The Chicken Roaster (season 8, episode 8)

written by Alec Berg & Jeff Schaffer, directed by Andy Ackerman
original airdate: November 14, 1996

Kramer boycotts the Kenny Rogers Roasters whose red neon sign glows into his apartment. Jerry switches apartments with Kramer and becomes like him in the process. Elaine enjoys her access to the Peterman expense account, springs for a sable hat for George, and gets busted for reckless spending. Newman gets Kramer hooked on the chicken.

FEATURED LOCATIONS

The Improv is not featured in this episode.

Jerry’s Apartment
Jerry and Kramer trade apartments, after the Kenny Rogers Roasters outside Kramer’s window glows a deep red 24/7. The two of them seemingly trade more than apartments as time goes on.

Monk’s Café
George tells Jerry about his “leave-behind” strategy, to ensure he can score another date with Heather. George later gloats about Heather’s follow-up with Kramer, who has now essentially turned into Jerry after switching apartments.

Kenny Rogers Roasters (NOW CLOSED)
2055 Broadway, New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: 72nd Street (1,2,3)
A location of the chain opens near the gang, whose sign burns a bright red light directly into Kramer’s apartment. They are forced to close when Jerry ruins the food with Bob Sacamano’s nutria hat, forcing assistant manager Seth to shut down the store.

pet store
New York, NEW YORK
Kramer mentions he is meeting Newman at the pet store to help him pick out a turtle.

Queens College
65 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, Queens, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: Flushing – Main Street (7)
Jerry bumps into Seth, an old college friend, where he pushes him to go for lunch…and subsequently gets him fired from his job.

restaurant
New York, NEW YORK
Jerry and Seth go for lunch, discussing their careers, when Seth reveals he blew off a major meeting to have lunch with Jerry.

JAPAN (map)
Jerry tells Seth he almost had his own show in Japan, but is puzzled when asked by Seth as to what language the show would have been broadcast in.

Barneys New York
660 Madison Ave., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: 5th Avenue – 59th Street (N,Q,R)
Elaine takes George out to lunch as a “business expense,” then takes him here to shop on the J. Peterman account, where he gets a sable hat and meets Heather, a saleswoman.

Kramer’s Apartment
Kramer attempts to drive Kenny Rogers Roasters out of business, by “taking it to the streets” and boycotting the place from his apartment. Jerry switches apartments to move into “the red planet,” being tormented in his sleep by Mr. Marbles…and effectively turning into Kramer.

Elaine’s Apartment
Elaine discusses her tooth-brushing regimen to Jerry over the phone.

J. Peterman
Elaine gets grilled by accounting for putting merchandise on the Peterman account…and somehow manages to expense everything but George’s sable hat.

Heather’s apartment
1125 Park Ave., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: 86th Street (4,5,6)
George does a leave-behind of the sable hat in order to get a follow-up call…which ends up costing Elaine $8000 for using her expense account for personal items. This is the same building exterior as Russell’s condo in “The Watch” and “The Shoes,” and Beth’s apartment in “The Wait Out.”

RUSSIA (map)
Elaine begs George to reconcile with Heather, in order to get the sable Russian hat back.

Battery Park
New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: Whitehall Street (R)
Jerry mentions he had a late-night conversation with Bob Sacamano, who now sells Russian hats (made of nutria) in the park for $40, to replace George’s sable hat.

Central Park
New York, NEW YORK (map)
George meets Heather for an exchange (between her clock and his sable hat) in the park, yet discovers she just wants to see him again, even though he has her stolen clock.

Yangon, MYANMAR (map)
Elaine travels to the Burmese jungle to have George’s sable hat written off by Mr. Peterman, the “only white poet warlord in the neighborhood,” and experiences Peterman’s dementia and “the horror” first-hand. A deleted scene later on reveals Elaine is in Yangon, as she asks an operator if “there’s no J. Peterman listed in the entire greater metropolitan Yangon area?”

Hyannisport, MASSACHUSETTS (map)
In a deleted scene, Elaine realizes she is in the right part of Myanmar where Mr. Peterman is, as she sees a local pass by wearing the Hyannisport cable knit sweater from the J. Peterman catalogue.