"The Sopranos" and "John from Cincinnati" / The TV Whore
June 11, 2007
(If you’re not all caught up with “The Sopranos,” including last night’s series finale, please just skip right down to the “John from Cincinnati” section post-haste.)
The first line uttered by the titular character in “John from Cincinnati” was “the end is near.” For our dear families of “The Sopranos,” of course, the end was last night. It was an open-ended end. It was an ambiguous end. And it was a perfect end.
Yes, for this show, it was the perfect ending. Like many other seasons, the penultimate episode really held the “action,” and this was more of a clean-up episode to show us the aftermath. We see how the Jersey family gets itself more-or-less back on track and out of the turf war by brokering a deal with New York and getting Phil permanently gone. We see how the Soprano family gets itself more-or-less back on track with new houses to build, legal careers (get out now, Meadow — it’s not too late!) and fiancés to marry, and movies to produce and clubs to start. And then, of course, there’s Tony.
In the episodes leading up to this finale, David Chase and company have gone out of their way to de-humanize Tony, reminding us that the head goombah we have come to know and love is. Not. A. Good. Guy. The gambling, Christopher’s murder, the almost-whacking of Paulie — almost every episode this season has acted as another underline of the “anti” in “antihero.” And this finale was no different. Sure, there were some moments where Tony actually appeared to have advanced on a basic emotional level — he showed some actual sympathy and remorse towards Silvio, and there was even a smattering of empathy for Junior. Yet Tony is still, when it comes down to it, the same self-centered son of a bitch he’s always been, and the visit with A.J.’s shrink was meant to show us that Tony hasn’t really made any progress in his journey over the last six seasons, as he quickly steered the discussion of his son’s well being to his own mommy issues.
Now I have to assume that all the talking over the next day or two will be about the ending, or lack thereof. I went to one message board last night and did a quick scan and, as I suspected, it was already full of “worst episode ever,” “I want that hour of my life back,” “they copped out to leave the door open for a movie” and “all that tension and buildup for nothing” comments. Some of you reading this very column may be nodding your head in agreement. Well, at the risk of offending and alienating you, you’re all fucking idiots.
Truthfully, we got a touch more finality here than I was expecting. Phil? Dead. The NYC/Jersey turf war? Resolved (for the moment, although that moment may be fleeting, depending on how you interpret the show’s end). Meadow and A.J.? Apparently moving into rather comfortable places in their lives (although, again, that comfort may be quite shattered depending on that last moment). The Feds? Rolling with the subpoenas and indictments. In fact, the only real ambiguity in this episode was the very end. And that’s really what the insufferable monkeys people are pissed about.
That final scene is, quite simply, one of the best moments this show has ever had. And coming on the heels of last week’s amazingly executed hit on Bobby, “The Sopranos” truly ended on a high note from a direction, cinematography and editing perspective. But the true genius of this scene is that very same ambiguity many are now crying about. Is Tony looking up with every ring of the front bell because he’s anticipating his family members, or is he looking up because, even though the current “war” is over, he fully knows that his life is always one bullet from ending? Are we seeing a truly objective scene, where the guy at the bar really does have an unnatural interest in Tony, or are we simply seeing Tony’s perspective of everyone as a possible enemy (remember that our pal isn’t just cautious, but a raging narcissist)? Does that guy at the bar, who we last see going to the bathroom, really have nefarious plans for Tony, or is it just that maybe he recognized the well-televised head of the Jersey family (or “gang,” as the departed Phil derogatorily commented) sitting in his local diner? And then there’s the final blackout. Did we get cut out in the middle of just another New Jersey night, with Tony simply watching Meadow walk through the door, with the Soprano life, much like a movie, just going “on and on and on?” Or was that Tony’s last fleeting moment, perhaps with Mr. Bathroom Guy returning to put two into Tony’s head? (And yes, there was “peace” with NYC, but surely there were still those loyal to Phil who weren’t too pleased at his capping, not to mention the countless others who must hate Tony because of who he is and what he’s done to them.)
