Editing Seinfeld (section)

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Seinfeld episodes}}
{{:List of Seinfeld episodes}}

[[File:Tom's Restaurant, Seinfeld.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tom's Restaurant]], a diner at [[112th Street|112th St.]] and Broadway in Manhattan, was used as the exterior image of [[Monk's Café]] in the show]]
Compared to other family and group [[sitcoms]] of the era, ''Seinfeld'' stood out. The principal characters are not related by family or work-associated connections but remain distinctly close friends throughout the series. Many characters were based primarily on Seinfeld's and David's real-life acquaintances. Two prominent recurring characters were fictional depictions of actual well-known people: [[Jacopo Peterman]] of the [[The J. Peterman Company|J. Peterman]] catalog (based on [[John Peterman]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=707 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sonypictures.com |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516044745/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=707 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> and [[George Steinbrenner (Seinfeld character)|George Steinbrenner]], owner of the [[New York Yankees]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=521 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173017/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=521 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> Many characters were introduced as new writers got involved with ''Seinfeld''. Other characters based on real people include the [[Soup Nazi]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=706 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119040252/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=706 |archive-date=January 19, 2012 }}</ref> and [[Jackie Chiles]], who was based on [[Johnnie Cochran]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=703 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009191401/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=703 |archive-date=October 9, 2012 }}</ref>

Episodes have separate plot strands, but the characters' stories often intertwine at the end. The narratives reveal the creators' "consistent efforts to maintain the intimacy" among the small cast of characters.<ref>Gantz, Katherine. ''"Not That There's Anything Wrong with That": Reading the Queer in Seinfeld''. In Calvin Thomas (Ed.). ''Straight with a Twist: Queer Theory and the Subject of Heterosexuality''. Champaign. Illinois: University of Illinois Press. {{ISBN|0-252-06813-0}}</ref>

The show maintains a strong sense of [[continuity (fiction)|continuity]], as characters and plots from past episodes are often referenced or expanded on. Occasionally, story arcs span multiple episodes or entire seasons, such as [[Seinfeld (season 4)|Season 4]], which revolves around the [[television pilot|pilot]] pitch to NBC by Jerry and George. Another example is Jerry's girlfriend Vanessa, who appears in "[[The Stake Out (Seinfeld)|The Stake Out]]" and with whom he ends the relationship when things do not work out in "[[The Stock Tip]]". [[Larry David]], the head writer and executive producer for the first seven seasons, was praised for keeping a close eye on minor details and ensuring the main characters' lives remained consistent and believable. ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'', David's later comedy series, also had an overarching plot for all but the first season.

A major difference between ''Seinfeld'' and the sitcoms that preceded it is that the principal characters never learn from their mistakes. In effect, they are indifferent and even callous toward the outside world and sometimes one another. A [[mantra]] of the show's producers was "No hugging, no learning."<ref>{{cite news|title=About Seinfeld|url=http://www.tv1.com.au/Shows/Seinfeld/About/|publisher=[[TV1 (Australia)|TV1]]|access-date=January 22, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831074136/http://www.tv1.com.au/Shows/Seinfeld/About/|archive-date=August 31, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s TV critic [[Ken Tucker]] has described them as "a group dynamic rooted in jealousy, rage, insecurity, despair, hopelessness, and a touching lack of faith in one's fellow human beings."<ref>Tucker, Ken. "The Fantastic 4" in ''Entertainment Weekly'': Special Seinfeld Issue. ''Entertainment Weekly''. May 4, 1998, p. 13.</ref> This leads to very few happy endings, except at somebody else's expense. More often in every episode, situations resolve with characters getting a justly deserved [[:wikt: comeuppance|comeuppance]].

