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Score: 9.5 Superb 237 votes

The Opposite

Episode Number: 86    Season Num: 5    First Aired: Thursday May 19, 1994    Prod Code: 521
George comes to the realization that he should try to do the opposite of everything, so he does, his luck changes and everything begins to go his way including getting a girlfriend, a job with the Yankees and moving out of his parents' house. Things begin to be unlucky for Elaine after she buys a box of "Jujyfruits." Kramer appears on Regis & Kathie Lee to promote his coffee table book. Rachel wants to break up with Jerry and he readily agrees, because his luck has been "even Steven." Elaine's eating of "Jujyfruits" causes Pendant Publishing to go under, and later she realizes that she and George have traded places.

Cast and Crew

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Writer: Andy Cowan, Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld
Director: Tom Cherones
Star: Michael Richards (Cosmo Kramer),  Jerry Seinfeld (Himself),  Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine Marie Benes (not in pilot)),  Jason Alexander (George Louis Costanza)
Recurring Role: Larry David (Voice of George Steinbrenner (uncredited)),  Estelle Harris (Estelle Costanza),  Jerry Stiller (Frank Costanza)
Guest Star: Hiram Kasten (Michael),  Ken Takemoto (Chairman),  Fritz Mashimo (Interpreter),  Susan Segal (Waitress),  Oscar Jordan (Counterperson),  Rolando Molina (Punk #1),  Michael Friedman (Punk #2),  Marvin Braverman (Poker Player #1),  Wesley Thompson (Poker Player #2),  Jeff Barton (Poker Player #3),  Jeffrey von Meyer (Poker Player #4),  Regis Philbin (Himself),  Melanie Smith (Rachel),  French Stewart (Manager),  Kathie Lee Gifford (Herself),  Marty Rackham (Jake Jarmel),  Siobhan Fallon (Tina),  Paul Gleason (Cushman),  Dedee Pfeiffer (Victoria)

Notes

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Regis Philbin receives the "With" credit. (edit)
Kathy Lee Gifford receives the "And" credit. (edit)
This episode won the 1994 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series - Multi-Camera Production. This episode received a nomination for the 1995 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series. (edit)
This episode won the 1994 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series - Multi-Camera Production. This episode received a nomination for the 1995 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series. (edit)
French Stewart, who has a few lines here as the movie theatre manager, would go on in 1996 to co-star as Harry Solomon in the NBC series 3rd Rock From the Sun, which also featured Seinfeld co-star Wayne Knight in the supporting player role of Officer Don Orville. (edit)

Quotes

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Jerry: Elaine, don't get too down. Everything will even out. See, I have two friends. You were up, he was down. Now he's up, you're down. You see how it all evens out for me? (edit)
George: A job with the New York Yankees! This has been the dream of my life ever since I was a child, and it's all happening because I'm completely ignoring every urge towards common sense and good judgment I've ever had. This is no longer just some crazy notion, Elaine, Jerry. This is my religion.
Jerry: So I guess your messiah would be the Anti-Christ. (edit)
Regis Philbin: (introducing Kramer) This guy could be a little bonkos. (edit)
Kramer: (to Jerry) You know who you are? Even Steven. (edit)
Kramer: I'm starting the book tour! First stop - Regis and Kathie Lee!
Jerry: You're going on Regis and Kathie Lee?
Kramer: Oh, you better believe it.
Jerry: I'll loan you my puffy shirt. (edit)

Trivia

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When the players add up the money they won or lost during poker, the totals were 1- Won 50, 2- Lost 32, 3- Won 37, 4- Lost 15, Jerry - Broke Even

Well when you add 50, negative 32, 37, negative 15, and even, you get a total of 40 dollars. So someone must have mis-counted their total winnings/losing's then, considering all totals should equal to 0, where instead it equals 40. (edit)
Working Title: "The Even Steven". (edit)
In this episode, Jerry becomes "Even Steven." (edit)
Goof: George says that he was fired from his publishing job for "having sex in his office with the cleaning woman." However, in "The Red Dot," we see that George had only a cubicle instead of an office. The outrage in that episode that led to George's dismissal was that he had sex on his desk. (edit)
If this Opposite thing work's so well for him, why does he stop doing it? (edit)

Allusions

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Community Reviews (5)

 

CTUBauer24
Report Abuse 1 user agrees
with this review
9.8
Superb
The Opposite
"Series classic"
Seinfeld Episode reveiw
Continue » Posted Jan 28, 2008 10:42 pm PST

GeorgeJobson
Report Abuse 2 users agree
with this review
9.5
Superb
The Opposite
"Silly"
It's a Good Day (George)/Bad Day (Elaine)
Continue » Posted Dec 18, 2006 8:24 am PST

Headbanger15
Report Abuse 2 users agree
with this review
9.3
Superb
The Opposite
"Out of character"
But in a good way!
Continue » Posted Sep 15, 2006 7:55 pm PST

jimbo_001
Report Abuse 3 users agree
with this review
10.0
Perfect
The Opposite
"Out of character"
My favourite episode
Continue » Posted May 10, 2006 4:35 pm PST

metty69
Report Abuse 6 users agree
with this review
10.0
Perfect
The Opposite
"A very special episode"
This episode is one big Laugh through and through!
Continue » Posted Nov 8, 2005 3:29 pm PST
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Episode: The Opposite
Season Number: 5
Episode Reviews: 5
Episode
Score:
9.5 Superb 237 votes
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