The Sopranos

Scott Hardie | March 9, 2006
On the eve of the Sopranos sixth season premiere, I considered ordering HBO to watch the series. I just purchased the first five seasons on DVD and enjoyed all of them, and I thought it would be fun to watch a season without all the surprises spoiled for me for a change. Then I discovered the price tag: $101.85 per month, considering I have to order digital cable to get it here. Jesus, I bought all five seasons on DVD for less than it will cost me to watch one season on TV. Forget that, I can live with the spoilers. Or maybe I'll give in and download the show; I've never done it before, but no show is worth $25 an hour.

Anyway, is anybody else pumped for the new season?

Anna Gregoline | March 9, 2006
I'm dying for it. That is all.

Scott Horowitz | March 9, 2006
HBO offers a lot more quality programming than just the Sopranos actually. Entourage is hysterical, if you like a good western, Deadwood is a good show. There's a new one making fun of Mormons coming up. Not to mention all the good movies. I think it is well worth it.

David Mitzman | March 9, 2006
Or you could get the eps off bittorrent but that would be illegal and I don't condone that at all of course nor would I suggest the downloading of copyrighted material in a public forum.

Anna Gregoline | March 9, 2006
I totally agree with you, Scott - yet the primal Sopranos part of my brain is screaming, "YES! SOPRANOS *IS* WORTH $25 AN HOUR!"

But that's just because we are obsessed and watch at least one episode per day. Every day.

David Mitzman | March 9, 2006
The Sopranos is by far the best series on television in the past 10 years. Season 4 was kind of a poop but 5 made up for it and then some.
The worst part is the time between seasons 3 and 4 was about the same as the time between 5 and 6, so if that's an omen, I won't get my hopes up. I am hearing that this season is going to be one of the absolute best.
My predictions:
Christopher gets whacked at some point in retaliation for Tony Blundetto (remember, Philly wanted to kill Tony B. himself, but Tony Soprano did it). That'll obviously start an all-out war between NY and NJ because Johnny Sack is in prison.
I think the Russian mob and the Sopranos will get into it because the Russian Paulie and Christopher left in the Pine Barrons will resurface and Slava will find out that Tony was covering up the supposed murder of Valerie. Paulie will prob get whacked because of it.
In the end Tony will get whacked by Furio's return from Italy because he's in love with Carmella.

Yeah, they're kinda weird predictions but I think that some of this will happen.

Anna Gregoline | March 9, 2006
I agree that Christopher will get wacked, but not right away. He's too interesting a character and the previews show him doing at least a few things.

I think everyone expects an all-out war with NY, and I really doubt that they will not include that.

I don't agree that the Russian mob will get involved again, only because they left that story so long ago and I think they have too much else to discuss in the final season.

I do agree that almost everyone is going to die - Paulie and Christopher for certain. Most likely Phil. Most likely a lot of minor characters.

I'm REALLY hoping that Anthony Jr. will cause some major problems for his parents - I'm loving the previews with him and his long hair!

I'm also curious what will happen with Tony, therapy, and Dr. Melfi. Such a history with those two.

"In the end Tony will get whacked by Furio's return from Italy because he's in love with Carmella."

I'm not sure it will go down like that exactly, but I do believe Furio will come back (I hope so!) and that Tony will be killed at season's end.

David Mitzman | March 9, 2006
I see your points but I would have to say I think they underplayed the whole Russian storyline just so it would make a huge impact. That would be probably one of the least expected things to happen. I do think Furio will have something to do with the ultimate downfall of Tony because they were kind of teasing that at the end of season 4 after Furio was back in Italy for his father's funeral.

I wouldn't really be surprised at all if one of the Soprano children get whacked also. They never really presented the children as being in danger because of Tony so that would be an interesting route to take.

Anthony Jr always causes problems!

I also have a feeling that Dr. Melfi either packs up and leaves town for good or Tony whacks her.

Scott Horowitz | March 9, 2006
I don't think Tony is going to die.. I think that's too obvious of a way to end it.

David Mitzman | March 9, 2006
I think Tony needs to die at the end. What would be good is that if he died prior to the series finale. The only way I don't see that happening is if they do that 10 episode post-season special they were talking about.

David Mitzman | March 9, 2006
By the way, welcome back Anna

Erik Bates | March 9, 2006
[hidden by request]

Anna Gregoline | March 9, 2006
"I see your points but I would have to say I think they underplayed the whole Russian storyline just so it would make a huge impact."

True enough. It's kind of weird how they ended it. The synopsis for the begining of the season's opener though (I have TiVo) seems to be business as usual, at least for the start. I think we'll see some calm episodes before the storm. I think that with the Sopranos - anything goes. We'll have to see.

"Anthony Jr always causes problems!"

He does? He only causes problems because they are so MEAN to him! They are always telling him to get out of the room or shape up. It's kind of depressing, so I'm hoping for some serious rebellion, instead of being there while some kids threw things in a pool, etc...

"I also have a feeling that Dr. Melfi either packs up and leaves town for good or Tony whacks her."

Wow. I disagree - I have a feeling that the series will end with Dr. Melfi in some way - because it started with her. But I don't think Tony would ever kill her, or any woman.

I think if Tony dies, they will probably kill him before the very last episode - and have a sort of "wrap-up" episode.

The way I understand it, they are showing this run of the last season - then there will be a break, and then they will finish the season. I've read so many conflicting reports, I don't really understand what the plan is. Probably part of their game.

Thanks for the welcome back. I am on pins and needles waiting for the Sopranos to come back and I couldn't resist talking about it here.

Mike Eberhart | March 9, 2006
Scott, where are you living that it costs $101/month? I have DirecTV and my entire monthly package for all my channels including HBO is about $65/month. I think you just need to go that route to enjoy the season live. Other than that, YES, I'm ready for the next season to start.

Anna Gregoline | March 9, 2006
Mine is about $50-$60 a month - the bill is combined because we pay for internet with the same service, so the real bill is $100 or so total.

Jackie Mason | March 10, 2006
[hidden by request]

Anna Gregoline | March 10, 2006
Thanks, Jackie! I don't feel comfortable with anything serious, but I can talk about the Sopranos until I'm literally blue in the face - or you are, from boredom.

What? I must be a little drunk. I don't think that made sense.

I hate my picture on here. That is going to have to change.

Mike Eberhart | March 10, 2006
I agree, I do think that Tony will be killed before the end. It almost has to happen. I can see Tony getting whacked, and AJ taking over somehow as his dad's replacement. If that doesn't happen, I definately think that AJ will become more involved with the same types of activities as his dad.

Scott Horowitz | March 10, 2006
I have a feeling AJ is going to be made this season

Anna Gregoline | March 10, 2006
That would be so cool. I don't think A.J. will be made though. First of all, his dad is not going to approve if he gets mixed up in the mob - and it takes YEARS to get made. Think back to how many references towards Christopher waiting to get made. It takes a lot of hard work and odd jobs and generally being "in the room" so to speak. A.J. is still a teenager - not going to happen until he's at least an adult.

Which brings me to another thing - I'm dying to know how far in the future this series starts. Do we pick up shortly after we left off? Has it been a few years, like in real life? Will we see Meadow get married, or is that over? In the previews, Tony is holding a baby aloft, is that her child? Someone else's? HIs memory of his kids? A dream? No way to know.

I hope Meadow is off living with Fin and we don't see much of her. I'm sick of her and that storyline. Time for Anthony to shine!