=== Seasons 1–3 ===
{{Main|Seinfeld season 1|Seinfeld season 2|Seinfeld season 3}}
[[Image:757 New Hampshire Ave 2.jpg|thumb|The Los Angeles building used to depict the exterior of Jerry's apartment building at 129 West 81st Street, Manhattan]]
The show premiered as ''[[The Seinfeld Chronicles]]'' on July 5, 1989. After it aired, a pickup by NBC seemed unlikely, and the show was offered to [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]], which declined to pick it up. [[Rick Ludwin]], head of late night and special events for NBC, however, diverted money from his budget by canceling a [[Bob Hope#Broadcasting|Bob Hope television special]], and the next four episodes were filmed.<ref name="Season 1 & 2 DVD review">{{cite web|last=Boudreaux |first=Jonathan |url=http://www.tvdvdreviews.com/seinfeld1.html |title=Seinfeld: Season 1 & 2 DVD Review |publisher=tvdvdreviews.com |date=November 24, 2004 |access-date=April 22, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418075527/http://www.tvdvdreviews.com/seinfeld1.html |archive-date=April 18, 2008 }}</ref>{{r|littlefield20120529}} These episodes were highly rated as they followed summer re-runs of ''[[Cheers]]'' on Thursdays at 9:30&nbsp;p.m., and the series was finally picked up. At one point, NBC considered airing these episodes on Saturdays at 10:30&nbsp;p.m. but gave the slot to a short-lived sitcom called ''[[FM (American TV series)|FM]]'' instead. The series was renamed simply ''Seinfeld'' as a precautionary measure due to the failure of the short-lived 1990 [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] series with a similarly sounding title, ''The Marshall Chronicles''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lI_qCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT21|title=Seinfeld FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Show About Nothing|first=Nicholas|last=Nigro|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|date=June 1, 2015|access-date=December 29, 2015|isbn=9781495035357}}</ref> After airing the remaining four episodes of its first season the summer of 1990, NBC ordered 13 more episodes.   David believed that he and Seinfeld had no more stories to tell and advised Seinfeld to turn down the order, but Seinfeld agreed to the additional episodes.<ref name="littlefield20120529">{{cite interview|title=QA: Former NBC honcho offered Jerry Seinfeld over $100 million for one more 'Seinfeld' season|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/qa-former-nbc-honcho-offered-jerry-seinfeld-over-100-million-for-one-more-seinfeld-season|date=May 29, 2012|access-date=February 16, 2022|last=Littlefield|first=Warren|subject-link=Warren Littlefield|interviewer=Gostin, Nicki|work=Fox411}}</ref> Season 2 was bumped off its scheduled premiere of January 16, 1991, due to the outbreak of the [[Persian Gulf War]]. It settled into a regular time slot on Wednesdays at 9:30&nbsp;p.m. and eventually flipped with veteran series ''[[Night Court]]'' to 9 p.m.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/26/us/seinfeld-says-it-s-all-over-and-it-s-no-joke-for-nbc.html|title=Seinfeld Says It's All Over, And It's No Joke for NBC|date=May 5, 1998|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Bill|last=Carter|url-access=limited}}</ref>

TV critics championed ''Seinfeld'' in its early seasons, even as it was slow to cultivate a substantial audience. For the first three seasons, Jerry's stand-up comedy act would bookend at the beginning and end of each episode, even functioning as transitions during the show. A few episodes set a benchmark for later seasons. "[[The Deal (Seinfeld episode)|The Deal]]" establishes Jerry and Elaine's relationship by setting rules about having sex while remaining friends.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=213 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Deal |publisher=Sony Pictures |date=May 2, 1991 |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010172948/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=213 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> "[[The Parking Garage]]" was the first episode shot with no audience for the episode and, after "[[The Chinese Restaurant]]", to not show Jerry's apartment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=306 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Parking Garage |publisher=Sony Pictures|access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116052213/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=306 |archive-date=November 16, 2011 }}</ref> "[[The Keys (Seinfeld episode)|The Keys]]" contains a crossover to [[CBS]] show ''[[Murphy Brown]]'', marking the first such cooperation between rival networks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=321 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Keys|publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010172940/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=321 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> "[[The Busboy]]" introduces George, Kramer and Elaine as having their own storylines for the first time. Although Castle Rock Entertainment's Glenn Padnick thought Seinfeld was too generous, showcasing his co-stars' comedic talent became a trademark throughout the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=203 |title=Seinfeld -– Now Playing  |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114031559/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=203 |archive-date=November 14, 2012 }}</ref>

