The Pool Guy

"**The Pool Guy**"
"The Pool Guy"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 7; Episode 8
Directed by	Andy Ackerman
Written by	David Mandel
Production code	708
Original air date	November 16, 1995
Guest appearances
	Wayne Knight as Newman; Carlos Jacott as Ramon; Heidi Swedberg as Susan Ross; Billy Williams as Usher; Alec Mapa as Paul; Dom Magwili as Dustin; Russ Leatherman as Mr. Moviefone (voice, uncredited);
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Secret Code"	Next →; "The Sponge"
	Seinfeld season 7
	List of episodes

"The Pool Guy" is the 118th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode of the seventh season.^[1] It aired on November 16, 1995.^[1] The end credit states "In Memory of our Friend Rick Bolden". Rick Bolden was one of the musicians who worked on the show's theme song.

In this episode, George can no longer compartmentalize his private life when Elaine befriends Susan; Jerry cannot ghost the former pool guy from his health club; and Kramer's new phone number gets many misdialed calls for Moviefone.

Plot

Because Elaine has run out of female friends, Jerry suggests that she befriend Susan for an outing. As Kramer foresees, George is unnerved at Susan intruding upon the "sanctuary" of his friends circle, making his "worlds collide". Ramon, the pool guy at Jerry's new health club, gets fired, and starts hanging around Jerry uninvited, first in public and then at home. Kramer gets a new phone number which is too close to the Moviefone number, causing many people to misdial him for movie showtimes. He starts obligingly looking up showtimes in the newspaper for them.

George is further agitated when Susan starts talking like Elaine, while also planning a movie with everyone. He rants that his friends are killing the "Independent George" they all know, by forcing him to be "Relationship George" all the time. When Susan takes George's place in a Monk's booth with his friends, the other shoe drops for George, sending him off to eat alone at Reggie's again.

Unable to shake Ramon, Jerry firmly turns down his friendship, angering him. Ramon gets rehired, and starts inconveniencing Jerry at every turn. Harassed by Ramon while swimming, Jerry drags him into the pool just as Newman does a cannonball dive overhead. Ramon gets knocked out, and both Jerry and Newman would rather risk his death than perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. They both get banned from the club.

George comes home to a note saying that Susan went to see Chunnel with Elaine and Jerry. He calls Moviefone for showtimes, not knowing he reached Kramer, who answers as a fake phone menu in "Mr. Moviefone"'s voice. George vengefully leaves to confront everyone before hearing the full showtimes, and goes to the wrong theater, making a nuisance of himself. Meanwhile, Jerry and Elaine talk through the movie, and Susan realizes that their company is unbearably tedious. As she writes them off, George is hauled off by security, still ranting.

The real Mr. Moviefone tracks down Kramer for stealing his business, and menacingly lets Kramer choose his fate from a menu of options.

Production

The episode's Jerry plot was considerably altered from writer David Mandel's original concept, in which Jerry and Ramon were shown innocently and mutually developing a friendly acquaintanceship at the health club prior to the downhill slope their relationship takes.^[2] Moreover, Mandel wanted Ramon to be a small Hispanic man, intending to find humor in the obvious social mismatch between Jerry and Ramon. Watching a video of playwright/performing artist Danny Hoch, he was impressed with how Hoch did 15 different Hispanic voices; Hoch was cast as Ramon and did the table read for the episode.^[2] However, Hoch eventually objected to what he felt was ethnic stereotyping in the way his character was written.^[3] According to Hoch, Jerry Seinfeld joked that they should do the next scene in blackface.^[4]^[5] The part was eventually given to Carlos Jacott instead, who gave a more mentally unhinged portrayal of Ramon than was originally planned.^[2] The Seinfeld crew decided to focus on that and drop the Hispanic angle.^[2]

