Series finales are always a tricky business, because TV shows are designed to be ongoing stories that continue indefinitely and finales have to give them a definitive ending. But at the very least, your average finale episode can rely on sentimentality and nostalgia. This made Seinfeld’s series finale a particularly difficult undertaking.
From the beginning, it was a show that stood staunchly against sentimentality, with co-creator Larry David famously instituting a policy of “No hugging, no learning.” Wrapping up a nine-season run, Seinfeld’s two-part series finale, aptly titled “The Finale,” is one of the most controversial final episodes ever made. It’s not perfect, sure, but it’s not awful either. It has ups and downs.
Best: “See, Now, To Me, That Button Is In The Worst Possible Spot.”
Although Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer ending up behind bars was an unsatisfying way to conclude the series, there is an awesome Easter egg included in the show’s final moments.
As they wait to be taken from the local jailhouse to a full-on penitentiary, Jerry and George start discussing the placement of the buttons on George’s shirt. This exchange is taken verbatim from the pilot episode, bringing the whole series full circle.
Worst: The Gang Ignores A Mugging
Upon arrival in Latham, Massachusetts, Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer see a man getting mugged and simply crack jokes about his weight. They were never the most sensitive people, but they were also never outright sociopaths.
This scene sets up the whole conflict of the finale and it feels very out of character. Kramer once hijacked a bus just to return a woman’s severed pinky toe. He wouldn’t stand idly by while a man was being robbed.
Best: The Plane Goes Down
The finale of Seinfeld is initially set up as the story of Jerry and George’s NBC pilot getting picked up and the characters finally getting a break, as well as a change of scenery as they plan a move to California. However, the plot takes a sharp left turn when the gang heads to Paris in the network’s private jet and Kramer accidentally causes the plane to go down.
As the characters fear for their lives, we get two gems: Elaine almost confessing her love for Jerry, the kind of copout over-the-top ending that finales usually go for that Seinfeld smartly avoided, and George admitting that he cheated in the masturbation contest.
Worst: Geraldo Rivera’s Reports
Peppered throughout the Seinfeld series finale are reports by Geraldo Rivera, playing himself, commenting on the events of the trial. It’s completely unnecessary to the plot and takes up valuable screen time in the last episode that would ever feature some of TV’s most iconic characters.
The episode doesn’t even really do anything with its guest star; the very fact that it’s a well-known news reporter is supposed to be funny enough.
Best: Judge Vandelay
After years of using Art Vandelay as his go-to alias, whether he was pretending to have a job interview lined up as a latex salesman or simply covering up his intricate web of lies, George finally came face-to-face with a man named Arthur Vandelay in real life.
And he happened to be the judge presiding over his case. There were a ton of neat callbacks in the Seinfeld finale, but this is the subtlest – and the most fun.
Worst: Estelle Offers The Judge A Sexual Favor In Exchange For George’s Freedom
While the jury is discussing the case, Estelle pays a visit to Judge Vandelay and offers to exchange sexual favors for George’s freedom. This is completely uncharacteristic of Estelle.
And it’s the kind of broad humor that Seinfeld has always risen above. Plus, it goes against the humor of George’s relationship with his parents, which is mutual indifference.
Best: Jackie Chiles’ Opening Statement
The main characters being taken to court was a perfect opportunity to give fan-favorite supporting character Jackie Chiles his biggest role in the series. Seinfeld’s satirical caricature of Johnnie Cochran was always played hysterically by Phil Morris and he shines brighter than ever in the finale episode.
In his opening statement, Jackie tells the jury that the trial is a waste of the taxpayers’ money – a great way to get taxpayers on your side – and then explains “the nature of bystanding.”
Worst: The Verdict
The finale can’t seem to decide what tone it wants to go for. It struggles to balance its moments of dark humor (a la pure Larry David) with its moments of zany humor (a la post-David latter-day Seinfeld).
No scene exemplifies this better than the judge’s verdict, in which we see various characters’ reactions to the gang being sent to prison – except for the gang themselves, oddly enough – as Uncle Leo has a disturbing emotional crisis while Newman chokes on chips. The studio audience couldn’t decide how to react either, as they veer between stunned silence and forced laughter.
Best: The Montage Of Testimonies
The most fun thing about the characters being on trial in the Seinfeld finale is the montage of testimonies by all the characters that were wronged in past episodes.
The court hears testimonies from Babu, the Bubble Boy, the Rosses, the Soup Nazi – the list goes on. It was a lot of fun to see all those familiar faces again.
Worst: The Gang Goes To Prison
Suggesting an alternative ending to Seinfeld would be pointless fan fiction, but there has to have been a better way to end the show than by sending everyone to prison. After nine years of wringing laughs out of the most relatable minutiae of daily life, Seinfeld took a major left turn and ended with Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer going to prison.
Watching these beloved characters get locked up, no matter how indifferent they are to hugging and learning, was just uncomfortable.