Is anyone dying to know why he's running desperately in that hospital-looking scene in the preview? He's running towards the door like he's trying to get away from the person in the room.

I'm so. crazy. right now. I've never been so obsessed with a television show in my LIFE. It's consuming a lot of thought right now.

David Mitzman | March 11, 2006
I think AJ will be completely pushed away from the "family". He's never shown a true interest in those activities and Tony has expressed that he doesn't want AJ involved at all. And like Anna said, it takes years and years to get made, it just doesn't happen. Also, a lot of the weird stuff we saw in the previews might be dreams. Tony has pretty messed up dreams (remember in Season 5 when he had the dream where Philly Parisi, Gloria, the cop Tony kept on his payroll, Annette Benning, etc. showed up?), so I think that could be it. Anyway I'm on vacation until next Wednesday and I'm in Buffalo now, heading to Toronto for the balance of my rest and relaxtion tomorrow afternoon. Ciao till then (I might log in to check the goo game now and then if I have time).

Anna Gregoline | March 13, 2006
Well.

I wasn't expecting THAT.

David Mitzman | March 13, 2006
Well i haven't watched it yet so NO SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!! Will catch it tomorrow night when I'm back home.

Anna Gregoline | March 13, 2006
Ok, no spoilers. But you'd best close your eyes and ears until you get to it, because I'm sure this news is all over the place. I hate how easy it is to get something spoiled these days.

David Mitzman | March 14, 2006
I will be driving most of the morning and some afternoon so it'll be easy to avoid. I mean if I see something I'll be disappointed as I haven't watched any spoilers yet.
24 will be the hardest to avoid. Anyway, I'm off and will return tomorrow night with my show opinion :)

Steve Dunn | March 14, 2006
All I'm saying is that there's no way what seems to have happened actually happened. They wouldn't start the season like that....

WOULD THEY???

Anna Gregoline | March 14, 2006
Yep. They would. I think they just did.

You never know with David Chase.

Steve Dunn | March 14, 2006
I must say, if you're right, I think that's just plain awesome. One of the greatest moments in TV history - just throwing all our expectations out the window.

We'll see next week, though. At this point I'm still expecting a recovery. He got the phone call off, after all.

Anna Gregoline | March 14, 2006
Right about what? I took it at face value. Everything will be fine. I've seen enough of the previews to be sure of that.

Steve Dunn | March 14, 2006
Sorry, I was trying to have this conversation without spoilers. Enough of that.

SPOILERS BELOW!!!!







I thought you were saying that you thought Tony died. What previews have you seen? Do they show Tony recovering?

Anna Gregoline | March 14, 2006
Nope, I was saying that I wasn't expecting what they did, that's all. They don't show Tony recovering. But I'm fairly certain that he's in later episodes.

I think he'll be in a coma because I caught something that said the next episode shows a dream sequence. Which makes me excited, because the episode "The Test Dream" is one of my favorites.

He's not out yet. But next up will be the scramble for leadership, which is sure to get ugly.

Scott Horowitz | March 14, 2006
I have to stop reading spoilers before the episode. I knew what was going to happen, it takes the fun out of it.

David Mitzman | March 14, 2006
SPOILER WARNING...





















Wow, that was an awesome episode. Two dead and Tony shot. I seriously thought that the guy who hung himself was going to try and off Tony instead.

Scott Horowitz | March 15, 2006
I just don't get why they would introduce a character just to have him kill himself in that episode. Something's brewing, more than that Russian that Mitz always thinks is going to pop up.

Anna Gregoline | March 15, 2006
LOL! They do it all the time!

Technically, he was around before in other episodes. This is the first time they ever talked about him personally though.

David Mitzman | March 15, 2006
I think it was a way just to kick off the season. The dude was around like Anna said but we never really knew about him. Also, the killing of himself was a way for him to get his wife and kid out of the "family" so they could leave Jersey.

Mike Eberhart | March 20, 2006
What did I tell you about AJ? He's going to turn to the dark side very soon this season. Especially if he actually carries out his threat. Also, it's starting to look like the whole "family" is about to explode into a mini-war. I wouldn't be surprised if the New York guys infiltrate them and take over. What do you think?

Mike Eberhart | March 20, 2006
Slight Spoiler, if you haven't seen last night's show.

Anna Gregoline | March 20, 2006
I can't wait to see what happens with AJ. That would be so cool if he delivers on his promise. I LOVED that part.

I also loved Roe's conversation with Carmella (I love Roe!) and I was happy with the fact that we got to see SOME reality in this episode.

But I am still upset that they hurt Tony and these episodes are emotionally draining on us.

The next episode will be the start of the long-awaited power struggle (knew that was coming since Season 4!), since the title of the episode is, "Mayhem."

Mike Eberhart | March 20, 2006
"Mayhem" might be an understatement. It appears that everyone is going to fight over control. I think that Vito is going to be the first to get whacked. He's just rubbing everybody the wrong way.

I could see AJ taking out Junior, then Christopher taking AJ somewhere to hide him from the cops. Or, taking out Junior could be AJ's way into the "family".

Anna Gregoline | March 20, 2006
AJ will not be in the "family" for reasons stated above - I don't buy that one. He might go "free agent" for his own reasons and wack Uncle Junior, but he won't get welcomed for even doing that. Deciding to do your own hits and crimes doesn't get you much respect in the order of the family (and yeah, it's pretty disordered right now).

I hope Vito gets wacked - he's annoying and gross. I think they'll torture us with him a little while first though, a la Ralphie. Much more satisfying to see someone get killed when you've grown to hate them first.

I cannot WAIT to see what's going to happen with Christopher and AJ. Both of those story lines have me on the edge of my seat.

David Mitzman | March 21, 2006
I think Christopher is going to be a casualty this season and I wouldn't be surprised if they let Tony die at somepoint in this season. It would be a really different way removing the main character from the story.
As far as AJ going into the "family", I highly doubt that'll happen. I do bet that Vito, Christopher, and Paulie will end up dead before the end of this season though.

David Mitzman | March 21, 2006
And to append to my posting, I think that Philly will take out Christopher.

Anna Gregoline | March 21, 2006
I think Philly will TRY to take out Christopher, but I, for some reason, don't believe he will die. I think Christopher's arc is really powerful and this is an important season for him. I don't think they will kill him - especially since he almost already died.

Scott Hardie | March 22, 2006
(link)

Anna Gregoline | March 22, 2006
Hysterical! I love "Meadow gets robotic arm!"

Also, commercial breaks! - it reminds me for some reason of Larry David - "'It's not TV, it's HBO' - it's not TV? What the hell am I looking at then?"

=)

Scott Hardie | March 27, 2006
Me, I've given in and accepted the spoilers. They're inevitable. Even if I was paying for cable (don't know why it's $101 a month here except maybe cause it's digital), I'd already have suffered spoilers, because I encountered one before the episode had even aired.

In consolation, I'm watching season one again. I'm surprised at how awkward it plays now, since the series became so much better after we knew the characters and they weren't stereotypes any more, but I'm also surprised at how much internal consistency there is from then till present. Little throwaway references like how Junior used to tell Tony's cousins he'd never make it as an athlete, or props like the nightstand photo of Tony and AJ on a fishing trip, it's so cool to see them come up years apart from each other. The people behind the show do an outstanding job of keeping it internally consistent and making a little world out of it. Then there's the thrill of seeing major faces make their first appearance as marginal supporting characters, like Johnny Sack and FBI Agent Harris and Rosalie Aprile and Janice Soprano. Fun stuff. I see why you continue to watch the old ones, Anna. :-)

Dave, for what it's worth, David Chase has said there's nothing more to the escaped Russian story. "Pine Barrens," except for its place in Paulie's character arc, was designed to be self-contained plot-wise.

