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MSNBC.com Television Editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper started Test Pattern in 2003. She also operates her own pop-culture Weblog, Pop Culture Junk Mail, which began in 1999 and has earned praise from Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times. You'll occasionally see her on MSNBC cable or hear her on radio discussing the ABCs of TV.



Dissecting 'Sopranos' final scene: Questions abound

Posted: Monday, June 11, 2007 5:49 PM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under:

The comments on my first 'Sopranos' finale post are just getting too long to wade through, so let's start a new post. And let's delve more into the scene that everyone's talking about, the final scene at Holsten's, the characters who populated the diner, and the Journey song that ended the show.

The Nikki Leotardo question
People have been posting all over the Web that the guy in the diner who disappeared into the men's room was credited as Nikki Leotardo, the nephew of Phil, claiming that the same actor has appeared as Nikki before. But is that true?  This Philadelphia newspaper article interviewed Paoli Colandrea, the Italian pizzeria owner who played that character, who says he was just dubbed "Mystery Man," and that he has NOT been on the show (or any show) before. In this feature, the man claims to know what happens after the episode ends, leading some credence to the idea that he may have had ulterior motives. When I rewatched the credits, I saw Colandrea credited only as"Man in Members Only Jacket." I watched the credits twice and never saw a mention of "Nikki Leotardo."

The New York Times was one of the ones spreading this rumor, and one of their commenters claims that the guy in the Members Only Jacket was Nikki Leotardo, despite what his credit said. How they can know this, when according to the Philly article above, Colandrea was never on the show before, I have no real idea.

"Members Only" is also the name of the Sopranos episode where Uncle Junior shoots Tony.

The other extras in the diner
What about the other suspicious people in the diner? Or were they only suspicious to those who knew this was the series' final scene? A post reproduced in this Deadspin entry claims that the Cub Scouts seen in the diner were the same little boys in the model-train store when Bobby was shot last week. (Shouldn't those kids still be in 24-hour therapy, after what they saw?) It also claims that "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." It goes on to claim that the two African-American men who walk in to the diner tried to kill Tony in an earlier episode, "but only clipped him in the ear."

But at least one commenter has pointed out that one of those men was killed in his original episode. And the NY Times article I reference above says that HBO is denying that any of the characters in that final scene, Cub Scouts, truckers, African-American guys, whatever, were EVER on the show before.

Don't Stop Believin'
Every 1980s music fan instantly recognized the Journey tune, "Don't Stop Believin'" when Tony played it on the jukebox in the final scene. The guys from Journey knew it was being used, but not that it would be used in such a pivotal way. In this fun feature, keyboard player Jonathan Cain, who wrote the song along with Steve Perry and Neal Schon, reveals that he didn't tell his family in advance, watching the show along with them and waiting for his song's moment in the sun.

Tony passes up Journey's "Any Way You Want It," which as many viewers point out, could be the theme song for the episode. (The other song that is often mentioned, "You Keep Me Hangin' On," was played in the beginning of the episode. It's also been pointed out by many viewers because the lyrics so perfectly mirror how many viewers felt at the end of the episode.)

Will there be a movie?
Many viewers felt the ending scene was done as it was to set up a potential "Sopranos" movie. This Associated Press story says Chase has said he's "almost certainly not going to make a 'Sopranos' film" (but note that "almost"). Nikki Finke's May 10 column, however, makes it sound like Chase was recently inspired by thoughts of Soprano grandparents coming to the U.S., and that he may be thinking movie after all. ("Godfather 2," anyone?)

Update: Chase says no movie. Or does he?

Losing his shirt?
Some have argued for the scenario that the final scene was all a dream of Tony's. There's evidence for that. When he meets with Junior, he is wearing what appears to be a solid-colored beige shirt (partially hidden under his leather jacket). When he walks into Holsten's and stands for a second in the door, that shirt is still visible on him. It appears that he seems himself sitting at a table, and now that his jacket is off, he appears to be wearing a shirt with white stripes down the sides. Was everything from the moment he paused in the doorway a dream? Or was the light hitting his shirt in such a way that that, in combination with the jacket, the stripes were hidden?

Chase on the final scene
David Chase is (hiding out) in France at the moment, but he told New Jersey Star-Ledger TV critic Alan Sepinwall some interesting things about the ending. Sepinwall quotes Chase as saying "I have no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there ...No one was trying to be audacious, honest to God. "We did what we thought we had to do. No one was trying to blow people's minds, or thinking, 'Wow, this'll (tick) them off.' People get the impression that you're trying to (mess) with them and it's not true. You're trying to entertain them."

