Fans discuss reviews of the finale, noting that critics like Newsweek overpromised and some reviewers wanted the characters punished for their selfish behavior throughout the series.
...Specifically, the newsgroup reviews and (separately) the TV critics. I'm just curious.
Based on what I've seen in the newsgroup, apparently Newsweek royally blew it when they predicted it would be a "crowdpleaser".
And did anyone else think Newsweek (and others) wasted our time with a lengthy cover story that never mentioned the plot? I know about the secrecy agreement, but isn't that like telling a reporter "Okay, you can watch, but you can't actually do your job until it's meaningless to do so."
Along comes the May 15th _Journal Sentinel_, with Joanne Weintraub panning the final episode of the "Seinfeld" show. Weintraub apparently wanted Jerry and his friends, who she describes as "selfish and morally bankrupt," to have "hugged and learned" rather than to have been imprisoned. But punishment is just what Jerry and his friends need because they have been successfully avoiding it for years!
Jerry and his friends are essentially undersocialized teenagers. They can't maintain jobs and their only lasting social relationships are with each other. They are preoccupied with sex and will do almost anything to avoid even mild punishment. Their parents, of course, are less than perfect too. Consider George's mother who attempts, in the final episode, to bribe the trial judge with sex to protect her pampered "Georgie" from prison.
The trial of the "New York Four" nicely allowed us to review the old characters. Ultimately, Jerry and his friends are convicted and we later discover Jerry performing as a stand-up comedian in prison. We have every reason to believe that although their environment has changed, Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer will not grow up. The punishment, apparently, is too little and too late.
I gather that Weintraub's ultimate gripe was that the finale was not very funny. In contrast, I found the episode to be among the funniest.
Many of us serious types wish that we could have been selfish, irresponsible teenagers. We wish that we could do dumb, silly things without punishment. For 30 minutes, each week, "Seinfeld" permitted us to avoid taking life so seriousyl (sic).