Vol. 4, No. 15 · 25¢ thefestivusproject.com

THE DAILY NOTHING

January 27, 1993 New York Final Edition
S04E15 · Season 4, Episode 15 of 180

The Visa

George demands that Jerry stop being funny around his girlfriend Cheryl, so Jerry adopts a crushingly gloomy persona — which makes Cheryl so sympathetic she develops feelings for him instead. Babu Bhatt is arrested by immigration because his visa renewal was buried in the mail that Elaine was supposed to bring Jerry, and Cheryl — an immigration lawyer — drops Babu's case after George reveals the whole depression act was a fraud. Kramer knocks out Mickey Mantle at fantasy baseball camp, and Babu is deported to Pakistan vowing revenge.

What's The Deal?

George's GirlfriendCherylLawyer who laughs too easily at his jokes, making George paranoid
George's JobNBC pilot writer
Elaine's ThingSat on Babu's visa renewal mixed in with Jerry's mail
Kramer's SchemePlaying fantasy baseball camp with retired MLB players
References
Mickey MantleJoe PepitoneMickey Mantle's RestaurantSuperman
Dark Turn
Babu deported to Pakistan vowing revenge on Jerry

The Full Story

George hits it off with Cheryl, a lawyer who laughs easily at his jokes. He regrets showing her his best, assuming there is nowhere to go but down. Jerry has set up Babu Bhatt with a job at Monk's and an apartment in his building, making up for his earlier advice that drove Babu out of business, and Babu once again showers Jerry with praise. Meanwhile, Elaine has picked up Jerry's mail while he was on tour—standing in for Kramer, who is away at fantasy baseball camp playing with retired Major League players. Elaine puts off bringing the mail despite Jerry's impatience.

George plans to keep Cheryl from meeting Jerry and Elaine on Saturday night, vividly imagining that Jerry would have Cheryl in hysterics. He takes Cheryl to a restaurant that Jerry has vetoed, but Elaine convinces Jerry to go regardless. They all meet, and everyone but George cracks up at the coincidence that Ping the delivery boy is Cheryl's cousin, and that Cheryl is representing Ping in his lawsuit against Elaine. Feeling upstaged, George demands behind Cheryl's back that Jerry stop being funny, but Elaine has no faith that he can do so. To prove himself, Jerry turns crushingly gloomy and existential.

At camp, Kramer plunks Joe Pepitone, who, charging the mound, provokes a bench-clearing brawl. In the chaos, Kramer knocks out Mickey Mantle, causing camp to be canceled.

Babu is arrested by INS for overstaying his visa, and Jerry swears to help him. However, he finds Babu's visa renewal form mixed up in his own mail, which Elaine has finally brought. Jerry and Elaine blame each other, while Jerry remembers that Cheryl practices immigration law. George insists that Jerry continue his act (until "consummation") in asking Cheryl to help Babu. Fortunately, not only does Cheryl have an immigration official friend, but she has also dropped Ping's case out of camaraderie. Jerry and Elaine come clean to Babu in detention, enraging him since he would have picked up Jerry's mail if asked. Jerry reassures him that "the wheels are in motion" thanks to Cheryl.

Sympathizing for Jerry's total despondency, Cheryl becomes attracted to him. Upstaged again, George insists he is far more disturbed than Jerry, revealing their deception as proof. Cheryl loses all sympathy for the group, abandoning Babu's case and filing Ping's lawsuit anew for double damages. Jerry, Elaine, and George learn that Babu has been deported back to Pakistan, and all blame each other. At Mickey Mantle's restaurant, Kramer remorsefully begs Mantle to punch him back, but gets thrown out.

In Pakistan, Babu vows to return to America to take vengeance on Jerry.