‘Seinfeld’s Most Famous Scene Came Together at the Last Minute

The big picture

• “The Marine Biologist” is a memorable one
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  episode showing George's passion and lies.
• Jason Alexander had limited time to learn his monologue for the iconic scene.
• George Costanza's character is
  Seinfeld
  Best and most relatable, it shows insecurity and outrage.

Seinfeld it could be a program named after its co-creator, Jerry Seinfeld, but the series was never just about him. Caram, of the four protagonists, is actually the least interesting of the group. Top-notch actors portrayed the intriguing characters of Elaine, Kramer and George. As the only woman, Julia Louis-DreyfusElaine Benes is accused of being the only woman who has to deal with all the disgusting men in her life, but she's also just as horrible and self-centered as everyone else. Michael Richards' Cosmo Kramer stood out, not only for being so eccentric that he gets the biggest laughs, but also for being much kinder and more personable than the others. Then there is Jason Alexanderit's poor Jordi. He could be the companion based on Larry David, but his role as the group's insecure loser gave him the best storylines. Alexander knew what he had and what he was capable of, which is why he almost quit when he didn't have enough screen time. That's also why he could receive a script thirty minutes before shooting and convert it Seinfeldthe greatest scene in history.

'Marine Biologist' Has 'Most Memorable Seinfeld Moment'

The first seasons of Seinfeld, while good, were a little clumsy as the series tried to decide how far it would go. Everything came together in Season 4, leading to a tremendous fifth season and beyond. It is in season 5 that Seinfeld gave fans arguably their best episode yet (a Collider ranking has it at number two, just behind “The Contest”), with “The Marine Biologist,” written by Ron Hauge i Charlie Rubin. “The Marine Biologist” is beloved not only for its over-the-top plot, but for the crazy ending that showed why Jason Alexander was a Broadway actor before he made it big.

The episode has George telling Jerry about a fascinating whale documentary he saw the night before, telling his best friend that he's “a whale fanatic”. Meanwhile, Kramer is excited because he collected hundreds of Titleist golf balls from a driving range and wants to hit them in the ocean, although no one else shares his enthusiasm when he invites them over. Jerry goes to an ATM alone when he runs into a woman he went to college with named Diane (Rosalind Allen). Diane asks about George, wondering if the “goof off” ever did anything with his life, so with the conversation still fresh in her mind, Jerry tells Diane that George is a marine biologist specialized in reducing the cholesterol level in whales. George is later excited to hear that Diane was asking about him, and even more so when he learns that Diane is going to call him. Jerry has to let his friend in on the lie he made up, but George plays along when the call comes. To say George has never had luck with the ladies is putting it mildly, so if he has to pretend to be who he is to get attention, so be it.

George is nervous about the lie, but fakes his way through a date with Diane on foot on the beach. She fully agrees, so much so that when a crowd gathers around a beached whale, Diane asks George to save her. Unable to admit the falsehood, George leaves for the water. “The Marine Biologist” ends with SeinfeldGeorge's biggest scene tells what happens next to the gang in the diner. For the next minute and a half, he goes into great detail, crafting an Ernest Hemingway-like picture for his friends about his experience. It starts with the hilarious line“That day, the sea was angry, my friends, like an old man trying to return soup to a deli.” Jerry, Kramer and Elaine hang on every word like a sailor recounting his life at sea. George is very serious and passionate about his story, which ends with him removing an obstruction from the whale's spiral. George then holds up a golf ball, prompting laughter from the studio audience so sustained that Michael Richards has to wait a few seconds before saying, “That's a Titleist? Hole in one, huh.” George then said he decided to tell Diane the truth. “He told me to go to hell, and I took the bus home.”

Jason Alexander had thirty minutes to learn his monologue

Ron Hauge and Charlie Rubin might be responsible for writing “The Marine Biologist,” but they didn't make it to that end. The episode was originally going to end differently until Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David came up with an alternate ending at the last minute. In a May 2024 media blitz for his Netflix movie No frostingJerry appeared The Rich Eisen Show, where he recounted this change. They were in the middle of shooting the episode and were going to shoot the end of the script the next day, when there was a connection with Jerry. Seinfeld is known for having its subplots at the end, but they almost missed an opportunity here. Jerry said they handed Jason Alexander the new script the next day with a two-page speech to memorize. He said: “You go to a TV actor like Jason and give him two and a half pages, and I say, 'We've got to shoot this in half an hour.' Memorize it.” He says, “No problem.” Jerry also revealed that a photo during George's speech that showed Jerry looking shocked wasn't him acting for the story, but: “I'm reacting, I can't believe it that he is making this word perfect. That's what I'm thinking… I'm just watching Jason do the scene in front of a live audience.” Alexander would have nailed it, but with a live audience hearing this speech for the first time, they had to get it right in one take to get it perfect.

Jason Alexander spoke about this ending and confirmed that Jerry Seinfeld was right, except for one small detail. The change at the end of “The Marine Biologist” was not written the night before but on the day of filming.. In an interview with Triple M, Alexander said he had rehearsed the original ending, but then Larry David approached him and asked how long it would take him to memorize a new monologue. Alexander told him he could do it in three minutes, but since the studio audience was already there, the cast couldn't rehearse it. Alexander added: “We did it once for the cameras, but the audience couldn't see it, and then they pulled back the curtain, and we did it once for the audience, and this is the take in the show.”

“The Marine Biologist” proves again why George Costanza is “the best character on Seinfeld.”

Jason Alexander is a chameleon. His first film was 1981's Slasher The cream, where he plays a confident jock (everything George wishes he could be), and pulls it off. In 1990, he was an absolute sweetheart beautiful woman, so much so that you think maybe the actor is too. He's done comedy, theater and even sings, but Jason Alexander will always be George Costanza.

Seinfeld fans love George for the outrage that he is. He's as insecure as can be, the product of truly insane parents, and he feels the world is out to get him. Sometimes he is, but his self-belief is so low that he constantly lies to build himself up in front of others in order to be accepted. Although George takes it to the extreme, it's a sentiment we can all relate to at some point. He wants to be an architect named Art Vandelay, so he pretends to be one. When George wants to maintain a disabled bathroom at work, he comes close to becoming disabled. Sometimes, though, he gets it, whether it's writing a pilot for NBC, checking out, or working for the New York Yankees, but time and time again he screws it up. That's what makes “The Marine Biologist” so much fun. For once, George Costanza is the hero. It does a huge thing. and he is passionate about it. It may be his greatest achievement and a story he will always have with him. Better yet, it's a great way to pick up women that isn't a lie. Well, mostly…​​​​

Seinfeld is available to watch on Netflix in the United States

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