The pool scene was filmed at the YMCA in Hollywood. Wayne Knight was uncomfortable at the prospect of wearing a bathing suit for the scene due to the level of bodily exposure, so the crew came up with the idea of him wearing a modest, comically archaic swimming outfit.^[2] The idea of Jerry and Newman being unwilling to give Ramon mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was contributed by Seinfeld creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld.^[6]

The footage of the fictional movie "Chunnel" was taken from The American President.^[3] George's line while the movie plays behind him, "I know you're in there laughing at me, laughing and lying!" was taken from the girlfriend of one of David Mandel's friends; she shouted the line outside a building during a drunken rant.^[6] The scene at Reggie's is actually stock footage from the episode "The Soup".^[3]

Mr. Moviefone was voiced by Russ Leatherman, the real Mr. Moviefone; Leatherman was unable to be present for the filming, so the brief shot of his body is another actor.^[3]

Reception

The episode won 'Best Episodic Comedy' at the Writers Guild of America Awards 1996.^[7]

References

1 2 "Seinfeld Season 7 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
1 2 3 4 5 Seinfeld Season 7: Inside Look - "The Pool Guy" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2006.
1 2 3 4 Seinfeld Season 7: Notes about Nothing - "The Pool Guy" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2006.
↑ Hoch, Danny (March 1998). "The one where Jerry disses the pool guy, by Danny Hoch". Harper's Magazine. Retrieved April 27, 2024. I was feeling extremely uncomfortable, and in between scenes the jokes started coming. 'So, Danny, you wanna do the next scene in blackface? Heh.'
↑ "Danny's Trip to L.A." Event occurs at 6:16. Retrieved April 27, 2024. But then the jokes start coming, like Jerry says, 'So Danny, why don't we do the next scene in blackface?' Ooooooh.
1 2 Mandel, David; Ackerman, Andy; Seinfeld, Jerry (2006). Seinfeld Season 7: Audio Commentary - "The Pool Guy" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
↑ "Writers Guild Awards Winners: 2005-1996". Writers Guild Awards. Retrieved July 17, 2026.

External links

"The Pool Guy" at IMDb

[tvguide-1] 1 2 "Seinfeld Season 7 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved December 10, 2021.

[InsLook-2] 1 2 3 4 5 Seinfeld Season 7: Inside Look - "The Pool Guy" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2006.

[NaN-3] 1 2 3 4 Seinfeld Season 7: Notes about Nothing - "The Pool Guy" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2006.

[HochHarpers-4] Hoch, Danny (March 1998). "The one where Jerry disses the pool guy, by Danny Hoch". Harper's Magazine. Retrieved April 27, 2024. I was feeling extremely uncomfortable, and in between scenes the jokes started coming. 'So, Danny, you wanna do the next scene in blackface? Heh.'

[5] "Danny's Trip to L.A." Event occurs at 6:16. Retrieved April 27, 2024. But then the jokes start coming, like Jerry says, 'So Danny, why don't we do the next scene in blackface?' Ooooooh.

[AudioCom-6] 1 2 Mandel, David; Ackerman, Andy; Seinfeld, Jerry (2006). Seinfeld Season 7: Audio Commentary - "The Pool Guy" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

[7] "Writers Guild Awards Winners: 2005-1996". Writers Guild Awards. Retrieved July 17, 2026.

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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

