I just watched the finale yesterday, and since I've never been engaged in a discussion about The Sopranos, I figured I'd start one for all the fans. If you've already discussed it until you're blue in the face, feel free to sit this one out. It's all very new to me and I feel like talking about it, so there!

General: It goes without saying that the acting, writing, and direction of The Sopranos is top notch across the board. I'm not sure exactly where it ranks among my favourite shows quite yet, but it's definitely somewhere in the top three along with The Wire and Battlestar Galactica. I wasn't as excited from episode to episode with The Sopranos as I've been for other shows, but that isn't really the show's style, so it makes sense. In any case I can't say enough about the show, and I'm super glad I finally got around to watching it.

The Ending: May as well get it out of the way early as I assume most people will want express their thoughts on the closing scene of the series. I admit that in the moment, it was pretty jarring, which is especially telling when you consider I already had a general idea of how it ended. Tony hears the bell for the fourth of fifth time in the scene, he looks up and...nothing. Ten seconds of silent darkness. What just happened?

My natural tendency when a show, movie, or book ends somewhat ambiguously is not to say, "Ummm, wtf was that, nothing happened," but rather, "Hmm, I wonder what that means, because it obviously represents something." I highly doubt the creators of the show meant to leave their loyal viewers pissed off about a non-ending, so this means the blackness serves a specific purpose.

It's possible that this has been discussed ad nauseam in OT, meaning I could be stating the obvious, but I think it's fairly clear that Tony dies in the final scene, and the jump-cut to silence and nothingness is our shared experience of his death. That is to say, he 'doesn't hear or see it coming', which is something that Bobby says to Tony in an earlier episode and, more importantly, Tony flashes back to in the second last episode of the series when he climbs into the safe-house bed clutching his assault rifle.

So who kills him then? And why? The who is probably the guy who walks into the diner just in front of AJ. He sits at the bar and the direction definitely draws our attention to the fact that he's watching Tony pretty closely. He then walks by the table and veers off to the bathroom about a minute before the cut occurs.

Presumably, he walks out of the bathroom and shoots Tony in the head, thus ending the show. Why? Who knows. Tony made too many enemies and his violent death was inevitable, so why does it really matter? "This thing of ours ends in death or prison," numerous characters often say throughout the show; we know Tony didn't end up in prison, so one last look up at his daughter and then...

Favourite Scene: There are too many to just pick one, really. I'm probably being biased towards the later seasons because those are fresher for me right now, but the moments leading up to Christopher's death are brilliant. There isn't a better song for that scene than 'Comfortably Numb', which echos Chrissy's struggle with drugs and life in general. The acting, the mood, the way Tony looks at him with such calculated disgust, the end result...everything about the scene is fantastic.

Favourite Character: My pick for best scene might also stem from this bias, but my favourite character and the guy I found most interesting was Chrissy. Maybe it's because his problems seemed more real and severe than Tony's, who mainly used his 'depression' as a crutch when things weren't going his way. Whatever the case, I never got sick of Chris and I always wanted more of his story. Also, he was just as badass as Tony, imo. He got any girl he wanted and he didn't take shit from anybody. Kid had heart.

Least Favourite Character: AJ, by far. I don't even think his character arc made sense, and the whole, "The world is such a fucked up place!" was way too overdramatic for me. AJ sucked and, contrary to Chrissy, I just wished there was less of him. The Blanca ordeal way overreached - they were barely onscreen together and then all of the sudden we're supposed to feel the devastation? I just never cared for him, or what happened to him, even remotely, and I felt like that for very few characters on the show. I either hated or loved, but with AJ I was indifferent, which is a testament to how lame he was.

Most Disappointing Character: The mercurial Junior was easily one of my favourite characters through the first half of the show, but due to his descent into madness, he's barely in the last two seasons at all. Probably the funniest character, I understand Junior's arc but I really wish it could have been different, because I definitely missed him as the show wrapped up. I mean yes, he was there, and the scenes he did have were kinda funny, but he wasn't the same.

Annnnd I'm spent. Feel free to give your own answers to the topics I discussed and/or add new ones. Arguments, disagreements, and general comments are also encouraged!

There is another scene earlier in the final season that points towards the "you don't hear it comin'" explanation. When Silvio is at a NY restaurant w/ Gerry Torciano when he gets aced, the blood hits Sil's face before he hears the gunshot. He later explains it to Tony, how he didn't know what happened until after it happened.

edit: also, i can't remember who .. but somebody posted an essay regarding this some months back. it was an excellent read.

 

Originally Posted by Johnny Slippy

Ending theory I choose to believe: You (the viewer) got whacked. A zillion people sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what happened just got offed themselves. I can deal with this. WP.

I don't really like this at all, because we as viewers are never once part of the show itself, so why should that be the case in the last few seconds? On more than one occasion, however, we as viewers are very much privy to Tony's point of view (in his dreams, his fantasies, his coma, and we pretty much see the world from his perspective), so it makes much more sense to me that we are with Tony in the end.

