The Wife (season 5, episode 17)

written by Peter Mehlman, directed by Tom Cherones
original airdate: March 17, 1994

Jerry lets his girlfriend pose as his wife so that she can receive his dry-cleaning discount, but the scam backfires when his family learns of his “marriage.” Elaine’s health club boyfriend wants to turn in George for peeing in the shower.

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The Improv

Jerry’s Apartment
Jerry and his girlfriend Meryl experience the hardships of a fake marriage, evolving from dating into full-fledged matrimony, eventually ending in “divorce” when Meryl discovers Jerry used their sacred dry cleaning discount on another woman.

Monk’s Café
The manager of Monk’s, Larry, catches Jerry’s “wife” Meryl using outside syrup, to which she is sternly warned against bringing in any outside syrups, jams or condiments.

Sun Shine Cleaners
51 University Pl., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: 8th Street – NYU (N,R)
Jerry and Meryl have a pretend marriage for discount dry cleaning…and where he “cheats” on her with Paula, the mysterious French woman who can’t afford her own dry cleaning.

New York Health & Racquet Club
24 E. 13th St., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: Union Square – 14th Street (L)
George is caught by Elaine’s squeeze Greg peeing in the shower, but has turns the tables when he catches Greg not wiping down his machines. Kramer later nods off in a tanning bed before his date with Anna, as he cannot sleep without his quilt (that’s stuck at the dry cleaners).

Central Park
New York, NEW YORK (map)
Elaine mentions to Greg that this is her first workout since the Central Park mini-marathon…she didn’t do the marathon, she just happened to exercise that day.

Pines Of Mar Gables
Jerry’s parents call when they hear from Uncle Leo that Jerry got fake-married.

Anna’s family’s apartment
New York, NEW YORK
Kramer shows up to meet the family of Anna, his African-American girlfriend, tanned nearly to black skin, noticeably upsetting Anna and her family.