I sorta liked it. It was unsatisfying, sure, but I think that was the point. That whole final scene in the restaurant was so tense, with the audience absolutely waiting for something to happen, and then...
That's the tension and unsatisfying resolutions these characters live with. Yeah, ok, so it wasn't mindblowing. But it was weirdly appropriate.
4 People who say that are overly focused on the last two minutes, and not on the 60 that preceded it, which were undeniably brilliant, funny and tense.
There is a resolution, too, if you think about it. The kids are on their way. And Tony is going to prison, sooner rather than later. We just didn't see the slow grinding wheel; we just get to imagine it.
You could see how much Phil's lieutenants had lost their taste for all the bloodshed. The expression on the one guy's face after he finished his call on his cellphone, which had started in Little Italy and ended in Chinatown, was quite telling.
I don't need nice endings to everything in life as I have found out that life doesn't have nice endings. Life just ends.
Most real life mob bosses, other than Carlo Gambino--had their "professional" lives end in prison or death. There was an ending, and a "passing fo the guard" to the new boss.
I think it would have been very compelling to at least see the transition of power. Instead, it just ends with the same ole Tony.
The lead up to the Lady or the Tiger ending was good. AJ is AJ; no epiphany that can't be bought out by comforts of the flesh. But the ending was the ending, except that it wasn't. And to the dulcet tones of Journey?
I liked it. The tension in the final scene was huge. And I don't know 100 percent that it was a bloodbath, but that's certainly the implication I got. So other than sparing us the gore, I don't see the problem. If it wasn't a bloodbath, if it was as 6 said, then so be it. Either way, it's an ending for Tony.
Meanwhile, if you thought Chase was going to end things neatly, you haven't been watching the show.
I liked it. I'm glad they didn't pander to the audience by wrapping up everything all nice and neat with a ribbon. Regardless of the way the final scene functioned as a series ender, I thought the scene itself was rather brilliant.
Those of you who didn't like this ending should probably avoid seeing the film that likely inspired it, "Limbo."
I guess it was inevitable that both of Tony's kids, rebellious as they were at times, ended up going the sellout route and not landing very far from the tree at all. Both appear set to live their lives as business extensions of the Soprano empire -- A.J. running the clubs where the dirty deeds are done, and Meadow defending mobsters.
I wasn't looking for a ribbon. I was looking for an end. The Lady or the Tiger ending isn't new, and if it's more respectable than the It was all a dream! ending, it can't be by too much.
I also liked that the final scene referenced what is IMO the finest scene in the whole series run -- the scene where the family eats dinner at Vesuvio during a power outage.
I think it would have been very compelling to at least see the transition of power. Instead, it just ends with the same ole Tony.
As Tony said to Melfi way back in Season One: He "came in at de end." There is no transition possible. It's "no exit."
I thought about the blackout as Tony's sudden death, but now I don't think so. Like Bob said, Butchie and the rest of Frank's surviving crew had no reason any more to seek Tony's death. Phil wanted him dead for personal reasons. Butchie is happy as long as he's making money. If Tony was hit, who would've sanctioned it?
For several years I'd been telling people that I would have liked to see Tony knocked off midway through the first season, so we could get a few episodes' worth of Christopher as boss. But if Tony was going to last until the end, this was as good an ending as any.
I loved it. The ending sums up the entire series, incredible tension and then anticlimax. That Meadow and AJ sold out is no surprise, AJ's new found awareness moved him towards "good person" and Chase doesn't think many of them exist. The finale of "Sopranos" seasons are always less action packed then the penultimate episodes, so this was no surprise.
It was a great episode and the perfect ending. It is all things to all people, including a reason to gripe and complain for all the people that knew it couldn't live up to the hype. This is a middle finger to people who want resolution, and bravo to Chase for that. I don't think anything happened, I don't think there will be a movie and generally think that was a great ending.
