# 13 The Last Show About Nothing

In "The Finale" (May 14, 1998), the writers of Seinfeld did nothing differently then what they had done in any of the shows' 178 prior episodes. In doing this, the episode was received not only as genius and well-written, but also as a huge let down.

In this episode, Seinfeld was incredibly self-referential (more so than usual) in all of the secondary characters and plots that were referenced. Because of this, avid viewers praised the episode and got to relive old jokes and subtleties. Those who tuned-in from hearing the hype about the final episode couldn't fully appreciate the humor and references used. Perhaps the writers of the show did this on purpose, but either way it was much more satisfying for those who had regularly watched the show. However, even some of the shows biggest followers criticized this final episode.

This happened because many viewed the episode as being anti-climactic. After 9-season, the audience thought that this final episode would tie up loose ends, have a memorable story line and show us where the characters would all end up. What really occurred though was just an hour-long episode of Seinfeld. While some took that as a letdown and scorned the last episode, others took it as just a clever way to end the series in its regular fashion. That being, "a show about nothing."