# "Seinfeld" finale "Did not do the research" ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055 "2011-10-18T17:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/1 "2011-10-18T17:48:01Z")
I know a bench trial wouldn’t happen from a Good Semaritan violation, but (in general) are prosecutors allowed to bring in witnesses attesting to a defendents’ lack of character? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/2 "2011-10-18T19:17:57Z")
There were a lot of legal errors made in the “Seinfeld” finale. I’d list and detail them but that would take a lot of time. Of course, keep in mind Larry David and the other “Seinfeld” writers are not attorneys. You don’t watch “Seinfeld” to get a grasp on how the rules of law operate in society. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/3 "2011-10-18T19:56:31Z")
First of all, their whole concept of the “Good Samaritan law” was backwards. A Good Samaritan law protects someone who tries to help and inadvertently causes some kind of harm. It doesn’t require people to help. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/4 "2011-10-18T20:23:11Z")
Even by TV’s messed up view of the legal system, that episode was bad. Read a little more at Wikipedia: > **[Good Samaritan law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Samaritan_law#In_popular_culture)** > > Good Samaritan laws offer legal protection to people who give reasonable assistance to those who are, or whom they believe to be injured, ill, in peril, or otherwise incapacitated. The protection is intended to reduce bystanders' hesitation to assist, for fear of being sued or prosecuted for unintentional injury or wrongful death. An example of such a law in common-law areas of Canada: a Good Samaritan doctrine is a legal principle that prevents a rescuer who has voluntarily helped a victim in Go... And that’s just the law they were charged with breaking and its punishment. Throw in the ridiculous line of “witnesses”, etc., and it gets stupid beyond belief. (And they put a woman in a cell with 3 men. Right.) One of the more infamous big let down series finales. (The clip show that preceded it was considered the highlight of the night. When a clip show is better than your finale, you goofed big time.) ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/5 "2011-10-18T20:29:41Z")
it’s a comedy show guys not a documentary on the legal system ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/6 "2011-10-18T20:53:05Z")
You guys do recall other court cases in the series, right? They were pretty realistic, with golf caddies acting as impromptu legal counsel, and braless women wowing the court? And Kramer and Jackie Chiles taking on anybody and everybody and Kramer torpedoing Jackie’s efforts every time with lame-brained settlements? You have got to be kidding about not doing the research. Actually, if you want strong research in a sit-com courtroom scene, see the third episode of Season 3 Trailer Park Boys, when Ricky convinces the judge that he should be allowed to smoke and swear during his appearance, because it’s the only way he can think correctly and ensure that he defends himself as well as possible: “If I can’t smoke and swear, I’m fucked!” ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/7 "2011-10-18T21:04:32Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > I know a bench trial wouldn’t happen from a Good Semaritan violation, but (in general) are prosecutors allowed to bring in witnesses attesting to a defendents’ lack of character? Yes, but generally only if the defense first “opens the door” by presenting its own character witnesses. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/8 "2011-10-18T21:10:44Z")
Eh, fiction writers have been getting court cases & legal systems wrong since Shylock was forcibly converted to Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/9 "2011-10-18T21:44:41Z")
> [@Lunar\_Saltlick](#): > > You guys do recall other court cases in the series, right? They were pretty realistic, with golf caddies acting as impromptu legal counsel, and braless women wowing the court? And Kramer and Jackie Chiles taking on anybody and everybody and Kramer torpedoing Jackie’s efforts every time with lame-brained settlements? > > You have got to be kidding about not doing the research. There was also that episode when George visited a hospital only to have his car badly damaged when a mental patient jumped out of a window and landed on it. George asked the hospital administrator if they could pay for repairing or replacing his car only for the administrator to almost throw _him_ out the window for having the audacity to ask them for compensation. In real life, George would’ve filed a property damage claim with the hospital that would’ve likely led to a payment made through their insurance carrier. However, if worse came to worst and the hospital refused to pay him any money, George’s case was strong enough that he could’ve successfully sued the hospital for property damage. (Of course, that’s all rather dull and prosaic so it really wouldn’t be good comedy fodder.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/10 "2011-10-18T21:55:50Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > First of all, their whole concept of the “Good Samaritan law” was backwards. A Good Samaritan law protects someone who tries to help and inadvertently causes some kind of harm. It doesn’t require people to help. No, some states do have Good Samaritan laws that not only protect those who choose to assist somebody but also require bystanders to assist people in some circumstances. The Vermont Good Samaritan Act, for example, states _“A person who knows another is exposed to grave physical harm shall, to the extent that the same can be rendered without danger or peril to himself or without interference with important duties owed to others, give reasonable assistance to the exposed person unless that assistance or care is being provided by others.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/11 "2011-10-18T22:20:07Z")
I always figured that episode was a dream George had after watching an _OZ_ marathon. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/12 "2011-10-18T23:50:34Z")
