Written collaboratively by Peter Mehlman (a major writer for Seinfeld seasons 2 through 8 who was no longer on staff) and David Mandel (one of the new wave of Seinfeld writers), the episode bridges Seinfeld's final season to its past with scenes from George's engagement to Susan Ross and Jerry's moving in to his apartment, and with a format which evoked the series' early gimmick-based episodes like "The Chinese Restaurant" and "The Limo".
Elaine receives an invitation to Sue Ellen Mischke's wedding to Pinter Ranawat in India.
To spite Sue Ellen, Elaine buys tickets to India for herself, Jerry, George, and Nina.
Touched, Elaine reconciles with Sue Ellen and resolves not to let her find out about her affair with Pinter.
George demands Nina choose between him and Jerry; she declares she is not interested in either man, and only came for a free trip to India.
[4][3] Having decided on the backwards chronology, Mehlman and Mandel set about coming up with the most bizarre and striking opening possible, in order to entice viewers to keep watching to see how the story begins.
They came up with an Indian wedding, as well as an opening shot of Kramer's gravestone (with the rest of the episode revealing that he had resorted to faking his own death in order to escape FDR's wish).
[3] Due to Seinfeld's immense success, budget limitations were virtually nonexistent by the time of this episode.
[5] Scenes which were filmed for the episode but deleted before broadcast include George stepping in goat dung while trying to walk off the need to go to the bathroom; George putting on his Timberlands just to walk across Nina's apartment to get the wine bottle and glasses; an extension of the aftermath scene in Monk's Cafe, in which Kramer accidentally steps on a child's toy and gets the evil eye before the child blows out his birthday candles; and an extension of the plane flight scene, in which Elaine takes the pillow from the man next to her, who turns out to be Magnus from "The Butter Shave".
[3] In a review of the Season 9 DVD for Cinematic Happenings Under Development, Trevor La Pay said "The Betrayal" was his least favorite episode in the entire Seinfeld series, calling it "a gimmick-based farce".