I figured the finale would go something like this (or was hoping it would):
Tony's convicted of RICO and sentenced to 50yrs (essentially life)--early in the episode. Then he's taken to his own cell and we see him in a dark, solitary state. Just staring--afterall he's a calculating psychopath. The rest of the episode involves Tony flashing back to his past life, and the paths it took. The audience begins to believes Tony's having his own personal awakening, coming to a realization that everything his life stood for was wrong. Acts, acquaintances, everything...Then the swerve comes in the last scene--Tony's told to get out of the cell and go into the visiting era. There he meets Paulie sitting on the other side of the glass--and they start talking and the audiences relizes that Tony hasnt changed at all. He's still running the mob, only from prison (which lots of real life mobsters did). Fade out. The End.
Now, that would have given the people that wanted Tony to get his punishment, some fufillment and closure. And those that rooted for him, also closure since he never gives up power and still runs things to the end.
The New York crew had reason to want Tony dead. He was the only leader left in NJ. Kill Tony, and you can steamroll the rest. There's no such thing as enough money.
Thinking about it, I believe this is the third series finale I've ever seen. As an episode, it was better than either of the other two. As an end, it was only better than The West Wing.
The other I remember seeing was the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The other series finales I've seen are Deadwood, Six Feet Under, Seinfeld, Cheers, Homicide, and My So-Called Life. Of those, Six Feet Under was easily the best. The last 15 minutes of that episode were pure gold. Cheers and especially Seinfeld were terrible. I think Homicide and MSCL didn't know they were getting canceled, so their series finales weren't written as such.
"Homicide" had a TV movie to wrap it up, but it just wasn't quite as good as the series for some reason. Probably because Giardello was in a coma for most of the episode.
JFC was a pleasant surprise, as the buzz around it was decidedly mixed. People made it sound like it was Twin Peaks Squared, but it left me wanting to see more rather than not wanting to bother.
The ending to the Fugitive was kind of interesting as I recall. The entire series was in black and white, but the finale was in color. The finale was shown in August, because they had canceled the series and decided they couldn't just keep it unresolved. I was only 11 or so, and I was a huge fan of the show, but the finale was boring and anticlimactic. Kimble said there was a one-armed man, and sure enough, there was a one-armed man. Catch him! Hurry! He's getting away! There he is! Shoot him!
There are lots of great novels, plays and movies with weak endings. "The Great Gatsby" and "Brothers Karamazov"-type endings are hard.
"The Sopranos" ending is going to be debated by fans, because the show drew two kinds of fans: Mob movie fans, and fans who got into it because they actually got into the character development, the symbolism, and the individual storylines. The former group is pissed off. The latter is more likely to be satisfied with it.
33
In "The Fugitive", the One-Armed Man had been seen in several episodes. But he always got away. Much in the way, Dr. Kimble always got away from Gerard.
I believe the whole final season was in color. I believe the finale was filmed at either Pacific Ocean Park or the Long Beach Pike.
I loved the ending of the Sopranos. I think it was ballsy.
Did Tony get shot? Is there going to be a film? The completely open ending is great. It is obviously a very socially conscious show and we really have no idea what is in store for the future, just like the Sopranos. The expectations were so high that they could probably never meet them, so they went the complete opposite way.
Of all the series finales I've ever seen, I'll agree with the consensus that Six Feet Under was the best. Seinfeld, Cheers and Friends were terrible (although Cheers had a good final scene). The West Wing was meh. Larry Sanders was very good. Strangely, I never saw the finale of Buffy, although I was a big fan of that series for a while.
Homicide had a terrific final scene, ending with one of the characters repeating the same line he had said in the very first scene of the premiere episode, which was also a line from the book the series was based on. Very rewarding for the long-time viewers.
The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" finale was as good as it possibly could have been considering that it was only an hour (should have been two) and the whole season that preceded it sucked hardcore. I thought the final metaphor of Buffy handing her powers to all of the young women of the world was just right.
