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As everyone knows, The Sopranos ended last night. The initial reaction from most is anger - people are pissed off because they wanted more. They wanted closure, or at least a lot of violence where everyone (or almost everyone) got killed. 99% of us thought our cable went out during the last 60 seconds - don't kid yourself...you were looking at your TV, looking at your remote, and asking WTF happened to the cable/satellite?
My first reaction to the ending was "that sucks". But as some time passed, I changed my opinion; the ending was actually very fitting. Before I get into it, what most people fail to realize - especially people who just jumped on the "bandwagon" during the last few seasons - is that The Sopranos was never a show about violence and killing. Sure, there were some brilliant flashes of that stuff over the years, but at its core The Sopranos was about Tony - a father, a tortured son, an imperfect husband, a person struggling with depression and other mental issues, and head of a crime family. It was about his trials and tribulations in each of those areas as he moved through life. And for the most part, we liked him. Sure he was a cold-blooded killer...but no one can argue that despite his shortcomings and moral deficit he really did care about his family. And a few times every season he did things that made you think "hey, he could have been a good guy given different circumstances".
So most of the people who complain don't get what the show was about - they just wanted to see two mafia families kill each other in a bloody, violent, tragic end.
"You probably don't even hear it when it happens, right?" - Bobby Bacala
Fade to black. There are really only two things that could have happened at the end - life goes on for The Sopranos, much as it started with the family sitting around the table for dinner, trying to be as normal as they could for the family that they are.
Or, Tony was shot in the head as Meadow walked through the door to the diner (shout out to Bloomfield, for all my NJ readers - did you guys catch that?).
What do I think? First, I know anything can happen if they decide to make a movie or add to the show...the ending was such that Chase could craft any kind of continuing storyline he wants. But, if you look at the episode - and the series - for what it is without speculating on the future, then (in my opinion) it is obvious that Tony was killed.
Bobby's words from two episodes back - also highlighted at the end of last week's episode - were foreshadowing to the event. David Chase built the tension in all of us during the last 5-minutes; we were looking at the situation through Tony's eyes...understanding what it was like to be in his shoes. What about the guy in the hat? What about the guy at the counter who got up and went to the bathroom? What about the guy that walked in before A.J.? What about the two black guys (long time viewers - remember the last time two black guys tried to kill Tony?)? It was tense, and you were on the edge of your seat just like me. Every time the door to the diner opened and the bell rang, we all said
"f*ck".
I think the last time the door opened Tony looked up and saw Meadow walking in - and then he was shot in the head. There was no sound because we were seeing things from Tony's point of view - he would not have heard the gunshot before the bullet killed him (physics, people). Things would simply fade to black.
You probably don't even hear it when it happens, right?Sure, "Don’t Stop Believin’" was playing on the jukebox - but that is not enough to sway me. It was a brilliant choice, however. And A.J. telling Tony "Isn't that what you said one time, try to remember the times that were good?"...a nice touch.
But Tony took one to the head.
There were other loose ends to discuss - is Paulie a rat? Did he flip? His actions and everything he did - and didn't do - point to yes, and Tony probably should have killed him on the boat earlier this season. And what was with the cat? Was it a reincarnated Adriana? Or Christopher? Or did it drive home the "rat analogy" because it was stalking Paulie?
But back to the ending - I can actually see my scenario playing out if they ever make a movie. Picture this - Tony was killed in front of his family. Fast forward five years...A.J. took it the hardest, and harnessed all of that bitterness and anger and ultimately killed the people that killed his father. And once he started down that road, there was no turning back...it became his life, and he worked his way up. The movie (or series) could pick-up with him as a Captain, and fully immersed and following in Tony's footsteps. Hell, that could be another 8 years worth of shows right there.
So, in the end I thought it was a fitting end to a great series.
note - it was great to see Phil get clipped. That was closure we all needed.
“I think people can relate to a lot of these characters. They say, 'Oh, I am sort of like that, and my kids go through stuff like that, and I had to deal with that.' And then Tony Soprano goes and kills somebody.” - Edie Falco
“Tony Soprano is an everyday kind of guy, bringing up teen-agers, having a daughter, trying to get her into a good school. God, half of America can deal with that.” - Lorraine Bracco
"To the people I love. Nothing else matters." - Tony Soprano
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