The Checks

Jerry and Elaine come out of a drugstore. Elaine has a couple of carrier bags she's fussing with the contents of.

Jerry and Elaine begin to walk along the street.

The room is stylishly furnished. A number of people sit around, chatting and drinking. Elaine and her new boyfriend, Brett, walk across the room, carrying drinks.

Elaine and Brett sit on a couch

Music begins to play. It's The Eagles' Desperado. Brett hears the music and is enraptured. He stares off into the distance, oblivious to everything but the song.

Brett hasn't heard a word of what Elaine said, continuing to stare off into the distance.

Brett still doesn't react.

Elaine stares at Brett and puts a hand to her chest, moved by his sensitivity.

Jerry and Elaine come round the corner, past the Chinese restaurant and walk along the street.

Ahead of the strolling twosome, a guy stands on the sidewalk, twirling a brightly-coloured umbrella over his shoulder.

Elaine folds her arms, unconvinced.

Elaine marches toward the umbrella guy.

Elaine walks off, crossing the street. Jerry follows.

Jerry is demonstrating twirling an umbrella to George, who sits in a chair with a magazine.

Jerry tosses his umbrella onto the couch, and walks toward the kitchen. The door opens and Kramer enters, carrying a large envelope.

Kramer sits on the couch and flinches as he sits on the umbrella. He reaches under himself and extracts it, then jumps again as he accidentally opens it. He gets back up, and heads to the kitchen.

George wanders over.

George goes and gets his coat.

Kramer and Jerry stroll along. Jerry is massaging his left hand, as if it's giving him discomfort.

Jerry and Kramer draw level with three Japanese tourists. One of them steps forward, holding out a camera.

Jerry has spotted something further along the street. It's another umbrella salesman, twirling his wares.

Jerry walks along to the guy. Kramer fusses about, taking a picture of the three Japanese guys, at one point he steps back to frame them all, and stumbles off the curb.

Back down the street, Kramer has finished photographing. He looks over toward Jerry, and thinks for a second.

Jerry has taken one of the umbrellas, and is demonstrating the twirl to the guy. He's speaking animatedly, with lots of hand gestures and arm waving.

The three guys all speak to each other in excited Japanese.

Kramer and the three guys look along to where Jerry is still talking vigorously to the umbrella guy.

Jerry is tossing the umbrella from hand to hand, with the unimpressed guy watching him. Kramer laughs, and the Japanese all join in.

Kramer and the Japanese all laugh uproariously, watching Jerry.

Three guys in bright yellow overalls stand in George's living room. Two of them have a large carpet cleaner by the door, ready to leave, The third, the leader, has a notebook.

George enters from another room.

The leader opens his book and holds up a check.

The leader hands George a pen, and waits as George appends his signature.

The carpet cleaners begin to leave. George follows the leader toward the door, looking disappointed.

The leader closes the door on a perplexed George.

Jerry sits at his table. He's signing checks, and holding his pen awkwardly in his hand which is twisted uncomfortably. Elaine enters and notices his hand.

Elaine wanders toward the kitchen. The door opens and Brett enters.

Jerry holds up his twisted hand in greeting. Brett copies the position of the fingers in his wave back.

Elaine gets a bottle of water form the fridge.

Brett walks over past Jerry and points to Jerry's desk.

Brett looks round at Jerry, seeming embarrassed.

Brett opens the door.

Kramer and the Japanese tourists are looking at stuff. Kramer picks up a Stetson and reads the price tag.

Kramer holds the hat over, so Mr Oh can get a look.

Kramer places the hat on an unsure Mr Oh's head.

Kramer hands Stetsons to each of the other Japanese.

Brett and Elaine sit in his parked two seat Ferrari.

Brett leans across to kiss Elaine. Just as they begin to kiss, the Eagles' Desperado comes on the radio. Brett immediately breaks off the kiss, and stares off into the distance again.

Brett makes no response.

Elaine stares queryingly at the rapt Brett.

Jerry and George sit in a booth, sipping coffee.

