The Doodle

"The Doodle" is the 106th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 20th episode for the sixth season. It aired on April 6, 1995.

Plot

Jerry and George are having dinner with their new girlfriends, Shelly (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson) and Paula (Christa Miller). George met Paula at Elaine's drawing class at The New School. George whispers to Jerry that he is eating pecans that were in Shelly's mouth. Jerry spits them out and exclaims his disgust, which angers Shelly. When leaving the restaurant, George finds a "doodle" that Paula drew of him.

The next day at Monk's, George complains to Jerry about the doodle Paula drew, finding it an ugly caricature. Elaine enters and sees the doodle, thinking it is Mr. Magoo. Elaine reports that her friend, Judy, recommended her for a job at Viking Press. In order to stay at the company's suite at the Plaza Hotel she let Viking Press think that she is coming from out of town, and gave Jerry's parents' address in Florida as hers.

Jerry says his parents are coming to town at the same time. George implores Elaine to find out if Paula really likes him.

At his apartment, Jerry is scratching desperately. Kramer enters eating a "Mackinaw peach" from Oregon which is ripe for only two weeks a year. Jerry then realizes he has flea bites due to his unbearable itching just when his parents arrive.

At the drawing class, Paula confesses to Elaine that she likes George and says that "looks aren't that important to me." The exterminator at Jerry's apartment confirms the flea infestation, and has to close down the apartment for 48 hours to fumigate. Jerry convinces Elaine to give the hotel suite to his parents so they have a decent place to stay. George enters, asking about Paula's interest in him. Elaine says Paula really likes him but, without thinking, repeats Paula's comments about not caring about physical appearances. George becomes upset, declaring that Paula must think he is ugly, and states that he would prefer to be hated and handsome rather than liked and ugly.

The Seinfelds arrive at the Plaza and marvel at the suite. After meeting with Judy, Elaine realizes she has to go back to Jerry's apartment to retrieve a manuscript sent from Viking Press for her to read. Outside the apartment, Jerry warns her that it's impossible to enter because it has already been fumigated; an instant later Kramer walks out, having been unaware of the gas (he thought the sign on the door was to keep Jerry's parents out when he (Jerry) had a girl over). Once informed, Kramer worriedly says he spent an hour and a half in the apartment engrossed with a manuscript. Holding her breath, Elaine frantically searches inside, even flipping over the couch cushions but only finds "Chunky" candy bar wrappers. Seeing the wrappers, Jerry realizes that it was Newman who gave him fleas and goes to confront him. Newman first attempts to deny it, suggesting that Jerry must keep his apartment in a "state of disrepair" and "squalor", but soon succumbs to Jerry's torturous description of how badly flea bites itch, breaks down, and admits to being "rife with fleas". (In a deleted scene, Newman frantically confesses that he was ambushed with an adorable English bulldog named Beauford and caves in horror as Jerry smiles in delight and tosses the Chunky wrappers at the tortured postman.)

At the Plaza, Morty, Helen, Uncle Leo and Nana lavishly use room service, watch four pay-per-view movies at the same time, order $100 massages and food at great expense. Meanwhile, George confronts Paula on the street about her indifference towards looks; she confirms her feelings and states that George can drape himself in velvet for all she cares. George perks up at this notion (in "The Label Maker", he had expressed the desire to do just this). At Monk's, Elaine gets Kramer to summarize the manuscript, which he does in a typically eccentric fashion, leaving Elaine to despair. Suddenly, Kramer notices that he is unable to taste food due to the fumigation exposure.

Jerry is staying at Shelly's apartment but discovers that he has forgotten his own toothbrush; Shelly insists that he use hers. On the street, Kramer discovers with dismay that he cannot even taste a Mackinaw peach, to which Newman heartlessly responds that Kramer should then give them all to him. Elaine has her interview at Viking Press and repeats Kramer's manuscript interpretation, of which the publisher surprisingly approves. Back at the Plaza, the Seinfelds lay nearly comatose, satiated from excessive food and movies (although Morty is eager to watch Under Siege again).

George arrives at Monk's wearing a velvet sweatsuit, now very happy with his relationship with Paula. Jerry reports that he has been thrown out of his girlfriend's apartment for refusing to use her toothbrush and is now stuck staying with the "Velvet Fog" ("The Jimmy"). Back at her job interview, Elaine is questioned about the astronomical room charges at the Plaza, including adult films and room damages; Elaine desperately tries telling her publisher the reason why she sent Jerry's parents to the room due to the fleas, fumigation, and even Kramer unable to taste food, but the publisher brushes her off, thinking she "read one too many Billy Mumphrey stories." At Monk's, George enters finishing off a Mackinaw peach, discarding the pit on the table. When Paula casually pops the discarded pit into her mouth to suck out the remaining flavor, he gags with revulsion. Kramer's tastebuds return just in time for the last peaches; however, Newman has beaten him to it, finishing off the last one. Kramer exacts revenge by siccing a bulldog on him.

In the final scene, Elaine visits the messed up hotel suite; Uncle Leo sees her and, confused, states that he was expecting an Asian woman (perhaps as a reference to the earlier episode "The Chinese Woman")

External Links

1. "The Doodle" at the Internet Movie Database

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 Strong Box" "The Wizard" "The Burning" "The Bookstore" "The Frogger" "The Maid" "The Puerto Rican Day" "The Chronicle" "The Finale" Indicates two-part episode