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Airplane! Scene 4 Summary

  • Wheels up. The plane's in the air.
  • Inside, we find Ted slamming pills to handle his anxiety, while the other passengers partake in some "light reading."
  • After Ted's rejected again by Elaine, he sits back down with his seatmate.
  • Much to her chagrin, Ted begins to tell the story of how he met Elaine, thus kicking off another flashback…
  • On military leave in a distant country, we find Ted drinking alone at the "seediest dive on the wharf." You can tell it's a rough place by the pair of Girl Scouts duking it out in the background.
  • When one of them is thrown into a jukebox, "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees begins to play.
  • The sequence totally spoofs disco classic Saturday Night Fever, as Ted, spotting Elaine from across the room, rips off his military uniform revealing a John Travolta-esque white vest. The pair then disco dances the night away.
  • While there's minimal voiceover dialogue from Ted, this sequence relies heavily on visual humor. From their eclectic dance moves to background shenanigans, there's always something happening on screen.
  • Ted and Elaine end their night slow-dancing together to some mellow jazz as the place closes up, while the Girl Scouts continue to brawl.
  • The flashback ends, and we focus back on Ted and his seatmate. "But enough about me," he says. "I hope this hasn't been boring for you."
  • We pan over to his seatmate, who's hanged herself out of boredom. Apparently Ted is not the most captivating storyteller.