If all the names to pick that don't sound like a murderer, they picked the most distinct one that became synonymous with murderer like six months after this aired. Especially first names. Jeez, the only one worse I can think of is Hannibal, and he's a fictional killer.
10 Reviews
Half-cooked
juanmaffeo18 May 2016
There's no question about this being an enjoyable episode. The thing is it doesn't match the standard levels of Season Five.
There are three main story lines on this one. Jerry has a masseuse girlfriend and wants her to give him a massage, George needs this same woman to like him (just because she hates him) and Elaine is dating a guy with a serial killer name. Kramer just bounces around these stories.
Jerry story line is by far the best of the three. Is the only one that proudly deserves its spot in a fifth season episode. The allegories between sex and massaging are hilarious (they do these kind of mash ups very often, but here is quite on point).
Elaine story line is okay. It's subtle, nothing spectacular, almost half-cooked. It's entertaining and harmless, but it's not really funny.
And George's story is, for me, quite annoying. It reaches a point of neurosis that it's not funny anymore. Definitely the worst of the bunch and the one that drags the episode down.
As I said, it's entertaining as every episode of this season, but it's not quite there with the others.
There are three main story lines on this one. Jerry has a masseuse girlfriend and wants her to give him a massage, George needs this same woman to like him (just because she hates him) and Elaine is dating a guy with a serial killer name. Kramer just bounces around these stories.
Jerry story line is by far the best of the three. Is the only one that proudly deserves its spot in a fifth season episode. The allegories between sex and massaging are hilarious (they do these kind of mash ups very often, but here is quite on point).
Elaine story line is okay. It's subtle, nothing spectacular, almost half-cooked. It's entertaining and harmless, but it's not really funny.
And George's story is, for me, quite annoying. It reaches a point of neurosis that it's not funny anymore. Definitely the worst of the bunch and the one that drags the episode down.
As I said, it's entertaining as every episode of this season, but it's not quite there with the others.
Kramer is the only normal person in this episode
FlushingCaps28 June 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Seinfeld's "The Masseuse" is one that features Jerry, George and Elaine all appearing to need psychiatrists. In this episode, Kramer is the most normal of the gang.
We learn that George has gone back to dating Karen, the women who drove him nuts recently for appearing to get more exciting from eating than from "being with" George. He arranges a double date with Jerry and Jodi, a masseuse. We also learn early on that Jerry is troubled by the fact that Jodi hasn't yet given him a massage, even though, professionally, she has done so for both George and Kramer. They've had sex several times, but he wants a massage.
There is an odd bit of conversation where the characters act as if hiring someone to come to your home with a portable massage table is a universally common thing that everyone does. It is done, for sure, but certainly is not a common thing. People with the desire for a massage most commonly go to some therapist's office for the treatment. Millions of us have never had a professional massage but in this show, perhaps in New York and LA, that is unheard of—I don't know.
Kramer is seen having just had a massage with Jodi, and he goes on and on describing to Jerry how wonderful it is. Jealous Jerry forbids Kramer from hiring her again, even though he insists she's better at it than anyone else.
At supper with the double daters, we see George in the middle of regaling everyone with one of his stories. Except Jodi, who seems bored by the story. She asks, "What did she say?" –in reaction to what George just said that he said in the situation. George says, "Well, I didn't say that out loud." Jodi counters, "Well you just said you did." A minute later George makes a generalization about good-looking women never getting traffic tickets. Jodi counters, "My sister gets lots of tickets. Are you saying she isn't good looking?" George gave a good response about there being exceptions to the rule.
Jodi and Jerry leave and Karen seems eager to leave with George for some "alone" time. George is more interested in talking about whether or not Jodi likes him.
The Elaine plot is separate, dealing with her boyfriend having the same name as a serial killer, Joel Rifkin. She tries to get him to consider changing his name. In an ironic twist from a show filmed before the murders involving O.J. Simpson, Elaine suggests he become O.J. Rifkin. That is funnier now than it was when this show first aired.
Later on, he agrees and they both prepare lists of names to consider. When they come to share their lists, Joel has ten very nice, normal adult male names, and Elaine shoots down every one for the stupidest reasons, or for no reason. When we get to her list, we viewers think, "We would never let her name our child, or dog, cat, gerbil, whatever." The dumb part of this plot is that the obvious solution would be to start going by his middle name, or possibly the two initials. A middle name is never suggested, which is quite bizarre.
