The Engagement (Seinfeld episode)
The Engagement is the
seventh season opener (along with the one-hundered and eleventh overall episode) of the popular
NBC series
Seinfeld. It began the season-long
story arc of
George Costanza's engagement to
Susan Ross.
George breaks up with a woman after she beats him in a game of
chess. When he tells
Jerry about it, they both realize that they have done nothing with their lives and decide they're going to make some changes. When Jerry tells
Kramer about his talk with George, Kramer tells Jerry that getting married or having a family is a "man-made prison," and Jerry changes his mind.
Elaine comes in and tells Jerry and Kramer that a barking
dog is keeping her from getting a good night's sleep. Kramer says he knows someone who can "fix her problem".
They go to see Newman. After seeing Newman's clear disdain for dogs, Elaine becomes unsure if she really wants to go through with his plan. She is undecided at the moment, but later calls Newman back and says she wants to do it. Jerry takes his girlfriend Melanie out to dinner, but is bothered when she eats her
peas one at a time.
George, after contemplating what to do with his life all afternoon, finally decides to visit his old girlfriend Susan Ross. When she buzzes him up and answers the door, he asks her to marry him. The next day, George visits Jerry to tell him the news - he's getting married (after hours of convincing). All seems well until Jerry informs him that he broke up with Melanie because of the way she ate her peas. George is angry that Jerry didn't keep his side of the "pact" to change they had made the day before at
Monk's. But Jerry convinces him he should be happy that he's engaged.
Later that night, Elaine, Kramer and Newman get in a van and prepare to steal the dog. Jerry goes to George's apartment and asks if he's ready to go see a movie (
Firestorm), but George tells him Susan wants to see a different movie (
The Muted Heart). It is at this time that George is showing signs of regret about his decision.
Newman returns to the van with the dog and Elaine is surprised that it is so small. They try to get it to bark to verify if it the right dog, but to no avail. Kramer drives them far away from the city, before finally stopping near
Monticello. He gets out and leaves the dog at a random doorstep, but it rips a piece of his shirt before he can let it go. Back home after the movie, Jerry calls George to inform him that a
Yankees game is being rerun if he wanted to watch it, but Susan wants him to come to bed and watch an episode of
Mad About You that she taped. George again voices his annoyance at Jerry that he backed out on the pact.
The dog manages to find its way back to its house and owner, carrying the piece of Kramer's shirt it had ripped and Elaine is again woken up during the night by its barking. The next day, Jerry tells her the news of George's engagement. With the shirt scrap as evidence, police officers visit Kramer and Newman and arrest them for kidnapping the dog. The episode ends with Kramer, Newman and Elaine sitting in the back of a
police car. Elaine decides to make some changes.
*
Newman: (when cops show up at his door) What took you so long?
*
George: You know, it was really wrong of you to back out on that deal.
Jerry: I didn't make a deal. I just shook your hand.
George: Yeah, well that's a deal where I come from.
Jerry: We come from the same place.
*(
coming out of the movie theater after seeing The Muted Heart)
Susan: (sniffling) Did you like it?
George: (unenthusiastic) Yes, it was very, very good.
Susan: Oh, do you think he'll ever find her again?
George: Oh, I sure hope so.
(Jerry and a friend come out of the theater nearby after seeing Firestorm)
Jerry: How about when
Harrison Ford jumped out of that plane, and he was shooting back at them as he was falling?
Friend: What about that underwater escape?
Jerry: Oh, man!
*
Elaine: What am I doing with my life?
Newman: Don't worry. Everyone knows right now. The whole place will be crawling with mailmen soon...we'll be out before lunch.
