The Finale (season 9, episodes 23 & 24)

written by Larry David, directed by Andy Ackerman
original airdate: May 14, 1998

NBC decides to bring Jerry and George back to make their sitcom and rewards them with a free trip on the corporate jet. On their way to Paris, the plane must make an emergency landing in a small New England town. The gang witnesses a mugging and is arrested for doing nothing to help the victim. Jackie Chiles defends them at trial, where a slew of memorable character witnesses testify against Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer.

FEATURED LOCATIONS

The Improv
The Improv’s final appearance of the series. Jerry opens the episode for the first time in two seasons with stand-up material.

Jerry’s Apartment
The final appearance of the apartment in the series. Jerry gets the news that he and George are moving to California, but in the end he is away from his apartment for different reasons, as he is in prison for a year in Massachusetts.

Monk’s Café
Monk’s final appearance of the series. The gang meets one last time, where they discuss where to use NBC’s private jet to spend one last “fling” together before Jerry and George move to California.

beach
NEW YORK
Kramer heads to the beach, as he senses “there’s something in the air,” a seemingly prophetic statement regarding their future emergency landing due to water in Kramer’s ear…which got in after going to the beach.

NBC Studios (New York)
30 Rockefeller Pl., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: 47-50th Streets – Rockefeller Center (B,D,F,M)
Jerry and George meet with new NBC President James Kimbrough here, where the “Jerry” pilot is finally picked up.

George’s Apartment
In a deleted scene, Jerry asks George in the cab back from NBC what he’ll be doing with his apartment now that they will be moving to California.

Elaine’s Apartment
Elaine tries calling her friend Jill about her father’s cancer, but is “defeated” in a phone face-off by Jerry’s news of the pilot’s renewal.

CALIFORNIA (map)
Jerry mentions to Elaine that he and George are moving to California to write for the revived “Jerry.”

Del Boca Vista
Jerry tells Helen and Morty the show “Jerry” was picked up by NBC, and Morty reveals all he watches on television is “Xena: Warrior Princess.”

Costanza House
George tells Frank and Estelle that he is moving to California to write for “Jerry.”

JAPAN (map)
Kramer suggests the gang use NBC’s plane to visit here, so they can all be catered to by geishas.

SWEDEN (map)
In a deleted scene, George suggests the gang use NBC’s plane to visit here, since the sun doesn’t go down until 3 AM, but is kaiboshed by Jerry and Elaine, as the hotel may only have vertical blinds, thus making sleep impossible with so much sunlight.

RUSSIA (map)
Elaine suggests the gang uses NBC’s private jet to visit Russia, to which George and Jerry kaibosh because it is too bleak, even in the spring (“If you’re bleak, you’re bleak!”).

SWITZERLAND (map)
Elaine suggests the gang use NBC’s private jet to visit here, to which George kaiboshes the suggestion, because it is “a bit hilly.”

Paris, FRANCE (map)
Since there can be no compromise amongst the gang, Jerry just proposes they use the NBC jet to go to Paris. Newman later mentions he has a cousin in Paris who can only communicate by blinking, and begs Jerry to allow him to go with so he can visit.

Van Nuys Airport
16461 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CALIFORNIA (map)
The airport where the gang boards NBC’s private jet for Paris was filmed here.

Latham, MASSACHUSETTS (NOT REAL)
Where the gang is forced to make an emergency landing, fails to stop a robbery, jailed, brought to trial, convicted, and imprisoned for one year for breaking the new Good Samaritan Law.

Warner Brothers Studios
3400 Riverside Dr., Burbank, CALIFORNIA (map)
The fictional city of Latham, Massachusetts was filmed on the Backlot at Warner Brothers Studios.

Latham Police Department
Latham, MASSACHUSETTS (NOT REAL)
The gang is held in a holding cell pending their trial for breaking the Good Samaritan Law.

Pont de l’Alma
Paris, FRANCE (map)
The jail guard in Latham mentions that the Good Samaritan Law the gang was arrested on was based on the French law, after Princess Diana’s death where paparazzi just stood around following her fatal auto accident in 1997.