Meanwhile, back at Jerry's, Jodi freely tells Jerry that she doesn't like George. She wants to get intimate with him but all Jerry wants is a massage. It is a twist on the usual, where the guy who is more eager for the thing he hasn't had with a given girlfriend, than what he does frequently. He keeps putting her hands on him, trying to get her to just massage him without even thinking about it. Of course, we viewers are screaming "Why don't you try asking her, you idiot?" To me, this was the weakest plot in the show because they make it clear that Jerry will go to great lengths to trap her into a massage but will not one time try asking her for a massage.
Back at Karen's apartment, she is seeking intimacy with George, and he knows it, but he can't stop thinking about Jodi. Jerry revealed that she doesn't like him and he is determined to change that. Karen, frustrated at his obsession, asks, "Does everyone have to like you?" George, of course, replies, "Yes!" Of course this leads to an instant fight and a breakup and George goes to Jerry's to see Jodi to try to change her opinion of him.
Jerry has opened up her massage table at his apartment and basically tried to force her to massage him. She gets mad using numerous lines that seem like what you usually hear only with "massage" substituted for "sex." Although the episode is funny, three of the characters are much more weird than usual and all of the plots seem unnatural even for this gang of oddballs. I cannot give it more than a 7.
We learn that George has gone back to dating Karen, the women who drove him nuts recently for appearing to get more exciting from eating than from "being with" George. He arranges a double date with Jerry and Jodi, a masseuse. We also learn early on that Jerry is troubled by the fact that Jodi hasn't yet given him a massage, even though, professionally, she has done so for both George and Kramer. They've had sex several times, but he wants a massage.
There is an odd bit of conversation where the characters act as if hiring someone to come to your home with a portable massage table is a universally common thing that everyone does. It is done, for sure, but certainly is not a common thing. People with the desire for a massage most commonly go to some therapist's office for the treatment. Millions of us have never had a professional massage but in this show, perhaps in New York and LA, that is unheard of—I don't know.
Kramer is seen having just had a massage with Jodi, and he goes on and on describing to Jerry how wonderful it is. Jealous Jerry forbids Kramer from hiring her again, even though he insists she's better at it than anyone else.
At supper with the double daters, we see George in the middle of regaling everyone with one of his stories. Except Jodi, who seems bored by the story. She asks, "What did she say?" –in reaction to what George just said that he said in the situation. George says, "Well, I didn't say that out loud." Jodi counters, "Well you just said you did." A minute later George makes a generalization about good-looking women never getting traffic tickets. Jodi counters, "My sister gets lots of tickets. Are you saying she isn't good looking?" George gave a good response about there being exceptions to the rule.
Jodi and Jerry leave and Karen seems eager to leave with George for some "alone" time. George is more interested in talking about whether or not Jodi likes him.
The Elaine plot is separate, dealing with her boyfriend having the same name as a serial killer, Joel Rifkin. She tries to get him to consider changing his name. In an ironic twist from a show filmed before the murders involving O.J. Simpson, Elaine suggests he become O.J. Rifkin. That is funnier now than it was when this show first aired.
Later on, he agrees and they both prepare lists of names to consider. When they come to share their lists, Joel has ten very nice, normal adult male names, and Elaine shoots down every one for the stupidest reasons, or for no reason. When we get to her list, we viewers think, "We would never let her name our child, or dog, cat, gerbil, whatever." The dumb part of this plot is that the obvious solution would be to start going by his middle name, or possibly the two initials. A middle name is never suggested, which is quite bizarre.
Meanwhile, back at Jerry's, Jodi freely tells Jerry that she doesn't like George. She wants to get intimate with him but all Jerry wants is a massage. It is a twist on the usual, where the guy who is more eager for the thing he hasn't had with a given girlfriend, than what he does frequently. He keeps putting her hands on him, trying to get her to just massage him without even thinking about it. Of course, we viewers are screaming "Why don't you try asking her, you idiot?" To me, this was the weakest plot in the show because they make it clear that Jerry will go to great lengths to trap her into a massage but will not one time try asking her for a massage.
Back at Karen's apartment, she is seeking intimacy with George, and he knows it, but he can't stop thinking about Jodi. Jerry revealed that she doesn't like him and he is determined to change that. Karen, frustrated at his obsession, asks, "Does everyone have to like you?" George, of course, replies, "Yes!" Of course this leads to an instant fight and a breakup and George goes to Jerry's to see Jodi to try to change her opinion of him.
