I like the "We were whacked" angle that you propose though. It was the only way the show could end. Tony getting killed was way too predictable and a jail finale has been done before. I never really cared for this show too much but I still tuned in last night for some reason.
There's no way they could have ended it traditionally or in 'Hollywood' style with a trial or shootout or whatever. It would have been in complete opposition to the style of the show, Chase's vision and reality for that matter. Check out the first few seasons if you've only been a casual fan. Lots of good stuff in there, especially with his mother.
24 years old, mid-life crisis
nowadays hits you when you're young
i'm aware of that. you're the one that got all fired up and started this whole thing, so don't try to put it on me. it wasn't my intent to come off as smug, but you continue to read things the way you want. enjoy the reruns and dvds.
also in the earlier seasons, the trucker who was sitting at the bar
stool, who the camera kept focusing in on, is Nikki leotardo, Phil Leotardos
nephew, he was in one of the early season episodes where Phil and Tony
have a sit down....
Sorry, but that's not true. The guy in the Members Only Jacket has never been on the show before and isn't an actor. I posted this in the other thread, but figured I'd post it here as well:
Slice of mob life
By ANDY VINEBERG
Bucks County Courier Times
After eight years and 86 episodes, the ultimate fate of fictional New Jersey crime boss Tony Soprano might be determined by a pizza shop owner from Penndel.
Paolo Colandrea, owner of Paul's Penndel Pizza, last month filmed a potentially pivotal scene for the final episode of “The Sopranos,” the groundbreaking HBO mob drama that says goodbye at 9 Sunday night.
Colandrea, 47, describes his role as simply “mystery man,” a guy who walks into a diner and locks eyes ominously with Tony, who's sitting at a table with wife, Carmela, and son, A.J. Colandrea sits down at the counter, stares at Tony again, gets up to go the bathroom, and ...
He can't say what happens next. But even if he could, it might not mean a thing.
“Sopranos” creator David Chase reportedly filmed three different endings to ensure secrecy. Colandrea, who spent 18 hours on the set one day and 10 hours two weeks later, doesn't even know if his scene will appear.
“I don't know. Nobody knows,” the charming Italian said while sitting in the restaurant he's owned since emigrating from Naples in 1978. “They keep it so closed, not even the cast knows all that's going to happen. I can assume, but I don't know.”
Colandrea, who doesn't have any lines, filmed his scene at Holsten's Diner in Bloomfield, N.J. Off camera, he said he mingled with series stars James Gandolfini (Tony) and Edie Falco (Carmela) and met Robert Iler (A.J.) and Chase. During his first day of filming, he shared a sushi dinner with Gandolfini, Falco and the crew.
“He's such a nice guy, just an unbelievable person,” Colandrea says of Gandolfini. “And Edie Falco, she's the sweetest woman you ever want to meet.”
Colandrea, who earned more than $3,000 (before taxes) for his role, also saw Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Meadow) on the set but didn't talk to her.
“She's so gorgeous,” he said. “She has bodyguards with her, but I don't blame her.”
So how does a pizza shop owner with no previous acting experience land a role on the final episode of the most acclaimed program in cable television history?
Right place, right face, really.
Earlier this spring, Eileen DeNobile, owner of the Lawrenceville, N.J.-based Noble Talent Management, was looking for an Italian man, about 6 feet tall, between the ages of 30 and 50, for a part on “The Sopranos.” She stopped into Penndel Pizza for dinner one evening, saw the framed photo of Colandrea pouring a glass of wine and thought she might have found her man.
“That's authentic Italian all the way,” said DeNobile, who already knew Colandrea casually. “He certainly looks the part. Plus, we were looking for a person easy to work with, and he's got a great personality, very bubbly.”
DeNobile sent the photo and a recommendation to HBO, and Colandrea was invited to audition in New York City, along with 29 others. The audition consisted of performing the actual role as it appeared in the script.
A few days later, Chase called Colandrea and asked him to come to North Jersey for a costume fitting.
The part was his.
