Seinfeld

The Stakeout

Season 1, Episode 2, Aired 5/31/90

EDIT

Episode Summary

When Jerry goes to a birthday party with Elaine, he meets a woman he'd like to ask out, but doesn't get the chance to. When she leaves before he gets a chance to find out her name, he and George stakeout her office building.

7.9

EPISODE RATING: Good

322 votes

Your Rating: 10

"Perfect"
Your Rating: 9.5

"Superb"
Your Rating: 9

"Superb"
Your Rating: 8.5

"Great"
Your Rating: 8

"Great"
Your Rating: 7.5

"Good"
Your Rating: 7

"Good"
Your Rating: 6.5

"Fair"
Your Rating: 6

"Fair"
Your Rating: 5.5

"Mediocre"
Your Rating: 5

"Mediocre"
Your Rating: 4.5

"Poor"
Your Rating: 4

"Poor"
Your Rating: 3.5

"Bad"
Your Rating: 3

"Bad"
Your Rating: 2.5

"Terrible"
Your Rating: 2

"Terrible"
Your Rating: 1.5

"Abysmal"
Your Rating: 1

"Abysmal"

Rate It

Watch Online

TBS

Subscription

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Michael Richards

Cosmo Kramer

8.9
Jerry Seinfeld

Himself

9.4
Jason Alexander

George Louis Costanza

9.2

Fan Episode Reviews (13)

See All

It´s starting to go downhill...

6.0

"Fair"

By bigbandtheory, Oct 14, 2011 Report Abuse

Well this is the second episode so we can forgive seinfeld and cmon its the frst season, but some of these things cannot pass unsaid. lIKE THE WEDDING PART, WHAT A STUPID PLOT, like larry david says. And what about that girl who jerry liked what the F-WORD APPEND TO HER. not trying to be offensive, because i love seinfeld but , jerrys father being played by a different actor, the scrabble part?????? cmon, they could have done so much better! I mean Elaine being bummed out because of that!??!!!!!!!!?????????
I obny gave a six to this episode because its the second episode,the beggining of the series, and because,of course, Art Vandelay , the conversation that Jerry and George had, Fantastic. and the conversation at the party where jerry thinks to himself! Those are the only things that gives this mess a six. Even the begining at the blockbuster was stupid. Sure hope season 1 improves fast.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 2
Share Hide
One giant leap forward.

8.0

"Great"

By McKellars, Sep 07, 2008 Report Abuse

I thought that this episode of Seinfeld was a definate leap forward from the pilot. It had a good story and it had a lot of comedy in it. This is the episode that I am sure people started looking at this show and saying to themselves that this show has potential. This episode had it all, it introduced a new character, being Elaine and it featured some good work by the writers and nice performances by Jerry and Jason, especially during the Stakeout. One thing that is referenced in later episodes of the series run all the way into the finale season is the fictional name of Art Vandelay made up by George in this episode.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0
Share Hide
So Jerry - you're a stalker?

6.8

"Fair"

By DaGamePhreak, Aug 25, 2008 Report Abuse

In this episode Jerry meets a girl and doesn't know where she lives. So, he decides to "stake-out" (Hence the episode name) at her workplace with George. That is really all that happens in this episode. Pretty boring, nothing funny really happens, and the episode title line says what it is. Not nearly as entertaining or clever as later episodes, but hey, it's season one Seinfeld. What more could you really expect? Although most would disagree, I'd have to say The Pilot was better than this episode, even though both had very little going on in the episode. The Stake Out is one of Seinfeld's weakest episodes of all-time.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
1 0
Share Hide
Jerry, a stalker?

