The Mango

"**The Mango**"
"The Mango"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 5; Episode 1
Directed by	Tom Cherones
Story by	Lawrence H. Levy
Teleplay by	Larry David and Lawrence H. Levy
Production code	501
Original air date	September 16, 1993
Guest appearances
	Lisa Edelstein as Karen; Leonard Termo as Joe; Veralyn Jones as Renee;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Pilot Part 2"	Next →; "The Puffy Shirt"
	List of episodes

"The Mango" is the 65th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It aired on September 16, 1993, and is the premiere of the show's fifth season.^[1] Larry David said that a friend of his came up with the setup of this episode: Elaine never having orgasms with Jerry. The revelation leads George to suspect his own girlfriend is faking her orgasms, while Kramer is solely concerned with getting fruit from a fruit stand that he has just been banned from.

Plot

In Monk's Café, George tells Jerry about his lack of confidence in bed with his new girlfriend Karen, and entertains the possibility that she is faking her orgasms. Elaine mentions that she faked all her orgasms while she and Jerry were dating. Jerry is flabbergasted at this revelation.

Kramer takes a bite out of a bad peach, which he tries to return to the store where he bought it. This leads to him being banned from the store after he insults the owner, Joe.^[2]

Meanwhile, Jerry begs Elaine to give him another shot at giving her an orgasm, which she rebuffs in the belief that sex will ruin their friendship. This causes Jerry to become bitter and resentful toward Elaine.

George becomes so obsessed with his performance in bed with Karen that he experiences what seems to be erectile dysfunction. Kramer asks Jerry to buy fruit in his place at Joe’s store. Jerry is banned when Joe realizes he is shopping for Kramer. George winds up buying fruit for both Kramer and Jerry. George tastes one of Kramer’s mangoes, which causes an erotic transformation, prompting him to race to Karen's apartment. Though he impresses her with his sexual performance, Karen throws George out of her apartment when he ridicules her vocalizations during orgasm and she feels insulted after George incorrectly assumed she was faking.

Elaine agrees to have sex with Jerry after concluding they have to do it to save the friendship saying "I will give you half an hour". However, Jerry again fails to give her an orgasm, and blames George. Elaine then asks: "Y'know, I'm a little hungry. You wouldn't happen to have any of that mango left?" Jerry then realizes his solution.

Production

Larry David used the pseudonym "Buck Dancer" for this episode when credited.

"The Mango" was written by Larry David and Lawrence H. Levy. A friend of his came up with the setup of the episode: Elaine never having orgasms with Jerry. Larry David said that the idea was "too good to pass up."^[3] The subplot in which Kramer is banned from a fruit shop is based on one of David’s personal experiences, where he himself was banned from a fruit shop for squeezing the produce too much.^[3]

The episode's working title was "The Orgasm."^[4] It was first read by its cast on August 11, 1993 to much anticipation, as it was to premiere in a new 9:00 timeslot. NBC officials, however, were a bit more apprehensive because it was taking over the timeslot of the highly successful sitcom Cheers.^[4] The episode was filmed in front of a live studio audience on Tuesday, August 17, 1993.^[4]

The exterior shot of Joe’s fruit shop was filmed on the backlot of CBS Studio center.^[4] The name "Almo's bar and grill" is visible on the storefront next door to Joe’s. This is a reference to the father of Seinfeld set designer Tom Azzari, whose name is Almo.^[4]

Reception

This episode gained a Nielsen rating of 19.3 and an audience share of 29, meaning that 19.3% of American households watched the episode, and 29% of all televisions in use at the time were tuned into it.^[4]

Awards and nominations

The Mango received the following awards/nominations:

1994 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Comedy Series nomination: Larry David and Lawrence H. Levy.
1994 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Comedy Series nomination: Tom Cherones.
1993 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series nomination: Tom Cherones.^[5]
1995 Writers Guild Award for an Episodic Comedy: Larry David and Lawrence H. Levy.

References

^ "Seinfeld Season 5 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
^ Barnes, Mike (2012-11-02). "Character Actor Leonard Termo Dies at 77". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
^ ^a ^b "Inside Look" on the Seinfeld Season 5 DVD
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Seinfeld Season 5: Notes about Nothing - "The Mango" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
^ "Directors Guild of America -- Official Website search". Retrieved 2009-09-28.

