The Switch (Seinfeld)

"**The Switch**"
"The Switch"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 6; Episode 11
Directed by	Andy Ackerman
Written by	Bruce Kirschbaum & Sam Kass
Production code	610
Original air date	January 5, 1995
Guest appearances
	Wayne Knight as Newman; Sheree North as Babs Kramer; Gail Strickland as Mrs. Landis; Charlotte Lewis as Nina; Jann Karam as Sandy; Terry Sweeney as Keith; Heather Medway as Laura; Clive Rosengren as Mr. Clotworthy; Jacqueline M. Houston as Lorraine; Cheryl Francis Harrington as Waitress; Tish Smiley as Woman;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Race"	Next →; "The Label Maker"
	Seinfeld (season 6)
	List of episodes

"The Switch" is the 97th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld, and the 11th episode of the show's sixth season.^[1] It aired on January 5, 1995.^[1] In this episode, Jerry wants to switch from dating a non-laughing woman to dating her roommate, Elaine has difficulty retrieving a tennis racket she loaned out, and George enlists Kramer's mother to spy on his seemingly bulimic girlfriend, leading to him learning Kramer's first name.

Plot[]

After playing tennis, Elaine is recognized by Mrs. Landis, who had rejected her application to Doubleday but now hints there may be an opening for her there. Elaine lends Mr. Pitt's tennis racket, a Bruline, to her in hopes of getting a new job. When she comes by to pick up the racket so Mr. Pitt can use it in his match with Ethel Kennedy, she learns that Landis injured her humeral epicondyle playing tennis. Landis is despondent and tells Elaine she may never be able to play tennis again, so Elaine doesn't have the heart to ask for the racket back. Jerry suggests she retrieve it while Landis is out for lunch. However, she is caught by Landis's assistant, who doesn't believe her when she tells him the racket is hers.

Jerry is dating Sandy, a "non-laugher". She seems unamused by his jokes; her most enthusiastic response is saying "That's funny" in an emotionless tone. When Jerry goes to Sandy's apartment he meets Laura, her roommate, who laughs at all his jokes and is generally attractive. Later, he tells George he wants to break up with Sandy and start dating Laura. Jerry and George spend long hours brainstorming how to accomplish "the switch". Finally, George comes up with a plan: Jerry will suggest a ménage à trois, Sandy will be disgusted, break up with Jerry, and tell Laura, who will feel flattered, thus paving the way for Jerry to ask her out. However, both Sandy and Laura agree to the ménage à trois. Jerry promptly backs out of the suggestion.

George brags to Kramer about his girlfriend Nina, a model who maintains a stunning figure even though she eats a lot. However, Kramer suggests the explanation may be that she is bulimic, which rings true to George since she always excuses herself to the bathroom after eating. He plans to have a matron spy on her to verify that she is purging. Kramer lets out that his estranged mother Babs works as a matron. Jerry convinces him to reconcile with her. When she sees her son, she yells out "Cosmo!" This comes as a dramatic revelation to George, Jerry, and Elaine, who have been trying to learn Kramer's first name for years. Kramer is philosophical about this, finally embracing his first name.

Kramer tells his mother to quit her job as a matron and go into business with him. Lacking Babs' help, George goes to the women's bathroom himself. Hearing the noise of someone vomiting, he bursts in, but it turns out to be another woman who was genuinely sick.

Newman is out of town, so Kramer uses his keys to retrieve his Bruline tennis racket for Mr. Pitt to use. When he opens the door, he sees Babs in a compromising position with Newman.

Production[]

The episode was written by Bruce Kirschbaum and Sam Kass, who usually work individually, but Larry David decided to team them up for the episode.^[2] It was titled "The Bulimic" in pre-production drafts.^[2]

The name "Cosmo" was suggested by David; he took the name from a boy who lived in the same apartment building as him and Kenny Kramer.^[3] The revelation of Kramer's first name was heavily promoted by NBC in the leadup to the episode's first broadcast, and all copies of the script had "X"s in place of every instance of the name "Cosmo" to prevent it being leaked to the press.^[2] Though the episode was filmed three weeks before "The Race", it was aired after it so that the Christmas-themed "The Race" could air during the Christmas season.^[2]

References[]

^ ^a ^b "Seinfeld Season 6 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Seinfeld Season 6: Notes about Nothing - "The Switch" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2005.
^ Seinfeld Season 6: Inside Look - "The Switch" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2005.

External links[]

"The Switch" at IMDb

[tvguide-1] "Seinfeld Season 6 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved December 10, 2021.

[NaN-2] Seinfeld Season 6: Notes about Nothing - "The Switch" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2005.

[3] Seinfeld Season 6: Inside Look - "The Switch" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2005.

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v t 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