Aired Thursday, November 7, 1996 · 30 min
Jerry gets hundreds of royalty checks, worth 12 cents each, for appearing on a Japanese TV program and gets writer's cramp. George and Jerry pitch their pilot to Japanese TV executives.
Posts per day after the first airing
Fans discuss whether the show's portrayal of Japanese people is offensive or just comedic exaggeration, debating whether Americans actually hold such stereotypes.
Posters dismiss a conspiracy theory claiming Jerry is not actually Jewish by making joking references to other absurd fictional identities and theories.
Fans discuss evidence that Elaine is not Jewish, citing Jerry's exclusionary language when explaining Jewish culture to her and her unfamiliarity with kosher meals.
Fans identify the car featured in the episode, with disagreement over whether it was a Ferrari 355, Ferrari 355 Spider, or Acura NSX.
Fans discuss favorite moments from the episode, with mixed reactions to the comedy including Kramer's scene with drawers, the Urban Sombrero gag, and Elaine's dating complaints.
Fans are divided on "The Checks" episode, with one viewer calling it the best of Seinfeld while others find it weak and criticize the Japanese royalty check subplot and Eagles song references.
Thread discusses a user's inappropriate behavior in the newsgroup, with posters criticizing them for posting pornographic content and insulting others.
Jerry will propose to a woman half his age, causing his mother to freak out and prompting Uncle Leo to recall a similar situation with Cousin Jeffrey.
Fans discuss the age of Jerry's girlfriend Shoshona from the episode, with most concluding she is around 21 years old, approximately half of Jerry's age of 42.
Fans discuss the return of the Urban Sombrero prop from a previous episode, noting that recurring visual gags and objects consistently reappear throughout the show.
Fans debate whether the episode is hilarious or contrived, with disagreement over whether it recycles previously used plotlines.
Wilhelm joining the carpet cleaning cult will result in either George getting a big promotion or Wilhelm becoming a recurring character.
Fans debate whether Wilhelm's involvement with a carpet cleaning cult will lead to George's promotion or a new recurring character.
Fans theorize that George is an extraterrestrial alien whom Jerry befriended as a child, with one commenter preferring this explanation to other origin stories.
Thread asks for the title of the November 7 episode and receives confirmation it is "The Checks".
Fans discuss Elaine's boyfriend actor's previous roles and enjoy the umbrella subplot and Bosco references from the episode.
Off-topic thread with apology for server problems; responder suggests using Seinfeld quotes in future posts.
“Opps sorry gotta go, the entrance to my igloo is cloging up with snow.”
“I thought he was Dylan Murphy, whose family lived on the border of Ireland and Scotland, and who came to America during the cereal famine: "Couldn't get a bowl anywhere!"”
“His inability to keep a secret in no way reflects upon the rest of us as a people.'”
“The shows do have fairly good medical research.”
“It wasn't one of the best episodes, but I loved the part where Kramer was tucking in the Japanese men.”
“If you don't get it, go back to watching "Melrose Place".”
Fans discuss Jerry receiving hundreds of tiny royalty checks from a Japanese TV appearance in "The Checks", with debate over whether the portrayal is ridiculing.
Viewers debate whether an episode ridiculing Japanese men and Japanese executives is offensive stereotyping or acceptable comedy that targets all groups equally.
Fans debate whether plot points in "The Checks" episode make logical sense, including check validity periods, endorsement requirements, and a liquor store unable to break large bills.
Viewers debate whether the 12-cent royalty checks in this episode represent a deeper metaphor for something relatable, with most agreeing the plot seems too substantial to be merely literal.
Fans confirm that "The Checks" is the episode where Elaine's favorite song "Desperado" is featured, with discussion of Jerry's writer's cramp from endorsing numerous small royalty checks.
Fans work to identify the episode where George calls Jerry from a phone booth in a panic, prompting Jerry to joke about Uncle Leo, eventually determining it is "The Checks."
Fans discuss the "Mack is back in town" reference from The Checks episode when Kramer wears Japanese clothes, with posters identifying it as an allusion to the song "Mack the Knife".
Fans discuss a plot hole in "The Checks" where Japanese executives know Mr. Wilhelm worked for the Yankees despite no indication he did.
Viewers discuss whether Larry David appears as Carl Fardman in The Checks episode, with consensus that it's unlikely based on appearance and that the character doesn't appear in credits.
Fans confirm that the episode airing tonight is a rerun and discuss which episode it is, with some uncertainty about whether it's from the current or previous season.
Fans note eerie real-world parallels between the carpet-cleaning cult in "The Checks" episode and the actual mass suicide of a web-design cult, praising the show's grounded storytelling.
UK viewer asks about an episode where Jerry was an umbrella salesman and seeks clarification on what season it is and how many episodes remain.
Jerry will move to Japan and sublet his apartment to Babu, Bania, or another character.
Posters speculate about Jerry potentially moving to Japan and subletting his apartment, with one noting he already appeared briefly on a Japanese show.
Fans discuss "The Checks" episode, with one viewer praising it as hilarious and another appreciating its layered references to Jerry's real life and the Patty Hearst kidnapping.
Fans identify the episode featuring Japanese businessmen sleeping in dresser drawers and Jerry's Japanese TV show deal as "The Checks".