Assorted other "Sopranos" links:
--Home page of Holsten's, the Bloomfield, N.J. diner where it all went down. I see French fries on the menu, but as a reader pointed out, no onion rings. UPDATE: A reader points to this wonderful photo blog of Holsten's, which does in fact show onion rings...and they look pretty good, too.
--Other songs Tony rejected on the jukebox that might still have messages for him, in addition to "Any Way You Want It":  "Those Were the Days," "Only the Strong Survive," "Who Will You Run To," "Since I Don't Have You," "A Lonely Place," "I've Gotta Be Me."
--Readers point out: If you really want a lyrically complex song to dissect, earlier in the episode, in A.J.'s big scene with the SUV that burns up because he parks on leaves, Bob Dylan's "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" is playing. (Lyrics here.)
--Many viewers have claimed that the ending is the classic "Lady or the Tiger" scenario. Tony could have been looking up at Meadow, the lady, and be safe, or at the tiger, someone come to kill him. Viewers/readers fill in the ending they want, and people can argue endlessly for their side. If you want to read the entire "Lady or the Tiger" story, it's here; if it's too long, Wikipedia has a summary.
--Here's information about the specific "Twilight Zone" episode being watched in the safe house.
--Best new vocabulary word to come out of the finale, as posted by Jimbosil at Television Without Pity: "I propose a new term for the TV culture lexicon: Meadowpark (noun): An ambiguous, sudden ending to a long-running television series. 'Oh my God, did you remember that last episode of the X-Files? What a (expletive deleted) meadowpark that was...' "

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Comments

I thought that at one of the funerals it was said that Phil did not have any children. But, his wife tells the twins in the SUV to say, "Bye, bye, to Poppy"??

info_girl, USA (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:01 PM)

I think a lot of people are reading too much into the final scene. After all, what did everyone expect all week? That's right, some type of showdown between Tony and Phil. Well, Phil got whacked, so Tony emerges victorious. But his victory is a hollow one, which is part of the viewer's ominous sense of dissatisfaction. What is Tony's reward but more of the same. Survival means continuing doing what he does, because there is no "happily ever after" in his business. So there he sits eating onion rings with his three codependent enabling family members, and they go on surrounded by the destruction of others, much like Tom and Daisy Buchanan in "The Great Gatsby." Tony doesn't die at the end, but the foreboding sense of doom and paranoid anxiety the viewers experienced in the last scene is what Tony has to endure for the rest of his life. Every day he survives means nothing more than that he hasn't been whacked YET. The ending suggests that Tony's continued existence, while momentarily triumphant, is simply a postponement of the inevitable (which we all face). This is the life he's chosen, and it's the reward he reaps.

Dave Lawson (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:03 PM)

The "theories" while many, are surely ANNOYING! Let's talk about what it was... a simple ending to an amazing show! Why does everything have to "go out with a bang?!" No, it wasn't cut and dry... I think most of us could agree that we don't need to be coddled and force fed mindless plot lines. Isn't this why we enjoyed the Sopranos in the first place? It's unbelievable that people get so upset over the show, claiming this ended their respect or whatever for Chase and blah, blah, blah... Get over yourselves! Just because it didn't turn out the way you wanted it to end, doesn't mean the whole show stunk! Since when does everything need a black and white answer? I never thought there were such idiots out there who would attempt to dismantle such a great show because the ending didn't go as they had wanted it to. Isn't this one of the first things we learn as children? Things aren't always going to go your way? I hope there is NEVER a movie on the Sopranos! After the last 24 hours of too many whining over the ending, it seems it wouldn't be appreciated anyhow.

Ann WI (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:10 PM)

It seems that the main complaint here is lack of closure. I disagree. The show was always about, from the beginning, a man afraid of losing his family. The show ended with a man who understands and keeps his family together. Carmela has her house business and is now included in discussions of the other family business Meadow is a woman who knows what she wants and will keep at until she gets it right (parallel parking as a symbol) AJ is aimless but Tony understands and can deal with him. That is CLOSURE!

Tom Liberman, Saint Louis, MO (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:16 PM)

I loved the ending...it was as it should be...as it could only be. Watching it a second time just makes me laugh even more than I did the first time. Perfect.

Julia, Modesto, California (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:19 PM)

The Sopranos ending reminds of the end of side one of Abbey Road. The show stopped the same way the song "I Want You (She's So Heavy) does, without warning. I found the ending appropriate for the series. One thing that kept me interested and watching all these years was that the show wasn't formulaic like so much other television. Just like life, there are often no clear-cut endings, neatly wrapped in a package. We were allowed to look in the windows and see the life of this fictional family for eight years before they realized the curtain was open. Now the curtain is closed and we can watch something else or leave the television off for a while.

Russell Heim (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:23 PM)

Tony is alive. I don't care if Republicans stay in the White House and regain congress. Tony is alive and all is well. I can sleep safely.

Lorenzo Sonobuono (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:25 PM)

The scene in the diner, with the family eating onion rings, was concisely symbolic. Tony commented, following the rings being set upon the table, "I ordered for the table." This remark reminds that he has succeeded in fostering Carmela and the kids' surrender to the illicit pleasures afforded by the mob business. Carmela pops the whole ring into her mouth with the look of complacent and superior pleasure on her face, dutifully captured by the camera as if there were plenty of time remaining until the finale (?) massacre. AJ also pops the whole ring into his mouth, albeit with a look of inexperienced and slightly reckless indulgence. Tony pops the whole onion ring into his mouth with a look of jaded satiety. The fact that they each inhaled an entire onion ring in one motion symbolized the gluttony of being a Soprano.