There is so much that can be read into and interpreted out of that final scene, all played to one of the greatest prom songs ever (screw the naysayers — Journey rules), that I dare say it’s richer and more layered than almost any scene that has ever been on TV. And as for “the insufferable monkeys” who call this a disappointment and the television version of blue balls? Well, actually, I take it back. I don’t find you insufferable or think that you’re “fucking idiots.” … I feel sorry for you. I am truly sorry that you missed, or were incapable of appreciating, this final chapter for what it truly was. Look, like many others, I did more than my fair share of pissing and moaning about this show’s decline from the genius of its inception. But even at its dullest and most uneventful, it was still better than 90% of everything else on TV. And there’s no arguing that the show was responsible for a major shift in television. It really put HBO on the TV map, which in turn opened the door for Showtime and FX and cable television programming in general. It also pushed network dramas into a darker, grittier “realism” (that it had more or less avoided in the name of “escapism”) and a more cinematic design and aesthetic. Quite frankly, this show probably had a bigger impact on the nature of television than any show before it, and while I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t personally dub it the best show ever, I might dub it the most important. And tonight’s final chapter was a worthy denouement (and the fact that it wasn’t really a denouement — which is technically where a series of events are firmly resolved — is exactly why it was the perfect ending for this show).
Does Tony live to go on mobbing another day? Or, as Bobby said, did he not even hear his last moment coming? Did Carm and A.J. and Meadow just watch their lives shatter before them as the family patriarch was brutally murdered in a diner? Or was this a rare and happy night in the Soprano’s life?
Many will have their own interpretations of this final moment. I have no such interpretation because, frankly, I don’t care. “The Sopranos” has never been about finality (except with regard to many character’s lives, that is). It’s been about the little moments and incidents that act to form the pastiche of life, be it family life or mob life. And … well, look — I just don’t know how many other ways to say it. I’m in awe of what David Chase did. This was as fitting and “in tone” an ending as the final montage that Alan Ball gave us in “Six Feet Under.” It left me desperately wanting more (something I wouldn’t have believed I’d be saying a mere two months ago) and, just like Steve Perry’s final lyric, I almost want to plead that they “don’t stop.” But that would ruin the beauty of this moment.
And then we turn the page to a new era. Within the television circles, much has been said of late about what this finale means for HBO. “Sex and the City” is gone. “Six Feet Under” is gone. The critically luhrved (myself decisively included) “Deadwood” is gone. And now the mob giant is gone. With the brilliant yet unappreciated-by-most-viewers “The Wire” now left standing as HBO’s current longest running show, and “Entourage” the closest thing to a “hyped” show the network’s got left, HBO officially enters its rebuilding phase. And that phase begins with David Milch’s “Deadwood” follow-up, “John from Cincinnati.” Truthfully, I think HBO made a big miscalculation here. I totally get why they would want to premiere this right after the “Sopranos” finale, hoping to get as many eyeballs as possible. But love or hate that finale, was anyone really ready to jump right into a new adventure? I know I wasn’t. While I watched the episode, and rather enjoyed it, I’m not sure I was really able to process it in any way. So my discussion of the show shall be brief.
“John” focuses on a family of surfers, the Yosts. They are, as one would expect from any HBO family, chock-full of problems. And there are a variety of other characters on the periphery, many of whom clearly shall not remain on the periphery. I can’t tell you a lot about who these characters are or what they do (although they include a fun group of actors, including Luis Guzman, Willie Garson, Ed O’Neill and Luke Perry) because, as I say, I really wasn’t processing much from this show. Garson’s character is a surfing lawyer, and Perry’s character is a promoter. Guzman owned a hotel that he just sold, I think. And I really have no idea what the hell O’Neill’s character does. … I’m gonna have to watch this episode again.
