The Little Jerry

"The Little Jerry" is the 145th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 11th episode for the eighth season.

The table reading for this episode took place on Sunday, November 24, 1996,^[1] and the majority of this episode was filmed in front of a live studio audience on Wednesday, November 27, 1996 (a day before Thanksgiving).^[1] It premiered on Thursday, January 9, 1997, being the first Seinfeld episode to air in the new year.^[1]

Plot

At Monk's, Kramer tells Jerry that the owner of a nearby bodega, Marcelino (Miguel Sandoval), posted one of Jerry's bounced checks on his cash-register, along with the other bad ones. The check has a picture of a clown holding balloons.

At this moment, George walks into the restaurant, in a very happy mood. He explains that The Susan Ross Foundation made a large donation to a women's prison, and he gets to go there to "check it out." Elaine then makes an entrance, introducing her new boyfriend Kurt (John Michael Higgins), who shaves his head.

Jerry goes to the bodega where his check is, and pays Marcelino what he owes. Marcelino, however, refuses to take the check down under "store policy." George goes to the women's prison, and meets the warden: Betsy (Kathryn Joosten), but is disappointed as to how tame and peaceful the building is. George then proceeds to ask "out" the prison's librarian, Celia (Andrea Bendewald), finding many pros with dating a woman who's in jail.

Kramer announces that he bought what he thinks is a hen (whom he named "Little Jerry Seinfeld") for its eggs, but later finds out that it is a rooster. Meanwhile, Elaine is thoroughly disappointed in Kurt's bald head after seeing the hair he could have if he didn't keep shaving it off. She persuades him to regrow his hair, but is even more shocked to discover that he's going bald. After a pep talk from George, Kurt soon proposes to Elaine in order to have as much time with her as possible before he goes completely bald.

Marcelino convinces Kramer to put Little Jerry in a cock fight, which he winds up winning. Marcelino then makes a deal with Jerry: he'll take his check down only if he can have Little Jerry. Kramer strongly opposes this transaction, though. When George finds out that Celia is up for parole, he desperately tries to put a stop to it, judging that he interacts with her better when she's in prison. He succeeds in preventing her from getting the parole, but that doesn't stop her from unexpectedly breaking out. Celia is soon tracked down and arrested, and Kurt is also arrested after being mistaken for George because of his baldness.

Back at the cock fight, Little Jerry is faced with a huge and skilled opponent. Kramer dives after Little Jerry, trying to protect him, but winds up getting violently pecked (off-screen) by the opposing bird.

The final scene shows Elaine visiting Kurt in jail. He tells her he is given 10–14 months. Elaine realizes that by that time, he'll be as bald as George, so she gives back the wedding ring, thus breaking up with him.

Production

A deleted scene from this episode shows Jerry and Elaine walking down the streets of New York, talking about the difference between a man who's bald and acts bald, and a man with no hair.^[2]

Reception

This episode was very well received. It gained a 23.0 Nielsen Rating and a 33 audience share, meaning that 23% of American households watched the episode, and 33% of all televisions in use at the time were tuned into it.^[1]

After New York Mets reliever Frank Francisco made comments about the New York Yankees being "chickens", Francisco's teammate Tim Byrdak proceeded to buy an actual chicken and act like the Yankees sent it to the Mets clubhouse. The chicken was welcomed into the Mets clubhouse, and Byrdak named it "Little Jerry Seinfeld", inspired by this episode. The chicken was subsequently placed into an animal sanctuary.^[3]

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Little Jerry

• "The Little Jerry" at the Internet Movie Database
• "The Little Jerry" on Sony Pictures
• "The Little Jerry" at TV.com

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