The Wife

Season 5, Episode 17, Aired
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Episode Summary

Jerry and his girlfriend pretend to be married to get a discount on dry cleaning. George worries when a man Elaine is interested in threatens to turn him in for urinating in the gym showers. Kramer's quilt is taken to the dry cleaners and he gets less sleep without it. Jerry's relationship with his "wife" begins to deteriorate and soon starts seeing another woman behind her back. Wanting to impress his girlfriend's parents, Kramer enters a tanning bed, but becomes a little too dark when he falls asleep.moreless
8.4
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
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Fan Episode Reviews (5)

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  • Courtney Cox guest stars!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Canogaparkcindy, Aug 19, 2008 Report Abuse
    The subplot was more interesting, but I'd like to talk about the honorary guest star, Courtney Cox! As Meryl, this plot is hilarious, Jerry pretends to have a wife for a discount! I love how the act like an actual married couple, it's hysterical! The whole thing with the can opener, syrup, how there on the bed & go as far way from each other, very well acting from Courtney! The subplot was amazing. The health fitness club, George urinates in the public shower! While Elaine wants to know if this guy likes her keeps getting mixed signals. I love how George & Elaine's plot merge, hilarious! The C plot, Kramer goes in a tanning bad & becomes dark & it looks like he just did it to impress the girlfriend's father which is very insulting. A very complex plot to a great episode!moreless

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  • Jerry has a "wife"... For a discount...

    8.0
    "Great"
    By OnePerCentClub, Sep 12, 2007 Report Abuse
    Someone makes a mistake and Jeryy gets a discount for him and his family and, since hes very honest, he takes advantage of it! Oh, and Kramer too.

    George is insane. He is so ridiculous he has to "go" in the shower and gets into a fight with Elaine. And Elaine as always, she never succeeds in seducing a man she likes. She has a thing for losers though. Her argument with George is so funny, but I think Elaine had a point.

    The scene when Meryl and Jerry break up is very funny and a kind of a parody of real and painful break ups. But I guess its like that with every situation in Seinfeld.

    LGmoreless

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  • good

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By tvman91693, Jul 05, 2007 Report Abuse
    This episode is about Jerry and his girlfriend (Courtney Cox) getting a dry cleaning discount after finding a watch in his clothes that belongs to the dry cleaner's owner. Word quickly spreads that he is married, after his Uncle Leo sees them together at the dry cleaners. Meanwhile, Elaine gets mixed signals from a guy that she likes who spots George urinating in the showers. Also, Kramer tries to impress his new girlfriend's parents (It doesn't end well). Eventually Kramer wants Jerry to use his discount for him, and he does once. Jerry uses his discount for a new woman, and eventually breaks up with his girlfriend. Good episodemoreless

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  • Wife.

    8.1
    "Great"
    By CTUBauer24, Apr 19, 2007 Report Abuse
    In this episode of Seinfeld episode titled The Wife Jerry's girlfriend poses as his wife so she can get a free dry cleaning discount for life after jerry returns an old watch to the owner of the store this is a great storyline episode for Jerry and I thought it was very funny but the way it ended was nothing new as that has been done to many times and I also like the way his parents acted when they think he is getting married the is a great classic jerry's parents sense the George storyline is not really that great of one the way he acts is funny and makes the story work the Kramer story is ok not great but ok the Elaine story is better but is pretty much basic that is all I have to say the endmoreless

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  • The shower isn't the bathroom.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By GeorgeJobson, Dec 14, 2006 Report Abuse
    Another very good epsiode of "Seinfeld" has Jerry and Pre-Friends Countney Cox petending to be married, just to get a discount on dry cleaning. Cox is appealing in her guest role. she's a beautiful woman. Meanwhile George uses the shower as a bathroom and Elaine's boyfriend wants George to be thrown out of here. I gave lots of 10, but today I give it a 9.5. that's the cloest to a 10 that I ever come today. The reason is Kramer showed up at his girlfriend's place all burned up. It might be seen funny back in 1996, but in the light of Michael richard's recent racial out bust at "the Joke Factory," there nothing funny about that scene today.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Goof: If Kramer wore goggles on the tanning bed there should be a clear tan line around his eyes but there isn't. Edit
    • Goof: When Meryl and Jerry are fighting there is a partial six pack of Henry Weinhard beer on the counter. This is a West Coast beer (brewed in Oregon) which you can't purchase in New York. Edit
    • Jerry is talking to his parents telling them he's not married, when he hangs up the phone he accidentily presses redial, you can hear it, then he looks down and presses the correct button to hang up the phone. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • For the syndicated repeats, this episode kept Jerry's opening stand-up routine intact. Edit
    • On the night this episode originally aired, Jason Alexander was a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. A promo appeared during the second commercial break. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Jerry: I guess I just wasn't ready for the responsibilities of a pretend-marriage. Edit
    • George: A guy leaves a puddle of sweat, that's a signal? Elaine: Yeah, it's a social thing. Edit
    • Elaine: Why couldn't you just wait? George: I was there. I saw a drain. Elaine: Since when is a drain a toilet? Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Jerry: (To Meryl at their final parting.) We'll always have pancakes. This alludes to the 1942 film Casablanca in which Rick (Humphrey Bogart) in parting says to Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), "We'll always have Paris". Edit

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