Seinfeld Finale: Brilliant or Terrible?

[Matt]

I recently rewatched the Seinfeld finale. Despite initially disliking it, I must say, this is quite possibly the most brilliant finale in TV history. It is such a fitting end to the story of these four...well...for lack of better word, ass holes. And I think thats why people dislike it so much, because we are forced to acknowledge that these four characters, with whom we've laughed, and shared so many adventures with are just a bunch of jerks. But in the end, it is such a fitting ending to the arcs of these characters. Granted, its a glorified clip show, but I feel like the clips were neccessary to drive the point home. What do you think? Brilliant or terrible?

 

[That-Guy]

I'd go with brilliant AND terrible. A fitting resolve for a group of self-absorbed *****ebags, yet very unfulfilling to the audience. It was the appropriate ending, but it was also the ending that we didn't want.

I think that main problem was the execution. First of all, I know that Seinfeld wasn't intended to be the most realistic show, but the case that was brought against them never would have held up in any court. You can't call witnesses to the stand just so that they'll testify that the person on trial is an ass-hole. All of those people had nothing to do with the main plot of the episode, and it was really just a cheap way to bring back a bunch of old guest stars.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Brilliant. Your first reaction is "this is terrible" or "huh??" but think about it. They have done horrible things through the course of the show. They got what they deserved.

 

[Kaleb]

Brilliant.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I mean the episode wasn't the greatest, but it was suitable. The show kind of got too out there anyway. And I swear, I want to punch someone when all they can think of is the soup nazi when I mention Seinfeld. There were way better episodes.

 

[ChickenScratch]

Amazing, brilliant, I could go on. How else could those 4 have ended up after spending years screwing over everyone within reach?

 

[Sawyer]

Brilliant. Anyone that says otherwise should take a nap on a set of railroad tracks. Quote me.

Edit: I was actually referring to the series as a whole, as i missed the "Finale" in the title, but I think it still applies. One of the greatest finales ever.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Terrible, I never understood why people thought the cast were such *******s, what did they ever do the was so terrible outside of the Susan dying thing. Just look at two of the stories in the finale; the Soup Nazi and Babu-bat.

The Soup Nazi was just as much of an *******, plus big deal Elaine was going to publish the recipes of the soups, that shouldn't make you close the store down, there was something special about the way he made them, also if he wasn't an jerk in the first place she wouldn't have retaliated.

Then there was Babu-bat, Jerry tried to help his business, then got him a new job and apartment, it's not his fault the mailman screwed up, but Jerry gets blamed.

Please these people were self-absorbed, yes, but not any more so than any other group of single 30 somethings without children, especially in New York.

 

[Evelisse]

Both, at the time wasn't very happy about it, but when SNL did the Sienfeld "OZ" spoof, it somehow made it all better.

 

[Prison Mike]

Initially, I felt it was underwhelming and anticlimactic. But through the years, I've felt somewhere in the middle because while I personally wouldn't have had that as a series finale, it did seem fitting to the characters. But I never really liked that they went to jail because of some Good Samaritan law.

 

[Deaths Head II]

I think it's somewhere in between. I never loved it and I never hated it. I think a lot of it ultimately depends on how you view the characters though, and I'm somewhere in the middle on that too.

 

[Mace Dolex]

I didn't think much of it at first since I had only begun seeing Seinfeld in syndication so I didn't get many of the joke refferences.

But I didn't care for they hype around it, nothing really anti-climactic.

 

[Shifty]

The 45 minute clip show before hurt the finale as it showed more clips. It was great to bring back all the memorable and not so memorable characters but I think Larry could've done something where they ended the show with all four miserable and having done something to lose the deal with NBC.

What I do think was brilliant was last season's Curb Your Enthusiasm season finale which had footage of a faux Seinfeld Reunion and served as a great way to end the series if Larry doesn't come back. Then there was Larry David playing a fictional version of himself playing the role of George Costanza which is based off him.

 

[bullets]

I thought it was a good way to end the show but there were episodes in that season that were funnier. They basically through an idea out there and tried to see if it would work. It's really hard to end a show like that but at least it was unexpected and fun. it's brilliant because it's something we wouldn't have thought of but at the same time it didn't feel like it had the finality .

 

[SuperFerret]

It was pretty good, I would've preferred them just going on with their self-centered lives in the finale, and the trial thing was kinda odd considering that (aside from poor Susan) the people they screwed the most over the years were each other, but I enjoyed it.

 

[david icke]

I thought it was one of those things that were a good idea on paper rather than practice, and in the end just wasn't as funny as most episodes, it was more of a tribute show, not that great.
The stuff they did on Curb recently was a much more fitting end for the show.

 

[ChickenScratch]

Best way to end a show about nothing.

 

[Kaleb]

This thread has been looooonggg overdue.

 

[TEDDY]

I recently rewatched the Seinfeld finale. Despite initially disliking it, I must say, this is quite possibly the most brilliant finale in TV history. It is such a fitting end to the story of these four...well...for lack of better word, ass holes. And I think thats why people dislike it so much, because we are forced to acknowledge that these four characters, with whom we've laughed, and shared so many adventures with are just a bunch of jerks. But in the end, it is such a fitting ending to the arcs of these characters. Granted, its a glorified clip show, but I feel like the clips were neccessary to drive the point home. What do you think? Brilliant or terrible?

Never saw the last episode of Seinfeld but I think the award for Most Brilliant Series Finale goes to Six Feet Under.

 

[GhostPoet]

I voted inbetween....and I do this because I think the show was brilliant and my expectation of the "ultimate" finale for a fantastic show was just too much...it would have been impossible for the writers to actually please me with a finale.

 

[Travesty]

For how much I LOVE that show, I really hated the last episode. Not because of the idea around it, but how cheap it felt. It was the last episode, to THE best show ever created, and it was basically a "best of" show. I felt it was an extremely lazy attempt at saying goodbye. Even the side-cast that came back to testify was just lazy, IMO. They would come on, and it was just a re-hash of jokes that we have already heard, and then it would show a 15-30 sec clip of that very joke. Again, it just felt lazy or rushed. It was about 15% new stuff, and 85% rehashed material. Not to great for a finally.

 

[ChaoticPsylocke]

i hated the finale for years! now, i do like the episode. and i think ts has been better than some other finales.... but i still dont know if its the best finale that SEINFELD could have had.

 

[bunk]

It has it's moments. The last episode ends up being as ridiculous as many past episodes, but unfortunately not as funny. I would like it better if they had just ended it with a more normal two-parter. I do really appreciate seeing all of those characters come back, just not the manner in which it happens.