Anyway, into their life comes John Monad. He barely talks and, when he does, it’s often to recite Biblical-type dialogue, or to repeat what others have said. To some, he appears sweet and innocent. To others, he probably appears borderline retarded. But he can surf. And he’s got magic pants (seriously, his pants pockets are always empty, yet he can pull out whatever he needs at a moments notice, be it cash, an ID, a cell phone, etc.). And now that John’s rolled into town, strange things have started happening. Ed O’Neill’s parrot has resurrected, and grandpappy surfer Mitch Yost can levitate. But good things have happened too, as the Yost family already appears to be on better terms then they’ve been in quite some time. One episode in, I wouldn’t expect to really know what the deal is, but it certainly appears, at first blush, that John is some sort of Christ figure (an interpretation which is helped both by the definition of his last name — “monad” means one and, according to Wikipedia, monism is “the metaphysical and theological view that all is of one essence” — and from the very initials appearing in the show’s title).
I found this premiere episode sufficiently interesting, with the occasional type of laugh that only David Milch seems capable of pulling out of me, and I’ll definitely tune back in next week. But I certainly can’t tell you whether you should tune in, nor can I say whether I think this show is going to head towards a good place or a bad place. And that’s not just due to my quasi-incapacity from the “Sopranos” finale. It also comes from the fact that I think this is a show that’s going to require quite an investment before the call can be made. In fact, I read three reviews of the show last week from the three TV critics I regularly read, and each wrote their review after watching the show’s first three episodes (which appears to be the number of episodes HBO sent out to those critics who aren’t me). Two of them basically thought it was a twisted mess, with not much hope of taking a righteous path, while the third thought it was ambitious project that had a chance of turning out decently. So it sounds like it’ll take some episodes for us all to come to our own conclusion about the show’s merit. I, for one, will give it the benefit of the doubt and try to stick it out, if only because I desperately want “John” to amount to something, so that the sacrifice of a fourth season of “Deadwood” will not be for naught.
And hell, at least it has some cool surf scenes (actually, the most interesting piece I read about the show was one in Slate, discussing how the show “gets a good deal right about surfing”).
Seth Freilich is Pajiba’s television columnist. He appreciated the callbacks in tonight’s finale of “The Sopranos,” none more so than the mention of Gigi dying on the shitter. Also, he’ll happily admit that he busted out the “Journey: Greatest Hits” while getting ready for work this morning, and it’s the loudest he’s sang in the shower in quite some time.
Ocean's Thirteen | | Surf's Up |
Comments
i don't think he could surf until he saw sean yost (?) do it. he did the exact 'move' the kid did.
but yeah, i couldn't focus after the sopranos ending...
Posted by: melissa at June 11, 2007 9:10 AM
Once I became convinced that my cable box had not failed us yet again (oh, was Comcast going to be cursed), my only thought was "well played David Chase." To me, the ending made for create dialogue within our house and circle of friends. Nothing easy, nothing overly sentimental.
I would agree with you Seth that the show was at its best and the acting most superb when it focused on the minutia of life. The ticks and reactions drew us into the actors.
Couldn't care about a follow-on movie. Now where is Larry David?
Posted by: In the Burbs at June 11, 2007 9:18 AM
Maybe I was just down because of the Sopranos ending, but I thought John from Cincinnati was pretty awful. I thought it was over-acted and underwritten. Some of the dialogue made me want to pull my hair out. I also found the character of Butchie to be like some big flashing cliche saying "I'M A DRUG ADDICT LET ME BE LOUD AND ABRASIVE."
Posted by: Eric at June 11, 2007 9:21 AM
Fully agreed, Seth ... and who could've ever imagined eating onion rings and watching someone parallel park could be so freakin' riveting? Just brilliant.
Posted by: Dustin R. at June 11, 2007 9:43 AM
I thought the Sopranos finale was very well done. I experienced more tension in those final five minutes than I did the whole season.
