Critics call Curb Your Enthusiasm's finale an 'intensified version' of Seinfeld

Curb Your Enthusiasm has come to an end, with Larry David going out in style and making reference to the controversial end of Seinfeld at the same time.

The Sky show's 12th season was met with much praise from critics, who likened the show's curtain call No Lessons Learned to that of David's other hit sitcom — especially because the show makes reference to the classic show both directly and indirectly. This decision from creator David was a hit with reviewers, who felt it represented a fitting end to the series.

Warning: This article contains some spoilers for the Curb Your Enthusiasm finale

Curb Your Enthusiasm ended with Larry David being put on trial, a scene reminiscent of the Seinfeld finale, and ended with the character being sent to jail. Unlike his sitcom counterparts, though, David is let off on a technicality, and is even walked out of prison by Jerry Seinfeld.

Consequence of Sound critic Jonah Krueger reflected on the episode's nods to Seinfeld overall, writing: "David’s playing the hits, both literally in the courtroom, and more subtly with the absurd subplots."

Read more: The best episodes of 'Seinfeld' as classic sitcom arrives on Netflix

The critic added: "No Lessons Learned feels like a victory lap for David’s tenure on television, his final statement of irreverence and socially (un)aware humour. David and his work have grown and morphed throughout the years, but at his core, he truly hasn’t learned anything — and somehow that’s been his greatest strength."

Variety's Daniel D'Addario shared a more balanced critique of the show closer, saying he was "surprised" that the series was using the same scenarios as Seinfeld did for its finale. The critic added: "But the finale spoke, in the main, to both the strengths and weaknesses of Curb relative to what might — had he been less ambitious in the years after — have been David’s great work.

"Seinfeld was elastic for a network show, but it had its limits. Curb, which debuted as a regular series in 2000 after first airing as a special in 1999, is as old as this century, and has moved forward by perpetually pushing limits... Larry will be missed. But he may just deserve a break."

The New Yorker's David Remnick similarly reflected on the show's legacy compared to its predecessor, writing: "David always insisted that the Seinfeld finale was fine. Pretty, pretty good, in fact.

"And so, despite all the criticism (or because of it), he has doubled down: the finale of Curb is antic, shambolic, sometimes funny, sometimes not so much, and, above all, an intensified version of its predecessor from twenty-six years ago. You didn’t like the Seinfeld finale? Well, here it is again times ten! Larry David is not about to cower."

Despite this, though, Remnick admitted to feeling that something was "out of kilter" about the finale, namely its timing and how it represents the "end of something more than the show itself".

Adding his thoughts to the matter, CNN's Brian Lowry said of the finale: "Larry David appears to pride himself on not caring what people think, which made the Curb Your Enthusiasm series finale, and the nod to criticism he received for Seinfeld’s sendoff 26 years ago, that much funnier.

"Curb always reflected David’s uniquely jaundiced and particular vision about human nature and the various acts of dishonesty, large and small, which go into dealing with other people. Perhaps because of that, using the ending to essentially re-litigate the hoopla that surrounded Seinfeld’s exit in a very different TV era felt both surprising and unexpectedly welcome – even like a bit of redemption, not that David needs or even sought that."

The Curb Your Enthusiasm finale is available to watch on Sky Go and NOW, and it will also air on Sky Comedy at 9pm on Monday, 8 April.

Watch the trailer for Curb Your Enthusiasm's final season: