Sopranos Watch: Don't Stop
SPOILER ALERT: Do I really have to warn you?
HBO photo: Craig Blankenhorn
So let's cut to the (David) chase. I thought the ending was beautiful. Judging from the comments already pouring into the Television Without Pity forums (and my neighbors screaming curses into their Brooklyn backyards at 10:01 last night), you didn't. Consider this a public service. You can't walk up to David Chase and tell him what a self-indulgent, pretentious jerk you think he is, so you can post here and do it to me. You're welcome.
But hear me out first.
I'm sure we'll talk about the other 59 minutes of the finale (which to me were fine but not stellar) at some point. But the ultimate moment was, as they say about democracy, the worst possible choice except for all the other choices that could have been made. People have debated for months how the series would end, but anything other than some form of a life-goes-on ending would have been counter to the history and the spirit of the show.
This is life and The Sopranos' view of it: no dramatic final poppings, no big finishes and curtain calls, no operatic closing arias, no mind-bending twists (like the ever-popular "Meadow takes over the family business"), no karmic justice, just ignominy, never-ending dread and onion rings. Life slouches on, a rough beast never getting to Bethlehem. If we had gotten any kind of more conventionally satisfying closure--an epilogue, Tony getting locked up, the Russian coming back and whacking everyone--we would have loved it initially and regretted it later.
If you take that as a given, the challenge was to devise an ending that stayed true to that spirit but still managed to surprise, engage and stir discussion in the audience without tying on an uncharacteristic bow. The sudden cut-out focused you on that last glimpse of James Gandolfini's expressive face, idly indulging in a deep-fried treat, looking ever slightly up to catch a glimpse of his only daughter. The Journey song cut in mid-exhilarating rush. The silent rectangle of nothing that, I admit, suckered me in and had me on my feet hoping that my backup DVR was still working upstairs.
In other words, Chase (who wrote and directed the finale) ended Tony's story pretty much exactly the way he was expected to and needed to, and yet he had me literally on my feet, engaged, a little pissed, laughing at my surprise and immediately playing the last scene over and over, figuratively in my head and literally on my TiVo. TV critics probably like that sort of thing more than non-professional viewers. If an ending works better the more you think about it, that's another way of saying that it worked on "an intellectual level," which is not the level people generally want to watch TV on. (Though I actually though the piecemeal reuniting of the family, echoing the first-season finale, was moving and full of heart). I've already heard the complaint that Six Feet Under's finale (which gave closure for every character by fast-forwarding and showing their deaths) was right in all the ways that this one was wrong. But Six Feet Under was a show that was, literally, about the fact that everything ends. The Sopranos is a show about the fact that nothing does--until you die, you just repeat the same patterns over and over.
Was it a tease, a cheat? Sure. In a way. Chase played the last scene following family members into the restaurant, lingering on various vaguely menacing diners around them, telegraphing all the usual signs of menace... then it started cutting to random diners, showing that the next threat to Tony could come from anywhere. Or nowhere. He could be capped two minutes after the camera cut. He could go to jail. Or he could just live on until he dies, adding an extra coat of saturated fat to the inside of his arteries every now and then, surrounded by his disappointed wife and disappointing children.
Of course, that's if you read the ending that way. There's a credible argument to be made that Tony actually dies in the final moment--that a bullet (probably from the nervous diner who got up to go to the can) had just entered his brain and ended him.
Did David Chase kill Tony off? I doubt it. But whether or not he did, he did something that to my knowledge no TV finale has: he killed the viewer off. You and I, watching Tony and sharing his universe one instant, our consciousness of him snuffed out entirely the next. Ended. Whacked. They say you never hear it coming.
But enough from me. Go to the comments and let me know what you
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1
Yes, yes....I get it. I get that he made us feel like we got whacked. We got to feel the "looking over our shoulder"-ness of not knowing where its going to come from...the tension...yadda yadda yadda. It was interesting, yes. But, finale fodder? No, defintely not. Chase is constantly using the "this is how it happens in real life" argument to save him from being accused of copping out. Leaving the Russians storyline hanging? Oh, its art. This is life. Things are left hanging in life. The gambling storyline all of a sudden popping up? Hey, sometimes we don't see these types of things until later in life. This is life.
This is a TV show, Chase. Work at it. I defended this show throughout when others attacked it. I even defended the dream sequences. But this is unforgivable. I understand that life isn't always clear-cut, but your inability to tie things up has now left us floundering. Your inability to say straight whether or not you are doing a movie has ruined what could have been a great finale.
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2
James - I completely agree. The ending powerfully focused us on the greatest Soprano's theme of all: there are ALWAYS monsters in our midst, dealing with problems just like you and I (in fact, we ourselves may be the monsters). And since it can be either your killer/arresting officer/total stranger/beloved family member coming through that door next at any time, why worry about the first two? Instead, as Tony says, "focus on the good times."
