The Truth (Seinfeld)

"The Truth"
	Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 3; Episode 2
Directed by	David Steinberg
Written by	Elaine Pope
Production code	302
Original air date	September 25, 1991
Guest appearance(s)
	Valerie Mahaffey as Patrice; Siobhan Fallon as Tina;

"The Truth" is the 19th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the second episode of the show's third season, first airing on September 25, 1991.[1] Directed by David Steinberg, this is the first episode of the show (other than the pilot) not directed by Tom Cherones. Steinberg would later direct three other episodes.[2] The episode is the first written by Elaine Pope. She later co-wrote a Seinfeld episode with Larry Charles, The Fix-Up, that won an Emmy Award in 1992 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Comedy Series.[3] She also is credited for the story of one other episode, The Cheever Letters.[4] Both David Steinberg as a guest star and Elaine Pope as a writer worked on Fridays, a show that included Larry David and Michael Richards as cast members.[5]

Plot

Years earlier, Kramer managed to persuade Jerry to donate to a fake relief fund for an upcoming Krakatoa eruption (which last erupted in 1883). In the present day, Jerry is now being audited by the IRS as a result of the fraudulent fund. George gives Jerry's tax papers to his girlfriend Patrice (played by Valerie Mahaffey), an accountant and former representative for the IRS, but he has trouble getting around her pretensions and showy pronunciation habits.

At Monk's, George breaks up with Patrice, telling her that “It’s not you. It’s me.” After Patrice insists on the real reasons, George tells her the truth. Patrice promptly grabs her handbag and leaves. When Jerry finds out, he gets upset, as she took the tax papers with her.

Meanwhile, Elaine gets tired of Kramer dating her roommate Tina (played by Siobhan Fallon). She complains about spaghetti sauce on the strainer, loud tribal music, and the make-out sessions. Later, after showing Jerry a windshield that he found on the side of the road, Kramer proposes to use it as a coffee table. When Elaine enters, she expresses her unhappiness that Kramer unknowingly walked into Elaine's bedroom and saw her naked.

Upon learning that Patrice checked into a depression clinic (described as a "mental institution" by George), Jerry and George go to visit her. When George introduces her to Jerry, she recognizes him as "the Jerome with the tax problems." She reveals to them that after she left George, she got upset and threw out Jerry's tax papers. Unfortunately, Jerry never made copies of the many receipts that he had collected over the years.

Elaine enters her apartment with dirty dishes piled high in the kitchen, loud tribal music playing, and Kramer dancing with only a towel wrapped around his waist. When Tina and Kramer ask Elaine if she is upset, she decides, after thinking about the problems George caused by telling the truth, to lie. She tells them they are a great couple. Kramer and Tina soon begin the African dance together but accidentally break the windshield coffee table as they move to the couch to make-out, severely injuring themselves and leading to Tina being admitted to the hospital. The episode ends with Jerry tracking down tax receipts, Kramer showing injuries from the glass coffee table, and Elaine needing to visit Tina at the hospital.

Reception

The 16.7 million viewers (19% share, rank of 51) of the episode on its first airing fell well below the 21.7 million viewers (25% share, rank of 24) of the season three premiere, The Note.[6] Web reviews generally give the episode a relatively low ranking. Matt Singer on Screen Crush ranks it at 153 out of 169, commenting that Jerry’s storyline “feels like a waste.”[7] Larry Fitzmaurice on Vulture rates it at 134 out of 169.[8] The staff at Place to Be Nation give it ratings of 4 or 5 on a 1 to 10 scale.[9] Collin Jacobson on DVD Movie Guide calls it a solid show but too reliant on Kramer’s “schtick.”[10] The hosts of Seincast find it solid but forgettable. More positively, Tina is one of their favorite Kramer girlfriends.[11]

Episode Notes

George’s excuse for breaking up – “It’s not you, it’s me” – is used by his girlfriend in The Lip Reader, but George angrily says he invented the routine and insists “It’s not you, it’s me.”

Kramer mentions his friend Bob Sacamano, who was in a mental institution but did not benefit from electroshock therapy because his synapses were so large. This is the second of many mentions of the never-seen character.[12]

Kramer’s use of a free windshield for a coffee table foreshadows his later publication of a coffee-table book about coffee tables in The Opposite.

The 1883 eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia was one of the largest and most destructive in recorded history.[13] It has not erupted since, despite Kramer’s claim that Jerry should contribute to a relief fund for the volcano victims

In Popular Culture

The episode references the thrash crossover hit “Institutionalized” by Suicidal Tendencies. While waiting to see Patrice in the waiting area (at the mark 14:57), George expresses to Jerry that he is nervous to talk to a "mental patient" to which Jerry replies, "My cousin Douglas was in a place like this, one time. He came over to my house for dinner, there was no soda, and he went berserk screaming, 'Where's the Pepsi?! Where's the Pepsi?!'."

