The Serenity Now

"The Serenity Now" is the 159th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the third episode of the ninth and final season. It aired in the U.S. on October 9, 1997.^[1]

Plot

Frank Costanza is advised to say "serenity now" every time his blood pressure is in danger of going up, but instead of saying the phrase, he yells it. Jerry's girlfriend (Lori Loughlin) gives his Knicks tickets away and comments that she has never seen him get "real mad." George gets Kramer to help him fix his parents' screen door. They remove the old door and Kramer takes it with him. Frank is selling personal computers in his garage and wants to bring George into his business. Mr. Lippman's son takes advantage of "becoming a man" at his bar mitzvah to French kiss Elaine.

Kramer installs the screen door outside his apartment to provide the "cool evening breezes of Anytown, USA," and turns his hallway into a small-town front porch, complete with barbecue grill, lawn chairs, potted plants, and American flag. Kramer sits on his porch with "fireworks" (a sparkler).

George's first impulse is to quit but decides it is finally time to take on his arch-rival, Lloyd Braun, whom Frank has also hired to sell computers. When Jerry learns how to get mad, it releases all his other feelings, including caring, and another that results in his proposing to Elaine.

Kramer fights with the neighborhood kids of "Anytown, USA." George tells Elaine she is attractive to the Lippman men because of her "shiksa-appeal." The result gets the two Lippman men to want to renounce Judaism in order to be with her.

George hatches a scheme to sell more computers: to buy them himself and return them later for a refund; however, continual use of the phrase "serenity now" has an adverse effect on his sales.

Jerry asks Elaine to marry him. George stores computers in Kramer's apartment. Kramer has a nervous breakdown (due to the screen door bringing more problems than benefits) and destroys the computers. George becomes very upset over this, and Jerry encourages George to release his emotions. However, the release of emotions from George has an adverse effect on Jerry, and he reverts to normal.

Elaine seeks help from the rabbi to see if she can reduce her "shiksa-appeal" but instead of giving her advice, the rabbi comes on to her. George's father blames him for nearly bankrupting his company, and it is then revealed that Lloyd Braun was insane the entire time; his phone was never plugged in, and hence he never made any sales. He blames his psychiatric problems on Frank's mantra ("Serenity now, insanity later"). Elaine returns to Jerry and accepts his marriage proposal, but since Jerry is no longer as emotional as before, he doesn't want to go through with it. George then tells his father to say "hoochie mama" instead of "serenity now", which his father follows when Estelle is about to park her car in the garage.

Episode notes

• This episode's plot was inspired by real-life events in the life of writer Steve Koren. While driving with his arguing parents, Koren was bewildered to hear his father shout "Serenity now!" at the top of his lungs as part of a rage controlling exercise his doctor had told him about and questioned whether or not the phrase was meant to be yelled.
• The inspiration for Frank's computer business was the 1995 film The Net (to which Frank Costanza refers to starring "that girl from the bus"').
• The sales contest Frank Costanza institutes (where the highest seller is rewarded and the lowest is fired) is a parody of the 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross.
• Kramer mentions to Jerry that he was ambushed with eggs by the "neighborhood kids", including Joey Zanfino, whom Kramer previously babysat in "The Wait Out" and shared a karate class with in "The Foundation".

References

External links

• The Serenity Now 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