Equally powerful to me was the resolution (so to speak) of Meadow and A.J.'s lives on the show. Meadow, perhaps every bit her mother's daughter, rationalizing her choice to pursue poverty law by pointing out the times her father had been "falsely" arrested by the FBI, and saying in essence "if an Italian can have his rights trampelled, what about new immigrants?" There is no doubt in my mind from that comment that Meadow ends up at the big law firm with her fiance, representing the white-collar crooks and corrupt politicians who are probably rigging bids to benefit guys like Tony. (And how ominous that Meadow's future father-in-law is set to be brought closer into Tony's circle?)
And A.J., immediately dropping his political/social rights beliefs in exchange for a hot new (and slightly more fuel efficient) car and a job in "movies" with Little Carmine. A.J. (like Meadow, too) is entering the "family business," albeit its less seedy side - A.J. will seemingly remain the spoiled kid who never really leaves his parents or his father's financial support/influence.
An ending that works. Sure, it's not as powerful as being shot and then having your head rolled over by an SUV (wow....good riddance, Phil), but a great ending nonetheless.
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3
You know what else was powerful?
Those Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books. Genuis. Do your want to open the sarcophagus (pg.79)? Or do you want to enter the door to your right (pg.92)? Or does Tony die (pg. 131)?
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4
You know what else was powerful?
Those Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books. Genuis. Do your want to open the sarcophagus (pg.79)? Or do you want to enter the door to your right (pg.92)? Or does Tony die (pg. 131)?
Powerful.
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5
Ugh, my apologies for the double-post.
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6
Disappointing, boring, very weak episode...and arguably the worst series finale ever. While leaving all options on the table, it was obvious that Chase only cared about one: the big-screen version.
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7
I thought the ending was brilliant. If you think it was a letdown, it must be because you wanted Tony to die and you probably would have been let down with any other ending. I sat in my chair for the last 5 minutes with my heart pounding and my arms stiff with tension. What more could I ask for, the drama was great. I have to imagine David Chase laughing last night when the TV went blank and millions of viewers looked around their living rooms wondering if the cable went out. Once the credits began rolled and you realized it was over, the questions start flowing through your head. Afterwards, I stood up with weak legs and laughed out loud. I haven't had that feeling since the first time I went on a rollercoaster.
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8
"if you think it was a letdown, it must be because you wanted Tony to die and you probably would have been let down with any other ending."
See...this is why Chase does this crap. He knows that people are going to watch it and say, "well, Chase is an accomplished guy. He knows what he is doing. It must mean this and those who don't get it? Well, they need everything spoonfed." Then, those people can just say that those of us that didn't like it wanted something else. Or those that didn't like it are stupid. Or, perhaps, those who aren't with us are against us.
People wonder how Bush got elected. Getting people to think they are in the cool crowd works wonders. It works on both sides. Chase was at least smart enough to know that giving "intellectuals" a reason to exclude everyone else will essentially guarantee him a pass.
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9
@Wayne:
"You know what else was powerful?
Those Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books."You and I may never agree on this episode, but LOL.
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10
I too jumped up to see if my Cable had gone out. What an ending!!!!!!! Tremendous.
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11
Great episode. Perfect ending. Life goes on...loved it. Loved the going to black as Meadow comes in the door. Loved the possibility that Tony was whacked (he wasn't, there'll be a movie)...just a great ending. And I predicted the win over, and the whacking of Phil L...so I'm a pretty satisfied and happy camper today.
Steven C.
Duluth, GA -
12
Wayne - I have to disagree. I don't think Chase gives a damn about what the audience thinks - he's never wrapped up a number of story lines, he's never been beholden to a deadline as far as delivering a new season, and last night shows that he could care less about delivering an "ending" in any traditional sense.
But this show was, in part, about the psychological wounds families pass down to each other (the "Livia to Tony, Tony to AJ and Meadow?" storyline), and the decay of our past traditions and their replacement with something new.
This latter theme resonates throughout the Soprano's. Tony's failure to find/embody the ideal of Gary Cooper, an archetype from an era permanently lost. The mob's slowly decaying power - I mean, the FBI doesn't care about them anymore, they're so focused on terrorism, and even helps them kill each other. The loss of Italian identity when Native Americans question Columbus' legacy, Little Italy is reduced to one block and engulfed by Chinatown, and the mob hitman who kills Phil has the name "Walden," causing Paulie to say "what the hell type of Italian name is that?" Even Dr. Melfi - the tearing down of psychology (to be replaced with what?) and realization that some problems (such as Tony's sociopathy) cannot be talked into remission.