v t e Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Comedy
1960s	Dorothy Cooper for "Margaret's Old Flame" (1960) Sam Bobrick & Bill Idelson for "The Shoplifters" / Martin Ragaway for "My Husband Is the Best One" (1964) Carl Kleinschmitt & Dale McRaven for " Br-room, Br-room"(1965) Jack Winter for "You Ought To Be In Pictures" (1966) Marvin Marx & Gordon Rod Parker & Walter Stone for "Movies Are Better Than Ever" (1967) Sam Bobrick & Bill Idelson for "Viva Smart" (1968) Allan Burns for "Funny Boy" (1969)
1970s	Richard DeRoy for "The Valediction" (1970) Martin Cohan for "Thoroughly Unmilitant Mary" (1971) Larry Gelbart for "Chief Surgeon Who?" (1972) Robert Schiller & Robert Weiskopf for "Walter's Problem" (1973) Larry Gelbart & Laurence Marks for "O.R." (1974) James Fritzell & Larry Gelbart & Everett Greenbaum for "Welcome to Korea" (1975) Alan Alda for "Dear Sigmund" (1976) Larry Rhine & Mel Tolkin for "Archie Gets the Business" (1977) Gary David Goldberg for "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (1978) Thad Mumford & Dan Wilcox for "Are You Now, Margaret?" / Ken Estin for "The Reluctant Fighter" (1979)
1980s	Dennis Koenig & Gene Reynolds for "Heal Thyself" (1980) Nat Mauldin for "Stormy Weather" (1981) Stephen Neigher & Tony Sheehan for "Hunger Strike" (1982) David Isaacs & Ken Levine for "The Boys in the Bar" / Glen Charles and Les Charles for "Give Me a Ring Sometime" (1983) Michael J. Weithorn for "Sumner's Return" (1984) Glenn Gordon Caron for "Pilot" (Moonlighting) / Elias Davis & David Pollock for "Madison Avenue Madness" (1985) Bob Randall for "Allie's Affair" (1986) Jay Tarses for "Here's Why Cosmetics Should Come in Unbreakable Bottles" / Gary David Goldberg & Alan Uger for "A, My Name is Alex" / Barry Fanaro & Mort Nathan for "'Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas" (1987) Carol Black & Neal Marlens for "My Father's Office" (1988) Todd W. Langen for "Coda" (1989)
1990s	Diane English for "Brown Like Me" (1990) David Isaacs & Ken Levine for "Rat Girl" (1991) Diane English & Korby Siamis for "Uh-Oh: Part II" (1992) Larry David for "The Contest" (1993) Larry David & Lawrence H. Levy for "The Mango" (1994) Joe Keenan for "The Matchmaker" (1995) David Mandel for "The Pool Guy" (1996) Gregg Kavet & Andy Robin for "The Fatigues" (1997) Rob Greenberg for "Frasier's Imaginary Friend" (1998) Jay Kogen for "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz" (1999)
2000s	Joe Keenan & Christopher Lloyd for "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue" (2000) Philip Rosenthal for "Italy" (2001) Bob Daily & Lori Kirkland & Dan O'Shannon for "Rooms with a View" (2002) Bob Daily for "No Sex, Please, We're Skittish" (2003) Mitchell Hurwitz & Jim Vallely for "Pier Pressure" / Neil Thompson for "Ida's Boyfriend" (2004) Jenji Kohan for "You Can't Miss the Bear" (2005) Steve Carell for "Casino Night" (2006) Paul Lieberstein & Michael Schur for "The Job" (2007) Andrew Guest & John Riggi for "Succession" (2008) Robert Carlock for "Apollo, Apollo" / Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd for "Pilot" (2009)
2010s	Robert Carlock for "When It Rains, It Pours" (2010) Steven Levitan & Jeffrey Richman for "Caught in the Act" (2011) Elaine Ko for "Virgin Territory" (2012) Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock for "Hogcock!" (2013) Louis C.K. for "So Did the Fat Lady" (2014) Clay Tarver for "Sand Hill Shuffle" (2015) Robert Carlock for "Kimmy Goes on a Playdate!" (2016) Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally for "Rosario's Quinceañera" (2017) Alec Berg & Bill Hader for "Chapter One: Make Your Mark" (2018) Liz Feldman for "Pilot" (Dead to Me) (2019)
2020s	Tony McNamara for "The Great" (2020) Tony McNamara for "Alone at Last" (2021) Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky for "The One, The Only" (2022) Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zuckerman for "Escape from Shit Mountain" (2023) Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky for "Bulletproof" (2024) John Carcieri, Jeff Fradley, and Danny R. McBride for "Prelude" (2025)

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