7.0

"Good"

By timboy219, Nov 12, 2007 Report Abuse

I have to admit, this isn't my favorite episode, but it has its moments. It is the episode where Morty Seinfeld was played by Phillip Bruns instead of Barney Martin. Basicly, Elaine drags Jerry to her friend Pam's birthday party. He sees a woman that he is intrested in a woman named Vanessa. He sees that she is with a man, so he doesn't do anything. So he and George go to her place of business and trys to see her. It turns out that the man was her cousin, so Jerry is excited and apparently they start dating, because she appears in "The Stock Tip" as his girlfriend. This is the first mention of George's primary phony name Art Vandelay.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
1 0
Share Hide
hdsyduilvahdjskalv

6.9

"Fair"

By politemale29, Sep 15, 2007 Report Abuse

gvhdjsavbghfdjsabvna vhfe he hbvjfk edhvjfk edbhfe bhfed bhf jdkbh vfjdk bhfj b fdhb fed bhf djklbh fd bhf djl kbhfdj lkbh fjd bhfd bjf dhbj fkd hbjf dhb jfd bhjf dh bjhf dhbjf kdhbvsjkf dhvjfk dhv fjdh sbjfdk svhfj dk hvjfk vh fujv cui vhuifs vh vh f uvihfu vicxhuiv zuhv ufid vpuhv uiclz hvujifh vuif vhcuizh vuizh iufh vuifp vhuicxlzh vujihzv ufi vhuizl huifh vuizl hxcuvi;h szlh udif vhufi zhu if hf zp; hvi hv ufi dhv h fc vh fid sph vuf idp vhfi ds vhfidsp vhf ds vhfd svh ifdp svh ufid shv fd suivh pfd shv hvjdskavmoreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 2
Share Hide

Write a Review

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

Trivia
ADD TRIVIA
- The song that Helen is humming as the Scrabble scene begins is "I Got Plenty o' Nuthin'" from George Gershwin's folk opera Porgy and Bess. It is appropriate that she is humming it since, as we learn, she indeed has "plenty o' nuthin'" as far as Scrabble tiles are concerned.
  Edit Share Hide
- Monk's was nominated for the 2004 TV Land Award for Favorite Greasy Spoon, and, for the 2006 TV Land Award for Most Happening Greasy Spoon Or Hangout.
  Edit Share Hide
- The show was nominated for the 2004 TV Land Award for Favorite Instrumental Theme Song.
  Edit Share Hide
Notes
ADD NOTES
- This episode was nominated for the 1990 Emmy Award for Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Multi-Camera Production.
  Edit Share Hide
- After this episode, Barney Martin plays Morty Seinfeld for the rest of the series. Larry David wanted to reshoot Bruns' scenes with Martin for syndication (as he had done with the two actors that portraying Frank Costanza), but decided against the idea due to the episode with Bruns being too far back, which made the difference in the actor's ages noticeable.
  Edit Share Hide
- This is the only episode where Philip Bruns played Morty Seinfeld.
  Edit Share Hide
Quotes
ADD QUOTES
- Jerry: Y'know I think that even if you've had a relationship with someone, or let's say, especially if you've had a relationship with someone and you try to become friends afterwards, it's very difficult. Isn't this? It's hard. Because, you know each other so well, you know all of each others tricks. It's like two magicians, trying to entertain each other. The one goes, "Look, a rabbit". The other goes, "So? ... I believe this is your card". "Look, why don't we just saw each other in half and call it a night? Okay?"
  Edit Share Hide
- Jerry: This is what I like, see? You come home and your parents are in your bed!
  Edit Share Hide
- Jerry: "Quone"? Helen: …30…31… Jerry: "Quone"? No, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to challenge that. (Jerry picks up the dictionary.) Helen: …32… Kramer: No, you don't have to challenge that. That's a word. That's a definite word. Jerry: I am challenging. Kramer: Quone. To quone something. Jerry: Uh-huh. (Jerry looks up the word.) Helen: I'm not playing with you anymore. Morty: Quone's not a word. Jerry: No good. Sorry. There it is. Get it off. Helen: (to Kramer) Why did you make me put that down? Kramer: Nah, we need a medical dictionary! If a patient gets difficult, you quone him.
  Edit Share Hide
Allusions
- Help by adding allusions to this episode. Add allusions