The Keys (6 May 1992)

Jerry is fed up with Kramer coming into his apartment any time he feels like it and asks him to return his spare set of keys. Kramer begrudgingly complies but then lets it be known that ... See full summary »

Director:

Tom Cherones

Writers:

Larry David (creator), Jerry Seinfeld (creator),

Stars:

Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Jerry Seinfeld	...	Jerry Seinfeld
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Elaine Benes
Michael Richards	...	Kramer
Jason Alexander	...	George Costanza
Wayne Knight	...	Newman
Nina Tremblay	...	Jerry's Girlfriend
Eric Allan Kramer	...	Biker
Ricky Dean Logan	...	Hippie #1
Sharon Barr	...	Trucker
Maud Winchester	...	Hippie #2
Heather James	...	Waitress
Carissa Channing	...	Kramer's Girlfriend
Candice Bergen	...	Murphy Brown

Storyline

Jerry is fed up with Kramer coming into his apartment any time he feels like it and asks him to return his spare set of keys. Kramer begrudgingly complies but then lets it be known that he's leaving for California. As for the others, the one key swap leads to multiple exchanges on pretty well everyone's part. When Jerry forgets his keys, he gets George to let him into Elaine's apartment so her can get his spare set. What they find interests them.

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Plot Keywords:

male in bathtub | los angeles california | car breakdown | bubble bath | two on a motorcycle | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 May 1992 (USA)

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shapiro/West Productions, Castle Rock Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

23 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

The crossover with "Murphy Brown" led some people to wrongly believe this was the first time shows on competing networks cooperated on a prime-time crossover. Actually, that idea dates as far back as 1960, when Jay North of the CBS series "Dennis the Menace" (1959) took that role to ABC's "The Donna Reed Show" (1958), along with fellow "Dennis" regular Joseph Kearns, also reprising his role as Mr. Wilson.

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Connections

References Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964)

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Soundtracks

"Vesti La Guibba"
(uncredited)
Music by Ruggero Leoncavallo
Heard on the other line when Jerry calls Kramer's mother.

User Reviews

Kramer the actor

Whereas fears of cancellation at the end of Season 2 had made Larry David pander to NBC's requests and write a "conventional" finale (The Deal, which wound up airing as the fourth- to-last episode of the show's second year), by the end of the 1991-1992 season he decided to do things his way and end the third series on a cliffhanger of sorts, even though the program's future was all but secured. As it is well known by now, his decision was one of the most brilliant in the riveting history of American television.

For the first time since the beginning of the series, the issue of Kramer constantly entering Jerry's apartment unannounced is addressed: Jerry becomes very annoyed, and therefore decides to take back his neighbor's spare key. Kramer doesn't take that well, and runs off to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, Jerry and George find out Elaine is writing a script for the popular show Murphy Brown, starring Candice Bergen. Coincidentally, good old Kramer lands a guest spot on the program as Brown's secretary (a role that was played by a different actor each week).

Seinfeld always became something extra when it had episodes which focused primarily on Kramer, so it is no surprise that The Keys is one of the most endearing achievements of Season Three: seeing Michael Richards' reaction to the key situation at the beginning, as well as his one-scene double act with Bergen (always a welcome presence), is just one of his many lessons in goofy comedy acting.

And yet there is something other than Kramer that makes The Keys an essential moment in Seinfeld's nine-year run: it's the episode that led to the show's most celebrated glory, the unrivaled, Emmy-grabbing fourth season (the only one that won the much coveted Outstanding Comedy Series award). An appetizer of successes to come.