Larry Charles wrote an episode for Season 2, "[[The Bet (episode)|The Bet]]," in which Elaine buys a gun from Kramer's friend. This episode was not filmed because the content was deemed unacceptable, and it was replaced by the episode "[[The Phone Message]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=207 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The phone message |publisher=Sony pictures |access-date=October 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216150808/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=207 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref> "[[The Stranded (Seinfeld)|The Stranded]]," which aired during Season 3, was initially intended for Season 2. At the beginning of this episode, Jerry clears up the continuity error over George's real estate job.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=209 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=August 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219225606/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=209 |archive-date=December 19, 2008 }}</ref>

=== Seasons 4–5 ===
{{Main|Seinfeld season 4|Seinfeld season 5}}
Season 4 marked the sitcom's entry into the [[Nielsen ratings]] Top 30. It contains several of the most popular episodes, such as "[[The Bubble Boy (Seinfeld episode)|The Bubble Boy]]", in which George and the bubble boy argue over ''[[Trivial Pursuit]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=407 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118152059/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=407 |archive-date=January 18, 2012 }}</ref> and "[[The Junior Mint]]" in which Jerry and Kramer accidentally fumble a mint in the operating room.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=421 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925045350/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=421 |archive-date=September 25, 2011 }}</ref> This was the first season to use a story arc of Jerry and George creating their own sitcom, ''Jerry''. Also, at this time, the use of Jerry's stand-up act slowly declined, and the stand-up segment in the middle of ''Seinfeld'' episodes was cut.

Much publicity followed the controversial episode "[[The Contest]]", an [[Emmy Award]]-winning episode written by David, whose subject matter was considered inappropriate for prime-time network TV. To circumvent this taboo, the word "[[masturbation]]" was never used in the script, instead substituted for by a variety of oblique references.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=411 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173057/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=411 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> Midway through that season, ''Seinfeld'' was moved from its original 9:00&nbsp;p.m. time slot on Wednesdays to 9:30&nbsp;p.m. on Thursdays, following ''[[Cheers]]'' again, which gave the show even more popularity. Ratings also sparked the move, as [[Tim Allen]]'s sitcom ''[[Home Improvement (TV series)|Home Improvement]]'' on ABC had aired at the same time, and ''Home Improvement'' kept beating ''Seinfeld'' in the ratings. NBC moved the series after [[Ted Danson]] announced the end of ''Cheers'' and ''Seinfeld'' quickly surpassed the ratings of the 9:00&nbsp;p.m. ''Cheers'' reruns that spring.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-03-04-ca-474-story.html|author=Cerone, Daniel|title=Seinfeld Is Suddenly Something|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 4, 1993|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> The show won an Emmy Award for ''Outstanding Comedy Series'' in 1993, beating out its family-oriented, time-slot competitor ''Home Improvement'', which was only in its second season on rival network ABC.

Season 5 was an even bigger ratings hit, consisting of popular episodes, such as "[[The Puffy Shirt]]", in which Jerry feels embarrassed wearing a "pirate" shirt on ''[[The Today Show]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=503 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117030920/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=503 |archive-date=November 17, 2012 }}</ref> "[[The Non-Fat Yogurt]]" featuring [[Rudy Giuliani]], the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] then-mayor-elect of New York,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=508 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118040205/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=508 |archive-date=November 18, 2012 }}</ref> and "[[The Opposite]]" in which George, doing the opposite of what his instincts tell him he should do, lands a job with the New York Yankees and Elaine leaves "Pendant Publishing" because of a comedy of errors that led to its demise. Another story arc has George returning to live with his parents. Amid the story arc, Kramer creates and promotes his [[coffee table book]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=521 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Opposite |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173017/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=521 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> The show was again nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost to the ''Cheers'' spin-off ''[[Frasier]]'', then in its first season. ''Seinfeld'' was nominated for the same award every year for its entire run but, after its win at the [[45th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1994, always lost to ''Frasier'', which went on to win a record 39 Emmy Awards in its 11-season run.

