I'm traveling on business, so I'm watching more day-time TV than I normally would. I've been absolutely BOMBARDED with this anti-Sopranos stuff... it's ridiculous.
What more did everyone want? This was an intelligent show throughout its history. If you're too stupid - and I say this because to me it's very obviously a great episode - to enjoy that finale, then I'll help you out.
AJ - Ultimately, he was just a kid in a phase, and as soon as he had the sweet job with the great title and income, he became the spoiled brat he used to be (buying the M3, speeding around in it, etc.). What more do you want here? He's going to take that job and likely screw it up by being lazy.
Meadow - We find out that - and I think this was huge - her move from doctor to lawyer was mostly due to Tony and his arrest. So the doctor they wanted and were so proud of was gone because of what Tony did. Plus, she was clearly deluding herself with what Tony did and who he really was. She knew clearly what her father did when she told AJ about him, but because he's her father, she felt the arrest was unjustified. We learned a TON about her character in the simple act of her admission that she became a lawyer mostly in response to Tony's arrest. What more do you want here? Short of killing her, you can't be any clearer about what she's going to do with the rest of her life.
Carmela - We have learned a lot about her this season, especially in the first episode when she shows that she STILL loves the power that Tony exudes... "Oh Tony; do you really think I care about that sh1t?" "And that cheap shot your husband took at Tony was dispicable." We know exactly where her character is and what she feels about her husband and his life. In this last episode, she mentions looking at spec homes and such, which tells us that she's going to continue with her real estate work. What more do you want? We know what she's going to do from here on out.
Silvio and Bobby - Dead, their story is closed
Phil - see Silvio and Bobby... btw, GREAT f-ing death!!! I wanted him to die SO BADLY, and he went down in a horrible way. That made me extremely happy.
Paulie - He sees his end coming, and he's starting to be cautious. But in the end, he's as loyal as Higgins' Doberman pincers from Magnum PI. Oh Captain, my captain. Again, unless he dies, you can't be clearer about what he'll do. He's clearly a follower, not a leader, so he'll need Tony to stick around. If Tony does go to jail or dies, he'll be lost until a new leader comes in.
Janice - I don't really care for closure here, but the bottom line is that she's going to continue to be Janice. She's going to get a settlement, if Tony lives, and if not she'll manage to get money some other way. Tony visits her again, and she talks about what her and Tony are and how their sense of humor is the same because of the way they were brought up. This is closure, to me, on Janice. There isn't much more to say here.
Tony - Again I say, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT? Tony is being persued by the feds, and they have a snitch. There are potentially people in the diner to shoot him, but to me that's just a fun ending because you had all this suspense built up waiting for everyone to die, and he just ends it. Brilliant. The bottom line is, it doesn't matter. You know they've been building a case against Tony for years, and just like Johnny Sack, they're probably going to get him. They have a snitch, they've been building a case for years, and he's the #1 guy they want to bring down... no way they don't get him this time. What does it matter if he dies or not? What does it matter if the guy comes out of the bathroom with a gun or not? Either way, Tony is at his end, as are these two crime families. What happens next doesn't matter. Someone else will take over. Who cares who that is?!
I just want someone to say which story David Chase left completely open? Tony is the only one you could really come up with (you know they don't touch families, so the rest of them are OK), and I don't feel like we need to be told much more than this.
P.S. If you read all of this, and you still feel like the audience was screwed at the end, you should really evaluate whether you're still upset because Chase screwed you, or if you're just mad because you were mad when the episode ended and you just can't shake that no matter how much sense it makes to feel that way.
What more did everyone want? This was an intelligent show throughout its history. If you're too stupid - and I say this because to me it's very obviously a great episode - to enjoy that finale, then I'll help you out.
AJ - Ultimately, he was just a kid in a phase, and as soon as he had the sweet job with the great title and income, he became the spoiled brat he used to be (buying the M3, speeding around in it, etc.). What more do you want here? He's going to take that job and likely screw it up by being lazy.
Meadow - We find out that - and I think this was huge - her move from doctor to lawyer was mostly due to Tony and his arrest. So the doctor they wanted and were so proud of was gone because of what Tony did. Plus, she was clearly deluding herself with what Tony did and who he really was. She knew clearly what her father did when she told AJ about him, but because he's her father, she felt the arrest was unjustified. We learned a TON about her character in the simple act of her admission that she became a lawyer mostly in response to Tony's arrest. What more do you want here? Short of killing her, you can't be any clearer about what she's going to do with the rest of her life.
Carmela - We have learned a lot about her this season, especially in the first episode when she shows that she STILL loves the power that Tony exudes... "Oh Tony; do you really think I care about that sh1t?" "And that cheap shot your husband took at Tony was dispicable." We know exactly where her character is and what she feels about her husband and his life. In this last episode, she mentions looking at spec homes and such, which tells us that she's going to continue with her real estate work. What more do you want? We know what she's going to do from here on out.
Silvio and Bobby - Dead, their story is closed
Phil - see Silvio and Bobby... btw, GREAT f-ing death!!! I wanted him to die SO BADLY, and he went down in a horrible way. That made me extremely happy.
Paulie - He sees his end coming, and he's starting to be cautious. But in the end, he's as loyal as Higgins' Doberman pincers from Magnum PI. Oh Captain, my captain. Again, unless he dies, you can't be clearer about what he'll do. He's clearly a follower, not a leader, so he'll need Tony to stick around. If Tony does go to jail or dies, he'll be lost until a new leader comes in.
Janice - I don't really care for closure here, but the bottom line is that she's going to continue to be Janice. She's going to get a settlement, if Tony lives, and if not she'll manage to get money some other way. Tony visits her again, and she talks about what her and Tony are and how their sense of humor is the same because of the way they were brought up. This is closure, to me, on Janice. There isn't much more to say here.
Tony - Again I say, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT? Tony is being persued by the feds, and they have a snitch. There are potentially people in the diner to shoot him, but to me that's just a fun ending because you had all this suspense built up waiting for everyone to die, and he just ends it. Brilliant. The bottom line is, it doesn't matter. You know they've been building a case against Tony for years, and just like Johnny Sack, they're probably going to get him. They have a snitch, they've been building a case for years, and he's the #1 guy they want to bring down... no way they don't get him this time. What does it matter if he dies or not? What does it matter if the guy comes out of the bathroom with a gun or not? Either way, Tony is at his end, as are these two crime families. What happens next doesn't matter. Someone else will take over. Who cares who that is?!
I just want someone to say which story David Chase left completely open? Tony is the only one you could really come up with (you know they don't touch families, so the rest of them are OK), and I don't feel like we need to be told much more than this.
P.S. If you read all of this, and you still feel like the audience was screwed at the end, you should really evaluate whether you're still upset because Chase screwed you, or if you're just mad because you were mad when the episode ended and you just can't shake that no matter how much sense it makes to feel that way.
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