External links

"The Mango" at IMDb
"The Mango" on Sony Pictures

[tvguide-1] "Seinfeld Season 5 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 December 2021.

[2] Barnes, Mike (2012-11-02). "Character Actor Leonard Termo Dies at 77". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-11-22.

[InsLook-3] "Inside Look" on the Seinfeld Season 5 DVD

[NAN-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Seinfeld Season 5: Notes about Nothing - "The Mango" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

[DGA-5] "Directors Guild of America -- Official Website search". Retrieved 2009-09-28.

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v t e Seinfeld episodes
Season 1	"The Seinfeld Chronicles" "The Stake Out" "The Robbery" "Male Unbonding" "The Stock Tip"
Season 2	"The Ex-Girlfriend" "The Pony Remark" "The Jacket" "The Phone Message" "The Apartment" "The Statue" "The Revenge" "The Heart Attack" "The Deal" "The Baby Shower" "The Chinese Restaurant" "The Busboy"
Season 3	"The Note" "The Truth" "The Pen" "The Dog" "The Library" "The Parking Garage" "The Cafe" "The Tape" "The Nose Job" "The Stranded" "The Alternate Side" "The Red Dot" "The Subway" "The Pez Dispenser" "The Suicide" "The Fix-Up" "The Boyfriend"† "The Limo" "The Good Samaritan" "The Letter" "The Parking Space" "The Keys"
Season 4	"The Trip"† "The Pitch" "The Ticket" "The Wallet" "The Watch" "The Bubble Boy" "The Cheever Letters" "The Opera" "The Virgin" "The Contest" "The Airport" "The Pick" "The Movie" "The Visa" "The Shoes" "The Outing" "The Old Man" "The Implant" "The Junior Mint" "The Smelly Car" "The Handicap Spot" "The Pilot"†
Season 5	"The Mango" "The Puffy Shirt" "The Glasses" "The Sniffing Accountant" "The Bris" "The Lip Reader" "The Non-Fat Yogurt" "The Barber" "The Masseuse" "The Cigar Store Indian" "The Conversion" "The Stall" "The Dinner Party" "The Marine Biologist" "The Pie" "The Stand In" "The Wife" "The Raincoats"† "The Fire" "The Hamptons" "The Opposite"
Season 6	"The Chaperone" "The Big Salad" "The Pledge Drive" "The Chinese Woman" "The Couch" "The Gymnast" "The Soup" "The Mom & Pop Store" "The Secretary" "The Race" "The Switch" "The Label Maker" "The Scofflaw" "The Highlights of 100"† "The Beard" "The Kiss Hello" "The Doorman" "The Jimmy" "The Doodle" "The Fusilli Jerry" "The Diplomat's Club" "The Face Painter" "The Understudy"
Season 7	"The Engagement" "The Postponement" "The Maestro" "The Wink" "The Hot Tub" "The Soup Nazi" "The Secret Code" "The Pool Guy" "The Sponge" "The Gum" "The Rye" "The Caddy" "The Seven" "The Cadillac"† "The Shower Head" "The Doll" "The Friar's Club" "The Wig Master" "The Calzone" "The Bottle Deposit"† "The Wait Out" "The Invitations"
Season 8	"The Foundation" "The Soul Mate" "The Bizarro Jerry" "The Little Kicks" "The Package" "The Fatigues" "The Checks" "The Chicken Roaster" "The Abstinence" "The Andrea Doria" "The Little Jerry" "The Money" "The Comeback" "The Van Buren Boys" "The Susie" "The Pothole" "The English Patient" "The Nap" "The Yada Yada" "The Millennium" "The Muffin Tops" "The Summer of George"
Season 9	"The Butter Shave" "The Voice" "The Serenity Now" "The Blood" "The Junk Mail" "The Merv Griffin Show" "The Slicer" "The Betrayal" "The Apology" "The Strike" "The Dealership" "The Reverse Peephole" "The Cartoon" "The Strongbox" "The Wizard" "The Burning" "The Bookstore" "The Frogger" "The Maid" "The Puerto Rican Day" "The Chronicle"† "The Finale"†
† Indicates two-part episode