The Face Painter (season 6, episode 23)

story by Larry David and Fred Stoller, teleplay by Larry David, directed by Andy Ackerman
original airdate: May 11, 1995

Puddy prepares for a hockey game by painting his face like a devil. George tells his girlfriend that he loves her. Kramer gets into a fight with a monkey at the zoo.

FEATURED LOCATIONS

The Improv

Jerry’s Apartment
Jerry invites the gang to the Rangers game, but Puddy replaces George, after he declares he plans on telling her he loves her. The gang then bugs Jerry to give Alec Berg the day-after-thank-you, which Jerry flatly refuses. Kramer tells Jerry about his altercation with Barry the monkey.

Monk’s Café
Alec Berg gives the gang his Rangers tickets after seeing Jerry at the coffee shop. Jerry and George discuss George’s “matzah ball” of a non-returned “I love you” after Siena doesn’t reciprocate.

ITALY (map)
Jerry mentions Italy in his opening monologue, joking how monkeys have evolved from working with Italian guys and crank organs to going into outer space.

Elaine’s Apartment
Elaine discovers that Puddy is a die-hard New Jersey Devils fan…and a face painter. Elaine convinces him to stop painting his face…but he continues painting in general, now on his chest.

NEW JERSEY (map)
Puddy claims he’s a lifelong Devils fan, growing up in New Jersey. However, the Devils only moved to New Jersey in 1982 from Denver (where they were the Colorado Rockies), so either Puddy is confused, a liar, or a lot older than he looks…

Madison Square Garden
4 Pennsylvania Pl., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: 34th Street – Penn Station (1,2,3)
Jerry, Kramer, Elaine and Puddy go to a Rangers vs. Devils playoff game, which the Devils win. While the Rangers did not play the Devils in the 1995 NHL Playoffs, they did have an epic 7 game series in the 1994 Playoffs, where the Devils won Game 1 4-3 in overtime on a goal by Stephane Richer (as heard on George’s radio when listening to the game). With Kramer saying that there are still three games left in the series, this implies the gang saw Game 1, and that Jerry and Kramer went again with Puddy (having to paint “DEVILS” on their chest) to Game 2.

Central Park Zoo
830 Fifth Ave., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: Fifth Avenue – 59th Street (N,Q,R)
Kramer is scheduled for a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo from George’s girlfriend Siena, but gets into a fight with Barry the monkey beforehand, throwing a banana peel back at him.

Riverside-Gramercy Chapels (NOW CLOSED)
152 Second Ave., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: Astor Place (6)
Jerry and Elaine go to Gary Fogel’s funeral, and Jerry gets a bad funeral hello from Alec Berg for no follow-up thank you for Rangers tickets.

EL SALVADOR (map)
Puddy terrorizes a priest in a cab visiting New York, who believes he is “El Diablo” for his terrifying makeup and rabid support of the Devil(s).

Upper East Side
New York, NEW YORK
Kramer claims that if Jerry does not want to thank Alec for the Ranger tickets, and thus be a part of society, “why don’t you just get in your car and move to the East Side!?!”

Father Hernandez’s church
New York, NEW YORK
Elaine goes to visit the priest from El Salvador that Puddy terrorized, but coincidentally placed lighting causes the priest to believe he is being visited by the Madonna.