- Jerry and Elaine believe that they have found a foolproof way to start having sex again yet still remain just friends, but they quickly start encountering problems.
- Neither Elaine or Jerry have had sex for awhile and they begin to speculate on how they could become sexual partners again but still remain friends no matter what happens. They agree on a set of rules that they think will keep their friendship intact but it soon becomes apparent that it isn't going to work very well. Jerry also begins to obsess over what to get her for her birthday eventually settling on something inappropriate. Kramer however seems to hit just the right notes as far as gift-giving goes.—garykmcd
- As they are watching TV in Jerry's apartment, Jerry and Elaine flip through the channels, stumbling upon the soft-core pornography channel. Upon the realization that neither of them has had sexual relations in a while, they start toying with the idea of sleeping together. They already did it 37 times when they were going out together. They refer to their friendship as "this" and sexual intercourse as "that". However, as they do not wish to ruin their friendship, they establish a set of ground rules. They want the best of both worlds, they want to take "this" and add "that". Rules include "No calls the day after that", "Spending the night is optional", "no kissing good night". Happy with their agreement, they make their way to the bedroom.
Kramer comes into Jerry's apartment first thing in the morning and finds Elaine moving around the apartment in Jerry's shirt. He understands the situation and awkwardly exits the apartment. The next day Jerry has lunch with his friend George Costanza (Jason Alexander) and makes him aware of his situation with Elaine. George makes Jerry recite all the details of the evening leading up to the sex with Elaine. George remains skeptical, even after Jerry explains the rules system to him. George says that for thousands of years people have been trying to have a friendship with a woman with sex on the side, but it never lasted. It is impossible and it cannot be done. George says that women are never happy when you don't spend the night after sex.
He is proven right when Jerry and Elaine get into an argument over the second rule: "Spending the night is optional". Jerry had dental surgery the next morning and figured that he would be better off in his own apartment, but Elaine believed that since it was her apartment, so the option belonged to her. Jerry eventually does not spend the night, leaving their agreement on shaky terms.
With Elaine's birthday coming up Jerry has to decide on what to get her. Since they are not in a relationship, but they are still having sex he feels that the symbolism of the gift needs to be carefully thought out. He can't get jewelry as that would send the wrong message. Whatever Jerry gets, George is only allowed to spend half of it, as Jerry's gift has to be the best. He looks for a gift with George but is unable to think of anything, though he vaguely remembers her saying "something about a bench". Music box is too relationship oriented, a picture frame is too impersonal, candle holders are too romantic, lingerie is too sexual, waffle maker is too domestic, a bust of Nelson Rockefeller is gubernatorial. George asks him to work on the card.
Elaine is unhappy with the eventual gift: $182 cash. The card says "To a wonderful girl, a great pal and more".. Elaine is not amused at all. When Jerry's neighbor Kramer (Michael Richards) gives Elaine the bench she was looking for, for which she is much more grateful, she and Jerry talk over their agreement. They decide to start dating. When Kramer sees them again and asks what they are up to, Jerry notes that they now do "this, that and the other," "the other" being their romantic relationship as a couple.
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![Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld, and Michael Richards in Seinfeld (1989)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2E1YTQ3MjItY2VjMC00OGQwLWJmY2ItODAyYmY2NGM0NTJmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzk0NzgwMTE@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR71,0,90,133_.jpg)