The Secret Code (Seinfeld)

"The Secret Code" is the 117th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 7th episode of the 7th season. It aired on November 9, 1995.

Plot

As Elaine had written a good piece on the Himalayan Walking Shoe for the J. Peterman catalog, Peterman insists on taking her out for dinner. As she finds his endless stories boring, she pleads with Jerry to join her, who in turn tricks George into coming as well. Meanwhile, George and Susan fight after George refuses to tell her his secret ATM code, believing it to not be selfish for him to have some secrets.

Elaine, however, does not appear at the dinner, on account of plans made with the forgetful Fred (played by Fred Stoller), a friend of Jerry. Elaine had met him at a party some time before, but his lack of recall for the meeting mesmerizes her. After it becomes clear that Elaine is not coming, Jerry makes up an excuse to leave, leaving George to have an awkward dinner with Peterman. On the drive home, Peterman receives a call that his mother is "at death's door", and George is forced to stay the night. While Peterman is out of the room, George, whilst keeping her company, reveals his code ("Bosco") to Peterman's mother. Somehow, she seizes upon the word, and repeats it at her moment of death, leaving Peterman bewildered.

Jerry meets with appliance store owner Leapin' Larry (Lewis Arquette), who walks with a prosthetic leg, to discuss appearing in television commercials. After Jerry's foot falls asleep, however, he accidentally offends Leapin' Larry, who believes Jerry's limping to be an impression. After Jerry explains the misunderstanding, they meet again, but Jerry's foot once again falls asleep. Not wanting to offend Leapin' Larry again, he stamps his foot, accidentally causing a can of paint thinner to spill onto some exposed wiring, starting a fire.

Meanwhile, Kramer buys an emergency band scanner and decides to help at the New York City Fire Department. When they receive a call about the fire at Leapin' Larry's, Kramer accidentally knocks out the fire engine driver, forcing him to take the wheel, realizing his lifelong dream. However, he is unable to steer correctly and crashes the fire engine, allowing the fire to spread further.

Coincidentally, the fire occurs down the block from Peterman's mother's funeral, where George is attending. The attendees rush to find a man with his sleeve stuck in an ATM; Peterman insists that George give the man his card, forcing George to finally reveal his code.

In the closing scene, George and Jerry are in George's apartment, where Susan teases George about his code. Jerry finds a passage in the latest J. Peterman catalog in which Peterman accuses George of murdering his mother.

Episode Notes

• The building shown in the scenes with the fire department was also used as the headquarters in Ghostbusters. The firehouse is an actual FDNY firehouse.
• In an uncredited appearance, Seinfeld's dialogue coach Judy Kerr appears as the woman who approaches Jerry on the street after the fire. As dialogue coach, Kerr would work one on one with each cast member to help them learn their lines. She also appears in Season Eight's The Abstinence.^[1]
• The first name on Seinfeld DVD 7th Season Volume 8 "Notes About Nothing" that Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer give is "Jacopo" for J. Peterman.
• Peterman meets Jerry in this episode.

Superman reference

• Jerry reveals his ATM code to be "Jor-El", Superman's Kryptonian father.

References

External links

• The Secret Code - Complete Script for Seinfeld Episode "The Secret Code," season 7, episode 7, broadcast date: Nov. 9, 1995
• The Secret Code at the Internet Movie Database