S09E17 · EP 173
season 9 · April 16, 1998
The Bookstore
written by Spike Feresten · directed by Andy Ackerman · 29.6M viewers · image Seinfeld Wiki (CC BY-SA)

Episode DNA

20 scenes · 8 threads
scheme 23%tense 17%absurd 14%awkward 11%social rule violation 9%angry 4%humiliation 3%chaotic 3%comeuppance 3%betrayal 3%

Story threads over runtime

click a block to open the scene
0:005:0010:0015:0020:00
A · Kramer's Chaos
125911121315242628
B · Elaine's Embarrassment
6
C · Uncle Leo's Theft
71718
D · Elaine's Love Life
E · Uncle Leo's Shoplifting
2330
F · Rickshaw Business
21
G · Elaine's Fake Relationship
25
H · George's Book Trouble
29
01

Every scene

20 scenes · our breakdown
1 · Jerry's apartment · cold_openJerry's Apartment

Kramer hangs out at Jerry's place

00:02–00:45scheme · misunderstanding
2 · Jerry's apartment · act1Kramer's Stand-up

Kramer does a Jerry stand-up impersonation

00:45–01:05impersonation · scheme
5 · Brentano's bookstore bathroom · act1Kramer's Rickshaw Idea

Kramer and Newman discuss the rickshaw plan

01:37–02:14scheme · social_rule_violation
6 · Peterman party · act1Bookstore Encounter

Jerry and George at the bookstore

02:14–02:35scheme · social_rule_violation
7 · Brentano's bookstore · act1George Buys Book

George is forced to buy the book

02:35–02:46scheme · social_rule_violation
9 · Peterman party · act1Elaine and Zach Make Out

Elaine makes out with Zach at the party

03:17–03:46seduction · humiliation
11 ▸ 03:57
11 · Brentano's bookstore · act1George's Book Complaint

George complains about the book

03:57–04:02scheme · misunderstanding
12 ▸ 04:02
12 · Jerry's apartment · act2Elaine's Make-out Story

Elaine tells George about the make-out

04:02–04:44humiliation · social_rule_violation
13 ▸ 04:44
13 · Jerry's apartment · act2Kramer's Rickshaw Plan

Kramer explains his rickshaw plan to Newman

04:44–05:50scheme · social_rule_violation
15 ▸ 05:57
15 · Kramer's apartment · act2Homeless Rickshaw Pullers

Kramer suggests homeless people pull the rickshaw

05:57–06:35scheme · social_rule_violation
17 ▸ 06:40
17 · Uncle Leo's house · act3Uncle Leo's Defense

Uncle Leo defends his shoplifting

06:40–07:07social_rule_violation · scheme
18 ▸ 07:07
18 · Uncle Leo's house · act3Jerry's Parents

Jerry talks to his parents about stealing

07:07–08:09social_rule_violation · scheme
21 · Street · act1Rickshaw Auditions

Kramer and Newman interview rickshaw pullers

09:16–09:51scheme · coincidence
23 · Brentano's · act2Aftermath Conversations

Characters deal with consequences

10:22–11:05betrayal
24 · Various · act3Elaine's Phone Call

Elaine talks to Jerry about her fake boyfriend

11:05–15:28comeuppance
25 · Elaine's office · act1Kramer's Party

Kramer hosts a party at Jerry's apartment

15:28–16:36scheme · misunderstanding
26 · Jerry's apartment · act1Rickshaw Puller Contest

Kramer and Newman decide who pulls

16:36–17:06scheme · social_rule_violation
28 · street · act2George's Book Donation

George tries to donate the book

17:19–17:56scheme · misunderstanding
29 · charity shop · act2Jerry Talks to Manager

Jerry tries to help Uncle Leo

17:56–19:58petty_grievance · social_rule_violation
30 · bookstore · act3George Gets Caught

George is caught shoplifting

19:58–21:02comeuppance · betrayal
03

Same DNA

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04

Collect this episode

live eBay listings
Jerry Seinfeld Signed Book Seinlanguage Full Early Signature Bookstore Signed$144.95Buy it now · eBay
JERRY SEINFELD 1992 Sein Language Promotional Bookstore Button, Pin, Badge$10.80Buy it now · eBay
Anatol,Schnitzler, 1911 W/Brentano’s Bookstore Stamp(Seinfeld!) Weak Binding$17.00Buy it now · eBay
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← S09E16The BurningS09E18 →The Frogger

Episode facts

Wikipedia · Wikidata
Aired
April 16, 1998
Overall
#173
Writers
Spike Feresten
Director
Andy Ackerman
Viewers
29.6M (US)
Pace
118 words/min · 98 questions

Read more

FPlot, trivia & quotesSeinfeld Wiki · 0 "Notes About Nothing"OPEN ↗WProduction & receptionWikipediaOPEN ↗QStructured dataQ7719358OPEN ↗

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In this episode

Jerry SeinfeldJerry Seinfeld · Zafrir Keren - צפריר קרן · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Jerry SeinfeldJerry Seinfeld156 episodes · drives 890 scenes
FandomWiki
Wayne KnightWayne Knight · Super Festivals · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
NewmanWayne Knight34 episodes · drives 34 scenes
FandomWiki
Jason AlexanderJason Alexander · flipchip / LasVegasVegas.com · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
George CostanzaJason Alexander154 episodes · drives 743 scenes
FandomWiki
Len LesserLen Lesser · TV episode screenshot (Syndication) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Uncle LeoLen Lesser8 episodes · drives 9 scenes
FandomWiki
Julia Louis-DreyfusJulia Louis-Dreyfus · PhilipRomano · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Elaine BenesJulia Louis-Dreyfus156 episodes · drives 430 scenes
FandomWiki
Michael RichardsMichael Richards · Alan Light · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Cosmo KramerMichael Richards147 episodes
FandomWiki
John O'HurleyJohn O'Hurley · Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Jacopo PetermanJohn O'Hurley17 episodes
FandomWiki