“It's unbelievable,” said Colandrea, a fan of the show since its debut in 1999. “For an Italian, it's the experience of a lifetime to be on "The Sopranos.' ”
Colandrea, a single father of two daughters, said he plans to watch Sunday's episode with about 100 friends and family members at a cousin's house in Ewing. (“I have to cook for all of them,” he said, smiling.)
Meanwhile, he said, “half of Italy” is waiting to hear what happens Sunday night.
And if his scene ends up on the cutting-room floor?
“Everyone knows there's nothing I can do, that it's out of my power,” Colandrea said. “But I'm thinking, "Why make me go up again after two weeks if they're not going to use me?' I'm keeping my fingers crossed.”
anyone else notice when Tony walks into Holsten's he stops and looks into the restaurant and Tony's already sitting at the table in a different shirt than the one he walked in wearing? I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but i ran it back on the tivo at least 3 times, i guess he was fantasizing or imagining the scene at the table..honestly, i've overthought this fucking thing and it's almost too much...
my love for you is ticking clock BERZERKER! would you like some making fuck BERZERKER?!
why will you take by force what you may have quietly by love? - Powhatan
It's over. I may be late because I wasn't able to watch it last night, but just finished it an hour ago. Such an emptiness inside of me now. A show I've fallen in love with, emulated, obsessed over, and hoped it would never end, just ended. So many unanswered questions and so much more to tell. They could film another 86 episodes and it still wouldn't be enough for me. Season 1 will start again for me next Sunday!
As for the last episode. IMO, not the greatest of episodes, but I feel it went out justified. As said already in this thread, it was a great ending. We are left to wonder. Our imaginations and minds now create what happened to everyone.
HBO, major Hollywood directors, or any other network will ever be able to create something like this again. In a way I hope that no mafia movies or series are ever made. Nothing will compare to the greatness of the Sopranos, and Goodfellas of course.
I havent seen any of these final episodes, have tried to follow most of what you are all arguing about but a few things remain unclear:
What happens to Sil? He was in a coma, does he recover or do they leave it hanging?
What happens to Paulie? he live or what, does he recover from the cancer that he was freaking out over at the end of season6?
What music they end the final show with?
Did any of you pussies cry?
1. sil was still in the coma, unlikely to regain consciousness. that's where they left that.
2. paulie lives. tony promotes him to take over the carlo's crew.
3. at the diner, tony plays journey's "don't stop believin'" on the jukebox. the song plays through the final scene, but stops abruptly at the cut-to-black point. after 10 seconds of black, the credits roll with no music playing.
I've never watched the show before. But I happened to watch the last half of the last show. Anyway, someone at work who has a son who has a friend who has a mother (reliable source I'm sure...) who works on the show and was present during the filming; claims that each person in the diner in the last scene was on the show previously. Each person was present during a whacking or somehow representative (?) of every person who has been whacked on the show. The cub scout is an obvious example that people should know.(but I don't watch the show so it means nothing to me) Chase wanted to end the show with the implication that Tony was whacked, but leave it open to the viewers interpretation. This according to the "telephone" game that reached me after 4 people.
It's over. I may be late because I wasn't able to watch it last night, but just finished it an hour ago. Such an emptiness inside of me now. A show I've fallen in love with, emulated, obsessed over, and hoped it would never end, just ended. So many unanswered questions and so much more to tell. They could film another 86 episodes and it still wouldn't be enough for me. Season 1 will start again for me next Sunday!
As for the last episode. IMO, not the greatest of episodes, but I feel it went out justified. As said already in this thread, it was a great ending. We are left to wonder. Our imaginations and minds now create what happened to everyone.
HBO, major Hollywood directors, or any other network will ever be able to create something like this again. In a way I hope that no mafia movies or series are ever made. Nothing will compare to the greatness of the Sopranos, and Goodfellas of course.
I personally liked Casino better, but I agree. The Italian present day mafia show was perfected with Sopranos. Godfather was Wilt Chamberlin, Goodfellas and Casino were Bird/Magic and Sopranos was Jordan. An evolution to greatness and perfection that can never and will never be duplicated nor surpassed. IMO a Soprano movie would be as difficult as Jordan coming back to the Wizards. It just shouldn't happen, as much as I'd want to see it.
