The Stock Tip

Template:Infobox Episode“The Stock Tip” is episode 5 and the final episode of Season 1, and it first aired June 21, 1990.

Plot

While dining at Monk's Cafe, Elaine tells Jerry and George that she is suffering from an allergic reaction to her boyfriend Robert's cats. Jerry contemplates asking his girlfriend Vanessa (Lynn Clark) to go away on a holiday together. George reads the business section of the newspaper, where he learns that a stock that he was told about by his friend Simons has increased in value. George persuades Jerry to match his investment of $2,500 into the company.

Jerry is in a grocery store with Vanessa, after they visited the cinema. He manages to persuade Vanessa to go away with him to a bed-and-breakfast in Vermont. Meanwhile, he reads the newspaper in hope that his stock has gone up, but it has in fact fallen in value. The next day, Kramer (Michael Richards) tells Jerry that his stock has fallen again. Jerry calls George so that he get advice from Simons' friend Wilkinson, the man who gave the stock tip in the first place, but no one can find him. George rings him back and tells Jerry that Wilkinson is in the hospital. While visiting the dry cleaner, Jerry tells George that he wants to sell his stock, but George insists that the tip is good and they should keep the stock. Eventually, George says he will go and visit Wilkinson to find out what they should do, despite the fact that George does not know him personally.

At Jerry's apartment, Elaine says that the only way that she can get rid of Robert's cats is if they should have some form of "accident" and offers Jerry the job, but he refuses. Kramer tells Jerry that his stock has fallen yet again. George then returns from visiting Wilkinson, but he has no information because he was thrown out of the hospital when Wilkinson saw him. Jerry decides to sell his shares, while George decides to "go down with the ship". Jerry takes Vanessa to Vermont, but rainy weather keeps them stuck inside the bed and breakfast. He regrets going with her because boredom causes them to argue. Jerry reads the business section of the newspaper to see what happened to the stock since he sold it. The stock has risen dramatically. Vanessa then claims that Jerry only took her to Vermont because he lost so much money. Back in New York, George is celebrating the rising price of his stock, which has increased by $8,000. Elaine says that she gave Robert an ultimatum, and he chose the cats. George then tells Jerry and Elaine that Wilkinson has another stock tip involving some sort of "robot butcher."

Critical Analysis

A blog dedicated to the legality of the issues that arise in Seinfeld episodes, Seinfeld Law, analyzed whether Jerry and George violated insider trading laws in the episode.

Stand-up Segments

1. In the opening stand-up segment, Jerry talks about how you feel about money before and after you eat. When you're hungry, you don't care how much the various dishes you order cost, but after you've eaten, you tend to be shocked by the bill.
2. Jerry talks about the impossibility of dry cleaning in the second stand-up segment.
3. In the closing segment, Jerry discusses his lack of an investment strategy.

Locations

• Monk's Cafe
• Grocery Store
• Jerry's Apartment
• Dry Cleaner
• Vermont Bed and Breakfast

Quotes

"I think Superman probably has a very good sense of humor. He's got super strength, super speed, I’m sure he’s got super humor." - Jerry

"What do you think a hitman would charge to rub out a couple of cats?" - Elaine

"I don’t know what he's got, but for a sick guy he's very strong!" - George

"I'm keeping [my stock]. I'm going down with the ship." - George

"Of course the market fluctuates. Everybody knows that. I just got fluctuated out of $4,000." - Jerry

Notes About Nothing

• This episode is notable for the fact that it's one of the few where George ends up on top after the events of the episode have transpired.
• George smokes a cigar to celebrate his luck playing the stock market; however, later when he is gifted Cuban cigars from Susan Ross' father, he claims they make him sick. He also claims that smoking made him sick in "The Invitations" (season 7).
• George refers to the 1978 film Superman: The Movie directed by Richard Donner. As part of the film’s climax Superman flies around the earth reversing its rotation and causing time to run backwards. This is, of course, a ridiculous concept and many claim it mars an otherwise excellent film.