The Face Painter
| Company type | Television episode |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | May 11, 1995 |
| Headquarters | United States |
The Face Painter represents the 109th installment of the NBC comedy series Seinfeld and is the 23rd episode within its sixth season. It was broadcast on May 11, 1995, following a table read held on March 26, 1995. In this narrative, Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and David Puddy attend two Stanley Cup playoff matches where Puddy’s fervent support for the New Jersey Devils creates friction with Elaine and an El Salvadoran priest. Concurrently, Kramer faces off against a chimpanzee over an incident involving a banana peel, while George endeavors to convey his feelings of love to his girlfriend.
Plot
David Puddy, Elaine’s boyfriend and ardent New Jersey Devils supporter, adorns his face with paint for a Stanley Cup playoff game against the New York Rangers that Elaine, Jerry, and Kramer also attend. Following the match, Puddy’s boisterous conduct and painted visage cause a priest to mistake him for a demonic figure. Jerry opts not to express gratitude to his friend Alec Berg for providing season tickets; later at a funeral, Alec’s indifferent demeanor prompts Jerry to wonder if it might jeopardize future ticket privileges. Elaine ends her relationship with Puddy due to his face painting, but he promises to desist—only to appear at the subsequent game with his chest painted instead, joining fellow Devils fans in forming the word "DEVILS."
Jerry eventually reaches out to Alec with an apology but discovers that the next set of tickets has been allocated elsewhere. Instead, Alec secures two tickets from a mutual acquaintance of Puddy’s; Jerry and Kramer accompany Puddy’s group, completing the "DEVILS" display with their own painted letters. Elaine visits the priest to explain that Puddy caused his fright; wearing a white raincoat backlit by sunlight, she is mistaken for the Virgin Mary.
George confesses love to his girlfriend Siena, who responds only by mentioning she is hungry. He contemplates ending their relationship. Meanwhile, Kramer has a confrontation with Barry, a chimpanzee at Siena’s zoo workplace, after being struck by a banana peel. The zoo requests Kramer apologize, but he refuses since Barry instigated the incident. When Siena disregards Kramer’s comment, a co-worker reveals she is deaf in one ear. George then repeats his declaration of love in her other ear; Siena confirms she had heard it previously. Eventually, Kramer apologizes to Barry, who retaliates by spitting water on him.
Production
Fred Stoller drew inspiration for Kramer's encounter with Barry the chimpanzee from a childhood visit to Monkey Jungle, where he observed visitors throwing stones at monkeys. During the apology scene, an animal trainer stood just outside the camera frame to guide the chimpanzee’s actions.
Initially, Kramer tells Jerry to relocate to the bottled city of Kandor if he no longer wishes to engage with society, maintaining the series’ recurring Superman references. However, in the final script this was changed to the East Side. The character Alec Berg was named after one of Seinfeld’s writers.
George’s storyline originally concluded with Siena agreeing to marry him after he professed love a second time. Although this ending was filmed, it was ultimately omitted; nevertheless, the engagement idea was later incorporated into the premiere episode of the following season.
Patrick Warburton and the New Jersey Devils
Patrick Warburton, known for his role as David Puddy, originally supported the Los Angeles Kings but developed a strong connection to the New Jersey Devils because of this particular episode. During the 2012 playoffs, he found himself torn between loyalty to both teams. After the airing of "The Face Painter," Warburton was honored with the opportunity to perform the ceremonial first puck drop at a Devils game, sporting face paint identical to Puddy’s look from the episode. While dropping the puck, he nearly lost his balance but regained composure by tearing off his shirt to reveal a chest painted with a bold "D," creating a memorable moment in Devils lore.
Warburton has made numerous appearances at Devils games, often displaying face and chest paint reminiscent of Puddy, bringing energy and excitement to the fans. In 2019, the Devils commemorated this connection by giving away a Puddy-themed bobblehead doll to attendees at one of their games.