20 years ago tonight, “Seinfeld” aired “The Finale.”

The series finale of Seinfeld aired 20 years ago tonight, on May 14, 1998 (the same night Frank Sinatra died).

 

"How will it end?" Why, with a clip show and then another glorified clip show!

 

I was in Vegas that night. My buddy and I were noticing there were no lights on the strip when his wife called to say Sinatra died.

I'm lukewarm to the Seinfeld finale. I thought it was pretty contrived but better things were coming (CYE).

 

Here's what TV Land aired opposite the finale.

 

I saw George Carlin in Boise that night.

 

I remember watching it over at a friend's house. It was an underwhelming episode.

 

I saw him a few months later in Spokane.

 

Lousy finale. The only funny part was Jackie nailing Teri Hatcher.

 

I think "The Finale" is a fairly crummy episode but the ending tag of Jerry doing his act in prison was pretty funny. Maybe one last episode of the gang in the clink would have been a better ending.

And then there's this reveal said in the DVD commentary:

In commentary from the final season DVD, Seinfeld outlines that he and Jason Alexander spoke about this scene being in Monk's Cafe, with George saying "That was brutal" in reference to the foursome's stint in prison.

 

The wife and I were in Vegas that night, too!
Still here, as a matter of fact.

 

There were some good moments for sure in the finale, with the old guest stars reprising their funny moments. I thought it was a decent finale; I was way into Seinfeld then.

There is this prevailing school of thought that is critical of all big finales----the Sopranos, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, that sticks in my craw.....I think it is just fans that are sad about their favorite show ending.

 

I bet fans of the second Newhart series aren’t critical of its finale, though.

 

Can't say I liked it, but 20 years...? Jeez...

 

I recall the finale. I was in my later teens, during my "TV rots your brain" phase and struggling through a Penguin Classics edition of Nietzsche. I was too "cool" for the show that later became (and remains) my favorite show ever.

I still see it as a cultural coup to have it on daily reruns. As broad as the appeal is, it still seems like a misanthropic show that most people wouldn't relate to. Most people strike me as "Friends" people.

 

I really loved this show and never missed a week. Still watch in syndication 20 years late. Really hated seeing my "friends" end up of jail; even if they kind of deserved it.

I'm not sure what other kind of ending they could have done without it being forced.

 

They could have found a way for the gang to triumph over their circumstances in the finale. After all, the series reveled in the shallowness/pettiness of its characters in every other episode. I think it was a big mistake to turn around and punish them in the end. (No pun intended.)

 

All in all, I think most people would say that the MASH finale was pretty decent too.

 

Love Seinfeld and loved the finale. Larry David is a true comedy genius, he tied everything together and put them all in jail because that is where they belonged. Perfect. They never learned anything.

 

Personally, MASH jumped the shark for me years before. I stopped caring and got sick of all the puns and moralizations. That was just my personal opinion.

 

Wow. I can remember exactly where I was and who I watched it with. I haven't seen that person in many years but I can see the scene so clearly. Time is a crazy thing.


edit: Interesting to nobody but me I'm sure, but this is where I was...right here

 

The finale wasn't great comedy but it was an amusing and appropriate fate for these four awful people.

 

I thought the Seinfeld finale sucked. Still, kinda mind blowing that it was 20 years ago. I still enjoy watching the re-runs on TV.

 

I still think the most compelling interpretation of the finale is that they all die in the plane crash, and the trial is them being judged in the afterlife. I've always wondered if this was the original idea and the network made them water it down... why else is the plane crash there?

 

I'm not sure what people wanted out of the finale. A wedding? A funeral? A baby? Someone moving? Seinfeld wasn't a typical show that would have that sort of finale like other sitcoms. It was an original idea although it was not one of the better episodes of the series.

 

The finale of this episode presented a hard truth - these people you like and identified with for years were fundamentally vapid, selfish, cruel, and small.

Not exactly the sendoff people wanted But maybe the one it deserved.

But the reunion finale on Curb might have been what people really wanted more: Seinfeld (Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Wikipedia