 

Originally Posted by Johnny Slippy

Sadly, I think the real story behind the ending is that he wanted to kill Tony, but he didn't have the balls to show it, and possibly miss out on more Sopranos money in the future, with a movie and whatnot.

I don't know, I kinda doubt that. If there was to be a movie, why hasn't it been made already? I doubt there would have been a lack of funding or any unwilling cast members. As a fan, I think it took more balls to leave clues as to what happened and let the viewer figure it out as opposed to splattering Tony's brains all over his family in vivid detail.

Never really thought about Tony having been killed in the end. Interesting possibility tho.

Also never understood so many people were so disappointed with the ending. I judge a show by the whole series, not on the last 5 minutes, or last 5 episodes for that matter, actually even liked the song playing when it ended, thought it was pretty fitting.

Of hand I would have to say a few of my favorite scenes in addition to the one Bubba mentions above where Chrissy died.

-When Chrissy is drugged out, sits on Adriannas dog and kills it.

-When Tony manges to take out the 2 "girls from the hood" that were trying to kill him.

-When Tony is on pitote (SP?) in Vegas and triples up in BJ and starts rolling around on the floor high realizing Chrssy died.

I didnt mind AJs charactor, always felt it was interesting that Tony as the head of the mob had a pussy for a son who basically skated by life on his dads cash and cred.

Truly a well written and great show, was sad to see it end, think they could got a few more seasons out of it without being boring or dragged out.

I didn't say it would be a GOOD movie, just a way for Chase to line his pockets some more. I hope I'm wrong about that. I just always assume the worst about people. Don't mind me.

I'm actually in the minority in that I liked the ending, I thought it was pretty cool. Well done and different. Anyone else think Meadow was the one who was going down?

 

Originally Posted by freeworld777

I agree with Pauly Walnuts and think it was just left open for us to decide, no definitive or correct theory

See, I don't really know how I feel about this. I just don't think ambiguity fits with Tony's story, or the clues leading up to his final minutes on screen. To me, there's a reason it's a jump-cut and ten seconds of nothingness. If it was meant to represent nothing in particular, then why not just fade out with the music and the atmosphere of the diner in the background?

meh, not really, not even close, imo. we get put in many many many other character's POV. junior plotting to kill him with help from livia.

Tony is clearly the dominant character but it's not even close to being a show that revolved around his POV

 

Originally Posted by dolphin13

meh, not really, not even close, imo. we get put in many many many other character's POV. junior plotting to kill him with help from livia.

Tony is clearly the dominant character but it's not even close to being a show that revolved around his POV

You're kinda right. I mean, the show obviously isn't 100% from Tony's POV - other things happen and we do get the perspective of different characters from time to time - however Tony's POV does dominate the majority of the show. Specifically, though, the last scene is very deliberately shot to establish that were are seeing things from Tony's direct POV.

 

Originally Posted by BubbaKGB

You're kinda right. I mean, the show obviously isn't 100% from Tony's POV - other things happen and we do get the perspective of different characters from time to time - however Tony's POV does dominate the majority of the show. Specifically, though, the last scene is very deliberately shot to establish that were are seeing things from Tony's direct POV.

meh, you could say that about 90 percent of shows and movies, no?

 

Originally Posted by dolphin13

meh, you could say that about 90 percent of shows and movies, no?

Lol, what? What kind of counter argument is that? No, you cannot say that about 90% of movies and shows. Also, my main point is about the POV in the last scene, specifically, so I'm not sure why you're mega-generalizing.

I believe that we, the viewers, got wacked... we never saw it coming either.

But maybe Tony got killed that would be an easier explanation

 

Originally Posted by Randers

lol at 'meh'.

He finds out about every side situation. He's the boss ffs.

did he find out about the rape? can't remember

 

Originally Posted by dolphin13

bug in lamp

I'll buy the pov for the last scene but not the entire show. This show had some of the best character development of any in the history of television and to call it a POV show for Tony Soprano just is not the case.

I'll agree that it is the best character development in the history of television but the only relevant pieces of the character are the ones that are directly affected by Tony (or affect Tony).

We get dream sequences, psychiatrist meetings, flashbacks etc etc with Tony.

I might be wrong but I believe the only POV shots in the entire series are from Tony's POV

 

Originally Posted by Randers

I'll agree that it is the best character development in the history of television but the only relevant pieces of the character are the ones that are directly affected by Tony (or affect Tony).

We get dream sequences, psychiatrist meetings, flashbacks etc etc with Tony.

I might be wrong but I believe the only POV shots in the entire series are from Tony's POV

I agree that 99% of the show was from tony's pov.. however there was a dream w/ Dr. Melfi where she sees tony crash his car and die.

And I looked at the final scene as letting us in on what its like to be Tony, every noise is noticed, each time the door opens there is a moment of tension, we notice the guy at the bar, ect

then as we start to get a little comfortable with everything.. black.

As far as Chase, I believe he wacked us because he was tired of everyone bitching about his amazing show. Theres not enough blood, kill someone already, the ending better be epic, blah blah
"gfy die"

so let me ask you this bubba and randers.

Why "Don't stop believing"?

If the POV was used for a reason, why this song?