Seinfeldmight be a show named after its co-creator,Jerry Seinfeld, but the series was never just about him. Heck, out of the four leads,he’s actually the least interesting in the group. Top-notch actors portrayed the wildly intriguing characters of Elaine, Kramer, and George. As the only woman,Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Elaine Benes is put upon for being the sole female who must deal with all the disgusting men in her life but is also just as awful and self-centered as everyone else.Michael Richards' Cosmo Kramer set himself apart, not just by being so eccentric that he gets the biggest laughs,but also by being a lot kinder and more of a people person than the others. Then there’sJason Alexander’s poor George. He might be the sidekick based onLarry David, but his role as the insecure loser of the group gave him the best storylines. Alexander knew what he had and what he was capable of,which is why he almost quitwhen he wasn’t getting enough screen time. It’s also why he couldreceive a script thirty minutes before filming and turn it intoSeinfeld’s greatest scene ever.
The continuing misadventures of neurotic New York City stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his equally neurotic New York City friends.
“The Marine Biologist” Has ‘Seinfeld’s Most Memorable Moment
The early seasons ofSeinfeld, while good, were a bit clunky as the series tried to decide just how far out there it would go.It all came together in Season 4, leading to a tremendous fifth season and beyond. It’s in Season 5 thatSeinfeldgave fans arguably its best episode (a Collider ranking has it at number two, just behind “The Contest), with “The Marine Biologist,” written byRon HaugeandCharlie Rubin. “The Marine Biologist” is beloved not only for its over-the-top plot but the insane ending that showed why Jason Alexander was a Broadway actor before making it big.
The episode has George telling Jerry about a fascinating whale documentary he watched the night before, telling his best friend that he’s “such a whale fan.” Meanwhile, Kramer is excited because he rounded up hundreds of Titleist golf balls from a driving range and wants to hit them into the ocean, although no one else shares his enthusiasm when he invites them. Jerry goes alone to an ATM 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 his mind,Jerry tells Diane that George is a marine biologistspecializing in lowering the cholesterol level in whales. George gets excited later to hear that Diane asked 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 concocted, but George plays along when the phone call comes. To say that George has never had luck with the ladies is putting it mildly, so if he has to fake who he is to get attention, so be it.
George is nervous about the lie but fakes his way through a walking date with Diane along the beach. She completely buys in, so much so that when a crowd gathers around a beached whale, Diane begs George to save it. Unable to admit the falsehood, George marches into the water.“The Marine Biologist” ends withSeinfeld’s greatest scenewhen George recounts what happens next to the gang at the diner. For the next minute and a half, he goes into great detail, crafting a picture for his friends, as if he were Ernest Hemingway, about his experience.It begins with the hilarious line"The sea was angry that day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.“Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine hang on every word as if this was a sailor recounting his life on the sea. George is deadly serious and passionate about his story, which ends with him pulling an obstruction out of the whale’s blowhole.George then holds up a golf ball, resulting in laughter from the studio audience so sustained that Michael Richards has to wait a few seconds before he says, “Is that a Titleist? Hole in one, huh.“George then said he decided to tell Diane the truth. “She told me to go to hell, and I took the bus home.”
Ron Hauge and Charlie Rubin might be responsible for writing “The Marine Biologist,” but they didn’t come up with that ending. The episode was originally going to end differently untilJerry Seinfeld and Larry David thought of an alternate finale at the last minute. In a May 2024 media blitzfor his Netflix filmUnfrosted, Jerry appeared onThe Rich Eisen Show, where he recounted that change. They were in the middle of shooting the episode and were going to shoot the scripted ending the next day when a connection clicked with Jerry.Seinfeldis known for having its subplots come together 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 walk up to a TV actor like Jason, and you hand him two-and-a-half pages, and I go, ‘We got to shoot this in a half hour. Memorize it.’ He goes, ‘No problem.'” Jerry also revealed that one shot during George’s speech showing Jerry looking shocked was not him acting for the story, but, “I’m reacting, I can’t believe he’s getting this speech word perfect. That is what I’m thinking… I’m just watching Jason get the scene right in front of a live audience.” Seinfeld pointed out that if this was a movie, they could have just reshot it if Alexander screwed up, but with a live audience who will be hearing this speech for the first time, they needed to get it right in one take to get that perfect reaction.
Jason Alexander Got Cast on ‘Seinfeld’ for Doing This Celebrity Impression
Jason Alexander was the perfect actor for George Costanza, even if he didn’t totally understand who the ‘Seinfeld’ character was.
Jason Alexander has spoken about this ending and confirmed that Jerry Seinfeld was right, except for one minor detail.The change to the ending of “The Marine Biologist” wasn’t written the night before but on the day of filming. In an interview withTriple M, Alexander said he had rehearsed the original ending, but then Larry David came up to 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 because the studio audience was already there, the cast wasn’t able to rehearse it. Alexander added, “We ran it once for the cameras, but the audience couldn’t see it, and then they pulled the curtain away, and we did it one time for the audience, and that’s the take that’s in the show.”
“The Marine Biologist” Proves Again Why George Costanza Is ‘Seinfeld’s Best Character
Jason Alexander is a chameleon.His first film was 1981’s slasherThe Burning, where he plays a confident jock type (everything George wishes he could be), and he pulls it off.In 1990, he was an absolute creep inPretty Woman, so much so that you think maybe the actor is as well. He’s done comedy, theater, and he even sings, but Jason Alexander will always be George Costanza.
Seinfeldfans love George because of how outrageous he is. He is as insecure as it gets,the product of truly insane parents, and feels like the world is out to get him. Sometimes it is, but his belief in himself is so little that he constantly lies to build himself up in front of others to be accepted. While George takes it to the extreme,it’s a feeling 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 keep a handicap bathroom at work, he goes all in on being disabled. Sometimes, though, he succeeds, whether it be writing a pilot for NBC,getting engaged, or working for the New York Yankees, but time and time again, he blows it. That’s what makes “The Marine Biologist” so hilarious. For once, George Costanza is the hero. He does something huge. and he’s passionate when it comes to talking about it. It may be his greatest achievement and a story he’ll have with him always. Better yet, it’s a great way to pick up women that’s not a lie. Well, mostly.