24 years old, mid-life crisis
nowadays hits you when you're young
After a couple of nights digesting the ending to one of the best shows on TV and catching up reading all the posts generated, I'd like to share my thoughts.
I was disappointed at first. Still not believing that the screen went black. I thought the ending fizzled, no bang. However, after thinking about it, this has been the show's blueprint. There have been many episodes that simply lack any action but are full of anticipation. They kept you waiting for something to happen, and then, just like in life. Nothing does. So, in that sense it didn't surprise me.
On the loose ends, most of them were tied up. And again, just like life, some were not. Life always has loose ends. But in a sense, his wife and kids are back on track, the work family is hurt, but both NJ and NY realized that they could not keep going at it like that. It was hurting business and that's why Phil's whacking was agreed. Tony is left to deal with the Feds, just like how it was when it started, and he will always be looking over his shoulder. It is just part of his life.
The Tony being whacked theory, although I don't agree with it, is just genius IMO. It doesn't leave it up to you, you have to figure it out. And the good thing about it is you can't prove anyone right/wrong. It is what you saw that best fits your thought process. Just like interpreting a PJ song. It means different things for different folks.
So after a couple of nights I come up very satisfied on how the series ended. I'm going to miss it. Maybe not now, because they always took over a year between seasons, but I will in the future, when the DVD comes out.
In a way I hope that no mafia movies or series are ever made. Nothing will compare to the greatness of the Sopranos, and Goodfellas of course.
I thought the same thing when The Sopranos started, ie that the mafia thing was played out and nothing could ever be as good as The Godfather and Goodfellas. I stand corrected.
After a couple of nights digesting the ending to one of the best shows on TV and catching up reading all the posts generated, I'd like to share my thoughts.
I was disappointed at first. Still not believing that the screen went black. I thought the ending fizzled, no bang. However, after thinking about it, this has been the show's blueprint. There have been many episodes that simply lack any action but are full of anticipation. They kept you waiting for something to happen, and then, just like in life. Nothing does. So, in that sense it didn't surprise me.
On the loose ends, most of them were tied up. And again, just like life, some were not. Life always has loose ends. But in a sense, his wife and kids are back on track, the work family is hurt, but both NJ and NY realized that they could not keep going at it like that. It was hurting business and that's why Phil's whacking was agreed. Tony is left to deal with the Feds, just like how it was when it started, and he will always be looking over his shoulder. It is just part of his life.
The Tony being whacked theory, although I don't agree with it, is just genius IMO. It doesn't leave it up to you, you have to figure it out. And the good thing about it is you can't prove anyone right/wrong. It is what you saw that best fits your thought process. Just like interpreting a PJ song. It means different things for different folks.
So after a couple of nights I come up very satisfied on how the series ended. I'm going to miss it. Maybe not now, because they always took over a year between seasons, but I will in the future, when the DVD comes out.
I agree with you about being happy with the ending.
One thing I wanted to comment on, and this is really playing devil's advocate for the people who were disappointed. I have heard a lot over the past few weeks about how the show leaves things unresolved, just like life. But it is not life. It is a TV show, so I can see how people would be disapppointed.
I have watched it twice now and my opinion is also that Tony was killed. I just keep going back to the scene with Tony and Bobby in the boat talking about death and Bobby says something like "you probably dont even know when it happens". Tony was flashing back to that scene when he was alone in his room in the safe house.
He's sitting in the diner with all of those possiblities of which person is gonna be the one to do it, AJ is talking about reflecting on the good times in your life, he has just had the head of the NY family killed, it only makes sense to me that he gets killed and at the moment it happens, the screen goes black, there is silence, the lights go out, its all over.
It is frustrating to not have a definitive answer, but at the same time, brilliant to leave it up to interpretation. And also to leave us all wondering if someday they will bring it back, make a movie, tie up some of the loose ends. Its always been a giant step above the rest of the crap on television.
I just want to go back now from the very first episode and relive the whole show over again.
I have watched it twice now and my opinion is also that Tony was killed. I just keep going back to the scene with Tony and Bobby in the boat talking about death and Bobby says something like "you probably dont even know when it happens". Tony was flashing back to that scene when he was alone in his room in the safe house.
