The Understudy (Seinfeld)

Infobox Television episode
Title = The Understudy
Series = Seinfeld


Caption = Jerry and George talking at the softball game.
Season = 6
Episode = 110
Airdate = May 18, 1995
Production =
Writer = Marjorie Gross & Carol Leifer
Director = Andy Ackerman
Guests = Bette Midler, Amy Hill & Michael McDonald
Episode list = List of "Seinfeld" episodes
Season list = Infobox Seinfeld season 6 episode list
Prev =
Next =

"The Understudy" is the 110th episode of the NBC sitcom "Seinfeld". This was the 24th and final episode for the 6th season. It aired on May 18, 1995.

Plot

George and Jerry are suspected of deliberately injuring Bette Midler during a softball game, giving Jerry's girlfriend a chance to perform in "Rochelle, Rochelle", the musical. Kramer becomes Bette's personal assistant. Elaine gets Frank Costanza to translate for her when she suspects that her korean manicurist has made some obvious snide remarks in her native tongue. Elaine meets J. Peterman, and gets herself a new job.

Trivia

* This episode is patterned after the contemporary real life events surrounding ice skater Tonya Harding, in which her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly is alleged to have attacked a rival ice skater, Nancy Kerrigan, to eliminate her from competition. Also the end scene with her begging to restart is a direct parody of Harding during the 1994 Winter Olympics. fact|date=February 2008
* This is the first episode not to have Jerry's stand-up routine even in original version.
* Michael McDonald, formerly a cast member on "MADtv", had a brief role in this episode as one of the Rochelle, Rochelle baseball players would later be in next season's "The Wig Master" as the guy who tries to ask the wig master out.
* When Michael Richards sang "Wind Beneath My Wings", the words had to be dubbed in at a later date. Richards couldn't remember how the song went on set.