Tim Fishback, Palm Springs, California (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:43 PM)

Chase pooped on our heads and calls it a hat. The audacity, and by that I mean hubris, overweening pride.

Onyx Blackman, Flatpoint HS (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:51 PM)

Feeling manipulated during the last scene at the restaurant, I turned off the TV not caring what ending David Chase decided upon. When I replayed it the next day, I wasn't surprised that David Chase hadn't given the show's fans anything.

Carrie Fernandez, San Juan PR (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:52 PM)

the guy in the USA trucker cap stirring sugar in his coffee looked like the guy who owned the sporting goods store and lost all the money in the card games...also got on the wrong side of Richie Aprile...he then had to suffer having Tony come and take stuff out of the store...and the worst cut...having to give Tony his son's car while the son was starring with Meadow in the school play...

Mike Martin, Miami, FL (Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 11:58 PM)

am i dead?

Tony, NY,NY (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 12:21 AM)

Don't you get it...it was the PERFECT ending for those of us who didn't want it to end! Now, we can envision Tony and family continuing their lives and don't have to mourn them. I can assure you that all the money that can be made off the Sopranos is not dried up and when have you ever known Hollywood to throw away a chance to make MORE money. Enjoy the onion rings, Tony!! Looking forward to seeing you and the crew in a few years...whether it's on the big screen or the small screen, who cares!

Lois in Jefferson, Texas (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 12:27 AM)

Why no analysis of Chase's use of Bob Dylan's "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" in the finale episode? Surely, the complex lyric of this song can keep people busy for weeks (nay, months) figuring out the foreshadowing -- far longer than the Journey's tune ever could.

Guillermo, Santa Fe, NM (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 12:32 AM)

I wanted to comment on the Godfather theme in the Sopranos Finale that EVERYONE has missed. Marlon Brando is shot while picking out oranges and eventually dies while chasing his grandson with an orange in his mouth. It is clear that oranges foreshadow death. We know David Chase used this theme in season one. Tony buys a bottle of orange juice just before being shot, like Vito Corleone. In an early scene in the finale, Tony eats an orange while talking to Carmela. I noticed it right away because the orange foreshadows Tony's death.

Maren Trips, Stamford, Connecticut (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 12:35 AM)

Dissecting Sopranos: David Chase is a genius in that he very well is a gifted story teller and is my role model for screenwriting technique. He knows the rules to effectively breaks them and that this the hallmark of a talented artist. I personally would like to be of the few who continues to carry the torch toward solid story telling in screenwriting. If granted such a opportunity, I will not disappoint as I have several waiting to offer to lovers of great story telling. Having soap boxed that; Chase is very clever in that he already figured that many of us would have believed him to "tick us off" as the viewer. I really believed that Chase was doing this immediately after watching the last episode. I literally turned to my loved one and said the exact same thing that Chase figured many of us would say. Either he is cognitive of typical audience behavior (perhaps my own discovery of simple-mindedness---which is why I believe that with out a doubt, Chase has the Gods of the Arts in his corner. The simple fact of it all is that it boils down to entertainment and that very common sense will aspire me to become not only a good writer, but a great one as the twenty-first century true to the wool spin writers such as Haggis, Amiel, Chase, Imperioli are of the very few outstanding writers are my teachers in the art of entertainment. So ,in honor of entertainment: of course, Chase does not want us to "forgetaboutit" HE really would like us to ponder as only a sincere writer would. If any of us claim to "love" films. Here is what I believe. Chase has a "Tarrantino" flavor to his work, although Chase is more sophisticated in his story development and in the quality of his authentic dialogue process. In the film "Pulp Fiction", the beginning of the scene indicates a male/female robber (so unlikely of a pair to what would take place after a casual conversation of self-important rambling---which is also brilliant as everyone tends to do. Even, I will admit to this.) Anyway, the British character explains to his British girlfriend that the best time to rob an establishment is when someone has a mouthful of food. Anyway, the point is that finally, the Soprano family is about to enjoy a meal as they await a frustrated Meadow (here again, we have the element of fate as she has difficultly in parking the car.) Now, we have multiple elements occurring at once as well as this scene itself leaving us in a restaurant. Well, In the Godfather and many Mafioso films and in true life events, most of these murders occur during a time of being caught off guard. Chase enjoys the entertainment of also catching us off guard as an audience as well as for his characters. Chase is also known (in his pattern of writing) to flow in the direction of realism. So lets add some things together here. The Sopranos are killed and the surprise or fate is that Meadow, perhaps, misses death by inches of just entering the restaurant. This may all be way off course, but this is entertainment respectively and I hope that my comment lends to the flavor of enjoying this very rich and exciting sort of saga entertainment. A real fan will pay attention to Chase's typicality of what truly occurs in life versus what Hollywood prefers. Chase also eludes to karmic repercussions. We have Anthony Jr. who is depressed and ready to fight for his country (he is ready to die), Tony Soprano knows his karmic eventuality and perhaps in his strange line of thinking, deliberately places his family in the line of fire hoping that they would all die together as certainly Carmella could not continue on with her life applying for food stamps without Tony (if he were killed). Tony, would never succumb to a witness protection deal and of course poor Meadow would be a bystander of being born to a crime family, another possible "Chase Reality Moment", of an untimely death due to being we cannot choose our parents. Tony may have deliberately set himself up to die with his family (as in the beginning of the very first episode with the ducks in his yard flying away---family is important to him). Another interesting angle as well is that both Anthony Jr. and Meadow were having an "issue" with their cars. It's a long shot, however, to me, worth noting as a foreshadowing of synergistic events. In addition, I believe that when AJ was in the SUV with his new lady friend, that Tony was trying to protect AJ "psychologically" in that the SUV was set up for a Soprano to die. I mean, the explanation of the leaves and a brand new SUV blowing up in the middle of nowhere? Tony had to have known that this was a botched hit in the way the SUV incinerated the way it had. Tony has had too many brushes with death and has been too clever to allow himself to be killed "off guard". In a way, I believe that the final restaurant scene was Tony's bizarre way of a "suicide" knowing that his henchmen are being blown away and pairing down to only Paulie and the other "Phil" are the only two standing. As for the two African-Americans, I will conjecture that their presence may have an ironic twist in that they "appeared" to be dangerous as Tony’s own prejudice will be his downfall and that the irony would be that he was not aware that one of his own , a “Members’ Only” entering the bathroom possibly to: A) Set the signal for a hit or, B) to come out blazing after Meadow enters the restaurant (as in many mafia films where the bathroom is the place for storing guns and coming out in a blaze of glory. I really do not believe that the two African-Americans had any intention of doing anything at all, except, that they may have been undercover agents trying to protect Tony. If at all else, remember, Chase often uses Roman and Greek Tragedies as a trademark in any Sopranos episode. So, ponder on the most possible tragedy he would use and keep guessing. All in All, The Sopranos was a great run of an excellent series and I truly hope to look forward towards more of Chase’s future work and that the best of the best will continue. I enjoy reading articles and blogs like yours. Thank you for being the first one to appear worth reading regarding how others felt of the ending of this program. Brightest Blessings. Anna “Ironbound” Cassidy (Pen name #2 coming to a theater near you someday). I like the idea that all of this may be one of Tony's strange dreams as well because he hasn't had one in a while.

