The Strongbox

"The Strongbox" is the 170th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 14th episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on February 5, 1998.

George tries to break up with his girlfriend, Maura (Alex Kapp Horner), but she will not agree to. Jerry has purchased cuff links worn by Jerry Lewis in Cinderfella. He plans to use them as a conversation starter with Lewis when he goes to an upcoming roast at the Friar's Club. George insists that all he needs as a conversation starter is the fact that they share the same name. Elaine's new boyfriend puzzles and intrigues her with his secretive behavior. Jerry jokingly suggests that perhaps he is a super-hero concealing his secret identity. The exterior of the apartment of Elaine's secretive new boyfriend is actually located in Manhattan's East Village at 4 St. Mark's Place. Neighborhood landmarks like Trash and Vaudeville and the St. Mark's Hotel can be seen in the shot.

With burglaries occurring in the building, Kramer has obtained a strongbox to hold his valuables. He needs to find a place to hide his key, a place that no one knows except himself. His first place, Jerry's drawer, doesn't work, because Jerry opens it within moments.

George lays out all of the reasons that they should be officially broken up. Maura still doesn't agree "to turn the key":

Elaine gives up on her mystery man when, on the street, he avoids a woman whom Elaine deduces is his wife. She returns to Jerry's apartment to find that his intercom is broken. So she shouts to him from the street, about the mystery man, while she waits for the opportunity to get into his building. Jerry inspects his intercom, only to find Kramer's strongbox key hidden inside. Kramer hides his key again, this time in one of Jerry's shirt pockets. Jerry finds the key again when he puts on the shirt, in order to go down to let George in. While downstairs, a neighbor, Phil (Louis Mustillo), asks to be let in. Jerry politely denies him entry, explaining that there have been burglaries and he does not recognize him. Elaine goes to the mystery man's shabby apartment and discovers he is poor and on welfare. The woman he ran from is his welfare caseworker. Jerry discovers that Phil does in fact live in his building, and to add more discomfort to Jerry, he also lives right next door to Kramer.