=== Seasons 6–7 ===
{{Main|Seinfeld season 6|Seinfeld season 7}}
In Season 6, [[Andy Ackerman]] replaced [[Tom Cherones]] as director of the show. The series remained well regarded and produced some of its most famous episodes, such as "[[The Beard]]", in which Jerry is put through a lie detector test to make him admit that he watched ''[[Melrose Place]]'';<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=615 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sonypictures.com |access-date=January 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201175528/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=615 |archive-date=February 1, 2014 }}</ref> "[[The Switch (Seinfeld)|The Switch]]", in which Kramer's mom, Babs, reveals that his first name is Cosmo;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=610 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Switch |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516031736/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=610 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> and "[[The Understudy (Seinfeld)|The Understudy]]", in which Elaine meets J. Peterman for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=621 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117122953/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=621 |archive-date=November 17, 2011 }}</ref> Story arcs used in this season were Elaine working as a personal assistant to her eccentric boss Justin Pitt and George's parents' temporary separation. This was the first season in which ''Seinfeld'' reached No. 1 in the Nielsen Ratings. The use of Jerry's stand-up act declined, and the end stand-up segment no longer appeared because the storylines for all four characters grew denser.

In Season 7, a story arc involved George getting engaged to his ex-girlfriend, Susan Ross, after the pilot ''Jerry'' proved unsuccessful. In it, George spends most of the season regretting and trying to get out of the engagement. Along with the regular half-hour episodes, two notable one-hour episodes were "[[The Cadillac]]", in which George plans to date award-winning actress [[Marisa Tomei]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=714 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516034018/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=714 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> and "[[The Bottle Deposit]]," with Elaine and Sue Ellen Mischke participating in a bidding war to buy JFK's golf clubs in an auction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=721 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=[[Sony Pictures]]|access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516031807/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=721 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref>

=== Seasons 8–9 ===
{{Main|Seinfeld season 8|Seinfeld season 9}}
''Seinfeld''{{'}}s final two seasons were considered distinct from the earlier seasons. Most noticeably, David left the writing crew (but returned to write "[[The Finale (Seinfeld)|The Finale]]" in 1998), resulting in Seinfeld taking over David's duties as [[showrunner]], and, under the direction of a new writing staff, ''Seinfeld'' became a faster-paced show. The show no longer contained extracts of Jerry performing stand-up comedy—Jerry had no time or energy for this with his new responsibilities—and storylines occasionally delved into fantasy and broad humor. For example, in "[[The Bizarro Jerry]]", Elaine is torn between exact opposites of her friends and Jerry dates a woman who has the now-famous "man hands".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=803 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Bizarro Jerry |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117185550/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=803 |archive-date=January 17, 2012 }}</ref> Some notable episodes from Season 8 include "[[The Little Kicks]]", showing Elaine's horrible dancing,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=804 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Little Kicks |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173001/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=804 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> and "[[The Chicken Roaster]]", which portrays the ''[[Kenny Rogers Roasters]]'' chicken restaurant, which opened during that time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=808 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures|access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516045149/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=808 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> A story arc in this season involves Peterman going to [[Burma]] in "[[The Foundation (Seinfeld)|The Foundation]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=801 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516041857/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=801 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> until he recovered from a nervous breakdown in "[[The Money]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=813 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sonypictures.com |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219023930/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=813 |archive-date=December 19, 2011 }}</ref> followed by Elaine writing Peterman's biography in "[[The Van Buren Boys]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=814 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sonypictures.com |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130032028/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=814 |archive-date=November 30, 2012 }}</ref> which leads to Kramer's parody of Kenny Kramer's Reality Tour seen in "[[The Muffin Tops]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=821 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Muffin Tops |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173006/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=821 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref>

