The Sopranos: FINAL 9

[Gruff Old Bear]

Chase always resisited the expected. We expected either death or arrest, so he resisted both. I was wondering right up until the cutoff whether there was a hit man at the counter, a cluster of FBI agents closing in, or both, or nothing but a guy who recognizes a gangster in the booth across the room. With Chase, the uncertainty seems to be the point.

So we leave Tony with no ducks over his pool, a crew that keeps getting more low-rent and unremarkable, no apparent professional heir, a son with a potentially fatal short attention span, no shrink to help him along (and while his panic attacks ended, he's still more hung up on Ma's "poor you" abuse than we realized), a very dangerous budding relationship with a federal agent, an indictment probably on the way and Carlo ratting him out (but how much does Carlo really know? And can't his testimony be impugned by his resentment of Tony beating him up in public?)...I think Tony will eventually die in an accidental fall. He'll trip over the damn cat.

I can't believe that of the original crew, that idiot Paulie Walnuts is the last man standing. Perfect.

 

[Batty]

Best part about the ending was the choice of music (using "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey was genius).

When Tony was looking at the jukebox, that was the one song I was hoping he wouldn't pick. I hate Journey.

I've watched the last 10 minutes of the episode again. I do have more respect for that last scene (except for Journey) and how Chase ended the series, but I really do wish there was less A.J.

 

[occulum]

but I really do wish there was less A.J.

agree there.
I started not liking that kid when I started reading he was being an ass-hole out in public in real life acting like he thought he was a real thug

 

[IrishJedi]

I started not liking that kid when I started reading he was being an ass-hole out in public in real life acting like he thought he was a real thug

That dork? My 4 year old son could take him out.

 

[jaakub]

Last night at 10:06 my reaction was no ***** Way, what a crappy ending. After thinking about it for a while I think it wasn't as bad as I originally thought. Yea it could have tied up the story in a neat little package, but this way people take what they want from it. I don't believe that Tony got whacked. Through all the seasons the story was about family. Not his mob family but his family. I think that at the end it showed that in the beginning and the end it boils down to you and your family. The gangster stuff was sort of like a side story that wasn't as important as the main idea of his real family. Is it possible he got whacked, yea, Bobby and Tony talked about how when you go it just goes black and you don't hear anything (like the end of the show). He could have been arrested by the FBI too. Meadow talked about how she saw her father hauled off a bunch of times by the FBI and that is what lead her into law. Any one of these are possible. I think that in the end the suspense was built up to give the viewer an idea of the life a mobster lives by always having to look over their shoulder and as AJ (unfortunately) said in life it is the good times and memories that count. I still like my shows tied up in a nice neat package at the end but you can't have it all the time. Still a bit angry and a movie is a HORRIBLE idea for this show. Won't go see it.
JAAKUB

 

[gideon]

A fourth possibility. If we go with the idea that everything goes black when life ends ..... the screen went black for US THE VIEWERS. The series - our SOPRANO life, ended and our screens went black because maybe it was dead to us. ...... or

WE GOT WHACKED!!!!!

 

[Bodie The Cursed]

First I thought My Direct TV went out.. I was a wreck the show was to end in tragedy in the final minutes..

Now that I have digested the outcome I think its brilliant..

 

[TDTOM]

Well this reminds me, I wanted onion rings for lunch.

The ending.

 

[ragacin]

I did like the idea the orange tabby is a reincarnated Christopha

 

[bagelsncheesey]

I did like the idea the orange tabby is a reincarnated Christopha

Nah man, the cat is Adriana.

 

[DarthNeil]

Nah man, the cat is Adriana.

Nice p-u-s-s-y- cat...

 

[The ill Jedi]

The only things I really liked was Phil's death (shot in the head, then crushed like a melon) and Agent Harris' reaction to Phil's death. I laughed out loud at that.

That was the best part of the whole episode, F@#king BRUTAL!! I threw my hands up and laughed in celebration too and my wife looked at me like I was a psycho!