I'm sure it's not one that leaps immediately to most people's minds, but the last episode of the old Adult Swim show "Home Movies" was perfect. It was called "Focus Grill" and it makes me cry every time. If you're a fan, you know what I mean.
All of the "Star Trek" finales were kind of disappointing. The "Next Gen" one was too much Picard to the detriment of all the other cast members, the "DS9" one ended with a completely anticlimactic wrestling match between Captain Sisko and Gul Dukat, the "Voyager" one ripped off "All Good Things..." and didn't even show them arriving home, really, and we all know how I feel about the last "Enterprise."
I watched the last "Everybody Loves Raymond" with my mom and I remember thinking that for most shows, that's the right way to go -- just try and do a good episode and forget about making a big deal out of every last thing. That said, while most people hated the "Seinfeld" finale, I thought it was great. It forced the viewers to deal with how repulsive these characters who had become like loved ones to them really were.
One finale I remember not liking was The Wonder Years swan song. IIRC, the show got canceled mid-season, so they just through the finale together at the last minute. It seemed rushed and premature. I also remember being sad that Kevin and Winnie didn't end up together.
The first half of the one-hour Wonder Years finale was bad, but the second half was very good.
I disagree that the final season of Buffy sucked. It wasn't their best but I liked it. Buffy's lowpoint was the villain Glory, who was grating beyond belief.
If you guys are expanding the discussion of finales, how have St. Elsewhere and Newhart not come up? MASH was both good and bad - Hawkeye's thing was a bit much.
When you get shot in the head, the world probably goes black in an instant. I would imagine that is how it was for Phil when he was blown away standing next to the Van.
Perhaps the final few seconds of The Sopranos was from Tony's point of view. He looks up to see who walks through the door, when instantly he is shot in the head and is dead, hence the world going black or the episode going black and silent for the viewers.
I go back and forth, but right now I have the "Buffy" seasons ranked 3-6-4-2-5-1-7. Glory was deeply annoying (and hugely overused), but there was a lot of good relationship stuff in Season Five. It would have been terrible if "The Gift" had been the series finale, would have sent entirely the wrong message.
I'm a little too young to remember many of the shows you mentioned, Jon, but I do remember "Newhart." That was one of my favorites when I was a little kid (LOVED me some Larry, Darryl, and Darryl) and I have a very clear memory of sneaking down to the basement to watch the finale on an old black-and-white TV because I was grounded at the time and not supposed to be watching. Having never seen "The Bob Newhart Show," the full signficance of the ending was lost on me, but I still loved it. When all of the characters were selling out to the rich developers, George was going to use his money to start Handyman World. That was funny in 1990 and it's still funny today.
Not a fan of the last episode of the Sopranos. A friend of a friend saw an article where Chase confirms the "never saw it coming" angle, which means that Tony got whacked. (Though I don't have a link or anything -- so the friend of my friend may be BS-ing.) Anyways, if that was the case, it would have been so much better if you simply heard a gunshot as the screen went black. Instead, you're left wondering. Which is ok, I guess. Especially if they want to milk more money from it down the road.
I thought the whole episode was kind of lame. Too much time spent on AJ being a whiny little punk. The last few episodes were way better.
Anyways, as for other series finales:
Seinfeld: Other than the last 2 minutes, hated it. (Jerry's standup in jail was good) That was the only scene that continued the pace and the spirit of the show. The great majority of the episode was characters from season's past taking the spotlight while the main four characters we loved sat silent. Why couldn't you put Kramer on the stand?!
Cheers: OK
Raymond: Great
Wonder: Very Good
Night Court: I remember being disappointed
Newhart: Great
Friends: Weak but at least there was closure
Third Watch: (did anyone else watch this show? This series ended with one of those season finale types that was re-configured as a series ender) I thought it solid.
