The Fatigues

Infobox Television episode
Title = The Fatigues
Series = Seinfeld


Caption = Elaine comes face-to-face with her company's mail room worker.
Season = 8
Episode = 140
Airdate = October 31, 1996
Production =
Writer = Gregg Kavet & Andy Robin
Director = Andy Ackerman
Guests =
Episode list = List of "Seinfeld" episodes
Season list = Infobox Seinfeld season 8 episode list
Prev =
Next =

"The Fatigues" is the 140th episode of the hit sitcom "Seinfeld". This was the sixth episode for the eighth season. It aired on October 31, 1996.

Plot

Jerry is dating a girl, Abby (A.J. Langer), and is intrigued by the concept of his girlfriend having a mentor. Jerry meets Cynthia, his girlfriend's mentor, but finds out she is dating Kenny Bania. After they see Bania's act, Jerry's girlfriend loses respect for her mentor and eventually fires her. George has to give a lecture on risk management (because his résumé gives the impression that he is an expert on the subject), but he finds that he can't study for it because books on tape have spoiled him. When George discovers the blind can get any book on tape, he intentionally fails an eye test so he can get his book on tape. George encounters a problem when the person's voice on the tape sounds like his voice, much to his displeasure. Elaine prepares to fire Eddie Sherman (Ned Bellamy), an employee, but when face to face with him, is scared of him and promotes him instead. When he does a terrible job Elaine promotes him again to get rid of him. This plan backfires when the other employees quit because he was promoted over them, causing Elaine to work on the project alone with Sherman.

Kramer runs a Jewish singles night at Frank's Knights of Columbus hall. When he realizes he can't cook Jewish food, he asks for Frank's help. Frank refuses, because he hasn't cooked since the Korean War where he sickened his fellow troops by using bad meat and has become traumatized because of it (Frank's memory is dramatized with a reenactment in which the onset of food poisoning is set to Barber's "Adagio for strings", as in the film "Platoon").

When Cynthia dumps Bania because of his poor act, he turns to Jerry for advice, and Jerry agrees to be his mentor. At the same time, Jerry's girlfriend is looking for a mentor and is surprised to find that she picked George. However, George's plans are for her to read and summarize his book on risk management so he can present it to the board. Unfortunately, their files get mixed, and Bania ends up talking about risk management (which ends up working out well for him) and George ends up talking about Ovaltine. Frank, displeased at Estelle's cooking, decides to cook again and helps Kramer cook for his Jewish singles night. Elaine and Sherman manage to finish the catalogue, and when Elaine finds out he's Jewish, takes him to the Jewish singles night. The food turns out to be a hit, and Frank feels reborn. Sherman ends up choking on the food because of Elaine; this, combined with the fact that Sherman is dressed in military fatigues, brings back the bad memories of the night Frank caused his soliders so much distress. Thinking it was for the same reason, Frank wildly tries to stop people from eating, and the episode closes as he tips over the buffet (again to "Adagio for Strings").

Trivia

* Hennigans scotch reappears in this episode, which was heavily featured in Season 3's "The Red Dot".
* This episode features the most popular Kenny Bania catchphrase: "That's gold, Jerry! Gold!"
* This episode earned Jerry Stiller an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor, due to his masterful delivery of his harrowing Korean War flashback.
*Eddie Sherman's Army Jacket has the name "Yount" on it rather than Sherman.

Memorable quotes

*George: ["to a blind man on the Subway"] Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you. I noticed that you have a textbook on tape. May I ask where you got that?
Man: Reading for the Blind. They can get any book on tape.
George: I tell you, I am hooked on these books on tape.
Man: Oh, tell me about it. These things have ruined me for Braille.

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*Jerry: ["after tasting Kramer's terrible kreplach"] Did you follow the recipe?
Kramer: The recipe was for four to six people. I had to multiply for 183 people. I guess I got confused!
Jerry: It tastes like dirt!
Kramer: Well I also dropped it on the way over.

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*Frank: Incheon, Korea, 1950. I was the best cook Uncle Sam ever saw, slinging hash for the Fighting 103rd. As we marched north, our supply lines were getting thin. One day, a couple of GIs found a crate. Inside was 600 pounds of prime Texas steer... at least, it once "was" prime. The use date was three weeks past. But I was arrogant, I was brash. I thought if I used just the right spices, cooked it long enough...
Kramer: What happened?
Frank: I went too far. I overseasoned it... Men were keeling over all around me. I can still hear the retching, the screaming... I sent sixteen of my own men to the latrines that night! They were just boys!
Kramer: Frank, you were a boy too. And it was war! It was a crazy time for everyone...
Frank: Tell that to Bobby Colby! All that kid wanted to do was go home. Well, he went home alright... with a crater in his colon the size of a cutlet! Had to sit him on a cork the eighteen-hour flight home!

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*Abby: Well I'm feeling a little disoriented. It's just weird for me not to have an advisor.
Jerry: I can tell you what to do.
Abby: No, it's more than that.
Jerry: I can tell you what to think.
Abby: I need someone I can trust.
Jerry: ["disappointed"] Oh.