The Subway (Seinfeld)

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"The Subway"

Seinfeld episode

Episode no.

Season 3
Episode 13

Directed by

Tom Cherones

Written by

Larry Charles

Production code

313

Original air date

January 8, 1992

Guest appearances

Ernie Sabella as Naked Man
Barbara Stock as Scam Woman

Episode chronology

← Previous
"The Red Dot"

Next →
"The Pez Dispenser"

Seinfeld season 3

List of episodes

"The Subway" is the 30th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 13th episode of the show's third season.^[1] It aired on NBC on January 8, 1992.^[1]

The episode was written by Larry Charles and was directed by Tom Cherones.

Plot

At Monk's, the four discuss their plans for the day before setting out for subway: George is dressed up for a job interview, Elaine is due at a lesbian wedding as the best man, Kramer must pay tickets for many traffic violations, and Jerry is taking a rare trip to Coney Island, where his stolen car^[a] was found and impounded. Jerry fails to tempt the others to come with him to Coney before they all part ways.

George's well-dressed appearance catches an attractive woman's attention, and he passes himself off as a successful stock trader to impress her. He abandons his interview to go with her to a hotel room, where she disrobes and handcuffs him to the bed as if to engage in bondage. To his dismay, she robs him, taking his only suit to make up for his paltry cash. An embarrassed George spends the rest of the day wrapped in a bedsheet from the hotel.

An old-fashioned woman judges Elaine for her wedding duties, causing Elaine to loudly disavow lesbianism in self-defense. Later, the fully-packed train stops without explanation, and Elaine suffers in silence while her inner monologue grows ever more frantic and overwrought—as the train loses power, starts moving, then loses power again.

After falling asleep on another passenger's shoulder, Jerry wakes up sitting across from an overweight man who has stripped naked, with the other passengers giving a wide berth. Jerry chides the naked man for his self-conceit, but they eventually bond while arguing the Mets' pennant odds. Jerry spends the day enjoying Coney Island with the man, and the impound lot closes before he can claim his car.

After being beaten to open seats and a free newspaper by quicker passengers, Kramer overhears an inside tip that an underperforming racehorse is about to "break his maiden". He rushes to an off-track betting parlor and wins a hefty payout on the horse. A menacing stranger at the betting parlor follows Kramer back to the subway, but Kramer is saved when a "blind" violin busker reveals himself as an undercover policeman. Kramer surprises everyone by paying for dinner, that evening back at Monk's.

Reception

In 2012, Paste Magazine named "The Subway" the 16th best episode of the series, citing it as a "great example of how Seinfeld can turn something as everyday and mundane as riding the subway into not one, but four hilarious stories.^[2] In 2013, NYC & Company, New York City's official tourism organization, named it the "New Yorkiest" episode of the series.^[3]

Notes

↑ As previously mentioned in The Alternate Side.

References

1 2 "Seinfeld Season 3 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
↑ "The 25 Best Episodes of Seinfeld". September 6, 2012.
↑ "The 15 New York-iest Episodes of 'Seinfeld'". April 30, 2013.

External links

"The Subway" at IMDb

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