I thought the Seinfeld finale was fine. Seinfeld was a show that wasnt exactly based on continuity or plot (from episode to episode i mean---each show had its individual plot), so just having 1 silly episode to end the whole thing seemed fine. I dont think anyone needs "closure" for a sketch comedy like Seinfeld.
One of my favorite touches of the season finale of "The Sopranos" was AJ recitinig a Yeats poem and then telling everybody it was by "Yeets" until another guy, who looked far less pretentious, tells him "You mean 'Yates'?"
They made a point of replaying the Tony and Bobby conversation about never hearing it coming in the penultimate episode, so I think this was both Tony and the audience getting whacked. I liked it.
Took an hour or so to come to grips with the ending. I certainly yelled at the TV and was left wanting. But then that was the series. And I think it was kind of the point of the series. This mobster had an everyman suburban life (wife, 2 kids, shrink, SUV) that was 90% normal but had bouts of serious mayhem. Thing was, he didn't always know when the mayhem would intrude on his normal family life. And that was the final scene. Just a dinner with his family with mayhem peeking around the corner. I thought it was fitting.
64 A teenager's grandmother at 47 is a little bit stretchy, but I guess she's playing a character in her 50s. I was more reflecting on how old I am now, because Risky Business was one of the first R-rated movies I saw when I was a kid.
She's pretty good-looking for 47, though. She's my second favorite 40-something babe, after Mary-Louise Parker.
I guess it was inevitable that both of Tony's kids, rebellious as they were at times, ended up going the sellout route and not landing very far from the tree at all.
i thought that part was pretty lame & sad, specially the son. Hopefully in the movie he'll wise up.
"So here is what I found out. The guy at the bar is also credited as Nikki Leotardo. The same actor played him in the first part of season 6 during a brief sit down concerning the future of Vito. That wasn't that long ago. Apparently, he is the nephew of Phil. Phil's brother Nikki Senior was killed in 1976 in a car accident. Absolutely Genius!!!! David Chase is truly rewarding the true fans who pay attention to detail.
So the point would have been that life continues and we may never know the end of the Sopranos. But if you pay attention to the history, you will find that all the answers lie in the characters in the restaurant. The trucker was the brother of the guy who was robbed by Christopher in Season 2. Remember the DVD players? The trucker had to identify the body. The boy scouts were in the train store and the black guys at the end were the ones who tried to kill Tony and only clipped him in the ear (was that season 2 or 3?)."
Most television is theatrical. The audience watches events unfold that carve out a narrative arc. If they audience likes the show if they find the events amusing. If they don't like the events, or don't find them interesting, they're disappointed. Like in a theater, there is a distance from the stage actors and the audience watches from somewhere from the outside onstage world. The enjoyment of the program is tied to seeing something happen. It's sort of voyeuristic. Like a horse race, the audience is primarily interested in the result and not the path to the result.
Reading people's reactions to the Sopranos finale both here and other places around the Internet, it seems that criticism of the final episode is of the result of the horse race and not the way it unfolded. People wanted to see a a different horse win, or maybe just to know for sure which horse actually won. For me, what was solid about the finale was the way that the viewer was engaged emotionally in the characters. It's wasn't about the "what", but about the "how" and "why", which are more interesting questions anyway.
Unlike most television, The Sopranos was more akin to literature than theater. The actual events or results of the narrative weren't the central focus of the drama. Instead, the characters emotions and inner conflicts are what made the show so gripping. Literature is a more immersive medium, giving access to deeper layers of character and narrative. Chase could have written any number of onscreen situations as the last "event" to happen to the Sopranos and the last scene unfolded would have been just as engaging and entertaining. Take away the techniques of editing, pacing, sound, photography, and performance that made that scene so good, and even the coolest, more interesting event would have been far more dull and boring than the dramatic ending we witnessed.
I think the ending worked very well. I understand why people found problems with it, but its execution [no pun] was handled with skill and care.
74
Thanks for that. I recognized some of the people, but could not figure out who they were. That goes very far in cementing what I think the ending meant.
