10 TV Shows That Failed To Stick The Landing

Ending a show about nothing poses a particular set of problems. Were Seinfeld to end on some action packed episode, that would have chucked the show’s USP in a detrimental fashion. But to produce nothing more than a standard installment would be an anticlimax, especially for one of the greatest sitcoms ever made. Seinfeld famously had a No Hugging, No Learning policy for its characters, so the ending was never going to be a heartwarming affair. But to send the cast to prison was just, well, strange.

It’s not a bad ending, by any means. It’s written by Larry David and features many of the legendary show’s finest minor characters - there’s only so far wrong you can go with that formula. This is Seinfeld we’re talking about, though - one of the most consistently funny and groundbreaking comedies in TV history. It deserved something more than this, which is, essentially, fan service.

The penultimate episode was a clip show, as was the sitcom style at the time, but this one might as well be, too. It’s an ending, sure - your average Seinfeld episode doesn’t end with the incarceration of the main cast. But bringing things to a close is just about all it manages to do.

Ultimately a show with the audience size and cultural impact of Seinfeld was never going to please everybody, and it’s commendable that they didn’t kowtow to the whims of the viewers who had fallen in love with these characters and wanted to see them get a happy ending (deserved or otherwise). Its legacy lives on in Larry David’s brilliant Curb Your Enthusiasm. Come the day that ends, we’ll see if he’s learned his lesson from his previous gig.