I'm growing weary of all this belly-aching about the Soprano's finale. before I saw the last episode I had low expectations, mostly due to David Chase's own arrogant comments. Basically, he said (I paraphrase) "don't expect tidy endings, b/c life isn't full of tidy endings". So, I expected a finale with NO answers to anything and Chase sitting smugly at his home feeling all full of himself. But my immediate reaction to his comments leading up to the finale are this: "hey Dave, it's a TV show. it's not "life" or "real"". So, I expected some answers and the one that I decided I needed was "who lives: Tony or Phil?"...I got that answer ...repeatedly thru a combo of gun shots and SUV tires.
The last scene in the finale is genius. You've seen Tony making peace with his life both family life and "work" life. His looking off into the distance while raking the leaves showed that contentment. As they sit at the diner later, the family is all together. AJ has his shit together (although the fact that he got "all better" after watching his car go up in flames was one of the most unreal and lame course corrections in the history of the show). Meadow, while a poor parker has her shit together and TOny understands why she wants to go into law ...and maybe even defend Daddy once she passes the bar.
Carmela is fine. She has made her peace with the life she leads. She's had her chances to leave, and surely she has enough reasons, but she likes the nice cars, espresso makers and expensive watches that this life affords, she's going nowhere.
The guy in the Member's Only jacket going to the bathroom bring fantastic tension for anyone who knows The Godfather movies. It's an obvious shout out and there to make you think what could happen.
So, as the screen goes black does Tony look up to see Meadow walk in? Does he see a gun held at him by the guy coming out of the bathroom? Do those kids who walked in right before Meadow create some issue. It's all there, I was literally (and I NEVER use that term incorrectly) on the edge of recliner.
At first, I felt a little ripped off, but after an hour or so, I realized the genius of the ending. It was nearly the exact opposite of how "Six Feet Under" ended with it's litany of what happened to everyone over the next few decades by describing how they died. Chase went exactly the other way.
Your left thinking what you want to believe. If Tony lives on, does Paulie become his number two? Paulie who seemed to be the person most likely to be killed next for about the past 3 years, with his dealings with New York, the tension b/t he and Chris and basically his going bat-shit over the past year. Is this what Tony is left with? How can he hold on to power with such a young crew and no one left but Paul from the old school.
If he is dead, what happens to AJ? Remember how he wanted to avenge his father's shooting by going after Uncle Jun? AJ would surely end up in the family business, if only to avenge his father's death, but AJ too likes the comforts that life brings (remember his complete and instantaneous 180 about caring too much for the pain in the world to loving the new BMW dad bought????).
So many other things to consider, so many what ifs. A brilliant end, to a brilliant series. And a fitting end. It did not cheat fans, it gave enough answers, not all, but enough. Kudos Mr. Chase.
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