// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did "The Wait Out" say to patience? "You're waiting in vain".

"**The Wait Out**"
"The Wait Out"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 7; Episode 23
Directed by	Andy Ackerman
Story by	Peter Mehlman & Matt Selman
Teleplay by	Peter Mehlman
Production code	723
Original air date	May 9, 1996
Guest appearances
	Heidi Swedberg as Susan Ross; Cary Elwes as David; Debra Messing as Beth; Danny Woodburn as Mickey; Allan Havey as Policeman; Diana Castle as Mrs. Zanfino; Todd Bosley as Joey Zanfino; Nicole Tocantins as Barbara;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Bottle Deposit"	Next →; "The Invitations"
	Seinfeld season 7
	List of episodes

"The Wait Out" is the 133rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the 23rd episode for the seventh season, originally airing on May 9, 1996.^[1] In this episode, George accidentally brings to fruition the long-awaited breakup of a married couple, letting Jerry and Elaine muscle in; and Kramer stubbornly wears jeans that are too tight.

Plot

For years, Elaine and Jerry have been "waiting out" the marriage of David and Beth Lukner, each poised to move in on one of the couple as soon as they break up. George, meeting the Lukners, jokes that Beth is out of David's league, unknowingly making their simmering marital tension boil over into divorce. Elaine and Jerry opportunistically position themselves to comfort David and Beth, respectively, in their time of need. Elaine, borrowing a friend's car, is fired up to be driving for the first time in ages, making Jerry carsick with her turbulent motoring.

Jerry doubts that Kramer can sport a pair of jeans like he used to; taking this as a challenge, Kramer forces himself into jeans so tight that he cannot bend his knees. However, Mickey Abbott is auditioning to join Actors Studio, and Kramer must play a suspect under interrogation. Unable to pry the jeans off in time, Kramer cannot sit down according to script, and flails around on stage until Mickey tackles him in a rage. Luckily, this ferocity passes him the audition.

Learning that he broke up the Lukners, George remorsefully runs off to "undo" his handiwork. He physically fights off Jerry and Elaine, and gets Beth to have second thoughts. With the nebbish David already bending to her will, Elaine demands Jerry pull his weight, forcibly driving Jerry to Beth for bonding time. Holding back his nausea, Jerry cannot express any emotion, confusing Beth. Meanwhile, David meets Susan and tells her that she is out of George's league. When Susan starts brooding, George is delighted that David's revenge might break up him and Susan.

Kramer doggedly keeps "breaking in" the jeans. He helps a neighbor watch her sleeping son Joey, but, seeing Kramer stiffly lurching like Frankenstein's monster, Joey runs away in terror. Kramer gets Mickey to lie under Joey's covers while he gives chase, but Mickey gets himself caught, and Kramer gets arrested as a child predator. Under interrogation, Kramer once again cannot compliantly sit down.

All of Elaine's charms come to naught when Beth wins David back instantly. George starts preemptively moving out, only to find that Susan was brooding over wedding minutiae.

Production

Michael Richards hurt his back during the scene in which Jerry attempts to pull Kramer's jeans off.^[2]

Awards and nominations

At the 48th Primetime Emmy Awards, Julia Louis-Dreyfus won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in this episode.

References

↑ "Seinfeld Season 7 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
↑ Seinfeld Season 7: Notes about Nothing - "The Wait Out" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2006.

External links

"The Wait Out" at IMDb

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

[2] Seinfeld Season 7: Notes about Nothing - "The Wait Out" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2006.

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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 Clip Show"† "The Finale"†
† Indicates two-part episode

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