Anna Gregoline | March 27, 2006
First season is the best. Hands down. We've watched it approximately 200 times. Our favorite episode is "Isabella."

Scott Hardie | March 27, 2006
Wow. I'm the exact opposite: I think the first season was the weakest to date, and "Isabella" is my least favorite episode of the whole series. I wonder why the big disparity? You mentioned also loving "The Test Dream," which is a largely self-contained fantasy episode like "Isabella." Maybe those kinds are your favorites? They usually bore me, because I get into the ongoing serialized story and don't like interludes, especially interludes that have no consequence on the rest of the series. But the show obviously does both well.

Anna Gregoline | March 28, 2006
The Test Dream is a weird episode, no doubt. I like it now, but hated it when it first came on. I still somewhat resent the device of a dream, it's like in Creative Writing where some schmoe says, "And then I woke up." Annoying. It's a cop-out for the writers and allows them not to advance the plot so much. But for die-hard fans like us, I think we come to appreciate these episodes because of just how layered they really are - the longer you watch Sopranos, the repeated viewings really have a lot of connections you didn't see before (like you mentioned above). The Test Dream is no exception.

I don't really like the fantasy elements of "Isabella" but I think the mood of that episode is what gets me. So dreamlike to match his feelings of depression - I don't know, there's something about it. And of course, the bad-ass part where Tony gets shot at is amazing.

Maybe it's part nostalgia for Jesse and I, because the first season is what captivated us in the first place? Season Five is definitely a close contender, because Steve Buscemi is so. fucking. good. Of course, Season Two has Richie Aprile....!

Season Three is the worst for us. Absolutely. It's all tits and ass and guns and weak story lines. We will probably get that one last (we only own Seasons 1 and 2 so far).

Steve Dunn | March 28, 2006
Season Three is the worst for us. Absolutely. It's all tits and ass and guns...

Interesting that we both love the Sopranos, but for completely different reasons.

Agreed re: Steve Buscemi, though. I'll see anything he's in.

Anna Gregoline | March 28, 2006
I figured someone would say as much. The writing in Season Three though? Ecch. Terrible. I like tits and asses and guns and random violence as much as the next person - but the writing doesn't hold up in that season, and it suffers for it. They got all excited about their success and got a bit lazy, in my opinion.

For example, Dr. Melfi gets raped for no reason at all (they've never revisited it after that season, never - thanks for the pointless violence against women that apparantly you recover right away from), lots of FBI stuff that I find boring, Gloria, who is kind of a nut with not a lot of payout scenes, Meadow with that Noah guy, and her pyscho roommate, which is REALLY annoying, the loss of bad-ass Furio into a romantic character (oh, he was so much cooler as a thug!) and all that Jackie Jr. nonsense.

Pine Barrens is a great episode though, directed by Steve Buscemi.

Scott Hardie | March 30, 2006
I think I read somewhere that the rape episode "Employee of the Month" was meant to be self-contained, like "Pine Barrens." Both episodes have passing references to them later in the series, but never really affect the plot, and I don't care much for that either. :-\

It took a while, but Gloria grew on me. It was the next logical storyline after everything they'd done already with Tony's mother and his mistresses. Her dialogue with Tony in "Test Dream" makes it all worth it.

Anna Gregoline | March 30, 2006
Argh, it's frustrating. Why should something as horrifically devestating as a rape be "self-contained?" Yeah, it doesn't affect her any more at all...

They actually talk about it in about three episodes, but very briefly after the rape one. Grrr, you know? You know. I actually refuse to watch the actual rape scene ever again. It gave me nightmares for two weeks.

Oh yeah, Gloria as Dr. Melfi was great.

Mike Eberhart | March 30, 2006
I so wanted Dr. Melfi to tell Tony about the rape. That would have been a cool scene to see Tony's guys show up and take the rapist out. Oh well, maybe one day Dr. Melfi will have a flash back to it and finally decide to get some revenge on him.

Anna Gregoline | March 30, 2006
I kind of wanted it too. It would have been so easy and so "done." But it would have dramatically changed their already bizarre relationship.

I was proud in the end that Dr. Melfi didn't compromise her principles and tell Tony about it. But it was a bit disappointing.

I think, like the Russian story, that this storyline is a dead fish though.

Scott Hardie | March 31, 2006
All kinds of violent, dehumanizing acts are committed on the show all the time, both by and to lead characters, without any follow-up. Why should the rape be given any more attention just because it's a rape? The show is not about Dr. Melfi except to the extent that Tony affects her; we only see scenes from her life that are about Tony in some way, and the same was true of the rape. It would be weird to see her recovering from it on her own.

That said, I too wish she had gone to Tony for revenge, but I think the show motivated us to feel that way. On a similar note, is it me or are we expected to dislike loathe Meadow in the first season?

Anna Gregoline | March 31, 2006
It's not because it's a rape, Scott - it bothered me because it was to a main character, and it was never brought back again. Even Tony - they bring back bits that have happened to him, like getting shot at in the first season - but there hasn't been boo about Melfi's rape after two or three episodes. It was violence for the sake of violence, was something that happened that did not contribute to the plot at all except for that episode (against a strong female character, no less), and apparantly, she's over it now. It just bothers me. I know I'm more sensitive about rape than a lot of people, but it was something about the show that annoyed me. The third season is simply the worst for me - I feel the writing is much lazier than the rest. (And I would also say that the show is, of course, primarily about Tony - but it's not a one-note song - we see MANY sides of MANY characters all the time. That's one thing I love about the show - it doesn't have these one-dimensional characters - almost everyone gets a shot at showing a different side. Now with the sixth season, we got a deeper glimpse of Sil! That was awesome).

I would also argue we see a lot of Dr. Melfi on her own - talking to her therapist about Tony, for example. She's not just an ancillary character as time goes on.

I've always loathed Meadow. She's very annoying to me.

Scott Hardie | April 4, 2006
All fair. I still think the entire show is about Tony, though. Every single scene relates to him in some way, sometimes only as part of a larger story arc that affects his life tangentially. I have racked my brain for a scene that has zero influence on Tony (or on which Tony has zero influence) and I come up blank. I don't think Dr. Melfi is over what happened; I think the show has a specific reason for not showing her coping process. :-\

At the end of the fourth season, David Chase said that season one was about Tony as a son, two was about Tony as a brother, three was about Tony as a father, and four was about Tony as a husband. Obviously, the trend continued with five being about Tony as a cousin. What, then, does that make six about? Tony as a nephew? I heard they neglected the newspaper-in-the-driveway season premiere tradition this time, so maybe they dropped that idea too.

Anna Gregoline | April 4, 2006
Oh, of COURSE the show is all about Tony! I'm sorry if I gave you the impression I didn't think so. But that's why the show is so rich - it allows enrichment of other characters and their relationship to him - it's not simply about one man.

Maybe it's about Tony as himself? Figuring out who he is?

Or Tony as the boss. Because I'm hoping for a grand re-entry to the mob scene from him - reclaiming what's been taken from him.

This last episode was the best yet this season - I'm so excited!

Scott Horowitz | April 21, 2006
What's everyone been thinking about this lately? We haven't spoken aboutit in almost 3 weeks

Anna Gregoline | April 21, 2006
Things keep getting better all the time - I'm loving the new episodes and can't wait for the next.

