And That's Final

I watch Seinfeld reruns occasionally. They're on about four times a day, so it's not hard to catch them. I just saw the hour-long finale. I remember watching it originally with friends--it was the day Frank Sinatra died.

There's no question the show started dropping off near the end of its run, after executive producer Larry David left. The plots and jokes were staler, less inspired. But even then the show was still fun. It's only in the finale--written by David, oddly--where the show jumped the shark.

The plot features Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer being tried for not helping out someone who's being attacked This is already pretty silly, but they'd had silly plots before. However, the prosecutor calls in all sorts of characters from previous episodes to testify as to what rotten people these four are.

This is wrong for several reasons. First, the trouble and expense the prosecutor goes to is ridiculous, even in the world of Seinfeld (or the world of Nifong). Second, half these witnesse can only state at worst these four are rude.

Worst of all, this goes against the whole concept of the series. The idea of this episode was a horrible miscalculation on David's part. The show, as wild as the plots got, is about the little things in life. The four leads may do some nasty things, but they represent us, just trying to make do. This show was about "nothing"--everyday life--not about criminals getting away with it. Saying they should be punished for all the things they thought they got away with makes the series not about real life, but cosmic judgment.

One thing almost saves the finale. The final moments, under the credits, have Jerry in prison jumpsuit doing a hacky routine before the inmates. "So, anyone from Cellblock D? Okay, I'll talk slower." "You suck! I'm gonna cut you." "Hey, I don't come down to where you work, and knock the license plate out of your hand." He's booed off the stage.