Ep 19. The Yada Yada

"The Yada Yada" is the 153rd episode of Seinfeld, fittingly aired on May 12, 1997 towards the end of the 8th season. The episode's title was taken from the repeated usage of "yada yada" in the dialogue.

The story revolves around the recurring character of Elaine's priest, Father Curtis, who begins dating her friend Sally. Elaine encourages the two to get married as quickly as possible, which ultimately causes friction between the two friends as Sally's constant repetition of the phrase "yada yada" annoys Elaine. Jerry and Elaine also recount humorous flashback stories from their past involving romantic partners, including Elaine's fake phone number scam and Jerry's overstating his income.

Meanwhile, George's newly converted girlfriend, Marcy, begins to convert him to her faith - Latvian Orthodox. George reluctantly agrees, hiding his disbelief in the religion due to his desire to keep his girlfriend. He starts actively lying to her, but the situation worsens when he is caught eating pork.

The main theme of the episode explores the nature of communication and language. The repetition of "yada yada" becomes a comedic device that highlights the imprecision of speech and the misunderstandings that can arise from ambiguous communication. Alluding to the same, "the yada yada" becomes a recurring phrase throughout the characters' conversations.

Another significant theme is dishonesty and deception within romantic relationships. Jerry and Elaine's flashbacks reveal their past incidences of lying to their previous romantic partners, while George lies to his current girlfriend to avoid being caught eating pork and maintain their relationship.

"The Yada Yada" is a hilarious episode packed with several gags and witty dialogue that keeps the audience entertained throughout the entire episode. The stunning interplay of humor and seriousness leaves the viewers in splits.