Seinfeld & The Psychology Of The Sitcom: An Analysis Of Why America HATED That Finale

[TMC]

While you will often see the word polarizing being thrown out a lot in regard to a number of series finales, the finale of Seinfeld really doesn’t fall under that purview as it was pretty much universally hated by both fans and critics. But that leaves the question… why?

Originally this video was simply going to be a breakdown of the final episode, but I’d argue the finale is perfectly consistent with the tone of and a thematically fitting conclusion to the series. So, why did fans react in such a hostile manner?

Well, if you will indulge me in a drawn out, pretentious video essay that touches upon an array of topics from the audience’s deeper relationship with mass media entertainment to Sigmund Freud’s theory of the unconscious, I would be happy to present a theory.

• [00:00] - Intro
• [03:15] - Part 1: The 4th Wall Barrier
• [06:27] - Part 2: A Lot of Your Favorite Sitcom Characters Are Terrible, Inconsiderate, Socially Inept, Narcissistic, And In Some Cases Possibly Sociopathic Individuals
• [13:53] - Part 3: Grime Time
• [16:32] - Part 4: What Is "The Show About Nothing" Actually About?
• [19:54] - Part 5: The Ego, The Id, & Vicarious Wish Fulfillment
• [25:22] - Part 6: A Double-Edged Sword
• [37:53] - Part 7: A Gag Gone Too Far
• [45:45] - Part 8: A Fitting Finale

List of all shows referenced (some with MAJOR spoilers):

2 Broke Girls, Breaking Bad (MAJOR!!!), Chappelle's Show, Community, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dexter, Friends (MAJOR!!!), Full House, Games of Thrones (MAJOR!!!), Growing Pains, Hannibal, How I Met Your Mother, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Parks and Recreation, Seinfeld (MAJOR... obviously), The Big Bang Theory, The Office (MAJOR!!!), The Shield, The Simpsons (MAJOR!!!), The Sopranos, The Wire