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Sopranos Final Season

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from: Timothy Noah
to: Jeffrey Goldberg, Stephen Metcalf, Brian Williams, and Terence Winter

The End

Updated Wednesday, June 13, 2007, at 5:01 PM ET

Timothy Noah chatted with readers about The Sopranos on June 7. Read the transcript here.

The Sopranos series finale. Click image to expand.

Dear Jeff, Steve, Brian, and (somewhere out in the ether) Terry,

Critical consensus appears to be shifting in favor of Chase's blackout ending. I'm going to hold my ground. It was an annoying stunt. Steve's interpretation has great appeal to me, but even if Bobby Bacala's casual observation, "You probably don't ever hear it when it happens," resonates as Tony Soprano's epitaph, I don't believe that Chase, pace his enigmatic comment to the Newark Star-Ledger ("it's all there"), intended any single interpretation to prevail, or even any single mood. I wouldn't, therefore, rate the Sopranos finale anywhere near the final, heartbreaking shot in Charlie Chaplin's City Lights: a tight close-up of the Little Tramp's expectant face as the once-blind flower girl he loves finally takes in who he really is. The point there is simply disappointment. Where that disappointment will lead, it isn't necessary to know. The Sopranos, by contrast, ends with no clear single tone. Our varied responses demonstrate that shortcoming. Steve sees the blank finality of death itself. Brian sees a serene family gathering. Jeff sees playful postmodern ambiguity tinged with religiosity (the onion ring as communion wafer). I see artistic indecision trying to pass itself off as inspiration, and a TV-watching intelligentsia, after recovering from its initial disorientation, rushing in to bestow approval that I do not believe will ring down through the ages.

The Sopranos, however, will ring down through the ages. It was one hell of a dramatic TV series. I hope Chase doesn't cheapen the franchise with a Sopranos movie, or a Sopranos Next Generation TV series. Whenever he is tempted, I urge him to consider two words: Godfather III. (OK, I guess that's a word and a Roman numeral.) All good things must come to an end. Let The Sopranos go the way of Big Pussy Bonpensiero (Buon' anima), Livia Soprano (Buon' anima), Richie Aprile (Buon' anima), Ralphie Cifaretto (Buon' anima), Gloria Trillo (Buon' anima), Tony Blundetto (Buon' anima), Eugene Pontecorvo (Buon' anima), Adriana La Cerva (Buon' anima), Carmine Lupertazzi (Buon' anima), Johnny Sack (Buon' anima), Bobby Bacala (Buon' anima), Chri-tuh-fuh Moltisanti (Buon' anima), Phil Leotardo (Buon' anima), and possibly Tony Soprano (provisional Buon' anima). Not to mention the other ghosts who haunt the series and those of us who loved it.

Well, I guess that's a wrap. Before I retreat to my petit cabanon dissimulé in the south of France: Jeff, thanks for sharing your buoyant wit and your gangland erudition. (I'll never forget the phrase "Russian mouthwash.") Brian, thanks for your keen eye, your bittersweet culinary childhood memories, and your impersonation of Hyman Roth. Terry, thanks for giving us a peek inside. Steve (aka Slate's "Dilettante"), thanks for showing up at the end to make the case that Tony got whacked. Thanks, too, to the various writers, shrinks, lawyers, critics, and other Sopranos obsessives who have let Slate eavesdrop on their conversations about the series since Jan. 10, 2000. A final thanks to Will Noah, who proved an excellent viewing companion, and to his younger sister, who endured nine (usually sleepless) hours upstairs while her father and brother descended to the basement to watch bloody shootings and topless dancing. Dearest Alice, we will make it up to you.

Tim

tv club
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from: Timothy Noah
to: Jeffrey Goldberg, Stephen Metcalf, Brian Williams, and Terence Winter

The End

Updated Wednesday, June 13, 2007, at 5:01 PM ET
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Jeffrey Goldberg is a national correspondent for the Atlantic and the author of Prisoners: A Story of Friendship and Terror. Stephen Metcalf is Slate's critic at large. He is working on a book about the 1980s. Timothy Noah is a senior writer at Slate. Brian Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News. Terence Winter is a writer and an executive producer of The Sopranos. His teleplay "Pine Barrens," written with Tim Van Patten, won the 2001 Writers Guild Award and the Edgar Award.
Slate home page cover, June 11, 2007: Still of James Gandolfini in The Sopranos by Craig Blankenhorn © HBO. All rights reserved. Still from The Sopranos of James Gandolfini on Slate's home page; still of: James Gandolfini; Edie Falco and James Gandolfini; Steven Van Zandt, James Gandolfini, and Tony Sirico; James Gandolfini and Edie Falco; and Robert Iler all by Craig Blankenhorn/courtesy HBO. All rights reserved. Entry 9: Still of Tony with a tomato, and Entry 10: Tony's dad and young Uncle June © HBO. Entry 21: Still of Tony Sirico as Paulie "Walnuts" by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 27: Still of Robert Iler and James Gandolfini by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 30: Still of James Gandolfini and Sarah Shahi by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 38: Still of Steven Van Zandt and James Gandolfini by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 40: Still of James Gandolfini and Edie Falco by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 45: Still of James Gandolfini and Steven Van Zandt by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 48: Still of Dominic Chianese and James Gandolfini by Craig Blankenhorn.
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Remarks from the Fray Editor:

As a basic cable slum-dweller, the Fray Editor has been following the discussion of The Sopranos with admiration and envy. The passion, erudition, and insight of the show's fans—Slate's commentators and Fraysters alike—proves the case that this series is not to be missed. Below, Fray poster lucabrasi considers how the 6.5 season story arc has led the show inevitably to the present moment.