References

Fretts, Bruce (1993). The Entertainment Weekly Seinfeld Companion. Atomic Wedgies to Zipper Jobs: An Unofficial Guide to TV’s Funniest Show. New York: Hachett Book Group.
“David Steinberg.” IMDb TV. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0825731/.
“Elaine Pope.” Television Academy. https://www.emmys.com/bios/elaine-pope.
Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards (2005). Seinfeld – Season 4. DVD Boxed Set.
Perrin, Dennis (2012, January 31). “Fridays: The SNL Ripoff That Nearly Surpassed the Original.” Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/2012/01/fridays-the-snl-ripoff-that-nearly-surpassed-the-original.html.
"Ratings Archives - September 1991, Pt. 2." tv-aholic. http://tvaholics.blogspot.com/2011/11/ratings-archives-september-1991-pt-2.html
Singer, Matt (2018). “Worst to Firsts: Ranking Every Episode of Seinfeld.” Screen Crush. https://screencrush.com/seinfeld-every-episode-ranked/.
Fitzmaurice, Larry (2019). “All 169 Seinfeld Episodes, Ranked From Worst to Best.” Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/2015/06/every-seinfeld-episode-ranked.html.
Place to Be Nation Staff (2014). “Seinfeld: The PTBN Rewatch – ‘The Truth’ (S3, E2).” Place to Be Nation. http://placetobenation.com/category/entertain/tv/seinfeld/.
Jacobson, Colin (2004). “Seinfeld: Season 3 (1992).” DVD Movie Guide. http://www.dvdmg.com/seinfelds3.shtml.
Seincast (2014). “Seincast 20 – The Truth.” Seincast. http://seincast.libsyn.com/seincast-020-the-truth.
Rolling Stone (2014). “From Soup Nazis to Nuts: 100 Best ‘Seinfeld’ Characters.” Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/from-soup-nazis-to-nuts-100-best-seinfeld-characters-26801/bob-sacamano-83376/.
Bagley, Mary (2017). “Krakatoa Volcano: Facts About 1883 Eruption.” LIVESCIENCE. https://www.livescience.com/28186-krakatoa.html.

External links

"The Truth" on IMDb
"The Truth" at TV.com

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[1] Fretts, Bruce (1993). The Entertainment Weekly Seinfeld Companion. Atomic Wedgies to Zipper Jobs: An Unofficial Guide to TV’s Funniest Show. New York: Hachett Book Group.

[2] “David Steinberg.” IMDb TV. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0825731/.

[3] “Elaine Pope.” Television Academy. https://www.emmys.com/bios/elaine-pope.

[4] Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards (2005). Seinfeld – Season 4. DVD Boxed Set.

[5] Perrin, Dennis (2012, January 31). “Fridays: The SNL Ripoff That Nearly Surpassed the Original.” Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/2012/01/fridays-the-snl-ripoff-that-nearly-surpassed-the-original.html.

[6] "Ratings Archives - September 1991, Pt. 2." tv-aholic. http://tvaholics.blogspot.com/2011/11/ratings-archives-september-1991-pt-2.html

[7] Singer, Matt (2018). “Worst to Firsts: Ranking Every Episode of Seinfeld.” Screen Crush. https://screencrush.com/seinfeld-every-episode-ranked/.

[8] Fitzmaurice, Larry (2019). “All 169 Seinfeld Episodes, Ranked From Worst to Best.” Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/2015/06/every-seinfeld-episode-ranked.html.

[9] Place to Be Nation Staff (2014). “Seinfeld: The PTBN Rewatch – ‘The Truth’ (S3, E2).” Place to Be Nation. http://placetobenation.com/category/entertain/tv/seinfeld/.

[10] Jacobson, Colin (2004). “Seinfeld: Season 3 (1992).” DVD Movie Guide. http://www.dvdmg.com/seinfelds3.shtml.

[11] Seincast (2014). “Seincast 20 – The Truth.” Seincast. http://seincast.libsyn.com/seincast-020-the-truth.

[12] Rolling Stone (2014). “From Soup Nazis to Nuts: 100 Best ‘Seinfeld’ Characters.” Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/from-soup-nazis-to-nuts-100-best-seinfeld-characters-26801/bob-sacamano-83376/.

[13] Bagley, Mary (2017). “Krakatoa Volcano: Facts About 1883 Eruption.” LIVESCIENCE. https://www.livescience.com/28186-krakatoa.html.

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