Apparently, New York Times tv critic interviewed people from HBO and they said none of the people in the diner were from past seasons. I think they were made to resemble characters.
I feel obliged to point out that when I opened up the shower this morning, Victoria Principal was my wife, and she told me "The Sopranos" never existed. There is no HBO show of that name.
The black guys that were hired to hit Tony was season 1. And I believe the trucker with the DVD players was also season 1. I know this because that is the only season I have seen. I'm just now working my way through the Soprano's DVDs on Netflix. It's hard to imagine either of those 2 groups doing anything this much later (how much "real time" passed during the Soprano's run anyway?)
The Sopranos has pretty much been done in real time. 9/11 happened during the series and was referenced.
In the final episode, some gas stations are shown with prices of $2.45 per gallon, which would be about right for last summer or fall in the Northeast.
Hmmm
Lame.
Avoiding the Seinfeld backlash by just cutting it off, midstream. Gutsy. Most people will not concur.
Sadly, not an exaggeration.
That's the tension and unsatisfying resolutions these characters live with. Yeah, ok, so it wasn't mindblowing. But it was weirdly appropriate.
I liked John from Cincinnati too.
There is a resolution, too, if you think about it. The kids are on their way. And Tony is going to prison, sooner rather than later. We just didn't see the slow grinding wheel; we just get to imagine it.
I hope Lost doesnt end like that.
I don't need nice endings to everything in life as I have found out that life doesn't have nice endings. Life just ends.
The show was just over.
I think it would have been very compelling to at least see the transition of power. Instead, it just ends with the same ole Tony.
Journey! Thanks, but no thanks.
Meanwhile, if you thought Chase was going to end things neatly, you haven't been watching the show.
Those of you who didn't like this ending should probably avoid seeing the film that likely inspired it, "Limbo."
Or maybe it was Frank Stockton after all.
As Tony said to Melfi way back in Season One: He "came in at de end." There is no transition possible. It's "no exit."
I thought about the blackout as Tony's sudden death, but now I don't think so. Like Bob said, Butchie and the rest of Frank's surviving crew had no reason any more to seek Tony's death. Phil wanted him dead for personal reasons. Butchie is happy as long as he's making money. If Tony was hit, who would've sanctioned it?
It was a great episode and the perfect ending. It is all things to all people, including a reason to gripe and complain for all the people that knew it couldn't live up to the hype. This is a middle finger to people who want resolution, and bravo to Chase for that. I don't think anything happened, I don't think there will be a movie and generally think that was a great ending.
"Don't stop- believing!"
I figured the finale would go something like this (or was hoping it would):
Tony's convicted of RICO and sentenced to 50yrs (essentially life)--early in the episode. Then he's taken to his own cell and we see him in a dark, solitary state. Just staring--afterall he's a calculating psychopath. The rest of the episode involves Tony flashing back to his past life, and the paths it took. The audience begins to believes Tony's having his own personal awakening, coming to a realization that everything his life stood for was wrong. Acts, acquaintances, everything...Then the swerve comes in the last scene--Tony's told to get out of the cell and go into the visiting era. There he meets Paulie sitting on the other side of the glass--and they start talking and the audiences relizes that Tony hasnt changed at all. He's still running the mob, only from prison (which lots of real life mobsters did). Fade out. The End.
Now, that would have given the people that wanted Tony to get his punishment, some fufillment and closure. And those that rooted for him, also closure since he never gives up power and still runs things to the end.
I'll guess i'll just imagine that happened.
Thank you David Chase.
The other I remember seeing was the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
It wasn't all that great.
"The Sopranos" finale was almost the complete opposite of the "Six Feet Under" finale, where EVERYTHING was wrapped up. Even in to the future.
Yeah, I hate that. Except they did it so well.