Steve Dunn | April 22, 2006
Opposite.

This season is not just bad for The Sopranos - it's bad for a television show, period. I'm almost ready to stop watching. I continue to watch only because the show used to be good. I cannot understand why, after all this time, the writers decided to start clubbing us over the head with "the message."

Mike Eberhart | April 22, 2006
Yeah, I too am disappointed with the last few episodes. I came close to cancelling my HBO just because I'm starting to get sick of it. I'm hoping that it picks up here in the next episode or two. If not, then I think I'm done with it.

Anna Gregoline | April 22, 2006
Wow, I'm surprised.

Erik Bates | April 23, 2006
[hidden by request]

Steve Dunn | May 2, 2006
I am a simple man.

Whenever I ingest media, be it television, movies, books, music - whatever - the only thing that matters to me is entertainment value. Do I enjoy it? Am I engaged? Does this product, in a word, entertain me?

If it does, I might occasionally ponder the ins and outs and reasons why. Do I enjoy Veronica Mars for the snappy writing, or because I inwardly pine for the clever-but-rejected high school heroine? Do I enjoy the Disco Biscuits for their poetic lyrics or funky bass? Do I enjoy baseball because its dual individual/team nature is a metaphor for America, or because I need to know what's going on with my roto league?

All questions worth pondering, except the one about the Disco Biscuits, because I can't cite a single lyric. The rest of them, and more, are worth pondering. Why do we like the things we do? Who, and what, are we?

I don't get to this level of introspection regarding The Sopranos this season, because the show fails on the first question: it fails to entertain.

I still look forward to it every week - in the abstract it's still one of my favorite shows. And then, every week, the episode begins and I sit there for an hour and at the end of it I wonder just exactly what in the hell did I just watch? Last week Artie's got some thing with a hostess and a thug. This week Tony has some thing with a real estate agent. A few weeks ago Paulie had some thing with his mom and a kid who rows crew. There's the whole rapper thing, the Christian evangelist thing, the movie thing (and all that), the gay thing, the AJ thing, the "life is a gift" thing, the Junior thing, the terrorist thing, the home building thing, the New York thing (and all that), and I haven't even really gotten started.

And I didn't even mention the dream sequence thing. OR the therapy thing.

The Sopranos is a show with 100 balls in the air, but nothing's happening. Every episode checks in on a dozen or two ongoing storylines, and the result is a mishmashed hodgepodge narrative, flailing about and never quite hitting home.

Maybe that's the whole point. And maybe the show's producers are so smart that they're using the meta-narrative as a metaphor for the pointless and frustrating irresolution of life.

But I am just a simple man.

And The Sopranos fails to entertain.

And because of that, I've lost interest in all the rest.

Anna Gregoline | May 3, 2006
That was very lovely, but it's all about personal preference and how involved you are - with any show. And I am VERY entertained by the Sopranos this season. So, to each their own. I do feel sad that many people are turning away from the show though - I still feel it is the best series to ever be on television.

Scott Horowitz | May 3, 2006
So far, this season has been pretty good, but I have one issue. They spend the entire episode last week dealing with Artie and Benny (BTW, does anyone else have a problem with Vinnie DelPino as a gangster?). This week it wasn't even mentioned. It just seems they are leaving too many dangling stories right now.

Mike Eberhart | May 8, 2006
Well, yet another uninteresting episode. Thankfully there's only 3 episodes left. I might be able to stick it for another 3 weeks, but it's going to be tough. I'm half tempted to call Direct TV tomorrow and cancel my HBO. I seriously doubt that I will renew it for the follow up 6 episodes next year though. Anyway, that's my thoughts.

Jackie Mason | May 8, 2006
[hidden by request]

Scott Hardie | May 16, 2006
Watching the full Sopranos series over again, I realized an interesting phenomenon: When I saw the series the first time, I only enjoyed about half the episodes, while the others seemed too much like boring side-tangents that distracted from the main story. But now, the second time through? I enjoy literally every episode. I'm no longer in such a rush to find out what big plot twists are going to happen in the season that I'm bothered when they stop to smell the roses. I savor the small scenes with the big scenes. Anyway, I wonder if I'm going to have the same reaction to season 6 as most of you are having, and then enjoy it much more the second time.

Anna Gregoline | May 16, 2006
Yay!

I suspected as much, Scott. If you're not interested in the lesser characters, then a lot of episodes would be annoying. But some of my favorite parts of the show are about the lesser characters.

For example, I'm pleased as punch that we get so much Sil this season - he's SO FUNNY. Same as the delving into Paulie's psyche again.

In the beginning, I only cared about what would happen to Tony. Now that I'm a SuperFan, I want to know how all the stories end.

Only 2 more episodes this year! And with one of the shooting scenes in this last episode, they've shown us every image that was included in the previews before Season 6 started. Which means no footage from the last episode has been shown to us yet. At all.

I'm excited. =)

Keep watching all the episodes, if you are starting to like it. I think Sopranos has so many threads and so much to discover (it's really well-written most of the time) that appreciation for it only grows. But, like I said, I'm a SuperFan. =)

Jackie Mason | May 23, 2006
[hidden by request]

David Mitzman | May 24, 2006
What do you mean Robocop theme?
Except for Jack, nobody else has been killed and essentially brought back to life. However, to truly be like Robocop, the victim would have to be gunned down by Red Foreman from That 70's Show.

Jackie Mason | May 25, 2006
[hidden by request]

David Mitzman | May 25, 2006
I knew Peter Weller was robocop, but I didn't know Dr. One-Arm-Asshole from ER was in it also. That's pretty cool.

Scott Horowitz | June 8, 2006
Did anyone else think the Season Finale sucked???

Jackie Mason | June 8, 2006
[hidden by request]

David Mitzman | June 9, 2006
like 12 episodes so yeah. but next year is a "continuation" of season 6.

Anna Gregoline | June 9, 2006
It did suck. But I'm comforted because it's not really the Season Finale. It's actually the middle point.

But they were stupid to stop right there. They lost probably more than half their fan base with that one.

Scott Hardie | December 2, 2006
Now that I'm done watching Season Six on DVD, I made a point to come back and re-read this discussion knowing the context. I have a lot to say, so please bear with me. [Spoilers below for anyone who still hasn't watched.]

Overall, I think Season Six was excellent. "Join the Club," with Tony unconscious in the hospital, was one of the best episodes they've ever done, a showcase for Edie Falco and wow did she make the most of it. Vito's sad arc – the tough, smart, capable, loyal guy who would be the perfect mob captain except for this one little condition the mafia rejects – was a thematic bookend for what Tony went through in Season One. Paulie's meltdown over his mother was captivating, as was Artie's self-destructive impulses about Benny. The relentlessness of the humiliations suffered by Johnny Sack matched the relentlessness of the demands he made of Tony last season. Christopher says he learned from Tony how to be a married man, and you could tell that later when he parted ways with Julianna at the diner (though Tony probably would have used more class). That was all good stuff.