 

[gideon]

same reaction here from my wife watching something less violent upstairs .. she heard me cheering ...

having spent lots of time today reading several sites and uncountable pages of posts - here is the farthest out of the "choose your own adventrue endings".

As Meadow was crossing the street after parking her car, a plane goes over head. Earlier in the show the FBI agent tells about efforts to keep planes free of terrorists at JFK airport. As Meadow hits the front door of the restaurant.... another 911 with the plane hitting the restaurant where the entire family is gathered.

Makes no sense to me but points for creativity.

 

[occulum]

one interesting thing they pointed out on TV was they showed an earlier episode when Tony was in a boat on the pond chatting with Bobby Baccalieri, Bobby makes the comment "I bet you dont even hear it when you get whacked"

 

[Bum]

Man at the counter in Members-only jacket... goes to the bathroom...

Guy with girlfriend sitting in the booth, laughing, looking inconspicuous...

Boyscout den leader with the boy scouts in the corner...

Hiphop crew coming in...

What really happened was this...
Every time someone came in, the door bell chimed, and Tony reached for his piece. Each time, false alarm, or he figured, he could take them. That's why he noticed man in Members-only jacket. This is post-1970s, and Tony would have known about the Godfather movie... he had his eye on this guy.

He looked at the guy with the girlfriend. Something didn't look right... so he was aware of that as well.

Boyscout den leader looked normal, so...pass. other than the kids were loud.

Hip hop crew comes in...

It all looks normal... and then the Members-Only guy comes out with a piece hidden in his Members-Only jacket... makes a nod to the guy with a girlfriend... who returns the nod, and just as they aim at Tony, ...
the Hip Hop crew decides to rob the restaurant.

Tony notices the Members-Only guy and the Boyfriend guy, readies his piece, refrains because the Hip Hop crew makes their move... Members-only guy slinks back behind the corner, but is noticed by the Hip-Hop crew... and they fire on him. Boyfriend is inexperienced, sees his partner/fellow hitman get shot, so stupidly, he fires on one of the Hip Hop crew, taking one down, but attracts another Hip Hop crew to fire on and kill him.

All the while, Tony remains calm with his family, ducking under the table.
He hands his money to the Hip Hop crew as the rest of the restaurant patrons do... and escapes unscathed.

 

[bidge1000]

I think a lot of people are making more of what happened than actually did.
I feel that the director very cleverly in that final setup gave us all a taste of the paranioa that tony has been feeling the last few weeks.

Sure, the guy in the members only jacket was looking at Tony and then went to the bathroom but that was it. How many times does this happen to each of us every day? Tony definately noticed him.

I've got to be honest, I feel that it might well be one of the biggest and greatest cliffhangers EVER! Life doesn't always give you the answers you need.

PS,
Phils death - Richly deserved, the car going over his head was like a moment out of Airplane - The Movie' as people started getting sick.

AJ - Complete clueless weener, absolutely hate him.

 

[Vader AL]

I think a lot of people are making more of what happened than actually did.
I feel that the director very cleverly in that final setup gave us all a taste of the paranioa that tony has been feeling the last few weeks.

Sure, the guy in the members only jacket was looking at Tony and then went to the bathroom but that was it. How many times does this happen to each of us every day? Tony definately noticed him.

I've got to be honest, I feel that it might well be one of the biggest and greatest cliffhangers EVER! Life doesn't always give you the answers you need.

PS,
Phils death - Richly deserved, the car going over his head was like a moment out of Airplane - The Movie' as people started getting sick.

AJ - Complete clueless weener, absolutely hate him.

i'm on board with this. i think after the intial shock and a day to think about it people are beginning to appreciate the ending and actually enjoy it. i know that's my story.

 

[Karma]

The show was about Tony's psychology & I think the ending was like a rorschach (says more about you in how you interpret it)

 

[LOTRFan]

What happens when you die? Nothing, it all just fades to black.

Was this mentioned yet?

 

[Batty]

What happens when you die? Nothing, it all just fades to black.

I'm with you there.