19. The Spare Key

Generated on: Feb 08, 2025

OPENING MONOLOGUE - (INT. COMEDY CLUB - NIGHT)

JERRY:
You know, you get a spare key made, it's like you're saying, 'I trust you implicitly with my entire life, but I also assume you're going to lose this key within a week.'

SCENE 1: INT. JERRY'S APARTMENT - DAY

[Jerry is polishing his cereal bowls] JERRY: What's the deal with spare keys? You never need them until you REALLY need them, and then you can never find the person who has it. Kramer enters, holding a mangled key. KRAMER: Jerry, my key! It's…deformed! JERRY: What happened to it? KRAMER: I was trying to open a can of sardines. Newman wouldn't give me his key to the mailroom, said I'd lose it. So I improvised! JERRY: You used your apartment key to open a can of sardines? You're lucky you didn’t get mercury poisoning. KRAMER: No, no, these were imported, gourmet sardines. Packed in…olive oil.

SCENE 2: INT. MONK'S - DAY

[Elaine and George are at a booth. George is frantically searching his pockets.] GEORGE: I can't find my keys! I had them right here! ELAINE: You’re always losing your keys. It's pathetic. GEORGE: I am not 'always' losing my keys! This is a rare occurrence. A highly unusual circumstance! ELAINE: Right. Just like last week, and the week before, and… GEORGE: Those were different keys! Those were…misplaced. These are lost. There's a distinction. ELAINE: Did you check your…other pants? GEORGE: My other pants? I'm not wearing my other pants! I'm wearing these pants! The pants with the missing keys!

SCENE 3: INT. JERRY'S APARTMENT - DAY

[Jerry, Elaine, and George are at Jerry's apartment. George is pacing.] GEORGE: Jerry, you have my spare, right? The one I gave you for emergencies? JERRY: Of course, it’s right here… Jerry checks his key bowl, then his pockets. JERRY: Huh. That's odd. I don’t see it. GEORGE: You don't see it?! This is an emergency! ELAINE: I told you he’d lose it. JERRY: I didn’t lose it! I put it…somewhere safe. GEORGE: Safe?! My apartment is vulnerable! My Mr. Marbles collection is unguarded!

SCENE 4: INT. JERRY'S APARTMENT - DAY

[Jerry, Elaine, and George are still searching. Kramer enters, holding a sardine can opener.] KRAMER: Jerry, look what I found! The perfect key for sardines! JERRY: Kramer! That’s my spare key! KRAMER: It is? Well, it works wonders on those little fishies. You should try it sometime! GEORGE: My apartment! My Marbles! You used my spare key to open sardines?! ELAINE: I knew it. JERRY: I thought it looked familiar. I was wondering where I put my sardine key. GEORGE: Sardine key?! There's no such thing as a sardine key!

CLOSING MONOLOGUE - (INT. COMEDY CLUB - NIGHT)

JERRY:
So what's the protocol for a lost spare key? Do you replace it immediately? Or do you wait until the original key is lost, creating a double emergency? It's a vicious cycle.