He's sitting in the diner with all of those possiblities of which person is gonna be the one to do it, AJ is talking about reflecting on the good times in your life, he has just had the head of the NY family killed, it only makes sense to me that he gets killed and at the moment it happens, the screen goes black, there is silence, the lights go out, its all over.
It is frustrating to not have a definitive answer, but at the same time, brilliant to leave it up to interpretation. And also to leave us all wondering if someday they will bring it back, make a movie, tie up some of the loose ends. Its always been a giant step above the rest of the crap on television.
I just want to go back now from the very first episode and relive the whole show over again.
I don't think T got whacked in the end at all. I think life will just go forth for the Sopranos family...we just won't be able to tune in anymore to watch.
I think after watching it for the 2nd time last night that it was a brilliant ending.
I too am ready to start the entire series over again.
I have watched it twice now and my opinion is also that Tony was killed. I just keep going back to the scene with Tony and Bobby in the boat talking about death and Bobby says something like "you probably dont even know when it happens". Tony was flashing back to that scene when he was alone in his room in the safe house.
He's sitting in the diner with all of those possiblities of which person is gonna be the one to do it, AJ is talking about reflecting on the good times in your life, he has just had the head of the NY family killed, it only makes sense to me that he gets killed and at the moment it happens, the screen goes black, there is silence, the lights go out, its all over.
It is frustrating to not have a definitive answer, but at the same time, brilliant to leave it up to interpretation. And also to leave us all wondering if someday they will bring it back, make a movie, tie up some of the loose ends. Its always been a giant step above the rest of the crap on television.
I just want to go back now from the very first episode and relive the whole show over again.
Good point.
This is what keeps me from buying the "Tony gets whacked theory". The final scene has these characters that may or may not have been in previous episodes. The fact is that Tony would have many, many people wanting him dead, so that kind of turns it irrelevant. But here is where I don't buy it. The final image before the screen goes black is Tony's face. I think that if he were whacked, it would make sense that the final image would be of the door, maybe as Meadow is coming in, making it go black from Tony's perspective, not the viewer's perspective. I think the audience/viewers got whacked, not Tony, because of this. I've watched it again, and the final image is of Tony, not the door.
That is my take, which is why I more and more think it was a brilliant ending. We could keep talking about it forever.
This is what keeps me from buying the "Tony gets whacked theory". The final scene has these characters that may or may not have been in previous episodes. The fact is that Tony would have many, many people wanting him dead, so that kind of turns it irrelevant. But here is where I don't buy it. The final image before the screen goes black is Tony's face. I think that if he were whacked, it would make sense that the final image would be of the door, maybe as Meadow is coming in, making it go black from Tony's perspective, not the viewer's perspective. I think the audience/viewers got whacked, not Tony, because of this. I've watched it again, and the final image is of Tony, not the door.
That is my take, which is why I more and more think it was a brilliant ending. We could keep talking about it forever.
The viewers getting whacked makes no sense at all to me, and does not fit in at all with how the series has gone. I have not watched the scene frame by frame, but I thought the final shot was of Meadow walking in.
The viewers getting whacked makes no sense at all to me, and does not fit in at all with how the series has gone. I have not watched the scene frame by frame, but I thought the final shot was of Meadow walking in.
Well if you think of it in the way that Tony's life will go on, only you won't be invited to observe or be part of it, you in essence, have been whacked. That is my interpretation.
Check out the final scene. The last image is Tony. Meadow is not shown going through the door.
Well if you think of it in the way that Tony's life will go on, only you won't be invited to observe or be part of it, you in essence, have been whacked. That is my interpretation.
Check out the final scene. The last image is Tony. Meadow is not shown going through the door.
Just thinking of Chase pitching the idea that "the audience got whacked" is way too silly for me. If that was the thought behind the scene, then the ending really sucks. That would be a total cop out of lowering the curtain before the final scene is done.
I believe you that the final scene is of Tony.