The final season included episodes like "[[The Merv Griffin Show (Seinfeld)|The Merv Griffin Show]]", in which Kramer converts his apartment into a talk-show studio and plays the character of talk-show host,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=906 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516031219/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=906 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> "[[The Betrayal]]" that presents in reverse chronological order what happened to Sue Ellen's wedding in India, and "[[The Frogger]]" in which George pushes a ''[[Frogger]]'' machine across the street, mimicking the action of the game itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=918 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Frogger |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173013/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=918 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> The last season included a story arc in which Elaine has an on/off relationship with [[David Puddy|Puddy]]. Despite the enormous popularity and willingness of the cast to return for a tenth season, Seinfeld decided to end the show after Season 9, believing he would thereby be able to ensure the show would maintain its quality and go out on top.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=894&dat=19971226&id=dMEKAAAAIBAJ&pg=6835,4244882&hl=en |title='Seinfeld' to end on 'peak' this spring |last1=Bauder |first1=David |date=December 26, 1997 |website=Google News |publisher=The Daily Courier |access-date=September 28, 2016}}</ref> NBC offered Seinfeld $110 million—a record $5 million an episode for a 22-episode tenth season—but he declined.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/qa-former-nbc-honcho-offered-jerry-seinfeld-over-100-million-for-one-more-seinfeld-season/ |title=QA: Former NBC honcho offered Jerry Seinfeld over $100 million for one more 'Seinfeld' season |first=Nicki |last=Gostin |date=May 29, 2012 |website=Fox News  |access-date=September 14, 2017 }}</ref>

A major controversy caused in the ninth season was the accidental burning of a [[Puerto Rican flag]] by Kramer in "[[The Puerto Rican Day]]". This scene caused a furor among Puerto Ricans, and as a result, NBC showed this episode only once. Seinfeld defused the protestors by not letting this episode continue in syndication, as revealed in "Inside Look" on DVD.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=920 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Puerto Rican Day |access-date=October 25, 2008 |publisher=Sony Pictures |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216150849/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=920 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref> However, the episode would be added to the syndicated rerun package several years later uncut.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2002/10/30/forbidden-seinfeld-puerto-rican-flag-burning-episode-slips-back-on-air/ |title=Forbidden 'Seinfeld'; Puerto Rican Flag Burning Episode Slips Back On Air |last=Starr |first=Michael |newspaper=New York Post |date=October 30, 2002 |access-date=April 17, 2018}}</ref>

===Series finale===
{{Main|The Finale (Seinfeld)}}
After nine years on the air, NBC and Seinfeld announced on December 25, 1997, that the series would end production the following spring in 1998. The announcement made the front page of the major New York newspapers, including ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Bill |title=Seinfeld Says It's All Over, And It's No Joke for NBC |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/26/us/seinfeld-says-it-s-all-over-and-it-s-no-joke-for-nbc.html |access-date=May 17, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=December 26, 1997 |page=A1|url-access=limited}}</ref> Seinfeld was featured on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's first issue of 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101980112,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050129064628/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101980112,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 29, 2005|title=Time Magazine Cover: Jerry Seinfeld|date=January 12, 1998|access-date=May 17, 2007|magazine=Time}}</ref> The series ended with a 75-minute episode (cut to 60 minutes in [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]], in two parts) written by co-creator and ex-executive producer Larry David, which aired on May 14, 1998. Before the finale, a 45-minute retrospective clip show, "[[The Chronicle (Seinfeld)|The Chronicle]]", was aired. The retrospective was expanded to an hour after the original airing and aired again on NBC as an hour-long episode, and has since aired in syndication.

