Reader Forum: 'The Sopranos' finale

Monday, June 11, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

We want to know what you thought about "The Sopranos" finale.

Send your comments to postscript@post-gazette.com. Please be sure to include your full name and hometown.

I thought "The Sopranos" finale was brilliant. I think they left it up to the viewer to decide Tony's fate. Did he get whacked in the diner? Were one of the 'suspect'-looking people the Feds getting ready to serve him a warrant? Or, does life go on for Tony and family as usual? I don't think they could have ended it any better. People would complain if he died in a gunfight, people would be let down if he got arrested, and some would say it was cheesy if it ended with everything "hunky dory" with the Soprano family ...

Well done.

Craig, Pleasant Hills

As so many other viewers did, I thought something was wrong with the television when it went black, and I then stared at the screen in dismay as the credits began to roll. After getting over the shock and disappointment and verbalizing my annoyance, I have had time to think about it. Tony's guard was down because Phil was dead, he had the indictment on his mind, and he was going to enjoy dinner with his family. I think the one guy who entered the bathroom came back out, the other guy that was sitting there and intermittently glancing at the table, and the guy who walked into the restaurant just in front of AJ, gunned down the whole Soprano family just as Meadow entered the restaurant and the bell on the door rang (they were waiting for the whole family to get there and hence the glancing at the table and waiting). Someone could have been outside watching and signaled the men inside when Meadow finally got her car parked and that she was coming in. They made an exception in the Sopranos' case and killed the whole family instead of just Tony so that none of them were left (don't forget, Tony got to be boss when Uncle Junior handed it to him). I think the 10-second pause with the blank screen was when the shooting was taking place, but we were not to see it. That's why the screen went blank, because the Sopranos were no more.

Denise, Gibsonia

If you watched the credits after the final episode you would have seen that there was a story behind all of the customers that walked into the diner during the final scene. The italian-looking guy who sat down at the counter and then walked into the bathroom was credited as "Nick Leotardo," Phil's nephew; the group of young black men were the guys who tried to kill Tony a couple of years ago, and the white guy in the baseball hat was the brother of a guy that Christopher killed while he was stealing electronics out of the back of a truck.

So you can see that the people who walked into the diner were more than just "strangers," as Rob Owen put it in his review.

I thought the final episode was OK, but I am looking forward to a Sopranos movie.

Christopher Horgan, Tampa

Brilliantly, Chase left it up to each viewer to decide on the fate of Tony and Co.

My take is that the mysterious man came out of the bathroom and -- BA DA BING -- shot Tony Soprano dead a la Michael Corleone killing the policeman in "The Godfather." I think Agent Harris and the FBI played both families against each other. Once Phil was eliminated, Tony became expendable and was set up, too. Harris was unmasked as something less than a virtuous character. Maybe he saw a practical angle to solve two problems and acted accordingly to save the Government the time and expense of a trial. Perhaps Paulie or Carlo flipped and enabled the hit. Either way, both mob families are crippled, which would suit the Feds just fine.

Dan Skantar, Oakdale

I did not and never will watch "The Sopranos" at anytime. I think it is a disgrace to make out like this a great program. Shame on all who think so.

Rosemarie M. Soltis, Pittsburgh

I think we all wanted a big "BANG" at the end of the last episode ... however ... I figured the ending of the Sopranos series on HBO would have ended exactly the way it did ... considering there is movie talk in the works ... they HAD to leave something to work with. ...

Leah Suiters, Verona

Meadow's comments earlier in the episode about watching her Dad being arrested by the FBI so many times (which is why she wanted to be in law), was the foreshadow and defining moment of the episode ... they weren't hit men ... they were FBI ... Tony was getting a fate worse than death, jail.

Lisa, McCandless

I am tired of this. They say it is going to be the finale, but then they obviously leave it open-ended to serve their own needs. No doubt, in about six months or a year (if not earlier), we will begin hearing the grease squeaking from the rumor mill winding up ??? "They're making A Sopranos movie." Love the show, hate the rest that comes along with it. Like we need to wait two years between seasons, then have them tell us it's ending, when they know it's not. Hear James Gandolfini is the only thing holding them back from making the movie, or another season. He's the only one they have yet to get on board, and it's hard to do The Sopranos without our beloved Family Man, Father of the Year ??? Tony Soprano.

Matt, Pittsburgh

It was a good ending as we all know that the next step is a movie. The real question is this, will it be a movie for HBO, or will we have to go to the movie theater to pay and watch it? Either way, I will be interested in the movie.

