season. The episode was written by Larry David and Larry Charles, directed by Tom Cherones, and aired on October 7, 1992. It 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 (played by Jon Hayman), however, is a rude, selfish leech who is impossible to sympathize with. He is never seen fully on-screen, except for a pair of gloves that he uses to reach through the barrier; when he is shown exiting the house on a stretcher, he is partially covered by paramedics.

Plot

Jerry, George, George's girlfriend Susan, and Elaine plan to travel to Susan's family's lakeside cabin. In the coffee shop, Elaine and Jerry meet a kindly father (played by Brian Doyle-Murray) who describes the sad life of his young son Donald who lives in a "plastic bubble" (a germ-free quarantine, which is in reality a mere plastic divider). As Donald 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".

The Trivial Pursuit game ends prematurely when George disputes the answer to the question "Who invaded Spain in the 8th century?" Donald answers "the Moors", but the question card says "the Moops" due to a misprint. George refuses to give Donald credit, causing Donald to attack George. As Susan tries to defend George from Donald's attack, she punctures and depressurizes the "bubble", inadvertently making George look guilty since he was actually struggling with Donald.

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 shortly after the firefighters.^[1]

References