Ep 3. The Serenity Now

The Serenity Now is the third episode of the ninth season of Seinfeld. This episode has a recurring theme of anger and serenity. Frank Costanza, George's father, gets angry very easily, so he decides to try a new approach to controlling his anger. He comes up with a relaxation technique called SERENITY NOW, which he makes everyone around him yell when they feel angry. Kramer tries to keep up with the relaxation technique but ends up fueling his own anger. Meanwhile, Jerry finds a way to get his mail quicker by bribing Newman.

The episode opens with George and his parents preparing for the visiting hour at Frank's retirement home. Frank gets agitated with the delayed arrival of his brother; it is then that he comes up with the SERENITY NOW technique to help himself calm down. He explains that the only way to control his emotions is to yell SERENITY NOW when he feels angry.

Jerry has a problem with the postal service workers not delivering his mail on time, His mailman is Newman, and his delivery has been stalled for weeks. He offers Newman a $50 bribe to expedite his mail. Meanwhile, Kramer hears about Frank's relaxation technique and decides to try it out for himself.

George meets an old schoolmate Lloyd Braun on the street and inquires about his job. Lloyd is now working for Mayor Dinkins, and he mentions a project involving a new library in the neighborhood. George, who has just been dumped by his girlfriend, decides to get involved in the project to impress her. However, Frank's constant yelling of SERENITY NOW interferes with his plan.

Kramer tries to use the SERENITY NOW technique while playing a video game, shouting SERENITY NOW with escalating anger and eventually throwing the game console through the window. He later suggests to George that he should use the technique to prevent him from going crazy while working on the library project.

Jerry and Newman's bribery deal goes sour, as Newman demands more money to keep up the delivery, and Jerry feels he is not getting the value for his money.

Frank's SERENITY NOW technique proves to be problematic, as he becomes angrier than ever, and it only makes things worse for his son George as he becomes disturbed at the idea of wearing a hairpiece bald. George admits he started wearing the hairpiece after having an incredibly short haircut (the 'marine haircut') for his cousin's wedding, which Jerry found amusing.

In the end, the storyline takes unexpected turns due to the peculiar nature of each character. Newman's greed and Frank's anger lead to unanticipated events while Kramer hatches a scheme that completely throws a wrench in George's library project plans.

Overall, The Serenity Now is a hilarious Seinfeld episode that highlights the core characteristics of each character. It shows how every action counts and has lasting repercussions. Ultimately, the episode ends on a note of serendipity, but only after the characters have gone through what appears to be one of their wackier escapades yet.