Seinfeld's Controversial Cut Episode Script Leaked & It's Worse Than Fans Thought
"The Bet" is the most controversial "Seinfeld" episode that fans will never see. In short, the show's cast felt the subject matter was too dark to be funny and refused to have anything to do with it following the initial table read. Considering that Larry David had rules to ensure "Seinfeld" was always dark, what made "The Bet" offensive enough to cancel?
The script for "The Bet" has surfaced online (via Reddit), and it makes other episodes seem tame. As the title implies, the story centers around problematic bets between friends. The first involves Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) being dared into acquiring a gun and threatening to shoot Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld). What's more, she asks if he'd rather be assassinated like John F. Kennedy or Abraham Lincoln. There's a twist, however, as Elaine's firearm is actually a toy, but it's still enough to get her put behind bars after exposing it in an airport.
The second wager sees Jerry bet George (Jason Alexander) that Kramer (Michael Richards) is telling the truth about hooking up with a flight attendant. Unfortunately, this isn't fully confirmed nor denied as airport security rushes Elaine, George, and Jerry before the flight attendant can answer — as she's too busy screaming about the fake firearm in Elaine's purse.
"The Bet" certainly deals with provocative subject matter, and it's understandable why the cast got cold feet. Furthermore, the episode's writer is happy that his creation never made it to the small screen.
Some Seinfeld fans weren't impressed with The Bet's script
"The Bet" is one of two "Seinfeld" episodes that got banned (the other involved George declaring that Black people don't eat salads), and Larry Charles penned both. While he liked elements of the scripts, the writer understands why the episodes were rejected. "[In] those two episodes, I knew there was something funny in them, and dark at the same time, but I could never crack the code of those episodes and thus they were not quite ready to be produced," he told Vanity Fair.
Similarly, fans of the show are glad that "The Bet" never came to fruition, but not because it would have explored provocative subject matter. X (formerly Twitter) user @jad_1138 feels the script is too wacky, writing, "I read it a while ago. It's funny but felt too exaggerated sometimes, a bit too much, and pushing the 'Seinfeld' absurdism a bit too far."
This view is echoed by @Seinspeaks, who argues that the story portrays the characters in an unbelievable light. "Initial thoughts: some great material here. Jerry seems extremely out of character for having such a strong opinion on Elaine owning a gun." The script is bound to arouse the curiosity of "Seinfeld" fans, but the underwhelming reaction suggests "The Bet" wouldn't have been the sitcom's finest hour.
If you think these ideas are bad, check out the questionable things on "Seinfeld" that people choose to ignore.