George gives Jerry a look. Kramer enters, wearing a snazzy new suit. He strolls over to the booth.

Jerry looks puzzled.

Jerry looks doubtful.

Jerry looks at George, wondering.

Jerry and George sit on a couch. Two Japanese TV executives, one male, one female, sit on chairs. They are all watching the pilot show Jerry made at the end of Season 4. The Japanese are not looking impressed. George is smiling and pointing, enthusiastically. On a coffee table sits a large bowl containing a plastic bag of oranges.

The first executive stops the tape.

Jerry nods, sagely, and picks up a cup of coffee. His fingers are still twisted from the check signing.

There's a crash as Jerry's grip on the cup fails and he drops it.

Jerry pats George on the knee. George squeezes Jerry's shoulder and they ruefully begin to depart.

Jerry sits at his table, signing yet more checks, the pen gripped in his clawed fingers. Elaine stands in her jacket, her bag on the table.

Elaine tips back her head and thinks for a second, before something occurs.

The door opens and Kramer enters, wearing his suit and carrying another fat envelope.

Kramer puts the envelope down on the table next to Jerry. Elaine walks to the kitchen.

Kramer wanders into Jerry's bedroom.

Kramer reenters, carrying three pillows.

Elaine is in the kitchen, eating cereal from the box.

Up against one wall of the apartment stands a very large chest of three drawers. It's about six feet long and each drawers is maybe a foot and a half deep. Kramer walks over to it and looks into the open top drawer.

One of the Japanese tourists sits up in the drawer.

Mr Tanaka lies down again, and Kramer slides the drawer shut. He then speaks to the occupant of the next drawer.

Mr Oh lies back down and Kramer slides the drawers shut, and speaks to the final drawer's occupant.

Mr Yamaguchi lies down. Kramer shuts the final drawer, switches off the lamp and, yawning, walks off toward his own bed

Kramer is in the kitchen. He has three bowls out on the counter, and a box of Rice Crispies. Jerry walks over, pushing a bunch of checks into an envelope.

Kramer fetches out milk and continues making breakfast.

Elaine and Brett sit in the parked Ferrari. Witchy Woman is playing on the stereo. Elaine is listening, with her eyes closed and her head nodding. Brett looks puzzled.

Elaine continues to listen. Brett leans forward and switches off the music.

There is a flash of lightning and thunder rolls. Elaine peers out at the weather.

The top and bottom drawers are open in the chest. Mr Yamaguchi sits up in the bottom drawer, and Mr Tanaka sits on top of the chest, with his feet in his drawer. Kramer comes over and hands bowls of Rice Crispies to the pair of them.

Kramer leans over and raps on the face of the middle drawer.

Kramer looks impatient. He puts the bowl of Rice Crispies on top of the chest and walks off mumbling irritably.

It is pouring with rain. Jerry walks along the street, wearing just a light jacket over his clothes. He still has the envelope in his hands. Jerry spots the umbrella vendor, twirling his wares.

Clicky turns to another umbrella seller,who is facing the other way.

A guy comes along the street, wearing one of Elaine's urban sombreros. Clicky tries to catch his attention.

The sombrero wearer waves away the attention and crosses the street.

Another peal of thunder rolls as interruption.

The rain continues to pour down unabated.

George is removing a tape from a VCR. Kramer enters, followed by the three Japanese tourists. Outside the window, the rain can be seen bucketing down.

George thinks for a minute, then looks down at the tape in his hands.

The Japanese nod to each other.

Kramer and George wave the Japanese toward seats. Kramer leaves the office and looks down the corridor. He raises his arm to attract attention.

As the Japanese sit, Mr Wilhelm comes to the door.

George goes out into the hall with Wilhelm.

Jerry walks along. He is still carrying the envelope of checks, and by now he's drenched. A familiar red Ferrari pulls to a stop level with Jerry, and the window winds down.

Jerry peers at the car and walks out into the road as he recognises Brett.

Jerry looks down at the envelope of checks in his hands. The rain has soaked them so thoroughly that the ink of his signatures has run and become illegible.