Wade, Pittsburgh

"The Sopranos'' was a good show but not a great show. Great shows were: "Hill Street Blues," "ER" in its earlier years, "M*A*S*H" as well as others. They were classic. What made Sopranos different from a lot of dramas was the life of a mobster. sex and violence. The show being on cable was one of the first to offer this. Having the normal life of the Sopranos without those and it would have been an average show. The last show was not a disappointment because it was a continuation of the main characters and it made sense. The gang war was over and hits are not made just for violence sake. There will be a Sopranos movie or a mini-series to continue on with the story. Life goes on for those characters that survive.

Dave, Pittsburgh

While TV offers so much opportunity to mindlessly watch whatever is on the 100+ channels a viewer has to choose from, no show could possibly come close to the emotional ending of the Sopranos Sunday night. David Chase expertly directed the final moments of his stellar show by creating a suspense that left my heart racing. While the casual viewer of the Sopranos might have been disappointed that the series did not end in a "Hollywood" finale of gunfire and bloodshed much like mobster counterparts the Untouchables or the Godfather Trilogy, I feel that the Sopranos ended in such a manner that was only fitting to the fans of the show that felt a connection to the Soprano family. While it might be summer outside, I am glad this series did not take the typical route of an action packed conclusion like you would see in any of the films playing at the movie theatres today.

For fans that have been along for the ride since the very beginning, there was so much symbolism and hidden references laced through out the entire episode. In just the final 10 minutes alone, Chase used every suspenseful camera angle, edit and cut to lure the viewer in much like DePalma and Scorsese have done over the years. The use of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" was a direct call for viewers to do just. Because the answers were not placed on a platter directly in front of our faces, it is up to us to assume the outcome of the Sopranos.

As connected to these characters as viewers have become, how satisfied would everyone have been to see Tony and his family get "whacked" at the end? While it might have been something a little more dramatic to share at the water cooler today, it would have by no means been rewarding.

Retribution was delivered when Phil was taken out. Tony came full circle with Uncle Junior and closed the book on that relationship.

And while the impending federal trial that looms for Tony tells us that his problems aren't over yet, that look in the diner at the end mixed with the 10 seconds of silence tells us that life goes on for the Soprano family as "business as usual," it's just that we aren't allowed to watch anymore.

To a great series and a great ending, Ciao!

Jason, Pittsburgh

Dear David Chase,

I want my money back.

Sincerely,

Marcy, Robinson

I was watching the final episode when my screen went black. I thought something was wrong with my television set, so I switched over to another channel to see if they went off the air also. The other channels were okay; therefore, I switched back to HBO and the credits were coming up. I still thought it was something that went wrong with the channel and I was very upset because I missed the ending. I was thinking I would find out the next day what happened in the ending.l find out that the blackout was the ending. Instead of someone getting whacked on the sopranos, the television viewers got whacked.

Dorothy Richards, Verona

Truly the worst Ending of a series that I have ever seen. The BEST HBO series ever ends with a black screen??? To the people who say that the black screen represents Tony's view and his subsequent death, I say HORSEFEATHERS!! Anything short of a bloodbath at the restaurant with Meadow just missing it WAS NOT EXCEPTABLE, lol.

Les, Hill District

I thought that the ending left much to the imagination, just like many of the regular episodes.

This approach does not bring closure to all or many of the issues, but it does make for a realistic and life like story as none of us know what will come next in our lives.

M. J. Kearney, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

Rob Owen,

The ending dismayed many who watched. I think otherwise. It was in keeping with the classic short story [unknown to the younger generation], "The Lady Or the Tiger." Thus the story lives on despite the ending. We lack a tolerance for ambiguity; some problems aren't solved, they simply get "older" and are enduring and true dilemmas.

Tolstoy wrote that science [the quest for answers] fails to answer the two most important questions of life -- what shall I do and how shall I live.

The program has ended, the debate now begins and will last as long as those who have seen the series. Those who wrote the script must feel satisfaction.

What do you think?

Don Taylor, Elizabeth

Although I was a little disappointed, the blank screen was just great, my comments at that time can not be printed.

However, I had made a guess that Tony's family would be killed, he would survive and join Junior in the funny farm and his Sister who was behind the killings would assume Tony' place in the mob. You can't imagine how I was rooting for Meadow to park that auto and go into the restaurant.

Don Eakin, North Braddock

My initial reaction was pretty sappy for the Soprano's. I was mushy and sentimental and warm and fuzzy - not my normal adjectives for that show. However, I do have to say that I was on the edge of my seat wondering who would get wacked - so the suspense was good but ended up only Phil bit the dust. When is the feature film coming - need closure!