So depressing that it's finally over. Sopranos left me empty I don't know what to do now on Sunday nights.
Posted by: Lex at June 11, 2007 9:43 AM
Somewhere, I read the Sopranos ending described as 'like the viewer themselves got whacked', which I thought was an interesting take on it.
Posted by: j at June 11, 2007 10:20 AM
Liked the ending, loved the cat and Paulie, loved the FBI guy happy that "his side" might win the mob war, but absolutely hated the fact that even a second of the season finale was taken up by boring Meadow. Who gives a shit about her? I know there are some who will argue that it brought Tony back to the proud parent, but seriously, I might have cared if the Siegler chick could even act but it was just a waste of TV space. How about a spin-off of Paulie and the cat?
Posted by: PaddyDog at June 11, 2007 10:44 AM
A-fucking-men. I couldn't have written that Sopranos review better myself. It wasn't just a great finale, it was the perfect ending to that show. I can't imagine how anyone could sit through those 6 seasons and be surprised or let down by that ending.
Posted by: matt tobey at June 11, 2007 10:46 AM
I agree 110%, those people that say this was the worst ending ever are fucking idiots. When you think about it, the ending was pretty perfect. I am really going to miss the Sopranos, it was, in my opinion, the best show on TV. Ever.
Posted by: Sorceressss at June 11, 2007 10:48 AM
Brilliant ending...I realized with about 15 minutes to go (after laughing hysterically at Phil's head-mashing, and wondering what the hell was up with the cat staring at Chrissy's picture---was it Adriana re-incarnated?) that my heart was absolutely pounding. I admit that I literally SCREAMED at the tv when the blackout went to credits (with none of that great Soprano's music) but with further contemplation thought it was a great and appropriate end for a guy whose life goes on, but has to watch out every second of every day. I also must admit that I have always been very turned on by Tony Soprano/James Gandolfini. Where will I get my fix now? As for John, as interested as I am in checking it out, I just couldn't after that.....So long, Sopranos.
Posted by: dammitjanet at June 11, 2007 10:50 AM
I loved the last scene as well. It was so well-written and directed, and his use of the Journey song was perfect.
Posted by: patty at June 11, 2007 11:02 AM
I think my favorite review of the finale so far has been by one Nikki Finke. For anyone who thinks we should be grateful for years of entertainment, and maybe even awed by the blood, sweat and tears that go into creating a great work of art, Ms. Finke provides a stirring rebuke....
Please go read it -- it will make your day, I promise. Audience entitlement at its most hilarious.
Posted by: sansho1 at June 11, 2007 11:27 AM
There is no suspense, unless David Chase wants to rewrite the rules for the last episode. Tony's a boss, you don't send some shmuck to clip him. You send in two guys - professionals, they walk in, shoot, drop the guns and leave. They don't sit at the counter for 5 minutes so everyone can get a look at them. They don't go to the bathroom. In, shoot, out.
So, no, that guy's not a hitman.
Posted by: Tony's alive at June 11, 2007 11:45 AM
I tried to defend the Sopranos on other sites to no avail. Then I came here. Thank you Seth for saying what I couldn't. Now, do you mind if I just post a link to this review so those "insufferable monkeys" can get a clue?
Posted by: ciji at June 11, 2007 11:52 AM
Fantastic review. I was in a room with 15 or so people, and at the moment where the screen blacked out, everyone started yelling about their wasted hour, the decline of the show, blah blah blah. Meanwhile, my best friend and I just sat there thinking..."wow." I fucking loved it. The Sopranos was never just about the hits and the mob and the drama, it was just as much about family and transition and ambiguity. I want to hump David Chase's leg for throwing a big "fuck you" to the bloodthirsty fans who watched for the violence.
Posted by: Julie at June 11, 2007 11:55 AM
I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of the last episode of "The Sopranos". The final 3-5 minutes was simply the some of the best television I've ever seen, hands down.