The question of the season was "Who am I? Where am I going?" as spoken by Tony in the hospital and repeated by Carmela in Paris. Many of the characters seemed to be arriving at fates that have seemed inevitable over the years: Junior locked in an Alzheimer's facility, Christopher marrying a bimbo and relapsing, Vito facing death once his secret is out, Meadow moving to California, Johnny Sack giving an allocution to save his wife, AJ working construction and watching the mob collecting big bucks in front of him (hints of Finn last year?), Tony becoming unattractive to women he wants, and so on. There were also instances of characters repeating old decisions, like Artie reliving Adrianna by letting himself get worked up over an Armenian substitute, or Carmela dropping another relentless personal quest (this time Adrianna instead of life insurance or a divorce settlement) as soon as she gets what it is she really wants – not to build and decorate a house for its own sake, I think, but because it reminds her of Furio, with whom she once collaborated on house-decorating. The thing is, most of them don't even realize it, except Tony. The series has always been about Tony becoming self-aware, but after his brush with death he is a new man with a broader perspective, and he's the only one who can break his habits and passively watch the others embrace their fates – notice how softly he reacts to Johnny's allocution, Meadow's announcement, Christopher dating his ex-fling, Junior shooting him, Phil killing Vito, etc, instead of ranting and raving and attacking somebody like he would have done in years past. Drama is about change, and Tony has gradually become a very different man in a world that stays the same no matter who gets killed and replaced.

All that said, there were a few things that I didn't care for, like Christopher's celebrity schmoozing (not funny), Vito's relationship with Jim the firefighter (not convincing), Paulie causing injuries with the street-fair ride (not compelling), and the numerous long, actionless scenes showing Christopher's drug relapse (boooorrrring). And the whole season, Melfi was barely present, a disappointment.

Anyway, even though months have passed, the magic of the Internet allows me to reply to your specific comments as if you wrote them yesterday. Let's see here...

Dave: I do bet that Vito, Christopher, and Paulie will end up dead before the end of this season though.

One oughtta three is a good prediction, and maybe another will fall in the remaining nine episodes next spring. I read somewhere that ever since the show began, Paulie and Christopher are consistently predicted as the most likely to be whacked next.

Dave: Tony will get whacked by Furio's return from Italy...

Furio will not be back according to David Chase, just like Paulie's Russian. (The man doesn't spoil his own series, but he does say what won't be in it so fans won't get their hopes up.)

Scott: I don't think Tony is going to die.. I think that's too obvious of a way to end it.

I'm with you on this prediction. It's just not the show's style. The final scene will be Tony in Melfi's office or Tony and Carmela in their kitchen.

Anna: The way I understand it, they are showing this run of the last season - then there will be a break, and then they will finish the season.

"Part 2" of the season will begin on April 8 and end on June 3. Now that they've bumped it up to nine episodes, it really seems like it's a seventh season onto itself. My understanding about the reason they're calling it part of Season Six is that it's a loophole keeping them from renegotiating what must by now be very expensive contracts with the cast and creative staff, but more than one actor sued to renegotiate anyway and got what they wanted.

Scott: I just don't get why they would introduce a character just to have him kill himself in that episode.

Eugene Pontecorvo has been around for years, but not very visibly. He was the guy who got made in the same ceremony as Christopher, standing beside him. The thing is, the writers introduced him at the start of Season Three and put the actor in the main credits, but didn't know what to do with him and he languished into occasional guest appearances in the margins. As I interpret it, his suicide was a way for the writers to put their mistake to rest for good, while simultaneously using it to comment on Tony: Pontecorvo's wife hounds him the same way that Carmela hounds Tony except he doesn't know how to deal with his depression, and also Tony turning down his request demonstrates Tony's characteristic selfishness once again just before Tony becomes a changed man.

Anna: I think Christopher's arc is really powerful and this is an important season for him.

Me too. Others seasons have thematically been about Tony as a father, as a brother, etc. This one seemed to be about Tony as an uncle, how he and Christopher share such a strong bond over their conspiracy to kill Adrianna and Tony putting him on the career fast-track and more, but at the same time Tony being a destructive influence by giving him the drink that begins his relapse. One of the strong images for me this season was Tony tossing around baby Domenica at the street fair to cheer her up; it was a grandfatherly scene for him, reminiscent of Don Corleone playing with his grandkids in the orchard where he dies, but of course, Tony is her uncle.

Anna: Season Three is the worst for us. Absolutely.

I've gotta say, it has five of my all-time favorite episodes in it: "Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood," "Proshai Livushka," "Employee of the Month," "University," and the ever-popular "Pine Barrens." If that were the measure I'd call Three my favorite season. As it is, I refuse to choose between them.

Mike: I so wanted Dr. Melfi to tell Tony about the rape.

According to Lorraine Bracco's autobiography, her father was on his feet, shouting at the television "Tell him! Tell him!" in the final seconds of that episode. The show manipulated the audience into wanting her to tell Tony so that her decision not to would be even more significant. It's still the best final moment of any episode, including now "Members Only."

Anna in response to Steve: That was very lovely, but it's all about personal preference and how involved you are - with any show. And I am VERY entertained by the Sopranos this season. So, to each their own.

Me too. I can see why you're frustrated, Steve, but to me nearly every scene remains captivating because it's done so damn well. Another season has passed and it has kept its distinction as the only full TV series I've ever seen without a single bad episode.

Scott & Anna: Did anyone else think the Season Finale sucked??? ... They were stupid to stop right there.

In the DVD commentary track, David Chase says the show drew a lot of flak for closing with an "uplifting" Christmas scene with the family all around, but he says viewers missed the point: Every character in that gathering was miserable and the family was deeply dysfunctional. :-)

Anna Gregoline | December 4, 2006
Great summary, Scott! We've of course watched all the episodes a million times since this was last posted, and I do really enjoy it a lot more than I did at first. Some things take time to appreciate.

I am apprehensive about the end of the Sopranos, but only because my favorite show will be at an end, the end, no more! Hard to believe and accept. But I'm eager too because that means we can own all of it and it will be a story with a begining and an end...and we can have the ultimate Sopranos marathon. =)

I have faith that the last bit is going to be as heart-stopping as anything they've put out already. Big kisses to David Chase!

Mike Eberhart | December 4, 2006
These last 9 episodes better kick major ass. This past season was very slow in opinion and I came very close to cancelling my HBO because of it. Only because The Soprano's is the only thing I have HBO for. I'll renew my subscription in time to watch the remaining episodes, but if they don't blow me away, I won't be buying the DVD box sets.

Anna Gregoline | December 5, 2006
It was really slow...the firecracker episodes were few and far between. I thought I was going to bang my head against the wall during the Vito "working on the farm" scenes.

Scott Hardie | June 11, 2007
Thoughts on the ending?

Scott Hardie | June 11, 2007
Spoilers. Of course.

That's not the ending that I expected, but I guess you can say that of most viewers. (I didn't see it; only read descriptions online so far.) I had had the ending "spoiled" for me before the Final Nine began, when I was told on good authority that the series would end with Tony entrusting A.J. with the future of the Jersey mob. I thought that sounded ludicrous at the time, since A.J. has always been portrayed as not mob material, but I figured a certain series of events would have to happen for the series to end that way, and those events came true: Christopher would have to die because Tony only trusts family at a certain level (check), A.J. would have to inch closer to the mob as his friends turned violent (check) and he would have to fail so dramatically at a "normal life" that a mob life seems reasonable (check), and the series would have to thematically foreshadow him becoming the next Tony (check, as in the episode "The Second Coming"). When I heard that the final episode title was "Made in America" and it sounded like Tony was doomed to die via Phil's hit squad, the final pieces fell into place: A.J. would be made as Christopher's replacement, just in time for Tony's deathbed order entrusting him with either leadership or some kind of leader-in-waiting status under another mobster's watchful eye. The once-ludicrous was about to come to pass, and a season that had spent so much time on A.J. to fans' bafflement would suddenly make sense.

