The Bookstore

The Bookstore
Season	9
Episode	173
Air Date	April 16, 1998
Writer(s)	Spike Feresten
Director	Andy Ackerman
prev	The Burning
next	The Frogger

"The Bookstore” is the seventeenth episode of the ninth and final season of Seinfeld, and the 173rd episode overall. This episode first aired on April 16, 1998. It was written by Spike Feresten and was directed by Andy Ackerman.

Plot

Kramer hangs out at Jerry's place in Jerry's absence. Kramer makes a smoothie and spills juice all over the counter, then uses Jerry's couch cushion to clean it up. Kramer rides Jerry's bike around his apartment, yelling down at people on the street, and doing a Jerry stand-up impersonation. He also hosts several dozen people for tea. At night, when Jerry returns, Kramer has put everything in the apartment back to normal, except for a glass of soda on the coffee table. Jerry mutters, "I don't believe this," and places a coaster under the glass.

Jerry and George are at a bookstore, Brentano's, where George hopes to meet women and Jerry spots Uncle Leo shoplifting. George takes a large book into the bathroom with him; the bookstore then makes George buy the book. Elaine is at the annual Peterman party, where everyone is anxious to know if she is going to dance again. Instead, she and a man named Zach get drunk and make out at their table. George suggests that she tell everyone that she and Zach are dating so that she won't be known as the "office skank". Kramer and Newman plan to implement Kramer's idea for running a rickshaw service in the city. They are getting a rickshaw from Hong Kong; now they need to find someone to pull it. Jerry confronts Uncle Leo about the stolen book. Uncle Leo claims senior citizens can get away with shoplifting without trouble. Elaine catches Zach with another woman. Kramer and Newman interview potential rickshaw pullers from a collection of homeless men; however, one of the candidates takes off with the rickshaw. George tries to return his book, but is told the book has been "flagged" as having been in the bathroom. George tries to donate his book to charity, but even they won't take the marked book. Jerry rats out Uncle Leo at the bookstore.

Jerry talks with his parents about Uncle Leo's theft and finds out about his prior, a crime of passion of which his mother will not tell him the details. Jerry tries to talk with Uncle Leo, but Uncle Leo tells him that he never forgets when he's been betrayed. Elaine tries to end her pretend relationship with Zach over his "cheating", when J. Peterman demands that she help Zach get off opium by helping him quit cold turkey. Jerry has a nightmare about Uncle Leo. Newman and Kramer discover where the rickshaw is and Kramer loses the contest to determine who will pull the other. When Kramer gets tired pulling Newman in the rickshaw up a hill and lets it go, the rickshaw runs over Zach. George plans to steal a copy of the book, so he can return it to get his money back. Jerry tries to talk the manager into letting Leo off lightly, but the store is having problems with theft so he needs to "make an example" of someone. Jerry then points out that George is shoplifting, and he gets caught.