SEINFELD "The Best Sitcom Ever" Series - "The Susie" SEINFACT

Seinfeld

"The Susie" SEINFACT:

In an homage to George's upwards-glancing scream of "Kahn!" in "The Foundation," Elaine screams "Susie!" to the ceiling after hearing that Peterman has put her in charge of a foundation in the memory of the imaginary Susie.

Believe it or not George isn't at home. Please leave a message at the beep. I must be out, or I'd pick up the phone. Where could I be? Believe it or not I'm not home.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Kramer decides that daylight saving time isn't coming fast enough, so he sets his watch ahead an hour. Mike, the guy who once referred to Jerry as "a phony," has become a bookie. Peggy, a co-worker of Elaine's calls her "Susie." George is excited about Steinbrenner's ball. He hopes to show off his tall blonde girlfriend with a grand entrance. Instead, she says she wants to talk. He runs away. "If she can't find me, she can't break up with me." He really wants to make that big entrance at the ball. Kramer tells Jerry that he owes Mike $100 for a bet he made on that night's Knicks game. Only Jerry never made the bet; Kramer did it for him. In fact, Kramer attends the game and gets into a fight with a key player that causes Jerry to win his bet. Peggy starts talking to "Susie" about Elaine's memo. Peterman hearing about the complaints demands to see Elaine, Peggy and "Susie" in his office; first thing in the morning. Mike can't pay Jerry, so he offers to help him with his trunk problem, but instead gets his thumbs broken for the trouble. Kramer breaks up with George on behalf of Allison. Elaine makes it through the morning meeting. Mike gets trapped in Jerry's trunk. Elaine and Jerry, in his car, decide it would be best to eliminate "Susie." George reconciles with Kramer. Elaine delivers the eulogy at "Susie's" wake, much to the confusion of Peggy. Kramer, with George, makes a spectacular entrance at the ball. Mike escapes from Jerry's trunk and accuses him of murder. The same fate befalls Elaine that befell George; Peterman puts her in charge of a foundation in "Susie's" honor.

The Susie

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Susie" is the 149th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 15th episode for the eighth season. It aired on February 13, 1997.

Plot

Mike, the guy who once referred to Jerry as "a phony" ("The Parking Space"), has become a bookie. 

Kramer, who has a gambling problem, wants Jerry to place bets with Mike on his behalf. Elaine's co-worker Peggy (Megan Cole) thinks that Elaine is a different woman named "Susie". 

George is excited about Steinbrenner's ball because he wants to be able to show off his tall, beautiful girlfriend Allison (Shannon Kenny) by making a "grand entrance" in a backless dress.

George's plans to take Allison to the ball are put in jeopardy when he finds out that she is planning to break up with him beforehand. He therefore goes to great lengths to avoid her, saying, "If she can't find me, she can't break up with me."

Kramer begins to live out his gambling addiction through Jerry, by placing bets in Jerry's name. But when Jerry wins, Mike the bookie can't pay up. When Jerry accidentally closes his car trunk door on Mike's thumbs, Mike becomes afraid of him. Later, Mike tries to make it up to Jerry by fixing his trunk but gets trapped inside.

Meanwhile, Peggy starts talking to "Susie" (actually Elaine) about Elaine, making derogatory comments about her. Elaine becomes angry, partly because of the comments, but also, bizarrely, because Peggy addresses her as "Suz" rather than Susie. WhenPeterman overhears he wants to resolve the conflict and demands a meeting between Peggy, Elaine and "Susie". 

Elaine becomes so tired of pretending to be the fake Susie, that while driving in the car one night, Jerry tells her that she should "eliminate her". Mike (trapped in the trunk) overhears this, and believing Susie to be a real person, becomes even more terrified of Jerry, thinking that he is a killer, especially when Jerry and Elaine both start to laugh sinisterly (though they are really just laughing at a funny bumper sticker).

Elaine tells Peterman that Susie committed suicide and a bereaved Peterman organizes a memorial service for her. Elaine delivers the eulogy at the wake, but becomes confused when Peterman announces that he had slept with "Susie". Peggy is even more confused to see Elaine, thinking she was Susie. When she tells Jerry, "I guess I never met Susie," he claims to have slept with both Elaine and Susie. 

The service comes to an abrupt end when Mike bursts in and accuses Jerry of murdering Susie, but Jerry seems unconcerned, merely commenting to Peggy, "Not only that, I broke his thumbs."

Finally, when Allison cannot find George to break up with him, she uses Kramer as a go-between and Kramer breaks up with George on her behalf. Kramer shows up at the Ball in Allison's place and after a scuffle in the lobby, George tears off the back of Kramer's tuxedo and he is thrown into the main hall, making a "grand entrance" of his own.

Elaine is glad to be rid of Susie, but Peterman tells her he is establishing a foundation in Susie's honor and expects Elaine to devote all of her non-working hours to running it. In a Wrath of Khan-inspired pan-out sequence that is also used several times by George, Elaine looks up and screams out "SUZ!"