Jackie Chiles’ office
The Hippodrome, 1120 Sixth Ave., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: 42nd Street – Bryant Park (B,D,F,M)
The gang hires Jackie to defend them in their Good Samaritan trial: “You don’t have to help anybody, that’s what this country’s all about! That’s deplorable, unfathomable, improbable!”

prosecutor’s office
Latham, MASSACHUSETTS (NOT REAL)
The prosecutors assigned to the “NY Four” trial develop a strategy to win the case, based on establishing the character of the gang, by sparing no expense to bring in as many witnesses as possible to establish a pattern of antisocial behavior.

CNBC Studios (NOW CLOSED)
2200 Fletcher Ave., Fort Lee, NEW JERSEY (map)
Geraldo Rivera is shown covering the gang’s trial on “Rivera Live,” discussing the character witnesses and speculating on the outcome of the trial.

Latham County Courthouse
Latham, MASSACHUSETTS (NOT REAL)
The gang faces trial for breaking the Good Samaritan Law, where a neverending lineup of character witness break them down and discredit them, forcing the judge to imprison them for one year.

SOUTH KOREA (map)
Estelle mentions that Frank may be the reason for George ending up in prison, as he was never around for George, always in Korea with his religious tchotchkes.

Newman’s Apartment
Newman is seen gleefully leaving his apartment for the gang’s trial in Massachusetts.

Uncle Leo’s apartment
New York, NEW YORK
Uncle Leo is seen leaving his apartment for the gang’s trial in Massachusetts.

J. Peterman
Mr. Peterman is seen leaving his office for the gang’s trial in Massachusetts.

Puddy’s apartment
New York, NEW YORK
Puddy is seen leaving his apartment for the gang’s trial in Massachusetts.

Mickey’s apartment
New York, NEW YORK
Mickey is seen leaving his apartment for the gang’s trial in Massachusetts.

Bania’s apartment
New York, NEW YORK
Bania is seen leaving his apartment for the gang’s trial in Massachusetts.

Ross’ townhouse
24 Fifth Ave., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: West 4th Street – Washington Square (A,B,C,D,E,F,M)
The Rosses are seen leaving their townhouse for the gang’s trial in Massachusetts.

Rabbi Glickman’s apartment
16 W. 75th St., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: 72nd Street (B,C)
Rabbi Glickman is seen leaving his apartment for the gang’s trial in Massachusetts.

Keith Hernandez’s apartment
Upper East Side, New York, NEW YORK (map)
Keith Hernandez is seen leaving his apartment for the gang’s trial in Massachusetts.

Yankee Stadium
Mr. Steinbrenner is seen leaving his office for the gang’s trial in Massachusetts.

Ramada Hotel
Latham, MASSACHUSETTS (NOT REAL)
In a deleted scene, Newman asks Keith Hernandez where he is staying, and when Keith replies with the Ramada, Newman begs him to let him stay on a cot there, as he could not find a room in town. The only Ramada in Massachusetts as of this writing is at 800 Morrissey Blvd. in Boston.

Schnitzer’s (actually Royale Pastry, NOW CLOSED)
237 W. 72nd St., New York, NEW YORK (map)
nearest subway: 72nd Street (1,2,3)
Mabel Choate brings up Jerry’s theft from “The Rye” when testifying against the gang during their trial, noting that she bought the rye from Schnitzer’s.

Garden Valley Shopping Mall (NOT REAL, based on Jersey Gardens Mall)
651 Kapowski Rd., Elizabeth, NEW JERSEY (map)
The mall is mentioned by the security guard from “The Parking Garage” while on the stand at the gang’s trial, bringing up Jerry and George’s “uromysotisis” charges.

ARGENTINA (map)
Yev Kassem (“The Soup Nazi“) mentions he had to close up shop thanks to Elaine during his testimony for the gang’s Good Samaritan Trial, and that he had to move to Argentina.

PAKISTAN (map)
Babu mentions he came to Massachusetts all the way from Pakistan for the gang’s trial, after they inadvertently had him deported in “The Visa.”

Latham County Prison
Latham County, MASSACHUSETTS (NOT REAL)
Jerry, George and Kramer are shown in prison, watching Jerry perform stand-up for the inmates. It is revealed that George is on Cell Block D, evidently separate from Jerry and Kramer.