Seinfeld's "The Masseuse" is one that features Jerry, George and Elaine all appearing to need psychiatrists. In this episode, Kramer is the most normal of the gang.
We learn that George has gone back to dating Karen, the women who drove him nuts recently for appearing to get more exciting from eating than from "being with" George. He arranges a double date with Jerry and Jodi, a masseuse. We also learn early on that Jerry is troubled by the fact that Jodi hasn't yet given him a massage, even though, professionally, she has done so for both George and Kramer. They've had sex several times, but he wants a massage.
There is an odd bit of conversation where the characters act as if hiring someone to come to your home with a portable massage table is a universally common thing that everyone does. It is done, for sure, but certainly is not a common thing. People with the desire for a massage most commonly go to some therapist's office for the treatment. Millions of us have never had a professional massage but in this show, perhaps in New York and LA, that is unheard of—I don't know.
Kramer is seen having just had a massage with Jodi, and he goes on and on describing to Jerry how wonderful it is. Jealous Jerry forbids Kramer from hiring her again, even though he insists she's better at it than anyone else.
At supper with the double daters, we see George in the middle of regaling everyone with one of his stories. Except Jodi, who seems bored by the story. She asks, "What did she say?" –in reaction to what George just said that he said in the situation. George says, "Well, I didn't say that out loud." Jodi counters, "Well you just said you did." A minute later George makes a generalization about good-looking women never getting traffic tickets. Jodi counters, "My sister gets lots of tickets. Are you saying she isn't good looking?" George gave a good response about there being exceptions to the rule.
Jodi and Jerry leave and Karen seems eager to leave with George for some "alone" time. George is more interested in talking about whether or not Jodi likes him.
The Elaine plot is separate, dealing with her boyfriend having the same name as a serial killer, Joel Rifkin. She tries to get him to consider changing his name. In an ironic twist from a show filmed before the murders involving O.J. Simpson, Elaine suggests he become O.J. Rifkin. That is funnier now than it was when this show first aired.
Later on, he agrees and they both prepare lists of names to consider. When they come to share their lists, Joel has ten very nice, normal adult male names, and Elaine shoots down every one for the stupidest reasons, or for no reason. When we get to her list, we viewers think, "We would never let her name our child, or dog, cat, gerbil, whatever." The dumb part of this plot is that the obvious solution would be to start going by his middle name, or possibly the two initials. A middle name is never suggested, which is quite bizarre.
Meanwhile, back at Jerry's, Jodi freely tells Jerry that she doesn't like George. She wants to get intimate with him but all Jerry wants is a massage. It is a twist on the usual, where the guy who is more eager for the thing he hasn't had with a given girlfriend, than what he does frequently. He keeps putting her hands on him, trying to get her to just massage him without even thinking about it. Of course, we viewers are screaming "Why don't you try asking her, you idiot?" To me, this was the weakest plot in the show because they make it clear that Jerry will go to great lengths to trap her into a massage but will not one time try asking her for a massage.
Back at Karen's apartment, she is seeking intimacy with George, and he knows it, but he can't stop thinking about Jodi. Jerry revealed that she doesn't like him and he is determined to change that. Karen, frustrated at his obsession, asks, "Does everyone have to like you?" George, of course, replies, "Yes!" Of course this leads to an instant fight and a breakup and George goes to Jerry's to see Jodi to try to change her opinion of him.
Jerry has opened up her massage table at his apartment and basically tried to force her to massage him. She gets mad using numerous lines that seem like what you usually hear only with "massage" substituted for "sex." Although the episode is funny, three of the characters are much more weird than usual and all of the plots seem unnatural even for this gang of oddballs. I cannot give it more than a 7.
We learn that George has gone back to dating Karen, the women who drove him nuts recently for appearing to get more exciting from eating than from "being with" George. He arranges a double date with Jerry and Jodi, a masseuse. We also learn early on that Jerry is troubled by the fact that Jodi hasn't yet given him a massage, even though, professionally, she has done so for both George and Kramer. They've had sex several times, but he wants a massage.
There is an odd bit of conversation where the characters act as if hiring someone to come to your home with a portable massage table is a universally common thing that everyone does. It is done, for sure, but certainly is not a common thing. People with the desire for a massage most commonly go to some therapist's office for the treatment. Millions of us have never had a professional massage but in this show, perhaps in New York and LA, that is unheard of—I don't know.
Kramer is seen having just had a massage with Jodi, and he goes on and on describing to Jerry how wonderful it is. Jealous Jerry forbids Kramer from hiring her again, even though he insists she's better at it than anyone else.
At supper with the double daters, we see George in the middle of regaling everyone with one of his stories. Except Jodi, who seems bored by the story. She asks, "What did she say?" –in reaction to what George just said that he said in the situation. George says, "Well, I didn't say that out loud." Jodi counters, "Well you just said you did." A minute later George makes a generalization about good-looking women never getting traffic tickets. Jodi counters, "My sister gets lots of tickets. Are you saying she isn't good looking?" George gave a good response about there being exceptions to the rule.
Jodi and Jerry leave and Karen seems eager to leave with George for some "alone" time. George is more interested in talking about whether or not Jodi likes him.
The Elaine plot is separate, dealing with her boyfriend having the same name as a serial killer, Joel Rifkin. She tries to get him to consider changing his name. In an ironic twist from a show filmed before the murders involving O.J. Simpson, Elaine suggests he become O.J. Rifkin. That is funnier now than it was when this show first aired.
Later on, he agrees and they both prepare lists of names to consider. When they come to share their lists, Joel has ten very nice, normal adult male names, and Elaine shoots down every one for the stupidest reasons, or for no reason. When we get to her list, we viewers think, "We would never let her name our child, or dog, cat, gerbil, whatever." The dumb part of this plot is that the obvious solution would be to start going by his middle name, or possibly the two initials. A middle name is never suggested, which is quite bizarre.
Meanwhile, back at Jerry's, Jodi freely tells Jerry that she doesn't like George. She wants to get intimate with him but all Jerry wants is a massage. It is a twist on the usual, where the guy who is more eager for the thing he hasn't had with a given girlfriend, than what he does frequently. He keeps putting her hands on him, trying to get her to just massage him without even thinking about it. Of course, we viewers are screaming "Why don't you try asking her, you idiot?" To me, this was the weakest plot in the show because they make it clear that Jerry will go to great lengths to trap her into a massage but will not one time try asking her for a massage.
Back at Karen's apartment, she is seeking intimacy with George, and he knows it, but he can't stop thinking about Jodi. Jerry revealed that she doesn't like him and he is determined to change that. Karen, frustrated at his obsession, asks, "Does everyone have to like you?" George, of course, replies, "Yes!" Of course this leads to an instant fight and a breakup and George goes to Jerry's to see Jodi to try to change her opinion of him.
Jerry has opened up her massage table at his apartment and basically tried to force her to massage him. She gets mad using numerous lines that seem like what you usually hear only with "massage" substituted for "sex." Although the episode is funny, three of the characters are much more weird than usual and all of the plots seem unnatural even for this gang of oddballs. I cannot give it more than a 7.