Content Warning: this article contains discussions of violence.
Newman is one of Seinfeld‘s most famous recurring side characters, and there’s a theory that he might have been a serial killer. Seinfeld is a show about nothing, which means viewers should never expect a storyline to go on for a long time. Most of the episodes are structured like a quick joke, setting up a conflict in the introduction and delivering a punch line at the end; then, in the next episode, the characters have moved on. However, the awkward feud between Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) and Newman (Wayne Knight) is a running gag that lasts throughout the show.
Newman is a U.S. mail carrier who lives in the same building as Jerry and Kramer (Michael Richards) and is the low-key antagonist of the show. His quirky and temperamental personality brings about some of the best Seinfeld memes. However, Newman’s unpredictable traits might also lean on something darker: he’s a serial killer.
Newman Has All The Traits Of A Serial Killer
Newman’s psyche is a puzzle no one can solve, but there are things he cannot hide: he is a peculiar man, with not many, if any, real friends. He’s rarely seen with a love interest and often only shows resentment toward the people around him, Jerry in particular. When he’s arrested by the police for kidnapping a dog, he asks the cop, “What took you so long?” These were the same words used by David Berkowitz, a.k.a. the serial killer known as the Son of Sam, when he was apprehended in real life. Many factors seem to indicate that Seinfeld had its own Scranton Stranger in the form of Newman.
Newman & Berkowitz Are The Son Of Sam
The similarities between Newman and David Berkowitz aren’t limited to the dognapping situation, although that might also be related to David Berkowitz: the killer claimed he was only obeying orders from a demon in the form of his neighbor’s dog (via Daily News). He was also working for the U.S. postal service when he was arrested. In Seinfeld episode 22, season 6, “The Diplomat’s Son,” Kramer calls Newman and asks him to bring him Berkowitz’s mailbag, making viewers question why an ordinary mail carrier like Newman has something that once belonged to an infamous serial killer.
The “Son of Sam” reportedly killed six people and injured seven others in the ’70s, and it seems possible that Newman and Berkowitz worked together. There’s a lot that viewers don’t know about Newman, which gives him a mysterious or even suspicious nature, leading to dark theories. One idea is that Newman simply revered Berkowitz, while another theory claims Newman and Berkowitz were friends and even murdered people together (via Reddit). After Berkowitz’s arrest, Newman would’ve been glad that his partner didn’t turn him in but also sad that he lost his only friend, becoming a bitter and lonely person.