George tries to come up with a good comeback after someone insults him. Elaine falls in love with a mysterious employee at the video store.
"The Comeback!" contains examples of:
- Brick Joke: When workshopping George's comeback, Kramer suggest he just bluntly tell Reilly that he had sex with his wife. Later, when Reilly smokes his long-awaited comeback with an immediate zinger, George in frustrated desperation goes "Oh yeah? Well I had sex with your wife!"
- Catfishing: Vincent, who Elaine entered into a phone-only relationship with after being enticed by his video picks, turns out to be a 15-year old boy.
- Comeback Tomorrow: The whole plot. George is upset with Reilly for making an insult and tries everything to make sure he says it to Reilly but when he does Reilly has his own comeback, so then he replies with having sex with his wife only to find out she's in a coma.
- Didn't Think This Through: With Elaine's help, Kramer drafts a living will with almost zero exceptions on pulling his life support after he gets frightened watching a movie about a woman falling into a coma. He then becomes absolutely horrified and wants to rectify his will after discovering that it's possible to wake up from a coma.
- Dude, Not Funny!: George tries to save his humiliation by blurting out that he had sex with Reilly's wife... only for the boss to inform him that Reilly's wife is in a coma.
- Here We Go Again!: Just when it seems like George has been properly humiliated again by Reilly and returning to New York in defeat... he comes up with yet another comeback in his car and turns around to fly back to Akron again.
- I Banged Your Mom: George says a variation of this to Reilly about his wife (which was Kramer's suggestion) only to find out his wife is in a coma.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Fed up with his friends' suggestions for an alternative to his comeback, George has this to say:"This is why I hate writing with a large group! Everybody has their own little opinions and it all gets homogenized and you lose the whole edge of it! I'm going with 'jerk store'! 'Jerk store' is the line! Jerk store!"
- Sad Clown: Reilly's wife being in a come might explain his behavior.
- Trauma Button: Reilly looks pretty uncomfortable after George mentions his wife.
- X Called; They Want Their Y Back: The plot point. Reilly delivers an insult to George by saying "the ocean called, they're running out of shrimp." George straits everything he can to make sure Reilly hears his comeback.
