The Foundation

This article may not meet the general notability guideline. Please help to establish notability by adding reliable, secondary sources about the topic. If notability cannot be established, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted. (March 2009)

"The Foundation" is the 135th episode of the American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 1st episode of the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on September 19, 1996.

Plot

While George would rather forget about his fiancee Susan's tragic demise, Susan's parents want to keep her memory alive by creating a foundation, inspired by a Star Trek reference Jerry told them about Susan, ruining George's newfound happiness. George is seen gazing at a portrait of a smiling Susan. Jerry reunites with Dolores (aka Mulva) from "The Junior Mint." J. Peterman has a nervous breakdown, runs off to Burma and leaves Elaine in charge. Kramer becomes a martial arts expert at a karate academy for kids. Kramer convinces Elaine that she can run the company, which she does by putting her idea for an "urban sombrero" on the cover. She then finds out Kramer was fighting kids, and realizes her disastrous mistake. Kramer gets beaten up by the kids from his karate class in an alley. Elaine finds out her urban sombrero has destroyed some people's lives. George finds out he would have inherited much of Susan's riches had they been married, but now he is stuck at the foundation as they are auctioned off. The same portrait of Susan which hangs in the room where the foundation meet now seems to be sneering at George.

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (February 2008)

• This episode was dedicated to Marjorie Gross, a writer for the show who died of ovarian cancer in June 1996.
• This episode makes several references to Star Trek. Jerry's line to Susan's parents, "She's not really dead if we find a way to remember her.," is very similar to a line said at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ("He's really not dead. As long as we remember him."). Kramer mentions his Katra, the Vulcan spirit introduced in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Finally, when George learns of the foundation, he yells, "Khaaaaaaannnnnnn!!!" while the camera pans above him, much like Captain Kirk in Star Trek II. This upward-panning camera technique is repeated by George in "The Dealership" and also by Elaine in "The Susie".
• One of the things being auctioned off at the foundation is Susan's doll collection, seen in "The Doll."
• The scene in which Kramer is beat up by the children in an alley, pays homage to a similar scene in Season 7's "The Sponge."
• George twice equates his joyous sense of freedom following Susan's death to eating a block of cheese, which he fails to explain when asked by Jerry about it.

This article about a Seinfeld episode is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e