Elaine wants to perform a baby shower for her friend Leslie at Jerry's house while he's due to perform in Buffalo, and he grants her permission for doing so. However, he's convinced by Kramer to install pirate cable after he can't watch the Mets at home due to a cable carrier dispute. Both events collide. At the same time, George wants revenge on Leslie due to a bad date, and Mary Contardi, one of Leslie's friends at the baby shower, wants revenge on Jerry for the same reason.
This episode contains examples of:
- 24-Hour Party People: Leslie and her friends, whom we only see and hear of in this episode.
- Accidental Misnaming: In the dream sequence, one of the FBI agents insists on calling Jerry "Steinfeld".
- Arc Symbol: George's red shirt, dirty with chocolate syrup. Jerry noticing it hints at George's ulterior motives in really wanting to take Jerry back to his house when the latter had originally wanted to go the former's.
- Big Eater: Anatoly is first seen eating a cake so fast it leaves his face full of white crumbs. Later, at the baby shower, he eats a whole plate of sandwiches and a whole sliceable cake by himself. Elaine complains about him eating all the food, but Kramer dismisses it as a Culture Clash:Kramer: Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, there are many differences between American and Soviet cultures that you're not aware of. See, in Russia, the cable guy, they've got the whole run of the house. Yeah, that's tradition.
- Blatant Lies: When Jerry states that pirate cable is illegal, Kramer responds that it isn't, to which Jerry retorts that "it's against the law", which Kramer shruggs off with a "yeah, but...".
- Contrived Coincidence: Kramer has Anatoly Tabachnick and his assistant come by Jerry's to install cable right during the middle of Elaine's baby shower. George has Jerry — who can't perform due to a blizzard — come by his house in order for the former to get back at Leslie. And, Mary Contardi also has her own revenge plans, directed at Jerry.
- Digital Piracy Is Evil: Jerry originally refuses to install illegal cable on his house because it's illegal, but then is convinced by Kramer. He then doesn't go through with it because of his nightmare.
- Kramer states — albeit with a positive spin — that Anatoly, who is installing the cable, also slows down gas meters and sells slugs
for the subway.
- Kramer states — albeit with a positive spin — that Anatoly, who is installing the cable, also slows down gas meters and sells slugs
- Emasculated Cuckold: George once had a date with Leslie, watching her performance — where she threw chocolate syrup at his red shirt, which he still can't take out. She ends up leaving with another man without saying anything to him. Now that she's married and pregnant, he plans to extract sweet revenge on her. But, he relents at the last minute, and carries around her gifts as if he were a submissive boyfriend. He ends up complaining:George: Every woman on the face of the earth has complete control of my life. And yet, I want them all... is that irony?
- Contrast that with Mary Contardi, who did get her sweet revenge against Jerry, no barrels held.
- Evil Debt Collector: After Jerry relents and refuses to pay (both because he doesn't want illegal cable, and because he refuses to pay $400 when Kramer had promised it would be done for $150), Anatoly's assistant punches his TV set so hard its screen gets all shattered.
- Forbidden Fruit: Kramer's third attempt to have Jerry install pirate cable - which succeeds - is about the former tempting the latter with 75 Mets games on cable.
- Historical Character's Fictional Relative: During the beginning, Leslie's husband is mentioned by Elaine to 3rd cousin by marriage to the Kennedys. At the end, Elaine complains about not dating a Kennedy herself and the fact she saw John Jr. on the street while she was on a bus.
- Insane Troll Logic: After Kramer's lie about pirate cable being legal failing, he tries to convince Jerry with:Man, it's The '90s (shakes his body), it's Hammertime!
- Nightmare Fuel: A literal one with the thought of Jerry falling to an FBI sting operation in which Anatoly is actually undercover "Agent Stone" (and speaks in a perfect American accent instead of his "fake" Russian one). It ended with a shooting where Jerry ends up dead.Kramer: No! Jerry! (The FBI agents open fire. Jerry's gunned down by a hailstorm of bullets. Kramer leans next to a fallen Jerry, cupping Jerry's head in his hands.) Cable boy, cable boy... What have you done to my little cable boy?
- Before the nightmare, Jerry mentions:Every time I turn on the TV, sirens are gonna go on, they're gonna track me down like a dog, I know it...
- Before the nightmare, Jerry mentions:
- Noodle Incident: At the end of the baby shower, Leslie tells Elaine that she was just like in college. How is never revealed.
- Overly Narrow Superlative: Kramer refers to Anatoly as the "Sakharov of cable guys", mentioning that he escaped from The Gulag. After Kramer tells Jerry about Anatoly's gas meter and slug businesses, Jerry retorts by sarcastically calling Anatoly "a real human rights nut".
- Quirky Work:Jerry: (During his nightmare.) Wait a minute. Wait a minute, hold on! We're just patsies. We're just a couple of users... We never sold the stuff. What about the Russian guy? The Russian guy is the guy you want! (Cue Anatoly stepping out of the bedroom dressed as the other agents and speaking without accent.)
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: At the baby shower, Jerry runs into Mary, a disgruntled ex who Jerry never spoke to again after one date:Mary: Jerry?! Remember me? Mary Contardi! No? Doesn't ring a bell, Jerry? We had a date three years ago! You took me to one of your shows! Told me you had a great time! Said you'd call the next day.Jerry: Well, I'm sure I meant to call.. I probably just lost your...Mary: LIAR! LIAR! You were never going to call me! You thought you could waltz through the rest of your life and never bump into me again! But you were wrong, Jerry! You were wrong! What do you think, I'm some sort of poor, pathetic wretch?Jerry: No, I don't think that...Mary: Some person who could be dismissed and ignored?! Some insignificant piece of dust?! Some person who doesn't deserve your respect and your attention?! You're the one that doesn't deserve my respect and my attention! You're the insignificant piece of dust!
- Sequel Episode: Has one of sorts in "The Contest", where Elaine finally catches the eyes of a Kennedy (in this case, John F. Kennedy, Jr.).
- Uninvited to the Party:
- Kramer, Anatoly and his assistant, interrupting the party for installing cable.
- Jerry, back from the performance he didn't give because of the blizzard.
- George, plotting — and failing — to get back at Leslie for her dumping him on a date.