Anna Cassidy, Hoffman Estates (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 12:47 AM)

Intersting about the dream as that was my immediate thought when he walked in and the camera quickly showed him at the table with his coat off. I didnt catch the shirt difference but I did sense the dream considering that whole scene had an eerie Ronnie Spector feel to it!!

Kory Morgan, Dousman, WI (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 12:56 AM)

I think that Tony did get whacked- and the sudden blank screen is what a dead person might experience and he's dying

Jim Smolev, Baltimore, MD (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 12:56 AM)

I'm glad at least one other person seems to have gotten the whole thing. Dave Lawson summed it up perfectly. David Chase went out of his way to make sure these characters weren't seen as heros. He made sure to show that the life they chose was not glamorous. So why would we see a glamorous ending. What we saw was that what Tony felt was important meant nothing (being the boss of the family, as shown by Uncle Junior) and even when everything seemed to be going well (AJ seeming to come out of his funk and Meadow going into a lucrative private practice), his life is never going to be peaceful (the upcoming indictment and a routine family dinner could end in death.) I could have never predicted it, but after seeing it, it was the perfect ending.

Auburn Hills, MI (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:01 AM)

At first, I thought the ending was absurd. Then its meaninglessness made sense. Chase was paying homage to Samuel Beckett. It was THE absurd. Do Gogo and Didi hang themselves or not? Does Godot ever come? Who knows for sure, just like with the unanswered questions in the Sopranos finale. Chase could have played with viewers' minds even more by calling the finale, "Waiting for Tony to Go."

The Walrus Was Paulie (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:07 AM)

Ok i'm commenting: I avoided all the gossip about the final episode, until i saw it[@10pm 06.11]. I even turned the news off because they warned they were about to spoil the ending which was VERY controversial with Sopranos fans. Watching this final episode: I loved seeing AJ finally getting off his ass and DOING something with a positive outlook[as positive as we can expect from AJ]. Meadow with nice fella becoming a woman. Carmella getting her business together. The Sopranos Crew getting smaller and smaller, we see Paulie's love for Tony. Phil getting what he deserves, leaving no doubt(haha) that he's dead-dead-dead. And Tony, having dinner with his family... I loved the director's[Chase's]emphasis on everyone in the restaurant. What could give a better picture of the atmosphere? It was a real moment we could share with this family whom we've followed through six seasons! I felt I was with them, waiting for Meadow to show up, so we could order. The fan-based-analyzation: I think it's absolutely awesome how everyone cares SO MUCH about the Sopranos to come together and discuss it. [myself: I NEVER comment on public boards like this. I think you're all awesome. I love how you guys get into each and every aspect. Tony would tell laugh to himself and tell us to go f*** ourselves]

Christopher (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:13 AM)

As frustrating as the ending was at first, I have to credit Chase for remaining true to his vision up to the final breathtaking moment. The entire finale, in fact, was satisfying precisely for its "normalcy"; events unfold in a typical Sopranos-like fashion, without the climax everyone was anticipating. Which was precisely the purpose of the finale: Tony and his family were periously separated as of the penultimate episode, and it is up to Tony to bring his family back together piece by piece. The diner scene, however, represents Tony's ultimate punishment. No matter how hard he tries to keep his family together, he must always look over their shoulder, at every dinner, and with every sudden opening of a door. The accusatory assumptions that we the audience derive with every suspect assassin -- the trucker, the African Americans -- is a subtle, brilliant commentary by Chase on our own quickness to judge based on race and class, two themes that have run throughout the series. Who can honestly say that even for a moment we thought that the African Americans were there to shoot Tony? And that is precisely the message that the finale -- and the show -- meant to convey.