It was the first episode since the finale of season 7, "[[The Invitations]]", to feature opening and closing stand-up comedy acts by Seinfeld. The finale was filmed before an audience of NBC executives and friends of the show. The press and public were shut out of the taping to keep its plot secret; those who attended the shoot of the final episode were required to sign written "vows of silence".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9804/08/seinfeld.email/|title=The 'Seinfeld' e-mail for April 8, 1998 |publisher=[[CNN.com]]|date=April 8, 1998|access-date=May 17, 2007}}</ref> The secrecy only seemed to increase speculation about how the series would end. The episode's producers gave false information to the media, spreading a rumor about Newman ending up in the hospital and Jerry and Elaine sitting in a chapel, presumably to marry.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/36158/clues_seinfeld_sign_off|title=Clues to "Seinfeld" Sign Off|author=Ryan, Joal|publisher=[[E! News]]|date=March 27, 1998|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref>

The final episode enjoyed a historic audience,<ref>{{Cite news|title = 'Seinfeld's' Finale Ends Up in Sixth Place of All Time|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-16-ca-50143-story.html|newspaper = Los Angeles Times|date = May 16, 1998|access-date = February 16, 2022|issn = 0458-3035|first = Brian|last = Lowry}}</ref> estimated at 76.3 million viewers<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nededog |first1=Jethro |title=The 20 most-watched TV show finales of all time, ranked |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/most-watched-tv-show-finales-of-all-time-2017-5 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |work=Business Insider}}</ref> (58% of all viewers that night) making it the fourth-most watched regular series finale in U.S. TV history, behind ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'', ''Cheers'' and ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Carter|first=Bill|date=May 8, 2004|title='Friends' Finale's Audience Is the Fourth Biggest Ever|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/08/arts/friends-finale-s-audience-is-the-fourth-biggest-ever.html|access-date=July 16, 2021|issn=0362-4331|url-access=limited}}</ref> However, the finale received mixed reviews from critics and fans of the show. The finale poked fun at the many rumors that were circulating, seeming to move into multiple supposed plots before settling on its actual storyline—a lengthy trial where the gang is prosecuted for violating a "[[Duty to rescue|Duty to Rescue]]" law and sentenced to prison terms.

According to ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine, Seinfeld's earnings from the show in 1998 came to US$267 million, including syndication earnings.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-03-08-9903090088-story.html|title=Seinfeld's $267 Million Tops Celebrity-pay List In Forbes|work=Chicago Tribune|date=March 8, 1999|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> He refused NBC's offer of $5 million per episode, or over $100 million total, to continue into a tenth season. The offer NBC made to Seinfeld was over three times higher per episode than anyone on TV had ever been offered before.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uproxx.com/tv/where-does-the-cast-of-big-bang-theory-rank-among-the-25-highest-paid-tv-stars-of-all-time/|title=The Highest Paid TV Actors Of All Time Per Per Episode|work=UPROXX|date=August 5, 2014}}</ref> Seinfeld told the network that he was not married nor had children, and wished to focus on his personal life.<ref name="cnnrating">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9712/26/seinfeld/|title=Seinfeld calls decision to end show "all about timing"|work=CNN|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=December 26, 1997|access-date=December 18, 2007}}</ref>{{r|littlefield20120529}} As reported in July 2007, he was the second-highest earner in the TV industry, earning at the time $60 million a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2007/10/01/Oprah-Seinfeld-top-TVs-richest/UPI-91401191240657/|title=Oprah and Seinfeld top TV's richest|date=October 1, 2007|access-date=December 18, 2007}}</ref> The episode became the first to command over $1 million a minute for advertising—a mark previously attained only by the [[Super Bowl]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1997-06-01/seinfeld|title=Seinfeld|website=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=June 2, 1997 |access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref>