Don't Stop
After much reflection, I have to say I loved the end of the Sopranos. OK, hated it, will be forever frustrated, can't believe that stugots Chase did that to us, but loved that he did.
Did Tony get busted by the Members Only guy, or did he come out of the bathroom with only his ....in his hand? (Duh, it's like a famous quote!)
Were the two black kids after him or planted to make us racist white people think they were criminals?
Did the whole family get it?
Did Paulie really see the Virgin Mary at the Bing? Did it foreshadow his death or did he have a conversion and sold out Tony (a theory suggested by someone else). May be the best of all of Paulie's lines.
It was so telling of Chase to end the series in such an American context. The final meal at the diner with onion rings, not manicot. The blond psychiatrist. 'Merigans all around. Obvious commentary on the U.S., but was it also an ode to the Italian heritage that was so much part of the series? Not the 'Italian Americans are mafioso' culture, but the perfectly realized tone of Italian American life....the focus on eating together (not food per se, but sharing company and food, often the only thing Italians could offer to each other), the extended family, the small details of language and manner that only a Cesare, Gandolfini, Sirico, Imperioli, et al can pull off. Another Godfather reference? (Once Michael started to do business with Hyman Roth, all went to hell, like Frank Pantangeli warned him).
I have no idea what happened, which is what I love about it. It was classic Sopranos. Nothing happened quite often on the show. The everyday uncertainty of the characters' lives, unique and outrageous and theirs are, is what makes them like us. Stories aren't neatly wrapped up. We continue to delude ourselves in order to live with our choices. Sometimes we don't pay for our sins.
Maybe Tony's punishment is to continue to live life with his heart in his throat, waiting for the end. I did, as we all did for the last five minutes.
Maybe you never do hear it coming.
Did Tony get busted by the Members Only guy, or did he come out of the bathroom with only his ....in his hand? (Duh, it's like a famous quote!)
Were the two black kids after him or planted to make us racist white people think they were criminals?
Did the whole family get it?
Did Paulie really see the Virgin Mary at the Bing? Did it foreshadow his death or did he have a conversion and sold out Tony (a theory suggested by someone else). May be the best of all of Paulie's lines.
It was so telling of Chase to end the series in such an American context. The final meal at the diner with onion rings, not manicot. The blond psychiatrist. 'Merigans all around. Obvious commentary on the U.S., but was it also an ode to the Italian heritage that was so much part of the series? Not the 'Italian Americans are mafioso' culture, but the perfectly realized tone of Italian American life....the focus on eating together (not food per se, but sharing company and food, often the only thing Italians could offer to each other), the extended family, the small details of language and manner that only a Cesare, Gandolfini, Sirico, Imperioli, et al can pull off. Another Godfather reference? (Once Michael started to do business with Hyman Roth, all went to hell, like Frank Pantangeli warned him).
I have no idea what happened, which is what I love about it. It was classic Sopranos. Nothing happened quite often on the show. The everyday uncertainty of the characters' lives, unique and outrageous and theirs are, is what makes them like us. Stories aren't neatly wrapped up. We continue to delude ourselves in order to live with our choices. Sometimes we don't pay for our sins.
Maybe Tony's punishment is to continue to live life with his heart in his throat, waiting for the end. I did, as we all did for the last five minutes.
Maybe you never do hear it coming.
posted by Elizabeth at
7:33 AM
2 Comments:
Man I can't wait to get cable so I can watch the rerun. Sounds nifty!
From what I read, it was the ultimate sellout: the cut to black was Tony "not seeing it coming", but leaves the producers able to sell the movie rights.
Hey E, thought you would appreciate this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu3SxqSrAOM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home