The Sopranos

[grady]

Anyone out there been watching this final season?

Next week is the final episode of the series. This season has been off and on/hit and miss until the last 2-3 episodes. But such story development that has been occurring also feels somewhat forced in specific aspects of the story, primarily that there is an end point and not everything can be resolved, nor should it be.

For the sake of spoiling the series and specific plot points remember to use spoiler tags when replying.

[potatobroth]

ive been enamored with this season since the first episode. these past few episodes have been top notch though. quite tense.

[the mongoose]

(Very Mild) Spoilage...nothing plot related, just numbers.......



Ever since season 4, each season SLOOOOOWLY builds up until it explodes in the last few episodes. I like it but I can see how blood craving fans could be a little bored with the lower body count (compared with the season 1-3 One an Episode 100% Money Back Guarantee:D).

Lately, the show is in top form and this second to last episode was intense. Love the last few minutes.....got me very psyched to see the finale on Sunday!:cool:

Hard to believe it's going to be over though......it makes me quite sad to leave these characters even though most of them should burn in hell anyways.:):(

[grady]

I like the slow languid pace of things in the later seasons more and more. Perhaps it's not as explosively interesting or titilating as seeing blood shed and mobster violence, but in these later seasons the violence feels more rewarding, especially when it occurs. Not that the violence and explosiveness carries more meaning, but it seems to have a greater weight to it in regards to the events leading up to that point.

I'm disappointed to see it leave as things are really working on the show, but perhaps this is for the best, go out while it's good and don't run it into the ground.

The finale can't come soon enough, though I'm disappointed to know that it's only 49 minutes! Give us a two hour conclusion!

In regards to the finale of the show, I came across this quote from David Chase that is worth pondering in regards to the potential outcomes for Tony:

"Back in 2001, Chase was illuminating about his approach to the ending while speaking to Rolling Stone magazine: "The paradigm of the traditional gangster film is the rise and fall. You have to ask yourself: Do I want to bother with that paradigm?"

link (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070606/soprano_finale_070606/20070606?hub=Entertainment)

[b.miller]

I think most HBO shows make a much better viewing experience in large marathon chunks - like if you treat each season of the show like a 13-hour movie - than week by week. I can definitely see why people are frustrated with the pace of the show. I think that's partly just the challenge of seeing an hour long drama that isn't structured by the network protocols with act breaks, recaps, plot twists, and episode-specific resolutions. As lame as the slogan sounds, I think it's actually true that HBO isn't really TV, you just watch it on one.

So for those that have given up or losing faith, i'd recomend renting a season and re-watching 3-4 episodes at a time. I know I personally find them much ore rewarding and easier to follow that way.

[the mongoose]

Don't stop....................................!


:eek::confused:...........:mad::confused:

[grady]

I wonder how high that Journey song has climbed up the Itunes chart today since the airing of the finale. Unfortunately I have no Itunes at work to check.

[b.miller]

yeah i think the biggest shocker of the whole series is that they'd end with a Journey song :)

[potatobroth]

fade to black. fucking brilliance. im on the side of *POP*. hows about you all?

[patrick]

i can't honestly say. for me i think it's life goes on... well at least until the cops got him. i loved it how they made it go down like that

[Sean]

After giving it some time, I still don't know how I feel about the ending. Although calling it an ending is misleading since nothing ended. On the one hand, I like the way it ended giving us a real feel of what every day of Tony's life is probably like...everyone is suspicious, and anything could happen at any moment. On the other hand, I personally prefer storytelling that includes some kind of resolution for the characters I've invested time into following. I almost feel like they didn't have a real "ending" because they were scared to commit to one. But maybe that's just me.

[b.miller]

I know what you're talking about, Sean. I think so much of The Sopranos (especially season 3 on) was about subverting expectations and playing with traditional storytelling structure though that this is really the only way they could've ended. I bet it was very very funny for David Chase on Sunday night when everyone simultaneously thought their cable had cut out or their Tivos messed up. The last scene was very indicative of most of the last 4 seasons (for me at least) where you're watching and waiting for something to happen and you're waiting and waiting and waiting for something to happen and when it ends you realize that it happened while you were waiting.

If the show had only gone 1 or 2 seasons, I would've been very pissed off at this ending, but considering what the show has become I think it's very fitting.

[the mongoose]

Hmmm, this guy has some interesting ideas about the final episode.......must read!:cool:

Click (spoiler warning) (http://www.bobharris.com/content/view/1406/1/)

[grady]

Hmmm, this guy has some interesting ideas about the final episode.......must read!:cool:

Click (spoiler warning) (http://www.bobharris.com/content/view/1406/1/)

I like a great deal of the ideas he brings up in that piece, however, something that is briefly mentioned in the piece, but then futher clarified by HBO executives in recent interviews can be found at the following two links. It further solidifies things regarding the finale.

link 1 (spoiler warning) (http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003599896)

link 2 (spoiler warning) (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sopranos/2007/06/eureka_solving_the_sopranos.html)

[potatobroth]

after i got over the initial shock of "bullshit!" i came to really admire his ending to the show. I'll admit i had never given the 'tony got whacked' scenario a thought as the show aired for the first time. But after reading a bit more about some of the metaphors, homages, and symbolism used in the diner scene i find it hard to not feel this way.

Mr. Chase wrote that its 'all there' and his framing of shots in that final scene was too impeccable to call unintentional; i actually live <1mile from where they filmed that diner scene and the area was closed for quite some time because of filming. The town of Bloomfield did not want the scene to be filmed there but ultimately Mr. Chase convinced them it was his intentions to film that exact scene at that exact restaurant for many years. They finally allowed him access.

In the end, i feel that Tony was killed by the man in the Members Only jacket and i think that the blog by bobharris (ex CSI writer?) has nailed quite a few of the symbolisms on the head. He's also gone way overboard with others but i just take the bad with the good.

Its a very fitting ending i feel. Regardless of what you believe happened or didnt happen to Tony, I must admit that this scene had me on the edge of my seat with my heart racing. That song, that foreshadowing, that tension, that raw emotion between him and his family was quite unlike other television shows much less finales.