It's been more than 25 years since the "Seinfeld" finale aired, but the episode itself remains as controversial as it was when it premiered as a one-hour special in 1998. Written by co-creator Larry David, who left "Seinfeld" at the show's creative peak in Season 7the finale takes an unexpected turn by having the show's gang hauled off to court for violating the Good Samaritan Law after they taunt and film the carjacking victim instead of helping him. Once seated in the courtroom, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George (Jason Alexander) and Kramer (Michael Richards) are forced to listen to a series of beloved supporting players — including the Soup Nazi. Bubble Boy and the woman who Kramer gave a broken wheelchair to - parade to voice their grievances about self-righteous individuals on the witness stand.

The ending divided critics, audiences and even those involved with the show. Entertainment Weekly called the episode "off-key and bloated", while USA Today described it as a "bad" way to end the series. And although he often defended the final, even Seinfeld admitted to regretting it at least once about the way it all unfolded. David, for his part, actually went so far as to use the Curb Your Enthusiasm finale to essentially apologize for his wrong choices with the episode more than a quarter of a century later.

Actor Wayne Knight, who played con man Newman on "Seinfeld," similarly expressed his disappointment in the series finale at the 2022 Steel City Convention in Pennsylvania. "I think I'm like the rest of the public as far as the final is concerned. I don't think you can end that show in a way that would work," the actor admitted (via ComicBook.com). He made an excellent point. How do you end a show that prides itself on being about "nothing?" Throwing the neurotic foursome into yet another crazy situation? How big and wild would the antics have to be to sum up nearly a decade of their friendship?

Knight explained that David wanted the show's characters to "have the worst possible time" and get their perk instead of fame; "(A) concept, it works, but I don't know if it works as a finale," Knight reflected. Again, he made a fair point. "Seinfeld" fans loved laughing at these despicable characters as they pushed old women out of the way during fires or faked disabilities to avoid work assignments, so the way the finale suddenly turned into a finger-wagging moral lesson he was not funny and, worst of all. of all, I felt bored. The episode's courtroom scenes aren't silly in a sitcom kind of way, but instead come across as half-baked and unrealistic. While the show always went to extremes with its outlandish shenanigans, it was also grounded in the reality of everyday humor, so judging the finale (which would never happen in real life) didn't work. Finally, seeing the show's foursome end up in prison was too much of a shame.

The finale might have worked better if it had been structured like a typical episode, with some kind of antics to end all antics. Instead, the latest episode of "Seinfeld" comes across as a hackneyed, nostalgic rehashing of the better stories of the past. Despite returning as Newman himself in the episode, Knight disliked the multitude of guest stars in the finale and callbacks because "the idea of ​​doing a flashback ends up feeling like a clip show".

So, just as Knight noted, perhaps "Seinfeld" was always doomed to end on an unsatisfying note, which is why the finale remains, to this day, our top contender for worst Seinfeld episode ever. David turned it into some weird moralistic lesson, making the series bow on a really sour note.