"The Hamptons" is the 85th episode of the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

sitcom ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself and ...

''. This is the 21st episode for the fifth season. It aired on May 12, 1994. This was the final produced episode of the fifth season, although it aired as the penultimate episode of the season. The episode follows the main characters' misadventures during a weekend visiting friends in the

Hamptons The Hamptons, part of the East End of Long Island, consist of the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, which together comprise the South Fork of Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York. The Hamptons are a popular seaside resort and one of ...

: everyone but George sees George's girlfriend topless on the beach, Elaine is puzzled by a man's use of the word "breathtaking", Kramer steals lobsters from a commercial fishing trap, and George is a victim of "shrinkage" when Jerry's girlfriend sees him changing after he came out of the pool.

Plot

The four principal characters travel to the

to see a baby; they are joined by George's girlfriend Jane, and Rachel, whose father is allowing her to see Jerry again after Jerry gave him kishka to atone for his behavior in ''

The Raincoats The Raincoats are a British experimental post-punk band. Ana da Silva (vocals, guitar) and Gina Birch (vocals, bass) formed the group in 1977 while they were students at Hornsey College of Art in London. Signed to the label Rough Trade, the ...

''. George is excited about Jane coming along, thinking she intends to have sex with him for the first time. At the beach, Jane goes topless in front of Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine while George is out to get tomatoes. Elaine is thrilled to be described as "breathtaking" by the baby's doctor, Ben, until he uses the same adjective to describe the baby, whom Elaine thinks is ugly. Kramer returns from a beach expedition with enough lobster for everyone and tells George they saw Jane topless. George is infuriated at Jerry about this, and demands to see Rachel naked in recompense. After being warned by Elaine that Rachel is changing, George barges into her room, but Rachel has only dropped her pants. After George excuses himself, Rachel, following incorrect directions to the baby's room, accidentally barges in on him undressing and laughs at the size of his penis. George tries in vain to convince Jerry to explain to her that, having just gotten out of the pool, he is a victim of penile "shrinkage". At dinner Rachel declines to eat the lobster, since it is not

kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...

. Kramer reveals he got the lobster from a commercial

lobster trap A lobster trap or lobster pot is a portable trap that traps lobsters or crayfish and is used in lobster fishing. In Scotland (chiefly in the north), the word creel is used to refer to a device used to catch lobsters and other crustaceans. A lo ...

. This outrages their host Michael, whose father was a commercial fisherman. Elaine asks Ben in private about his use of the word "breathtaking". He answers that "sometimes you say a thing like that just to be nice", leaving Elaine more confused about his intentions than ever. Rachel tells Jane about George's penis size, prompting Jane to drive back to New York in the middle of the night. At breakfast, George gets revenge on Rachel by serving scrambled eggs made with lobster. He goes after her with the excuse that he intends to apologize, and this time successfully sees her naked. Police investigate the lobster poaching, and Michael fingers Kramer. Unable to pay the $1,000 fine, he must pick up garbage on the side of the road as a means of

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...

. On the way home, Jerry, George, and Elaine stop at a tomato stall, where Rachel throws a tomato at George.

Influence on popular culture

The episode has been credited with giving "new meaning to the word 'shrinkage'". ''Seinfeld'' writer

Peter Mehlman Peter Mehlman (born ) is an American television writer, comedian, and producer, best known for serving as a writer and producer on the TV series ''Seinfeld'' through nearly all of the show's nine-year run from 1989–98. He also created the 19 ...

took credit for introducing the word, with apparently enthusiastic approval from

Larry David Lawrence Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and television producer. He and Jerry Seinfeld created the television sitcom ''Seinfeld'', on which David was head writer and executive producer for the first seve ...

(inversely, Mehlman gave David credit for "sponge-worthy", the catchword from " The Sponge"). The word was later used in a

Budweiser Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States. ''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrela ...

commercial and cited as a testament to the show's influence.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamptons Seinfeld (season 5) episodes 1994 American television episodes Television episodes about vacationing