The overwhelming thing that makes me believe that Tony got killed was the whole Bobby/Tony conversation about everything going black. The fact that they replayed that when Tony was in the safehouse was a brilliant setup for the final scene of the series. When they played it, it looks like Tony is just remembering Bobby, but maybe he is really pondering his own mortality. Then to see the screen go black at the end of the finale, fits in with Tony getting killed there.
This is what keeps me from buying the "Tony gets whacked theory". The final scene has these characters that may or may not have been in previous episodes. The fact is that Tony would have many, many people wanting him dead, so that kind of turns it irrelevant. But here is where I don't buy it. The final image before the screen goes black is Tony's face. I think that if he were whacked, it would make sense that the final image would be of the door, maybe as Meadow is coming in, making it go black from Tony's perspective, not the viewer's perspective. I think the audience/viewers got whacked, not Tony, because of this. I've watched it again, and the final image is of Tony, not the door.
That is my take, which is why I more and more think it was a brilliant ending. We could keep talking about it forever.
what's key is the look on Tony's face that last image, it is essentially the same look he had whenever anyone walked through the door, during that whole scene. It was nothing different.....to me nothing really happened.
"This guy back here is giving me the ole one more....one more back to you buddy."
Comments
good riddance... make sure you clean those balls you're clinging onto
There's no way they could have ended it traditionally or in 'Hollywood' style with a trial or shootout or whatever. It would have been in complete opposition to the style of the show, Chase's vision and reality for that matter. Check out the first few seasons if you've only been a casual fan. Lots of good stuff in there, especially with his mother.
nowadays hits you when you're young
i'm aware of that. you're the one that got all fired up and started this whole thing, so don't try to put it on me. it wasn't my intent to come off as smug, but you continue to read things the way you want. enjoy the reruns and dvds.
"and onward goes this thing of ours."
I should report you for this bs you know.
nowadays hits you when you're young
Oh yeah you're incoccent in all this arent you? BA HAHAHAH!!! Go ahead, report me..... Hope you enjoy your time out as well.
Where did I personally attack you with profanity? Sorry, but you're way over the line. Take a time out buddy.
nowadays hits you when you're young
Sorry, but that's not true. The guy in the Members Only Jacket has never been on the show before and isn't an actor. I posted this in the other thread, but figured I'd post it here as well:
Slice of mob life
By ANDY VINEBERG
Bucks County Courier Times
After eight years and 86 episodes, the ultimate fate of fictional New Jersey crime boss Tony Soprano might be determined by a pizza shop owner from Penndel.
Paolo Colandrea, owner of Paul's Penndel Pizza, last month filmed a potentially pivotal scene for the final episode of “The Sopranos,” the groundbreaking HBO mob drama that says goodbye at 9 Sunday night.
Colandrea, 47, describes his role as simply “mystery man,” a guy who walks into a diner and locks eyes ominously with Tony, who's sitting at a table with wife, Carmela, and son, A.J. Colandrea sits down at the counter, stares at Tony again, gets up to go the bathroom, and ...
He can't say what happens next. But even if he could, it might not mean a thing.
“Sopranos” creator David Chase reportedly filmed three different endings to ensure secrecy. Colandrea, who spent 18 hours on the set one day and 10 hours two weeks later, doesn't even know if his scene will appear.
“I don't know. Nobody knows,” the charming Italian said while sitting in the restaurant he's owned since emigrating from Naples in 1978. “They keep it so closed, not even the cast knows all that's going to happen. I can assume, but I don't know.”
Colandrea, who doesn't have any lines, filmed his scene at Holsten's Diner in Bloomfield, N.J. Off camera, he said he mingled with series stars James Gandolfini (Tony) and Edie Falco (Carmela) and met Robert Iler (A.J.) and Chase. During his first day of filming, he shared a sushi dinner with Gandolfini, Falco and the crew.
“He's such a nice guy, just an unbelievable person,” Colandrea says of Gandolfini. “And Edie Falco, she's the sweetest woman you ever want to meet.”
Colandrea, who earned more than $3,000 (before taxes) for his role, also saw Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Meadow) on the set but didn't talk to her.
“She's so gorgeous,” he said. “She has bodyguards with her, but I don't blame her.”
So how does a pizza shop owner with no previous acting experience land a role on the final episode of the most acclaimed program in cable television history?
