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Score:
7.5
Good
92 votes
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The Van Buren BoysEpisode Number: 148 Season Num: 8 First Aired: Thursday February 6, 1997 Prod Code: 814 |
Jerry's girlfriend, Ellen, seems perfect in every way, but everyone else seems to have a problem with her. George interviews candidates for the Foundation's first scholarship. The candidates seem over-qualified, until one comes in who is a lot like he was. Elaine is going to ghost write Peterman's biography. Kramer goes to Lorenzo's pizza, where he has an encounter with the Van Buren boys. He accidentally flashes their gang sign and saves himself. Peterman wants his day to day life covered in his bio; the exotic adventures are for the catalog. His day-to-day life is very boring. She tells him about Kramer's encounter with the gang and he suggests buying the story for his biography. George's scholar makes a change in his plans that causes George to disqualify him from the scholarship. Kramer sells Peterman all of his stories for $750 dollars. Elaine is put at his disposal. To Elaine, Kramer's stories aren't much more interesting. George and Kramer perform an intervention on Jerry's relationship with Ellen. George's scholar joins the Van Buren boys, who apply pressure on George to get the scholarship back. Elaine tells Kramer that he can no longer tell his stories, since they now belong to Peterman. Elaine tries to embellish Kramer's stories, but Peterman finds the rewrites "too clichéd and obvious." She tells him the real Kramer story that he finds much more interesting. He tells Kramer he can have his stories back. George tries to save himself from the Van Buren boys. Jerry flies his parents in to get their impression of Ellen. He begins to see the light.
| Writer: | Darin Henry |
| Director: | Andy Ackerman |
| Star: | Michael Richards (Cosmo Kramer), Jason Alexander (George Louis Costanza), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine Marie Benes (not in pilot)), Jerry Seinfeld (Himself) |
| Recurring Role: | Liz Sheridan (Helen Seinfeld), Barney Martin (Morty Seinfeld), John O'Hurley (J. Peterman) |
| Guest Star: | Steve Hofvendahl (Man), Michelle Maika (Kim), Justine Slater (Melissa), Dublin James (Maurice), Yunoka Doyle (Lydia), Tony Colitti (Leader), Jed Rhein (Steven Koren), Christine Taylor (Ellen), Bruce Davison (Wyck), David Moscow (Lomez Jr.) |
See all The Van Buren Boys Cast & Crew »
Jerry might think that every Twilight Zone episode has the plotline that 'a guy wakes up to find he's the same and every one else is different', but only two of the original TZ episodes really fit that description. 1) "A World of Difference" starring Howard Duff as businessman Arthur Curtis who suddenly finds everyone convinced that he's an actor playing the part of Arthur Curtis in a movie. 2) "Person or Persons Unknown" starring Richard Long as a man who indeed wakes up to find no one knows who he is.
(edit)
The character Steven Koren is named after the Seinfeld writer with the same name.
(edit)
Jerry: So you're denying him the scholarship just because he wants to be a city planner?
George: I was betrayed! That kid was like a son to me. And if there's one person you should be able to hold down, it's your own flesh and blood. Like my father… my father's father before him. (edit) George: Maybe she decided to celebrate her birthday the Monday after the weekend.
Jerry: She's not Lincoln! (edit) Jerry: There's a street gang named after President Martin Van Buren?
Kramer: Oh yeah, and they're as mean as he was. (edit) Jerry: (about the scholarship candidate) Is he smart?
George: He knows how to read. And he knows that finishing a whole book doesn't mean anything. (edit) George: I think we're all aware of the flaws and biases of standardized tests.
Wick: These aren't standardized tests, these are his grades. (edit)
George: I was betrayed! That kid was like a son to me. And if there's one person you should be able to hold down, it's your own flesh and blood. Like my father… my father's father before him. (edit) George: Maybe she decided to celebrate her birthday the Monday after the weekend.
Jerry: She's not Lincoln! (edit) Jerry: There's a street gang named after President Martin Van Buren?
Kramer: Oh yeah, and they're as mean as he was. (edit) Jerry: (about the scholarship candidate) Is he smart?
George: He knows how to read. And he knows that finishing a whole book doesn't mean anything. (edit) George: I think we're all aware of the flaws and biases of standardized tests.
Wick: These aren't standardized tests, these are his grades. (edit)
When Kramer is running his "new" stories that he bought from Newman to Elaine and Jerry, he runs in and leaves the door open behind. When he goes to leave, the door is now closed and reopens it.
(edit)
Kramer's story about returning the very pants he was wearing is entirely believable. In "The Secretary" (Season 6), he sells Kenny Bania the suit he's wearing leaving him with nothing to wear home. What's more, it was the middle of winter.
(edit)
When George encounters the Seinfelds on the street, they ask him how his parents are, and then tell him to say hi for them. However, in "The Raincoats" it's revealed that the Seinfelds don't like the Costanzas. I detect sarcasm in the Seinfeld's voices. They cannot stand the Costanzas, and are quite irritated and annoyed by George's odd behavior.
(edit)
Kramer: (Holding up 8 fingers) That's their secret sign! See, Van Buren, he was the eighth president. They thought I was a former Van B. Boy.
Not only that, but Martin Van Buren, a native of Kinderhook, New York, was nicknamed "Old Kinderhook," and a political organization of the time named themselves the OK Club after him. Some say this is the origin of the English expression "OK" meaning fine, good, all right. (Wallace et al., "Significa," E.P. Dutton, 1983.) And a common hand gesture for "OK" -- tips of index finger and thumb touching, the other three fingers extended -- becomes half of the Van B. Boys' gang sign. (edit)
Not only that, but Martin Van Buren, a native of Kinderhook, New York, was nicknamed "Old Kinderhook," and a political organization of the time named themselves the OK Club after him. Some say this is the origin of the English expression "OK" meaning fine, good, all right. (Wallace et al., "Significa," E.P. Dutton, 1983.) And a common hand gesture for "OK" -- tips of index finger and thumb touching, the other three fingers extended -- becomes half of the Van B. Boys' gang sign. (edit)
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Community Reviews (5)
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9.1
The Van Buren BoysSuperb "Fine example" George gives away The Susan Ross Scholarship. Continue » Posted Jul 18, 2008 8:10 pm PST |
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8.0
The Van Buren BoysGreat "Average" To be honest it was more below average to me. Continue » Posted Aug 26, 2007 8:56 pm PST |
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9.2
The Van Buren BoysSuperb "Another great installment" Kramer is in Lorenzos pizza and is ambushed by the VanBuren Boys, but accidentally holds up 8 fingers so they think he was a member. George has to pick someone for the Scholarship. Elaine uses Kramer stories b/c Peterman is really boring for his bio. Continue » Posted Jun 25, 2007 11:52 am PST |
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9.0
The Van Buren BoysSuperb "Well written" It was good! Continue » Posted Jul 18, 2006 4:00 pm PST |
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8.2
The Van Buren BoysGreat "Exactly why I watch this series" Under-rated Continue » Posted May 8, 2006 7:22 pm PST |
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Episode Vital Stats
Episode: The Van Buren Boys
Season Number: 8
Episode Reviews: 5
Season Number: 8
Episode Reviews: 5
Episode
Score: 7.5 Good 92 votes
Score: 7.5 Good 92 votes
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