Josh, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:14 AM)

I thought Tony got wacked at the end by a mysterious man ( AKA A man in members only jacket). But, I rewind to see the very last seen many time and noticed Tony was wearing close when he enter the dinner and when he sat down the booth. When he entered, he was wearing gray T-shirt, but he sat down, he is wearing a strip shirt which he was wearing when he was shot by Uncle Jr. and dreaming at the hospital. So, I think the ending was just his dream.

Lisa (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:22 AM)

The ending left me with a lot of mixed feelings, but not necessarily about The Sopranos as a show... Personally I did not feel cheated. I felt enough had been done with the characters over the previous hour to lead me to a satisfactory conclusion. Indictments were coming down, the immediate threat to Tony's family had been abated, scenes of closure with Janice, Sil and Junior had taken place, and Phil was eliminated. The arc was done... By the time they'd gotten to the ice cream shop there was really no reason to think anything more *needed* to happen -- just the looming sense of fear that those final five minutes provoked and then cut off. So in a literary sense I'm fine with the ending. But am I happy with what it said about David Chase? As an artist he's entitled to whatever he wants to do, and I have to take him at his word that he wasn't trying to screw with the audience that's enabled him to hide out in France. But it's hard... the man has expressed such contempt for the people who've watched this show, not to mention television in general, that you'd think we've been waterboarding the dude for a decade. It's hard for me *not* to think the sudden cut-off was Chase's middle finger to his adoring fans and the medium. Even Larry David has gone out of his way to express generosity to his admirers, but it just seems to peeve Chase to no end. And that's the only reason the final shot bugged me -- not because it was a literary cheat. It wasn't. But man, I hope Chase finds the peace of mind he's after, because I really feel terrible about hurting him with my viewership and attendant speculation for these last eight and a half years. But thanks for the brilliant show, Dave.

Paul Shrug (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:45 AM)

re: "Losing his shirt?": When he is with Junior, he is wearing a button-down type shirt with a collar that matches the shirt front, and khaki pants. At the door of Holstens his pants are black and the shirt is an open-neck type with a contrasting collar, the same one he's wearing moments later at the table. He leaves Jr. in daylight & arrives at the restaurant in the dark - he probably went home & changed inbetween the two. I personally think most of the 'hidden meaning' theories are fun but kinda silly. The orange one is valid though. I'm wondering if they did film Tony getting whacked in the diner, but Chase decided in the end to cut it short, leaving all of us to our own imaginations and hopes. If so, I think he created much more buzz than if we had seen the deed and had no opportunity to create different endings.

mojo (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:46 AM)

someone should put a contract out on chase!!!

woody sydney australia (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 2:43 AM)

Before you read please know I have been a Sopranos loyal watcher since day one, have 4 seasons on DVD and have to say I couldn't be more disappointed in the finale. I'll make a comparison to the greatest basketball player (No argument here): Michael Jordan. We all love him, he's the greatest...Sopranos already established its legacy as the greatest tv drama of all times...but...not just the last episode, but the last two plus season have absolutely sucked. I'll go back to the Seinfeld finale as well, it wasnt the greatest episode ever, but it ended right before it went on the downslope. Larry David is brilliant, David Chase is more cold blooded than Livia Soprano. The heart of the series died with Adrianna in the woods at Carm's spec house. People are overanalyzing this to death, I'll simplify, the show should have ended with Ade's death, I can't recall one really "great" episode after that. Back to the Jordan point, a superstar who played way past their prime, took too much time off between seasons and couldn't end it on top. We as an audience didn't need plot lines to be wrapped up and "spoon fed" to us, I don't care about the Russian in the woods, I know he's dead. I knew the end was going to be a letdown, but the sharp cut to black was a freakin joke. Many of the seasons end with the family eating together, fine, but have a fade to black, not a snap cut...the tension that was built up with the final minutes, and then nothing...that isn't brilliant, its a writer too lazy to do the series right. If there is a movie I hope it sweep the Razzies...

Matt Mitchell (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 2:58 AM)

To me the ending seems clear. Many times in the series we have been inside Tony's head: when he was in the coma or when he was dreaming. So looked at from that perspective, one minute he is enjoying eating with his family, then suddenly without any warning the "lights go out". I presume that it cut the way it did for a reason and what is a better reason that? It took the glamor and sympathy out of his death, the sadness and drama in death is experienced by those left behind, the dead feel nothing. Earlier in the episode Phil was enjoying time with his family at the gas station, then he is snuffed out. He never knew anything about it, so why should Tony know anything about it? It also means that the heads of both the families have been taken out, honor is even on both sides and everyone in the families can get on with their lives, injuring everyone else rather than each other.

