Fans debate whether the finale's ending, where the characters are imprisoned for their selfish behavior, was a satisfying conclusion or a betrayal of longtime viewers who rooted for them.
I think the final episode stunk. The writers probably thought they were pulling the ultimate joke-- making the 4 pay for all the bad things they'd done over the years.
The joke, however, is on the writers. If you were not a Seinfeld fan, you
would love to see the 4 get theirs. So the only people who liked the
ending never liked Seinfeld to begin with. The true fans, like me, would
hate it because we always pulled for them, and laughed when they got the
best of anyone. The last episode was written for the pleasure of the
non-fans. Shame.
Wooh, not true! I'm a huge Seinfeld fan and loved the last episode. I never "pulled for them" in each episode. I laughed at the situations. Those four characters were the most self-absorbed, narcissitic, selfish, egotistical characters in television. Why would I "pull for them"? The ladt episode was what it was. It was funny, just as Seinfeld always is.
I thought "these charcacters are being wayyy too callous" After living with it awhile, I see that it was a brilliant move. I wonder if this finale will feel the same way.
I very much enjoyed the finale and I watched Seinfeld EVERY week (see below).
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).