I think the mixed reactions from fans about the finale are just as interesting and telling as the show. I think it gives us insight into who we are as people and a society. Some people wanted a bloody and violent end to come to Tony- some wanted him to live happily ever after. Some of us found the ending strangely satisfying- it was ambiguous, just like real life. I have so much more to say on this, and will be thinking about this finale for a long time. What a brilliant, satisfying "ending".
Posted by: Kristi at June 11, 2007 12:09 PM
the final episode was excellent, the whole final season was excellent - they sustain that crazy tension, build it and disperse it like no other show. the sense of foreboding created throughout the season was incredible, particularly building from when Tony and Carm went to visit Bobby and Janice on the lake. Janice 'knowing' Tony's staring at the lake. and the little details is correct - like the clear sound of ducks as asbetos is dumped in the wetlands.
Posted by: rosie at June 11, 2007 12:57 PM
"Better than 90% of what's on TV" isn't saying very much at all. The TV Whore's opinion that Bobby's death last episode was a great moment in storytelling is evidence that Pajiba's television coverage is much weaker than that it affords to the cinema. I don't have a problem with the last scene, but with the last few seasons. This was actually one of the best episodes from that period, and that says a lot.
HBO will never go out of style so long as critics keep coming around. Deadwood was horribly overrated, Big Love is ridiculously bad and John From Cinci looks like another strike. I'd rather watch The Paper Chase.
Posted by: Gitteau at June 11, 2007 1:11 PM
I'll admit that I haven't watched the finale yet, haven't even watched the last season (no HBO I'm afraid, have to wait for it on Netflix), but all this "best episode ever" smacks of a LOT of pretension, especially feeling sorry for people who didn't like it and calling us "fucking idiots." I'm putting myself in the group of people who aren't happy with the ending, just from hearing the description of it. It has nothing to do with wanting to see Tony whacked, wanting to see his family get whacked, wanting to see him roll, whatever. It's me caring about a story and wanting to see how it ends. Not providing ANY kind of ending to me is both a cop-out and extremely fucking lazy writing. It also shows that there's no true love of the characters. As a writer myself, I WANT to know what happens to my characters, so I can't imagine leaving either the reader, viewer or even myself hanging like that after sticking with a story for so many years. I can see the argument for why people liked the ending, but to call those of us who didn't fucking idiots just makes you a fucking asshole, Seth.
Posted by: Jason at June 11, 2007 1:50 PM
I LOVED the first 59 minutes of the last episode, but I think ending in the middle of a take may have been a little too meta for its own good. Chase may have outsmarted himself a bit. Although I have to admit, I watched it again and it works a lot better when you don't think you're cable has just gone out. Besides that, yes, one of the best episodes ever. Nobody blends family and Family scenes, drama and comedy, better that Chase does. Plus Paulie and Agent Harris have long been two of my favorite characters, so seeing both of them get so many great scenes in the finale really made me happy.
Posted by: Jeff at June 11, 2007 1:58 PM
Wow. I admit to not being a faithful viewer of the show, and I only tuned in last night to see how it would end.
Was it brilliant? Absolutely.
Did I hate it? Absolutely.
I completely understand what Chase was doing with it, and the tension alone was amazing. But the cut-off...no. Even hours later, after the shock faded, I wasn't feeling that at all. I understand not wanting to do a stereotypical shootout in the diner, but the ending was TOO ambiguous. Hell, even a gunshot heard after the credits started rolling would have made more sense to me than what was shown.
I'm surprised at all the "fucking idiot" and "mindless monkey" remarks. I doubt that every Pajiban (or Pajiba-ite) who watches the Sopranos loved the ending and they're not all idiots. It's a matter of perception. Personally, I'm sick of these finales that leave more questions than answers. That's fine for a season finale, but a series finale? I didn't give a rat's ass about AJ or Meadow, and they were focused on too much. The cat was cool, and how Paul went out...whoa. But the ending left me cold. It had no closure and no real satisfaction for me.
