The Engagement (21 Sep. 1995)

While sitting in the coffee shop, Jerry and George resolve to grow up and take life more seriously. Jerry decides to call the woman he recently broke up with - because she shushed him. For ... See full summary »

Director:

Andy Ackerman

Writers:

Larry David (creator), Jerry Seinfeld (creator),

Stars:

Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Jerry Seinfeld	...	Jerry Seinfeld
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Elaine Benes
Michael Richards	...	Cosmo Kramer
Jason Alexander	...	George Costanza
Wayne Knight	...	Newman
Jerry Stiller	...	Frank Costanza
Estelle Harris	...	Estelle Constanza
Heidi Swedberg	...	Susan Ross
Mario Joyner	...	Himself
Janni Brenn	...	Woman #2
Mailon Rivera	...	Cop #1
Athena Massey	...	Melanie
Ron Byron	...	Man
Renee Faia	...	Alice (as Renee Phillips)
Cindy Cheung	...	Woman #1 (credit only) (as Cindy)

Storyline

While sitting in the coffee shop, Jerry and George resolve to grow up and take life more seriously. Jerry decides to call the woman he recently broke up with - because she shushed him. For his part, George has been thinking a lot about his former girlfriend Susan. After imagining the ideal life they could have together, he goes to her apartment and proposes. She accepts and George almost immediately begins to have second thoughts, especially after Jerry breaks up with his girlfriend a second time. Elaine meanwhile is having trouble with a neighbor's barking dog and enlists the help of two professionals to get rid of the problem: Kramer and Newman.

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Plot Keywords:

sleeping | barking dog | playing chess | shoving | rant | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 September 1995 (USA)

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shapiro/West Productions, Castle Rock Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

24 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Season 6, Episode 21 we learn that Newman took over his mail route from "Son of Sam" (David Berkowitz). When Newman gets arrested in this episode he says: "What took you so long?" to the police officer. This is the same sentence used by real life David Berkowitz when he was arrested for murder.

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Goofs

At the end of the episode, when George and Susan are watching "Mad About You", for some reason, Susan appears to be laughing at the credits.

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Connections

References Mad About You (1992)

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Soundtracks

"Final Frontier"
(uncredited)
(theme from Mad About You)
Composed by Paul Reiser
Performed by Don Was

User Reviews

The Engagement is a classic for many reasons, it's pure Seinfeld hilarity.

"What are we doing? what kind of lives are these? Were children, were definitely not men".-Jerry Seinfeld.

"What are you thinking about? Marriage?, Family?. There man-made prisons, you're doing time!".-Kramer.

"Susan: I just want you to know, I love your son very much. Estelle: You do? May I ask why?".

.Cop Knocks on Newman's door. "Newman: What took ya so long?".

The Story here is that, Jerry and George make a pact to change there lives, to try love like normal people, only Jerry does not change, thanks to Kramer's opinion about marriage. George ends up regrettably proposing to Susan. Elaine has dogs outside her apartment, who refuse to shut up, so she enlists Kramer and Newman to help her out.

The Engagement was the 1st time that we didn't see a Seinfeld episode, start with a stand up routine, from Jerry Seinfeld. Instead it cuts straight to the chase, with George and his girlfriend playing chess. In one of the funniest bits in the entire episode, George gets annoyed, because his girlfriend beats him at chess, typical hilarious George response "I don't think we should each other anymore". I thought the Elaine not being able to sleep cause of the dogs, wasn't quite as funny as George and Jerry's, it just seemed too ordinary for Seinfeld. That being said, I still laughed at it.

What's so funny about George is, he's always jumping to conclusions in his mind, and ends up acting on them, without thinking it through. Seeing his reactions watching happily taken couples, while sitting on a park bench, imagining his own scenario's with Susan in flashback montage, is pretty hysterical itself. Heidi Swedberg is an exceptionally beautiful woman, and that's what makes George's well know disdain for her eventually once again, hilarious. Larry always has these funny little things, that he puts into his episodes, he'll even go as far as to someone who eats pea's, one at a time, and that's a big reason, that makes this show outrageously funny. Jerry's deliberate overacting is hilarious, when ever he does it. The way he yells "YOUR GETTING MARRIED" is very funny. I also enjoyed Ed O'Ross in his cameo, as a cop.

Bottom Line. The Engagement is a classic episode, in every way possible. imaginative humor and classic sequences, make this one, a memorable one.

10/10