Seinfeld star Jason Alexander may have recently itted that he didn't think the hit sitcom's fourth season story arc would be relatable to audiences, but he didn't seem to have any similar qualms about George's incessant lies. The outrageous character seemed to thrive off of fabricating lies that fans loved watching spiral out of control.
George's lies ranged from small to big in both stature and impact. His ability to conjure these up was always pretty impressive, but rarely, if ever, did they prove successful. And although most fans probably can't too many of those successful lies, there are extensive memories of his worst/most hilarious deceptions.
When He Said That His Father Is Gay
In of LGBTQ+ representation, Seinfeld wasn’t exactly breaking new ground. Some episodes vaguely dealt with sexuality, though in a very dated capacity by today’s standards. Season 4’s "The Outing," in which Jerry and George are mistaken as a couple by a college reporter, said more about George’s ability to lie than it did his sexuality.
While attempting to insist to the reporter that he has no problem with others being gay, George blurts out “My father’s gay!” Fans do know that Frank Costanza cheated on his wife at one point, but not with a man. George’s lie is a weak attempt to bring some control over the situation, but as per usual, it does nothing at all to make things better.
When He Cheated In The Contest
Arguably the most widely known Seinfeld episode of all time is "The Contest," in which the four main characters bet on who can refrain from self-gratification the longest. The entire wager was the result of George swearing off the pastime after being caught by his mom.
Throughout the entirety of Seinfeld, fans believed that George had won the contest. In the final episode of the series, however, he reveals that he cheated. Given George’s temperament and track record, it’s not surprising that he would cheat, and in a way, it was one final testament to his endless truth-avoiding abilities.
When He Said He Was A Marine Biologist
Officially, it was Jerry who told an old high school friend that George had become a marine biologist. This may have initially caused George some concern, but he ultimately rose to the challenge with the skill of a master liar and ended up saving a beached whale.
When it comes to lying, George is clearly most comfortable within the confines of his own fabrications. Jerry lying on his behalf was a real challenge to face, but George’s ability to pull it off not only shows his comfort with lying but also how, when push comes to shove, he’ll go to tremendous lengths to steer the course of a lie.
When He Cheated On An IQ Test
To be fair, the entire idea of taking an IQ test was not George’s doing at all. At the time, he happened to be dating a woman who wanted him to take an IQ test as research for her education course. Terrified of her thinking he’s dumb, George decided to cheat.
With the help of Elaine, George almost pulled off what is actually a pretty complex lie. Fans undoubtedly felt a little let down when he ended up getting caught, but then again, getting caught seems pretty much a given any time George tries to lie. He may be highly skilled at coming up with lies, but the execution is almost always poor.
When He Kept A Photo Of Jerry’s Girlfriend And Said She Was His Fiancée
Because Jerry’s new girlfriend is quite attractive, George begins carrying a photo of her and telling women it’s his deceased fiancée Susan. The shameless (and creepy) ploy doesn’t last long, though; when George accidentally ruins the photo, the whole scam falls apart.
Amazingly enough, throughout Seinfeld, George never seemed to learn that a relationship based on a lie won’t up succeeding. He’ll literally do anything if he feels it can give him an upper hand with the opposite sex and because of this, George is by far Seinfeld’s biggest (and most shameless) liar.
When He Pretended To Need A Cane
At the start of Seinfeld’s ninth season, George is still recovering from an injury he received in the previous season. He walks with a cane as a result, and while interviewing for a new job, he realizes that the cane offers what he feels are workplace advantages, i.e.: his own private bathroom.
Though George did initially need the cane for his recovery, letting his employer and co-workers believe that it was a permanent part of his life was low, to say the least. Like all of George's lies, he eventually got caught, but the sheer audacity of the lie makes it one of the biggest the character ever told.
When He Pretended To Be A Nazi
One of Seinfeld’s most overlooked episodes has to be season three’s "The Limo." After taking a limousine from the airport that isn’t meant for them, Jerry and George discover that the man George is pretending to be (Donald O’Brien) is actually a neo-Nazi.
While George initially had no way of knowing that the limo was meant for a fascist, there’s no excuse for later developing an interest in Eva – one of O’Brien’s extremely loyal followers. Even a reminder from Seinfeld that Eva is a Nazi didn’t really do much to lessen George’s enthusiasm.
When He Lied About A Job With Vandelay Industries
George’s third season lie to an unemployment official that he’s close to a job with made-up latex company Vandelay Industries is classic Costanza. It’s also arguably the first time audiences really get the chance to see the chaotic lengths George will go to for a lie.
The fact that the episode ends with George lying face down on the floor of Jerry’s apartment in defeat, tros around his ankles, is the icing on the cake. Despite the effort he puts into the lie, George just can’t win. And yet a sizeable defeat like this does literally nothing to make him rethink his dedication to dishonesty.
When He Pretended To Love Susan
George’s relationship with Susan Ross was a lengthy and complicated issue. On one hand, he initially seemed to want a relationship with her. On the other, it eventually became clear that his decision to marry her wasn’t borne out of any sort of deep and confirmed love.
The truth of the matter is that George only asked Susan to marry him after he and Jerry agreed to find wives and grow up. When Jerry backed out, George felt he’d made a mistake, and he had – asking someone to get married and only pretending to actually love them is pretty rotten.
When He Pretended To Work For Mr. Tuttle
Both George and the audience were never quite positive whether or not he’d actually been hired by Mr. Tuttle in the season 5 episode "The Barber." Mr. Tuttle was unexpectedly forced to leave the interview midway through, so George simply turned up for work the next day.
Perhaps turning up for work could have been considered initiative if it weren’t for the fact that George literally did nothing all day. Sitting at a desk staring at the clock certainly wasn’t the job description, and, while George wanted to appear ambitious, fans knew that’s just not a Costanza trait.