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Jerry Seinfeld did a standup show in Boston over the weekend. One plucky attendee asked Jerry point blank if he actually liked his sitcom’s finale. (For you youngins, the two-part Seinfeld series finale was panned, but watch all nine seasons on Netflix and judge for yourself!) Instead of answering the question, Jerry deflected with a tease that sure sounded like a hint that a Seinfeld reunion is in the works. I mean, everything is either having a reunion or being rebooted (I put the lack of imagination at the feet of studios and producers, not writers). So I’m not surprised that Seinfeld (maybe) is getting the treatment. Just don’t tell anyone, because apparently it’s a secret:
Jerry Seinfeld has hinted that a Seinfeld reunion may be on the cards more than 25 years after the hit “show about nothing” aired its divisive finale.
In response to a question from an audience member during his standup show at the Wang Theatre in Boston on Saturday, the comedian teased that a re-envisioned finale may be in the works.
Seinfeld was asked whether he liked the TV sitcom’s finale. “Well, I have a little secret for you about the ending. But I can’t really tell it because it is a secret,” he responded.
“Here’s what I’ll tell you, OK, but you can’t tell anybody. Something is going to happen that has to do with that ending. Hasn’t happened yet,” Seinfeld said to loud gasps and applause.
“And just what you are thinking about, Larry and I have also been thinking about it. So you’ll see, we’ll see.”
Seinfeld ran for nine seasons between July 1989 and May 1998. The two-part finale sees protagonists Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer face the consequences of their tasteless wisecracking, with the foursome put on trial for making jokes and not intervening while a man is mugged in front of them. Past characters are brought into the courtroom to testify against them.
The final scene sees the friends locked up in prison; Elaine, Jerry and George bicker and Kramer tries to look on the bright side of not having to worry about meals or make plans on a Saturday night.
Critics labelled the finale “off-key and bloated” and Seinfeld himself has expressed regret over the show’s ending.
“I sometimes think we really shouldn’t have even done it,” he said during an interview at the New Yorker festival in October 2017. “There was a lot of pressure on us at that time to do one big last show, but big is always bad in comedy.”
He said comedy should be “small and cheap and quick”.
I’ve heard the trope “louder, faster, funnier” in the comedy world, but never “small and cheap and quick.” Inflation, it touches everything! Endings can be really hard to get right, and there’s certainly no shortage of TV series that have gotten it wrong, or at best, left us deeply perplexed (I’m looking at you, Sopranos). Still, I find it funny that the conversation about a potential Seinfeld return is centered around their infamous finale, instead of how on earth are they gonna do it with the original cast?! Honestly, I enjoyed Seinfeld, particularly the inimitable character of Kramer — I live in New York and every time I’m on the FDR Drive I think of him repainting the road for wider lanes. But I can’t bring myself to watch it again because of Michael Richards (Cosmo Kramer) who proved himself to be an un-funny, racist schmuck. Jason Alexander (George Costanza), for his part has had moments of being an un-funny homophobe (although his efforts at an apology were much more successful than Michael’s). And Jerry Seinfeld (he played Jerry Seinfeld, his range is astounding) has a tendency to complain about overly-PC audiences as a cover for his usually being the least funny person in the room.
So I guess what I’m saying is, I think a Seinfeld reboot/reunion can happen. It just needs to be called Benes and be a vehicle for Julia Louis-Dreyfus to do whatever she wants as Elaine.
Jerry Seinfeld hinted that something is in the works regarding the ending of Seinfeld. Larry David is involved. This video was taken at his Boston show at the Wang Theater on Saturday night. pic.twitter.com/OW0wGPT4gl
— Kevin Rozell (@Zellyanks) October 9, 2023
Leave. It. Alone.
Seriously, just no. The ending was actually perfect, in retrospect.
+1
A loud No to a Frazier reboot also.
The Frasier one looks TERRIBLE! And I adored the original.
No one needs or wants this, can he just go away.
Seriously. On another note, I’m surprised for some reason that his marriage has actually lasted so long, given its shady beginning.
I’m not some crazy Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld fan, but there is more to the story about the beginnings of their relationship than most people realize. Jessica Seinfeld’s ex was from a very wealthy and influential family, and their wedding was hugely expensive, with a guest list that included everyone who’s everyone in the New York City theatre world. But Jessica’s ex was also abusive. She has since said that she knew she shouldn’t marry him, but she was young and scared and she didn’t have the nerve to call it off. He must have done something on their honeymoon that made her realize once and for all the terrible mistake she’d made. She had already left him and was living with her grandmother when she met Jerry. So it looked horribly sketchy — but in the years since, her ex has been arrested for abusing his new wife/girlfriend, and is now basically persona non grata in the theatre world.
I think there are other things in Jessica’s past to lambaste her for (that whole stupid cookbook debacle), but honestly, she made the right call by leaving her first husband, and she and Jerry clearly have a strong and happy marriage.
Jerry Seinfeld (he played Jerry Seinfeld, his range is astounding) – snort.
I’ll take more JLD and leave the rest. There’s a callousness to some of these older shows that just doesn’t work anymore. Pay writers for new material. It’ll be worth it.
Can we stop trying to get business from the GenX back with old shows they used to watch becuase the new generation dont care about old celebrities, they just want to watch tiktoks and influencers? I dont want to see old shows, create something new and interesting and for the love of god, I want new talents and new faces – young, old, older, white folks, people of color, all of them.
Especially when most Gen-Xers that I know (myself included!) will just stream the originals or watch them if they happen to be on in reruns or whatever. So IDK exactly who the anticipated audiences for these reboots even are.
My bet is on a SuperBowl commercial that reunites the four Seinfeld cast members.
GOOD CALL. I wouldn’t have thought of that, but it makes so much sense.
His observational comedy is really funny but Jerry Seinfeld himself is toxic. Deeply unpleasant and a misanthrope.
Seinfeld (the show) is funny in the context of that time period. We watch and laugh, cringe, and are horrified at the same time.
JLD is such a wonderful person and great actor. Kramer the character is hilarious. The actor can kick rocks.
I did not like the ending at the time, in reruns and retrospect, I absolutely love it. The ending, like the show, was of its time and ahead of its time. Don’t redo the ending because you regret what it was. You’ve been vindicated. It holds up and even transcends.
Now, as for all the complications of every actor in existence, and their problematic behavior at one point or another, I don’t have the answers. I will say, if you try to come back like Cosby, expect everyone to dig into your past (and reveal Shoshanna’s real age at the the time you were 39 and dating her…). Maybe leave well enough alone.
Completely agree about the finale! I’d think that Jerry and Larry would see this, too, but I guess not.
No. Let’s leave it in the past where it belongs. It won’t be the same and much of the content of Seinfeld will not play in our current times.
The majority of the reboots have been really disappointing. I enjoyed the Will & Grace reboot despite the fact that they completely erased Will’s son and Grace’s daughter.
I would watch anything with just Julia LD. How about an Elaine (and just Elaine) spin off?