Right place, right face, really.
Earlier this spring, Eileen DeNobile, owner of the Lawrenceville, N.J.-based Noble Talent Management, was looking for an Italian man, about 6 feet tall, between the ages of 30 and 50, for a part on “The Sopranos.” She stopped into Penndel Pizza for dinner one evening, saw the framed photo of Colandrea pouring a glass of wine and thought she might have found her man.
“That's authentic Italian all the way,” said DeNobile, who already knew Colandrea casually. “He certainly looks the part. Plus, we were looking for a person easy to work with, and he's got a great personality, very bubbly.”
DeNobile sent the photo and a recommendation to HBO, and Colandrea was invited to audition in New York City, along with 29 others. The audition consisted of performing the actual role as it appeared in the script.
A few days later, Chase called Colandrea and asked him to come to North Jersey for a costume fitting.
The part was his.
“It's unbelievable,” said Colandrea, a fan of the show since its debut in 1999. “For an Italian, it's the experience of a lifetime to be on "The Sopranos.' ”
Colandrea, a single father of two daughters, said he plans to watch Sunday's episode with about 100 friends and family members at a cousin's house in Ewing. (“I have to cook for all of them,” he said, smiling.)
Meanwhile, he said, “half of Italy” is waiting to hear what happens Sunday night.
And if his scene ends up on the cutting-room floor?
“Everyone knows there's nothing I can do, that it's out of my power,” Colandrea said. “But I'm thinking, "Why make me go up again after two weeks if they're not going to use me?' I'm keeping my fingers crossed.”
- 8/28/98
- 9/2/00
- 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
- 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
- 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
- 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
- 8/2/07, 8/5/07
- 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
- 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
- 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
- 9/11/11, 9/12/11
- 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
:rolleyes:
Oh PLEASE!!!! That was FUNNY. Your diatribes are just juvenile.
nowadays hits you when you're young
why will you take by force what you may have quietly by love? - Powhatan
As for the last episode. IMO, not the greatest of episodes, but I feel it went out justified. As said already in this thread, it was a great ending. We are left to wonder. Our imaginations and minds now create what happened to everyone.
HBO, major Hollywood directors, or any other network will ever be able to create something like this again. In a way I hope that no mafia movies or series are ever made. Nothing will compare to the greatness of the Sopranos, and Goodfellas of course.
What happens to Sil? He was in a coma, does he recover or do they leave it hanging?
What happens to Paulie? he live or what, does he recover from the cancer that he was freaking out over at the end of season6?
What music they end the final show with?
Did any of you pussies cry?
1. sil was still in the coma, unlikely to regain consciousness. that's where they left that.
2. paulie lives. tony promotes him to take over the carlo's crew.
3. at the diner, tony plays journey's "don't stop believin'" on the jukebox. the song plays through the final scene, but stops abruptly at the cut-to-black point. after 10 seconds of black, the credits roll with no music playing.
4. you'll have to ask around
if you want to get caught up quickly with episodes you missed, check at the episode guides at: http://www.hbo.com/sopranos/episode/season6/episode86.shtml
- Sil became a guitarist for a local rock singer.
- Paulie became a boss in Boise, Idaho.
- 99 nuf baloons.
- lick my left nut.
- Mr. Edward Vedder 7/11/03
I personally liked Casino better, but I agree. The Italian present day mafia show was perfected with Sopranos. Godfather was Wilt Chamberlin, Goodfellas and Casino were Bird/Magic and Sopranos was Jordan. An evolution to greatness and perfection that can never and will never be duplicated nor surpassed. IMO a Soprano movie would be as difficult as Jordan coming back to the Wizards. It just shouldn't happen, as much as I'd want to see it.
nowadays hits you when you're young
1) Started a radio show from his hospital bed for Sirius satellite radio.
2) Suffocated in his sleep by the cat, who we later realize was not the reincarnation of Chris or Ade, but actually Vito.