Then, the finalé aired. Huh?

Even though it's not what I expected, I like the finalé that came about. That felt like the right ending for most of the characters (isn't Paulie already a captain?) and it was clear New York wasn't going to wipe out New Jersey even if they did succeed in killing Tony. The series needed one last mob execution and Phil got a deserving one.

Critic Frazier Moore has complained about the lack of catharsis in the final shot, but for a writer who apparently believes the Soprano family goes right on living its life, how else would he have the scene go? It seems like most fans are leaning towards the Tony-is-shot interpretation based on Bacala's earlier explanation of death, "everything goes blank" and "you don't hear a thing," and because it would neatly tie in with the bathroom-assassin angle from The Godfather since Tony was eating oranges prior, and because something had to happen during those ten seconds, otherwise why have them? One other interpretation is that the scene is a parable for terrorism in modern life, that it has made us suspicious of each other even in the midst of professed patriotism and we ultimately talk ourselves (A.J.) out of doing what it takes to wipe it out, but I consider this overanalysis; why would the show end there of all places, even with Agent Harris's ongoing Arab investigation? No, I think the ending comes down to one of two interpretations, either the family lives on or Tony is shot, your choice as individual viewer, and neither is canonical. This kind of ending isn't for everyone, but it has my approval.

P.S.: If Tony was indeed whacked in the final scene, was it an outstanding order of Phil's, or could it have been one of his own people? If someone on the Jersey side wants him dead, now's the time to strike with an anonymous assassin and pin it on Phil, who obviously won't object.

Anna Gregoline | June 11, 2007
I'm still mulling it all over. I think I'm in a bit of shock and awe - I was pacing around the house last night!

Brilliant ending, whether I like it or not. Masterful. Although I wonder at the move of a cable channel making everyone think their cable went out. =) Our episode had some glitches in it too from the cable - little stutters, so we really DID think our cable went out!

I came away feeling like Tony got shot and died, Jesse thinks he lived on. I don't know, but I'm kind of glad they didn't show us. Because hell, we love the Sopranos, and they've already shot Tony! We've seen it - why show it again? And no matter what they did they were going to get criticized - this way, everybody or nobody is happy.

That last song...kind of makes me feel David Chase is shining us on a bit - like, be happy with the series you have. We're done.

Scott Hardie | June 11, 2007
One blogger wrote that this was the best use of "Don't Stop Believin'" in all recorded history. I get his point, but when I hear it I still think of the scene that made Monster, and I'm sure White Sox fans will disagree too. Either way, I know it's going to be on loop in my head all day.

David Mitzman | June 11, 2007
SPOILER...









Problem I had with this episode is that as viewers, we invested 8 years of our lives (and for some of us that's just under 1/3rd of our existence). We were left with so many open plots (i.e. the infamous Russian in the Pine Barrens) and we didn't even get closure on most of the things. Sure AJ is materialistic and drifted but he came right back. Sure Meadow is going to law school. Sure Carmella will go back to turning a blind eye. And of course Phil is dead even after a supposed truce on the hits from Tony. What really bugged me is that ok, so they left it open, but just having the screen go black like that and Tony having a questionable look on his face as that happened is really annoying. In my opinion, as the screen went blank, they should've had a single gunshot and then screaming. That way we wouldn't know if Tony lived or died, who shot him, and who got caught in the crossfire. That woulda been perfect. A way to say that there's never a truce and he's never safe.

Anna Gregoline | June 11, 2007
I have to chuckle that people are still complaining about Pine Barrens!

Life isn't closure. The Sopranos (despite the many wackings) was a very realistic series, and that's what I love about it - tidying everything up and ending it like Six Feet Under did would have been very against the spirit and tone of the series. I think they did the best ending possible, honestly, even if it's a little unsettling.

"What really bugged me is that ok, so they left it open, but just having the screen go black like that and Tony having a questionable look on his face as that happened is really annoying. In my opinion, as the screen went blank, they should've had a single gunshot and then screaming. That way we wouldn't know if Tony lived or died, who shot him, and who got caught in the crossfire. That woulda been perfect. A way to say that there's never a truce and he's never safe."

But we're not supposed to know. Tony has said several times that there are two endings for a guy like him - death, or being put in jail. We knew he would be indicted. Or did he die in the diner? Who knows. I like it better that we can imagine either.

And I like that it ended peacefully, in a way. We got to see them as a family, which is what the show is partly about, family. There was a happiness there. Why end on a painful note? We've already seen Tony get shot. We've already seen this family in pain. We know the stakes, we know their failures, but they love each other.

They could have done it differently masterfully, but I think this was far more gutsy and brilliant. I can't believe how many people on the HBO boards are threatening to cancel their subscription or calling for David Chase's head. Saying that it was a cheat, that they wanted violence violence violence! While the show delivered much on that point, it's not what the show is about, despite the fact that many tune in for it.

About the cat:

Is it Christopher come back to life to torment Paulie? Looking at his own picture lovingly?
Does the cat kill mice (read: rats) and therefore looks at Christopher's picture like a rat?
Is it Adrianna come back to love on Christopher?
It's a stupid cat to scare Paulie? He has lots of spirits around him though, we know.


Ugh, I'm dying to watch it again (watched it twice last night) to pick up more now that I've read a lot online. Some snippets I copied:

"The guy at the bar is also credited as Nikki Leotardo. The same actor played him in the first part of season 6 during a brief sit down concerning the future of Vito. That wasn't that long ago. Apparently, he is the nephew of Phil. Phil's brother Nikki Senior was killed in 1976 in a car accident. Absolutely Genius!!!! David Chase is truly rewarding the true fans who pay attention to detail."

I don't know if this is true but I'm curious to find out.

"The trucker was the brother of the guy who was robbed by Christopher in Season 2. Remember the DVD players? The trucker had to identify the body. The boy scouts were in the train store and the brothas at the end were the ones who tried to kill Tony and only clipped him in the ear (was that season 2 or 3?)."

I don't remember the trucker having to identify anyone. The boy scouts, ok. The brothas? Uh, no. One of those guys was killed by Tony at the time. And it was Season 1, so I don't trust this source at all.

"No more Tony and I guess we are supposed to be happy that Meadow didn't get clipped as well (she would have been between the shooter and Tony) since she is the only one worth a crap in that family."

That's true and I didn't consider it - if Meadow was sitting down and he was going to get clipped, she would have been shot too.

History stuff, fascinating!!!!!

Tony is not dead....because he is Pliny the Younger.

For you history buffs, Pompeii was the city burried in the ashes of a Volcano in Italy back in the 1st century. The volcano was named Vesuvius...like Artie's place.

Tonight..Carm was sitting UPWIND of the errupting volcano

Chase made it a point at the season premier to say that it was the anniversary of the erruption of Mt Vesuvius.

The slot machine when Tony was in Vegas was a Pompeii machine with a devil.

The reason we know about Pompeii is because Pliny the Younger was a very high-up in the Roman government. He escaped the erruption of Vesuvius and wrote about the events leading up to it and the aftermath.

Tony is Pliny because:

1)Pliny's father died when Plinny was in his teens and he was brought up by his Uncle, Plinny the Elder

2)Pliny rose to power in a shockingly fast manner and was known to be a compassionate and friendly person who could win you over, then be ruthless the next

3)Pliny at one point was in charge of Waste Management for the Romans

4)Pliny was around for the overthrow of Nero and saw some of his friends die in the process.

