The Implant

"**The Implant**"
"The Implant"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 4; Episode 19
Directed by	Tom Cherones
Written by	Peter Mehlman
Production code	419
Original air date	February 25, 1993
Guest appearances
	Teri Hatcher as Sidra; Megan Mullally as Betsy; Tony Amendola as Rushdie; Carol Rosenthal as Ticket Clerk; Donald Bishop as Dr. Allenwood; Kieran Mulroney as Timmy;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Old Man"	Next →; "The Junior Mint"
	Seinfeld season 4
	List of episodes

"The Implant" is the 59th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 19th episode of the fourth season, and first aired on February 25, 1993 on NBC.^[1] The title refers to Elaine's belief that Jerry's girlfriend has breast implants, which is shaken when she accidentally grabs her breasts in a sauna incident. In a secondary plotline, George goes to a funeral for his girlfriend's aunt in hopes that it will advance their relationship. This episode popularized the term "double dipping" entering the public lexicon.^[2]^[3]

Plot

Jerry dumps his girlfriend, Sidra, after Elaine convinces him that her breasts are probably the result of implants. Kramer claims a man at the health club who introduces himself as "Sal Bass" is actually author Salman Rushdie. Later, Elaine and Sidra are in a sauna together, and Elaine accidentally grabs onto Sidra's breasts to break her fall after tripping. Elaine goes to Jerry and admits that she now thinks that Sidra's breasts are real and "are spectacular." Jerry decides to take Sidra back, although she's having second thoughts even after Jerry makes comments referring to breasts. Later, Elaine (looking for Kramer) carelessly enters Jerry's apartment when Sidra is there, cluing in Sidra that the two of them are friends; this is made obvious when Kramer walks in and inadvertently blabs Jerry and Elaine having previously dated. Sidra dumps Jerry, thinking that he had Elaine deliberately feel her breasts in the sauna. Sidra spitefully tells Jerry as she leaves, "...And, by the way: they're real, and they're spectacular!..."

George accompanies his girlfriend, Betsy, to Detroit for her aunt's wake, hoping to accelerate their relationship by being supportive in the midst of her grief. He tries to get a copy of the death certificate of the aunt while he is there, so that he can get a 50% bereavement discount on the airfare. George gets into an argument at the funeral reception with Betsy's brother, Timmy, over the social acceptability of double-dipping a chip. It devolves into a disruptive fistfight, leading an upset Betsy to break up with him. George was not able to get a copy of the death certificate—instead, he shows an airline clerk a picture of him next to the casket, but the clerk does not consider this to be sufficient proof.

Production

During the taping, Larry David asked Teri Hatcher to add the line "And, by the way, they're real, and they're spectacular," which was not in the script.^[4]

Reception

The television show MythBusters tested the theory that double dipping was like "putting your whole mouth right in the dip" on the April 22, 2009 episode. The MythBusters found that double-dipping produced fewer microbes than putting all the dip in your mouth. Also, the number of microbes present was negligible compared to the amount found in a regular dip.

In Salman Rushdie's non-fiction book Joseph Anton: A Memoir, Rushdie recounts bumping into Jerry Seinfeld at a cocktail party where Seinfeld nervously asked his opinion of "The Implant" and "visibly relaxed" upon Rushdie's telling him "that he had thought the episode very funny."^[5]

References

^ "Seinfeld Season 4 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
^ Daniel Kreps (5 July 2019). "Close Talkers and Double Dippers: 15 Phrases 'Seinfeld' Spawned". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
^ ""Double dipping" your chip: Dangerous or just…icky?". 4 August 2016.
^ Robinson, Joanna (July 8, 2014). "How Teri Hatcher Inspired Larry David to Come Up with Her Famous Seinfeld Line on the Spot". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
^ Rushdie, Salman (September 10, 2013). Joseph Anton: A Memoir. US: Random House Trade Paperbacks. p. 575. ISBN 978-0812982602.

External links

"The Implant" at IMDb

[tvguide-1] "Seinfeld Season 4 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 December 2021.

[2] Daniel Kreps (5 July 2019). "Close Talkers and Double Dippers: 15 Phrases 'Seinfeld' Spawned". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 June 2020.

[3] ""Double dipping" your chip: Dangerous or just…icky?". 4 August 2016.

[4] Robinson, Joanna (July 8, 2014). "How Teri Hatcher Inspired Larry David to Come Up with Her Famous Seinfeld Line on the Spot". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 25, 2022.

[5] Rushdie, Salman (September 10, 2013). Joseph Anton: A Memoir. US: Random House Trade Paperbacks. p. 575. ISBN 978-0812982602.

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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