The Truth (Seinfeld)

"**The Truth**"
"The Truth"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 3; Episode 2
Directed by	David Steinberg
Written by	Elaine Pope
Production code	302
Original air date	September 25, 1991
Guest appearances
	Valerie Mahaffey as Patrice; Siobhan Fallon as Tina;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Note"	Next →; "The Pen"
	Seinfeld season 3
	List of episodes

"The Truth" is the 19th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the second episode of the show's third season, first airing on September 25, 1991.^[1]^[2] Directed by David Steinberg, this is the first episode (other than the pilot) not directed by Tom Cherones. Steinberg would later direct three others.^[3] The episode is the first written by Elaine Pope. She later co-wrote a Seinfeld episode with Larry Charles, "The Fix-Up", that won an Emmy Award in 1992 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Comedy Series.^[4] She also is credited for the story of one other episode, "The Cheever Letters".^[5] Both Steinberg as a guest star and Pope as a writer worked on Fridays, a show that included Larry David and Michael Richards as cast members.^[6]

Plot

George is dating Patrice, an accountant and former IRS agent, who wears a cheongsam and hair sticks on a date, aspires to make papier-mâché hats as a career, and quotes Thomas Carlyle. Weary of her behavior, George tries to break up without faulting her. Patrice demands the truth from George, and, in an outburst, he accuses her of pretentiousness. George takes Patrice's calm and collected reaction at face value.

However, Jerry had been relying on George to secure Patrice's help to extricate him from a tax audit; years ago, to impress Elaine on a date, Jerry had donated, at Kramer's behest, to a relief fund for a bogus Krakatoa eruption. Having forgotten, George lets Patrice leave with Jerry's tax records in hand. George's newfound faith in brutal honesty proves unfounded, as Patrice fails to return to work, and checks herself into a depression clinic, to Jerry's dismay. At the clinic, George grudgingly reconciles with Patrice for Jerry's sake, but Patrice has already thrown out Jerry's papers. Having failed to make copies, Jerry is reduced to revisiting stores one by one to reassemble old receipts, while George continues to suffer through Patrice's artistic whims.

Kramer, dating Elaine's roommate Tina, creates many unwelcome impositions at Elaine's apartment, including leaving the kitchen in disarray, playing loud tribal dance music while rambunctiously making out on the couch, and walking in on Elaine without warning while she is naked. He also finds a discarded windshield and turns it into a coffee table, despite being warned that the glass is invisible. Noticing Elaine's exasperation, Kramer and Tina ask her for the truth, but she does not repeat George's mistake and answers diplomatically. Excited by Elaine's approval, Tina and Kramer roll into the coffee table with the lights out, breaking it and severely injuring themselves.

Reception

The 16.7 million viewers (19% share, rank of 51) of the episode on its first airing fell well below the 21.7 million viewers (25% share, rank of 24) of the season three premiere, The Note.^[7]^[8] Web reviews generally give the episode a relatively low ranking. Matt Singer on Screen Crush ranks it at 153 out of 169, commenting that Jerry's storyline “feels like a waste.”^[9] Larry Fitzmaurice on Vulture rates it at 134 out of 169.^[10] The staff at Place to Be Nation give it ratings of 4 or 5 on a 1 to 10 scale.^[11] Collin Jacobson on DVD Movie Guide calls it a solid show but too reliant on Kramer's “schtick.”^[12] The hosts of Seincast find it solid but forgettable. More positively, Tina is one of their favorite Kramer girlfriends.^[13]

References

^ "Seinfeld Season 3 Episodes". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
^ Fretts, Bruce (1993). The Entertainment Weekly Seinfeld Companion. Atomic Wedgies to Zipper Jobs: An Unofficial Guide to TV’s Funniest Show. New York: Hachette Book Group.
^ "David Steinberg | Director, Additional Crew, Actor". IMDb. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
^ "Elaine Pope". Television Academy. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
^ Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards (2005). Seinfeld – Season 4. DVD Boxed Set.
^ Perrin, Dennis (January 31, 2012). "'Fridays': The 'SNL' Ripoff That Nearly Surpassed the Original". Vulture. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
^ Donlon, Brian (September 25, 1991). "New faces try to save 'One Life to Live'". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
^ Donlon, Brian (October 2, 1991). "'Roseanne' comes out on top". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
^ Singer, Matt (May 14, 2018). "Every Episode of 'Seinfeld' Ranked From Worst to First". ScreenCrush. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (May 15, 2023). "All 169 Seinfeld Episodes, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
^ "Seinfeld – Place to Be Nation". Retrieved July 31, 2024.
^ "Seinfeld: Season 3 (1992)". www.dvdmg.com. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
^ "Seincast: A Seinfeld Podcast : Seincast 020 - The Truth". seincast.libsyn.com. Retrieved July 31, 2024.

External links

"The Truth" at IMDb

[tvguide-1] "Seinfeld Season 3 Episodes". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.

[2] Fretts, Bruce (1993). The Entertainment Weekly Seinfeld Companion. Atomic Wedgies to Zipper Jobs: An Unofficial Guide to TV’s Funniest Show. New York: Hachette Book Group.

[3] "David Steinberg | Director, Additional Crew, Actor". IMDb. Retrieved July 31, 2024.

[4] "Elaine Pope". Television Academy. Retrieved July 31, 2024.

[5] Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards (2005). Seinfeld – Season 4. DVD Boxed Set.

[6] Perrin, Dennis (January 31, 2012). "'Fridays': The 'SNL' Ripoff That Nearly Surpassed the Original". Vulture. Retrieved July 31, 2024.

[7] Donlon, Brian (September 25, 1991). "New faces try to save 'One Life to Live'". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.

[8] Donlon, Brian (October 2, 1991). "'Roseanne' comes out on top". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.

[9] Singer, Matt (May 14, 2018). "Every Episode of 'Seinfeld' Ranked From Worst to First". ScreenCrush. Retrieved July 31, 2024.

[10] Fitzmaurice, Larry (May 15, 2023). "All 169 Seinfeld Episodes, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture. Retrieved July 31, 2024.

[11] "Seinfeld – Place to Be Nation". Retrieved July 31, 2024.

[12] "Seinfeld: Season 3 (1992)". www.dvdmg.com. Retrieved July 31, 2024.

[13] "Seincast: A Seinfeld Podcast : Seincast 020 - The Truth". seincast.libsyn.com. Retrieved July 31, 2024.

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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 Chronicle"† "The Finale"†
† Indicates two-part episode