Brett peers over at the mass of sodden paper in Jerry's grip.

Beside Brett sits a bald-headed, bearded, guy in shades.

Jerry walks away

Jerry is drying the checks. Dozens hang from lines around the apartment, and more sit on the table, where Jerry dabs them with a towel.

Elaine puts he hand to her head, walks round the room and flops onto the couch. The door opens and George enters. He's in buoyant mood.

Elaine looks heavenwards.

George opens the door. Jerry comes over before he can leave.

George smiles, claps Jerry on the shoulder and leaves. Jerry starts to close the door, but George turns back

Jerry swings the door closed in George's face.

George crosses the hall to Kramer's door. He knocks, but there is no immediate reply. George listens, and can hear excited shouting and laughter. He opens the door and goes in

Kramer and the three Japanese sit in the hot-tub. They're stripped to the waist (at least), wearing Stetsons, and drinking sake. They spot George as he enters and shout greetings.

The Japanese whoop and wave at George.

All the Japanese gesture and shout that George should get in the tub with them.

George waves away their appeals with a smile.

Kramer and the Japanese cheer and splash water at George, who leaves. Then they go back to knocking back sake.

Jerry is re-signing all the checks he dried out.

Jerry completes his signature and drops the pen from his claw-like hand. It's clearly painful.

George stands outside the Nakahama Broadcast Corp offices. He's waiting for someone. Kramer wanders up behind him and speaks into George's ear.

George jumps, surprised by Kramer.

Kramer reaches into his pocket and pulls out a number of airline tickets.

A panicky George rushes toward a payphone.

Jerry is bathing his crippled left hand in a bowl of ice-water. The phone rings and he picks up (with his right).

George begins hammering the phone against the kiosk. Jerry lifts the phone away from his ear at the noise.

Jerry hangs up the phone.

The chest of drawers still stands against one wall. All the drawers are shut, and from within them can be heard thumping noises and cries for help. Jerry enters and hears the calls.

Jerry pulls at the handle with his good hand, but it won't move. He tries to hook his bad hand round the other handle and pull.

Elaine and Brett stroll up to Jerry's door. Brett is carrying an umbrella. Elaine looks dubious.

Elaine reaches for Jerry's doorhandle, but a shout from Kramer's apartment distracts her.

Elaine moves to enter Kramer's apartment.

Elaine enters followed by Brett.

Jerry stands in front of the chest of drawers, holding a large fireman's axe. He swings it high and smashes it into the top of the chest, the wood splintering under the impact. Brett looks horrified. He drops the umbrella, and rushes forward to protect the furniture.

Elaine stares after the charging Brett. She puts her hand to her mouth and screams, horrified at what she sees.

(The Japanese tourists sit on the couch, looking like survivors of some horrible ordeal, with the two executives in their chairs. George perches on the arm of the couch).

The tourists turn slowly and look nervously at the smiling, uncomprehending, George.

The executives gesture their assent. The tourists eagerly grab the fruit.

Behind the couch, two of the carpet cleaner people enter, including the leader. They walk over to a corner. George notices them and stands.

Wilhelm enters, dressed in the same yellow overall as the other carpet cleaners. George looks stunned.

George lets this sink in, then slowly turns to the leader.

The leader shrugs, as if to say 'You work it out.'

George purses his lips.

The second executive shakes her head.

Brett sits next to Jerry's table, looking dazed. Elaine stands beside him, applying an icepack to his temple. Jerry stands opposite Eaine.

Elaine gives Jerry a look.

Brett looks concerned.

Brett slips out from under the icepack and falls face-first onto the table with an audible clunk. Elaine looks down, shocked. Jerry just looks down.

An ambulance races through the streets of New York, siren wailing.

Brett lays on his back, as a doctor and nurse examine him.

Music begins to play. It's Witchy Woman, and the doctor gets the same look on his face as Brett with Desperado. He looks off into the distance.

The doctor stares away.

The doctor is oblivious to the nurse.

There is still no response from the doctor.

As the doctor stares off into the distance, the monitoring instruments can be heard beeping faster and faster.