'Curb Your Enthusiasm' closes with a 'Seinfeld' finale throwback, featuring Jerry Seinfeld himself
The "Curb" ending mirrors the famed "Seinfeld" finale of 1998.
(CONTAINS SPOILERS)
After 12 seasons, HBO's Emmy-winning comedy "Curb Your Enthusiasm" ended on Sunday, April 7, with a finale that deliberately poked fun at "Seinfeld's" divisive 1998 final episode.
That classic show, which "Curb" creator and star Larry David co-created, ended with main characters Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine behind bars for violating Massachusetts' Good Samaritan law. A cavalcade of character witnesses -- past characters from the show's nine-season run -- returned to testify against the group.
Curb ended much the same way. Larry is on trial, this time for violating Georgia's Election Integrity Act back in the season's first episode.
Just like the end of "Seinfeld," characters from seasons past with an axe to grind against Larry attempt to get even, including rock-legend Bruce Springsteen. The Boss, testifying via video, accuses Larry of "maliciously" giving him COVID-19.
The jury finds Larry guilty. The judge, played by "Breaking Bad's" Dean Norris, throws the book at him, and he is sentenced to a year in jail. Afterward, Jerry springs to the defense his old friend: It seems a juror broke the sequester, thus invalidating Larry's sentence.
Larry, now free, gets the happy ending the "Seinfeld Four" didn't.
"You don't wanna end up like this. Nobody wants to see it. Trust me," Jerry says to Larry, winking to the audience. The show ends with the pair walking down the halls of the prison with Larry a free man -- and an "a-ha" moment for them.
"Oh my God, this is how we should've ended the finale!" says Larry.
"Oh my God you're right, how did we not think of that?!" Jerry replies.
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" ran for 12 seasons from Oct. 15, 2000, to Sunday night's series finale. In addition to David, the show starred Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman and J. B. Smoove, and featured guest appearances by notable celebrities like Mary Steenburgen, Ben Stiller, Mel Brooks, F. Murray Abraham, Martin Scorsese, David Schwimmer, Rob Reiner, Michael J. Fox and the main cast of "Seinfeld."
