| Series: | Seinfeld |
| Season: | 7 |
| Episode: | 12 |
| Production: | 712 |
| Director: | Andy Ackerman |
| Guests: |
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| Season Article: | Seinfeld season 7 |
| Episode List: | List of Seinfeld episodes |
| Prev: | The Rye |
| Next: | The Seven |
"The Caddy" is the 122nd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 12th episode for the seventh season, originally airing on January 25, 1996.[1] In this episode, George takes an unapproved vacation, leading to him being presumed dead, while Kramer, Jerry, and Jackie Chiles launch a lawsuit against Elaine's archenemy Sue Ellen Mischke because she was wearing a bra without a top in public.
Kramer's caddie, Stan, helps improve his golf game and offers other life advice. George locks his keys in his car at work and postpones moving it until he can get locksmith services free through a club membership, causing Mr. Wilhelm and George Steinbrenner to think he is working long hours and consider promoting him to assistant to the general manager. Despite this, George goes on an unapproved vacation, telling Jerry to remove any fliers attached to his windshield so Wilhelm and Steinbrenner will still think he's working.
Elaine encounters Sue Ellen Mischke, a high school friend-turned-nemesis and heiress to the Oh Henry! candy bar fortune. Disgusted that Sue Ellen never wears a bra despite her extremely large breasts, Elaine gives her a bra as a birthday gift. Sue Ellen wears it alone beneath an open blazer. She drops by Elaine's office to thank her. Peterman sees her and is inspired to create a bra as a top, assigning Elaine to write the ad copy.
Finding George's car covered by bird droppings, Jerry has Kramer break into the car so they can take it to a car wash. On the drive back, they are distracted by bra-clad Sue Ellen and crash. Jerry, not thinking clearly, returns the wrecked car to George's workplace. Finding the car in this state, with blood from the crash, Mr. Wilhelm thinks that George has been in a terrible accident. When they cannot find him, Steinbrenner concludes that George is dead. He tells George's parents. Jerry gets a phone message from the Costanzas about George's death, and tells George what happened. George returns to work with fake injuries and a story of being trapped in a ditch. His story is accepted, though the position of assistant to the general manager was given to someone else when he was thought dead.
Kramer, under Elaine and Stan's advice, takes Sue Ellen to court for damages, with Jackie Chiles representing him. Jerry is smitten with Sue Ellen, but reluctantly testifies that she was wearing a bra with no top the time of the accident. Stan urges Kramer to get Sue Ellen to try on the bra. Kramer insists on following Stan's advice over Jackie's objections. Since she is wearing a leotard, the bra will not fit, costing Kramer the lawsuit.
Elaine's writeup makes the bra-as-a-top a hit, even among her female coworkers, to Elaine's revulsion.
The character Tom Cosley was named after a high school boyfriend of Elaine actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus.[2]
Phil Morris was surprised that his character Jackie Chiles was being used in another episode, later commenting, "I mean, how often can they bring an attorney into this mix?"[2] Like the season six episode "The Big Salad", the Chiles plot thread satires the Murder trial of O. J. Simpson, in particular the prosecution asking Simpson to try on the gloves used in the murder.[3]
Jerry Seinfeld later said that Frank Costanza's phone message ("Jerry, it's Frank Costanza. Mr. Steinbrenner's here. George is dead. Call me back.") is one of his favorite lines in the entire series.[2]