Just my thoughts.
Posted by: Brie at June 11, 2007 2:02 PM
Sorry, I meant to write Phil, not Paul.
Posted by: Brie at June 11, 2007 2:14 PM
I think there are plenty of us who are fine with open-ended stories. I for one don't need everything all tied up with a little bow. But this ending was a slap in the face to viewers. The whole season dwelt far too heavily on symbols and metaphors. It took itself very seriously, and for what? Tony was stripped down to the essence of his twisted psyche, and for what? So they could just turn off the camera. That's not the perfect ending, it's disdain for your viewers and even your story. I didn't need to spend eight years watching six short seasons for that.
In fact, if that's what I did want, I could have saved a lot of time by watching the last episode of Twin Peaks instead.
Posted by: Kate at June 11, 2007 2:33 PM
I don't have all the extra cable channels, so I can't contribute to this conversation, but I have to agree that yes, Journey rules, and I'm curious to know what song it was.
Posted by: em at June 11, 2007 2:57 PM
It was Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'"
Perfect choice of song, especially considering Tony always had his car stereo tuned to one of those classic rock stations...
Posted by: Courtney at June 11, 2007 3:33 PM
Nice to know I'm not the only person who LOVED this ending. Nice to know that other people think the rainy day fans who are all pissed off are also douchebags (you want closure? Go watch your dumbass Scarface.) Oh, and Six Feet Under? I hated that ending. Get a motherfucking imagination, will ya!?
The ending was like life- boring mundane shit peppered by big things in between...enjoy the good things...Life doesn't wrap up cute little answers in pretty packages. This ending could be taken to mean so many things...absolutely brilliant...from a marketing standpoint too (in case there is a future movie) it's brilliant as well...
I already miss the big guy!
Posted by: Be Adequite! at June 11, 2007 3:51 PM
I totally agree with Brie about the "fucking idiots" remarks. I happened to love the ending, but I'm really getting tired of the outright snobbishness and self-congratulatory nature of this site. Does anyone else think the writers here masturbate to their own reviews?
Posted by: Johnny at June 11, 2007 3:59 PM
I agree with Johnny. I think the writers masturbate while picturing the unwashed masses in their hovels of ignorance bowing down to their enlightened masters.
Posted by: Mike at June 11, 2007 4:05 PM
spot on. and thank you, because, christalmighty has there been a lot of bitching everywhere else on the internet tubes. this was the perfect ending, brilliantly concieved and artfully executed. and to hell with all these people who act like television can't be art. chase changed the game with these kinds of risks in storytelling and bully to him for staying true to his vision. as for my own interpretation, i'm opting for the 'death is quick, black and silent' because tony sure looked like he was laid out in a casket in that opening scene. i also thought chase did an amazing job of subtely letting us know AJ and meadow's fates. AJ existential struggles took him close to living in reality, but tony and carm, in one deft stroke, yanked him back to the family business and sealed his fate. as for meadow, her reason to tony for choosing law was incredibly telling: "from seeing the FBI drag you away all those times." inevitably, she'll start with good intentions and end up as a mafia lawyer trying to protect daddy for the rest of her life. which is why we saw the blackout from her perspective. just thinking about how efficiently chase communicated all these plot points, among others, makes my head spin and realize how great this show really was.
Posted by: mark at June 11, 2007 4:45 PM
The last episode of the Sopranos was also my first episode of The Sopranos, so I couldn't care less about how it ended or who who got killed, but being in the room with two huge fans who thought that HBO had died one minute from the end was *highly* entertaining. Seriously good stuff. Like I said, I'm underqualified, but I liked it.
Posted by: Dani at June 11, 2007 5:41 PM
Thanks for feeling sorry for us poor viewers who can't possibly understand the complexity and nuance of that final episode. I saw it, loathed it. People have been waiting a long time for the Sopranos ship to stop sinking, but it's been at the bottom of the ocean for a long time. Stop acting like such a martyr just because you hated or loved the ending. It is what it is. Watch The Shield instead. Much better antihero thing going on there. (and far less pretentious subtlety that only writers can understand, too!)
