The Good Samaritan (Seinfeld)

"**The Good Samaritan**"
"The Good Samaritan"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 3; Episode 20
Directed by	Jason Alexander
Written by	Peter Mehlman
Production code	319
Original air date	March 4, 1992
Guest appearances
	Joseph Malone as Michael; Ann Talman as Robin; Melinda McGraw as Angela; Helen Slater (uncredited) as Becky Gelke;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Limo"	Next →; "The Letter"
	Seinfeld season 3
	List of episodes

"The Good Samaritan" is the 37th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 20th episode of the third season, and first aired on NBC on March 4, 1992.^[1] This is the only episode of Seinfeld to be directed by one of the show's stars, Jason Alexander, who played George Costanza.

Plot

Jerry witnesses a hit-and-run driver hitting another car. He is on the car phone with Elaine, who tells him he has to go after the driver. He does, but when the driver steps out he sees that she is a beautiful woman named Angela (played by Melinda McGraw) and decides to date her. Jerry lies to Elaine, saying he pursued the driver into Queens and intimidated him with karate moves. After dating Angela, Jerry finds out that the car that she hit belongs to Becky Gelke (an uncredited Helen Slater),^[2] who he has always wanted to date. He tells Becky that he will do something about the damage. Meanwhile, Kramer has convulsions from Mary Hart's voice.

George and Elaine go out to dinner with a married couple, Robin and Michael. Elaine makes up an elaborate story that she once dated a matador from Spain named Eduardo Corrochio. When Robin (Ann Talman) sneezes, Michael (Joseph Malone) does not say anything, and after several seconds George says "God bless you". When George makes light of Michael's rudeness, he gets mad. Robin falls for George due to the incident, and they have an affair. As George and Robin are in bed together, Michael calls Elaine, wanting to speak to Robin. Not knowing that Robin used her as an alibi, Elaine tells him she isn't there, and Michael figures out Robin is with George.

Jerry confronts Angela about Becky's car, but she threatens him with bodily harm should he tell anyone of her guilt. Elaine walks in on the exchange and realizes Jerry lied, only for Jerry to turn it around when he learns of Elaine’s lie about dating a matador. Jerry goes to Becky's house to write out a check for her damages and then ask her out, but Becky assumes he is the hit-and-run driver, seeing no other reason why he might want to pay for the damages. George escapes from Michael by joining Jerry on his out of town gigs. Kramer uses the accident as an excuse to talk to Becky and gets a date with her. But when he rings the bell at her apartment and she opens the door, Mary Hart is on the TV and Kramer has another convulsion.

Production

The cast and crew had hoped the saying "You’re so good looking" would catch on with fans just as "These pretzels are making me thirsty" did, but it proved to be a comedic flop.^[3]

The subplot concerning Kramer having seizures every time he hears Mary Hart's voice is based on an actual case reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.^[4]^[5]

References

^ "Seinfeld Season 3 Episodes". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
^ Pantozzi, Jill (2009-12-07). "Helen Slater Is Still "Super"". CBR. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^ Seinfeld Season 3: Notes about Nothing – "The Good Samaritan" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
^ "Doctor Says Voice on TV Caused Seizures". The New York Times. Vol. 140, no. 48658. AP. 11 July 1991. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020.
^ Ramani, V. (11 July 1991). "Audiogenic Epilepsy Induced by a Specific Television Performer". New England Journal of Medicine. 325 (2): 134–135. doi:10.1056/NEJM199107113250218. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 2052053. S2CID 37226256.

External links

"The Good Samaritan" at IMDb

[tvguide-1] "Seinfeld Season 3 Episodes". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.

[2] Pantozzi, Jill (2009-12-07). "Helen Slater Is Still "Super"". CBR. Retrieved 2024-06-04.

[3] Seinfeld Season 3: Notes about Nothing – "The Good Samaritan" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

[4] "Doctor Says Voice on TV Caused Seizures". The New York Times. Vol. 140, no. 48658. AP. 11 July 1991. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020.

[5] Ramani, V. (11 July 1991). "Audiogenic Epilepsy Induced by a Specific Television Performer". New England Journal of Medicine. 325 (2): 134–135. doi:10.1056/NEJM199107113250218. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 2052053. S2CID 37226256.

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v t e 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