Halfway though Newman boasts the Jerry that he’ll “soon reveal himself in all his Glory”, and I immediately realized that they are in Hell, and Newman is the Devil. Newman however never subsequently did anything remotely of the sort, which makes me think that they originally had this kind of twist in mind, but then dropped it. Damned shame as that would have been in perfect keeping with the series’ tone, and would have explained a lot actually, in retrospect, and in addition would have been a lot better than the lame ending we actually did get. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/13 "2011-10-18T23:56:52Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Halfway though Newman boasts the Jerry that he’ll “soon reveal himself in all his Glory”, and I immediately realized that they are in Hell, and Newman is the Devil. Newman however never subsequently did anything remotely of the sort, which makes me think that they originally had this kind of twist in mind, but then dropped it. Damned shame as that would have been in perfect keeping with the series’ tone, and would have explained a lot actually, in retrospect, and in addition would have been a lot better than the lame ending we actually did get. I think that might’ve been the original plan but it was changed due to rampant speculation among fans that in the final episode, the four main characters would die and be judged for their sins in the afterlife. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/14 "2011-10-19T00:05:18Z")
> [@DonLogan](#): > > Yes, but generally only if the defense first “opens the door” by presenting its own character witnesses. The biggest problem with the episode is that all those people should have been witnesses for the defense. Every time Jerry, or one of the others, tried to help somebody, they wound up destroying their life. The best thing that ever happened to that mugging victim was when the Gang of Four left him alone. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/15 "2011-10-19T01:20:17Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The biggest problem with the episode is that all those people should have been witnesses for the defense. Every time Jerry, or one of the others, tried to help somebody, they wound up destroying their life. The best thing that ever happened to that mugging victim was when the Gang of Four left him alone. Yeah, when we watched the entire series through again a couple years ago, it struck me that, for people so often thought of as sociopathic that **It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia** has been called their spiritual successor, they were spending a whole lot of time **trying** to do the right thing, as in “What’s the proper kind of present to bring to a party? I can’t just bring Pepsi and Ring-Dings?” or “I have to go out with the gymnast how many times instead of just dumping her right away?” or “I promised to help my friend and by George I’m going to do it, even if it means mugging an old lady for her marble rye!” ---
**Author:** ![Prox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@Prox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prox)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/16 "2011-10-19T01:44:50Z")
What always struck me about the finale is since the gang did catch the crime on tape, including, I think, the mugger’s face, they actually did help the victim inasmuch as it’d be that much easier to identify and prosecute the mugger. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/17 "2011-10-19T01:56:35Z")
> [@Prox](#): > > What always struck me about the finale is since the gang did catch the crime on tape, including, I think, the mugger’s face, they actually did help the victim inasmuch as it’d be that much easier to identify and prosecute the mugger. If I’d written the finale, the defense lawyer would have contacted all the witnesses and they would have refused to help, out of spite and revenge, and Jerry, et al., would have been convicted. So the one time they do something right, staying out of things and getting the mugger’s face on tape, they would have gone to jail for it. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/18 "2011-10-19T02:12:47Z")
But if you wreck someone’s car and have no insurance, the judge can still sentence you to be that person’s butler. Right? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/19 "2011-10-19T02:14:08Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > it’s a comedy show guys not a documentary on the legal system Unfortunately, the finale failed there too. I can’t believe Larry David came back to the show to write that finale episode. The Seinfeld reunion episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm were great, but I guess it’s not a fair comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055/20 "2011-10-19T04:16:49Z")
I’m not a particular fan of Seinfeld so I’ve missed a lot of episodes. But I think it’s debatable that they were trying to help everyone whose life they screwed up. People they were trying to hurt: Mabel Choate - Jerry stole a loaf of bread from her Donald Sanger - had a fight with George that led to his house burning down Lola - George did take her handicapped parking space. Kramer and George did subsequently buy her another wheelchair but they bought her a discount one. Sidra Holland - testified that Jerry and Elaine conspired to feel her up. The actual incident was an accident but Jerry and Elaine had been conspiring. Joe Bookman - Jerry had forgotten to return the library book Robin - testified how George panicked over a kitchen fire Mall Security Guard - testified about catching Jerry urinating in a parking garage Leslie - testified that Jerry made fun of the shirt she had given him which hurt her design business Yev Kassem - Elaine revealed all his recipes and forced him out of business People that they were trying to neither help nor hurt: Dr. Wilcox - testified that George was happy about Susan’s death Marla Penny - testified about the masturbation contest the Detective - mistakenly assumed Kramer was a pimp George Steinbrenner - mistakenly thought George was a Communist Marcelino - argued with Jerry over a bad check which he refused to stop displaying the Pharmacist - testified that Elaine bought a lot of birth control Fred - testified that Elaine once exposed a nipple on a Christmas card Justin Pitt - mistakenly thought Elaine tried to kill him People they were trying to help: Babu Bhatt - Jerry gave him sincere but ill-advised advice about his restaurant and helped him get a job and apartment but inadvertently lost his mail [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-finale-did-not-do-the-research/600055.md?page=2)