Jerry has opened up her massage table at his apartment and basically tried to force her to massage him. She gets mad using numerous lines that seem like what you usually hear only with "massage" substituted for "sex." Although the episode is funny, three of the characters are much more weird than usual and all of the plots seem unnatural even for this gang of oddballs. I cannot give it more than a 7.
One of the most underrated episodes of Seinfeld.
jbeuselinck12857 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
George admitting the fact that he needs to be liked is an amazing character moment. One of his best plot lines. Kramer's meta joke about him obviously being named Kramer just based on his face. Jerry's girlfriend not giving him a massage, but Kramer gets one. Elaine's plot isn't anything special, but the boyfriend's complete ignorance to how terrible his name is, is classic Seinfeld. Love this episode, and I'm surprised it doesn't get more love.
Strange coincidence
millionheir22 April 2006
I saw a rerun of this episode yesterday and noticed something strange. Elaine was talking with her boyfriend about changing his name because he had the same name as a local murderer. She was throwing out suggestions and said OJ for one of them. This episode was taped not long before OJ Simpson killed his ex and her friend (even though he was acquitted of the charges).
I just thought it was eerie that the writers related the name of OJ to a murderer before he even committed the act. I wonder if OJ killed those people after watching this episode and thinking, hey, my name would be a good one to be associated with a murderer.
OR, did the writers of this episode really kill OJ's ex and her friend and set up OJ as the killer?! Makes you think...
I just thought it was eerie that the writers related the name of OJ to a murderer before he even committed the act. I wonder if OJ killed those people after watching this episode and thinking, hey, my name would be a good one to be associated with a murderer.
OR, did the writers of this episode really kill OJ's ex and her friend and set up OJ as the killer?! Makes you think...
OJ--OK
Hitchcoc30 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Three distinct stories. The primary one is Jerry's obsession with getting a free massage from his masseuse girlfriend. She has no interest in doing it for him. He continues through the whole episode, not understanding why he is doing what he is doing. George comes into conflict with the woman who really doesn't like him. He can't enjoy the attraction of his girlfriend but obsesses on the one who hates him. Elaine's podiatrist boyfriend has the same name as a celebrated serial killer. There are funny scenes involving the discovery of her need to change the name. There is a particularly wonderful moment at a Giants football game.
Somebody knew something
setokaiba23819 July 2020
Elaine chooses a name for people to not associate with a serial killer and that name just happens to be O.J.? A year before the murders? They may not have known that murder was going to happen, but some writer definitely knew at the very least that O.J. was capable of murder or that he'd already killed before. If putting this information in a script instead of reporting it to the police isn't evidence that there are a lot of sociopaths in the film industry I don't know what is.
Riffing on Rifkin
safenoe6 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Anyway, I'm enjoying re-watching some of the Seinfeld episodes that I first watched when it debuted in the 1990s, and it's hard to believe Seinfeld debuted over 30 years ago, wow, that's over three decades ago. Anyway, Elaine's reference to the famous NFL player was kind of interesting and it would be for someone who has watched the episode for the first time now, but back then it it wasn't controversial at all.
Anyway, the Rifkin plot is interesting because no doubt there are people who share the same names as people of notoriety and all, and how do they manage I guess. Anyway, not a bad episode.
Anyway, the Rifkin plot is interesting because no doubt there are people who share the same names as people of notoriety and all, and how do they manage I guess. Anyway, not a bad episode.
"It's like going to Idaho and eating carrots"
itamarscomix27 September 2011
Season 5, Episode 9, "The Masseuse" "The Masseuse" is one of the weaker episodes in the excellent season 5. Elaine's storyline makes no sense whatsoever, though it does produce a couple of laughs. George's story feels like a particularly depressing episode of Curb You Enthusiasm, but somehow doesn't quite work here.
The main thing that makes the episode memorable is the appearance of two actresses who will become very familiar faces a decade later - Lisa Edelstein and Jennifer Coolidge - as George's and Jerry's girlfriends-of-the-week. Coolidge's performance is quite weak though, so the main thing is to just be amazed at how good she looked back then.
The main thing that makes the episode memorable is the appearance of two actresses who will become very familiar faces a decade later - Lisa Edelstein and Jennifer Coolidge - as George's and Jerry's girlfriends-of-the-week. Coolidge's performance is quite weak though, so the main thing is to just be amazed at how good she looked back then.
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