Jon, CT (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 2:59 AM)

Thanks Mr. Chase, This show ended the same way it began. With the world wondering; what is going to happen next? and we got the same answer we got every week, and that was what was going to happen next? Not enough has been said about that darn cat. I thought Paulie said that he drowned it?

Roddy Rod, high point nc (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 3:25 AM)

I feel the ending was consistent with the story line over the past eight seasons. Each episode and season has left the viewer anxiously awaiting the next. The only difference here there is no next. The final scene in the diner is nothing short of brillant writing and the type of creativity that has marked this series. Tony makes small talk ( " The best onion rings in Jersey " ) yet everytime the bell rings he and you the viewer, because you know what has transpired and you have seen his life , share the anxiety of who is going to walk in that diner. The people around you/Tony they are enjoying their meal they do not have to look up each time that bell rings . As Tony sees the living death of Junior , Sil's vegetative state and Bobby's funeral the writers allusion to John Dunne's poem is complete ; " For whom does the bell toll it tolls for thee" .

RSG West Michigan (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 3:39 AM)

Russell Heim wrote that the ending was "Abbey Road" like. - Funny - at the moment the screen went blank, I said to my wife "jeeez he did an Abbey Road" - That was the first thing that popped into my head. The ending was superb. Chase handed us all an easle and a pallete. Paint your own endings everbody! We can come up with a myriad of scenarios - that way, if one desires, the Sopranos can live forever. The whole series was brilliant. My hat's off the Chase and company. JG JG

Joe G (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 3:40 AM)

The songs that were listed in the article had one glaring omission: "Any Way You Want It" by Journey was right underneath Tony's selection. I saw this as Chase's way to tell the audience to go ahead and imagine your own ending for the series...because it will always be infinitely better than what Chase could come up with. Apparently, Chase was right, considering the reaction!

Rob Voreck, Peoria, Arizona (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 3:54 AM)

It was just generally a brilliant ending (with a great song to boot). In a moment of mobster hubris they are out and about thinking everything is okay (and why?) and they all get whacked. And you didn't really see it. It was just brilliant. Why can't everyone get that? That's what you wanted? Right? You just didn't see it.

Rock (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 4:45 AM)

It was just generally a brilliant ending (with a great song to boot). In a moment of mobster hubris they are out and about thinking everything is okay (and why?) and they all get whacked. And you didn't really see it. It was just brilliant. Why can't everyone get that? That's what you wanted? Right? You just didn't see it.

Rock (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 4:59 AM)

I read most of the comments and didn't see this observation. In the final scene, YOU are Tony Soprano. Every stranger is a potential death sentance, only the members of your family are safe. It's all about family. Even the crew was in almost\total? tatters. The world is unforgiving and brutal. If you live a life that death is an occupational hazzard, so be it. But this show was always about family, and holding it together. All of them meeting was the point. Wether Meadow walked in or Tony was shot is up to you.

Steve,Seattle,Wash. (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 5:22 AM)

For the guy proposing "meadowpark" become a new "TV culture lexicon", I propose a good hard slap across the face.

JD, Tampa, FL (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 6:00 AM)

The ending was definitely a Lady or the Tiger ending, but all the omnious signs were there. I believe Tony and his entire family was killed. Phil's main beef with Tony stemmed from the fact that Tony never answered for killing members of his family/crew (remember it was three people he listed in the previous episode at the sit down with Tony). Phil asserted in the previous episode that the NJ mafia had no respect for the rules (and what a better way to pay Tony back?). It's also important to remember that no one outside of the crew could find Tony, so the fact that the potential assasins in the final scene came in right when the family members did - perhaps that's how they finally tracked Tony down - using his family whom he thought would be safe. Also remember, no one could find Phil, so even though his underbosses made peace with Tony, things were already set in motion by Phil at the time of his death. These signs compounded by the omen of the cat who had a thing for gazing at Christopher's picture, Paulie seeing the Virgin Mary in the strip club before turning down a job from Tony (remember that Tony had the same religious/spiritual sentiment to change when he first got out of the hospital - but at that moment it's clear whatever spiritual insight he gained was gone). Why do I believe it was a family massacre? Beyond the orange omen of the Godfather, and the man going to the bathroom like Michael Corleone - it's ironic the show ends in a dinner we've never seen before (so Tony "feels safe" - remember that lingo from GF?) Unlike the Godfather, the entire family that will be killed. The assassins were waiting on the entire family. Tony's daughter parallel parking problem was the only thing that prolonged his life by a couple of minutes. All in all, a brilliant piece of writing. Best series I've ever seen.