Kelly Boyle, Scott

I guessed right that Phil would be wacked! We had a family cook out yesterday and everyone who watches the show gave their opinion on the ending and bet a quarter. I'm the proud winner of about $2.00.

LouAnn Haney, Wexford

I'VE KEPT HBO FOR ALL THESE YEARS JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE SOPRANOS. I HONESTLY THOUGHT THE LAST 2 YEARS WERE WEIRD AND PRETTY DULL SO I REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED WHEN THE LAST EPISODE WAS THE WORST EVER!!!! MY PHONE STARTED RINGING RIGHT AWAY AND WE WERE ALL IN SHOCK. ALL THE FANS THAT HAVE BOUGHT THE DVD COLLECTIONS AND PAY TO HAVE HBO IN THEIR HOME SHOULD ALL GET THEIR MONEY RETURNED TO THEM. I AM JUST SO DISAPPOINTED AND IF THEY DO MAKE A MOVIE, I WILL NOT PAY TO GO SEE IT!!!

WENDY-MONROEVILLE

LOVED the ending!! But did anyone catch that the car that Meadow was parking was one of those Lexus that "Parks Itself"?!?!?!?!?!?!

What's up with the cat? Reincarnated Christopher?? And Phil: His hair was NEVER messed up, but the irony of getting shot in the head and then the SUV running over his head/hair! Priceless!!!

David Chase is remarkable!

Karen, Pleasant Hills

I can honestly say I hated the way it ended! They hype it up so much, and to leave it hangning like that is a slap in the face, much like what CBS did to the viewers of Jericho!

I hope they at least bring it back as a movie or something, give us some kind of closure. At least wack the son, lol.

Michele C, Pittsburgh

We were looking through the eyes of Tony (while in the restaurant), which is why the camera showed the shifty characters. Tony, obviously skilled at knowing his surroundings, would have done the same. We were looking at the world exactly as Tony saw it for that whole scene (besides the flash to the Lexus NOT being able to be parked by Meadow, which is a nice little laugh because the Lexus flagship is the one that parks itself and Lexus made a big advertising deal about it, Meadow was driving the cheap Lexus) ....... but anyhow, the point is We are Tony in that restaurant. We are seeing as Tony sees. We see the songs, hear the songs, see Carmela, hear Carmela, joke with AJ, keep an eye on who enters and leaves and is present in the restaurant. If we were Tony in that restaurant, a blind sided gunshot wound to the head would probably result in exactly what we saw for those ten seconds. Nothing, instant death, silence, and blackness.

He was shot in the head and immediately killed, probably blindsided or else we would have saw the shooter because we were looking through Tony's eyes. Meadow was spared the scene and possibly her own death by not being able to park the cheap Lexus.

Joe Cernak, Northern Virginia

regarding the sopranos finale:

it was the worst ending in the history of television

Jim Filippone, Uniontown

I never watched the show until the final ten minutes but I told my wife, an avid watcher, for the previous week that Tony wouldn't die. When Tony picked the Journey song "Don't Stop Believin'", a huge smile broke out on my face because I immediately thought of the line "Well the movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on" and knew I was right!

Joe Lucas, Brighton Heights

While The Sopranos faithful tensely watched the long-awaited final episode, David Chase inexorably, and in true gang-land style, snuffed his viewer "famiglia" with a 10 second black screen non-conclusion. I guess it speaks to the unquestionable genius of his direction and writing, whereby Mr. Chase masterfully took control of the reins, manipulating his audience at will.

The closing scene: a simple family dinner, at a typical American eatery. With FBI inditments looming for Tony, at least the war with the NY mob appears to be mediated, now that Phil is gone; Carmella has her beach house; AJ has shaken his deperession, with his new job in "film"; and Meadow is engaged, looking forward to a happy, lucrative future. But Chase focuses the camera's eye on "suspicious characters", in the restaurant, that stir feelings of growing danger. The suspense builds as Meadow ineptly tries to parallel park, as if fate is somehow intervening her date with destiny. At the breath-taking moment where one of the suspicious men heads for the men's room while two serious looking men enter the restaurant, the music stops and all goes to blackness.

Plot devices? This "ending" begs hundreds of questions, but ultimately Mr. Chase cleverly has drawn his audience into the creative realm, as they will be "writing" and "directing" endings for a long time to come.

Vi Young, Pittsburgh, PA

Not much closure, you're right. My theory as to why it ended like it did: the guy came out of the bathroom and killed Tony. That's why it ended so abruptly. Tony's life ended abruptly, without closure. Why should viewers get treated any differently?

Mike Moore, Dormont

First published on June 10, 2007 at 9:32 pm