These two themes coud never be "resolved" with a "conclusion" that would satisfy the audience, and perhaps that is the point - we as the audience need to realize these themes move on, with or without the Sopranos being on the air. If you hate that resolution, I think that's exactly what Chase wanted.
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13
After considering how the show could have ended, I am more than satisfied with the continuation of Tony's life as is.In some ways, the ending was a perfect send off for the entire series and ultimately, the Sopranos really was about family.What better way to end than to be surrounded by family in a feeding environment.
I certainly prefer some ambiguity to seeing Tony die a predictable,bloody death. -
14
I'm glad that I didn't watch the last 5 years of this show. I didn't waste my time watching it and then in the end being disappointed at the lame ending. Who really cared through the show about the interactions of Tony and his family with the other characters? What a waste of time when you consider that everyone was waiting for the end. As I said I'm glad I didn't waste the last 5 years watching this show. If Tony would have turned informant and Phil was arrested and would spend the rest of his life in jail would be a more appropriate ending.
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15
I thought that the ending was brilliant.
Chase left us feeling edgy, looking around at each face, wondering if it belonged to a hit man or an FBI agent. We felt the sense of the impending dread over Meadow being late, merely because she was struggling to parallel park the car. In a sense, we could finally understand why Tony was always on edge, always had to be careful and, in a way, fearful.
Like us, Tony is a man who always has to be in control, yet must live life know he has no control. No other ending could have been as satisfying.
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16
who cares
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17
I did enjoy the finale for the most part...but it seemed like Philly's death was a little rushed. Also, I would have liked to see Tony use that big gun that he received from Bobby at least once!
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18
Definitely leaves you thinking about the multitudes of angles the story could have taken. I was told last February in L.A. by someone who had worked on the series, that the ending will leave you all set up for the full length film that will be produced. Probably $120,000,000. the first weekend at the box office. Then just think of the DVD sales of the flick, to complete the entire DVD collection that so many have purchased. Brilliant !!!!!
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19
Tony, his family, and his main guys alive. Nothing else matters.
Chase left the door open for a movie, it's the only thing that counts, so : BEST ENDING EVER.
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20
it seems that he may have actually gotten whacked. of course the genius in the ending is that we don't know and we may need to go back and watch season 6 again to get all the details, but one line taht they flash backed to last week that keeps sticking with me is Bobby saying to Tony (in the rowboat) "you probably don't even hear it when it ends."
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21
it's those viewers who are just waiting for the big send off that need to stick to scarface or goodfellas or shows like CSI. sopranos, since day 1, has never just been about killing for the sake of killing or clean cut endings. it's always been precisely about the characters and how they interact. and how their actions have repurcussions. and how they never learn from their mistakes and never progress. and all the therapy just reaffirms their sad predispositions to anger, jealousy and the tendency to blame others for their problems. the ending was a beautiful way to wrap up the series. whether tony lives or dies is irrelevant. and, honestly, why would AJ or meadow get killed? that's not how it works. and why would they take over the business? that would be inconsistent with their characters and tony would never allow it. in truth, they all just muddle along. maybe tony will get killed one day, but not now, not at a time of transition like this. one day people will reflect on this and appreciate the beauty and genius of this show for what it is.
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22
WTF?! That is one hour of my life wasted that I'll never get back.
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23
Brilliant ending. I was really hoping Tony didn't get whacked... as that would have been too predictable. I love how this version leaves every possibility open.
For those of you who didn't like it, what would you have done differently??? I think anything less would have been disappointing.
And yeah, I was cheering when Phil got crushed.
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24
Mr. Poniewozik..."no big finishes, operatic closings, mind bending twists"...fine. But "devising an ending that stayed true to the spirit and managed to surprise, engage and stir discussion" is just...CRAP.
After all these years, the loyal Soprano fan deserved a kick as finale worthy of all the hype...I guess we´ll just have wait for the movie...thanks David Chase.
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25
I am conflicted.....I do think it was a cop-out/sell out, although a clever one. I dont need closure, I could care less about seeing the russian again, I loved the dream sequences, I never thirsted for more whacking....but this just leaves me with a cold feeling. This was easily the weakest all around episode of this mini-season which I feel has been brilliant. Oh well maybe I am to stupid to get it...have at me....
- poniewozik Loved the season. Mrs Tuned In wd have put u on the main list RT @boredtodeath Thank u for incl us in Time's Top 10. We'll take hon mention. - 4 hours ago
- poniewozik @carr2n Virgin is the best, LAX-JFK - 5 hours ago
- poniewozik Did NPR interview abt multiscreen multitasking. After, automatically reached for iPhone in pocket. Like don draper wd have for cigarettes. - 6 hours ago
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