Alex B. NYC, BY (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 6:00 AM)

A song that Tony passed up on the jukebox in the final scene was Any Way You Want It, also by Journey...This title explains the ending David Chase implied more accurately. He wanted to leave us all chirping away with our own opinions...guessing, digging for clues and speculating...or did he? A few major theories: ONE: The mystery man in the diner comes out of the bathroom and shoots Tony as he is in a moment of peace with his family glancing up at Meadow walking through the door. In death, Tony "holds on to that feeling" like the song says. Note that in the previous episode, the flashback to Bobby's "don't hear it when it happens" quote is at the around the same time in the hour when the blackout occurs. David Chase didn't pull the trigger though. He didn't want it to stop... TWO: I believe even though Chase kept us on the edge of our seats with red herrings, the essence of the saga was capturing the authenticity of normal day-to-day family life through the eyes of a mobster and recognizing the dichotomy of his emotions. Love and fear. Taking it at simple face value, Tony lives and continues a life where every stranger can potentially be his ending. The price he must pay for his immediate survival and lifestyle. Both of his families are salvaged and for now the lovable anti-hero has won. He faces a probable long trial and maybe has dementia and old age to look forward to. (Note how he forgot the advice he had given AJ about "remembering the good times" just like Uncle Junior forgot he "ran North Jersey"...both answer "I did?") But for now he has succeeded in his hardest personal job of keeping his family happily together and raising two children into adulthood. So "the movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on." THREE: While the dream theory is unlikely...I'd like to touch on a couple oddities I noticed. AJ mentions onion rings as he sits down, Tony says something about the steak and then the onion rings arrive later (without Tony ever ordering them or the drinks / even though the songs continuity should have kept it in real-time with no lapses). I also happen to look at the Holsten's menu and was surprised to see that they neither serve onion rings nor steak. For such and authentic show, that is kind of strange. As were all the familiar, yet only familiar, looking faces in the diner. I did a little rewind and took a look at whole Tony-shirt conspiracy and I can without a doubt confirm he did in fact have a khaki-color shirt when visiting Uncle Junior and when standing in the diner doorway. Then it cuts to him sitting at the booth with a striped shirt / black collar. The song playing when he walks in is "All that you Dream"... Who knows...maybe another season / movie? We'll see... I was satisfied.

Nicky Legs, LA, CA (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 6:17 AM)

We may never know, but: Ten to a dollar that, all across America yesterday, the orders for onion rings were higher than normal.

JER, Lansing, MI (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 6:22 AM)

The cat is something. Didn't Vito Corleone have a cat in the Godfather? He was petting it when he was talking to everyone in the beginning during the wedding. I felt that cat was Aidrianna or Chris; but was "theater of the absurd" somehow. (Ala Godfather I, the Members Only guy in the bathroom forshadowed a possible Godfather II ending, and Meadow at the end forshadowed a Godfather III ending). The screen going black was just his way of "wacking" the audience. We got whacked and thrown out of Tony Soprano's world

Brenda, Cherry Hill, NJ (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 7:03 AM)

Funny......the Sopranos were eating Onion Rings at Holsteins and their menu does NOT even list Onion Rings!!!

Darrell Wichita Kansas (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 7:23 AM)

Brilliant ending..take use to the water, but don't let us drink..great..ended the way it should have..

sue Eichelberger (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 7:49 AM)

If you watch the last few seconds of the finale in slow motion, it appears as if Tony is reaching for a gun with his left hand. He reaches down and then appears to attempt to bring his hand back up again, as if drawing a weapon. The look on his face is hard to read, but it does not appear to be the look Tony would have on his face while watching Meadow enter the diner. It could be fear, or maybe not. Having said that, it does not seem that anyone would want to whack Tony at this point in the show. His crew is relatively loyal, NY has agreed to back off, and the terrorists have left town. Then again, there are plenty of people Tony has wronged in the past, so I guess you can never rule out Tony getting whacked for sure.

Andy, Parkland, Florida (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:07 AM)

After going to the matresses a week or two earlier; the chances of a mob boss(Tony) going out too dinner with his family and NO MUSCLE around him are slim and none; and slim has already left town. And he would have taken a seat at the back with back too wall. Chase has slipped in the past once in a while-like Tony going along on the Belavaqua hit with Pussy(who Makesian had fingered as a rat a year earlier)-NOT REALISTIC. In all, I say Tony lives and Chase cashes in HUGE going to the big screen.

Adrian Fratoni (Hamilton, Ontario) (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:17 AM)

Think whatever you want, but Tony is DEAD!! Forgetting for a moment that this is just a tv show and not real life, go back and think about how these gangsters act...if they screw up, someone makes them pay a hefty $$$ sum. They pay this money to "keep the peace", in this episode you saw the sitdown with the guys from Phil's crew and Tony told them that taking Bobby out was going to cost them as he was Tony's sister, the guy said, "ok, we'll come up with an amount", but you could see the wheels turning. If Tony got Phil, then there'd be no reason to pay Tony as you really wanted to finish getting him out of the way anyways. Plus, it could be justified to the other families because Tony whacked Phil. The reason for the abrupt "fade to black" is the point the show's creators have made all along, you never know when you're going to get it. All BS to the contrary about movie deals, etc. face it, it isn't going to happen, and besides why would you want a 2+ hour movie...these folks are not the Corleones. I say let the Sopranos rest in peace. Chase did a good job, even if he won't admit that Tony got killed.