I'm 99% sure of the connection to Pompeii/Vesuvius....and assume Tony is still alive. Pliny eventually died mysteriously.....so that leaves it open for debate, but since Carm was spared in front of the mural, I'm assuming Tony was too.


"The 1st thing to rewatch in the episode to make the outcome most obvious to those willing to dig is how Chase subtly inserts the radio ad in the hospital scene. The ad is for a food chopper/processor of some sort called "the magic bullet". In the ad it describes three dishes, vegetables or whatnot that can all be served up in 10 seconds or less. Suggesting Tony was the third after Bobby and Sil. It gave me chills when I rewatched the end and saw that the blackout was exactly 10 seconds."

I missed this one completely, have to watch for third time and look for it.


"You can also point out that this was the first and last episode without credit music. Take it like you want it, the Sopranos aren't singing anymore in any case. I like to think it adds to Tony's death scenario."

I don't know if this is true either, need to find out.

"Tony tells Uncle Junior to ignore the birds outside the window. If you think about Tony's not seeing Melfi anymore, it's quite a deep line."

Such a rich show, I'm starting to feel glad they didn't give a pat ending to it. Still distraught it's over though.

Anna Gregoline | June 11, 2007
"The show itself offered no answers, as it cut immediately to black. Several seconds later, the credits rolled - and for only the second time in the show's history, no music played over them. A possible hint as to Tony's fate: The only other time no music played over the closing credits was in the season-two episode "Full Leather Jacket," which ended with Christopher (Michael Imperioli) getting gunned down. "

Got this from LA daily news.

Jerry Mathis | June 11, 2007
I'm still struggling with how I feel about the finale. I do know that when it ended, I felt a bit let down. After thinking about it since last night, I'm starting to side with the "Tony's dead" crowd. Who knows though? One thing is for certain, if they ever decide to do a movie this was the perfect ending.

Anna Gregoline | June 11, 2007
Half of the community at HBO seems to think they left it open to do a movie - I'm kind of stunned by that - no way do I believe David Chase or the actors would do that. The Sopranos is over.

Scott Horowitz | June 11, 2007
Hehe, to tell you the truth, I thought my cable cut out at the ending. Here's my take: If Chase had Tony die on screen, or had him in prison in a flash-forward scene, some would be happy, some would be sad. Here he gets to piss everyone off, and keep nobody happy.

Kris Weberg | June 11, 2007
See, having only seent he last two episodes, I'm entirely unqualified to speak on the subject.

BUT, my impression from these last two episodes is that they're all simply different species of sociopaths, and that they're stuck with each other, slowly circling a drain. A husband who's, well, a mob boss and has no idea how to interact with people beyond financially dealing with them or bullying and killing them. A wife who looks the other way at infidelity and murderous criminality because it gets her a nice house. A shallow snot of a teenager. A daughter who uses cod altruism as a blind to avoid actually considering what her family is and does. They're amoral people, and as such they get the twitchy nonresolution offered by amorality, by the absence of ethics (an ethos). They get to keep living, and in their world, keeping on living is at once the bare minimum reward and the refusal of meaning.

Here's a question: if Tony Soprano dies, what does he leave behind him? If any of them die, what do they leave behind them, what has been their effect on the world in which they live and the people with whom they live? As far as I can tell, the answer to both questions is somewhere between "wreckage" and "nothing."

Anna Gregoline | June 11, 2007
They address that topic in other episodes, most certainly. Tony muses about his legacy throughout the series, Carmela definitely talks about death, they all struggle with who they are and where they are going. Where they end up seems to fit with your analysis. I think we started where we began, in a sense. I think we are really seeing a window into their lives for a short time.

Scott Hardie | June 12, 2007
The open ending: Is it because the scene is so tense? Is it because Tony looks up at the final second? If the scene had just been the family eating like normal and cut to credits, no one would say it's ambiguous, but those 11 seconds make a big difference, don't they? Something happens during that time. Chase and the other writers have always liked unresolved plotlines (Anna, in the past you've seemed just as frustrated by the unresolved rape as Dave by the unresolved Russian), so it's in keeping. Besides, what's really unresolved at the end? Whether Tony lives or dies? He's still alive in the last shot, and that counts for something. Whether Tony is indicted? That much sounds inevitable, although aren't suspects usually in police custody by the time grand juries convene, to prevent flight? All things considered, I think what would have been a better ending all-around is some kind of montage of life going on, the same way that season two ended. We could hear that Phil's assassins are still out there looking for Tony, and the indictment is pending, to give a sense that he hasn't escaped his doom, but the show would likely have been better off without such abruptness at the end.

The guy at the bar: It's not Nikki Leotardo or any other character; the actor is just some guy they found. (link)

No credits music: For whatever it's worth, the "Employee of the Week" episode made it part of the way through the credits before some very slight ambient music came in. That also had a famous abrupt ending.

Movie: A lot of people (Nikke Finke in particular) are bashing the show for ending this way in order to set up a movie. There will not be a movie. HBO considered it at one time, and the movie became these "final nine" episodes.

Trivia: This may be widely known already, but I just discovered it. Just as a member of the Aprile family/crew is murdered in each season, Christopher Moltisanti faces imminent death by gun in each season. In 1, he's "taught a lesson" by Junior's thugs. In 2, he's shot by Bevilacqua and Gismonte. In 3, his poker game was robbed by Jackie Junior. In 4, he was car-jacked. In 5, Tony nearly shot him over his paranoia about Adriana's infidelity. In 6, he was shot at by the Vipers. Ironic that he eventually died by other means.

Jerry Mathis | June 12, 2007
Scott --

While I tend to agree that there will not be a movie, you never say never in Hollywood. Big bucks start flying around and people start changing their minds. Chase doesn't seem like someone who could be swayed but you never know.

Scott Hardie | June 12, 2007
Good point, Jerry. Potential money is always the surest path to a sequel. And HBO does have their own film division. But we agree that Chase isn't likely to go that route.

One critic (I dunno who) made a good point about the differing opinions about the ending: If you view the show as entertainment, you feel robbed by an ending that didn't satisfy your needs, but if you view the show as art, you support Chase providing it with the ending he thinks is best. Me, I lean towards the latter, but I still wonder if there was a way to be both. The show successfully bridged the gap between art and entertainment for most of its run, so it's a shame it couldn't find a way to end on that line.

I just found Chase's first interview since the finalé. (link)

"No one was trying to be audacious, honest to God," he added. "We did what we thought we had to do. No one was trying to blow people's minds or thinking, 'Wow, this'll (tick) them off.'

"People get the impression that you're trying to (mess) with them, and it's not true. You're trying to entertain them."

Anna Gregoline | June 12, 2007
Anna, in the past you've seemed just as frustrated by the unresolved rape as Dave by the unresolved Russian), so it's in keeping.

Uh, no, that's a mischaracterization of my feelings on that, but I've been over it enough. There are TONS of unresolved things in the Sopranos too, those are not the only two things.

Trivia: This may be widely known already, but I just discovered it. Just as a member of the Aprile family/crew is murdered in each season, Christopher Moltisanti faces imminent death by gun in each season. In 1, he's "taught a lesson" by Junior's thugs. In 2, he's shot by Bevilacqua and Gismonte. In 3, his poker game was robbed by Jackie Junior. In 4, he was car-jacked. In 5, Tony nearly shot him over his paranoia about Adriana's infidelity. In 6, he was shot at by the Vipers. Ironic that he eventually died by other means.

