"The Caddy"

Seinfeld episode

Episode no.

Season 7
Episode 12

Directed by

Andy Ackerman

Written by

Gregg Kavet & Andy Robin

Production code

712

Original air date

January 25, 1996

Guest appearances

Jerry Stiller as Frank Costanza
Estelle Harris as Estelle Costanza
Heidi Swedberg as Susan Ross
Brenda Strong as Sue Ellen
Phil Morris as Jackie Chiles
Richard Herd as Wilhelm
John O'Hurley as Peterman
Armin Shimerman as Stan
Arthur Rosenberg as Judge
Cynthia Madvig as Woman #1
Marilyn Tokuda as Woman #2
Lee Bear as George Steinbrenner (uncredited)
Larry David as George Steinbrenner (voice) (uncredited)

Episode chronology

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Seinfeld (season 7)

List of episodes

"The Caddy" is the 122nd episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 12th episode for the seventh season, originally airing on January 25, 1996.^[1] In this episode, George takes an unapproved vacation, leading to him being presumed dead, while Kramer, Jerry, and Jackie Chiles launch a lawsuit against Elaine's archenemy Sue Ellen Mischke because she was wearing a bra without a top in public.

Plot

Kramer's caddie, Stan, helps improve his golf game and offers other life advice. George locks his keys in his car at work and postpones moving it until he can get locksmith services free through a club membership, causing Mr. Wilhelm and George Steinbrenner to think he is working long hours and consider promoting him to assistant to the general manager. Despite this, George goes on an unapproved vacation, telling Jerry to remove any fliers attached to his windshield so Wilhelm and Steinbrenner will still think he's working.

Elaine encounters Sue Ellen Mischke, a high school friend-turned-nemesis and heiress to the Oh Henry! candy bar fortune. With a flashback scene, Elaine relates the story of Sue Ellen stealing her boyfriend Tom Cosley, walking by the couple in a revealing outfit. Disgusted that Sue Ellen never wears a bra despite her extremely large breasts, Elaine gives her a bra as a birthday gift. Sue Ellen wears it alone beneath an open blazer. She drops by Elaine's office to thank her. Peterman sees her and is inspired to create a bra as a top, assigning Elaine to write the ad copy.

Finding George's car covered by bird droppings, Jerry has Kramer break into the car so they can take it to a car wash. On the drive back, they are distracted by bra-clad Sue Ellen and crash. Jerry, not thinking clearly, returns the wrecked car to George's workplace. Finding the car in this state, with blood from the crash, Mr. Wilhelm thinks that George has been in a terrible accident. When they cannot find him, Steinbrenner concludes that George is dead. He tells George's parents. Jerry gets a phone message from the Costanzas about George's death, and tells George what happened. George returns to work with fake injuries and a story of being trapped in a ditch. His story is accepted, though the position of assistant to the general manager was given to someone else when he was thought dead.

Kramer, under Elaine and Stan's advice, takes Sue Ellen to court for damages, with Jackie Chiles representing him. Jerry is smitten with Sue Ellen, but reluctantly testifies that she was wearing a bra with no top the time of the accident. Stan urges Kramer to get Sue Ellen to try on the bra. Kramer insists on following Stan's advice over Jackie's objections. Since she is wearing a leotard, the bra will not fit, costing Kramer the lawsuit.

Elaine's writeup makes the bra-as-a-top a hit, even among her female coworkers, to Elaine's revulsion.

Production

The character Tom Cosley was named after a high school boyfriend of Elaine actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus.^[2]

Phil Morris was surprised that his character Jackie Chiles was being used in another episode, later commenting, "I mean, how often can they bring an attorney into this mix?"^[2] Like the season six episode "The Big Salad", the Chiles plot thread satires the Murder trial of O. J. Simpson, in particular the prosecution asking Simpson to try on the gloves used in the murder.^[3]

Jerry Seinfeld later said that Frank Costanza's phone message ("Jerry, it's Frank Costanza. Mr. Steinbrenner's here. George is dead. Call me back.") is one of his favorite lines in the entire series.^[2]

References

External links

Seinfeld episodes

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