3) MMmmbop
4) Yes, because AJ's boneheaded SUV accident made us miss the inevitable boobage shot from Rhiannon.
nowadays hits you when you're young
I was disappointed at first. Still not believing that the screen went black. I thought the ending fizzled, no bang. However, after thinking about it, this has been the show's blueprint. There have been many episodes that simply lack any action but are full of anticipation. They kept you waiting for something to happen, and then, just like in life. Nothing does. So, in that sense it didn't surprise me.
On the loose ends, most of them were tied up. And again, just like life, some were not. Life always has loose ends. But in a sense, his wife and kids are back on track, the work family is hurt, but both NJ and NY realized that they could not keep going at it like that. It was hurting business and that's why Phil's whacking was agreed. Tony is left to deal with the Feds, just like how it was when it started, and he will always be looking over his shoulder. It is just part of his life.
The Tony being whacked theory, although I don't agree with it, is just genius IMO. It doesn't leave it up to you, you have to figure it out. And the good thing about it is you can't prove anyone right/wrong. It is what you saw that best fits your thought process. Just like interpreting a PJ song. It means different things for different folks.
So after a couple of nights I come up very satisfied on how the series ended. I'm going to miss it. Maybe not now, because they always took over a year between seasons, but I will in the future, when the DVD comes out.
I thought the same thing when The Sopranos started, ie that the mafia thing was played out and nothing could ever be as good as The Godfather and Goodfellas. I stand corrected.
I agree with you about being happy with the ending.
One thing I wanted to comment on, and this is really playing devil's advocate for the people who were disappointed. I have heard a lot over the past few weeks about how the show leaves things unresolved, just like life. But it is not life. It is a TV show, so I can see how people would be disapppointed.
I think Tony was killed.
He's sitting in the diner with all of those possiblities of which person is gonna be the one to do it, AJ is talking about reflecting on the good times in your life, he has just had the head of the NY family killed, it only makes sense to me that he gets killed and at the moment it happens, the screen goes black, there is silence, the lights go out, its all over.
It is frustrating to not have a definitive answer, but at the same time, brilliant to leave it up to interpretation. And also to leave us all wondering if someday they will bring it back, make a movie, tie up some of the loose ends. Its always been a giant step above the rest of the crap on television.
I just want to go back now from the very first episode and relive the whole show over again.
I think after watching it for the 2nd time last night that it was a brilliant ending.
I too am ready to start the entire series over again.
Good point.
This is what keeps me from buying the "Tony gets whacked theory". The final scene has these characters that may or may not have been in previous episodes. The fact is that Tony would have many, many people wanting him dead, so that kind of turns it irrelevant. But here is where I don't buy it. The final image before the screen goes black is Tony's face. I think that if he were whacked, it would make sense that the final image would be of the door, maybe as Meadow is coming in, making it go black from Tony's perspective, not the viewer's perspective. I think the audience/viewers got whacked, not Tony, because of this. I've watched it again, and the final image is of Tony, not the door.
That is my take, which is why I more and more think it was a brilliant ending. We could keep talking about it forever.
The viewers getting whacked makes no sense at all to me, and does not fit in at all with how the series has gone. I have not watched the scene frame by frame, but I thought the final shot was of Meadow walking in.
Well if you think of it in the way that Tony's life will go on, only you won't be invited to observe or be part of it, you in essence, have been whacked. That is my interpretation.
Check out the final scene. The last image is Tony. Meadow is not shown going through the door.
Just thinking of Chase pitching the idea that "the audience got whacked" is way too silly for me. If that was the thought behind the scene, then the ending really sucks. That would be a total cop out of lowering the curtain before the final scene is done.
I believe you that the final scene is of Tony.
The overwhelming thing that makes me believe that Tony got killed was the whole Bobby/Tony conversation about everything going black. The fact that they replayed that when Tony was in the safehouse was a brilliant setup for the final scene of the series. When they played it, it looks like Tony is just remembering Bobby, but maybe he is really pondering his own mortality. Then to see the screen go black at the end of the finale, fits in with Tony getting killed there.
what's key is the look on Tony's face that last image, it is essentially the same look he had whenever anyone walked through the door, during that whole scene. It was nothing different.....to me nothing really happened.
- Mr. Edward Vedder 7/11/03
Thats the way I see it.
exactly......:)