Posted by: Kyle at June 11, 2007 5:44 PM
Let me qualify this comment by stating: I have never watched the Sopranos. Not one minute. Only have a general idea of what the series was about from various entertainment shows and such. I repeat, NEVER WATCHED IT.
I find it interesting that here, for this ending for this show, you are a lot more forgiving than you were for the Heroes finale. Maybe it was because this was the end of the Sopranos for good, so you felt you had to enjoy it in some way. I mean, both season ended in pretty controversial ways, but while you (unfairly, I still believe) ripped Heroes a new one, you considered this ending, which many consider a cop-out, a stroke of genius. As for the quote from that writer or whoever about Nathan's last-minute save, it isn't an apt defense because 1) he was the writer, and it was his prerogative; and 2) how much of the Sopranos ending was just a whim? Are you sure you know?
Before anyone starts rushing to the keyboards to send off another invective-filled rant, I am not saying Heroes was as good as Sopranos. Like I said above, I never watched the show. I can only go by what Seth and the other commenters said. And I just think it is funny that he is on the other end now. Instead of bashing a show for having an unexpected and considerably unpopular ending, he is now defending a show for having an unexpected and considerably unpopular ending. I know I am still a bit confused as to what counts, but would this be considered ironic?
If you doubt it, just take a look at the Heroes thread, and look at some of the comments. Ten-to-one similar statements have already been and will continue to be made. Then, if you can see the humor in it, come join me in a nice cyber-laugh.
Posted by: Vermillion at June 11, 2007 6:12 PM
As a non-fervent-but-still-dedicated lover of "The Sopranos," I'm puzzled by all the fervent bashing by all sides, frankly -- the "Tony died" side, the "That was a crappy ending" side, the "That was the best ending ever!" side. For my part, the ending was a very good one, in that it did capture the essence of the show -- major tension and big dramatic build-up for events relating to these characters, but with an emphasis on how mundane and disappointing life ultimately was for them, and how unpredictably brief it might be. I've heard good arguments for various theories to resolve the ambiguity, and I understand the unhappiness of people who enjoy drama more with a firm denouement. There's nothing wrong with that preference, just like there's nothing wrong with loving (or despising) Westerns or sci-fi; it's a choice based on what makes you happy.
But lookit, Tony didn't die, he didn't live, he didn't do anything accept disappear from the fictional television show he was on. I agree with the idea that David Chase didn't "owe" anyone anything. He's an artist who chose to use his final brushstroke on this painting in a very particular way. You can like it or not like it; it's on the canvas, and his work will be judged with that stroke as one of many.
But stop the hatin' -- as A.J. so wisely and profoundly noted (he did make this up himself, didn't he?): "Can't we all just get along?" Television is a poorer and more threadbare medium today than it was yesterday, and our energy should be dedicated to building up and constructing the worthy successors -- whether you think that's "Lost," "Big Love," "The Shield," or (gulp) "John from Cincinnati." I hope someone comes along with something else that challenges others to make quality programming pretty soon.
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 11, 2007 8:15 PM
[Note to Vermillion: Please give a few episodes of "The Sopranos" a try some time, either Tivo/Bravo or Netflix. Maybe you'll like it, maybe not, but check it out. It's sort of like never watching "Seinfeld" -- you may end up saying, "WTF, who cares about that crap?" but both shows were important cultural events that changed television, so you owe it to yourself to take a look. "Seinfeld" is an interesting comparator in my mind, because the finale of that show was almost universally criticized as being terrible, but today no one thinks less of the series for it.]
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 11, 2007 8:18 PM
I just want my Deadwood back. It had one great season left in it!