Or maybe I have a kind mirror in my home.
http://blog.nj.com/alltv/2007/06/sopranos_rewind_made_in_americ.html
There are lots of great novels, plays and movies with weak endings. "The Great Gatsby" and "Brothers Karamazov"-type endings are hard.
"The Sopranos" ending is going to be debated by fans, because the show drew two kinds of fans: Mob movie fans, and fans who got into it because they actually got into the character development, the symbolism, and the individual storylines. The former group is pissed off. The latter is more likely to be satisfied with it.
/end insightful analysis.
"Get the muthergrabbing surfboard and filth flarney muthergrabbers Mitchie is a woopty floodoo sonofabalderdash muthergrabber!"
It was a bit much, even for Milch. But the show looks decent.
In "The Fugitive", the One-Armed Man had been seen in several episodes. But he always got away. Much in the way, Dr. Kimble always got away from Gerard.
I believe the whole final season was in color. I believe the finale was filmed at either Pacific Ocean Park or the Long Beach Pike.
I thought the profanity was much more restrained than "Deadwood."
I love swearing. I think it's the bee's knees. Yay swearing! It was just soooo over the top.
Look at me. A prude for the first time.
It was a mistake to launch such an intense series five minutes after the Sopranos. I nice sorbet-like episode of Entourage would've been more like it.
Did Tony get shot? Is there going to be a film? The completely open ending is great. It is obviously a very socially conscious show and we really have no idea what is in store for the future, just like the Sopranos. The expectations were so high that they could probably never meet them, so they went the complete opposite way.
Remember the good times.
I've never seen The Sopranos, but Limbo had one of my all-time favorite endings.
Kind of appropos for Chase considering he refused to wrap up loose ends like the Russian, and Furio.
Homicide had a terrific final scene, ending with one of the characters repeating the same line he had said in the very first scene of the premiere episode, which was also a line from the book the series was based on. Very rewarding for the long-time viewers.
I'm sure it's not one that leaps immediately to most people's minds, but the last episode of the old Adult Swim show "Home Movies" was perfect. It was called "Focus Grill" and it makes me cry every time. If you're a fan, you know what I mean.
All of the "Star Trek" finales were kind of disappointing. The "Next Gen" one was too much Picard to the detriment of all the other cast members, the "DS9" one ended with a completely anticlimactic wrestling match between Captain Sisko and Gul Dukat, the "Voyager" one ripped off "All Good Things..." and didn't even show them arriving home, really, and we all know how I feel about the last "Enterprise."
I watched the last "Everybody Loves Raymond" with my mom and I remember thinking that for most shows, that's the right way to go -- just try and do a good episode and forget about making a big deal out of every last thing. That said, while most people hated the "Seinfeld" finale, I thought it was great. It forced the viewers to deal with how repulsive these characters who had become like loved ones to them really were.
One finale I remember not liking was The Wonder Years swan song. IIRC, the show got canceled mid-season, so they just through the finale together at the last minute. It seemed rushed and premature. I also remember being sad that Kevin and Winnie didn't end up together.
I disagree that the final season of Buffy sucked. It wasn't their best but I liked it. Buffy's lowpoint was the villain Glory, who was grating beyond belief.
If you guys are expanding the discussion of finales, how have St. Elsewhere and Newhart not come up? MASH was both good and bad - Hawkeye's thing was a bit much.
Perhaps the final few seconds of The Sopranos was from Tony's point of view. He looks up to see who walks through the door, when instantly he is shot in the head and is dead, hence the world going black or the episode going black and silent for the viewers.
I'm a little too young to remember many of the shows you mentioned, Jon, but I do remember "Newhart." That was one of my favorites when I was a little kid (LOVED me some Larry, Darryl, and Darryl) and I have a very clear memory of sneaking down to the basement to watch the finale on an old black-and-white TV because I was grounded at the time and not supposed to be watching. Having never seen "The Bob Newhart Show," the full signficance of the ending was lost on me, but I still loved it. When all of the characters were selling out to the rich developers, George was going to use his money to start Handyman World. That was funny in 1990 and it's still funny today.