I regret that they ended Chrissy's life the way they did. We've always felt his arc was the best and I feel unsettled about how it ended, even if it made sense.

I wonder if there's any significance to the potential assassin wearing a Members Only jacket and Eugene Pontecorvo pointedly wearing one at the beginning of season six in the episode by that title? Richie Aprile also used to wear one. It's probably been discussed out there on the boards but I haven't seen it yet.

Absolutely. Chase layers meaning into every episode - I have no doubt that he did that on purpose.

Jerry Mathis | June 12, 2007
Wow, he even refers directly to what we're talking about in that interview.

"I don't think about (a movie) much," he said. "I never say never. An idea could pop into my head where I would go, 'Wow, that would make a great movie,' but I doubt it.
"I'm not being coy," he added. "If something appeared that really made a good 'Sopranos' movie and you could invest in it and everybody else wanted to do it, I would do it. But I think we've kind of said it and done it."

Anna Gregoline | June 12, 2007
Right. Which means it won't happen. Or if it does, it won't matter anyway. What IS Sopranos without Tony? And James Gandolfini is sick of that character.

Scott Hardie | June 13, 2007
Anna, forgive me for this, but above, you specifically called it "frustrating" that they didn't do more with her rape afterwards. (Argh, it's frustrating. Why should something as horrifically devestating as a rape be "self-contained?") I'm just saying, the show had loose ends that drove each of us a little crazy. I certainly had mine – what the hell happened to all the hints they began dropping about Angie Bonpensiero running her own crime enterprise out of the body shop? Apparently that was the end as well as the beginning of a non-arc.

I agree about Christopher's demise, though I'm not sure I believe that Tony could truly go to those dark depths. The show has always shown us this thug through rosy-colored glasses, but come on, there's no way the Tony of the early years could have done that. I know the show was intentionally turning up the volume on Tony's paranoia and inhumanity in this final season, touched off by killing his own cousin and being shot by his own uncle, but they didn't seem to go very far with it beyond some "poor you" thematic suggestions about him being the "second coming" of his mother, or maybe I missed something. Anyway, as Phil Leotardo's hit squad closed in on Tony Soprano and took out the people closest to him professionally, I appreciated the irony that Tony would have been much better off with Christopher still alive.

Anna Gregoline | June 13, 2007
Anna, forgive me for this, but above, you specifically called it "frustrating" that they didn't do more with her rape afterwards. (Argh, it's frustrating. Why should something as horrifically devestating as a rape be "self-contained?") I'm just saying, the show had loose ends that drove each of us a little crazy. I certainly had mine – what the hell happened to all the hints they began dropping about Angie Bonpensiero running her own crime enterprise out of the body shop? Apparently that was the end as well as the beginning of a non-arc.

I guess you're not going to understand my problem with that one, and I won't understand the problem with the Russian thing being unresolved. My main thought is that the rape thing was something against a main character, to be forgotten. The Russian thing? One of seemingly hundreds of lost story threads that happen to insert some violence and drama in a show about that. I see the similarities of what you're saying, but I really take the two very differently. Why WOULD the Russian thing come up again? Yet I can see easily how Dr. Melfi, a character we have a continuous relationship with, would continue to have issues or we would be shown a small inkling of that having happened further down the line.

I don't believe that all story lines or plot points in the Sopranos are MEANT to go anywhere, but instead point towards larger themes and ideas (and be entertaining - Pine Barrens is a great example, actually - it racheted up the ever-present tension between Paulie and Christopher and was also great fun in the process).

Angie Bompensiero's body shop thing, to me, was significant without "going anywhere." I think it was summed up in Roe's comment: "Before, it was like she was one of us. Now, it's like she's one of them." To me that summarizes the wives feelings/wish/desire to be separate from the crimes of their husbands - but as Carmela says later, she knows that her family is implicit in it if they know about it and do nothing. And continue to reap the benefits of rich living besides!

I agree about Christopher's demise, though I'm not sure I believe that Tony could truly go to those dark depths. The show has always shown us this thug through rosy-colored glasses, but come on, there's no way the Tony of the early years could have done that.

I tend to agree with that, although it's interesting that James Gandolfini says he's surprised that people reacted strongly - to him, that's who Tony Soprano always was. He's a sociopath. Christopher wounded him deeply with the addictions and Cleaver, and while I think it was a little far-fetched and obviously done to add some shock value to the end of the season, it's not completely out of character.

Anyway, as Phil Leotardo's hit squad closed in on Tony Soprano and took out the people closest to him professionally, I appreciated the irony that Tony would have been much better off with Christopher still alive.

That's something I didn't consider, but you're absolutely right. One more young tough body around would have helped immensely.

Scott Hardie | June 13, 2007
(parody)

I hear you. Me, I tend to view it the opposite way: The rape had fulfilled its dramatic purpose by the abrupt ending of that episode, while Tony's intense threat to Paulie that "if that guy shows up again he's your problem" clearly seems to plant the seed for more drama to come. The Pine Barrens episode was very influential on Paulie and Christopher and even Bacala (nice touch how he says he wishes Junior was his uncle, then years later he marries Janice), but the dialogue seemed written specifically to set up what never came. But I will say about the rape, even if the incident didn't support further storylines, it would have been nice to continue to get some kind of nod to it over time, instead of just the one fleeting question about her knee healing. We, and she, deserve more. And I think we're in agreement about that much.

Anna Gregoline | June 13, 2007
The rape had fulfilled its dramatic purpose by the abrupt ending of that episode, while Tony's intense threat to Paulie that "if that guy shows up again he's your problem" clearly seems to plant the seed for more drama to come.

Meh, that's how Tony talks. =) He threatens such things a lot. Any of those "thugs get into trouble with other thugs" things rarely go past a few episodes. I knew we'd never see that guy again, just like I knew we'd never see Furio again (no one seems mad about his story not being continued). It's how the Sopranos operates. It can be frustrating, but I like it sometimes. I prefer those things to the many continuity mistakes they make, but that's a whole 'nother frustrating subject. =)

But I will say about the rape, even if the incident didn't support further storylines, it would have been nice to continue to get some kind of nod to it over time, instead of just the one fleeting question about her knee healing. We, and she, deserve more. And I think we're in agreement about that much.

I think that's all I wanted, some nod. I mean, she doesn't even talk about in her own therapy sessions past that one time. And she never tells Tony, which I think would have been interesting for it to come out later.

Scott Hardie | June 15, 2007
Comment in a forum debating the ending: I don't get it. When I watched the finale Tony gets a phone call, Paulie says "Goodbye Skip" and then the building explodes. Did you guys get a different ending? Maybe your cable just went out.

Kris Weberg | June 17, 2007
Sounds like a troll to me, Scott.

Scott Hardie | June 17, 2007
Nah, just somebody joking around. I thought it was pretty funny. If you ask me, the troublemakers are the ones spreading around the rumor of the Meadow ending, which is highly unlikely at face value. Until one of them puts the footage online, they're just riling people up.

Anna Gregoline | June 18, 2007
Yup. A mild enough lie to tell.

Scott Hardie | June 26, 2007
More parody – you knew it was coming: (link)

Anna Gregoline | June 26, 2007
Pretty funny - I cracked up at the bottom story link too - "Bar skanks announce plans to kiss!"

The Onion still makes me chuckle now and again, maybe I should start reading it again.