Jerry and Elaine speculate whether they can have a purely sexual relationship while maintaining their friendship, which George is highly skeptical about.
Tropes:
- Aborted Arc: The end of the episode teases Jerry and Elaine getting back together for real, but they remain nothing more than friends for the rest of the series.
- Friends with Benefits: The premise of the episode. Lampshaded with George telling Jerry An Aesop about how it can't be done; he turns out to be right.
- My New Gift Is Lame: For Elaine's birthday gift, Jerry has to tread carefully on what to get her, as he doesn't want to go for anything too plain or suggestive. He settles for giving her $182 so she can buy whatever she wants. Elaine gets upset with Jerry, as she feels it's something her uncle would give her. In addition, she hates the card he gives her, saying she's a wonderful friend and a great pal. This in contrast to Kramer, who gives her the bench she's been wanting as well as a card with a poetic message, to which Elaine reacts more positively.
- Sexual Euphemism: Jerry and Elaine use "this" to refer to their friendship, "that" to refer to sex, and "the other" to refer to a hypothetical real relationship.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Elaine and Kramer both react to Jerry giving Elaine cash for her birthday the same way: "What are you, my/her uncle?"