Cultural references

The song on George's answering machine is a parody of "Believe It or Not", the theme song from the 1980s TV show The Greatest American Hero. Elaine constantly referring to Reggie Miller as "Cheryl Miller's younger brother" alludes to the siblings' early career. They were both standout college and professional basketball players, but during his early career Reggie had to deal with being in the shadows of his older sister. The "Wrath of Khan" sequence at the end is a parody of the first episode of the season, The Foundation.

• Notes

  
  
  • Mike Moffit (Lee Arenberg) returns in this episode since he appeared in the season 3 episode "The Parking Space." 
  • Peterman puts Elaine in charge of a foundation in "Susie's" memory. The foundation will be scheduled around Elaine's every free moment. This is just like the Susan Ross Foundation which George was put in charge of. Also note that both foundations were in memory of Susies/Susans. She also screams into the air at the end like George did.
  • The lyrics to George's singing phone message: Believe it or not, George isn't at home, Please leave a message at the beep. I must be out, or I'd pick up the phone, Where could I be? Believe it or not, I'm not home. The words are a parody of the theme song to the series "The Greatest American Hero." That song became a top 40 hit for singer Joey Scarbury in 1981. 

• Quotes

  
  
  • Peterman: Between you, me, and the lamppost... and the desk, Peggy says this Suse isn't much of a worker. Elaine: It's Susie. Peterman: Nevertheless Elaine, the House of Peterman is in disorder. 
  • Elaine: You won't believe this, but as I'm leaving she calls me Susie. Jerry: I don't see you as a Susie. Sharon, maybe. Elaine: What am I, a bulimic, chain-smoking stenographer from Staten Island?
  • Mike Moffit: Guess what? I just started my own business. I'm a bookie. Jerry: No openings in arson? 
  • Peterman: Elaine, I'm going to start a charitable foundation in Susie's honor and, as Susie's best friend, I want you to be involved. Elaine: Mr. Peterman (whispers) I'm Susie. She's me. Peterman: (also whispering) I feel the same way. Elaine: (looks bewildered) Peterman: That's why this foundation will meet around your schedule. Nights, weekends, every free moment you have. (pats her on the shoulder and leaves)Elaine: SUUUUUUUUUUUUUZE!!!! 
  • Elaine: Look, we don't have to name names or point fingers or…name names! Me and her have had our problems. She and I have had our problems. You and I and she and you. Peterman: Don't you drag me into this. This is between you and her and her.Elaine: Yes! And I'm convinced that if she were here with us today, she would agree with me too. Peterman: Who? Elaine: (weakly) Her. Peterman: Where is she?!Elaine: Ah, this is part of the problem. Peggy: I thought I was part of this problem?Elaine: You're a Huge part of the problem. But, I think that at its core, this is a Susie and Elaine problem that requires a Susie and Elaine solution. And who better to do that than…(pauses) Elaine and Susie, Susie and Elaine! Peterman: Well, now that we have that cleared up, why don't the three of us have lunch? Elaine: (pretends she heard someone in the hall) What! Oh, I'm…coming! I-I gotta go. (runs out) Peterman:(to Peggy) She is the best. What was your name again? 
  • (Kramer bursts in) Kramer: The Knicks killed 'em 110 to 73! Jerry: What, of course, without Reggie Miller, it's a blowout. Kramer: No, Jerry, that's 37 points! The Knicks covered! You won! Now that's a cool gee, daddy-o. Now ya gotta let it ride. Jerry: On what!? Kramer: Come on Jerry, I don't want to lose this feeling! 
  • Kramer: By the way, you owe Mike a hundred dollars. Jerry: What for? Kramer: Well, I put down a bet for ya on tonight's game. If the Knicks beat the Pacers by more than 35, it pays 10:1. That's some sweet action! Jerry: But I don't want any sweet action! 
  • George: Wait till you see the dress that she's got. It's backless! Eh? I'm finally gonna make a great entrance! Elaine: Backless? You're gonna back her in? George: Elaine, when a woman makes a ball entrance, she twirls. Elaine: She's not gonna twi…George: She'll twirl! 
  • George: This woman is gentically engineered to go to a ball. Tall, blonde, lithe. Jerry: Live? Elaine: Lithe! George: Live? Elaine: Lithe! Jerry: Oh, lithe! 
  • George: My whole life, I've never made a great entrance! Jerry: You've made some fine exits. 
  • Jerry: I thought you went to the game? Kramer: Naw, I was kicked out for fighting with one of the players. Jerry: Who? Kramer: Reggie Miller. Elaine: Cheryl Miller's brother? (After Kramer leaves the room and is done explaining the scenario) Jerry: Can you believe that? Elaine: I didn't know Cheryl Miller's little brother played basketball. 
  • Mike Moffit: (bursting into Susie's 'wake') Susie didn't commit suicide! She was murdered… by Jerry Seinfeld! 
  • George: Maybe I'll call you sometime. Kramer: George, it's over. George: What do you think, Jerry? Jerry: I don't know. I didn't see you guys together.