I thought the whole episode was kind of lame. Too much time spent on AJ being a whiny little punk. The last few episodes were way better.
Anyways, as for other series finales:
Seinfeld: Other than the last 2 minutes, hated it. (Jerry's standup in jail was good) That was the only scene that continued the pace and the spirit of the show. The great majority of the episode was characters from season's past taking the spotlight while the main four characters we loved sat silent. Why couldn't you put Kramer on the stand?!
Cheers: OK
Raymond: Great
Wonder: Very Good
Night Court: I remember being disappointed
Newhart: Great
Friends: Weak but at least there was closure
Third Watch: (did anyone else watch this show? This series ended with one of those season finale types that was re-configured as a series ender) I thought it solid.
Nothing else comes to mind.
Akin to Donnie Brasco--where you dont see Al Pacino's character actually get shot, but its inferred.
55 - The value of the Seinfeld finale wasn't a closure issue. It was just the least funny episode of the series.
Rebecca DeMornay is 47, so that's not a stretch. It's not like her character is a career woman who has gone off to college.
She's pretty good-looking for 47, though. She's my second favorite 40-something babe, after Mary-Louise Parker.
13 + 17 + 17 = 47
But I believe that the character is supposed to be older.
Avoiding the Seinfeld backlash by just cutting it off, midstream. Gutsy. Most people will not concur.
i pretty much agree with you, although i did feel like somebody was gonna whack Tony in the restaurant
i thought that part was pretty lame & sad, specially the son. Hopefully in the movie he'll wise up.
http://tinyurl.com/2zvnua
How could I forget the Mary Tyler Moore finale?
Tony is living on borrowed time, he knows it, and we know it, and that's how the show ends.
"So here is what I found out. The guy at the bar is also credited as Nikki Leotardo. The same actor played him in the first part of season 6 during a brief sit down concerning the future of Vito. That wasn't that long ago. Apparently, he is the nephew of Phil. Phil's brother Nikki Senior was killed in 1976 in a car accident. Absolutely Genius!!!! David Chase is truly rewarding the true fans who pay attention to detail.
So the point would have been that life continues and we may never know the end of the Sopranos. But if you pay attention to the history, you will find that all the answers lie in the characters in the restaurant. The trucker was the brother of the guy who was robbed by Christopher in Season 2. Remember the DVD players? The trucker had to identify the body. The boy scouts were in the train store and the black guys at the end were the ones who tried to kill Tony and only clipped him in the ear (was that season 2 or 3?)."
Reading people's reactions to the Sopranos finale both here and other places around the Internet, it seems that criticism of the final episode is of the result of the horse race and not the way it unfolded. People wanted to see a a different horse win, or maybe just to know for sure which horse actually won. For me, what was solid about the finale was the way that the viewer was engaged emotionally in the characters. It's wasn't about the "what", but about the "how" and "why", which are more interesting questions anyway.
Unlike most television, The Sopranos was more akin to literature than theater. The actual events or results of the narrative weren't the central focus of the drama. Instead, the characters emotions and inner conflicts are what made the show so gripping. Literature is a more immersive medium, giving access to deeper layers of character and narrative. Chase could have written any number of onscreen situations as the last "event" to happen to the Sopranos and the last scene unfolded would have been just as engaging and entertaining. Take away the techniques of editing, pacing, sound, photography, and performance that made that scene so good, and even the coolest, more interesting event would have been far more dull and boring than the dramatic ending we witnessed.
I think the ending worked very well. I understand why people found problems with it, but its execution [no pun] was handled with skill and care.
Thanks for that. I recognized some of the people, but could not figure out who they were. That goes very far in cementing what I think the ending meant.
It was all just a dream. Go back to work, people.
In the final episode, some gas stations are shown with prices of $2.45 per gallon, which would be about right for last summer or fall in the Northeast.
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