I must say that I was very let down by the final episode. I expected to be rolling on the floor in laughter, as with just about every other episode of Seinfeld. Instead, I had to keep asking, "When is this going to get funny?" I can't remember laughing out loud once. There was just TOO much happing TOO fast. As a result, there was no humor in any of it and too many little sub-plots that went nowhere. It was TOO unrealistic, even for Seinfeld.
There is one reason why the final episode was not a hit: It ended up being a show about SOMETHING. The show just didn't follow suit.
On 24 May 1998 05:08:33 GMT, [email] (GHamb51457) wrote:
Well, every perspective is a little different. I had the same thought, but it was because something I thought should happen (at some point) never did happen. It was like arriving at a party only to find it was canceled.
Bingo. You had the wrong expectations, and thus you were disappointed, It was never supposed to be the 'laugh riot' you wanted to see. David didn't write it that way. Don't forget; he did this for himself, not for you or me or any other 'fan'. ------------------------------------------ [email] (Hammer nail here--> <-- for a new monitor.)
Oh, bullshit, Dave. Man, it is really nauseating watching you continue to justify what is clearly a poorly written episode. You, yourself, can't even seem to make up your mind . . . it was funny / it wasn't supposed to be funny . . . David wrote it for the true fans / he wrote it for himself . . .
Please justify for us why NBC would invest so much in developing and marketing the finale-hype, and charging such a huge ad fee . . . simply to accomodate Larry's personal pet project? I'm sorry, but I really find it hard to believe that he has that much clout.
Over the past few nights we've been fortunate enough to see the syndicated first episodes, and you know what? Even though they aren't the best written, funniest, most creative episodes of the series . . . they are still far, FAR superior to the crap that Larry served up as the finale.
C'mon, Dave . . . get off this apologist trip you're on.
NBC had no control over what Larry David or Jerry conceived for the last episode. They're a television network (one my wife works for), and they're in the business of promoting their shows and selling ad time. You think "Russell Dalrymple" came back from the watery grave and checked in with Larry every once in a while? "Hey, Larry, let's ditch that prison shit. We've got to sell some cars!"
Why would they invest in the hype, because they knew they could. They knew interest was high. They didn't screen the damn episode and THEN decide.
Clearly? Of course, I almost forgot your's was the only opinion that mattered. No, all I was doing was supporting my opinion. If you choose to call that 'nauseating' well, then that says something about you, doesn't it?
You, yourself,
Oh yeah, way to misquote me to suit your purpose. Watch a lot of Limbaugh, do you? He's real good at this.
By all means, let me explain myself. The final episode was funny. Does 'funny' have to mean slipping on a banana peel? Or making me roll on the floor? No. Of course not. Did Larry David expect viewers to laugh so hard they piss in their pants? No, of course not. Your definition of 'funny' must be very rigid indeed.
Did David write the episode for himself? Sure did. Did he write it for the true fans. Yup. Why must you assume these are mutually exclusive? Beats me, but you do. Did David write the episode for the casual fan? Nope. The crap that's been spewing in this newsgroup for the last 2 weeks is proof of that. How many posts have you seen that start like "I never usually watch Seinfeld, but I had to tune in to see what the fuss was about..." These people were clueless before the finale, and disappointed afterwards. Did David write the finale for these people? Why don't you answer it this time.
Then you are truly misguided about the way the entertainment industry works.
Larry = I write what I want to write. I end the show the way I think it should end.
NBC = If we hype the shit out of it, we can get $1.7 mill per commercial. We're about to lose this cash cow so let's pump every penny we can out of it before it's gone.
Are you starting to understand yet?
Bullshit. I've seen each episode many times, and the very first one strikes me as being one of the worst. No characterization, very little humor, spartan sets, an unprofessional air the whole way through. I still love it for what it represents, but to say it was better than the finale is simply troll work.
Apologist? What the hell could that even mean? Oh, Jerry might not like me if I badmouth his show?? Larry David might not return my phone calls?? You really should have hit "Send" before you typed this last line. It made you look a little foolish.
Dave (Still stuck with dejanews cause my damned ISP still can't get their stinkin news server up. Sheesh.)
Dave, I completely respect your opinions, I have stayed completely away from arguing the last episode as much as possible. But, you simply can't make a generalization like the one above, cause it isn't true. You know me, I know more about the shows than anyone and I found the final almost painful to watch. My wife, on the other hand, found it funny cause she hadn't seen most of the episode that they were referring to so the flashbacks helped her out. It seems to me that David was writing it FOR the casual viewer thinking they would probably outnumber the diehards. I know, I know, but what about the spelling the last name or the button reference? OK, granted. That was two jokes that you had to know ahead of time, how many were explained for you in the courtroom? 50????? I'll never be quoted as telling anyone that they shouldn't have enjoyed the final, I'm just saying that I didn't and never will and I'm as hardened a fan as you will ever find......
syndicated first episodes, and you know what? Even though they aren't the best written, funniest, most creative episodes of the series . . . they are still far, FAR superior to the crap that Larry served up as the finale.>>
Hey, do you spose that was the purpose? We are lapping up all the reruns gratefully after that debacle of a finale. Appreciating them all the more. (Altho I do know several people who couldnt stand to THINK of SEinfeld after that finale)
And that reason is? In any case, no one goes to the trouble to "publish" something for themselves in such a way that it can be mass distributed. If a band of 3-4 musicians does something for itself, that would mean 3-4 CDs. If some company puts out tens of thousands of copies, it seems clear that wasnt for the band, it was in hopes that OTHER people would want it badly enough to pay. To say "we only were trying to please ourselves" when you are making that many copies sounds like double talk to me. If the Seinfelds only wanted to please themselves, they could have acted the finale without televising it and collecting billions from the ad industry. But by doing what they did, they betrayed a desire that someone outside their little band enjoy it. It was more than a "pee party".
Now The News Guy(Mike) responds again and tries to clarify:
Sure we knew Larry David was writing it but the issue was that David 'ratboy said... "...he did this for himself, not for you or me or any other 'fan'." Had we known THAT - then we could have done something else that night. Get it?
I apologize for not spelling out that in general, successful artists usually please themselves first. If they are not their own biggest critic/appreciative audience, they cant expect success.
I inferred wrongly that it goes without saying that Larry David would be doing the episode for himself, as any good creative talent would.
Herein lies the biggest reason the finale didn't work. Larry David had his creative interests tied up for the past 2 years in movies. One reason, I am willing to bet, that Sour Grapes, his recent movie, didn't succeed, was the committee mentality of movie making. He probably had to please the actors, the producers, studio chiefs and his vision ultimately got lost. He probably agreed to do the Seinfeld finale only if he got minimal interference from Jerry, his writers, and most of all NBC. The Catch-22 is, he needed more input from the gang who had been in the Seinfeld trenches these past 2 years. It would have perhaps given balance and the necessary objectivity his gloomy, unrealistic, unfunny script needed before being filmed. They might have reminded him that the FANS are as important as he is in the end. alt showbiz gossip
I think that the yea & nay sayers both have valid points to make about the finale and that they should respect those fans whom for a number of reasons can't agree with. Seinfeld stayed on for 9 years and that can't be done without a devotion to quality!