The Only Seinfeld Episode George Costanza Wasn’t In (& Why)
The Seinfeld season 3 episode “The Pen” is the only episode of the sitcom to not feature Jason Alexander as George, and here’s why that is.
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“The Pen” was the only Seinfeld episode to not feature Jason Alexander as George Costanza, and here’s why that happened. The episode takes place early in Seinfeld season 3, and follows Jerry and Elaine as they travel to Florida to attend an event in honor of Jerry’s father. While visiting, Jerry becomes infatuated with an “astronaut pen” belonging to one of his parents’ neighbors, which ultimately becomes a source of conflict in a very humorous manner.
There were a few aspects that set “The Pen” apart from the previous Seinfeld episodes. It changed up locations, shifting the action to Florida instead of New York City, providing an entertaining commentary on elderly communities in the state. “The Pen” was also noteworthy because Jerry and Elaine were the only main characters to appear. The episode was the first to not include George, and the second without Kramer (who previously sat out “The Chinese Restaurant” in season 2). In retrospect, George missing a single episode doesn’t seem like a big deal, but at the time, it caused a bit of a rift behind-the-scenes.
As for why George was absent, no official reason has been given from anyone involved with the show. It most likely has to do with “The Pen’s” plot, which on-paper does not seem to have an organic place for George (which is most likely why Kramer wasn’t in it either). Even if George had travelled to Florida with Jerry and Elaine, there probably would have been little for him to do, making his role superfluous at best. Larry David and the writers most likely felt it was better to just sit George out instead of force something.
That decision didn’t sit well with Alexander, who gave David an ultimatum when the group reconvened the next week to make another episode. Alexander expressed frustration in being written out of “The Pen,” and told David that if it ever happened again, he would leave the show. This was motivated by Alexander’s desire to be indispensable to the Seinfeld production, having made the leap from theater acting to television. In an interview included on the Seinfeld season 3 DVD box set, Alexander admitted his reaction didn’t completely make sense, but chalked it up to the “ego of Jason.” Alexander noted to David he didn’t care if it was for just a bit part or a single line. He just didn’t like Seinfeld going on without him.
David must have believed Alexander wasn’t bluffing, because George was featured in every episode moving forward, up until the Seinfeld series finale in season 9. Interestingly enough, “The Pen” was also the last episode to not feature Kramer in some capacity. While Michael Richards didn’t express displeasure with missing “The Pen,” perhaps the Seinfeld team feared he could become upset eventually, particularly since he also wasn’t in “The Chinese Restaurant.” The chemistry and talent of the main four Seinfeld actors was a major reason for the show’s tremendous success, so it makes sense the writers and producers made sure to keep everyone happy.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/seinfeld-season-3-pen-episode-george-missing-reason/