Posted by: Jenn at June 11, 2007 8:45 PM
I was ready to write an angry reply after reading the review above that people who didnt like the final episode of "The Sopranos" to be idiots or monkeys but then I realized that the persons saying this were either TV reviewers or bloggers and I felt alot better. As far as the ending goes, I have looked on-line and in the majority of polls it looks like the fans liked the ending last night. So the viewpoint that the majority of viewers wouldnt get it because they were too stupid seems not to be holding water. Fact is we won't know what happened til the movie is or isnt made. Which makes all of the speculation today one big circle jerk.
Posted by: erik at June 11, 2007 8:55 PM
Best review I've read so far re: Sopranos.
Posted by: Dudeman Bro at June 11, 2007 9:16 PM
I really hope that "The Wire" can finally move out from "The Sopranos" shadow now--to all those lamenting Tony's "passing", get yourselves some Wire DVDs and I guarantee that you'll forget about Jersey for awhile...
Posted by: ev at June 11, 2007 9:58 PM
"In the end, it's all a big nothing"
(Livia Soprano to AJ, season 2, final season AJ repeats it to his therapist and parents)
Posted by: rosie at June 11, 2007 10:29 PM
You can't get enough shows about magical retards.
Posted by: Bill at June 11, 2007 11:34 PM
I thought a reviewer for the San Diego U-T summed up the ending pretty well:
"Was it the ending any of us wanted? Probably not. But it was the ending Tony deserved. The gut-wrenching tension we felt watching the scene is what Tony will feel forever. Instead of giving the lethally human mobster a clean, cathartic ending, David Chase left him in purgatory. He will never know who will be walking in the door next, and now we know how that feels.
"Don't stop believing," the song says. "Hold on to that feeling." I'm not sure how I feel about this strange goodbye. But I know I'll be holding on to it for a long, long time."
Posted by: JP at June 11, 2007 11:55 PM
i could be wrong, but wasn't the suspicious man in the final scene going to the bathroom, a reference to the godfather? didn't someone hide a gun in the bathroom of a restaurant before a hit, and the scene played out the same way, but in this case tony's murder was or was not implied? al pacino maybe?
Posted by: bartleby at June 12, 2007 1:24 AM
In "The Godfather," they hid the gun behind the toilet so Michael C. could be frisked but still make the hit. It was most certainly an homage by Chase, but as another poster here astutely pointed out, no hitters in the Soprano world would do it that way -- they always walk in all business, shoot the target, drop the gun, and leave; no hanging around for something to go wrong. That final scene didn't look like any other pro hit we've seen on the show.
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 12, 2007 1:43 AM
Bartleby, that was in Godfather (One) and the only reason it happened was due to the pat-down for weapons before the meal in that restaurant, it probably doesn't mean much in this fictional situation, IMO.
Posted by: Be Adequite! at June 12, 2007 1:43 AM
Like Schrodingers cat, I suspect that Tony is now both alive and dead at the same time. Which must be a bit of a bugger.
Posted by: Will at June 12, 2007 4:49 AM
Like Schrodingers cat, I suspect that Tony is now both alive and dead at the same time. Which must be a bit of a bugger.
Posted by: Will at June 12, 2007 4:50 AM
from "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" which played in the AJs car while it burned...
For them that must obey authority
That they do not respect in any degree
Who despise their jobs, their destinies
Speak jealously of them that are free
Cultivate their flowers to be
Nothing more than something
They invest in...
But I mean no harm nor put fault
On anyone that lives in a vault
But it's alright, Ma, if I can't please him.
Posted by: Beckylooo at June 12, 2007 10:25 PM
Rosie hit it:
"In the end, it's all a big nothing."
Posted by: Maryscott O'Connor at June 13, 2007 2:07 PM
I only wanted to watch John from Cincinnati, because we were apparently both from the same place. But apparently also, it has nothing to do with Cincinnati and I don't have HBO anyway. Eh.
Posted by: Camille at July 4, 2007 11:51 PM