May this weekend's finale exceed your wildest expectations. My prediction? Paulie Walnuts in the Bing with a shoe buffer.—G.A.

Remarks from the Fray:

I must salute the excellent close of the mob wars arc that started way back in Season One.

Looking back from today, with Tony's Jersey crime family indeed looking like a "glorified crew" in the eyes of New York, one can see it, almost clearly:

Season One: Tony's issues were of ascension in that smallish Jersey family. Jackie Sr. was dying; Uncle Junior was the designated "front don," and yet bitter enough about Tony's power to use Livia's ambiguous directives to hit Tony. Didn't work. Junior was exiled and took on Federal heat; Tony had the others killed.

Season Two: Richie Aprile gets out of prison. A theme begins: guys out of prison resent Tony, who never served. But Richie, too, is "local Jersey trouble." His escalating conflict with Tony is going to be dealt with rather easily -- Tony wants Richie hit, but Janice delivers a dose of even MORE "local" justice.

Meanwhile, I think NYC underboss Johnny Sack turns up living in Jersey, but promising Tony "I don't want to wet my beak."

The main NYC Don is Carmine Sr, an old school guy. Tony can deal with Carmine Sr, but Sack starts getting that lean and hungry look...

Seasons Three and Four: Other issues are on the table (Jackie Jr., Tony and Carm's marriage), but Tony's adversaries are manageable: made guy Ralphie and the ever-more-ambitious and angry Sack. Ralphie is eliminated, quietly (if NYC ever finds out...). Sack wants Tony to hit Old Man Carmine; Tony pulls out at the last moment. Sack looks to be vengeful.

Season Five: The big trouble all starts here, with the release of the "Class of '84". It's like four Richie Apriles. Tony has a lotta plates to spin: an old-timer named Feech who wants it all, locally, Tony's cousin Tony B, the "Rockford Guy" (Joe Santos) who Tony B idolizes as a father, and a real hothead named Phil Leotardo.

Carmine Sr. croaks. Phil joins with Sack against Little Carmine, Tony B joins with the Rockford Guy and Rusty in backing Little Carmine's play. Tony elects to back off and see how Jersey can benefit from the ensuing bloodshed, of which there is a lot.

During all this, two little matters occur: Seeking owed cash, Tony subjects Phil Leotardo to a body-breaking car crash and beats up Phil at the accident site as a "throw-in." Tony B kills Phil's brother Billy Leotardo.

In retrospect, these last two actions were perhaps...unfortunate.

Sack and Phil kill more guys than Little Carmine's team. Little caves ("It's a stagmire.") Sack ascends to Donhood. Tony can deal with Sack (having killed Tony B as a burnt offering), and Sack will stave off the still vengeful Phil Leotardo.

But right at the end of Season Five, the Feds nab Sack. Go directly to jail.

Season 6A: Sack's in prison, but the putative boss, with Phil fronting him on the outside. Tony's shot for a few episodes. The "gay Vito issue" gives Phil new reason for putting the pressure on Tony's Jersey boys. With Sack losing power by the day, Phil contemplates his rages against Tony: getting beaten up by Tony, paying money to Tony, brother killed by the cousin of Tony, gay Vito protected by Tony. Phil has a heart attack to match Tony's gutshot. Things seem peaceful between these two wounded warriors. But this guy Butch turns up, taunting Tony.

Season 6B. Tony's luck with New York runs out, via a series of crap outs: Sack dies of cancer; Doc kills Gerry; Phil kills Doc.. Phil is "the big boss man," finally, and the worst possible New York Don Tony Soprano could face. Filled with jailhouse vengeance and itching to consolidate power, Phil pushes Tony too far (with the sexual insult of Coco towards Meadow, ultimately). Tony retaliates (curbing); Phil says "there's nothing left to talk about," and here we are.

Now, I' m not sure how much of that was plotted early on by Chase and Company, but looking back on it, you see how this final, fatal gang war was literally years in the making. Tony Soprano fended off Jersey threats (Junior, Richie), kept the peace with Carmine Sr, dangerously dueled with Sack (the longest of Tony's strategic encounters), sat out the gang war to replace Carmine Sr...and ended up on the wrong end of Phil's bloody ascension to the throne of the New York Family.

Where things are now is where they HAVE to be. Inevitability.

--lucabrasi

(To reply, click here.)

(6/9)

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