Nothing, Forever, the machine-generated parody of the ‘90s sitcom Seinfeld, has returned to Twitch following a brief hiatus resulting from transphobic jokes. However, the new season is not quite the same as the original, and fans are unhappy with the recasting of the show’s main cast. The show, which runs 24/7/365, became popular due to its resemblance to Seinfeld, and its bizarre humor, fuzzy graphics, and odd camera placements. The first season was enjoyed by many viewers, but its popularity was flushed down the drain when its main character, Larry Feinberg, made transphobic jokes, leading Twitch to temporarily ban the channel hosting the show.
Changes to the show
Nothing, Forever is back now, but things are noticeably different in season two. One of the most significant changes made to the show is the recasting of Larry, who has been replaced by Leo Borges. Leo is a glasses-wearing individual who looks like Seinfeld but is a blogger instead of a stand-up comedian. Now, each “episode” begins with Leo writing a post about a totally random subject on his website, Borges’s Boredom Board. The rest of the original cast members have also been recast, with Kramer (Zoltan Kakler) now Nick Sterling, Elaine (Yvonne Torres) is now Kelly Coffee, and George (Fred Kastopolous) is now Manfred Freeman. Despite the characters still sauntering around their New York-esque apartment and laugh tracks still being present, much of what made Nothing, Forever entertaining has been stamped out. They frequently talk about a pizza place they never actually visit, and the jokes are not as nonsensical nor are the conversations as hilarious as they were before.
Although the show still has some funny moments, the magic that it originally had when it was a parody of Seinfeld is no longer there. The show feels neutered, and it has lost its meta-humor. Since the show’s return to Twitch on March 8th, the viewership has decreased noticeably, and many viewers are expressing their disappointment that Larry is gone. Fans across Twitch and Discord are clamoring for Larry to come back, and many viewers say that the new season feels like a cheap knockoff.
Viewer Feedback
“[IDK] man, it feels like the soul has been sucked out,” a Discord chatter said. “And this is some cheap knockoff.” “The magic is gone,” said a viewer in the Twitch chat. “I’m out.” “Part of the humor [in Nothing, Forever] came from the contrast between the characterization of Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer versus their AI counterparts if you were familiar with actual Seinfeld,” a Discord user said of season two. “But now they seem so [nondescript] you lose that meta humor.”
While the creators of Mismatch Media, the firm behind Nothing, Forever, are present in the Nothing, Forever Discord server, they haven’t posted much of anything since announcing the show’s March 8 return to Twitch. A moderator who has reportedly been in contact with Mismatch Media said that the team is both “going to continue developing the show to bring the best things to the community” and “very much understands everyone’s sadness about the old characters”.
Despite this, some viewers think the “shit is ass” with Larry no longer around. It’s worth noting that machine-learning technologies like those that power Nothing, Forever are adaptable. It’s possible that season two could grow to become just as entertaining as the first season or surpass it altogether. That remains to be seen. For now, however, everyone wants Larry back.
“Larry, we need you to come back,” a chatter on Twitch said. “Just please don’t get banned again.”
Conclusion
Nothing, Forever is a machine-generated parody of Seinfeld that caught the attention of the internet for its bizarre humor, fuzzy graphics, and odd camera placements. The first season was enjoyed by many viewers, but due to the transphobic jokes, Twitch temporarily banned the channel hosting the show. Now, the show has returned with a new season that is different from the original. The recasting of the main cast and the loss of the parody element has resulted in a dip in viewership, and many viewers are calling for Larry, the show’s main character, to come back. While machine-learning technologies such as those used to create Nothing, Forever are adaptable, viewers hope that the show will regain its magic with Larry’s return.