Pete, Merritt Island Florida (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:32 AM)

Tony turned away from redemption in rejecting the Virgin Mary. Indeed he wanted to profit from the Virgin Mary sighting. Tony looked up at the sky in the backyard and stared directly into the warm light of the sun. This is what one would ordinarily see in a near death experience: a warm, loving welcoming light. Carmella comes to the backyard and pulls him back into this world. He looked longingly at, but turned away from the white tunnel. Just like anyone preparding for death, he made peace with all those around him. He then went to the "die"ner for the last supper. His seing himself elsewhere is the trnasition that is often described in moving to the other side. Seeing representations of others who he had killed or were involved in killing is again a manisfestation from the other side. Ordinarily, these manifestations are from loved ones. These are not loved ones, but others in a dark place. There is a bell for all those who enter the "die"ner. For thousands of years bells have been symbolic with warding off evil influences, and the announcement of good will. They are used in Feng Shui to symbolize the dispersal of malignant Chi` energy (Sha). The bell is the last thing you hear before Tony dies. Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. After 8 years, you have become so connected to Tony and this series, and you now feel the pain of loss and separation. Don't stop believing. In the Tibetan Book of the Dead, a key element of transition to the other world is successful belief in transition to that other world. Tony is trying hard to believe. The last words are "dont stop". We dont hear believing. Tony does not go into a tunnel of warm loving light, but into what is known as the void: No light, no sound, no movment, no smell, no touch. Nothing. You feel "the void" for 10 seconds. Imagine an eternity. This, my viewers, is hell.

Mike, Boston (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:41 AM)

A couple of episodes back when Tony and Carmella went to Bobby & Janice's place up in the mountains there was a scene where Tony and Bobby where in the boat talking. They were talking about when Junior shot Tony, didnt Tony tell Bobby when you get shot eyerything goes black. I thought it was something like that, if so wouldnt the ending lead you to believe he got shot?

John Willinger, Petersburg, Virginia (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:48 AM)

I can't believe that you skipped "Multi-Link Monday" for this much coverage of a show that was effectively over three seasons ago. What was once a compelling and original mob drama had become a maudlin and dull soap opera in which I lost all ineterest. And from all that I have heard, the series finale was as tedious as any other recent episode. Yawn...

Brian, Levittown, PA (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:53 AM)

Some of the songs that Tony passed up on the jukebox in the epic final scene were "Only The Strong Survive" and "I'm Alive". The title that explains the ending most is another he looked over, "Any Way You Want It" (also by Journey). David Chase wanted to leave us all chirping away with our own opinions...guessing, digging for clues and speculating. The Lady or the Tiger ending... People think the mystery man in the diner comes out of the bathroom and shoots Tony as he is in a moment of peace with his family glancing up at Meadow walking through the door. In death, Tony "holds on to that feeling" like the song says. People point that in the previous episode, the flashback to Bobby's quote about not "hearing (death) when it happens" is at the around the same time in the hour when the blackout occurs. None of the extras in the diner were in any previous episode of The Sopranos though...so there is no real motive. David Chase didn't pull the trigger. He didn't want it to stop...TONY IS NOT DEAD. While the dream theory is unlikely...I'd like to touch on a couple oddities I noticed. AJ mentions onion rings as he sits down, Tony says something about the steak and then the onion rings arrive later (without Tony ever ordering them or the drinks / even though the song's continuity should have kept it in real-time with no lapses). I also happened to take a look at the menu online for Holsten's and was surprised to see that Holsten's doesn't serve onion rings or steak. For such an authentic show, that is kind of strange...don't ya think? As were all the vaguely familiar looking faces in the diner. I did a little rewind and took a look at whole Tony-shirt conspiracy, and I can without a doubt confirm he did in fact have a khaki-color shirt when visiting Uncle Junior and when standing in Holsten's doorway. Then it cuts to him sitting at the booth with a striped shirt / black collar. Also the song playing when he walks in is, "All that you Dream"...I don't think it could have been a dream/memory, but just an interesting possibilty. I believe Chase purposely kept us on the edge of our seats with all the red herrings, the diners, and parallel parking, but the essence of the saga was simply capturing the authenticity of normal day-to-day family life through the eyes of a mobster and recognizing the dichotomy of his emotions. Love and fear. Taking it at simple face value, Tony lives on and continues a life where every stranger can potentially be his ending. The price he must pay for his immediate survival and lifestyle. Both of his families are salvaged, and for now, the lovable anti-hero has won. He faces a probable long trial and come to think of it, those men in the diner may actually be the FBI finally coming to take him in. Maybe this was "the last supper". Even so, for now, before he gets indicted or shot ot whatever you think, Tony has succeeded in his hardest and most important job of keeping his family happily together and raising two children into adulthood. So "the movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on." So whats next...do we ever have closure? Movie? Who knows...maybe another season? I doubt it. I was satisfied though. It wasn't a neat ending, it was REAL. It reflected the entire life of the series and its characters with a moment ambiguity and uncertainty.

Nicky Legs (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:53 AM)

Actually I think everyone is making too much of the different shirts, we're not sure of the time frame and/or they are possibly a mistake in editing (if you pay attention thinks like that happen all the time)

nd (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:55 AM)



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