The Chinese Restaurant
She simply walks away and fails to collect on the wager. Jerry lied to his uncle, saying he could not make it to dinner, to go see the film.Unable to get a table they hang around and talk, while George tries to use the phone that is constantly occupied and Jerry sees a woman he recognizes. Written by Seinfeld and series co-creator Larry David, the episode was the first in which Jerry s neighbour Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) did not appear, much to Richard s disappointment. George is nervous about his girlfriend Tatiana, whom he left during sexual intercourse as he felt he was not getting enough space .
George gets frustrated when other patrons monopolize the phone. He tries to call her, as she has agreed to talk to him, but a man (Michael Mitz) occupies the phone and ignores George.
The episode revolves around protagonist Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) and his friends Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and George Costanza (Jason Alexander) waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant, on their way to see Plan 9 from Outer Space. Due to The Chinese Restaurant s lack of storyline, NBC executives objected to the broadcast of the episode, thinking audiences would be uninterested.
As soon as they leave, the maitre d calls their party. The Chinese Restaurant was written by series co-creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld and directed by Tom Cherones, who directed all of season two s episodes. When David presented the episode to NBC executives he received a negative reaction. The first read-through of the episode was held on December 5, 1990, and it was filmed on December 11. Michael Mitz portrayed the man who is on the phone when George tries to call Tatiana, Mitz would return in the season five episode The Puffy Shirt as a photographer who photographs George s hands. On May 23, 1991 the episode first aired in the United States on NBC. The Chinese Restaurant gained very positive responses from critics and is considered one of Seinfeld s first classic episodes . Critics also praised Louis-Dreyfus and Alexander s performances; The Age critic Kenneth Nguyen stated that they characteristically, rock Jerry Seinfeld · Jason Alexander · Julia Louis-Dreyfus · Michael Richards . Tatiana calls back, but the maitre d calls Cartwright instead of Costanza .
It was not until David treatened to quit if the network forced any major changes upon the script, that NBC allowed the episode to be produced, though it did not air until near the end of season two. First broadcast in the United States on May 23, 1991, the episode gained a Nielsen Rating of 11.7/21. The mysterious woman encounters Jerry, and Jerry remembers she s his uncle s receptionist.
Jerry notices a woman (Judy Kain) whom he recognizes, but cannot remember from what. A bored Jerry dares Elaine to take an egg roll off someone s plate and eat it, offering her $50 if she does so. The Chinese Restaurant is the eleventh episode of the second season of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and the show s seventeenth episode overall.
When he is finally able to call Tatiana, he gets her answering machine and leaves a message. Elaine approaches a table and tells them her friends would give her $50 to eat one of their egg rolls and she was willing to give them $25 of it.
As she softly speaks the offer without moving her lips, and the diners are old and hard of hearing, they fail to comprehend her. George and Elaine both agree to leave.
Television critics reacted positively to the episode, which went on to become one of the show s first classic episodes; a South Florida Sun-Sentinel critic wrote that the episode, along with the season four episode The Contest , Jerry, George and Elaine decide to get dinner without reservations at a Chinese restaurant before seeing Plan 9 From Outer Space. Realising his cover is blown, he decides that he might as well call his uncle and have dinner with him after all.
The maître d (James Hong) repeatedly tells them they will receive a table in 5, 10 minutes .
