The Seinfeld Episode That Made Jerry Seinfeld 'Very Uncomfortable'
For the better part of the 1990s, there were few sitcoms as celebrated in the cultural zeitgeist as NBC's primetime hit "Seinfeld." The show that so famously described itself as being "about nothing" followed the various misadventures of a close group of painfully shallow New Yorkers (Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards) as they fumble about with work, dating, and basically just existing in the bustling Big Apple. That "just existing" bit is, of course, what set "Seinfeld" apart from its contemporaries, with series masterminds Seinfeld and Larry David turning even the most mundane bits of day-to-day life into fodder for gut-busting comedic bits.
That approach made it easy for viewers to see aspects of their own lives reflected in every 30-minute dose of "Seinfeld." It's safe to assume such reflections could make even the funniest episodes a touch uncomfortable for anyone. And even Jerry Seinfeld himself was not immune to that effect, with the "Seinfeld" star admitting there was one episode of the iconic series that just didn't sit right with him. Here's which "Seinfeld" episode the legendary funny man thought went too far.
A Season 3 episode featured a plot line Jerry Seinfeld still isn't entirely okay with
Jerry Seinfeld claimed during a 2012 episode of Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" that the episode in question remains his least favorite of the 173 "Seinfeld" aired over its nine-season run, telling host Andy Cohen, "There was one where a guy had a stroke and we were feeding him on the couch." The comedian continued, "I felt very uncomfortable with that episode."
Said episode was titled "The Alternate Side," and premiered during the series' third season on air. Like every episode of "Seinfeld," it took a multi-narrative approach, and found Jerry dealing with a cheeky car thief while George took a job moving cars, and Kramer scored an infamous pretzel-related cameo in a movie.
As for Elaine, her storyline about dating an older man named Owen (Edward Penn) is the one that bothers Jerry Seinfeld. Per the episode, things go sideways for the couple when Owen has a stroke just as Elaine is trying to break up with him, leaving her to not only remain in his life, but care for him in his altered state. That indeed involves her feeding the wheel-chair bound Owen, which is the cringe-worthy scene Jerry Seinfeld referenced. It's also the moment that found Elaine delivering her unforgettable "Yankee Bean" song, by the way. So even if the scene is a bit cringe, the actors and writers still find room for a laugh — making it as vintage a "Seinfeld" gag as you'll find.